Grace Notes

Asking the right questions: Why not me?

2011-05-02T16:49:00.001-04:00

I have wept over the losses my friends and total strangers have suffered this past week, some of them gone from this earth forever. One thought came to mind continuously: why them and not me? Why all those beautiful trees swept away and not mine? Why those quaint little towns and homes, churches and businesses worked for sometimes for years and not ours? Why those children, husbands, fathers, mothers and grandmothers and grandfathers taken and not me and mine? I do not have a rational answer to these questions. I would like to think it is because somehow I deserve God's favor, but, with David, "My sin(s) (are) ever before my face." There must be other reasons that I can't comprehend.

Noah was righteous in the sight of God and God spared him and his family while destroying the rest of the world. I, however, sense my unrighteousness keenly. I love the Lord, but often my priorities become skewed and my conscience seared concerning areas of my life that I should address but tend to ignore.
I am undeserving of God's mercy; and yet last week, He chose to take some of His children home to glory and leave me, a poor, struggling sinner, here for a while.

"The Deluge," by artist Francis Danby c. 1837

Here are some thoughts that have come to me from all of this:

My first thought is this: Like many of the folks who died during these tornadoes I may not have any warning when God takes me from this life. God may choose to take me out of this life with a fraction of a second to cry out to Him or say good-bye to loved ones or I may have no warning at all. Therefore, I must strive with all my being to live like someone who expects to die. Not living with dread and fear of death in some sort of morbid premonition that the sword hanging over my head is about to fall any second; but rather in a way that looks death in the face without fear because of Christ’s salvation, saying with the poet John Donne, "Death, be not proud...for, death, thou shalt die." The only way to live like this is to keep short accounts with sin and with our brothers and sisters, confessing our faults quickly and thoroughly, asking forgiveness sincerely and striving to mend broken relationships. Joe likes to quote someone as saying, "Live in such a way that when you die, that's all you have left to do," living in such a way that you have no regrets at the end of life.

"Subsiding Waters of the Deluge," by Thomas Cole 1829

Secondly, I am faced with the cheerful though challenging thought that God isn't finished with me yet. He has left me here at least for today in order to accomplish something important for His glory. If you are reading this, you are also still alive, but you and I are dying. The newborn infant begins the steady march towards death with his first breath. What a gruesome idea, you may be thinking! What a morbid thought! It is a realistic and a sobering thought, is it not? God make us for Himself and our lives must have a sense of sobriety about them along with all the rejoicing that recognizes we will not abide on this earth in this frail body forever. When the new heavens and new earth are brought into being, then we will live in our re-created, perfect bodies on a perfectly recreated earth forever. Hallelujah! I can hardly wait sometimes.

my eighth grandbaby sleeping on her mama

But then at other times, as I look into the faces of those I love or at the beauty of God's creation, I want to exclaim with the poet, "Oh, world! I cannot hold thee close enough." I rejoice in my family and my friends, in my gifts and graces as I employ them to encourage others. It distresses me to look around at the destruction wrought by tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanic activity, floods, mudslides, explosions, falling trees, wild animals, sickness and disease, the actions of sinful men and women, and I find myself thinking, "Why? Why does a perfectly good and sovereign God bring such things to pass? Why can't it all be perfect now?" He could make it all good if He would.

Joe and Honor Phillips at Kilmartin graveyard in Scotland

Here’s where good theology comes into play. God is the sum of His perfections. He is His attributes. He is not only all-powerful, He is also all-wise, just, holy, good, true and all the rest. I acknowledge that I am a finite creature, created for and by Him for His glory to do His good pleasure. I must rest there and let go of questions that are futile and meaningless in the light of eternity and the vastness of an infinite God Who alone knows the end from the beginning. Isa. 46

Questions will come. We are created in the image of God Who is a personal being. Although He does not have a body or parts and emotions like His creatures, we are like Him in that we are personal, relational beings. We love to be loved. We crave interaction with Him and with other men and women. We glory in the work of our hands because God also loved His creation. When people we love or our works are destroyed, we grieve and suffer. The Bible recognizes this reaction as a natural one. We are told to “Rejoice with those who rejoice and grieve with those who grieve.” The Bible is full of many instances of those whose lives were devastated by loss, Job being a primary example. During these hard times, times of crisis, how do we handle the questions that come? When I have doubts and questions, griefs and sorrows, here’s what I ask God to help me do:

I try to focus my mind on what I know to be true about God, especially during times of crisis.

What do I know?

1. I know that the God Who planned and carried out the redemption of His elect through the death and resurrection of His only Son has a perfect plan for my life and the lives of all His creatures. All my days were planned out for me before I was created. Neither I nor any other person can lengthen or shorten my life. I am safe in the hollow of His hand. Psalm 139:16

2. I know that nothing can thwart God’s plan. No one, not the most sinful man who has ever lived, not even Satan himself, can cause anything to go wrong in God’s universe, for God is in control. He is the one true and living God, sovereign over all His creation, the God of providence Who is able to deliver His people from their enemies. No man can stay His hand from doing all His holy will. Psalm 45:5f

I can only see the immediate scene, the winds and the waves that cause me to fear. Despite my brave determination, when I start to sink beneath the sea of my sorrow and doubts, Christ Himself comes to me, through His powerful Word and Spirit, and brings me up out of the waves. I cannot walk on water. I cannot calm the storms of this life, but Christ Jesus my Savior can. Psalm 138:7

Augustine said: “I toss upon the waves; but Thou dost steer – Thou Who standeth at the helm of all things Thou hast made.”

3. I know that God is working all these things together for our ultimate good and His glory as He said He would. Rom. 8:28

4. I know that God made me to live faithfully in the light of what I know to be true, trusting Him for each day's strength and looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith, to carry me through to the end of life, singing "Amazing Grace," and "Great is Thy Faithfulness," though death is staring me in the face.

5. I know I can trust Him, even in the dark.

Knowing all these things, I will not fear but trust the One Who knows the exact number of breaths I will take because He has mapped out my life for me.

-- in the ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral, Scotland

May this be my daily prayer: “I believe, Lord; help Thou my unbelief. I am still alive -- show me what to do today.”

The Spring Writing Contest ... Come and Dine!

2011-04-02T15:04:00.005-04:00

the heart-shaped tomato that changed my life

"The summer I turned 14, just two days before my birthday, Mama sent me out to the garden to gather the ripe tomatoes, bell peppers and yellow crook-necked squash. I didn't mind so much picking those soft, hot tomatoes sagging with juicy goodness from the heavily-laden vines; but when she told me to harvest the okra before it got too big to eat, I frowned. I hate cutting okra. Not only do the prickly spines make my arms and hands itch, the sap that drips from the cut my knife makes coats my fingers with its sticky goo, then the gnats, mosquitoes and flies seem to hover over me just waiting to nip and chew at my arms. Disgusting! I don't even like okra -- not even dipped in egg and cornmeal and fried up in bacon grease. Well, if I was starving I might eat a few cooked like that, but never stewed with onions and tomatoes.

"I have a confession to make though. Despite my less than perfect attitude, if I had not dutifully gone to gather the ripe tomatoes and other vegetables from the garden that day, life would have continued on its dull course without the amazing series of events that has led to all my happiness since. You see, on that day, I plucked a heart-shaped tomato and my life took a turn that I would never have expected and could never have planned."

Are you interested in my little story yet? I wanted to illustrate how it's possible to include food in a story without making it entirely about the food itself. Maybe I'll finish the story if enough people beg ;-)

Garden Delights

I wrote this little vignette to lead into our Writing Contest Rule #1: please write about food. Food can be at the heart of your story (pun intended since mine is about a heart-shaped tomato), or simply included in some way. You can base your story, poem or article/essay on whatever premise suits you, but food must enter into to it at some point. That should set your brain to ticking right away, I hope!

1. Food must be included in the story, essay/article or poem in some way.
2. Contestants must have taken "Mrs. Morecraft’s Writing Webinar," either I or II, or both.

