Happy Homemaker Monday ~ 07/07/14

For more HHM posts visit Sandra's blog

As I look outside my window:::

It's a bit grey outside.  I can hear the guinea pigs squeaking as it's getting near their breakfast time.

Right now I am:::

Sitting watching the news with G, he's been checking the traffic news because part of the motorway is shut after an accident.  He has a 30 mile trip to work and nearly every day there is some kind of hold up.  Boots is on my knee drumming her tail because I am not being still enough, haha.

Thinking and pondering:::

The super-hero outfits I want to sort out for the family.  Next Sunday is a family focused service at church.

On my bedside table:::

Lots of books & Bibles in a basket.  My earplugs (I like a good night's sleep, haha). My glasses.

On my tv this week:::

We won't watch all these this week, just a list of things to record or watch depending on time.

Yesterday:
The Tour de France as it went through our township.
Mock the Week
Have I Got News for You
Wuthering Heights (recorded)
Monday:
Royal Hampton Court Flower Show (& Weds, Thurs)
Bedlam Behind Bars - Panorama
Tuesday:
A History of Britain - Simon Schama (recording series)
CSI
Wednesday:
Kirstie's Fill Your House for Free
Thursday:
The Big Bang Theory
When we (I) get time:
Re-runs of Criminal Minds
Old Inspector Morse episodes

Listening to:::

Right now:  Person on the news talking about the Tour de France going through Cambridge.  I can hear the tumble drier rumbling in the kitchen.

Music I'm enjoying at the minute:
Classic FM radio
Learning Yahweh by Kari Jobe for Music Group at church
Enjoying also, Oceans by Hillsong, Victor's Crown by Darlene Zschech, Arms of Grace by Beth Croft

On the menu for this week:::

Today: Quiche
Tuesday: Paella at Church Home Group
Wednesday: Tuna pasta bake
Thursday: Salmon
Friday: Sausage, mash and Yorkshire puddings or pizza!

On my to do list:::

Laundry - Chatterbox has just come back from an adventure weekend with church, so there is PLENTY of laundry!
Getting things for super hero outfits for church.
Get well card for Granddad - he's had more surgery on his skin cancer, poor thing.
Collect the last of Squidge's sponsor money for the walk she did with school for the NSPCC.
Get some cleaning done as I am at college later this week.
Make a start on my long overdue household filing, honestly any longer and I'm going to have bats nesting in my filing box!

Happening this week:::

On Tuesday - Meeting up with an old friend visiting from New Zealand; Squidge's Musical Evening at school where she will be playing flute; social evening at our Church Group where we will be having paella and fun.
Weds-Friday - Bible College where the topic is The Interior Christ.
Thursday evening we are going out for a meal with G's mom and dad as it was his 40th birthday recently.

What I am creating:::

Superhero outfits for the family for our Superheroes Sunday at church.  I'm going as CatWoman (of course!), G is going as Batman, Chatterbox is going as Violet from the Incredibles, Squidge is going as a Ninja Warrior.

My simple pleasure:::

Sitting in the sun reading.

Homemaking tips:::

Here is how I keep up with my 'Things to Do' - I have a master list for the month on one side of my binder, which I transfer from my diary and calendar, and daily 'To Dos' on the other side.  It's so helpful to have them next to each other.  I'm very forgetful, so this really helps!

Looking around the house:::

Chatterbox's 'crown' she made which is signed with all the names of the children who went away on the adventure weekend with church.  G's 40th birthday cards.

From the camera:::

Playing around with Picasa - I like it, it looks like a 1980s postcard. :)

Prayer List:::

Granddad and the discomfort he is suffering after his operation to remove skin cancer on his head - praying for comfort and healing.
Mum for her poly rheumatic myalgia.
My husband for his job, to uphold him when he's under pressure from all directions.
Some lovely friends of ours and some things they've asked us to pray for.

Bible verse, Devotional:::

I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. ~ John 10:10 (The Message)

Have a lovely day.  And don't forget to visit Sandra for more Happy Homemaker Mondays.

Yay! I Won Something!

I've won a copy of Ann Voskamp's book  'One Thousand Gifts' in the draw at the lovely Elizabeth's 'Cornish Cream' blog.

