Congratuations Phillip and Katie Bradrick!

We really, really wanted to go. The wedding was in Louisiana, a mere 3000 miles way. After calculating the cost of 6 people flying, car rentals, and hotels, it was prohibitive. Another way we thought. We'll drive! We mapped out the route, choose stopping points, calculated mileage, but still out of the question. There has got to be another way!.. and there was....well sort of. We did attend A wedding celebration and viewing at the Bryan family home complete with decorations, food and wedding favors. The wedding was viewed via video streaming and was next to the real thing. We were actually quite a rowdy group so it was probably good that we were not at the wedding. I'd say we were akin to a football crowd gathered around a TV on a Saturday afternoon, except that we were all dressed up (after all we were attending a wedding) So here are some of our pictures and the real wedding pictures of Phillip and Katies wedding pictures through the link below. Cheers!

click here!

For the real pictures of the wedding click here.

Words of Wisdom for a New Couple

This weekend we are going to be attending a wedding of a young couple that we have known since the groom he was about 5 years old. We have been family friends with his parents and we have watched each others children grow up and now get married. One of the wonderful ways that his mother has decided to celebrate her son's wedding is that she has asked the attendees to write some words of wisdom to be returned with the RSVP so they can be printed and included in a wedding album for the new couple.
It really takes some thinking when you know your words will be immortalized perhaps for many decades of their lives together. Wisdom on a subject like this has to be dug for, and quite ironically these four points came to me as I was digging in the garden today planting some more flowers (hoping that we would get some summer this year so they can grow!)

Most wisdom comes to us thought trial and error and so it is true with these words of mine. Much of what I have to say has come from my own struggles and dysfunction in these areas. Only in crying out to God have I found any hope of resolution in these areas (and I'm still working on some of them)

I thought I'd include them for your thinking pleasure today.

Dear Chris and Sarah,
What a wonderful day this is, June 21st, 2008. Whatever the future holds for you, this date will go down in history as the moment of the biggest commitment of your life.

Chris, your Mom and Dad have asked for words of wisdom for you and I have summarized four points for your careful consideration.

The first one is commitment. I'm sure you have heard lots about commitment as you have contemplated marriage but the word commitment needs to be more clearly defined as a commitment to communicate. It would be naive to assume that you will never act in the flesh. Life is going to get complicated.
You will tend to go in opposite directions and you will grow apart over time. It is the natural law of the sin nature and of marriage in general to grow apart as life gets busy and time goes by. When offenses occur, and they will, the natural tendency is to withdraw, and resent. The difference to a successful marriage and a subsistence marriage is that one major factor. The commitment to stay married, though thick and thin but more specifically, the commitment to stay in communication and resist resentment and isolationism.This is when the commitment to communicate will produce opportunities for some very “intense
moments of fellowship” but the rewards will be a stronger marriage and a deeper understanding of each other and the oneness that you will eventually achieve in your marriage.

The greatest gift you can give each other and any future children
is a strong marriage, not just a subsistence marriage.

The second thought I had is, be together. Be together as a family now and after you have children, should you be so blessed. Do everything together. Build together a house or a plan garden or a ministry or a family, but do it together. Whatever it is, be one in direction and be and live together. Knowing that the natural, tendency is
to grow apart, this will be a safeguard and an antidote to destructive forces in your lives together.

This, of course, does not mean that either of you cannot never do anything alone, baby showers, or golfing with the guys, etc, but the oneness of direction should be found in your everyday life. Nor does it mean that each of you will not be doing different tasks that make up the overall goal, but the overall focus is on working together, in the same direction for the common purpose.

Make your home the centrality of all family life. This takes intentional purpose and even within the church you will find good intentioned people purposing to fragment your family in all different directions and for different purposes. Be one in all that you do, in family worship, family work and family play. Many distractions will complete for your hearts. Avoid the current tendency to run to meetings, important clubs, and working late instead building your home around the sacredness of the home. Make relationships your top priority even at the expense of profit.

Build a home, a nest where virtue can be developed.