3. Contestants may enter as many times as they wish, noting that there will be a $10. entry fee for each entry.

4. The word limit for each entry is 1,200 words.

5. The contest submission time-frame is from April 15th to June 30th. The deadline for submission will be midnight, EST, June 30th.

6. Submissions should be made in hard-copy form, printed on plain paper in 12 or larger font, one and one-half inch spacing, and mailed, along with a check made out to Rebecca Morecraft with $10. per submission to: 300 Wrights Mill Way, Canton, GA 30115. Be sure to allow at least five days' time for me to receive it if mailed in the continental US. If you would like, you may also submit your entry to mrs.morecraft@gmail.com However, the hard-copy is required for entry in the contest.

Mrs. Rebecca Morecraft, the Poet-Laureate of the Vision Forum Quadricentennial Celebration at Jamestown, VA in 2007

7. Winners will be informed in an email of their achievements, so be sure to include an email address where you can be reached.

8. Prizes will include: editing by Mrs. Morecraft and her panel of judges, our efforts to have your winning entry published, either in a periodical or another venue, and various other books or prizes that will delight and inform, such as:

This would make a great first-place prize!

9. After the winners have been chosen and notified, the winning entries will be posted on my blog with the permission of the authors.
10. Have fun!

Suggestions for writing a winning entry: follow my example and Edit, Edit, Edit!!! You are almost never through editing as you rearrange, find better words, correct misspelled words and grammar, check punctuation, critique and accept suggestions, read your work aloud and edit some more!!! I still edit work that has already been published!! Really, I do...

Mrs. Morecraft continued to edit her Jamestown 400 poem, "Remember & Persevere," even after she read it there!!

Judging criteria:

Each entry will be judged by the following criteria:

1. grammatical accuracy

2. strong, imaginative imagery that avoids using tired, trite phrases, jargon or slang (unless the dialogue calls for it)

3. good lead sentences and first paragraphs, where applicable

4. clearly understood development of the theme or thesis, where applicable

5. a strong concluding paragraph

6. good sentence structure with strong nouns, verbs and properly used modifiers

7. for rhyming poems, strict adherence to the chosen meter

8. for all poems, whether rhymed or blank verse, strong, palpable imagery appropriate to the subject

9. in poetry, skillful use of internal rhyme where applicable

10. themes that capture interest for both poetry and prose

11. did the writing grab and keep our interest throughout, or was the piece

      too rhetorical (instructional with little to keep interest in a storyline)

      too artificial (either too silly and unbelievable or impossible situations)

      boring

      too ‘wordy’

12. With articles and essays, did the writer make and prove a point well? Was the thesis sentence stated clearly at the beginning and logically proved throughout? Did the piece have a strong conclusion?

13. In all types of writing, did the writer strike a chord with us so that we wanted to keep reading and felt satisfied when we finished reading it? We were either entertained, inspired or moved? Or was the piece easy to put down, even before the end? Was it enjoyable?

This final point is often the deciding factor for judges. If your writing moves us in some way that keeps us reading, holds our interest and leaves us wanting more, your submission has more winning potential than a piece that follows all the rules but doesn’t inspire, delight or instruct. Learning to grip your reader's emotions, not through soupy sentimental writing but in a way that strikes a chord in the heart, is more given than learned. Ask God for this ability as you write.

My poetess/songwriter sister Judy Rogers
http://www.judyrogers.com/

"And whatever you do -- whether you eat or drink or whatever you do --

do it all to the glory of God." I Cor. 10:31

My sister Judy Rogers personifies this admonition. She is and has been for over 30 years an example of godly womanhood to me and all who know her through her music. Judy's songwriting and singing abilities have blessed literally thousands of people around the world as she writes and sings incredible songs, based on Scripture and sung to music that God gives her as she labors over her music and prays. Judy was a terrible piano student. I know because I tried to be her teacher. She doesn't read musical notation. Her music is all in her head, ear and heart and God has blessed it to come out in songs with complex musical scores that could compete well with the music of many schooled musicians. But Judy's writing and singing isn't about acclaim. She writes beautiful poems put to music to honor and glorify King Jesus, as well as in direct submission to her husband who first asked her to put the Shorter Catechism for children to music over 30 years ago.

Is that why you write? To glorify God? Or do you want people to sit up and take notice of you and say, "Wow, that girl is so intelligent and can write so well!" If you seek to honor yourself, God may decide not to see your goals met. But if you are diligent, as my sister has been and as I try to be, honing the gifts and graces He has given you to the best of your ability to bring Him glory, He sometimes sees fit to give you success. My prayer is that success will be yours in full measure as you write to make a difference in the world for Christ.

Maybe you won't win a place in this little writing contest. Don't be discouraged. All writing errors can be corrected. All writers can improve. Please don’t be despondent if your name doesn’t show up in the list of honorable mentions or in the winner’s circle. Keep journaling, writing letters and reading good writers as well as continuing with the vocabulary building and writing exercises we’ve brought to your attention. As you apply the suggestions we’ve mentioned in our classes and those you discover through other resources, attempt to apply them to your own writing. Keep reading your poems, essays, articles and papers aloud to your friends and parents and ask for suggestions for improvement. Submit them to various magazines that publish young writers -- learn from any comments they may make concerning your submission.

As you read great books on a variety of topics from many different eras and perspectives, your base of knowledge will be broadened and your ability to analyze and think expanded. Learn from these proven writers how to construct good sentences, find strong nouns and verbs as the building materials, how to use modifiers accurately, how to use discernment when describing a scene depicting emotions, how to write dialogue and especially how to create tangible, palpable imagery.

Remember that more is not better. Simple, clean writing is almost always best. Did you say what you mean and mean what you say? Sincerity and simplicity are key ingredients. Do you know your subject matter well enough to write about it? More research may be necessary before a word ever hits the page. Remember the pre-writing skills we studied during this last webinar? Mapping, asking yourself questions and other word-association techniques will boost the possibility of a winning entry.

Take time to smile at someone -- every day!

Read well-written books and take notes on all these topics -- this is perhaps the best way to improve your own writing. Don’t be too sensitive – don’t be afraid of criticism. In fact, ask for it all the time.

Ask anyone who will listen to your writing, “Does that make sense to you? What do I need to add? What do I need to take out? How could this be written to convey my point better? Do I need to re-write this or just start over?”

You will never improve as a runner if you don’t run or as a singer if you don’t sing or a rider if you never get on a horse. You will never become a better writer if you only practice writing skills occasionally. Write every day. Read every day. Ask the Lord to help you improve for His glory and He will.

Please pray for me as you think of me. I have a few big writing projects that I’d like to complete this summer. Pray that God will give me the freedom of time and the exact words to complete what I’ve begun for His glory.

How do you know who you really are till you walk around in a pair of red cowgirl boots! Yee-haw!Fun!!!

Welcome to our Online "Welcome Spring" Tea Party!!

2011-03-29T10:35:00.004-04:00

Tea party fun!

I'm so very excited to welcome Spring this year -- I love the new life bursting forth all around me.
And I'm happy to welcome my lovely daughter Mercy home from a nearly three-month trip to Africa and Europe. She shared a little of her reaction to her adventures with us during the webinar session Thursday evening. We look forward to more stories and photos on her blog once she updates it. http://www.mmorecraft.blogspot.com/

Mercy and a new friend in Nairobi, Kenya

I promised to post some of the recipes you shared with me -- here are a few:

Iced Sugar Cookies

The McKellar Girls' Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
6 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
1 tsp. salt

Directions:
In a large bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. In another bowl, measure out and mix dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture a little at a time until the flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for two hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out on a floured counter to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Bake for 8-14 minutes. When cool, decorate with glaze icing.

