Show & Tell: Everything AND the Kitchen Sink

I'm gonna quit apologizing for the length of these posts and just revel in it. Confession time: Hello, my name is Jessica, and I am a link junkie. I LOVE passing on good links and it really lights my fire to see a bunch of out clicks on my sitemeter. So, here we go again. Show & Tell #50 gazillion. ;-)

WOMANHOOD:

• Candid Words from a Would-Be Mother
• Celebrating Womanhood- Ideas for delighting in the gift of being a woman
• 20-something reasons to live at home- as a single Christian woman
  
• JUDGED-- Mary Grace shares her thoughts as a foster mom who *gasp* has used food stamps for her foster son... and the reactions she gets. This one may get you to noticing that big log in your own eyes (ask me how I know!).
• How feminism tore one daughter from her mother
  
• Older Women Wanted-- Mary Pride's request for moms with know-how to stick around and help younger moms rather than retiring to an empty nest

MOTHERHOOD

• Loving Our Kids: Merry hits the nail on the head and gives a simple (but not easy) challenge
  
• Days Gone By- a brief but eloquent "musing" on children growing older
  
• Nursing at 13 months- We moms end up feeling bad or guilty for all kinds of things, don't we? (Even good things like breastfeeding our children!)
  
• Raising Godly Children-- encouragement from Scripture with practical application
  
• Encouragement for tired moms to PRESS ON!- It's a long interview with Janet Parshall, but well worth reading/listening to!
• Thoughts on sheltering and wisdom- more by my empty-nesting friend, Chloe
  

MORE ON ABORTION:

• Pill users beware!- Did ya know oral contraceptives may cause abortions?
  
• Gender selection abortions
  
• Obama: Babies as punishment
  
• Infanticide Procedure, step by horrible step: Doctors describe performing partial birth abortions-- Oh, this is not for the faint of heart... but God, help us to read this sort of truth and act, doing all we can on behalf of the unborn.
• Baby survives abortion, expected to live "normal" life-- (hat tip: Dust & Clay)

ON CHINA:

• Rights Activists IGNORE China's One-Child Policy- "My body, my choice", you'll hear from feminist activists the world over... except when it comes to the horrors that happen in China every day because of their "overpopulation" policy.
• China's aftershocks-- the earthquake served to highlight ethical problems inherent in the system
• "My dear baby, if you can survive, please remember Mom loves you."

CHEW ON THIS:

• Amish Friendship Bread- From what this says, your friends will thank you. So, should I make up the "starter" batch?
• Homemade White Bread-- for some reason, this looks absolutely delicious to me (and a friend of mine says that it IS!) So I'm linking for you-- but also for me, to motivate me to make it!!! :-)
• Starvation claiming Ethiopia's smallest- Will you consider giving (you can give through adoption agencies and orphanages) and helping provide food for these children?
• What People Eat Around the World- a visual index of food around the world
  

BLOGGING:

• CUT DOWN YOUR BLOG READING by learning how to use a "feed reader". DG takes you step by step, so even non-techies can use this!
  
• A solution for those of you wanting a new blog design! BLOGS FOR A CAUSE - Nikki does blog designs and donates part of the proceeds to charities-- Woohoo!

SPIRITUAL GROWTH:

• Spiritual Gifts-- a six-part sermon series by Mark Driscoll. Probably the most comprehensive and yet comprehensible handling of the spiritual gifts that I've come across. (The link is to Adrian Warnock's blog, who linked all 6 of the sermons in one post-- so you can get them all from there.) Here is a written summary of the sermons.
  
• How to Waste Your Theological Education-- tips for seminarians and other aspiring theologians... a good gut-check for what you're doing with that "education"
• Sovereignty of God & life transitions- I could echo every one of Mrs. Elliot's words.
• Living with all of the Body: thoughts on age-segregated vs. age-integrated church experiences
• Voddie Baucham talks about "The Family-Integrated Church"
  

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOKS:

• Sorting books-- deciding which to keep and which to pitch
• Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers: This series looks GREAT for teaching basic doctrine to young children!
• Librivox: Listen to public-domain books in audiobook format for FREE! (Especially helpful for homeschoolers-- you could listen to a classic work while doing other things around the home. Also available as a free podcast.)
  
• Puritan Library: Challenging Puritan works in e-book format in their entirety online.
  

ON PORNOGRAPHY:

• "Dear Person that Googled 'Porn' and Got Me"- I've been shocked to see how many people google porn and end up here at Making Home. Prodigal Jon gives an excellent response to that anonymous reader.
• Women Against Pornography
  
• Hugh Hefner's Wasted Life-- boy, this one is sad. Sad, sad, sad.

FOR A LAUGH:

• Engrish.com-- a daily serving of Engrish/Chinglish-- this is what happens to the English language when put on shirts, signs, store windows, and more in China. Having lived in China for a year, I find this particularly hilarious... but you might too. :-) [Note: very occasionally there are off-color items featured... but most of the time, it is both tame and hysterical.]
• What does "crunchy" look like?
  

OH--AND ABOUT THAT KITCHEN SINK:

• In case you are a young wife/mother/person who has NOT heard about this, it may be helpful. Flylady is a great online resource for cleaning or keeping your house clean. [Now, I should admit: I do not actually use Flylady. I am a Flylady failure... but that is partly because I was not motivated to keep it up when I DID use it, partly because I've lived in more places than I can count in the last few years and have just had to do whatever I could to "make it", and partly because I'm more of a clean-as-you-go and clean-as-the-Spirit-hits-you sort of gal. ;-) But many, MANY of my friends find it helpful. So maybe you will too. Plus I had to include a link that had something to do with the kitchen sink, OK?!?]

Show & Tell: My Post-Partum Link Party

Because I've been in my post-partum stay-close-to-home mode (translate that to: "I've been spending a lot of time reading on the computer while feeding and snuggling with my son"), I've got a lot of links for you this time. (And, unashamedly, as a proud mom, I'm showing off a few recent pictures of my kiddos.) Enjoy!