I know several families that have mastered this art and it is no small feat for the size of these families. Many of them have between 8 and 11 children and they all go everywhere together. They serve in ministry together, put an addition on the house together and they build their homestead together and all the children are learning at their father's and mother's side to serve and grow and mature. It is a testimony of the oneness between the parents and the children have learned to follow. They are powerful families that have formed family conviction as each of the children grow into maturity ready to grow their own families.

Thirdly, fulfill your God ordained roles within the family. Chris, love your wife and be the leader and initiator of your home. All selfishness and independence must die at the alter. Learning to lead a family may take some time to master but it will set up the environment for your wife to truly be feminine, to be a support, companion and advisor to you all your life.

She will find it difficult to honor you if you will not be honorable in taking the lead and initiative and if she feels unloved in any way. I have seen many wives frustrated and alienated because their husbands will not lead but sit passivlly until their wives give up and take over. This makes it very difficult for wives to function this way and a loss of respect is inevitable. Our entire culture is generally manless, so I say, Chris be a man, be counter culture in this manless, feminized society.

Sarah, be a woman in all that the Word calls beautiful. Develop a meek and quiet spirit and resort to prayer in times of unresolved disagreements. Be faithful, so your husbands heart can safely trust in you. Be a blessing to him and be a good housekeeper, full of industry and productivity. Be happy and create your home, not expecting him to be the one to make you happy. Provide for him a home full of the fragrance of your sweet spirit and the aroma of a good home cooked meal.

The fourth and final thought is a word of advice that is not what you may have typically heard in premarriage counselling, in social circles nor even in church circles these days. It too, is very counter cultural, but it is entirely Biblical. Children are a blessing. The number of children that you have is not as important as the profound principle that children are a blessing. “Go forth and multiply” and I pray God's blessing on the fruitfulness of your relationship and to be blessed with many children!

Rejoicing with you this day and in your lives together.
Elvis and Janet Langford
Jonathan,
Graydon,
Ryan and Stephanie,
Abbie (3) and Caden, (1)
Amy and Tim, Gabriel, (1)

What words of wisdom would you speak to encourage a young couple just starting out in life?

Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily

Thank You for Making Me a Mother!

My grandmother used to come to visit us every year or two when I was growing up and she frequently seemed to be visiting on her Birthday in August. She always did something that was rather confusing to me as a child. On HER birthday, she gave everyone ELSE presents.

That gave me an idea!

This Mothers Day, I want to give my children a gift, a blessing to show my gratitude to you (my children) for making me a mother.

I was born a woman (female), choice made me a wife, but I became a mother when I gave birth. Yes, some in the more modern world might say it too was a choice, but I call it destiny. Each child has a purpose and placed in time for HIS purpose by God. And more importantly never is any child an "accident."

I have had the privilege of raising four precious children. Each one has touched me and made me a different person. Each one created for me different challenges and many, many times I would fall on my face (knees) and cry out for wisdom knowing full well I could not do this alone. Many times I would have the victory and many times I failed. My self centered nature would rule and my flesh dominated when it should not have. But what do hope to have taught you all is that you too will need God's grace in your life as well, as you too will fail! Cry out to HIM as you are raising your precious ones. You cannot do this alone!

Ryan, my son, my champ. My sweet boy, so seeking approval and so tender hearted in his love for his Mommy. You softened my heart and opened it full to the sensitive nature that you have been given. You are the first part in the matching set of boy and girl twins- my pride and joy. You have grown up and are tall and a man and I'm so proud of you. You actively love your wife and lead your family gently, with wisdom and firmness. You weathered the storm in your health with a stature that I'm sure I would not have.

Thank you for being a good example (most of the time) for your brothers. They look up to you and admire you and you have modelled for them manly leadership in your home.

I love your convictions. I love the theocratic conversations that we have had and I know I can bounce things off you knowing that you will give me full hearing and that you will offer advice based on earned truth and your wisdom.

Thank you for giving me Stephanie, another daughter (we have so much in common!) and to top that off, you both have given me two beautiful grandchildren. Abbie is the light of my life, and Caden is quickly becoming an image of the memories I had of you as a baby.

