Polished Cornerstones: An Indispensable Aid in Raising Godly Daughters

It has been such a blessing to be privileged to review some of Doorposts products. Polished Cornerstones is a hefty, 559+ page book of projects for daughters to learn about Biblical Womanhood. This resource is utterly amazing, and it is a great bargain, as it is non-consumable and can be used for all of your daughters, and even your granddaughters! Polished Cornerstones contains the following chapters:
A Godly Woman
A Reliable Woman
An Honest Woman
A Loyal Woman
An Attentive Woman
A Loving Woman
A Submissive Woman
A Humble Woman
A Pure Woman
A Patient Woman
A Devoted Woman
A Diligent Woman
A Skillful Woman
A Thrifty Woman
A Woman Who Uses Her Time Wisely
A Wise Manager
A Woman Who Feeds Her Family Well
An Organized Woman
A Goal-Oriented Woman
A Woman Who Can Make Things Grow
A Woman Who Handles Money Wisely
A Studious Woman
A Woman Who Memorizes God’s Word
A Prayerful Woman
A Self-Disciplined Woman
A Woman Who Seeks Wise Counsel
A Woman Who Is Committed to Her Church
A Determined Woman
A Hospitable Woman
A Merciful Woman
An Evangelistic Woman
A Just Woman
A Prudent Woman
A Gracious Woman
A Modest Woman
A Domestic Artist
A Respectful Woman
A Supportive Woman
An Enterprising Woman
A Thankful Woman
A Trusting Woman
A Courageous Woman
A Woman Who Controls Her Tongue
A Woman Who Trains Her Children
A Teaching Woman
A Good Steward
A Reverent Woman
A Joyful Mother
A Family-Centered Woman
An Exemplary Woman
A Truly Beautiful Woman
Every chapter begins with relevant Bible verses to memorize and to study. Each chapter contains several projects, ranging from easiest to hardest. The easier projects would be ideal for girls around 6 years of age, and the more challenging projects would be ideal for high school maidens. Polished Cornerstones is an excellent resource for incorporating learning practical domestic skills into the homeschool experience. Each project is followed by what academic subject(s) that particular project would apply to. For example, the following is a project suggestion in "An Enterprising Woman" Chapter:

O. As a means of adding to the family income, use your skills and homemade articles to barter for other needed items and services. (FINANCES, HOME SKILLS)

Another aspect that I love about Polished Cornerstones is that it gives daughters practical ways to assist their mothers, which serves as excellent preparation for their future homes. At the end of each chapter, there is a list of questions for parents to assess their daughter's progress in that particular realm.
Polished Cornerstones and it's corresponding book for young men, Plants Grown Up, are two terrific books to aid parents in leading their children in their godly roles.

Pregnancy Randomness

~My dear friend, Michele, had a beautiful homebirth, last week. The birth story of her son is such a testimony of faith in God's Sovereignty, throughout every moment of the birth. Her pregnancy with her son was a miracle. Read her birth story here.

~I am thankful for so many supportive friends and family members, yet it is always disheartening to hear from the naysayers about having another blessing. My dear husband was recently told by an acquaintance at work (after the acquaintance heard that we were expecting),
"I don't know if I should offer you congratulations or condolences." Yet, this very same person would be elated, I am certain, if we bought a larger house and incurred more debt. May God strengthen and enable us to grow in Him through this experience. I would love to be as Christlike and gracious as the Duggars have been, to all of the criticism they receive, as can be seen here.
Kelly at Generation Cedar makes a lot of sense in her latest post, So you Prefer I use Birth Control.

~ I enjoy sipping a little ginger ale, occasionally, when I feel nauseated. (I would try Ginger Tea, but it is so hot outside!) Unfortunately, almost every brand of ginger ale, from Schweppes, to Canada Dry, to Vernor's (my former favorite), contain no ginger and are laden with high fructose corn syrup. I was able to finally get a hold of a real ginger ale (Reed's Ginger Brew), for the first time in my life, at the health food store. It contained 22 grams of ginger and contained no high fructose corn syrup. It was delicious, but at $1.20 a bottle, I certainly cannot make a habit of buying Reed's. So, I was elated when my friend, Elena, gave me the link to making my own Ginger Ale, quite affordably! First, make the Ginger Syrup, and then add 16-32 ounces of seltzer water to the syrup, according to your preference. I cannot wait to try this!

