I’ve been told….
(?)
Coram Deo! Graciebird
Archive for December, 2005
What?
Monday, December 19th, 2005Coram Deo Revisited
Sunday, December 18th, 2005I wanted to just take a moment from this Sunday morning and remind any of my readers, who may not be familiar with the words that I use to end everyone of my posts, of what they mean again.
Coram Deo! Before the face of God. I sometimes hear the little ones muttering this as they walk under our the words painted above one of our doorposts, put there to remind us of the important and oftimes forgotten fact, that we are always before the face of God. Nothing, no evil thoughts, or little sins done in secret, bitter feelings, or greed, can be hid from Him.
Coram Deo! Gracie
Dickens and the Fatherless
Saturday, December 17th, 2005It came to me the other day while listening to a tape by Doug Phillips about the widows and the fatherless, that a great many villians, and most particularly, Dickensian villians, are those who oppress the fatherless and widows.
In the long list of Dickensian villians and anti-heros are included:
Mr. Murdstone
Ralph Nickleby
Squeers
Daniel Quilp
Fagin
Ebeneezer Scrooge (though he mends his ways in the very end)
Any more, anyone?
The bible speaks very clearly on the subject of widows and orphans, here are a few verses for consideration:
“Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child” Exodus 22:22
“Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow’s raiment to pledge:” Deuteronomy 24:17
“But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it. Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken. Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee.” Job 22:8-10
“Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.” Psalm 82:3
May everyone beware of taking advantage of the fatherless and widows!
On a lighter note, our first performance went well, even though I did dream about the play when I went to bed weary and sore after everything wound down. I didn’t forget any of my lines, and if anybody else did, (not that I noticed) they covered it quite well. Bravo! Two more performances to go.
I might mention the fact, though, that for my second scene in a A Christmas Carol and my first Cratchit scene, I found myself falling into a sort of Irish lilt, which bemused me. I blame it on slight nervousness, but if I just keep it in my mind to get up in front of everyone and ham it up, I will be fine. 
Everyone in my scene did wonderful including Tiny Tim.
I might also say that Pieter did quite well as Marley. 
Coram Deo! Graciebird
Graceful Ladies
Friday, December 16th, 2005Well, tonight is the first performance of our play! All I need to remember is to get up there and act like a ham!
I wanted to take a few seconds (yes that is all that it takes) to point out my new link in the side bar The Graceful Lady (she is nicely sandwiched between The Persecution Project and the USMC.) I have linked to her once before, but I thought I would do so again, just so you can “rediscover” her site. Since I have taken it into my head to study period clothing from the 19th century I found her site quite useful, and I am impressed by her talent and perseverance in making and taking the time to do these dresses, and set up this site. So if you please, go visit The Graceful Lady.
Here are a few pictures of her dresses:
Coram Deo! Graciebird
Craziness at Christmas
Tuesday, December 13th, 2005
How about you? Are you counting down the days to St. Patrick’s Day? I didn’t think we were either, until a little brother asked me how many days it was till then.
Well, I do know one thing that I am counting down the days for, and that is the play, it is… (let me see) 3 days away. I’m not too nervous about getting up in front of people and being a ham, but I hope that nobody forgets their lines, because that means I’ll have to ad-lib.
Are you going to see Narnia? I would like to, but the final decision is up to my Mom and Dad. Check out Naddy’s thoughts on Narnia, and Spunky Homeschool thoughts on this.
Are you going to go vote? I have not been keeping up too much with this, but if you have a blog you would like to vote for, do so by all means!
Mark did a fine job on his post about Christmas.
I really enjoyed caroling in Coloma the other day, though I do have to express the sentiments of others, it would have been better if we had had more than four carols to sing. People listened, however, (even though I did have to keep on reminding our carol leader to sing faster and louder!) and we passed out many flyers for the play.
Do you have anything special that you do at Christmastide? …Note: this only applies to those who actually celebrate Christmas… I thought it would be rather fun this year to give away loaves of challah bread as gifts.
I am afraid that I will not be celebrating a white Christmas, *bummer* but perhaps the Haydens will be. To check out those pictures of snow in Kansas, scroll down the page.
Now I must away to go shower, bake bread, eat breakfast, finish sewing my chemise, gather together play stuff, and apply makeup five minutes before we go out the door!
Don’t forget to pray for the Blacks as they start their long journey to Ethiopia! I pray that the Lord will keep them safe until they return! God speed!
Coram Deo! Graciebird
*Smile*
Tuesday, December 13th, 2005We got a very sweet Christmas card, from a very sweet little Christian family with a little boy named Samuel Arthur!
A Merry Christmas shoutout to you!! God bless you and your little family!
Coram Deo! Grace
Sisters
Friday, December 9th, 2005Sisters, sisters, were there ever two such devoted sisters? Well, perhaps, but I do like doing things with Jo, yesterday it was a victorian tea party for the 18th birthday of a friend, and then after that it was dress rehearsal for play practice, in which Jo is playing my daughter.
Coram Deo! Graciebird
Hurrah!
Friday, December 9th, 2005News! News!
My brother (Thanks Naddy! ) Ben just got his call this morning, which pulled him from a haze of a sleeping cold to tell him that he was accepted at our local volunteer fire department! His training starts January 8th.
Coram Deo! Graciebird
Non-Functioning on Holidays
Wednesday, December 7th, 2005I love Christmas, and I am really glad that we have this Holiday that celebrates the Lord’s birth, but replacing Sunday with it, is taking it too far.
Today, everyone is all about convenience, and this is no exception, if God gets in the way of them celebrating a holiday, then they remove him!
No, maybe I take that back, it isn’t all about convenience, though Lord knows that has its place in our society, it’s about greed! Perhaps, after all, material is all that matters, and worshipping GOD, doesn’t.
Nevermind that Sunday is the day that Christ rose from the dead, and that because of it we are now redeemed by His precious blood, forget that once He was a tiny babe in a manger, over 2000 years ago. The unchurched aren’t going to be coming anyway, so let’s just not do Sunday!
Coram Deo! Grace
What fools these mortals be…
Conversations
Tuesday, December 6th, 2005Anyone who really knows me personally, knows that sometimes I am not the best communicator. Not that I would have you thinking of me as a extremely shy, homeschooly, introvert, which I am not. But I am always seeking better words in conversations.
I have not had much time in my life to practice my communication skills. It seems that perahps I do not have the gift for gab that so many others do have, but then on the other hand, neither my sisters or I have had very many good friends, with whom we converse verbally.
However, in this last year, things have been changing. With a change in the church we attend, it ends up that the people I am worshipping with are a part of my community, unlike the other church we were worshipping at before. Now, I’m rather stretched to say a word or two to other people there. But more than that, I am finally learning to develop friendships.
This past week though, I’ve been noticing, that before I carry on any more conversations, or make any more friends, I need to learn to appreciate the ones that I have at home. Perhaps going to this church, which is, if I may say so, a bit more family oriented, has opened my eyes to the fact, that I do not love my brothers and sisters enough. Indeed, I cannot love them enough, but if I take the time to talk to my 10 year old brother and do listen sweetly to his elephant jokes, or treat my 12 year old sister as more than a little girl, but someone who is my sister, and foremost my friend and give her hugs before other girls, or bite my tongue, before responding in a flippant way to my older brothers, perhaps, just perhaps, if I keep those friendships before others, and keep my love for my siblings, before that of any other friends, I will learn to fill my conversations, with ease and grace. I will learn things from them, than I cannot envision now, in my blinded imagination. I will learn in part, the meaning of sacrificing what we want for the needs of others.
Coram Deo! Grace