Amy Joy, the second half of my pride and joy. How I loved having a daughter. Some of the best memories I have of you growing up is you always being in the the kitchen with me, chopping and talking, stirring and chatting. You always seemed to be there and I miss you terribly. I respected your advice on color and style and you were the one I could depend on to be a girl in a house full of boys. (not that that was all that bad) Your sweet nature shines and I love your love for your husband. I delight in seeing you love and raise your sweet baby boy. What fun. What delight to see him challenge you and to see you rising to the call and practicing the art of motherhood.

Thank you for loving your brothers so much. You are looked up to and respected by one tall brother and two getting taller brothers.

Thank you for giving me Tim, another son in a long line of boys. (and I love it) He is so dedicated to his family and I feel relief and trust in his care and manly protection of you and your children. Thank you, Tim for being a man in a man-absent culture.

Jonathan, my sweet tender boy. I saw a drawing of a little curly tussle headed two year old boy and my heart filled with desire to have you. You are that boy, (curls and all) sweet, tender and kind. You used to twirl your curly hair around your finger until it got stuck, and you used to jump off your top bunk at three years old, and then increasing numbers of stairs and who knows what else if we weren't looking. And yet your heart is tender and your ability for relationships is well formed. Your grasp of scriptural principles is good and I love your wit.
Your art and vision with wood is wonderful and I love all the wood presents I have and will be receiving.

I love seeing you love your "little" brother, who was gift for you. You compliment each other well.

I am praying for God's choice for your life companion and one day will have to give you up to her....not without a gentle fight)

Graydon Isaac William, the tiny little baby with the long name. I delighted in seeing you tucked in the corner of the couch as a two week old baby on Christmas day, always checking to see if you were alright. Another beautiful baby boy, and for Christmas! How I loved you. And how quickly you learned to compete with your brother....and how you got into things... like Vaseline!
You are self motivated and love learning and love making up games. I love your sense of humor and find it amazing that we choose the name Isaac, which means laughter for you truly make me laugh!Thank you for being my son and being who you are. (Hug your Mawther!)

I am praying for your future help meet as well. Develop vision for your life, my son and she will compliment you well. I will not give you up without a fight either. She is going to have to be someone pretty good!

Some children come into our lives for only a short time and we share in their struggle for life but it ends prematurely. We would not have planned that short life but the pain and grief of that loss touches us and we will never be the same again.

To my sweet little girl, Jenny. You will always be in my heart. A year and a half was way too short but oh, how you changed my life! When I get to heaven I will be looking for you. Please look for me. I want to hold you again. I want to see you healed and happy and a beautiful young woman! Will I recognize you?

It took me a while to realize that you were the completion of the five children that had in my heart. You were first but, I had not counted backwards till recently.

Thank you, my children for making me a mother. I love you and pray for you and I give you a charge now to carry the baton. Don't drop it, but carry it on and pass it well until we (together) complete a 200 year plan of Godly redemption in our family line. Remember, you are now raising your grandchildren, while your children are young, so walk accordingly.

Go ahead and make me a Mom and Pop Herd! (if you do not know what I mean-ask me!)

Where did I learn to be a Mother? From my Mother, of course. So this is also an honor for my Mother this Mother's Day. "Thanks, Mom." You really taught me how through example and though words of wisdom. I learned so much from you. (and still do)

Have a great day everyone!
Janet, Mom, Mommy, Grandma

Give Your Children a Gift this Mother's Day!

When my grandmother was alive she did something every year on her birthday that confused me as a young child. On HER birthday, she gave everyone else presents!

What a great idea! (More on this later in Sunday's Post)

This Mothers Day, I give you applause, Moms for being that selfless person that is always there, nurturing, praying and guiding your children. No, we are not perfect and far more times than not we do blow it. But getting up again is our second nature because even after we blow it we still have sweet children to keep raising, and their forgiveness seems to motivate us on.

When my children were young we went though a phase of turning eveything into an acrostic. I remembered that time when I came across this poem for Mother FOR our children. (I may just use this poem as a model to create one individual poem for each of my children)

M- Is for Multi-tasking. Though our hands are always busy, we always listen to you.

O - Is for Overworked. We've got a lot to do - for you! - so it's OK and good when you kids pitch in without being asked.

T - Equals Task-master. We make you work because we love you!

H - Heart of the home...that's us! Keep us happy and everyone's happy.

