Over to Wordpress

Howdy folks!
In case you haven't heard, I'm switching over to wordpress, so it's now http://unconformed.wordpress.com
But here's the other thing:
I won't be blogging too much (not like I have!) because I'm swamped with school and just...living. Which, I believe, is a very good thing.
I'll still be reading and commenting on blogs, and I'll still be around, but don't count on a heap of posts anytime soon!
God bless!
~Jacqui~

Contest!

A neat contest for a free blog redesign over here at Bluebird Blog. Pretty nice, eh?

*thinks*

This is so mercenary. Sorry folks! I really DO have a real post coming--it's just that I'm having a hard time finding the right quote.

Stop and Think

Watch it. Rate it. Blog it.

The Hard Things

Hi. Sorry, did I startle you? Oops.
Nope, I didn't retire (okay, maybe I did, but it was temporary), Pete. I just got eaten alive and bored to tears by beaurocracy, and drowned in the wave of little hard things needing to be done. Translation: I got a job. It ate me and will spit me out this Friday just in time for school.
I don't want to sound like I'm grumbling about the job, cause I'm not. It was timely and paid the car insurance, I got to work with my Dad, and it has taught me to perservere with the little, and often very hard, things. Like removing the twos from the end of 3,000 computer files' titles. Do you have any idea how many sermons one can listen to while doing that? I listened through all the New Attitude sermons, both main sessions and breakout sessions, all the sermons I'd missed because of teaching Sunday School in the past six months, and a few from Covenant Life Church.
God blessed me by that--I'd never would have been able to do that otherwise.
I also was able to carpool to work with my Dad everyday, giving me an opportunity to spend time with him and pick his brain and enter his "world" at work--something that would never have happened in the normal flow of life around here. He (God) has given me so much grace and encouragement in this seemingly dull job that I've just been amazed. My "Do Hard Things" verses for my summer was/is:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. ... Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed." Heb. 12:1-2 & 12-13 (ESV)

Isn't He good?

As this is turning into a "What I Did With My Summer Vacation" kind of post, and my lunch break is almost over, I'll leave you with a quote from The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer (Yes, Dave, I'm STILL reading it--very slowly. I love it!)

"Everything in the universe is good to the degree it conforms to the nature of God and evil as it fails to do so."

What do you think?
(Kristin, I know this is a wimpy post, but I trust that I'll be able to do something a bit more thought-provoking about Fyodor Dostoevsky and economics later--Lord willing.)

Ramblings On Homemaking

Life moves quickly, and there are priorities that rank higher than this blog (gasp!) so I'm not going to apologize for infrequent posts.
One of the things that's ranked higher has been working here at home, helping Mom and being content (far harder than one would think...I can't wait to get to heaven so this sanctification process can be done!). I've taken up ironing all Dad's work clothes for the week on Sunday nights, and am actually enjoying it! Funny how that happens when you decide to "do hard things."
I've also been working on my knitting more...finished another sweater for a friend. From a skein of yarn and needles...to an almost-finished hoodie.



















Then there's making dinner once a week. I'm running out of recipes that aren't bland that all my siblings (the number of which, by the way, will be nine in January--HOORAY!!) will eat. Got any sure-fire hits?
So, girls, when was the last time you read Prov. 31? What are you doing today to be equipped to (Lord willing!) run a household as a helpmeet or keep house as a single? Mother's helper? Babysitting? Doing all the wash for your mom? How are you serving--or how should you be serving?

Prov. 31:10-31
10^[d] An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. 11The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 12She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. 13She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. 14She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. 15She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. 16She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. 17She dresses herself^[e] with strength and makes her arms strong. 18She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. 19She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. 20She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. 21She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.^[f] 22She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. 24She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. 25Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. 26She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29"Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all." 30Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

Red Friday

Earlier this week, we recieved an email from a friend serving in Iraq. In it, he asked us (and everyone else in his address book) to show our support for the troops by wearing red on Fridays. He and his buddies are hoping to start a trend among patriotic Americans--quietly showing our support by wearing red on Fridays. Today is the first Red Friday, and everyone in our house who has red is wearing it. I can name four to six other large families in our church who are wearing red today as well. Can we make this nationwide? Help spread Red Friday!

A Little Celebration...

I am finished with Chemistry!!!
*jumpsupanddownwildly* (Hallelujah Chorus goes off in the background)
Now, to finish Algebra by the end of May is a different creature...three lessons a day to achieve that--so I can take debate in the fall. Pray for grace!