Hannah Elizabeth

Tuesday's Child is full of Grace!

Hannah,

our 17th grandbaby

Child of joy

Welcomed,

Loved.

Oh, the Grace of God in granting to Adeena & Jeff another precious child to raise! May Hannah Elizabeth bring much glory to God, her Maker.

John Wesley on sending children to school...

“Let it be remembered, that I do not speak to the wild, giddy, thoughtless world, but to those that fear God. I ask, then, for what end do you send you children to school? “Why, that they may be fit to live in the world.” In which world do you mean, — this or the next? Perhaps you thought of this world only; and had forgot that there is a world to come; yea, and one that will last for ever! Pray take this into your account, and send them to such masters as will keep it always before their eyes. Otherwise, to send them to school (permit me to speak plainly) is little better than sending them to the devil. At all events, then, send your boys, if you have any concern for their souls, not to any of the large public schools, (for they are nurseries of all manner of wickedness,) but private school, kept by some pious man, who endeavours to instruct a small number of children in religion and learning together.”

I do firmly believe that we Christians can (and should!) love one another. We can (and should!) interact with other families who don't necessarily agree with us on every jot and tittle of our lives. I posted a video of Josh Harris exhorting the people in his congregation to love one another and not take sides on issues of education. I still firmly believe that.

However, I also believe that sending children to government schools is something that should be avoided unless the parents of those children are heavily involved. They ought to be there. They must be in constant dialogue with their kids, the teachers, the other parents.

This is the other side of the story (Thanks, Amy!):

TOP FIVE REASONS NOT TO SEND YOUR KIDS BACK TO GOVT. SCHOOL

The Truth About the Flu Shot

The Truth About the Flu Shot
Sherri Tenpenny, DO
July 17, 2009

What's in the regular flu shot?

Egg protein and avian contaminant viruses
Thimerosal (mercury): in multi-dose vials
Polysorbate 80: allergen; infertility in mice
Formaldehyde: carcinogen
Triton X100: detergent
Sucrose: table sugar
Resin: known allergen
Gentamycin: antibiotic
Gelatin: known allergen

Do flu shots work?

Not in healthy babies: A review of 51 studies involving more than 294,000
children it was found there was "no evidence that injecting children 6-24
months of age with a flu shot was any more effective than placebo. In
children over 2 yrs, it was only effective 33% of the time in preventing the
flu. Reference: "Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy children." The
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2 (2008).

Not in children with asthma: A study 800 children with asthma, half were
vaccinated and the other half did not receive the influenza vaccine. The two
groups were compared with respect to clinic visits, emergency department
(ED) visits, and hospitalizations for asthma. CONCLUSION: This study failed
to provide evidence that the influenza vaccine prevents pediatric asthma
exacerbations. Reference: "Effectiveness of influenza vaccine for the
prevention of asthma exacerbations." Christly, C. et al. Arch Dis Child.
2004 Aug;89(8):734-5.

Not in children with asthma (2): "The inactivated flu vaccine, Flumist, does
not prevent influenza-related hospitalizations in children, especially the
ones with asthma.In fact, children who get the flu vaccine are more at risk
for hospitalization than children who do not get the vaccine." Reference:
The American Thoracic Society's 105th International Conference, May 15-20,
2009, San Diego.

Not in adults: In a review of 48 reports (more than 66,000 adults),
"Vaccination of healthy adults only reduced risk of influenza by 6% and
reduced the number of missed work days by less than one day (0.16) days. It
did not change the number of people needing to go to hospital or take time
off work." Reference: "Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy adults."
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 1 (2006).

Not in the Elderly: In a review of 64 studies over 98 flu seasons of elderly
living in nursing homes, flu shots were non-significant for preventing the
flu. For elderly living in the community, vaccines were not (significantly)
effective against influenza, ILI or pneumonia. Reference: "Vaccines for
preventing influenza in the elderly." The Cochrane Database of Systematic
Reviews. 3(2006).

What about the new Swine Flu vaccine?

