Friday, December 15, 2023

Recipe for Cinnamon Stars / Zimtsterne

These German Christmas cookies are a very popular treat at our house. They come together quickly, and are grain free if that is something that is important to you. 



You can find a printable version of the recipe here and a video here

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Having babies and toddlers in the church service

Today, I wanted to share some advice and realistic expectations regarding having kids in the church service, based on my experience of 21 years as a mother to 12 kids, and 17 years as the pastor's wife at our family-integrated church. 

Once babies outgrow sleeping through the service, and become more active and vocal, it is not realistic to expect them to sit through a church service. Unless they are the rare exception, or have developmental delays, kids that age are hard-wired to explore, move their large muscles, and never sit still. This is perfectly normal, and should not be "disciplined" out of them. Wanting to run and throw things when a toddler has been told to sit still is no more disobedience, than if they were told to not breathe and yet continued to do so. This is even more true for little boys.

Instead, at our family-integrated church, we encourage parents with kids ages 1-3 years to expect to watch/listen to the sermons from the mother-baby rooms (we have two for babies, two for toddlers), or the open areas at the back of the auditorium. It is neither reasonable nor advisable to expect little kids to sit in the service like tin soldiers for 75+ minutes, three times a week. Once they have left the service, they should probably stay out, to reduce the constant and distracting in-and-out traffic during the service. (This does not apply to bathroom/diaper breaks, but rather parents who take their toddler in and out a dozen or more times every service.) If they are screaming their lungs out in the mother-baby rooms, they should be taken all the way outside the immediate vicinity of the auditorium until they settle down. I have had to finish a few sermons listening on my phone in the van while the toddler used the seats as a jungle gym. It's okay!

And yes, while it is possible to train a human child to do just about anything by punishing them if they don't meet our expectations, there is a cost to this, and I for one do not think it is worth punishing a toddler to sit through a service against their natural, healthy bent. One family I knew prided themselves on their kids never leaving the service, and true, their babies sat for every service without moving a muscle. However, these same kids showed majorly troubled social and emotional development. They sat still because it was a survival and coping mechanism. Since it took such great effort for them to exhibit non-age appropriate behavior, every other area had to suffer, much to their detriment.

Every child is different. It is not wise to look at another child, and base your expectations of your child on what some other child is able to do. Discipline is best applied consistently at home, and should be the exception while in public, when parents are likely to be stressed and frazzled.

In my personal experience, we have only had one of our twelve kids happily (and of their own volition) sit through every service, without ever needing a mother-baby room. Every other child has spent the some or most of the service outside the main auditorium from approx. age 8 to 36 months. Basically, we all start out in the main service. The little people usually do well through the singing and announcements, and are ready to go play by the time the sermon starts. But that's ok.

Kids should not be made to dread church, and associate their earliest memories of church with punishment and misery. They can still hear the sermon from the mother baby rooms, and there is plenty of science to support that young kids absorb information best while being allowed to move and wiggle anyway. The goal is for them to grow up and continue in church as adults, for a lifetime. Plenty of good Christians didn't even start going to church until they were adults, and yet, they are able to sit through a service. All is not lost if a 2-year old would rather play than sit through a service. As kids age, they can be expected to do more, but no toddler should be expected to sit through every service, every time.

Hopefully, with everyone's consideration, family-integrated churches can maintain a pleasant atmosphere for all, from the toddlers who need to move, to the parents who can relax, to those with no (or grown) kids who won't be annoyed by the constant commotion.

Sunday, August 21, 2022

Postpartum weight loss

Sigh... I'm back at it - losing the baby weight. I think in the course of 12 full-term pregnancies, I have gained about 500 lbs and lost about 450 lbs of it. This is no small feat. I am sure there are moms out there who effortlessly lose the baby weight through breastfeeding or genetics without having to make an effort, but I think for most of us, this is not the case. As for breastfeeding, many of us moms GAIN weight while nursing. Ugh. 

Obviously, a nursing infant's needs must come first, but for mom's physical and mental well-being, taking care of herself should also rank high on the list of priorities. 