Cherish, Feliciti and Thea McKellar brought delicious cookies to our tea

Here are some recipes for the tea party from Emily Nicholas, one of my students who lives "down under." She says, "I have chosen some traditional Australian recipes." They sound delicious!
Lamingtons

(Lamingtons are said to be named after Lord Lamington, Governor of Queensland from 1895 to 1901.)

The cake is easy to handle if it is a little stale; day old cake is ideal. Sponge or butter cake can be used. Lamingtons can be filled with jam and cream, if desired.

Ingredients:
6 eggs
2/3 cup castor sugar (I think you call it superfine sugar.)
1/3 cup cornflour
1/3 cup self-raising flour
2 (180g or 6 oz. )cups desiccated coconut, approximately

Icing ingredients:
4 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
15g (about 1/2 oz.) butter, melted
2/3 cup milk

Method:
Grease 23cm (9 in.) square slab pan. Beat eggs in medium bowl with electric mixer about 10 minutes, or until thick and creamy. Gradually beat in sugar, dissolving between additions. Fold in triple-sifted flours. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake in a moderate oven about 30 minutes. Turn onto wire rack to cool.

Cut cake into 16 squares, dip squares into icing, drain off excess icing, toss squares in coconut. Place lamingtons on wire rack to set.

Icing:
Sift icing sugar and cocoa into heatproof bowl, stir in butter and milk. Stir over pan of simmering water until icing is of coating consistency.

Makes 16

Here's another one that sounds so good. I love knowing the history behind the recipes. Thanks, Emily.

Anzac Biscuits
(Variations of Scottish oatmeal biscuits were made at home and sent to soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) in World War I. However, the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ACT, suggests that they were not named Anzac Biscuits until after World War I, when they were made and sold as fund-raisers for returned soldiers.)

child's thistle and violets tea set on faux-painted tea table

Ingredients: 1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup coconut
125g (6 1/2 oz.) butter
40g (1 1/2 oz.) golden syrup (A cheap sugar syrup here in Australia but probably very expensive in the States. You could use molasses or corn syrup, but I think a mixture of both is closer to the consistency, taste, etc. of golden syrup.)
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon boiling water (sounds weird, but your tablespoon is only 15 ml, while ours is 20ml.)

Combine oats, sifted flour, sugar and coconut. Combine butter and golden syrup, stir over gentle heat until melted. Mix bicarbonate of soda with boiling water, add to melted butter mixture, stir into dry ingredients. Take teaspoonfuls of mixture and place on lightly greased oven trays; allow room for spreading. Cook in a slow oven 20 minutes. Loosen while warm, then cool on trays.

Makes about 35

(Remember to check the conversions in measurements from the Australian/British to American measurements.)
from Emily Nicholas
Bendigo, Victoria, Australia

a lovely tea party guest helps herself to another cup

This one sounds so simple and really yummy!
Mini Tea Tarts
from Mikaela Vaughn

-1 package filo shells
-Several fillings such as vanilla or chocolate pudding, and vanilla or berry yogurt.
-Toppings: Whip cream, chocolate chips, berries, or coconut.

Fill the tarts and place them on a pretty plate. Then decorate the tops however you like. They are so easy to make, and very delicious.
Thanks to all of you for the recipes -- if you'd like to share your recipes or photos from your own tea party, send them to me at mrs.morecraft@gmail.com and we'll try to include them in a future post.

Here are some more photos from the tea party we held at my house -- thanks to my great photographer, Marissa Schmidt! She's soooo good, isn't she?

my favorite demitasse cup and saucer

Italian wedding cookies -- from the Bowman girls

mmmm! chocolate cake -- always a favorite

a chintz-flowered china cup in a gloved hand -- lovely

Feliciti McKellar graced our day with her violin presentation

Check back tomorrow for more photos!!
Here's one more recipe:

Pumpkin Spice Drop Scones

Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon ( I put a little extra in! )
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into ¼ -inch pieces
1/3 to ½ cup raisins
½ cup canned pumpkin*
1/3 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons milk ( approximate )
1 cup powdered ( confectioner’s ) sugar
* When purchasing canned pumpkin, make sure there are no spices or sugar added.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a large baking sheet with vegetable-oil cooking spray. ( You can also cover the baking sheet with parchment paper.)

In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. With pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into flour mixture until particles are the size of small peas; stir in raisins. NOTE: When making scones, work the dough quickly and do not over mix.

In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, 1/3 cup milk, and egg. Fold wet ingredients. Stir just until mixed.

NOTE: Scones can be cut into any shape you desire. Use a dinking glass to make circles or cut into squares or wedges with a knife. Dip the edges of the cutter in flour to prevent sticking. Do not pat the edges of the scone down, instead leave the cuts as sharp as possible to allow the scones to rise in layers. OR… Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheet, 2 inches apart to allow for spreading, making 10 mounds. ( I ALWAYS get more out than that.)

Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, frost while still warm. Serve warm or at room temperature.

While scones are baking, combine 3 tablespoons of milk and powdered sugar until a thin frosting is obtained. You may need to add either more milk or powdered sugar for the correct consistency.

Yield: 10-15 scones

from Megan Knudten

My favorite romantic poem ...

2011-03-10T12:41:00.001-05:00

The Chancel and Crossing of Tintern Abbey, Looking Towards the East Window, by JMW Turner, 1794. Tintern Abbey was a monastery founded in 1131 and rebuilt in the 13th century. Abandoned in 1536, it was left to decay for two centuries. Artist Joseph Mallord William Turner paid two visits to the site, and it inspired him to paint this piece which juxtaposes the smallness of man alongside and wildness of nature, the unstoppable power of which has reclaimed this man-made edifice. The haunting abbey was a popular muse for many Romantics; it also inspired William Wordsworth’s famous poem “Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey.”
(taken from "The Art of Manliness" blog, March 4, 2011)

The funny thing about this poem is that is was really written for Wordsworth's sister, not his wife! But, nevertheless, my dear husband and I read it as young lovers and so I think of it as romantic! I hope you enjoy it. For an analysis of the poem, go to this web address:
http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/wordsworth/section1.html

Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey

by William Wordsworth

Five years have passed; five summers with the length

Of five long winters! and again I hear

These waters, rolling from their mountain-springs

With a soft inland murmur.—Once again

Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs,

That on a wild secluded scene impress

Thoughts of more deep seclusion; and connect

The landscape with the quiet of the sky.

The day is come when I again repose

Here, under this dark sycamore, and view

These plots of cottage-ground, these orchard tufts,

Which at this season, with their unripe fruits,

Are clad in one green hue, and lose themselves

'Mid groves and copses. Once again I see

These hedge-rows, hardly hedge-rows, little lines

Of sportive wood run wild: these pastoral farms,

Green to the very door; and wreaths of smoke

Sent up, in silence, from among the trees!

With some uncertain notice, as might seem

Of vagrant dwellers in the houseless woods,

Or of some Hermit's cave, where by his fire

The Hermit sits alone.

These beauteous forms,

Through a long absence, have not been to me

As is a landscape to a blind man's eye:

But oft, in lonely rooms, and 'mid the din

Of towns and cities, I have owed to them

In hours of weariness, sensations sweet,

Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart;

And passing even into my purer mind,

With tranquil restoration:—feelings too

Of unremembered pleasure: such, perhaps,

As have no slight or trivial influence

On that best portion of a good man's life,

His little, nameless, unremembered, acts

Of kindness and of love. Nor less, I trust,

To them I may have owed another gift,

Of aspect more sublime; that blessed mood,

In which the burthen of the mystery,

In which the heavy and the weary weight

Of all this unintelligible world,

Is lightened:—that serene and blessed mood,

In which the affectations gently lead us on,—

Until, the breath of this corporeal frame

And even the motion of our human blood

Almost suspended, we are laid asleep

In body, and become a living soul:

While with an eye made quiet by the power

Of harmony, and the deep power of joy,

We see into the life of things.