Baby Bump- 13 Weeks

Yup....that is what happens when you are the only one in the household who takes pictures....you have to photograph yourself. :) I am not feeling quite as icky, every day, so I am very thankful for that! Thank you to all those who have been praying for me; it is such a huge blessing!

Menu Plan- August 24th and a Recipe

Monday- Crockpot Meatballs, rice, and homemade bread
Tuesday- Thai Peanut Noodle
Wednesday- off- dinner at sister-in-law's house
Thursday- Skillet Lasagna
Friday- Homemade Pizza
Sat- out
Sun- (Fellowship Meal at Church) Pot Roast, Potatoes, Green Beans in crockpot

Before we attended a wedding on Sat, Lily and I had fun making homemade biscuits.
They were so scrumptious with homemade blackberry jam (a gift) and butter.

Baking Powder Biscuits:

2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons butter/shortening
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. milk

*Don't use pastry cutter. Use your hands. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Mix till moist, fold gently.

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt and sift again. Cut in shortening/butter. (rub butter into flour) Add milk gradually, stirring until soft dough is formed. Turn out on slightly floured board and lightly knead for 30 seconds, enough to shape. Roll 1/2 inch thick with 2 inch, floured biscuit cutter. Bake 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Makes 12 biscuits.

What are you cooking this week? For more Menu plans, visit Laura.

Two Views of Pregnancy and Babies

Babies: The World's View

The Perfect LITTLE Family ( a term created by Voddie Baucham)- I thought I was over the "perfect little family stage". After I had two children, a daughter and a son, many acquaintances assumed that we were "done". I mean, after all, don't two children, one of each gender, qualify as the "perfect little family"? When we were expecting our third, we started getting fingers pointing at us, trying to count "all of those children". Jaws hit the floors when people saw that we were having our third. Expecting my fourth blessing, I was certain that I was done hearing about the perfect family, but it has resurfaced. The main reason is because four is an even number. Some who do not understand my family's conviction about having children have asked me if I am "hoping for a boy" to "even out the score". All I can say to that, is that God is Sovereign and I will be delighted with whatever He has chosen to send my husband and I. This can be frustrating to deal with, but I believe that God is trying to teach me a lot in the sanctification process. I certainly have a long way to go. Overall, though, I feel extremely blessed that our announcement of our fourth blessing has been so well received. The well wishes and kind thoughts have been such a blessing to us.

Save the Planet, Have Fewer Kids - According to the world, having too many children is bad for the environment. Accordingly, everyone is encouraged to be "responsible".

Addicted to the Bump- Women who embrace their fertility and let their bodies do what they were created to do (nurture and sustain human life), are now labeled as "being addicted to pregnancy". This article quotes a Beverly Hills psychiatrist who claims that,

"Women who are obsessed with being pregnant are literally filling an emptiness inside of them, just as alcoholics and drug addicts use substances to fill a psychological void."

Another disturbing quote from the article:

"Given all the psychological, physical, and social rewards associated with pregnancy, it's no surprise that so many women like it. But plenty of couples stop at one or two children, despite the fundamental drive to reproduce. This is because we can use our higher brain functions to keep those instincts in check, reminding ourselves that children cost money — about $950 a month until they're 18 — and require an extraordinary amount of time and energy."

Babies: A Biblical View

Is An Economic Downturn a Good Reason to Stop Having Kids? Voddie Baucham's article is saturated with Biblical wisdom; this should be a must read for all married couples.