In the two videos below, I talk about what I have found works for me as far as losing weight postpartum between pregnancies, while breastfeeding. 





The video descriptions on YouTube have links to some of the products I mention. 

Please share YOUR tips of what has helped you lose the baby weight in the comments below. 

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Paypal link

I have added a Paypal "donate" button in the side bar on the right. I am choosing this approach as an  alternative to using a subscription such as Patreon to continue sharing content, because I want any resources I share online to remain free. At the same time, I would greatly appreciate any support that would allow me to not just produce more content, but also provide the funds to do fun things with my family. 

If you have benefitted from the content I have shared here and elsewhere throughout the years, please consider supporting my time and efforts. My current goal is for all of us to be able to go on a long-planned trip to see my family in Germany. We had purchased plane tickets to go in 2020 before Covid hit. Those tickets were canceled and refunded. I set the funds aside and rebooked the flights in 2021, after travel restrictions into Germany were lifted in late May. Unfortunately, they were reinstated in August, shortly before we were scheduled to travel. Again, I eventually received full refunds for all the tickets. However, those funds are no longer enough to cover all the travel costs, as prices for plane tickets etc. have gone up considerably due to inflation, plus we had some unexpected expenses that ate up some of these travel funds. So this year, even though no Covid restrictions remain, we were unable to travel due to cost. I am working extra hard and long, in hopes of being able to fly to Germany next May or June, along with all nine of the kids from Miriam (15) down, and possibly one or two of the older boys (who would be paying their own way). 

All that to say, if you ever want to support my time and efforts on this blog financially, please do so through this link. Thank you so much! 

Saturday, June 4, 2022

Birth Announcement

 We are thrilled to announce the safe arrival of 


Oliver Philip Anderson


born on Tuesday, May 31st, at 6:58 p.m. weighing 7 lbs 7 oz. and measuring 20.75 inches. 



Due to my advanced maternal age, I chose a hospital delivery this time around, even though the pregnancy was uneventful and free of any complications. 

Little Ollie (or Olliephant, as Eva calls him) is turning out to be a super easy and mellow baby. He is nursing and sleeping very well, and has been smiling from birth. To say we are beyond thrilled is an understatement. 


Ollie smiling as my midwife holds him


My phone is already full of hundreds of pictures of excited siblings taking turns holding him. I will refrain from oversharing them here, but this is a little glimpse into my current everyday reality. 









My oldest and my youngest ♥ ♥

We are so thankful to God for a healthy pregnancy, safe delivery, and perfect little son. Babies truly are God's greatest gift this side of eternity. 

Sunday, April 3, 2022

Pregnancy Hypertension and Preeclampsia

Disclaimer: Please remember, I am not a medical doctor, or any sort of medical professional. This blog post is intended to provide food for thought, not to diagnose or treat anyone. The opinions expressed below are mine, gleaned from 11 natural pregnancies and deliveries (including 9 midwife-assisted home births), as well as my current 12th pregnancy at age 43.

I have had five babies in my 20s, five babies in my 30s, and am currently on my second pregnancy in my 40s. While I was a lot younger and more energetic two decades ago when my oldest were babies, the benefits now are that I a) have older helpers and better resources, and b) have learned a lot about pregnancy and childbirth throughout the years. 

One of the things I have thankfully never struggled with is high blood pressure, during pregnancy or otherwise. However, due to a congenital defect with my right ureter, I have a tendency to develop kidney pain and kidney infections if I am not very diligent in preventing them, especially during pregnancy when baby cramps my organs. Thankfully, I have always successfully treated these issues with alternative remedies, without them getting to the point where they negatively impacted my blood pressure. This post is to sum up what I have learned, and what I believe has helped me keep my blood pressure in the low normal range all these years, even as my "advanced maternal age" puts me at increased risk of developing gestational hypertension (and in spite of having teenagers - ha!). 

According to the CDC, in the United States, high blood pressure happens in 1 in every 12 to 17 pregnancies among women ages 20 to 44, and high blood pressure in pregnancy has become more common.