If this

Be but a vain belief, yet, oh! how oft—

In darkness and amid the many shapes

Of joyless daylight; when the fretful stir

Unprofitable, and the fever of the world,

Have hung upon the beatings of my heart—

How oft, in spirit, have I turned to thee,

O sylvan Wye! thou wanderer thro' the woods,

How oft has my spirit turned to thee!

And now, with gleams of half-extinguished thought,

With many recognitions dim and faint,

And somewhat of a sad perplexity,

The picture of the mind revives again:

While here I stand, not only with the sense

Of present pleasure, but with pleasing thoughts

That in this moment there is life and food

For future years. And so I dare to hope,

Though changed, no doubt, from what I was when first

I came among these hills; when like a roe

I bounded o'er the mountains, by the sides

Of the deep rivers, and the lonely streams,

Wherever nature led: more like a man

Flying from something that he dreads, than one

Who sought the thing he loved. For nature then

(The coarser pleasures of my boyish days,

And their glad animal movements all gone by)

To me was all in all.—I cannot paint

What then I was. The sounding cataract

Haunted me like a passion: the tall rock,

The mountain, and the deep and gloomy wood,

Their colours and their forms, were then to me

An appetite; a feeling and a love,

That had no need of a remoter charm,

By thought supplied, nor any interest

Unborrowed from the eye.—That time is past,

And all its aching joys are now no more,

And all its dizzy raptures. Not for this

Faint I, nor mourn nor murmur, other gifts

Have followed; for such loss, I would believe,

Abundant recompense. For I have learned

To look on nature, not as in the hour

Of thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes

The still, sad music of humanity,

Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power

To chasten and subdue. And I have felt

A presence that disturbs me with the joy

Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime

Of something far more deeply interfused,

Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,

And the round ocean and the living air,

And the blue sky, and in the mind of man;

A motion and a spirit, that impels

All thinking things, all objects of all thought,

And rolls through all things. Therefore am I still

A lover of the meadows and the woods,

And mountains; and of all that we behold

From this green earth; of all the mighty world

Of eye, and ear,—both what they half create,

And what perceive; well pleased to recognise

In nature and the language of the sense,

The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse,

The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul

Of all my moral being.

Nor perchance,

If I were not thus taught, should I the more

Suffer my genial spirits to decay:

For thou art with me here upon the banks

Of this fair river; thou my dearest Friend,

My dear, dear Friend; and in thy voice I catch

The language of my former heart, and read

My former pleasures in the shooting lights

Of thy wild eyes. Oh! yet a little while

May I behold in thee what I was once,

My dear, dear Sister! and this prayer I make,

Knowing that Nature never did betray

The heart that loved her; 'tis her privilege,

Through all the years of this our life, to lead

From joy to joy: for she can so inform

The mind that is within us, so impress

With quietness and beauty, and so feed

With lofty thoughts, that neither evil tongues,

Rash judgments, nor the sneers of selfish men,

Nor greetings where no kindness is, nor all

The dreary intercourse of daily life,

Shall e'er prevail against us, or disturb

Our cheerful faith, that all which we behold

Is full of blessings. Therefore let the moon

Shine on thee in thy solitary walk;

And let the misty mountain-winds be free

To blow against thee: and, in after years,

When these wild ecstasies shall be matured

Into a sober pleasure; when thy mind

Shall be a mansion for all lovely forms,

Thy memory be as a dwelling-place

For all sweet sounds and harmonies; oh! then,

If solitude, or fear, or pain, or grief,

Should be thy portion, with what healing thoughts

Of tender joy wilt thou remember me,

And these my exhortations! Nor, perchance—

If I should be where I no more can hear

Thy voice, nor catch from thy wild eyes these gleams

Of past existence—wilt thou then forget

That on the banks of this delightful stream

We stood together; and that I, so long

A worshipper of Nature, hither came

Unwearied in that service: rather say

With warmer love—oh! with far deeper zeal

Of holier love. Nor wilt thou then forget,

That after many wanderings, many years

Of absence, these steep woods and lofty cliffs,

And this green pastoral landscape, were to me

More dear, both for themselves and for thy sake!

"The Veterans of the Battle of Bunker Hill" by Daniel Webster

2011-03-01T12:53:00.001-05:00

"The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, June 17, 1775"
by John Trumbull, 1786

"This burst of eloquence is from Daniel Webster's celebrated oration, delivered on the occasion of the laying of the corner-stone of Bunker's Hill monument on June 17, 1825. It was the 50th anniversary of that battle in the presence of a vast multitude of people, among whom were Lafayette and the survivors of the battle." -- paraphrased from Swinton's Fifth Reader and Speaker, (published 1883), p. 321f

I hope my webinar students will read this speech through several times carefully. The first time, simply read it for the sense of the words. What is Mr. Webster saying? Why do you think he chose the particular words he chose? Are there any long, difficult words in this speech or are most of them short and familiar? Why?

The second time through, notice the imagery -- take note of metaphors, similes and personification, in particular. Are his word pictures strong? Why?

The third time you read it, notice the sentence structure. Are the sentences mostly long or short or a combination of both? How is the speech structured? Does he make his main points first or build up to them? See if you can make an outline of the speech.

The final time through, read the speech aloud, slowly and with emphasis on the words which you think he may have emphasized as he looked out at Lafayette and the other survivors of this momentous battle. Read it in front of a mirror and rate your delivery. How is your posture? Are you looking your 'audience' in the eye? Are there effective pauses in the right places? When you think you've perfected your delivery enough, practice reading it in front of your family and ask them for suggestions. You may be called on to deliver an important speech some day. Here's a chance to develop confidence.

If you have time, try to commit a portion of this important speech to memory.

"Venerable men! You have come down to us from a former generation. Heaven has bounteously lengthened out your lives, that you may behold this joyous day. You are now where you stood fifty years ago, this very hour, with your brothers and your neighbors, shoulder to shoulder, in the strife for your country. Behold, how altered! The same heavens are indeed over your heads; the same ocean rolls at your feet: but all else how changed! You hear now no roar of hostile cannon, you see no mixed volumes of smoke and flame rising from burning Charlestown. The ground strewed with the dead and the dying; the impetuous charge; the steady and successful repulse; the loud call to repeated resistance; a thousand bosoms freely and fearlessly bared in an instant to whatever of terror there may be in war and death--all these you have witnessed, but you witness them no more. All is peace.

"The heights of yonder metropolis [Boston], its towers, and roofs, which you then saw filled with wives and children and countrymen in distress and terror, and looking with unutterable emotions for the issue of the combat, have presented you today with the sight of its whole happy population, come out to welcome and greet you with a universal jubilee. Yonder proud ships, by a felicity of position appropriately lying at the foot of this mount, and seeming fondly to cling around it, are not means of annoyance to you, but your country's own means of distinction and defense.

"All is peace; and God has granted you this sight of your country's happiness, ere you slumber in the grave. He has allowed you to behold and to partake the reward of your patriotic toils; and he has allowed us, your sons and countrymen, to meet you here, and in the name of the present generation, in the name of your country, in the name of liberty, to thank you.

"But, alas! You are not all here! Time and the sword have thinned your ranks. Prescott, Putnam, Stark, Brooks, Read, Pomeroy, Bridge [these were all distinguished officers in the battle of Bunker's Hill], our eyes seek for you in vain amid this broken band. You are gathered to your fathers, and live only to your country in her grateful remembrance and your own bright example. But let us not too much grieve that you have met the common fate of men. You lived at least long enough to know that your work had been nobly and successfully accomplished. You lived to see your country's independence established, and to sheathe your swords from war. On the light of liberty you saw arise the light of peace, like 'another morn, risen on mid-noon;' and the sky on which you closed your eyes was cloudless.