FEATURED ARTICLE

• KNOWING GOD'S WILL- Randy Alcorn gives excellent advice about discerning the will of God-- that it's often more about who we're becoming than what we're doing.

CONCEIVING & HAVING BABIES

• Eighty-five cent pregnancy tests - SERIOUSLY! 85 CENTS!!! If you're trying or hoping or think you'll need them, this price is incredible! They also have a good price on ovulation tests, if you're so inclined.
  
• Mars Hill's summary of birth control options: Mark Driscoll's sermon on this issue is worth listening to... but this summary also includes lots of great reading material and links (at the bottom of the page) worth perusing if you're reading up about or making decisions about family size, sex, abortion, and birth control.
• Jobs will wait; babies won't.
• Doug Wilson has written a very interesting (and I think, very balanced) article about Birth Control
  
• Martin Luther King's niece, Alveda, speaks about abortion. She writes, "King once said, 'The Negro cannot win as long as he is willing to sacrifice the lives of his children for comfort and safety.' How can the “Dream” survive if we murder the children? Every aborted baby is like a slave in the womb of his or her mother. The mother decides his or her fate."
• The Haze Continues to Lift: Catherine's thoughts on having had an abortion 10 years ago
  
• Planned Parenthood's slogan says "Every child a wanted child". Although their approach is entirely wrong, the slogan is something we can all agree on- every child is wanted (if not by the bio mom, there are hundreds of adoptive parents waiting in line).
  
• Ted Turner calls for a two-child-per-family limit.
  
• Having more than two children is selfish and sinful?
  
• Three Kids? You Showoffs! Big families are now a growing status symbol among the very rich. This article (though it is seemingly written in support of larger families) contributes to the problem by perpetuating the idea that it must be expensive to raise children.
• The "What Ifs" of Adoption
• Breastfeeding videos: These links can show you what a good latch on looks like, and help you hear and identify problems in latching on/breastfeeding. What a great resource for nursing moms!
• In whose best interest is this, exactly? Stories from a foster-to-adoptive mom about visits with biological parents during the waiting period until the adoption is finalized. (Very insightful and worth the read!)
  

MARRIAGE

• Complementarian Singles: How Can I Prepare For Marriage? A great article about God-honoring singleness as you wait
  
• Be content when he is home; Be content when he is not. A great word on contentment for wives whose husbands travel or work a lot. (Be sure to check out her reading list at the bottom of her site-- GREAT recommendations!)
• How a Wife Should Respond to Her Husband: Bethany shares helpful notes for wives from a marriage conference
  
• When Blending Families, Mix Well. Terry shares from her own experiences about blending a family in a way that honors God, strengthens the marriage, and solidifies the family unit.
• Why it Kills to Keep Up with the Joneses
• Shacking Up- why couples who live together fare worse once married (this is an insightful interview with Mike McManus, a man I met almost ten years ago, who runs "Marriage Savers"-- a non-profit organization focused on marriage).
  

RAISING & EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN

• Why do parents need to be united in their parenting?
  
• Third-culture kids: This is what you end up with when you live overseas-- children who don't really identify fully with their "first" culture, or their "second" culture-- so they end up forming their own. John Piper put out a list of great ideas about how to relate to and serve "TCK's".
• Raising Missions-Minded Children
• How long should a homeschool day be?
• Good old-fashioned homeschooling: Why having too many options can actually harm the homeschooled family... and why a return to simple home schooling may be in order when we feel overwhelmed or stressed.
  
• Finding support as a homeschool mom
• Washington Post: The real cost of government-run schools- it is shocking how much money is spent per child with such a poor outcome in government schools. No business would be able to continue running if they had such lousy returns on the investment.
  
• Ever considered: What if public schools were abolished? A fascinating (and I think, realistic) view of what would happen in our society if government no longer meddled with the education of America's children.

FOOD

• Bakeshop Blueberry Muffins
• How to Make Cinnamon Sugar (and chocolate cinnamon!)
• List of all label "aliases" for MSG- for those of you who are allergic or try to avoid it
  

BLOGGING/WRITING

• Five tips from C.S. Lewis about pithy, worthwhile writing (and talking).
• Twelve ways to improve your blog
  

MISCELLANEOUS

• Heterosexual Roommates: Now that homosexuality is so rampant on college campuses, dating couples and boy/girl casual friends are asking, "so why can't we be roommates?" So now it's "pick your own roommate", male or female, on some college campuses.
• Divided We Stand: What do religious conservatives do without a political candidate "of their own"? We're about to find out.
• Is it OK to Look? The truth about pornography
• CPS investigates because family has "too many kids", and- *gasp* -their kids "do dishes"- Folks, the government's intrusion into our lives as citizens are getting more and more absurd.
  
• Olympics-- Shut Up and Compete: Randy Alcorn weighs in with thoughts about the upcoming Beijing Olympics, in light of human rights violations and the persecuted church.
• Feminism Run Amok on the Soccer Field
• Did Jesus Spend Saturday Night (before Resurrection Sunday) in Hell? John Piper says "no."
• The "Poison" of Computer Gaming-- [Are you all noticing more and more families being negatively affected by this? I sure am! I'd love to hear from you if you have thoughts about video/online games and what our response as Christian families should be!]
• Why I Left Greenpeace: from one of the founders- this is a great example of what can happen when our zeal trumps our love for truth
  
• How to help your grieving friend: practical ideas from a hurting mom
• Listeners' Bible: Free mp3 downloads of John, Philippians, and Ephesians
• Barak Obama: A wolf in sheep's clothing, says Voddie Baucham-- a candid examination of Obama's record on abortion
  

GOOD FOR A LAUGH

• Tim Hawkins: GPS for life

I've received lots of "thank you"s over the months for these show & tell posts, so full of links and reading material. But then I know these are overwhelming for some of you. I have to confess, I love seeing all the "out-clicks" on my sitemeter after posting one of these posts... it's so neat for me to see these great articles all being read and (hopefully) useful for you. It is a passion of mine to point people in the direction of good information/resources that will help women and families to honor God more.