Officially, there is no known cause of preeclampsia, and no known cure except delivery of the baby in extreme cases, no matter how premature the infant might be. The main symptoms are high blood pressure, protein in the urine, persistent headache (may or may not be accompanied by changes in vision such as seeing spots), and swelling of the hands and feet. Please note: some swelling can be normal, or a sign of less dangerous conditions such as dehydration. Swelling in the face is often a sign of an extreme case of preeclampsia, a medical emergency. 

No doubt about it, preeclampsia (pre-e) is a very dangerous condition that cannot be left unaddressed. Where I diverge from the mainstream medical opinion is that there is no known cause, or cure. Nothing happens for no reason. And if we find out the reason, we can then counteract it.

It is widely accepted in the medical community that kidney disease can cause high blood pressure. I am convinced that high blood pressure in pregnancy likewise comes down to diet and the kidneys, and how well they are able to function. The kidneys are tasked with filtering waste products from the blood stream and retaining nutrients. When they are unable to do so (or do so fully) due to being overtaxed, blood pressure goes up. 

In particular, I believe the three main culprits that negatively affect blood pressure during pregnancy to be: 1. dehydration, 2. not consuming enough protein, and 3. undiagnosed urinary tract/kidney problems


1. Dehydration


This is pretty common in pregnancy, especially in warmer climates, or during the summer. Hence the common swelling of legs and feet, without it being a medical concern. Dehydration itself is unlikely to cause pre-e, but it can be a contributing factor if your diet is off, or if you are already having UT/kidney issues. 

Having lived in Arizona for 16+ years, where we typically have 6 months or more of temps above 100 degrees F, I can assure you that a) water is not enough to hydrate the human body and b) salt is NOT the enemy, and is actually vitally important in maintaining electrolyte balance and hydration. 

Mainstream medical advice for moms with swelling or pre-e is to cut back on salt. If we were talking about the sodium found in pre-packaged and junk foods, or snow-white (i.e. nutritionally empty) table salt, this might be true. However, a quality high-mineral salt is essential for maintaining electrolyte balance and hydration. 

To combat dehydration, you should:

- Stay away from any caffeinated beverages, since they have a dehydrating effect by increasing urine output. Every one cup of caffeinated beverage must be offset by at least two cups that aren't. Caffeine also raises blood pressure. 

- Drink plenty of herbal teas that are hydrating AND safe during pregnancy. If you don't care for the flavor of these, they can be greatly diluted and still remain effective. My favorites are rooibos, pregnancy tea, and special tea blends for UTI health (more on this later). You can also try drinking coconut water (blergh), or eating high-water, alkalizing foods such as melons and cucumbers. 



- When drinking water, always add something to make it more hydrating, such as: sliced cucumber, fresh mint, berries, lemon slices, ginger, a splash or apple cider vinegar or juice, or whatever else sounds good. I literally go nine months without ever drinking just plain water.

- Salt food to taste with a high-mineral salt. If the salt is white, it's worthless (even if its labeled "sea salt" or something like it). My personal favorite for many years has been Redmond's Real Salt. "To taste" looks different based on individual factors. Here in Arizona, we salt our food to crazy levels. When we first moved here, it blew my mind how much salt the locals were using, but we have since acclimated. Many out-of-state visitors become heat sick when visiting here and going out during the heat of the day, if they don't start using considerably more salt than they are used to. Do reduce sodium from ready foods such as frozen meals and fast food. 


- There are commercial electrolyte solutions on the market. Many of these contain zero-calorie sweeteners that I personally avoid, but organic Gatorade (both powdered and ready-bottled) can be very helpful. 

- Take an epsom salt bath after a particularly hot day, or if you weren't able to stay as hydrated as you would have liked to be. 

- If your ankles do swell, rest lying on your left side while increasing fluids / electrolytes. If all else fails, this trick is sure to get your ankles back: Add a shredded zucchini to a medium-sized saucepan, add water to cover, and steam on low-medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain out the zucchini, and drink the zucchini water. Not very tasty (THAT'S an understatement!), but super effective at reversing any swelling of your ankles or hands. 