"But ah! Him! [Warren] The first great martyr in this great cause! Him! The premature [untimely] victim of his own self-devoting heart! Him! The head of our civil councils, and the destined leader of our military bands, whom nothing brought hither but the unquenchable fire of his own spirit! Him! Cut off by Providence in the hour of overwhelming anxiety and thick gloom; falling ere he saw the star of his country rise; pouring out his generous blood like water, before he knew whether it would fertilize a land of freedom or of bondage! How shall I struggle with the emotions that stifle the utterance of thy name! Our poor work may perish, but thine shall endure. This monument may molder away; the solid ground it rest upon may sink down to a level with the sea: but thy memory shall not fail. Wheresoever among men a heart shall be found that beats to the transports of patriotism and liberty, its aspirations shall be to claim kindred with thy spirit."

Daniel Webster

Everyday Language and Salads

2011-02-25T17:40:00.005-05:00

"If your every-day language is not fit for a letter or for print, it is not fit for talk. And if, by any series of joking and fun, at school or at home, you have got into the habit of using slang in talk, which is not fit for print, why, the sooner you get out of it the better." -- Edward Elliott Hale, April 3, 1822 – June 10, 1909

What's the Christian life all about? Well, first and last, grace...lots of it overflowing, bounteous, free...

After that, sanctification, or growing in grace, putting off and putting on. In a word, (which is one of my favorite terms): refinement.

I'm all about language these days so I listen carefully to what I read and hear. Television and magazine ads just love sound bites, as they try to say more in concentrated words...short, pithy words. Intellectuals try to impress us with their long words and provocative terminology. We as Christians need to think carefully about the words we use, in everyday conversation, in the words we fill our minds with and in the writing we offer the world.

The term, gravitas, or 'weighty' best describes the kind of words with which we as Christians need to be most familiar--words that convey deep meanings, not words that are reflective of the godless culture around us. Are you infected with the slang of this ungodly culture? I admit, it's extremely difficult to avoid it and in not avoiding it, we are all infected, to one degree or another, by it. I challenge you to cast it off. Make it a goal this year to put off the language of this ungodly culture and put on the 'language of Canaan.'

Refinement project: clean up your language. Adopt words with godly 'gravitas.' You and all around you will be glad. And you will most likely honor the Lord as you succeed.

However, heavy, meaningful words aren't necessarily the long, apparently impressive ones. Sometimes less is more--here's an example from the 19th century. Here's a poem about short words that I read last night during our webinar. The author was Joseph Addison Alexander (1809-1860) who was a student of Charles Hodge at Princeton Seminary in the mid-19th century. He later became a colleague of Dr. Hodge as a professor at the old Princeton. [Sadly, the modern Princeton has become very liberal.]

Charles Hodge said of his colleague, "In the death of Joseph Addison Alexander we have lost our great glory and defense. Permit me to express my own individual convictions. I regard Dr. Joseph Addison Alexander as incomparably the greatest man I ever knew--as incomparably the greatest man our church has ever produced. His thorough orthodoxy, his fervent piety, humility, faithfulness in the discharge of his duties, and reverence for the Word of God, consecrated all his other gifts. He glorified the Word of God in the sight of his pupils beyond what any man I ever saw had the power of doing."

The Power of Short Words

by Joseph Addison Alexander

Think not that strength lies in the big round word,

Or that the brief and plain must needs be weak.

To whom can this be true who once has heard

The cry for help, the tongue that all men speak

When want or woe or fear is in the throat,

So that each word gasped out is like a shriek

Pressed from the sore heart, or a strange, wild note

Sung by some fay or fiend? There is a strength

Which dies if stretched too far or spun too fine,

Which has more height than breadth, more depth

Than length.

Let but this force of thought and speech be mine,

And he that will may take the sleek fat phrase,

Which glows and burns not, though it gleam and shine;

Light, but not heat—a flash, but not a blaze!

Nor mere strength is it that the short word boasts:

It serves of more than fight or storm to tell—

The roars of waves that clash on rock bound coasts,

The crash of tall trees when the wild winds swell,

The roar of guns, the groans of men that die

On blood stained fields. It has a voice as well

For them that far off on their sick-beds lie,

For them that weep, for them that mourn the dead;

For them that laugh, and dance, and clap the hand.

To Joy’s quick step as well as Grief’s slow tread,

The sweet, plain words we learn at first keep time;

And though the theme be sad or gay or grand,

With each, with all, these may be made to chime,

In thought or speech or song, in prose or rhyme.

Perhaps some of you will remember from our first webinar taught last fall that Anglo-Saxon words are the strongest in the English language. In this poem, of the 289 one-syllable words employed, only 23 are not of Anglo-Saxon origin. [Would you like to know which are not? Here’s the list: round, brief, plain, cry, pressed, strange, note, fay, fine, force, phrase, serves, coasts, voice, dance, joy, grief, theme, gay, grand, chime, prose and rhyme.]

While we're on the subject of chopping and cutting, whittling down our words and phrases to size, maybe we should take a break and chop up a salad. Here's one of my favorites:

Mixed Baby Spinach and Arugula Salad

Ingredients:

1 box of organic baby spinach and arugula
one of the following (or all three, if you prefer):

cherry tomatoes
red bell peppers
dried cranberries

feta or goat cheese crumbles
almond slivers
Asian ginger dressing

Method:

Put the mixed greens in a salad bowl and add either cherry tomatoes, sliced red bell peppers or dried cranberries. Sometimes, I add all three. Sprinkle liberally with feta or goat cheese crumbles and almond slivers. Add the ginger dressing and dig in! I could eat this till the cows come home! (Uh-oh, there goes my reputation as an English teacher -- I told my class not to use old worn-out cliches!)

I promised several things during the class last night--recipes, the poem I read by Joseph Addison Alexander, a spell-binding speech by Daniel Webster at the 50th anniversary of the Bunker Hill battle with Lafayette present. I will deliver all of these; but first, I want to invite you to a very special tea party at my house. During our last webinar session on Thursday evening, March 24th, I will host a 'cyber tea party' and invite you to hold real ones in your own homes that day or evening. Take some pictures and post them with a link so we can enjoy your tea parties, too. Mine will actually be held next Wednesday, replete we hope, with musical offerings by the young ladies who have been invited, dainty tea party finger foods, girls in pastel shades and lace and maybe some hats! We'll read poetry, hear some music and discuss 'polite moments.'

In connection with this event, I'd love to share some of your favorite tea party finger food recipes on this blog and during the webinar. Please send any you'd like for me to share to this e-mail address:
mrs.morecraft@gmail.com

Daniel Webster's speech tomorrow, Lord willing.

A Rhyming List of Things I Love

2011-02-18T09:21:00.000-05:00

Birch Knob near 'South of the Mountain' in
Dickenson County, Virginia...
my home

Rhyming verse is NOT really poetry! But it's a lot of fun...

Things that I love

Things that I love? Too many to name!

But here’s a listing, just the same:

The silent swoop of owls at night,

Hugging you, up close and tight,

Babies’ drooling smiles and coos,

Little boys with scuffed-up shoes,

The echo of the thrasher’s call,

Crimson and golden leaves in fall,

Winter’s hush with falling snow,

Springtime’s soft and greening glow,

Cliffs and crags on mountain heights,

Stunning sunsets that fade to night,

Crashing waves with cresting foam,

Winding roads all leading home,

Small town folks with friendly faces,

City lights in far-off places,

Beech trees with their clinging leaves,

Those who live what they believe,

Milton, Calvin, Joe and Bach,

Friends who like to hear me talk,

Family dinners, special dates,

Trips to Europe, chocolate cake,

Cottage décor, hardwood floors,

Ceilings smooth and solid doors,

Country churches with lofty spires,

Thundering preachers, cathedral choirs,

Christmas trees, Thanksgiving turkey,

Roibos tea and biltong jerky,

Strong black coffee and the fruit of the vine,

Cold iced tea in the summertime,

Black Labradors and calico cats,

Leather-bound books and broad-brimmed hats,

Sandalwood soap and bay rum cologne,

Cuddling up with my honey, alone,

Reading great books that inspire and teach,

White sand, walking on a wind-swept beach,

Living each day at a leisurely pace

Finding real people behind each face,

Handwritten notes from friends far away,

Quilts and silver and pewter trays,

Thrift stores and tea towels and antique laces,

Making the most of my gifts and graces,

Living each day like it was my last,

Forgetting, forgiving hurts long past,

Giving all glory to God above,

Living by this: the greatest is love.