Thank you Elizabeth! :)

Sunday beauty

Well, it's 7am here.  I've fed the cat, had my morning coffee, pondered what a hard verse Luke 14:26 is, prayed a little, and now I thought I'd do a little bloggeroo.

It's beautiful outside, the grey skies are clearning a little sun is starting to break out.  The house is quiet.  Squidge was briefly woken up when I switched off the house alarm,  but has obvioulsy gone back to sleep.  Chatterbox is away with the church youth on an adventure weekend.  Praying she's had lots of fun!

Well, that's it for now.  I'll just share a recent picture of Squidge on a local walk, we are so blessed to live near such beauty:

You laid the foundation of the earth, 

And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

~Psalm 102:25

What's goin' down?

I've really been missing blogging. So, I'm hoping to get chance this week to blog a bit more.

So what've I been up to?

Helping mum look after Grandma - mum has been diagnosed with poly rheumatica myalgia, it's an inflammatory disorder.  She's on steroids, but hopefully should be off them in a year or two.  Keep mum in your prayers, she's been through so much health wise with her stroke and migraines and then this.

Keeping up with the Bible College summer programme.  We've done about Job and suffering, and Fear. Next week it's the Interior Christ - which should be interesting.

I gave a message at church a few Sundays ago.  That was great and I loved it - despite huge nerves!  I did about Life in Abundance.  I'll perhaps share my notes on here if anyone is interested :) People were so encouraging.

Our house has gone up for sale, we've only had one viewer though and he was a landlord who wanted an investment property and didn't want to offer anywhere near the asking price.  PLEASE pray!  We need near full asking price to afford to buy the house we want. I long for a house with nice neighbours with a nice garden and enough room for our family.  I don't even mind a house that needs work, we can make it pretty. But it's in God's hands, He knows best.

We've viewed a few houses, one that we loved and could afford has gone already, one that we LOVE but can't really afford needs a miracle LOL.  I covet your prayers.

Here are some pics of our house (if you're like me, nosying around houses is just the best).

Love my garden.  We've never had money for landscaping, so it's all just what we've done.

Boots tried to get in on every photo.  Had to put her outside LOL

Hallway

Living Room

Living Room - it's lovely to overlook the garden, very private. The picture to the right of the window was by Squidge.

More living room - the pictures over the lamp are by my girls, the one to the right of the door was by my nan.

Kitchen - where the magic...erm fire...happens.

Diner end of kitchen - one day I'll have a dining room...without a tumble drier in it!! Haha

Birds eye view of our tiny bathroom - but isn't it pretty?

Our bedroom.

Chatterbox's bedroom

Squidge's bedroom

Well, that's the tour of our house...it's a lovely little house, but it's time to move on.  Here's my wish list:  nice garden, not too overlooked, space to have people over for meals, near church/schools (I don't have the car during the day), nice neighbours, and if we are very blessed a place that I can study and space for the hubster to practice his music, and a utility room!

Hope you're having a soooooper weekend!

Should Children's Books Have Happy Endings?

I read the following article in The Guardian today: Should Children's Books Have Happy Endings?. I think that all books should have happy endings! Otherwise I feel cheated.

The article has the sub-heading 'Should fiction protect children from a messy, troubled world – or prepare them for it?' I think it is neither. A good book [for me] is one that is absorbing. You care about the characters and you care about the outcome (which is why I feel cheated if it isn't a happy one). Books are not there to teach children about the world - unless it is a world atlas! The world will teach children about the world, and parents will hopefully give children the skills to engage with the world and cope with the difficulties the world throws at them. Books present different worldviews and are a good tool to spark conversations about how characters behave, but I don't think books necessarily prepare children for the world, surely that's a parent's job and books can be a tool.

What do you think?

So what's going on?

Just some things that have happened.  Nothing gripping. Just chit-chat.

Boots just ate a blue-bottle fly.  I heard it buzzing in her mouth...and then she crunched it.  YUK!

I've been on a short course at Bible college looking at the Book of Job.  Job is my least favourite book of the Bible, I like the beginning and the end, but the discourses just go on TOO long.  However, I got myself a commentary and attended the course, and the book means so much more to me now.  I'm quite interested in the concept of redemptive suffering now.

