Don Quixote

After twelve months I'm FINALLY finished with Don Quixote, my 10th book in this year's Back to the Classics Challenge!!!!! This was my book for the category "Classic in Translation".

I don't know what to think about this novel. I've always wanted to read it after seeing it on an episode of "Wishbone" back in the day, because it looked really funny. As I read this I realized it is humorous, but more than that it's ludicrous! The story line reminded me of a bad soap opera where no one knows what end is up and everyone is falling in love and/or has a tragedy.

On the whole I did not like the book. I would really like to know the back ground of the book because it is written like it's a biography of Don Quixote, but then other things make it seem like a work of fiction. I might like it better knowing the story behind the story. What's sad is how crazy yet wise Don Quixote is and that knowing that he is mad, Sancho Panza abandons his family and chooses to follow him anyway. I do appreciate how Don Quixote's family and friends seek to care for him, even if done in a strange and misguided way. The adventures they have are interesting, but really cause you to wonder at the sanity of people. It is a reminder that we can convince ourselves of anything if we tell ourselves it's true long enough. The adventures reminded me that we must watch ourselves in saying what is true.

For me the spiritual implications of this book kept me reading and made it more interesting. Watching Don Quixote follow something so wholeheartedly was inspirational, even if it was mad. To see Sancho Panza follow this, though, was the epitome of folly, but reminds us how often humans blindly follow another, though it is evident it is going down a road of insanity. They are also very devout to the Catholic Church and it is an interesting study in religion of that time.

As a Christian I could see how important it is to really follow God and not our own misguided understandings. If God is not the one determining our reality, we will quickly be led astray into things that are completely foolish.

My favorite part of the book was the novel in the novel that shows the danger of tempting others. I greatly appreciated this story and felt it to the core.

The second half made me very sad and a bit annoyed at how easily people will accept what they want, even though they are clearly being mocked at and made to look a fool. It also made me angry at the audacity of people to take advantage of the madness and desires of people for their own sport. Through out the book I felt sorry for both Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, but a large portion of this section made me want to yell at them, "Are you really that stupid and naive?" as well as yell at their hosts, "What is your problem?"

I can't say that I recommend this book, nor can I say that I do not recommend it. It was not an enjoyable book, except for the part mentioned above. But there are many profound observations and statements that as well as their actions that cause one to think. If you're looking for a thinking book, I would say it is good for that.

I'm going to say 3 stars for this unusual classic.

November Blessings

How busy November was for our family! We have been cleaning, organizing and purging as we seek to bring order to our home, family and lives. In the midst God has been gracious, cleaning and ordering our hearts before him. Here is a glimpse of His blessing toward us.