- If the dehydration is due to an acute medical event such as food poisoning, which prevents you from taking in fluids by mouth, you may need to have IV hydration therapy. Thankfully, there are now many services available where a medic will come to your home and do this, no need to go the hospital. I recently had to do this after getting norovirus while already dealing with first trimester morning sickness. Fun times!



2. Not consuming enough protein


I would consider this one of the two biggest culprits behind pregnancy hypertension and pre-e. Ironically, one of the warning signs of pre-e is having protein in the urine, which might lead one to believe that the expectant mom is getting an excess of protein, but quite the opposite is actually true. It means that the pregnant mom's body is cannibalizing her own protein stores (muscle tissue) to provide the baby with protein, which is then excreted in the urine because the kidneys are overtaxed.

Research in recent times is confirming what the Brewer Pregnancy Diet, developed several decades ago by Dr. Tom Brewer, has been saying all along: a diet high in protein (at least 80-100g of protein per day for a singleton baby) greatly reduces the chances of developing pre-e, by providing the expectant mother with this vital nutrient, and preventing the cannibalization of her muscle tissue and overexertion of the kidneys. 

Please note: high protein does NOT equal low-carb. The Brewer Diet also focuses on healthy carbs and other nutrients in the correct balance. Since this approach to pregnancy nutrition has an excellent track record spanning many decades, I will not go into detail here, but all the information is available on their website and countless other online sources. 

If you have never actually added up how many grams of protein you are consuming in a day, chances are, you are not getting the recommended 80-100 grams daily. By contrast, the mainstream recommendation for "sedentary" adult women who are not expecting is just 46g of protein per day! Of course, such protein deficiency is often made up for with excess carbs, which increases the other major culprit behind pre-e (discussed in point 3 below). 

In a nutshell, according to the Brewer Diet, a pregnant mom should be consuming the following each day:

4 servings of milk or milk products

2 eggs any style

6-8 servings (about 1 oz each) protein sources

2 servings fresh, dark green vegetables

5 servings of grains

2 servings of vitamin C foods

3 servings of healthy fats

1 serving of vitamin A foods

at least weekly: liver

salt to taste

unlimited water


Their website gives ideas for foods in each of these categories. Please note also how the Brewer Diet is very much in support of salt being vitally important, and advises against restricting salt intake. 

If lack of protein is the culprit, then a high-protein diet of even just a few days if often able to reverse symptoms of pre-e. Sadly, when moms are hospitalized for monitoring due to high blood pressure, they are often fed hospital food that exacerbates their symptoms, due to the lack of high-quality proteins (what hospital serves steak?!), a focus on cheap carbs (such as the ubiquitous cup of jell-o), and likely a restriction on salt intake. If you do have to go to the hospital, always have your own food brought in. 

Important caveat: If you have run the numbers, and are confident that you are already getting the recommended 80-100 grams or more of protein each day, please do not increase your protein consumption, and instead read on below. In the case of point 3 being the culprit, increasing protein could actually further diminish kidney function. 


3. Undiagnosed urinary tract / kidney problems

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are very common during pregnancy. If left untreated, the bad bacteria can work its way all the way up to the kidneys, and lead to reduced kidney function, or kidney infection. While any OB or midwife will regularly check the urine for such bacteria, they might not address the issue unless the patient complains of symptoms, since some amount of bacteria is fairly normal, and the standard treatment approach (antibiotics) should be avoided whenever possible, especially during pregnancy. Many moms might ascribe the symptoms of a UTI to pregnancy discomforts such as ligament pain or a tender cervix, or might in fact not experience any symptoms at all in spite of having quite a high bacterial load. In any case, regular preventative maintenance in this area is always a great idea for women, but even more so during pregnancy, when the kidneys need and deserve extra attention.

Compromised kidney function is very likely a major contributing factor to developing pre-e. Increasingly, even mainstream medicine is acknowledging the possible connection between UTIs and pre-e. The kidneys are filters that clean the blood. When they are unable to do so, or do so sufficiently, blood pressure goes up. 