Please feel free to e-mail me if there are particular topics you'd like to see more links about, or if there are articles you find that might be worth including in my show & tell posts in the future! Additionally, if there are things I could do to make these links more useful for you, let me know!

Thanks-- and happy reading!

Show & Tell: Fun Finds for April

***Just wanted to share some exciting (for me) news: my letter to Maranatha has been published at the Gender Blog put out by the Council for Biblical Manhood & Womanhood. (This feels like silly self-promotion, but I'm so thrilled and feel so honored and I wanted to share it with all of you!) ***

Get ready for some fun links-- these should give you lots of interesting reading, so here we go!

INTERESTING VIDEOS:

• Mt. Sinai, Moses & the Exodus: This video is absolutely incredible; it's in 10 parts and takes about an hour and a half to complete. Full of interesting, on-the-ground archaeological and geographical research into the biblical account of the exodus based on the biblical text, the evidence unfolds before your very eyes. Ethan & I had so much fun watching this video after having read through the exodus account over the last few weeks in school.
  
• Butterfly Emerging from Chrysalis: I was explaining this to the boys a couple weeks ago and realized that there was probably a video on the internet that would show the whole thing. Bada-bing, bada-boom- I found this... a time-lapsed video that shows it in high-speed (and then you can click to watch the slow, real-time version). The internet has its drawbacks, but stuff like this is so incredible!
• Dinosaurs in computer animation: Based on bone structure and placement, animal "norms" and other research, Discovery channel put out these interesting videos that show what dinosaurs may have looked like in their original environment. Interesting stuff.

ABORTIONS, BIRTH CONTROL, AND BABIES:

• Even feminists are saying it: Wanna have a baby? Now's the time.
• John Piper has put out a new statement about the biblicality of birth control.
• Royal college warning about abortion: it can lead to mental illness
• Baby supposed to only live a few hours is perfectly healthy: makes you wonder how often this has happened before, when parents have opted to abort, doesn't it?!?
• The abortion industry's #1 provider-- Planned Parenthood: your tax dollars at work.
• Natural labor induction techniques: the most complete list I found, FYI.
• Post-partum dressing tips: great and feminine ideas from Emma about hiding the post-baby "pooch"
  

RELATIONSHIPS:

• I love you, but you love meat: not only an interesting commentary on veganism, but also an interesting commentary for all of us to consider about how personal idiosyncracies or preferences might keep otherwise compatible men & women from marrying and starting a family together.
• 83 Years of Marriage: what a neat story! Maybe we'll make it to 83 years-- there's at least a chance- we were married at 21! :)
• Holding Out: Boundless wrote a great article about young Christian singles who seem to be waiting for greener pastures... I'd love to hear from you guys on this-- do you think this is an accurate assessment of how things are going among Christian singles/college students?
• Either Serve God Wholeheartedly OR Get Married?
• An honest commentary about the "appeal" of abstinence education as it's been done by churches and Christian families in recent decades

THOUGHTS ON FAITH:

• 6 Aspects of Humility: Desiring God blog reminds us of what it means to be humble
• Brother Yun's Thoughts on the Western Church: See America's churches through the eyes of a Chinese house church pastor
• Obeying the Word of God: Terry reminds us to focus on obeying the basics of Scripture.
• The Unwasted Life: Tamara writes about intentional living-- living for God's glory-- living in light of eternity... good stuff.
  

WOMANHOOD:

• Girls: Rod Dreher shares his thoughts about the natural differences between the sexes.
• Is a Woman Just an Egg-Factory? Around the world, this is happening more and more.
• Bratz at the Beach: Crunchy Con shares some great thoughts about how the culture is affecting teenage and college-aged girls and their aims & dreams. It's disappointing and insightful all at once.
• Buying Clothes: the frustration of being a normal woman in a sex-driven, cleavage-baring, nothing-off-limits world-- do you ever find yourself wondering, "where can I get some normal clothes???"
  

ON POLITICS:

• An Open Letter to the Religious Right: WOW. I found myself nodding along to so much of this... especially-- ESPECIALLY-- the part about Ann Coulter.
• Mike Huckabee's take on the Obama/pastor/race issue
• Why Mike Huckabee's candidacy mattered
• Missing Mike Huckabee already
  

MISCELLANEOUS USEFUL or INTERESTING LINKS:

• Questions You Should Never Ask ANYONE- my friend Bethany compiled a great list of rude questions people ask when they oughtta just bite their tongue (I've been asked some of these!)!
  
• Stages of Responsibility: I found this to be helpful for ideas and to evaluate the reasonableness of asking kids to do various things around the house. It's a listing of chores and home responsibilities based on children's ages and skill levels
• On My Sewing Machine: Shannon might just inspire you to pull out the fabric & thread!
• Depressed in the Lap of Luxury: Why "having it all" does NOT equal happiness
  
• "How I Feed My Family of EIGHT on $300 a month"-- need grocery-savings tips? I think this woman's series of articles is a great place to start!
• Battling Sexual Sin
• Why I Don't Read Your Blog - I found myself nodding to a lot of these-- I've had to cut back on my blog reading anyhow (it's just overwhelming, and I easily fall into what Joe Carter described himself as-- a complete media junkie), but this list describes some of the reasons why I choose not to read certain blogs (ETA: Additionally, I found this list helpful in identifying problem areas that I need to avoid when blogging.)
  
• Jonah: Too Horrifying for Kids? - an honest appraisal of the dumbing down and p.c.-ing of Bible stories
• Designed for Sex: an incredibly good article about what sex is for and what we lose when we lose sight of God's plan for intimacy
  

GOOD FOR A LAUGH:

• This is something I've always been bothered by: the phrase "Hedge of Protection"-- and Tim Hawkins' comments about it cracked me up!
  