Pictures of places I’ve been with friends,

Friendships so deep they can never end.

Being called ‘Mama’ and ‘Grandmommy,’ too,

Red leather boots and comfortable shoes!

Linen and cotton and cashmere and wool,

Working in flowers with gardening tools,

Dark sweet cherries and brown crusty bread,

Freedom in Christ, dispelling dread,

Watching the sun come up at dawn,

Knowing that I am my husband’s crown.

Seeing the joy in each day’s hours,

Watching my grandchildren bud into flowers,

Knowing for certain that Christ is King,

Feeling His power as I pray, speak and sing,

Letting the things of this life grow dim,

Finding my all in all in Him.

RBM

2.26.2010

Revised, 2.17.2011

(unfinished!)

Always revising...

"My dear friends..."

2011-02-17T22:36:00.000-05:00

How I love words!

Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved to be read to -- by my grandfather, my parents, my aunt (who taught me to read). That kind of love just has to be passed on. It was no surprise when all four of my children decided to major in English in their various endeavors for higher education. One almost has his doctorate in American literature! Wow! I'm very impressed. Beyond that, they all just love to read. Not just anything, the popular 'best sellers' of any given month, but books that have eternal significance.

What's on your reading list? I hope the Bible is number one. After that, you should be reading books that will expand your mind, make you think and impact you in positive ways, not trash. There. I said it. Don't waste your time reading garbage, for lots of reasons. One, you will be dragged down to its level. Two, you will start to think like the rest of the world that hasn't even tasted the grace of the Gospel. Three, your actions will reflect your thinking: "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he."

You can access archived posts on this blog listing books, (just a few of them), that I recommend. I didn't come up with these lists on my own. I accessed lists from various books of lists (Christian ones) and from teachers I trust. I hope you own most, if not all, of these books or at least have borrowed and read them.

Teach your children to love good literature from their earliest days. They will attain to your high standards or be 'dumbed down' by low ones. If all they know is Disney movies and Barbie stories, you can't expect them to be dominion-oriented adults who want to proclaim and defend the rights of King Jesus over all of life. Please...think about the future NOW!

My very small grandchildren love great music -- classical and otherwise -- because they began violin (some of them) when they were five years old. My three year-old granson, Asa, knows every verse of many hymns by heart (he can't read and isn't interested in books -- yet) because he LOVES to sing. He doesn't know other songs by heart. He knows hymns and psalms by heart because that is what he's been exposed to by his parents. Please, dear parents, take this seriously. Your actions shape the future for your children and grandchildren. Teach them by example to love things of eternal value.

I loved teaching tonight's webinar class! I'm so sorry that some of you had trouble accessing the session. Please give the Customer Service Department at Vision Forum a call or send an email if you haven't figured it out.

Also, use the link you were sent for today's session to access both the power point slides (skillfully and lovingly created by Mercy who is in Kenya, 10,000 miles away -- Mercy, take a bow) as well as the audio portion of the webinar session. Again, if you can't access them, call Vision Forum. They are so helpful with problems. Give tonight's program at least 48 hours to appear. Thank you so much for attending. I love having you 'at my house' on Thursdays.

I will be visiting my family in Virginia this weekend and may not be able to find a computer with internet access. Please forgive me if I don't answer your questions till next week. Write me at mrs.morecraft@gmail.com

Soup's On!

2011-02-10T18:18:00.000-05:00

Mmmmm...can you smell it? There's nothing as comforting as the fragrance of soup cooking to warm frozen noses and invite you to the kitchen. There's been a lot of chopping going on, you can be assured.

Hungarian Goulash (photo credit Elke Dennis, 2006)

Here's one version of a recipe for this ancient soup:

Hungarian Goulash
(This basic recipe is from Soup, editor Michael Fullalove, Covent Garden Books, American edition by DK Publishing, New York, New York, 2011, p. 308. I added the potatoes and carrots!)

Serves: 6-8                  prep time: 15 mins.
Cook time: 2 hours       freezes: up to3 months

Utensils:
Chopping block
Chopping knife
Heavy stew pot
Heavy skillet
Measuring cups & spoons

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp. olive oil          1 ½ lbs. onions          3 large potatoes       3 medium carrots
2 cloves garlic             1 ½ lbs. chuck steak, cubed (lamb or pork may be used instead)
Salt and freshly ground pepper    2 Tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. caraway seeds                    1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
*(I like to add a teaspoon of cumin)
4 Tbsp. tomato puree                   1 qt. beef stock
Sour cream and parsley or chives to garnish

Method:
1. Coarsely chop two large sweet onions.
2. Heat three tablespoons of the olive oil in a large heavy stock pot or stew pot over medium heat.
3. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring so as not to burn.
4. When the onions are browned, add potatoes that have been washed and chopped into chunks (with or without the skin removed), carrots that have been peeled and cut into chunks. Stir in with the onions to preserve color. [*note: if you plan to freeze this recipe, omit the potatoes and carrots and cook them separately, adding them to the frozen mixture when you reheat it. Potatoes do not freeze well.]
5. Add the garlic, stir for about two minutes and remove from the heat.
6. Put one tablespoon olive oil in a heavy skillet and heat on medium heat.
7. Add the cubed steak and brown it on all sides.
8. Season with salt and add to the onion, garlic mixture in the stockpot.
9. Add the rest of the spices and tomato puree.
10. Return the pot to the heat and cook for five minutes, stirring constantly.
11. Pour in the beef stock. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 1 ¾ hours.
12. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve in bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream sprinkled with a dash of either paprika or cayenne pepper for color. (A sprig of parsley or a few chopped chives may also be added for a garnish of color.)

Serve with hot crusty bread and savor the love...

Were you read to as a child?

2011-01-27T15:40:00.001-05:00

Were you read to as I child? I was, early and regularly. My mother, my aunt (who taught me to read at five years old), my grandfather, teachers -- each contributed to my early love of being read to and reading. As this little poem expresses, there is no treasure to compare with having been read to as a child. Make sure you read to your children, not only silly, fun books (which have their place), but books that will ennoble them and stretch and mature them -- books that will give your young men a zeal for godly ventures and your young ladies hearts that long to please God in all their relationships and calling. Read to your children!

"I had a mother who read to me

Saga of pirates who scoured the sea,

Cutlassess clenched in their yellow teeth,

'Blackbirds' stowed in the hold beneath.

"I had a mother who read me lays

Of ancient and gallant and golden days;

Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,

Which evey boy has a right to know.

"I had a mother who read me tales

Of Gelert the hound of the hills of Wales,

True to his trust till his tragic death,

Faithfulness blent with his final breath.

"I had a mother who read me the things

That wholesome life to the boy heart brings--

Stories that stir with an upward touch,

Oh, that each mother of boys were such!

"You may have tangible wealth untold;

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be--

I had a mother who read to me."

--Stickland Gillian

http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/Frederick-Warren-Freer/Mother-And-Child-Reading.html

Happy New Year!

2011-01-14T15:07:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!

Here we are already, floating down the rapidly moving current of 2011 -- the flotsam and jetsam of our lives must not be allowed to deter our purposes this year, or so we determined as we reviewed the previous year -- are we on the same page yet?

For me, 2010 was a momentous year, a year of highs and lows beyond comparison. The best times were those spent with close family members and friends who are almost family. The worst were selfish moments spent wasting time with anxious thoughts. I really do believe that our loving, sovereign God has everything under His control, working out all His good pleasure for His glory and our ultimate good -- until I decide to worry instead of trust. Then my behavior belies my heart beliefs -- "I believe! Lord, help Thou my unbelief!!"