If you have run the numbers and are confident that you are getting at least 80-100 g of protein per day (with a singleton), and yet your blood pressure is high, or you have excessive swelling, or there is protein in your urine, ask your doctor or midwife about checking your urine for bacteria indicating a UTI. Even if the levels are low, start by addressing the urinary system. 

Start with the least invasive / aggressive measures, and work your way up if your symptoms are not improving, or worsening. Chances are, if your UTI were severe or you had an actual kidney infection, you would be well aware of it, and your doctor or midwife would have noticed. Thus, if your only symptom is high blood pressure and the presence of some bacteria, then the milder treatment approach will prove effective enough. 


As a preventative maintenance:

- Stay well hydrated (see point 1 above).

- Avoid sugary drinks, which feed bad bacteria, especially in combination with caffeine. 

- Wear only cotton or other natural fiber underwear, and avoid synthetic fabrics such as nylons, spandex leggings, etc. that create a moist, warm environment in which bacteria thrive. Avoid any clothing that is tight/restrictive in the area between the rib cage and the pelvis (i.e. waist, lower back). 

- Always empty your bladder before and after intercourse. The reason behind this is that many men carry bacteria without experiencing a UTI, because their urethra is longer than that of women, and the bacteria may never make it to the bladder. However, this bacteria does come out along with semen during intercourse, and can then make its way into the woman's urethra, from where it is only a short distance to the bladder. Hence the tongue-in-cheek term of "honeymoon disease" for cystitis/UTI. Moms, please be sure to teach your daughters about this prior to marriage. It is amazing how many young brides go into marriage clueless in this area, and suffer needlessly. 

- Always wipe front to back, and teach this to your daughters when they are potty training. 

- Consider making herbal teas formulated specifically for urinary tract health part of your daily beverage intake if you tend to get dehydrated, or easily develop UTIs or kidney problems. One common culprit during pregnancy is that the growing baby puts pressure on the ureters (the "tubes" taking urine from the kidneys to the bladder). Urine backs up into the kidneys, where the swelling causes pain that often persists (like a bruise) even after the kidneys have had a chance to drain. There are also congenital factors that can make these tubes less efficient at carrying urine from the kidneys to the bladder. 

- Sleep in a side-lying position at night, alternating sides each time you wake up, to make sure both kidneys get a chance to drain well even if a baby is cramping the urinary system. Take 10-15 minutes per side in the daytime to lie down, put your legs up, and relieve the pressure on your kidneys. 

As treatment for UTI, do all of the above, plus:

- Instead of taking antibiotics, consider using natural remedies, such as D-mannose (the active ingredient in cranberries) and/or drinking water with 1/2 to 1 tsp of baking soda added, several times throughout the day. Both of these change the pH of the urine, making a hostile environment for the bacteria, which is then flushed out of the system (hence the importance of staying hydrated). D-mannose powder is flavorless if not a tad bit sweet. It dissolves easily in cold water, and is therefore a perfect remedy even for young children that may be unable to swallow capsules, or balk at taking medicines with off-putting flavors. My trick for taking baking soda without having to drink baking soda water is to fill empty size 00 gelatin capsules with baking soda, and take them with water like any other capsule. They will dissolve in the stomach within minutes, and be just as effective without having to drink nasty baking soda water. 

- Take a bath with baking soda added to the water (plus Epsom salt for hydration if you like). The baking soda will give instant relief. Depending on the size of the tub, add about 1/2 to 1 cup baking soda to a full bath.  

- Cut out sugar and refined carbs as much as possible, and add foods rich in vitamin C. You can also add a good vitamin C supplement. 

- Always check with your doctor or midwife before starting supplements if you are expecting, to make sure they are safe during pregnancy. One supplement I always keep in stock is Solaray brand Kidney Blend. It is extremely effective and fast-acting both for UTIs as well as kidney infections. 

- Drink large quantities of teas specifically formulated for kidney/urinary health. These will typically contain uva ursi, cornsilk, marshmallow root, and other herbs known for being helpful in this area. One very inexpensive, highly effective remedy is to steep cornsilk (the "hair" on a cob of corn) and steep it in hot water just like tea, and then drink it. 