Heads Up

For those of you who are interested, Amy (of Amy's Humble Musings) has just put up an interesting post called Thoughts on Contraception and the Quiverfull Movement. It's an interesting discussion, so you may want to hop over and check it out.

Other stuff you might find interesting (all about babies):

• Planned Parenthood Accepts Funds for Aborting Black Children
• Obama = the one candidate who stands for infanticide
• A truly amazing story about a baby born on a train in India
  

Show & Tell: The Mother "Load" of Links

Goodness gracious, ladies. I have a HEAP of links to share with you. You'll just have to browse and pick from them because there are just too many (I think I must've been compiling them from the past month, er, um... year). But do pick some. They're all so good.

First up, Heather wrote this post: My (Mis) Perceptions which aptly sums up some things I've been thinking and feeling lately... about the way we get settled in our opinions and views.

*** Also, I've updated my songs down at the bottom of this page, so there are some great new songs (I kept some of the same ones though!) and a couple of mini-sermons for you to listen to as you browse! ***


BEING WIFE & MOMMY: links on wifelihood and motherhood--

• The modern view of motherhood: Kelly sounds off after reading this celebrity quote: "After three months with a newborn and a toddler I was happy to go back to work."
• "Yes, He's Still Nursing": breastfeeding facts and encouragement (I'm about four weeks away from re-joining the ranks of nursing moms!)
  
• The Cost of Raising Children: The problem with these sorts of figures (which are actually lower than what is often quoted in parenting magazines) is that they don't take into account the fact that my 3.5 year-old son is now wearing clothes that his big brother wore two years ago and that his soon-to-be-born brother will wear in another two years or so. My 21-month old daughter is reading books that have already been enjoyed (and continue to be enjoyed) by her older siblings. These types of costs are one-time costs, no matter HOW many kids you have. If you have two, they can be used twice (even if you have one boy and one girl, there are many toys and things like strollers that can be used by both genders), and if you have seventeen children (like the Duggars), there's no telling how many times things can be used!
  
• The Business of Being Born- a new documentary that's coming out about childbirth and modern hospitals-- really seems like an interesting film (headed up by Ricki Lake-- remember her?! ) Read one blogger's review of the movie.
• Cultivating Wise Habits- Amy reminds us to be careful with what we do and don't do, and particularly in the habits we form.
  
• Life With Boys- Renee always has such fun insights from her life with 11 children. Here's a fun and right-on post about life as a mommy with little guys running around.
• Marriage: An Idol?- Is it wrong for a single woman to desperately WANT marriage?
• Bible Story Books: Al Mohler's recommendations for children's Bible books.
• WORDS OF LIFE: Gina shares some penetrating questions about how to measure our words against Scripture, as we speak to our children, to our husbands, and to the world around us.
  
• Adopt Or Have My Own?- Candace @ Boundless thinks through this question posed by a reader.
• Watching Your Child Grow Up... on the Internet: "modern" moms and their technological dilemnas (what a sad commentary this is on how feminism has changed families in America!)
  

THE BODY OF CHRIST: links on faith & Christianity--

• The "State of the Church"- WOW! June has put together some fascinating statistics about the American church.
• Persecution Ought Never to Strike Us as Strange
• Families Worshiping Together: John and Noel Piper share their thoughts on weekly church and how to involve your children in this time.
  
• Finding the Perfect Church
• EXCESS: Sara has some challenging words to help us to examine our lifestyles, and where we spend our money, time, and energy! (If you don't regularly read Sara's blog, you're missing out-- what a gem!)
• HEALTH & WEALTH teaching- WOW~ John Piper's view on prosperity gospel "preaching"
• Church Gets Fined for NOT Hiring Gay Man as Pastor- Folks, be on your guard-- this is where things are heading... when a church can't abide by Scriptural guidelines without being taken to task by the courts, we are in serious trouble.
  

ABORTION: links on the murder of babies--

• TERM-inology: examining late-term abortion & partial birth abortion
• KNOW THE FACTS ABOUT ABORTION: John Piper encourages us to be informed about abortion and gives some helpful links so that you can "get informed"!
• How I Became Pro-Life- This former pro-choice athiest shares her VERY interesting story.
  
• When Abortion Is Just "A Choice"- many abortionists would have you believe that most or all abortions are out of desperation (and many are), but there are those who abort simply because they can.
• How much of America has been aborted? Sallie shared a great visual that gives you a picture of how BIG abortion is... how many of "us" we've murdered carrying out this "right" called abortion.
  
• What CAN unborn babies feel? This is a FASCINATING article about fetal pain, and it has strong implications for abortion "rights".

POTUS 2008: links about the Presidential election (potus= President Of The United States)

• The Five Stages of McCain- an interesting analysis of the changes many have gone through in the last month or so, when considering McCain as a candidate
• What Has Obama Done? Chris Matthews asks this not-so-difficult question to someone who ought to have had a ready answer... it's almost painful to watch.
• Election '08: Idealism Vs. Pragmatism- Terry gives some great analysis to the choices we'll all have to make, both now and in November in the voting booth.
  

MISCELLANEOUS: links that are totally random & totally (in my view) worth your time--

• Reflexology Foot Map- tells you where to massage for which ailments/parts of your body you want to target. I had a killer sinus infection last month, and Doug worked wonders just by rubbing where it told him to. (This isn't anything New-Agey... just an amazing way our bodies work!)
• Make Your Own Laundry Detergent. And spend pennies to the dollar. Seriously.
  
• What I Learned From Watching Sex & the City- One student shares his views on modern sexuality and what Christians' response to our culture ought to be.
• Spring Cleaning? Cost-saving tips for cleaning your home!
• Dating-- Mark Driscoll tackles this issue (and many other interesting ones, like Birth Control, in his series on Nine Christian Misconceptions) with straightforward biblical truth. I really like his style-- I have been listening to him a LOT lately.
  
