Just a Thought...

Not even Josh Groban hits all the right notes all of the time...

What We’ve Been up To…

Happy May!

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 Capitol City 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 60^th 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)

Likes # 10 ~ A Giggle of Girls

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.

Resurrection Day!

1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 For 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.

Philippians 2:1-11 (ERV)

He is not here; for he is risen,
even as he said.

Matthew 28:6a (ERV)

Please Pray!

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.

Thank you,

Lynne

Likes # 9 ~ The Mortons, Past and Present

These are the Three Morton Maidens who captured our hearts at a conference several summers ago. Constrained by distance, we kept in touch through e-mail, our yearly conference, and the Morton Household Blog (a marvelous site, full of delightful photography, fun descriptions, and joy in the Christian Life). We would visit at each year at conference and the summers were good.

One tends to anticipate a good thing lasting forever, but all things must change, usually for the betterment of something or someone...


First, Meg began to court, and wasn't certain if she'd be able to come to conferences after marriage because of distance (much better for her, the loss was for us).

Then, when the Mortons couldn't come to the next conference, as Meg had married and was waiting for JuneBug to arrive, we missed our dear sisters, but were overjoyed for them all.

Now, with their moving, Kate now courting (how fantastic!), and the conference several months away, we don't know when we'll next see our dear friends...

But, the Lord has blessed us with visits at unexpected times.In fact, we've seen them more in the past 6 months, than we have since we first met! Such tender mercies.



'Til we meet again!

N.B.

The Mortons now have new blog - Morton Household Blog II.

Meg's family has a blog - Family Happenings.

Kate, when you've your own family, please make a blog!


P.S. All photos are unabashedly copied off of both the Morton Household blogs. For more delightful offerings, please visit their blogs!

Likes # 7 ~ Historical Exploration

Fort Necessity - Washington's First Command

Inside the museum- It was very well done and enjoyable to walk through and learn from.

Outside the Reconstructed Fort

Just behind the mound.

The Good "Guys" and... The Bad Ones
Sadly, the folks on the right won.

Following the walking trail from the fort, we came to an inn along the National Road.

Just the thing for weary travelers.

I believe this is all from the early 1800's.

The last stop on our National Road travels was a toll station.

Here we are standing outside the closed toll station. The other photo is a close up of a reproduction of the original sign. It's to the left, and partially covered by a pillar in the left hand photograph.

The only site we explored post 1865, Arthurdale was Eleanore Roosevelt's pet project. Primarily an unsuccesful government-funded utopian community, the Historical Explorer is made to ponder the purpose, result, and future of Arthurdale...

The Forge, view of an Aurthurdale farm, the ruins of an Arthurdale factory.

Afterwards, it was back to the 1700's. Namely, the Albert Gallatin beloved house, Friendship Hill. Gallatin was a secretary of the treasury and masterminded ways for the fledging United States to stay debt free. We should know more of this man.


The original part of the house is to the left. At the right is Gallatin's son's addition (his father was much less than pleased - he'd set his son to build a Georgian addition, not a peasant's cottage).




One of the rooms in Friendship Hill and a pleasant Gazebo overlooking the Mon (a foursome could squaredance inside).



After enjoying Friendship Hill's lovely museum, we went outside to the pleasant grounds and several miles of walking trails. From left to right, Kate admiring the Gallatin's well (the well, though formerly used by the family, is boarded up, but still lovely. Then we girls sat and pondered the fate of Gallatin's first wife. Following the trail beyond, we came to a lovely trail and hiked some miles through the woods. Such fun.



On our last day, we visited a Kincell Family Favorite - Prickett's Fort. It was soon to become one of our favorites.

Prickett's Fort is a living History Museum. Though quite small, it remined me of Williamsburg's ability to transport one back in history. We Carey Girls can hardly wait to take our family there. How Murray would love to throw a tomahawk!

N.B. Each of these sites deserves multiple postings of its own. Sadly, this is not possible. Hence the hyperlinks on each of the sites. I hope you find them informative and inspire your own Historical Explorations!