Some of the new H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines are going to be made by Novartis.
These shots will probably be made in PER.C6 cells (human retina cells) and
contain MF59, a potentially debilitating adjuvant. MF-59 is an oil-based
adjuvant primarily composed of squalene. All rats injected with squalene
(oil) adjuvants developed a disease that left them crippled, dragging their
paralyzed hindquarters across their cages. Injected squalene can cause
severe arthritis (3 on scale of 4) and severe immune responses, such as
autoimmune arthritis and lupus. Reference (1): Kenney, RT. Edleman, R.
"Survey of human-use adjuvants." Expert Review of Vaccines. 2 (2003) p171.
Reference (2): Matsumoto, Gary. Vaccine A: The Covert Government Experiment
That's Killing Our Soldiers and Why GI's Are Only the First Victims of this
Vaccine. New York: Basic Books. p54.

Federal health officials are starting to recommend that most Americans get
three flu shots this fall: one regular flu shot and two doses of the vaccine
made against the new swine flu strain. School children who have never had a
flu shot are targeted for four shots in the fall - twice for seasonal flu,
twice for pandemic swine flu. (July 15, 2009 news). HHS Secretary Kathleen
Sebelius has been talking to school superintendents around the country,
urging them to make plans to use buildings for mass vaccinations and for
vaccinating kids first. (CBS News, June 12, 2009.)

What can you do? You can't do it all, but you can do something!

Give this information to everyone you know and love, especially church
members, social groups, school teachers and administrators, and first
responders (EMTs, Paramedics, Firemen, etc). Contact your local police,
sheriff, city council members, county commissioners and chamber of commerce.
Discuss your concerns about forced vaccinations. Their support is important
to maintain your right to refuse.

Email or fax this information to local TV and radio stations. Call or fax to
your State and National political representatives.

Connect with other activist organizations - those who support 2nd amendment
issues, the environment and animal rights. Help spread the word about their
passion and get them involved with yours.

Write a small article for LOCAL, community newspapers. Watch for samples on
www.PandemicFluOnline.com

Check out www.oathkeepers.org. Share this with your local law and military
folks. A pdf for easy printing is available on www.DrTenpenny.com

Have at least 3 weeks of food and water on hand; be prepared to voluntarily
self-quarantine.

Stock up on Vitamin D3 (3000 IU per person), Vitamin A, Vitamin C, fish oil,
and zinc.

As stated years ago by Margaret Mead, "Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only
thing that ever has."

Dr. Tenpenny Vaccine Information Center: www.drtenpenny.com

Jesus KNOWS how far the east is from the west.

Psalm 103:10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,

nor repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,

so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

13 As a father shows compassion to his children,

so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

God is Mysterious - and Trustworthy!

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

Do you ever feel like an itty-bitty turtle?

Like this itty-bitty turtle, we sometimes feel like curling up, drawing in our legs and hiding from others. I wrote a post the other day about not caring so much about what others think. The other side of the story is, DO NOT BE SO QUICK TO CRITICIZE another's choices.

I breastfed all of my 12 children. I birthed them naturally, with no drugs except for the occasional whiff of laughing gas - and all that did was make me dizzy - it didn't take away the pain. Oh, and there were the two C-sections, where I was knocked out and given all sorts of drugs, in order to save the lives of those two precious boys.

I refuse to criticize those who want epidurals. I refuse to criticize those who use formula. I confess to wincing a little, because I do sincerely believe that "Breast is Best", but I will not condemn another mother for her choices. She LOVES her baby. She's doing her best.

I homeschooled all of my 12 children. I took them through reading and phonics to Shakespeare and poetry. I guided them through fractions and decimals to algebra and geometry. We learned together, laughed together, and cried together. I am a homeschooling mom. We are a homeschooling family.

I refuse to criticize those who send their children to Christian School. I refuse to criticize those who send their children to public school. I admit, I wince a little, because I know that the pervasive attitude in the secular system denies a Sovereign God, but I know that the parents who are sending their children to that system love their kids. They pray for them. They are involved in their lives, and they teach their children the Word of God diligently.

Here's the rub: I like my own choices. My husband and I made our choices carefully, with prayer and much thought. But I am well aware that if any of our choices give great results, it is only by God's grace.

I had 12 healthy children. All by the grace of God.