• Make an adorable toddler dress from hubby's old dress shirts!
  
• DEMOGRAPHIC WINTER-- PLEASE watch this trailer for this film. The "overpopulation" myth has long been debunked, but the fact that traditional families are fading has serious implications for our society and our world. Check out this article about "Demographic Winter": Low Birth Rate Kills Economy, Society.
• I HATE LEFTOVERS: Practical tips for not letting food go to waste.
• Chicken Pocket Sandwiches- here's the recipe for the food I referenced on my pre-baby preparation post the other day.
  

LEVITY: links to make you laugh--

• DOs and DON'Ts with Babies- pictures included.
  
• How to Get Rid of a Stoner Son- for those of you with drug-using adult-escents in your home (or those of you who just want to giggle).
• THE GIANT HAIRBALL- I'm not kidding; I wish I was. You've got to see it to believe it. (Warning: don't click this one if you're eating!)
  

As always, happy reading! This may or may not be the last one I do for a while, seeing as how I've got a baby due in, oh, about three and a half weeks. ;-) We'll see. Regardless, these links should keep you nice and busy!

Noteworthy & Quoteworthy

Lately, many of my posts have been just passing on things that others have written or said that I've found meaningful... but I hope that you find these things helpful or encouraging too. So much of these are things that I would say or have felt or thought, but then I find it in print or blog form from someone else, and so it's pointless for me to try to re-write the same thing when I happen upon someone else who has put my heart into words.

(By the way, yes, I changed my photo to the one you see here. My hair has gotten longer- pregnancy always seems to do that- and it feels dishonest to me to have a photo that isn't what I really look like. So this one is more reflective of what I look like these days.)

Here are some noteworthy quotes I've found recently:

ON LIFE MISTAKES & RE-DOs:
BETH MOORE, in a Q&A post on her blog:

Q: If you could live your life all over again, what is the one thing you would do differently?

A: The tears are stinging in my eyes and I’ll have to try hard to keep from sobbing on this one. The list of things I’d do differently is so long, I couldn’t pick one out and the worst of it so appalling that I wouldn’t share it anyway. I have been so stupid. I was so messed up and clueless that my healing took a long danged time. I am as true a testimony of the forgiveness and grace of God of anyone you could know. He has been utterly unreasonable in His love and patience for me and I will love Him forever for it. To love much after I’ve been forgiven much is my hope. ...He is such a Redeemer. His sovereignty is my only peace.

TITUS 2 MENTORING:
Susan Hunt, in Biblical Womanhood in the Home, in her chapter called, "Older Women Mentoring Younger Women":

"Everywhere I go I meet young women who long for spiritual mothers. Some express a sense of loneliness, and yet they do not even realize that the disconnection they feel is because they do not have nurturing relationships with older women... It is time for Christian women to step into this vacuum and show and tell the truth about womanhood.

But where are the older women?

In recent years, I have observed a troubling phenomenon. Many women of my generation have relinquished this high calling of nurturing younger women. My generation has abandoned this calling for many reasons. Some simply do not know this biblical mandate. ...Some think they have nothing to offer. Some are intimidated by the intelligence and giftedness of younger women. Some have decided this is the season to indulge themselves. Some want to share their life experiences, but they feel isolated from the younger women and don't know how to bridge that gap.

I plead with the church to call and equip women for this ministry. God is gifting His church with incredible young women. ... We must be good stewards of this gift. We must exemplify the faith to them, and we must teach them how to show and tell the truths of biblical womanhood to the next generation."

Megan, at My Heart, My Home, wrote about her "Titus 2 Woman":

"God knew what He was doing when He created the gift of relationship. The idea of older and younger women coming together to share life, wisdom, laughs, and so much more is brilliant. Every woman needs a friend who's a safety net that will gently catch her and help her back up on her feet when she falls. If you don't have a Titus 2 woman in your life, I encourage you to take the risk and initiative in asking someone who's caught your eye. And consider this, if you're already older, there may be a younger woman who's looking at you! I hope that I won't forget the cycle of the Titus 2 woman; that it's not always being the younger woman who's taught, but also the older woman who passes down wisdom."

ON SINGLENESS & SEXUALITY:
Joe Carter, at Evangelical Outpost, on Pre-Marital Adultery:

Consider this thought experiment. Imagine a man is to be married on February 14th and has sexual relations with a woman who is not his fiancé on:

(a) The night before his wedding.
(b) The day of his wedding.
(c) The day after his wedding.

The action in each instance is the same but the term we’d use to describe the man would depend on when the event occurred: (a) would make the man a cheating cad, (c) and adulterer, and (b) either a cheating cad or an adulterer, depending on the time of day. Regardless of what we choose to call it, the consequence of the action is the same – the man has been unfaithful to the woman. Notice that though the “temporal perspective” changes the semantics, it doesn’t change the fact that the action is immoral.*

Under this view, pre-marital sexual relations become a form of “pre-marital adultery.” We are, in essence, being unfaithful to the one we will eventually pledge emotional and sexual allegiance. Why then do we not honor this obligation? As with most things in life, what we claim to believe is betrayed by our actions. Although unmarried people often claim to believe that they are waiting for their "true love" their actions show that they don’t really believe that to be true. If they seriously believed that their true love existed then how could they be sexually unfaithful to the one person who God has chosen for them?

ON PARENTING/HOME LIFE:
H. Clay Trumbull, in "Hints on Child Training":

"Every home has its atmosphere, good or bad, health-promoting or disease-breeding. And parents are, in every case, directly responsible for the nature of the atmosphere in their home; whether they have acted in recognition of this fact, or have gone on without a thought of it. In order to secure a right home atmosphere for their children, parents themselves must be right. They must guard against poisoning the air of the home with unloving words or thoughts...