- Add a high-quality probiotic supplement. Probiotics are living cultures. Consequently, most probiotics sold at room temperature are dead and ineffective. Some brands use more reliable freeze-dry methods, but still don't come close in effectiveness to fresh, refrigerated probiotics. Thus, this is not an item you want to purchase on Amazon, or a big box store, but rather at your local health food store, which will typically have a small refrigerator in the supplements section where they keep such probiotics. My favorite brand is Bio-K plus drinkable probiotics. A half bottle per day is plenty for most acute urinary issues. If taking antibiotics, a full bottle per day (split into two portions off-set from the antibiotics) is an appropriate dosage to prevent many of the negative side effects associated with antibiotics. 

- Continue the above treatments for several days after symptoms subside, to make sure all bad bacteria has been sufficiently eliminated, to prevent a relapse. 

As treatment for severe UTI or kidney infection, do all of the above, plus:

- Cut out all foods except proteins (meat, eggs) and non-starchy vegetables. 

- Every two hours, drink one quart of uva ursi tea, alternating with one quart of filtered water every two hours (so one quart of either tea or water every hour). To steep the uva ursi tea, drop 4 teabags into a quart of freshly boiled water. Cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and drink as hot as you are able to. 

- You will likely see great improvement of your symptoms (kidney pain, lower back pain, pain while urinating, limited urine output, cloudy urine, etc) within 24 hours. Continue treatment for at least three days to make sure the bacteria has been sufficiently eradicated, before scaling back to the less aggressive methods in the previous point. Continue some form of treatment for several days after symptoms subside to prevent a recurrence. 

- As bad bacteria die off, they release toxins that cause headaches. Expect these to start within 24 hours of this aggressive treatment, and persist for the first 72 hours. With your midwife's or doctor's approval, Tylenol is considered safe during pregnancy and can help if the headaches are severe. 

Side note: Once-daily, low-dose aspirin has proven very effective at preventing pre-e, because it thins the blood and keeps things moving along (again, helping the kidneys do their job more effectively). Overall, the long track record of aspirin makes this a very low-risk drug to take regularly, even during pregnancy. In fact, moms over age 35 are almost universally advised by their doctors to start daily low-dose aspirin as they enter the second trimester, just as an effective prevention of pre-e. This treatment approach might be especially advisable for moms with a history of pre-e. Also, a more current issue is contracting COVID during pregnancy, which increases the risk of blood clots, the chances of which are also reduced by taking aspirin with its blood-thinning properties. Please speak to your doctor or midwife if any of these scenarios (previous case of pre-e, advanced maternal age, COVID during pregnancy) apply to you, and ask if daily low-dose aspirin would be right for you. 

Once kidney function is fully restored, and the kidneys are given the extra care they need during pregnancy, combined with an overall healthy diet (including plenty of protein as well as mineral-rich salt) and proper hydration, you can expect your blood pressure to return to and remain in the normal range. 



Sunday, May 16, 2021

Tutorial: How to make an einkorn sourdough starter

 It's really easy to make your own sourdough starter. This is the method I use for making a starter using einkorn. 


Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Christmas Card Exchange




If you send our family a card, we will send one back in return, along with a CD of Christmas music from our church. 

Please mail your card to:

Faithful Word Baptist Church 
c/o The Anderson Family 
2741 W Southern Ave, Suite 14 
Tempe, AZ 85282 

We can't wait to get your card!

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Video tour of our new home

 I recorded a short video tour of our new home. 




Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Pizza Massage 🍕 - Fun Activity with the Kids!

 This is a super fast, super fun activity that the kids love. I would say it's best suited for ages 2 and up. 





Video walkthrough tour of our old home

We moved into our home in Tempe in December of 2005, when we had just three kids: Solomon (4), Isaac (2), and John (12 months). 


As our family grew, we kept finding ways to make our home work for us, including enclosing the patio to make a school/dining room, and enclosing the carport to make our tiny second bathroom into a large master bath. You can see a video of how we made it work with 13 people in 1,650 sq ft here


We had been weighing the pros and cons of moving for years, but always decided to stay. This summer, with 11 kids ages 19 down to 1, the scale tipped in favor of moving. I will do a longer video on our reasons for moving, and what finally pushed us over the edge. 