Our children love the Lord and walk in His ways. All by the grace of God.

It's not because of our good choices. My C-sections taught me that I am not in control of the birthing process at all. Things can go wrong, and often do. We live in a corrupt and sinful world. If we're blessed with healthy children, it's by God's grace and mercy. Every. single. time!

Our grown children seem to have turned out all right. They are articulate, responsible, kind and generous adults. And that is all by the grace of God.

Take the time to listen to Josh Harris share his heart on this.

Get Yourself Some Trousers

Carl Trueman's article, "Is Hurt Mail the New Hate Mail?", is worth pondering.

I've seen a lot of women that have been "hurt" by someone else's opinion. There are plenty of Mommy wars in cyberspace: To Spank or Not to Spank; to Homeschool, or Not; Breast is Best. . . the list goes on. Then there are church issues: Family Integrated Church is the Only Righteous Model; Headcoverings are essential; Women are to Keep Silent, yada, yada...

I enjoy reading the many points of view on all of the above. What astounds me is the way differing opinions are taken as personal attacks. I've seen women write that they are sitting in front of their computers with tears streaming down their cheeks, because someone has disagreed with their practices, and they're "hurt".

Grow up, people! Or, as Carl says, "Get yourself some trousers!"

Who cares what others think about what I feed my family, whether we go to movies, or if I enjoy a sip of Cabernet Sauvignon with my roast? We're always going to have people who disagree with our choices. Unless we're being a stumbling block to another Christian (as in the case of drinking wine in front of a weaker brother), we ought not to worry about it. We have liberty, in Christ. He is the Master. It is to God we will give an account.

Carl tells it like it is in his article. If someone is "hurt", and they write to the one who hurt them, they're writing for a reason. They want them to stop disagreeing with them - as if they are the centre of the universe!

Expressions of hurt are too often really something else: cowardly attempts by representatives of a cosseted and self-obsessed culture to make themselves uniquely important or, worse still, to bully and cajole somebody they dislike to stop saying things they don't want to hear or which they find distasteful. My advice to such is akin to that of the counselor in the Bob Newhart sketch: Stop it!

Stop it, indeed!

Suicide

Recently, an online friend told me about a pastor who committed suicide. How tragic for his family, his church, his friends, his community.

In the Providence of God, I came across a funeral sermon of another pastor who had taken his own life, preached by Brian Chapell.

He said, in part, that others would question why God would let this happen.

"But if your God is so good, why did he let this happen? I do not know. But this I do know, our tendency in time of trial and misery is to look at earthly circumstances to judge the character of God. Our God will not be so confined. Always he is dealing on an eternal plane. Even the evil of this untimely, unjustifiable death God can use to remind us all of our need for eternal justification that can only be found in him. If we have been forced to consider our spiritual poverty and need of divine redemption by these events, then even this evil can be used for good by a divine hand. And should you doubt that our circumstances warrant such trust in God, then recognize that his Word does not point to our circumstances to define his character but to his cross. There where my Savior hung in suffering to provide for our eternal pardon, our God proves that he is good. And he demonstrates by that same cross that we can always trust that his hand will turn to good even the evil for which our hands are responsible."

Brian made the point that this man was poor in spirit. He may have been, yet his actions were not humble; they were not actions that demonstrated a submission to the will and Sovereignty of God. At the end, he did not embody a person with poverty of spirit when he took his own life.

The Bayly Brothers asked, "what is poverty of spirit?" They wrote,

According to Thomas Watson:

"Poor in spirit then signifies those who are brought to the sense of their sins and seeing no goodness in themselves despair in themselves and sue wholly to the mercy of God in Christ...Poverty of spirit is a kind of self-annihilation. Such an expression I find in Calvin. 'The poor in spirit (says he) are they who see nothing in themselves but fly to mercy for sanctuary.' Such an one was the publican: 'God be merciful to me a sinner.'

"He that is poor in spirit is weaned from himself. 'My soul is even a weaned child.' (Psalm 131:2) It is hard for a man to be weaned from himself. The vine catches hold of everything that is near, to stay itself upon. There is some bough or other a man would be catching hold of to rest upon. How hard it is to be brought quite off himself! The poor in spirit are divorced from themselves; they see they must go to hell without Christ....