Enjoying Your Quiverfull- Amy's post has been instrumental in my life, as a quiverfull mother. Around the time she wrote that post, my youngest was nearly one, and many of my friends with one-year olds, were pregnant again. I wanted to be pregnant so badly; I wished that it was my time too. I found that I was thinking about having another baby so much, rather than being thankful and content for the three blessings that I had already received. (I don't believe that there is anything wrong with crying out to the Lord for a precious blessing, but if His answer is no, then I need to rest in His Will.) As Amy mentioned in that post,

"If we are totally trusting the Lord with our family size, then we MUST be content with our family size at any given point in time."

I used to think that being quiverfull was about having a lot of children. Now I know that it is about resting in Him to open and close my womb, according to His Will. He is the one with plans for my children; why should I worry about when they will come? When I focused so much of my attention on wanting another child, I was sinning because I stopped waiting on Him and tried to find joy in my will. It is all about letting the Lord build your family, and contentedly resting in Him.
A godly woman, a mother of nine, mentioned to me that letting the Lord build your family is a walk of faith. At times, you may feel like the children come too fast, at other times you may feel like the children come too slowly. But it is all about receiving them joyfully, and resting in Him. I am so thankful that God used Amy's post to change my heart.

The Other Side of the Quiverfull Coin

May God abundantly bless you!

Food Glorious Food

Please don't mind me, food is on my mind. Lot's of food. Like I mentioned, I am ravenous. When I hear the mere mention of food, my stomach growls. Please don't mention homemade cookies, milkshakes, or other goodies, unless you have some to share with this pregnant woman. (wink) One of my ultimate favorite comfort foods is my Mother-in-law's Chicken and Broccoli Casserole recipe. I made a huge portion last week, as it was my turn to cook for extended family.
Chicken and Broccoli Casserole (Serves about 6; I tripled the recipe for my extended family)
4 pieces of chicken breast, cooked
1-2 lbs. broccoli florets, cooked
2 cups cooked rice
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (16 oz) sour cream
sesame seed (Sprinkle on top of the casserole)
Cook rice according to the package directions. Cook chicken until done. Take out of pan to let cool and cut up into quarter inch pieces. Meanwhile, cook the broccoli for 3-5 minutes in same broth. Cook garlic and onion in the pan. Put rice into casserole dish. In a separate bowl, mix chicken, broccoli, garlic, onion, and sour cream. Pour on top of rice. Sprinkle sesame seed on top and bake at 20-30 minutes @350 degrees until sesame seed is brown.
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My dear 6 year old daughter, Lily, is a true foodie. Her favorite hobby is cooking and baking with mommy. She loves gathering all of the ingredients and whipping something up. Yesterday, I was feeling really sick, and the mere idea of preparing dinner seemed overwhelming. My little sweetie told me to rest on the couch, and preceded to assemble this hashbrown casserole. It is such a blessing when little ones try to take care of their mama's, isn't it?

I'm Expecting!

I am thrilled to announce that I am expecting baby blessing number four. I am so thankful for this precious gift from the Lord, who is due to arrive around 2-27-2010. I am the oddest combination of highly nauseated and ravenously hungry. I covet your prayers! Blessings!

Book Review: Things We Wish We'd Known

As a mother who is new to homeschooling, I cherish any opportunity to learn at the feet of seasoned homeschooling moms. Things We Wish We'd Known is an absolute treasure trove of wisdom from 50 veteran, homeschooling parents, such as Jessica Hulcy and Karen Andreola. One of my favorite pieces of advice was from a homeschooling mother, Katherine Von Duyke, who suggested that homeschooling mothers should study ahead of their children. If one hadn't learned phonics as a child, rather than putting all of your faith in the "perfect" phonics program, study the rules of phonics yourself. Studying ahead of your children makes it much easier for mothers to tutor their children. This is just one example of the many pearls of wisdom contained in Things We Wish We'd Known. I am thankful that 50 homeschooling families have shared their most important lessons learned regarding homeschooling, in this excellent book.

Homeschool Tracker Software

If you are looking for record-keeping and schedule making software for your homeschool, Homeschool Tracker Basic can be downloaded for free. This is especially helpful if you homeschool in a state that requires you to keep attendance records. Blessings!