Parents must, as it were, keep their eyes on the barometer and the thermometer of the social life of the home, and see to it that its temperature is safely moderated, and that it is guarded against the effect of sudden storms. Only as such care is taken by wise parents, can the atmosphere in their home be what the needs of their children require it to be."

ON DIFFICULT TIMES/STRUGGLES IN LIFE:
Jeremiah Burroughs, in "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment":

"We are usually apt to think that any condition is better than that condition in which God has placed us. ...God, it may be, strikes you in your child--'Oh, if it had been in my possessions' you say, 'I would be content.' Perhaps he strikes you in your marriage. 'Oh,' you say, 'I would rather have been stricken in my health.' And if he had struck you in your health- 'Oh, then, if it had been in my [business], I would not have cared.' But we must not be our own carvers. Whatever particular afflictions God may place us in, we must be content in them."

I hope these challenge and encourage you, as they have me. Blessings as you begin this week!

Show & Tell: Whatever is on My Mind...

This may be the most random and lengthy "Show and Tell" in Making Home history, but I'm trying to do a brain dump and clear out my bookmarks. So, you all are the beneficiaries of my desire to downsize my bookmark folders. :)

MIKE HUCKABEE/PRESIDENTIAL RACE 2008

• The GOP's Cynical Use of Religion Has Come to Roost: Even liberal journalists see that evangelicals have been used by the Republican elite, who now want to keep Republicans from choosing a leader that's not from the establishment.
• The View from the Back of the Bus: Evangelicals have bucked the "advice" of their supposed leaders and are choosing candidates that are more diverse than the "leaders" would like.
  
• Stop Lying About Huckabee!
• Mike Huckabee responds to a letter about his record on taxes.
  
• Mitt Romney has a problem... his problem is the fact that what he's said has been recorded. The things he says either sound like a guy completely out of touch with average Americans, or he outright contradicts facts or contradicts things he's previously said. Click to read: Romney's efforts to be an everyday guy at an MLK march (yes, he did say, "who let the dogs out?", and compliment a child for wearing "bling-bling"), Romney's comments about "seeing" his dad march with Martin Luther King, Jr. (even though it never actually happened), and a tongue-in-cheek "Mitt Romney's Dictionary of the English Language". Read here about Romney's viability as a candidate (from a guy who doesn't like my guy... still, we agree about Romney).

Conservative Talk Radio, Journalists and "Conservative Leaders"
Clearly, these guys didn't predict anywhere close to what has happened. Giuliani and Thompson were supposed to be slugging it out right about now. And both are near the bottom of every poll and primary. The most interesting campaigns are those that have come out of nowhere: Huckabee- no one saw him coming; McCain- remember all the articles in the summer and fall about him flying solo to events because he was out of campaign funds?; and Paul- the "fringe" candidate who has raised tons of cash. Though there's still no clear winner (the next two weeks will be interesting, though), one thing is clear: the media got it wrong. And the conservative media is still waging war against all the guys that the Republican voters actually like. Here are some articles you may want to check out, if this is interesting to you.

• Rush & the New Reagan Coalition
  
• What's Next for Conservative Talk Radio?
• Why Campaign Coverage Sucks: Horse-race journalism works for journalists but fails the public (Ed. note: Finally! Someone admits it!)
  

ABORTION

• Will Roe v. Wade be overturned? One legal expert says it's inevitable.
• Planned Parenthood's agenda
• Not quite the whole story: It's often overlooked or completely ignored that feminist pioneers and leaders were completely against abortion.
• Your Appointment With the Dismemberer- 35 years of abortion... and now an election... what will you do for all the innocents who lose their lives to this "choice"?
  

THE ROLE OF WOMEN?

• Can We Start By Being Honest? What does "keepers at home" mean? And is it a mandate or an ideal?
• Terry followed up the previous article with this: Husbands ARE involved in the home!
  
• Elisabeth Elliot's excellent words on Feminism & Femininity
• Mike Huckabee got pounded for believing what the Bible says about marriage. See his recent debate response about marriage HERE.
  
• Amy weighs in on working women.
• Frugal Homemaker began working around Summer of last year, and she kept a log of how much money she spent vs. how much she made. She writes candidly about the other costs of working... and the toll it has taken on she and her husband.
• Kelly wrote a great series entitled, "Why Would I WANT to Stay Home?" Click to read part one, part two, part three, and part four.
• Mary Mohler talks about "Feminism & Feminists"... worth your time (about one hour) to listen and learn! "We are losing the battle in the post-Christian society in which we live to show the world that we as Christian women celebrate all that God has given us in our assigned role as women."
  
• Another recovering feminist writes about her relationship with her mom and her feminist upbringing: "My Mother, the Feminist"

HOMESCHOOLING: THREE EXCELLENT LINKS

• My friend Jazzy has put together an excellent website resource for the beginning homeschooler: SUCCESSFUL HOMESCHOOLING. (For you seasoned homeschoolers out there, she's still wanting to make it as good and helpful as it can be, so if you see things that should be added or tweaked, use the "Contact Me" button on her sidebar.)
• How to Proceed with Homeschooling Your Children: Christine has put together some basic, helpful tips about homeschooling
  
• Dealing With Naysayers About Your Decision to Homeschool: Christine offers wise advice about the negative comments homeschoolers can get from relatives and friends alike... and how to be more confident about your decision to homeschool.
  

DATING/PREPARING FOR MARRIAGE

• Should young women take time to prepare for marriage?
• The Bayly brothers offer sage advice for fathers with adult daughters:
  

  Yes we are to protect... It's our God-given duty. But protection begins at birth, not puberty. Training begins before our daughters can speak, not when they're giving their hearts to a man.

  ...Yes, we have a duty to counsel--and ultimately to give her hand in marriage. But if we suddenly stand and act as men only at the point of romance, when our daughters' hearts are being claimed by others, it's too little too late. The cows are already in the pasture, there's no sense rushing to close the gate.