E - We're Exciting!!! We try to make life and learning interesting, even when it's long division.

R - We Remember everything wonderful about you, our kids, even when you're being "little beasts" and not living up to who we know you are. We remember, no you remember...you're our kids, and we love you!!

Hats off to you, MOMs. Keep up the good and faithful work. Never be weary in well doing for there is a reward in heaven for you if you faint not! (my paraphrase-the best way I remember scripture principles.)
Have a great Mother's Day!

100th post- Whoo Hoo

In keeping with blogging tradition, I’ve written 100 things about myself, since this is my official 100th post! Aren't we cute?



1 I love night snow in early December,
2 I love Christmas.
3 I love to organize anything,
4 but hate to tidy things up.
5 I think flowers are candy for the eyes.
6 I married Elvis and he is still in the building.
7 I have four awesome children,
8 and one sweet little girl waiting for me in heaven.
9 I'm a interior decorator in a former life.
10 I have home educated all my children through several paradigm changes
11 and they still love me.
12 I spent my teenage and early adult years mastering my passion for sewing
13 and then burned out.
14 I struggle to hem pants.
15 I buy my clothes at Good Will and garage sales.
16 And they look great!
17 My childhood passions were decorating cardboard boxes with Sears catalogue furniture and carpet pictures.
18 I loved to play school.
19 I was always the teacher, librarian and Mom - always
20 -hey nothing has changed!
21 In my next life I want to be a concert pianist and do ballet.
22 I love healthy eating and learning new things.
23I hate commercial TV.
24 I hate TV commercials even more,
25 but do love a good movie now and then.
26 I was saved and baptised at 17.
27 I am grateful for His grace in my life.
28 He is the only one who really knows me.
29 I love my Bible and the life that springs from it in my quiet times.
30 I love to keep a Bible notebook.
31 I never went to college and I'm glad.
32 I would not have survived.
33 The only thing I ever wanted to be in my life was a wife and mommy.
34 Hey again - nothing has changed!
35 I already have 3 of 25 grandchildren.
36 I adore my grandchildren;
37 they seem like they are my own.
38 I learned much of how to be a grandmother by my mother 's example.
39 I love to cook but not bake cakes.
40 I am rediscovering the beauty of raw chocolate.
41 I love being a woman.
42 I love to dress like a lady.
43 I'm a hopeless romantic, in my dreams only.
44 I'm actually quite choleric.
45 I'm glad one of my four children was a girl;
46I would have at least had one of my boys in pink ruffles, if I didn't.
47 I had my dream came true when I had boy and girl twins.
48They are my pride and joy
49 They were what held me together during some hard times.
50 They were my morning shift
51 Then I had a 10 year gap.
52 I love having two boys last.
53 They were my afternoon shift.
54 I never had a midnight shift,
55 -wish I had.
56 My favorite music is by Frank Mills.
57 My baby and I used to dance to it before she died.
58 I'm Canadian,
59 Eh?
60 (I do not know anyone who actually says that)
61 We live in Washington State.
62 Some say my "accent" still gives me away
63 My school yearbook said I wanted to travel after grad.
64 I have never gone anywhere.
65 My children have gone all over the world.
66 I love my reformed church.
67 I have an insatiable hunger to learn;
68 Computers are not logical.
69 I can't type.
70 I can and do order more books than I ever could possibly read
71 I used to play the baritone but now I don't.
72 I'm a budget believer and get a charge out of saving money
73 My mother is a garden guru,
74 I'm not.
75 My father played pool with Gandhi,
76 I didn't.
77 My children grew up too fast,
78 I didn't want to grow up at all.
79 My husband is a engineer manager,
80 and a very good one.
81 I'm a domestic engineer,
82 and getting better.
83 I love tropical fruit.
84 I should have grown up in Hawaii.
85 When alone I love to turn up the music loud and dance my heart out.
86 Nobody knows that.
87 I love health and vitality and have fought for it all my life.
88 My oldest son had cancer last year.
89 I wanted to throw up instead of him.
90 I kept seeing him as a little boy holding my hand.
91 I wanted to protect him;
92 but he was too big.
93 Music fills my lungs with hope
94 One day I will see my Saviors face
95 and He will say by his grace alone,
96 "Well done, good and faithful servant"
97 I can trust Him for that.
98 I obviously cannot count to one hundred...
99 very well...
100 at all!