"The poor in spirit is content to take Christ upon His own terms. The proud sinner will article and indent with Christ. He will have Christ and his pleasure, Christ and his covetousness. But he that is poor in spirit sees himself lost without Christ, and he is willing to have Him upon His own terms, a Prince as well as a Saviour: 'Jesus my Lord' (Philippians 3:8). A castle that has long been besieged and is ready to be taken will deliver up on any terms to save their lives. He whose heart has been a garrison for the devil, and has held out long in opposition against Christ, when once God has brought him to poverty of spirit, and he sees himself damned without Christ, let God propound what articles He will, he will readily subscribe to them. 'Lord what wilt thou have me to do?' (Acts 9:6)." (Thomas Watson, The Beatitudes)

According to Martyn Lloyd-Jones:

"That, then, is what is meant by being 'poor in spirit.' It means a complete absence of pride, a complete absence of self-assurance and of self-reliance. It means a consciousness that we are nothing in the presence of God. It is nothing, then, that we can produce; it is nothing that we can do in ourselves. It is just this tremendous awareness of our utter nothingness as we come face-to-face with God. That is to be 'poor in spirit.' Let me put it as strongly as I can, and I will do so on the basis of the teaching of the Bible. It means this, that if we are truly Christian we shall not rely upon our natural birth. We shall not rely upon the fact that we belong to certain families; we shall not boast that we belong to certain nations or nationalities. We shall not build upon our natural temperament. We shall not believe in and rely upon our natural position in life, or any powers that may have been given to us. We shall not rely upon money or any wealth we may have. The thing about which we shall boast will not be the education we have received, or the particular school or college to which we may have been. No, all that is what Paul came to regard as 'dung', and a hindrance to this greater thing because it tended to master and control him. We shall not rely upon any gifts like that of natural 'personality', or intelligence or general or special ability. We shall not rely upon our own morality and conduct and good behaviour. We shall not bank to the slightest extent on the life we have lived or are trying to live. No; we shall regard all that as Paul regarded it. That is 'poverty of spirit.' (Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount)

The Bayly Brothers further expounded,

The truth of suicide is that it betokens a lack of this poverty which Christ commends to us. It is self-reliant. It is proud. It is not the spiritual self-annihilation that Watson describes. It is the epitome of self. Yet God is gracious; He does save sinners and there is hope even for the suicide in Christ.

What do I think?

I rest in the fact that I do not know the heart of man; God does.

I rest in the fact that God is a Righteous Judge.

Suicide says, "I am in control of my own life." Nope, you're not. God is the only One in control.

Suicide says, "I can't go on." Yes, you can. I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me.

Suicide says, "My life is so miserable, you'd be better off without me." No, we wouldn't. Whoever you are, you have family and friends, a circle of influence, a reputation. The lives you touch will be affected forever. The ones left behind are never better off - there'll always be those memories.

How do I know? My uncle committed suicide when my mom, his sister, was 17. It was never spoken of in our family. It was a great shame, a great grief, a constant sorrow. Even though mom never spoke of suicide, we knew that Uncle Fred's death was more than a "hunting accident". How could this super-intelligent man accidentally shoot himself? It made no sense.

It was after our nephew shot himself that the truth about my uncle emerged. I phoned to tell of the tragedy on my husband's side of the family, and my dad told me bluntly, "Don't tell your mother!" I immediately put two and two together, but it was years later that my grandmother confirmed the truth.

The pain of suicide permeated our family. Time does heal all wounds...but not completely. I don't think we'll ever completely be free of the stigma and pain of it all - until Jesus stretches out His hand, and wipes away all of our tears. What a glorious day that will be!

Rachel Barkey is not Dead...

She's more alive than ever before. She has passed from this life to the next, and I am sure she has heard the Master say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter ye into the joy of the Lord!"

Although her husband is grieving and their young children are left without a mother, they must know deep in their hearts that the God they serve does all things well.

Rachel is rejoicing. She's free from pain and sin and sorrow.