CELEBRATING WITH FRIENDS

• Congrats to my friend, Renee, on the adoption of her two sons from Ghana! I'll share two posts with you that have touched my heart as they've brought these boys into their family: FIRSTS- all the things her new sons are experiencing for the first time; and SIMPLE ADJUSTMENTS- some other insights into adjusting to one another in adoption.
  
• Congrats to my friend, EmmyJ, on her continuing weight loss! Check out this post with all her "goals" and her progress so far... it's inspiring!
  

ODDS AND ENDS

• The Anti-Children Culture
• Get some SLEEP! (and be eco-friendly while you're at it!)
  
• Escape From Polygamy- after reading "Under the Banner of Heaven", I found this article to be an insightful peek into polygamous households.
• Go Green: BREASTFEED! (My fourth "round" of this will begin in approximately 9 weeks!)
  
• Losing our Freedom in a Pornified Culture: Take time to listen to this Al Mohler radio program... it's spot-on!
  
• Younger women growing more Okay with Porn? This is the inevitable decline that happens when culture impacts our young people rather than our young people impacting culture.
• Masculinity & Being Raised By a Single Mom
• My Daddy's Name is "Donor": what happens when technology intervenes in "family planning"
• The Future of the "Quick & Easy" Meal: Does it really exist? And what happens when you don't use convenience foods? This is a long, but very interesting, article... worth your time if you're at all interested.
  
• Someone asked me back in December, "What do you do about Santa Clause?" This blogger's post pretty much sums up my views (and you can read my comment in her comments section). I wonder how others deal with this. (Note to commenter: Sorry I didn't respond until now... I couldn't decide whether to bring up the controversy or not and then it was too late... but this should answer your question, even if it is after the holidays.)
  

And then, a little humor-- well, this is funny to me, anyway:
Amy writes, "Why I Write in Generalizations".

[Personal note: I am constantly amazed (and I'll admit, sometimes irritated) at people who come onto my blog and then make it their mission to comment about posts that don't apply to them... and harangue me for not making every post all-inclusive to everyone who might read it. Sometimes I want to say, "if you're against everything that has to do with being a biblical Christian woman, then why are you reading my blog?" Or simply, "I don't have time to list all the possible exceptions to every biblical ideal/principle in every post that I write." Amy handled it much better than me. ] :)

Blessings to you all and HAPPY READING!!!

Christmas Show & Tell: Have Yourself a Decadent Little Christmas

I hope you all have now begun your Christmas weekend and are spending time with family and friends... I wanted to share a few things with you to enjoy over the holiday season.

• Can I implore you to start one morning of your holiday with these scrumptious muffins? She calls them "French Breakfast Puffs"... Doug & I agreed this morning that our name for them is going to be "Sopaipilla Muffins" (after the delicious cinnamon-sugar coated Mexican dessert). They are sinfully delicious in every possible way. If you make these, your taste buds will rise up and call you blessed.
  
  I'm serious. I don't think I've ever made a better breakfast. Ever. Are you on your way to your kitchen? You should be.
  

OTHER CHRISTMAS/COOKING IDEAS:

• My fun friend over at Musings of a Housewife has put together a lovely Homemade Piecrust Making Lesson.
• Maybe you haven't wrapped your gifts yet? Consider this great and cute idea for reusable Christmas wrapping.
• My gift to you: FREE SEWING PATTERNS. If you visit this site, and create a username, you can print out thousands of free patterns that are precious and useful and unique. Merry Christmas, my sewing friends!
  

MISCELLANEOUS INTERESTING LINKS:

• Still waiting around for my "Redesign Your Blog" how-to-do-html post? Please forgive me for not having gotten to that sooner-- my language lessons started up a couple weeks ago (I'm learning Turkish), we've been tidying up because we'll be traveling for much of the month of January, and with Christmas goings-on, well, it just hasn't happened. I'll try and revisit it next week, before we leave. In the meantime, here's a great post that can give you other tips on how to improve your blog: 15 Powerful Ways to Differentiate Your Blog From the Crowd.
• Take this holiday season to get some sleep. Improve your health, have more energy, and help the environment by getting the right amount of sleep.
• SECULAR THOUGHTS ON HEAVEN: Liberal LA Times columnist Joel Stein got quoted on the back of a Starbucks cup. Here's the quote:
  

  Heaven is totally overrated. It seems boring. Clouds, listening to people play the harp. It should be somewhere you can't wait to go, like a luxury hotel. Maybe blue skies and soft music were enough to keep people in line in the 17th century, but Heaven has to step it up a bit. They're basically getting by because they only have to be better than Hell.
  

  Something interesting is that this (clouds, harps, boring) is the way many Christians see Heaven, which is completely unbiblical, but gives clear reason for why so few Christians are excited about eternity with Christ.
  
  In response to Stein's coffee cup quote, he received five copies of Randy Alcorn's book, Heaven, from five different Christians. Because of that response, Stein called Alcorn. You might be interested to read about the outcome of that conversation. Here's Alcorn's blogpost about their conversation, and here's Stein's follow-up article about Heaven. You should read both.
  
  By the way, if you haven't read Randy Alcorn's book, Heaven, or you find yourself feeling similar to how Stein feels about Heaven, BUY AND READ the book. It will give you so much biblical insight, encouragement, and excitement about eternity.
  

LAUGH TRACK
Normally, I like to end these posts with something funny. Today, I have three, no- make that FOUR, funny links for you to check out. So have a few laughs...

• The European Union Will Improve the English Language.
  
• The Homeschooler's Wish List. Hilarious tongue-in-cheek responses to the ridiculous questions we homeschoolers get asked by friends and strangers alike.
• Cletus Take the Reel- A pretty silly parody of "Jesus Take the Wheel" (ht: Josh Harris, via Doug- thanks darlin!)
  
• Perhaps someone you know needs to visit a shrink. Can I recommend this one?
  