1. Jim working 8 extra hours overtime
2. Provision
3. New Month
4. Sharing struggles at CG
5. Hearing others' struggles
6. God moving
7. Productive school
8. Time with Jamey 
9. Time with the little boys
10. Working potential new rhythm
11. BJ's Cherry soda
12. Flip flops for $1
13. Good rest time
14. Making plans
15. Writing blog posts
16. Boxed mashed potatoes
17. Working on a project with Lillian
18. Getting to co-op before 9 am
19. Encouragement from Tara
20. God speaking through friends
21. Free food
22. Enjoying my last day of co-op
23. Organizing all homeschool material
24. Going through all kids books
25. Working together as a family
26. Time with Jessica
27. Extra hour of sleep
28. Pastor James preaching
29. Great sermon on embracing multiculturalism
30. Learning to care for each other
31. Time to read
32. Family time
33. Working on the office with the kids
34. God's Grace
35. Terminix working on our attic
36. Jim only working 4 hours
37. Waking before my alarm
38. Jamey helping with cleaning
39. Getting main part of upstairs cleared out
40. Parent's getting here safely
41. Medical Missions Conference
42. Hearing why our view on sexuality matters
43. Being affirmed in some I want to write
44. Encouraging and informative breakout sessions
45. God confirming next immediate steps
46. Praying together
47. Meeting more people with similar backgrounds
48. Free Yummy Food!
49. Great close to conference
50. Time to think, talk and pray
51. Dinner and display
52. Kids doing well with presentations
53. Good close to the weekend
54. Stepping forward in faith
55. Great sermon on God's Kingdom
56. Talking about grieving together
57. Jim finishing class work for the semester
58. Ryan and Becca hanging out for a bit
59. Grocery store by myself with 7 kids!
60. Meeting a mom of 7, grandmother of 24 and great-grandmother of 21! and getting encouragement from her
61. Seeing Rachel Davila
62. Talking to Rachy
63. Costco as a family
64. Talking with Jim 
65. NO TV!
66. Working well with all the kids
67. Music
68. Time to work on business with Jim
69. Beginning to work with Canva
70. Catching up with Kate
71. Organizing and purging
72. J, L, and R helping with clothes and cleaning
73. Date Night
74. Talking to Ryan and Becca
75. Classical music
76. Catching up on journals
77. J helping cut up veggies and taking care of M
78. Watching my kids grow
79. Having my kids home with me
80. Being creative with J
81. J and L being really helpful
82. Finding new Bible reading rhythm
83. Quiet evening at home
84. No computer
85. Jim meeting with James
86. Time to really pray at Panera
87. Pizza
88. Hearing God's voice clearly
89. "Sky High" on Netflix
90. Great sermon on Consecration and confrontation
91. Great Sunday class
92. Lots of time to talk through things with Jim
93. Praying together
94. Cleaning out L's closet
95. Finding remote
96. Sam growing in prayer
97. Gift card for McDonald's
98. Special lunch
99. Lots of milk
100. Time to wash hair
101. Jamey organizing closet
102. Seeing light in organizing tunnel
103. Jim getting called off work
104. Malachi 3 months!
105. Nehemiah progressing well
106. Yummy food and fellowship at CG
107. Lots of progress in L's room
108. Running errands with Lillian
109. Baking
110. Sam's tooth still doing well
111. Chick-fil-A breakfast
112. Getting heat fixed
113. Teaching kids organizing and kitchen skills
114. Pancakes and Eggs for breakfast
115. Thanking God for blessings
116. Cupcakes
117. Day with Ryan and Becca
118. Time with the McMillin family
119. Jim talking to Max
120. Lunch with Jim at work
121. Jim getting meds to help him heal
122. Getting Black Friday deals set up
123. Snuggling with my babies
124. Jamey working hard
125. Being able to work with J
126. Getting pictures uploaded
127. Great Advent Sermon on suffering and believing God
128. Nice afternoon talking with Ryan and Becca
129. Left over curry
130. Sojourn providing Advent Jesse Tree resource
131. Making ornaments
132. Gabriel turning 4!
133. Homemade Chocolate Cake and Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing
134. Closing out party and getting what we need
135. Gifts for Exchange
136. Good deals at grocery
137. Jim cleaning fridge
138. Haircut
139. Great deal on World Market Coffee!
140. Nice Date Night at Arby's

November Evaluation

Spiritual

• Spend at least 10 minutes praying daily- Thanks to morning pumping this is happening most days!
• Spend at least 10 minutes reading and reflecting on the Bible daily- Again pumping has really helped with this
• Memorize verses with the kids - working on this during school time
• Have extended prayer times 4 times during the year- Jim has had 3 and I have had 3
• Read Christian books (Jim- 1 (not school related), Emmie- 3)- 1 for me so far and started "Mission of Motherhood" and "Humble Roots"

Marriage

• Pray together daily- YES! Growing in more directed prayer times together as well
• Go out for a date once a week- By God's grace I believe we actually managed this this month again! It's gotten a little tricky lately
• Go on a night away once this year- Yes! We were able to get away for 2 whole days for our Anniversary! Big thanks to Becca, Shannon, Julianne, Victor and Ariana who made this possible for us! It was wonderful
• Read 3 books together this year (read one day a week)- Crossing this off because it's not going to happen. Maybe next year when we're forced to for School of Missions
• Discuss plan weekly on Saturday afternoon- Did not happen 