I have too many books on the go:

• Let God Be God: Life-Changing Truths from the Book of Job- Ray Stedman [the Job commentary I mentioned above]
• Sacred Rhythms - Ruth Hayley Barton [About creating space in various ways to seek God taking inspiration from monastic traditions.  To be honest I'm not getting much out of it...but hopefully will have the willpower to finish LOL]
• A Reformation Reader - Denis R. Janz [A compilation of various theological texts from the Reformation and pre-reformation period from both sides of the fence. Each text has a brief introduction]

Got a stack that I want to read too.  *Sigh* not enough hours in the day.

Husband broke my garden swing today.  I was sat on it, reading A Reformation Reader, enjoying the sunshine and I thought to myself, "Chuh! Bloomin' husband sat in the living room on a nice day like this!"  So I told him to come and join me on the swing, to which he harumphed but obliged.  After about five minutes of sitting his side of the swing collapsed.  Curses!

And then he "fixed" it...

Such artisan skills

We did some work on the garden today.  I've been busy over the past two weeks planting and tidying, but as usual I've let the whole thing slip so far that it's a bit of an uphill task.  I'll post some photos perhaps but it's getting dark now.

I've also been painting the bathroom and toilet.  The plan is to decorate the house ready to sell..AGAIN. Lol we've been down this road before and been unsuccessful, so please pray.  Pray for wisdom about timing and price and all that jazz.  We've tried to sell many times over 10 years, we've not be entirely happy here but we want the people who buy to love it and enjoy it, so please pray about that, thanks!

Granddad has had some operations recently on his head - some cancerous growths - he's in quite a bit of pain.  I was going to visit, but Dad said that he wasn't feeling up to it, so perhaps next week I'll get over there.  Please pray for his recovery, he's had skin removed from his neck to graft.  At 95 years old it doesn't heal quickly.

Please pray for Mum too, she's been quite poorly, she's diagnosed with polymyalgia rhumatica and was in quite a bit of pain.  She's on steroids and they are helping, but she's very tired and the steroids have side-effects.  She's fed-up with being ill.  I'm basically in charge of Grandma at the moment, which is fine, but I just want Mum to be well.

OK...so is that everything? I think so.

Have a great weekend. :)

Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control, Book Review

3 stars

This book was very interesting but, for me, difficult to read in some places. It's 20 years since I completed my degree in Psychology and I certainly haven't kept up with things and this book does contain some technical neuro-stuff. However, Kathleen Taylor's explanation of the many varieties of influence techniques used in politics, religion and advertising were fascinating and very useful (to me).

Her expression 'cogwebs', as an abbreviation for cognitive web - connections in the brain made through reinforcement of certain beliefs and thought patterns often through external influence, were particularly interesting. The stronger the reinforcement of these beliefs the harder they are to change. Rather like a gully cut into rock by a small stream - even though the force of the water isn't strong the constant flow gradually erodes the rock. It is then very difficult to change the route of the stream. It is the same with beliefs, it is very difficult to change beliefs when current beliefs have been reinforced over and over. Therefore, those who are part of cults or totalitarian regimes of some kind are trapped by their own minds and the influence that the leaders of these groups have over them by the constant reinforcement of certain messages.

Taylor mentions Robert Lifton's Thought Reform Criteria:

** Milieu Control – The control of information and communication.
** Mystical Manipulation – The manipulation of experiences that appear spontaneous but in fact were planned and orchestrated.
** Demand for Purity – The world is viewed as black and white and the members are constantly exhorted to conform to the ideology of the group and strive for perfection.
** Confession – Sins, as defined by the group, are to be confessed either to a personal monitor or publicly to the group.
** Sacred Science – The group's doctrine or ideology is considered to be the ultimate Truth, beyond all questioning or dispute.
** Loading the Language – The group interprets or uses words and phrases in new ways so that often the outside world does not understand.
** Doctrine over person – The member's personal experiences are subordinated to the sacred science and any contrary experiences must be denied or reinterpreted to fit the ideology of the group.
** Dispensing of existence – The group has the prerogative to decide who has the right to exist and who does not.

But how does one resist such influence? Stop and think! She also suggests that cynicism and humour assist resisting influence - which is great, because being English we are endlessly cynical and like to use humour as a defence. Awesome. :)

Great book, if you're interested in this kind of thing.