I pray that this holiday time will be a time for gathering with those that you love to celebrate the amazing miracle of Christ come to earth. What an amazing thing it is that the God of all the world came and became human, in order that we might have eternal life. May this be a precious time for you and your family.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all!

Show & Tell: All About Variety

Sometimes I pick a "theme" for my show & tell posts... well, this one is all over the map. Pick the things you want to read about, and skip the things you don't... but these are all things that are interesting to me... hopefully some of them will catch your eye, too! ;)

• HEAVEN: I want to go THERE! - a personal account of how reading Randy Alcorn's "Heaven" greatly increased one Christian's desire for and excitement about Heaven.
  
• When controversy strikes over worship styles: CappuccinoMom writes about it in a post called Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
• The familiarity of an idea: how we go from rejection to acceptance of new ideas as they become more familiar. She's talking about cloth toilet paper, but I think it can go for any number of things: family size, cloth diapering, homeschooling, etc.
• Bill Cosby on parenting & education
  
• An abortion counselor on how she counsels Christian women who come to her for abortions: "God knows what's in your heart."
  
• Still trying to decide what Christmas gift to get for the Christian men in your life? GirlTalk compiled a list of books that Christian men would likely love to read... (I should confess: I skipped over this post, thinking it wasn't a good list, and then my loving husband forwarded me the link as a little hint, hint. So perhaps your husband would like it too.) ;)
• Looking for quality children's books? This blog may give you some new ideas.
• What kind of toys should we buy for boys? And for girls? Shouldn't they (at least sometimes) be different?
  
• Modesty Check: A Titus 2 woman gives us a great way to check our motives and dress modestly.
• How homeschooling instills leadership. Independent learning, creativity, and faith are all strong positives that come from the homeschool environment.
• Big Brother at School: Don't leave your children's education to the government-- how 19th century Democrats addressed this issue of government involvement in public education- and some things we ought to think about now.
  
• "I prefer someone else's kisses": how premarital sexual experience can harm one's chances for marriage, or one's happiness in marriage. Just something to think about.
• The beauty of routine when a new baby enters the family: though this is a controversial issue, I can't say enough how thankful I am for having a basic routine with each of my babies... it makes our lives more predictable and makes everyone in the family happier when there's a general order to things. You can see more of my thoughts on this in the comments of the linked post.
  
• The dreaded "Christian Table": One waiter shares his thoughts on how Christians often come across to waiters/waitresses... something to keep in mind! (Personal note: I can still remember hating to get the Sunday afternoon shift when I waited tables in college... many times, tables of six or more --obviously having come straight from church, with dress clothes and bulletins in sight-- would leave horrible tips and have terrible attitudes. Once I got 86 cents as a tip from a table of seven people... we, as Christians, need to consider that we are indeed watched, particularly on Sunday afternoons, and use that as a time to honor, rather than dishonor, the name of Christ by how we interact with those who wait on us.)
• They ARE a handful: Kelly shares about the responsibilities and rewards of children-- and how people applaud women who work themselves to death for the good of a beloved cause or candidate or company, but pity mothers who are working heartily to raise godly children.
• Are large families and ministry incompatible?
• Ever asked a kid, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" Elisabeth Elliot challenged me (and Amy) with some thoughts about that question.
• Victoria doesn't keep her "Secret" very well: Where do we as Christians draw the line?
• Some things to consider during the holiday season

FREE BOOKS:
Two ways to get free books... no joke, folks. FREE. BOOKS.

• Here are some excellent books available FOR FREE online. These are electronic format books by John Piper, Wayne Grudem, Dennis Rainey, and more.
  
• Library GIVEAWAY: Encyclopedia Kevinannica is giving away free books, videos, and music for Christmas. No hidden costs, no switch-a-roo... go check it out!
  

POLITICS:
You all may have noticed... my guy's on the rise (that would be Huckabee!) ;). It's getting exciting to see others agreeing with what I've known for years-- that Mike Huckabee will make a phenomenal President! Here are some interesting recent news items:

• Bill O'Reilly and Dick Morris, an astute political adviser and observer, do a run-down of the current Republican race... it's an interesting segment- and only takes 5 minutes to watch. If you want to get up to speed on what's happening in the Republican race, this is a great video to get you there.
• Huckabee's $327,000 vs. Romney's $7 million. Huckabee is #1 in Iowa, where Romney has long been thought to have the race "wrapped up" (remember? Thompson, Giuliani, and McCain didn't even bother to do anything in Iowa for the straw poll because it was thought to be totally "Romney country".) Now Huckabee's the one to watch, and he's doing it in a fiscally restrained way--( i.e., he's the frugal candidate), which I personally like. I don't want a President who goes through money like crazy, and Romney certainly doesn't seem to know how to get "bang" for his bucks. Huckabee does.

MAKE YOUR OWN/DIY HOUSEWIFERY:

• Make your own cloth table napkins. What a lovely way to cut down on your family's consumption and add a pretty element to your dinner table.
• Dispense with disposables. -An excellent run-down of various ways you can reduce your family's trash through the use of cloth or other reusable materials in your home.
• Some plants you should consider growing
  
• Rag Quilting- I've never heard of this, but I think it's absolutely adorable. If you're wanting a simple, or first-time quilting project, I think this might just be it.
• Redecorating for FREE!- Find new uses for old things... Mary shares some great tips

{Editor's note: if you are a man or don't want to know about personal female hygiene, stop reading now. I mean it. Stop. Don't go blaming me if you read any further and then get embarrassed or squeamish about what you read. Are you still reading? SERIOUSLY? EVEN AFTER I WARNED YOU?!?!? Well, stop. Now. Consider yourself fully warned.}


FEMININE HYGIENE

Ladies, over the last year, I've been introduced to some new thoughts about feminine hygiene products for *that* time of the month, and I wanted to share them with you here. I'm not going to go on and on... but you can read about these things for yourself and get your own ideas.

I just want to say that many of