Kids

• Spend 15 minutes of one on one time with each child every week- Still did not schedule this, but we're getting better at intentional one on one time
• Special Outing Alone twice during the year with each child- No outings again this month. It's been a struggle to plan extra outside activities with getting organized
• Family fun activity once a month- We went to Mulberry Farms to play, do a corn maze and pick pumpkins with some friends from church. It was a great time!
• Write in individual journals at least 3 times this year- Got caught up and now I need to write in 2 of them again! 
• Finish Jamey's 1st year Scrapbook- May not get to working on this until January because of other needed organizing

Homemaking

• Keep up with cleaning schedule- We are finishing the year with massive cleaning and organizing so hopefully we will get this made for next year
• Keep up with my calendar- Have not used it at all like I should this month
• Being fully present when with my family- This is back and forth depending on how overwhelmed I'm feeling, but still growing in this
• Try 12 new recipes this year- (12) Jim made chocolate cake and blueberry cream cheese icing for Gabriel's birthday and it was DELICIOUS! So we have also met this goal!
• No TV 2 days a week (watching)- We had a couple days without it, which was a blessing! Still using it a lot with seeking new patterns
• Begin gardening in the spring- Another that just did not happen and isn't going to, but that's OK!

Ministry

• Continue sending out Prayer List- Yes

Personal

• Read a book a month for myself- Still working on "Don Quixote" hoping I can finish my classics challenge this year but doesn't look like it, would really like to finish this book though
• Jim read one fiction book- Yes! He finished "Eragon", Eldest", and "Brisingr"
• Journal 5 days a week- Still not getting this done.
• Jim Journal 3 days a week- Yes
• Edit novel to prepare for publishing- No work on this
• Book Club once a month- We didn't meet this month :( 
• Continue to meet once a month with writing group- Scheduled it, but ended up with a meeting with God, which was just as useful
• Blog 1-2 days a week- Think I got 4 posts in this month 

Health

• Mild Exercise twice a week- Nope, really need to work on schedule/routine/rhythms
• Maintain weight until birth- This did not happen, so I have extra work to do now
• Lose weight after giving birth- I'm basically stagnant at the moment. Hoping to get cracking on this soon. I need it and I need the energy!

There goes November. It FLEW by! It seems, as with life on the whole, the closer to the end of the year the fast it goes. November was busy finishing co-op, doing school and organizing the whole house from top to bottom. We're still in the midst of this massive project because we have realized how desperately we need orderliness in our house. So we're starting with finding a place for everything and purging what we no longer want or need. Then hopefully we will find a new routine for next year so that we can maintain order and be more effective in everything so we can bring God glory in all things.

How was your November?

Gabriel is 4!

Today our 4th baby is 4 years old! It's so hard to believe how much has happened in the 4 years he has been in our life. He has grown so much and God has taught our family greatly.

Gabriel has added another element to our family as he is strong willed and mighty in everything he does. His name means "mighty man of God" and he has mighty down quite well. We pray daily for the man of God part and pray that it comes soon!

In his might Gabriel bucks against God and us, but more than that he is passionate about everything. If you have ever talked to Gabriel you know that he is excited about everything! He will talk your ear off about anything and everything. He loves life and I love that about him. He regularly brings a smile to my face as he laughs, dances, squeals and tells me what he is loving at the moment.

Gabriel loves to sing and dance. He loves to run around outside and explore. He just loves to go, go, go. His energy is contagious. He loves playing with his siblings, especially Sam. They wrestle and go at it all the time. They are fun to watch until they start destroying. But Generally it brings a smile to my face seeing my boys play together.

We are doing pre-K with Gabriel this school year and he loves it! He wants to learn and asks to do school work everyday. It's challenging on the days we have nothing specific to do, but he is content to get his journal and draw or write in it. I'm excited to see how much he will learn this year!

Some of Gabriel's favorite things are giraffes, drawing, digging in the dirt, mac and cheese, pancakes and anything sweet. He definitely loves to eat.

We are so thankful for this spunky personality to keep us on our toes. God has blessed us so much with Gabriel's life. Father, please save Gabriel and make Him mighty for you. Show him how much life with You is a blessing and a joy like he has been in our life. Thank You for this precious image bearer that You have given us to enjoy and raise.

Happy Thanksgiving 2016

I had grand plans to make a list of 10,000 things I was thankful for that were all different, similar to a few years ago. Or doing something every day like I've done before. But best laid plans don't always go as expected.

