Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Yesterday was my father's fiftieth birthday. Praise God for His sovereign grace and faithfulness. :) We spent the day enjoying food, family, and fellowship... Yay!

Gasp, Shock, and Horror

Um... I haven't had a blog post in over a week. :( Sorry, y'all pre-camp, camp, and post-camp had me all tied up. :P (And this year, I really will share pictures. Soon!) In any case, not to worry, Simple Musings will soon be post happy again!

"It's Good"

Isn't it gratifying when a new recipe comes together? Mmm. Delicious.

Quote of the Day

"A religion which is in constant process of revision to square with science's ever-changing picture of the world might well be easier to believe, but it is hard to believe it would be worth believing." C.E.M. Joad as quoted in Understanding the Times p.18

"Looke Looke, Senator"

Ah. I <3 superheros. Bring on 2012.

A Week in Worldview Training

Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command. 1 Chronicles 12:32


Several CHEWV conferences ago, my dad bought Summit ministries worldview curriculum: Understanding the Times. This, combined with a general love for conferences, created our family conference.

"What", you ask, "is a family conference?" Don't worry. You're not the first to ask me that question. My father (and the rest of us) took a week off from the office... and pursued a course of study. Mornings started with devotions and breakfast. Study to begin at 8:30am. We read chapters in the textbook, essays in the student manual, watched lectures, and generally discussed worldview issues all week long. Theology, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Law, Ethics, Biology, Politics, History, and Economics were the subjects whirling and colliding in our minds.


We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ... 2 Corinthians 10:5




With 4 hours a day devoted to study, we made it through three units: Introduction, Theology, and Philosophy. I LOVED it. It strengthened my faith and aided me in analyzing the "Big 6" worldviews (which, of course, included my own): Christianity, Islam, Secular Humanism, Marxism-Leninism, Cosmic Humanism, and Postmodernism.




And there MUST be a silly photo! :)


See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. Colossians 2:8





I did not agree with everything Summit Ministries proposed, but I would definitely recommend their curriculum to anyone desiring a holistic worldview program.

Oh and PS... Y'all will probably being reading more quotes and ideas from Understanding the Times on my blog in the future...

"Sign the Roster"

"Ooo! Ooo! Pick me!"

Have you ever had volunteers? Plants that spring up without your labor?

We have.

Out in front, amongst our hostas, a watermelon vine has sprung up... A random seed? Spit from last year's melons?

God's goodness is evident even in creation! We'll soon be enjoying yummy fruit!

Beach Trip: Part 5 of 5 -- "Dance, Dance, Yeah!"

Despite traffic, hunger, and various other obstacles... we made it. A homeschool graduation party with contra dancing, what could be better?! It was a perfect end to our trip.

Not only did the girls and I travel up from HH, but Mr. Kincell, Mrs. Kincell, Patrick, Daniel, and Josh came down...


It was nice to see old friends...

And make new ones.

These homeschool students from the south caught on quickly. I was really impressed!

Their eager, excited faces could be seen all around. :)

I hope we get the opportunity to see our new friends again.

Isn't it encouraging to see more young men and young women who love homeschooling?


Praise God for a great week!

Beach Trip: Part 4 of 5 -- "Whadaya talkin' about?"

Perhaps the best thing about being with my girlfriends is the encouraging conversations...




But all good things must end... And we packed the car.

Some of we really tired... and some played with the laptop

Some of us were ready to drive...

And some of us were just plain silly. :)

But there was one more stop to make...

Beachy Trip: Part 3 of 5 -- "I'm Starving!"

I LOVE Lucky Charms. Whew. Okay, I admitted it. Isn't that the first step... or is it the last... Acceptance? Anyway, when you're going to the beach, you need food. Lucky Charms was pretty high on my list. But, you can't eat it for dinner.


My chums and I (being responsible girls :) packed lots of food...

Yummy!

Of course, clearly labeled... In case we forgot: "Beach Food"

But, what would this trip be without a trip to Piggly Wiggly?!

Arnold Palmer tea? Oh yeah. I'm a golfer's granddaughter. And it shows. None of the other girls even knew who A.P. is... GASP! :P


By the end of the trip, we were definitely "Big on the Pig."


Mmm. Gelati.
I had never tried this frozen desert before. Delicious.

So delicious, that we had to visit Rita's twice. Therefore, the statement below is accurate. :P


More Coming...

Beachy Trip: Part 2 of 5 -- "What have we done?"

Once we arrived, there was so much to do! Mainly, kill ourselves having fun. :)

Exercising, biking, walking on the beach, seeing the sunrise, listening to music, reading good books, having great discussions, and sharing good films are some the activities we tried to cram into one week.

One day while getting our bikes, we discovered a friend...

Does anybody remember this little guys name?
"My name is.... Frank?"
Taking pictures while biking is not as easy as it looks. Just in case you were interested.




Oh yeah... and the beach. We became surfer girls really fast. No? Well, I tried... :P




Catching us all in the air turned out to be quite an accomplishment.

What would the beach be without a sandcastle?

Or feet pictures?



The sunrises were beautiful, though often cloudy...


Kiri and I only missed the sunrise one morning. Huzzah!

More coming...