The funeral service is Wednesday, July 8. Do keep the family and Rachel's loved ones in your prayers.

"Canada Day"

I prefer the term, Dominion Day. So does David Warren of the Ottawa Citizen, who wrote a piece called, "My Canada includes Canada".

I will not, and vow I will never, call it “Canada Day” without inverted commas. It would not matter to me if every other living Canadian called it that without further thought. It continues to be Dominion Day, in my view: the patriotic anniversary of my own country. God Himself cannot rewrite history; I recognize no Act of Parliament that attempts to do so.

It is important to teach our children History - including the history of our nation and the roots from whence it came. If I fail to do so, my grandchildren and great-grandchildren won't give a hoot if Michael Ignatieff or his cronies change the motto and symbols of our country.

Our own Canadian self-understanding was, from the beginning, more mature. It did not involve self-sufficiency, or self-creation. It only began to do so in the 1960s.

We understood ourselves to be transplants, from the Old World to the New; to have arrived as adults not babies. We understood that without a governing moral and yes, symbolic order — that without the Christian civilization we carried in our souls — we were zilch, nothing. We did not exist in and of ourselves. Even our purpose was prefigured: to spread Christendom in our own persons. When we formed an independent state, our motto harkened back to our true origins. It was: A mari usque ad mare, “From sea to sea.”

Et dominabitur a mari usque ad mare, et a flumine usque ad terminos terrae. The passage was taken directly from the Psalms.

“And He shall have Dominion, from the sea also unto the sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” The river was taken to be the St. Lawrence, along which we first settled; the “He” being, unambiguously, not us, but Christ.

Canada has a Christian Heritage. Let us not forget.

Celiac Disease - Big news, apparently.

CTV National News had a story about the increasing prevalence of Celiac Disease.

Celiac disease, a serious digestive disorder caused by an intolerance to gluten in the diet, is four times more common than it was in the 1950s, according to new research. And those who don't know they have the disease are a higher risk of death.

In people with celiac disease, gluten triggers an immune system

attack that damages the villi in the small intestine.

Celiac Disease is something I have lived with my whole life, although I didn't know it until approximately 8 years ago. Like many others, I had no idea why I had frequent canker sores, anemia, diarrhea or constipation, low energy, sore joints, etc. I didn't connect the ailments, and simply treated each thing individually. It wasn't until after my mother died that my sister figured out her problem...then the light bulb went on for me.

The Gastroenterology Journal states,

During 45 years of follow-up, undiagnosed CD was associated with a nearly 4-fold increased risk of death. The prevalence of undiagnosed CD seems to have increased dramatically in the United States during the past 50 years.

Celiac Disease may cause me to die younger than most. My mom was 65; her mom was 65. Both died of cancer. According to the news announcer, cancer or heart attack are the two causes of death for celiacs.

My dad died of a heart attack. He was 68.

You'd think I'd be worried. My odds are not that great of living a long, healthy life.

However, my odds of a glorious future are 100 percent. Like Rachel Barkey, I will trust in the Lord and wait for His salvation.

I Love the Lord - Psalm 116

116 I love the Lord, because he has heard

my voice and my pleas for mercy.

2 Because he inclined his ear to me,

therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

3 The snares of death encompassed me;

the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;

I suffered distress and anguish.

4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:

“O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;

our God is merciful.

6 The Lord preserves the simple;

when I was brought low, he saved me.

7 Return, O my soul, to your rest;

for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

8 For you have delivered my soul from death,

my eyes from tears,

my feet from stumbling;

9 I will walk before the Lord

in the land of the living.

10 I believed, even when I spoke,

“I am greatly afflicted”;

11 I said in my alarm,

“All mankind are liars.”

12 What shall I render to the Lord

for all his benefits to me?

13 I will lift up the cup of salvation

and call on the name of the Lord,

14 I will pay my vows to the Lord

in the presence of all his people.

15 Precious in the sight of the Lord

is the death of his saints.

16 O Lord, I am your servant;

I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.

You have loosed my bonds.

17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving

and call on the name of the Lord.

18 I will pay my vows to the Lord

in the presence of all his people,

19 in the courts of the house of the Lord,

in your midst, O Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!