Family blessings are the best of all -- we are so grateful for each of our children. Our daughter, Anne, is pictured below at a family wedding. Her husband, Grant, saw a wonderful year of success with his clinic in Augusta, Georgia, Christ Community Health Services. The Lord blessed him and his partner, Robert Campbell, and many others who were deeply committed to the effort to raise enough money to begin reconstruction of the Widow's Home as the permanent location for the clinic. Due to this progress and the addition of other doctors to the staff, Grant was approached by others who asked him to pray about starting a similar clinic that provides health care to those needing it at lower or no costs in Columbus, Georgia, his hometown. It would appear they will be moving there this summer. Joey continues teaching American Literature to the AP classes and is head of the English Department at Fellowship Bible High School in Roswell, Georgia. And John is being blessed abundantly as he works for and mentors others with Northwestern Mutual in Athens, Georgia. Mercy is currently acting as a nanny/assistant in Kenya for two months, as well as photographer, for a dear family who have moved their entire family there for a couple of years to work with a missionary effort.

I praise God for my married children's wonderful spouses -- they are all great.

Our daughter, Anne, with her husband, Dr. Grant Scarborough, their four girls
and Grant's family

Here are my top 10 'highs' in no particular order:

1. Joe, Mercy and I were privileged to travel to Europe last April and May for 15 amazing days with our Vision Forum friends...we started out in Rome and travelled through Geneva, Paris, Noyon, London, York, Stirling, Bannockburn and Edinburgh, just to name a few cities of interest. Much of our traveling was on trains this time, and since I'd only ridden on trains once before in my life,this was a thrill for me. I particularly loved the ride through the French and Swiss Alps on the way to Geneva as well as the spectaular ride under the English Channel from Paris to London via the 'chunnel.' We ate incredible food in Rome and Paris especially and saw so many unbelievable historic sites and artifacts that I still haven't had time to process it all! Perhaps one of these days I will get all my photos downloaded into a book so that I can prove that I was there. The time spent developing close relationships was as precious to me, if not more so, than seeing famous places.

Even though this marked our third trip to Europe in less than two years, we relished every moment of it (well, maybe not the moment I had to get up at 3:30 a.m. to catch my flight home through Amsterdam because of the volcanic activity in Iceland that had lengthened our stay by two days and changed our return flight schedules. I'd barely missed the opportunity to fly back with Joe, but then God intervened...never mind, it's too long to tell right now...we met up in Amsterdam and flew on home together in an amazing way that I'll share with you someday.)

'My two girls' on the Europe tour, Meredith and Chelsea,
at the Colisium in Rome

2. Grandbaby #8 was born on June 9th! Miss Clara Hope Morecraft, third child and second daughter of our son John Calvin and his wife, Kim.

Big sister, Izalou, with Clara

My wonderful daughter-in-law, Kim, with baby Clara

3. Joe's 5-volume set of commentaries on the Westminster Larger Catechism was published -- a grand finale of a twenty-year effort on his part and the joint efforts of many others to make this dream come true.

Vol 1 of 5 is published!

http://www.americanvision.com/products/Authentic-Christianity-Series%3A-An-Exposition-of-the-Theology-and-Ethics-of-the-Westminster-Larger-Catechism.html

4. My webinar, "Mrs. Morecraft's School of Elocution and Writing," sponsored by Vision Forum, was a tremendous success, thanks to the sweet folks who signed up to hear me rant and rave about writing and related matters for eight weeks.
http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=45973

What a great time I had teaching these classes!!

5. My father turned 86 in July and Joe's dad was 90 on November 27th. On the same day we celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary.

from left to right: my grand-niece, Emma Claire Laughlin, my niece, Ariane Belcher, my mother, Anita Anderson Belcher, me and my dad, Clynard C., "C.C.", Belcher in their garden near Haysi, Virginia -- summer, 2010

Abingdon and Haysi, Virginia, are marked as special times with my family as I celebrated my father's 86th birthday on the last day of July and mine a few days later in August. I try to visit my family around my birthday for obvious reasons -- I was not disappointed.
6. Mercy turned 20 in November. She was my accomplice/assistant during the often grueling weeks of the webinar while still working hard on completing as many College-Plus courses as possible, honing her photography skills, tutoring, singing in the choir and much, much more ... she got a lipstick-red Kitchen Aid stand mixer for her efforts. Not bad...
(and she received a pasta making attachment for Christmas from her dad -- as did daughter Anne!)

Mercy on the beach in November with her niece, Mary Piper

7. Two favorite quotes from the grandchildren for 2010:

Hat people

# 1, from Charlie, shortly after his 2nd birthday when I held him in my lap and prayed that God would 'make you a great preacher of the gospel like Granddaddy':

Joey (two weeks after my prayer): "So, Charlie, what do you want to do when you grow up?"

Charlie: "I'm gonna be a pweacher when I grow up -- wike Granddaddy."

Joey: "Really...what are you going to preach about?"

Charlie: "MOSES! (pointing finger) 'No! No! No!'"

(By the way, now he wants to be a fireman ... much difference? Don't think so...)

Joe, IV (Joey), Joe, V (Charlie) and Jennifer

"Charlie" (Joseph Charles M., V) 'trainin', as he calls playing with his trains

# 2: Jenn (just after being with his cousins at our house): "So, Charlie, did you and Asa play much together ?"

Charlie, thoughtfully: "Umm, no. Asa, he kinda does his own thing..."

(Asa's mom confirms this evaluation...sigh...like father, like son...)

Asa Raines Morecraft, age 3

Still my fav video of all times: Asa and Izalou sing 'The Lord's Prayer' together at ages three and one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke5gBfJ2Q9M

8. Favorite person in 2010: Guess ... yep, you got it...my hero-husband, Joe. His preaching through the Psalms in the a.m. and Romans in the afternoon on Sundays is my life-breath, my meat, my drink. Thank you, Lord, for my husband. He struggles with physical challenges every day, and yet, every day he devotes his entire being to furthering the kingdom of His Lord on earth. May God be praised for the victory we know is sure in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Here's a recent sample of the treat we at Chalcedon Presbyterian Church are privileged to enjoy each Lord's Day. This one is based on Psalm 98: "Joy to the World."
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12111428209

JCM,III

9. The Phillips and Morecraft families grew even closer this year as we enjoyed conferences, visits in each other's homes and many trips together. Very special friends...

Doug, Beall, Faith and Honor in Edinburgh, listening to Joe speak

Doug and Becky singing loudly at The Baby Conference

10. Finally, my last 'high' was also mixed with several 'lows' -- losing dear friends to Heaven's glory. Their joy is unspeakable and full of glory. Our loss -- immeasurable.

My new year's resolve: To pray for others and for Christ's kingdom to 'come on earth as it is in Heaven' more than my own selfish desires in 2011.

Blessings on all of you in the new year, dear friends. If you get to glory before I do...keep my spot warm.

One small unfulfilled wish for the year:

A parting shot:

Thank you, Bertha Jean.

Here's a suggestion for a calendar with grammatical helps:

Amazing Grace - Mark O'Connor

2010-12-08T22:28:00.000-05:00

Book Recommendations for the older crowd, Part I

2010-12-02T10:28:00.005-05:00

John Calvin in his study

I used to trust people who said to me: "Oh, that movie/book is fine -- there's nothing objectionable in it at all." To my dismay, this was often not the case. I have come to realize that, even for Christians, the bars are set in different places for what is allowable and what is objectionable. This moves me to apologize if I have listed a book with which you would disagree in either content or perspective. Please, allow your own discernment to hold sway. As my Granny would say, "Use your sanctified gumption!"