Today, for the sake of nostalgia, I am sharing a walkthrough video of our home of so many years. Enjoy! 


Thursday, September 3, 2020

What are you teaching your kids?

Whether you are teaching your kids from home by choice, or due to COVID school closures, please let this thought from I Corinthians 13 (often called ”the love chapter”) guide you in this upcoming school year:


”And though I have [...] all knowledge [...], and have not charity, I am nothing.”






Far more than the academics you are teaching your kids, you are imparting to them what truly matters: lessons in character, morality, and Christianity - by YOUR ACTIONS! Those are the things that really matter in the scope of things, not whether your child could read early, or knew his multiplication facts better than any of his peers. Those are vain pursuits of wanting to have a “trophy child” for your own parental aggrandizement, much to the detriment of your child and the cause of Christ. 

If you are getting angry with your child/student because they are not remembering their letter sounds, or because they would rather see what bugs they can find under overturned rocks than sit lined up neatly like little tin soldiers, or because to them, learning involves sensory experiences even if they are messy, or because they don’t fulfill your expectations of what homeschooling *should* look like, or the kind of scholars it *should* produce - it is then high time to take a step (or ten) back. 

Remember, it is possible to teach/train a child to do virtually anything, including academics. The human mind is incredible in its capacity and adaptability. The question is not WHAT you can teach your child, and WHEN. The question is what is the PRICE you will pay to have them perform xyz your circus act. 

Remember this especially when dealing with sweet, young, playful kindergarteners and elementary students. Don’t squelch the wonder of learning and discovery with boring drills, harsh lessons, impatience, and anger. Time takes time. Your kids will not be the greatest scholars that ever lived, nor will they grow up to be illiterate. They will most likely be average scholars, just like the rest of us with our individual strengths and weaknesses. They will not be able to make right all the things you have ever struggled with in life. Where they CAN shine is not academics, but their love for the Lord and their zeal in wanting to walk with Him, all the days of their lives. That cannot be taught, only “caught.” Academics pale in importance by comparison. 

Unless you are dealing with open defiance or willful sinfulness that does not respond to gentle correction, there is no need to be harsh or militaristic in your approach to teaching, or parenting in general for that matter. I need this admonition myself often, but have seen how sweet and easy life can be when we remember that “charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” 

Teach your kids, by example, to love one another and to love God. Even if you never teach them any academics, they will still be fine.

Thursday, June 11, 2020

Einkorn Made Easy Course Introduction

I am thrilled to announce the launch of the beta version of my Einkorn Made Easy video course



I hope to release one new video each week, for a total of 10 videos. 

Buy the first video here

Even after the videos can no longer be purchased individually, you will still have access to them if you purchase them now. Those who buy all 10 individual videos will also get a coupon for free access to the final course. 

Please provide feedback on how to improve the beta version, to make the final course the best possible. Once all individual videos have been re-edited and finalized, they will be packaged in one complete course, and priced higher. This beta version allows you to get the videos individually, at a significant discount. 

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

How to Master Baking With Einkorn - Are You Interested?

I am considering doing a video tutorial series on the advantages of using einkorn, how to use it, and step-by-step recipes. Before I make such a course, I would like to gauge how much interest there is in such a course.

Are you interested? What's your biggest Einkorn Challenge? Link to sign up for more info if interested in this einkorn baking course: http://eepurl.com/g40a5L

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Silence is not always agreement

Today, I am writing to you from the vantage point of a pastor's wife. If you have been a reader on my blog for any length of time, you know this is very rare for me. I am, first and foremost, a wife and mother - as are many of my readers. My posts reflect this. 

However, I have also been by my husband's side through over 14 years in the pastorate. We both have learned many things, and are hopefully the wiser for it. Yet rarely will I share those lessons, because there is usually some pain involved in the learning curve, that of a church member or my own. Some things are better left unsaid. 

