Waaaaay back on Memorial Day, our dear friends the Plumleys came for a few days and graciously taught helped us to plant our over 2,000 square foot garden. Many hands made light work, and before we knew it, we had completed our task (hopefully, gardening parties will become a tradition...) ! Our free time was filled with watching BBC's 1970's version of Sense and Sensibility, fellowshipping, and a marvelous hike.
Thank you dear friends, our lovely garden is growing well, producing squash, zucchini, and much leafy vegatables. We're rather fond of it.
[It] will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.
~ John Adams on celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence to his wife Abigail ~
Nearly half a year gone by, I wonder what the rest will hold...
For the Carey Family, January –Mid April have been filled to the brim.
You see…
Father has a consulting business – Heritage Communications. Its purpose is to assist churches, homeschoolers, and others who wish to protect and defend their God-given liberties, rights and freedoms. Currently, Heritage is assisting one state, but our desire is to equip others to defend themselves across the country.
This state’s Legislative Season (the time of year in which the legislative bodies gather to pass legislation) is a 60 period, this year from – to - , but the six weeks previous are dedicated to organization and preparation. Once the Legislative Season starts, the preparation time seems easy…
In the beginning, Father goes weekly to the capitol (a couple hour drive away), and comes home to write synopsis of events, explain bills of importance, and generally inform and educate clients about the legislature. We (primarily Mother and Mia) edit his articles and newsletters (I assist with content). Dad and I set up the webpage (I’m in charge of maintenance, finding bills of note, and whatever else Dad needs me to do). We prepare Heritage (and ourselves) for the weeks ahead…
It is interesting to note that though 2000 bills may be introduced over the session, only ten percent of those become laws. Perhaps this gives an indication of the magnitude of what is accomplished in the official 60-day session.
As the Legislative Season continues, Father stays at the CapitolCity for longer and longer periods, communicating ideas with legislators, defending Biblical freedoms, writing articles and working with legislation. We stay on-call at home, ready and waiting of whatever he needs us to do (while we have gone to the Capitol with him, our staying at the “base of operations” is usually of more assistance). While it can be "long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror," the “periods of boredom grow increasingly shorter as the legislative season progresses.
We pray to be faithful to accomplish the Lord’s purposes. We do not believe that “salvation for a nation comes through legislation,” but rather that by defending Biblical principles down at the capitol, we are making Christ Lord of every area of our lives and declaring his dominion over all things, including the affairs of men.
The last two weeks of the session are the busiest; as no more bills may be introduced and those that have been tend to progress rapidly. Vigilance is key, and we strive to make certain that all literature is perfect; no bills are overlooked, and whatever Father needs is supplied swiftly and simply.
And then - at midnight of the 60th day - it is all over. Though there will be committee and interim meetings once a month, no more bills may be introduced or run until the next legislative season…
"I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth."
~Isaiah 62:6-7
We are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of Nature has placed in our power…The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.
~ Patrick Henry
Speech in Virginia Convention,
St. John’s Episcopal Church
Richmond, VA [March 23, 1775]
(from his “Give me liberty or give me death!” speech)
One late June day in 2006, Mia and I accepted an invitation to a week-long conference hosted by a church and held on a college campus. Ready for adventure (though admittedly a bit nervous), we accepted. A few weeks later we drove up, pulled in, and headed for the Registration table. After signing in, we carried our things up to the college dorm room which would be ours for the duration of the conference. After settling in (by the loving help of our family – thank you so much, Father for those fans!!!), we bid our kin adieu, and went out to see what we could see.
We knew next to no one attending, and though not the shy and timid sort, we were a bit uneasy. I think we went to a session before dinner, thoroughly enjoyed it, and found ourselves spiritually challenged, personally encouraged, and frightfully hungry. After walking to the cafeteria, we served ourselves, and choose a seat. A few minutes later, a very gracious lady seated herself across from us and began to converse. Her care and attention helped to set us at our ease. After the meal, (lunch, I think?) we left the cafeteria feeling much more confident.
And then it happened.
I can’t recall if we met the Mortons first, but with increasing rapidity, we met over a dozen young ladies. Most had attended the conference since its founding, but a few (like us) were new attendees. We palled around all week, gathering new friends, exchanging physical ( as well as e-mail) addresses. When we weren’t chatting, we were singing.
Oh, the singing! While some of our songs were simply enjoyable rounds, most of the songs we sang were from the Hymnbook or Psalter. There are few things as delightful, uplifting, and memorable as raising our voices together to the King of Kings.
That is how the Giggle of Girls began. By God’s grace, we have seen most of these young women at our conference. Every year, Mia and I anticipate their fellowship at the conference. We pray throughout the year for our fellow “Gigglers” and (as time permits) exchange e-mails. More have been added to our numbers. Some have not been able to return, but we cherish their memory and delight in the ones who’ve stayed. Others have attended our Southern Balls (and we theirs).One pair of sisters are now members of our church! As the Lord brings changes, blessings, and challenges in our lives, we anticipate with joy our fellowship and friendship both now and hereafter.
How good it is to know other like-minded young ladies!
The Morton’s old blog has some marvelous pictures of past conferences, and the Giggle of Girls. I am (again) unabashedly posting pictures from their blog.
1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised, and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and as one from whom men hide their face he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, yet he humbled himself and opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before her shearers is dumb; yea, he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who among them considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living? for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And they made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his month.
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many: and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors: yet he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Isaiah 53 (ERV)
IF there is therefore any comfort in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassions, fulfill ye my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; doing nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself; not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others. Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Three-year-old Noah Estes has a form of Mito, which means that every cell in his body is mutated. It takes about $1,000 a day to keep this little one alive.
I've been following the Estes family blog for about a year now and Noah has been steadily getting worse (in fact, the Make a Wish Foundation sent the Estes family on a rush trip a few weeks ago). In the words of his mother,"Noah seems to have entered another one of his little downhill spirals. He will stay pretty stable for a while then gradually get subtly sicker . . . then maintain . . . then get sicker. This time we've been noticing that he is eating and drinking FAR less for the last few weeks. He was asking for things, but not eating/drinking them - then asking for things but just holding them and crying - and now he doesn't often ask and will generally cry if we offer. The exception is that sometimes he seems frantic in his desire for a drink. Even so, he won't drink much. He even refused coffee the other day. The only thing protecting his liver from the devestating effects of TPN are the calories he gets through his gut, so this is very hard to see. He is also fussier and tiring more easily. Sometimes he sort of comes back up from these downward spirals and other times they level out and become his new baseline."
Currently, Noah is in the hospital with high fevers and is sick every few minutes. The Dr.s and nurses are not certain what his problem is. Plus, he is not responding well to his medications.
Please pray for this homeschooling family of eight children (all of whom are under the weather at this time- none of Noah's siblings have Mito), read their blog, and let them know you are praying for them.