This year has been busy and full because we have been so blessed! And none of that happened. We've been given marriage, 7 beautiful, busy and crazy kids, a home, many things to fill our home, jobs, church, family, and friends. God has been good to us and we have so many people and things to be thankful for this year. 

But this month I have realized I have not been a good steward of the blessings that have been given to me. The past 2 1/2 years we've been working to be good stewards of our marriage and to be God honoring in it as we seek to live out the picture of Christ and the church marriage is to be. The past couple of months we have been wrestling with what it looks like to be a good steward of our kids and our home as, after marriage, these are our God given mandates to look after first. Women in particular are called to be homemakers and God is teaching me what this looks like for this season.

Right now I'm showing thanks by getting my home in order and teaching my children as diligently as possible. It is hard but good. This month has been filled with going through all that we've been given and seeking to give to others, organizing so we have order, and cleaning from top to bottom. None of these are my strong points. But I'm learning to die to self and live according to God's Word. God desires Thanksgiving and the sacrifice of self. This is what I'm learning this Thanksgiving. 

We were blessed to spend Thanksgiving with Jim, as he did not have to work this year, and the McMillin family here. We are so blessed to have them in our lives. I'm also learning to be grateful for the people in my life and not take them for granted. I don't know what that looks like all the time, but I'm learning and I know that as I learn to fully give myself to God and His plans that I better love others and am less likely to take them for granted. 

It all goes together. As we love God and are thankful for what He has done for us we love others as we should and become the stewards God has made us to be. May I continue to learn this and grow in it everyday.

What did you learn this Thanksgiving season?

When You Just Want To Go Home

Sometimes I just want to go home. Not Smyrna, but Heaven.

No, I'm not suicidal. Life is just hard sometimes and it is evident everywhere that this world is not supposed to be.

A friend's baby is born early and has been hospitalized 3 times in 3 months, fighting for her life.

One of my doctors has a mass and has to have emergency surgery.

People are shooting each other regularly for no good reason.

Friends my age are dying in the most unexpected ways.

Satan is constantly attacking and I just feel drained.

I could name so many other things, but you get the idea. Life is overwhelming. Sin and the effects of the fall abound and it seems as if nothing will ever get better. Those are the times I stare into the sky and look for any hint that Jesus may be on His way back.

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will [a]dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”" ~Revelation 21:1-5

See, Jesus has told us He is coming back. He will make everything new. No more death. No more suffering. No more striving to figure out what to think, do, say. Everything will be perfect as it was intended to be. How my soul longs for that. How I want to be in God's presence worshiping perfectly as He created me to do. How I want things to be perfect.

I recognize some of this is selfish in motivation, but the more I get to know God the more I just want to be with Him. I want to be in a place that really worships Him as Lord over all. I want to live the way He intends.

I'm so thankful that Jesus has given me a way to have this and that one day all of this will be true. I will be with God and worshiping Him perfectly. I will be in a place that worships Him. I will live perfectly as He intends.

Sometimes I really want to go home. Until then, I press on. Many days are hard. My heart grieves the loss of life, of health, of sleep, of obedience. I sometimes seek to control it. But God reminds me even in those heart breaking moments, He is in control and by His grace I will overcome and see this great day!

"Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son." ~Revelation 21:6-7

Kids Who Love to Clean

My kids love to clean. No really, they do. Sometimes I wonder where they came from because I cannot say that about myself. In fact, I hate it. But I love that my kids love it!

Because of this I am stoked that Norwex has the Kids EnviroCloth and Kids Window Cloth on sale this month! Slightly smaller versions of the EnviroCloth and Window Cloth, they are perfectly sized for little hands to use and still get an excellent clean. Have them clean alongside you to learn or let them go to clean on their own. Kids like to feel like they own something. This is a great way to build that ownership and teach them how to clean and care for their cloths as well as how to care for their home.

With Christmas around the corner this is a fun gift idea that will be life giving in many ways.

Do your kids love to clean? What is their favorite thing to clean?

Please Contact me with any questions
Emmie Manor Independent Norwex Consultant
Emmie.reducingchemicals@gmail.com
www.emmiemanor.norwex.biz
Catalog (p. 43)