Sigh, "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"
"No, not really"

Put something where you can see it; where your eye can remind your heart!

I love to decorate. I always have - ever since I was a child. I think it is my love of color, or design or perhaps the family feel of a specially created space. I don't have much time or money to really decorate the way I'd like to, or used to, but I can do mini projects that continue to create special family memories and reinforce the spiritual principles that I care about.

A few years ago, I discovered the book, Celebrating the Christian Year, by Marsha Zimmerman. She has written an excellent handbook for every Christian Holiday and how to celebrate it with recipes, traditions and Bible passages. The most memorable thing in the book is the importance of allowing your eye to see something that reminds your heart of a spiritual principle. Combine that with my love of decorating and you get one happy Momma. I get to visually reinforce spiritual principles through my love of decorating! How cool is that?

We have meaningfully celebrated St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day, St Lucia' Day, St Nicholas Day, to name a few and all the traditional holidays as well, Christmas, Easter, and Mother's and Father's Day with extra special meaning.

For Easter, I don't generally use bunnies but I have a small collection of lambs, some made from china, and some soft and cuddly. I have collected over the years additional significant items such as old rusty railroad ties, a unique bent metal crown of thorns/candle holder and some special egg holders. I picked up some sparkly and some flat purple fabric and use the table as a display and conversation piece.

Some of the significant symbols of Easter.
Gold and Purple- royalty
white- purity of Christ
Yellow- sunrise on Ressurection Day
Lamb- the lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world!
Nails- our sins that are nailed to the cross
Eggs- comes from pagan mythology- but I choose to redeem the image of the egg into a symbol of the tomb out of which Christ appeared, the newness of life and that the was raised from the dead- It helps us anticiate the completion of our slavation in Chrsit's ressurection!

Yesterday, (a few days early) we celebrated our Easter dinner with family and I served roast lamb, whipped turnip , beets, and stir fried asparagus and lime pie for dessert. (There is no significance in the lime pie but I thought I'd try it.) Usually we quote some memory verses or read the account of the death and Resurrection of Jesus after dinner. AND do we have an Easter egg hunt. Eggs have absolutely nothing to do with the Death and Ressurection of our Lord but they are a symbol of the newness of life, or rebirth and so we have kept eggs in our Easter traditions.

Now it's your turn. Share with us what meaningful celebrations you have shared with your family and what significant items you use to decorate or serve. I'd love to hear how Easter is special in your home.

Happy Ressurection Day Muffins!

Traditions are so important in families. They tie memories together and create regularly and a sense of predictability. As any family our family traditions have developed over the years. On Easter we always have a breakfast of eggs and homemade, fresh out the the oven oatmeal muffins. But, these muffins have a slight twist. The eggs and the muffins are in one tidy package, baked together at the same time making a memorable portable breakfast to take out on a morning sunrise service or just enjoyed at home. Every year we color raw eggs and pop those in the muffins or mark some Easter message on the tops of the whole white eggs once they come out of the oven. Either way they make a pretty picture and we plan on taking them to church with us tomorrow for some friends. Enjoy!

Nestled Egg Muffins

2 1/2 cups whole wheat (or other) flour
2 c flaked oats
1/2 cup brown sugar (I use honey)
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs (to go in the batter)
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup oil coconut is best- but olive works well. (Other oils should never be heated)
1 cup raisins
18 small whole white eggs. I have used large eggs but if you can find medium or small eggs they work best depending on the size of your muffins tins.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.

In a mixing bowl, beat 2 eggs well and blend in milk, oil, and raisins. Add to dry ingredients, stirring till just moistened.

Spoon into 18 greased muffin tins equally-(they should not be very full) Press 1 egg, colored or not, but still raw into each cup and let sit about half or 2/3 deep into the dough.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min or till done.

The eggs will probably be cooked to perfection, maybe better than you have ever done them on the stove top - not grey lined which seems to be the risk on the stove. Serve with butter and jam for the muffin and salt for the egg.

Happy Easter!