Yet, today I was inspired to share a little bit about my life as a pastor's wife after speaking with a new mom at our church this morning. She had come to thank me for some unsolicited advice I had given her just last week regarding a health issue I observed in her child. She had followed my advice, and her child had dramatically improved in just a few days' time. 

And herein lies what I want to talk about: I do not like to give unsolicited advice, and rarely do it. I am talking about person-to-person advice, not in general terms such as on my blog. That in spite of the fact that like anyone else, I have opinions about many things. Furthermore, I believe my opinions to be right (duh - who knowingly adopts a faulty view??). Many times, I see something that I disagree with or even find alarming, yet I do not say anything. In fact, 9 times out of 10 when I wonder whether I should say something, I don't.



"Unsought advice is seldom heeded, and often resented." - Unknown 


There are many reasons for keeping my opinion to myself. 

- It's none of my business. Duh. Your life is yours to live as you choose. Even as the pastor's wife, I have to be very alarmed before I will give unsolicited advice.

- It can come across as rude. There's no all-around nice way to tell someone that you think they are wrong, or overlooking something important. 

- I could be wrong. It happens, trust me. ;) The last thing I want to do is worry someone that something might be seriously wrong, when I'm actually the one in the wrong. 

- It's risky. For the aforementioned reasons, there is a real chance that the recipient of my unsolicited advice will take offense. I am not one to want to give people one more reason to be offended. 

- It wastes time. As a mother of 11, my time is extremely limited. Taking a chance and spending my time giving someone unsolicited advice, which is likely to not be well received and go unheeded, is simply something I don't have time for.

- I might not have a solution. Identifying a problem, and having a solution, are two very different things. There is no point in pointing out something wrong in someone else's life, if I have no advice on how to fix it. 

I was thankful and encouraged today to know that my recent unsolicited advice had not only fallen on willing ears, but had yielded such great results, so soon. I had given similar advice other times, only to have the recipient take offense, not even consider my words, and then continue watching them (or worse, their child) suffer. 

The longer my husband is a pastor, the less I am willing to say anything, even to a fault. One glaring example that comes to mind are midwives. Sadly, there are many charlatans or clueless ones out there, and they are typically the ones with the sweetest personalities, the most effective referral system, or the lowest fees. More times than I care to remember, there have been midwives that moms  in our church have chosen, that I had serious concern about, but didn't say anything. I did not want to come across as telling other moms what midwife to choose, even as some particularly clueless ones have seriously hurt or endangered some of our moms. Even so, I was recently criticized yet again for having a "blacklist" of midwives that the 60 or more moms of childbearing age in our church can review before hiring anyone.


With that in mind, here's my unsolicited advice, but it's generally speaking: 

- If you want to know my opinion on your personal matter, you will most likely have to ask for it. And rest assured that if I do give you unsolicited personal advice, it was after much consideration and prayer, and never flippantly. 

- You may assume that if you have a pastor and wife who love and care for you, they will come to you if they notice anything concerning. They might, or like us they most often might not. Please do not mistake silence for agreement, or an approval of your choices. This is true in all walks of life.

- If you are facing a challenge, please reach out to those whom you trust for good advice. Don't assume they will come to you and volunteer their wisdom. 

- Before reaching out for advice, take some time to decide whom to seek advice from. One good rule of thumb is that you ask those who have succeeded, not those who have failed, in your particular area of concern. For instance, don't ask marriage advice of divorced people, child rearing advice from those with errant children, or health advice from the ill. 

- Pray that God would reveal His advice through the person you are going to approach, by laying the right words on their heart. I have done this myself countless times: telling God who I was going to ask for wisdom regarding a matter, and asking Him to give His answer through that person, then resting assured that I could follow that advice as if it had come down directly from God. 


And one final piece of advice: Beware the people who always know everything, and freely share it with anyone who will listen. Asking for advice requires humility, while spouting off advice left and right appeals to the prideful (and often clueless). Rule of thumb: the more unsolicited advice someone is willing to share, the more clueless or wrong they tend to be. 

Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out. - Proverbs 20:5