We are each responsible before God to make intelligent, discerning decisions in all areas of life. I, as well as many of these authors, are still "sinners, saved by grace," struggling against our own ingrained sinful attitudes and perspectives; and, even with my best efforts, I will sometimes err on one side or the other -- either omitting something flawed that is otherwise worthy or including something that falls beneath the biblical standard: "Whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and of good repute. If there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." Phil. 4:8 ASV, paraphrased

Some of you may wonder why I haven't included books by C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Their writings had a profound influence for good on me as a young reader. I took a mini-semester course called "The Inklings" in college in which we examined the writings of Lewis, Tolkien and Williams, the prominent members of this literary society of friends. I am very aware that many of my readers have problems with reading about wizards, witches and magic which dominate much of the writings of these incredibly gifted authors. Does that mean that I won't read some of their writings? No, I have read and enjoyed many of their books (not all are my favorites but were enjoyable when I read them). I believe I understand their philosophies, having studied their lives and what influenced them and why they wrote as they did. I don't share many of the ideas which they embraced nor would I include the occult in my writing; but I don't believe I am sinning when I read their writings with a critical attitude. I know that sifting what they wrote through the grid of biblical analysis as I read is necessary as I seek the honor the Lord in this area. However, I would not recommend these or any book of this genre to immature readers who have yet to develop the 'grid' necessary to sufficiently discern good from evil.

Although the biblical standards are clear, in my opinion, these decisions fall in the area of 'Christian liberty' where we must each be responsible before God and apply wisdom. No matter what you are reading -- whether Lewis, Calvin or Morecraft -- you are responsible as a Christian reader to 'rightly divide the word of truth.' You must always wear the 'spectacles' of Biblical discernment. You are responsible, before God, for everything you do -- every minute of time, every thought, every 'idle' word. I believe it is entirely possible to read an imperfect book or story and separate the wheat from the chaff. The problem with doing this, however, especially for the young or immature reader, is that the written word can be even more seductive than the silver screen. Let the reader beware!

My 'disclaimer' stretches in both directions. I apologize ahead of time for leaving out some of your favorites as well as including some you may not prefer -- let me know what they are and why you like or dislike them. Please don't include the following in your 'like' list:

*soupy romances that claim to be 'Christian'

*poorly-written books, stories or any sloppily-written work that claims to be 'Christian'

*books full of images or language that portrays sin as 'fun' or glorifies evil

*articles, essays, stories or other writings that are inaccurate in their depictions of real-life characters or events, when real history is involved.

I realize some books I recommend, including my 'list-maker books,' may not match up to your personal criteria. I hope we can meet on 'middle ground' here and decide for ourselves whether we will read these books. I have attempted to list books that have a basic Christian principle behind or underlying them -- whether the writer was a proponent of Christianity or not -- and that are well-written, to one extent or another. Thank you for understanding my dilemma. As with all things in this fallen world, there are no perfect books since all are written by sinful men and women. I hope you will develop a Christian 'grid' that is based on 'thus saith the Lord' through which you sift and sort all that you read and write.

With these thoughts in mind, here is my 'cautious' short list of recommended books for older young people and adults (I hope to expand this as time permits):

Theology:

Authentic Christianity: Commentaries on the Westminster Larger Catechism, and other titles by Joseph C. Morecraft, III (did you think I wouldn't recommend my husband's greatest works?) These five commentaries are available both from Amercian Vision or Vision Forum. (same price) They are the product of over 20 years of work as he preached through the WCF Larger Catechism. Very practical and scholarly at once, they are useful for a thorough understanding of Scripture as only this catechism gives us. President of American Vision, Gary DeMar says either spend thousands of dollars and many years getting a seminary education or purchase these five volumes and learn as much or more! What a deal!!

Order from American Vision here: http://www.americanvision.com/products/Authentic-Christianity-Series%3A-An-Exposition-of-the-Theology-and-Ethics-of-the-Westminster-Larger-Catechism.html

or order from Vision Forum:
http://affiliates.visionforum.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=1137&=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=48562

The Institutes of the Christian Religion, and other titles by John Calvin
http://affiliates.visionforum.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=1137&=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=47220

The Institutes of Biblical Law, and other titles by R. J. Rushdoony, perhaps the most important theologian of our times.

http://chalcedon.edu/store/Biblical+Law/the-institutes-of-biblical-law-volume-i/

or order from Vision Forum here:
http://affiliates.visionforum.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=1137&=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=42281

The Sovereignty of God, by A. W. Pink. "Who is regulating affairs on this earth today -- God or the devil?" from the introduction.

By This Standard, by Greg Bahnsen. Does God's law apply today?

Knowing God, by J. I. Packer

History:

The History of the Reformation, and other titles by Merle D'Aubigne such as,
The Protector: A Vindication.

The Great Christian Revolution, and other titles by Otto Scott.

How the Irish Saved Civilization, by Thomas Cahill. (A book about Iona)

For You They Signed, by Marilyn Boyer, the stories of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

http://affiliates.visionforum.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=1137&=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=47525

Providential Battles, by Christian historian, William Potter. Twenty of the greatest battles in the world that altered history.

http://affiliates.visionforum.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=1137&=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=35272

Classics and just for fun: Tune in next week!!!

Of books, there is no end...

2010-11-12T14:28:00.002-05:00

Here's my theory and I'm sticking to it: the family that reads books together -- aloud -- as a part of their weekly fellowship, will always be 'on the same page.' I was read to often as a child and still love the sound of my mother's voice reading some favorite passage from a book, old or new. I am comforted and still inspired by the memory of my grandparent's voices as they read or quoted favorite stories, poems and passages from the Bible aloud. And visits home are never complete without my dear Papa's voice reading Scripture or Spurgeon's Morning and Eveningdevotional to the gathered family. Nothing makes me happier today than reading some of my favorite books and theirs to my grandchildren. But not just any book will do. I try to read stories to my grandchildren that are beautifully written with an underlying biblical theme, pleasing to the eye and ears. Books will influence us much like jumping into a strong stream that leads to an ocean: we will be carried along in one direction or another. Make sure you are aware of that as you read -- choose the 'ocean' towards which you want to be carried.

Reading aloud to someone is one of life's pleasures that brings blessings to both the reader and the recipient. And reading when you are alone is a treasured blessing like no other. Books can take you to places you may never visit except in your mind -- you can travel back in history or into the future; visit desert islands, medieval castles or lush forests in the Amazon valley or into hidden vallies in the Swiss Alps. Go wherever the skillful author takes you as you broaden your vocabulary, hone your writing skills and find opportunities to grow spiritually, socially and mentally as the Lord works noble thoughts and spiritual truths into your heart and mind through your reading.

My husband likes to say, "Those who read lead." And this is true. If you want to be a leader, you must be a reader. We are called as Christians, not only to follow our great Leader, the Lord Jesus, but to imitate Him in all our choices and even our preferences. Work on making wise choices in your reading preferences. Here are some lists of books I like and some that I love. They are far from complete, so check back occasionally for other recommendations.

First, I'd advise your purchasing two books that have done much of the work for us in sorting and choosing worthy books. Honey for a Child's Heart, by Gladys Hunt was the first book I used to help in book selections when my children were small. Now in its fourth edition, you will find it spiritually uplifting as well as informative. I still have the first edition and cannot tell you about the more recent ones -- you are on your own here! A more recent one, written by friends of mine, The Book Tree: A Christian Reference for Children's Literature, by Elizabeth McCallum and her daughter Jane Scott, should be in every Christian home. Both of these books set out a Christian philosophy for choosing books as well as commentary on each selection.
I'll list a few books from my longer list in several blog posts. If your favorites aren't here, feel free to comment and ask me or inform me about them. I may not have gotten to your favorites yet, or I just may not know about them. Here goes:

Pre-school: (age 5 and under)

Winnie the Pooh and related titles, by A. A. Milne

Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey

The Child’s Story Bible, by Catherine F. Vos

Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney

Make Way for Ducklings, and other titles by Robert McCloskey

All the Places to Love, by Patricia MacLachlan

Little Bear, and other titles by Else H. Minarik

Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen

The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper

Peter and the Wolf (musical edition), Sergei Prokofiev

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and other titles, by Beatrix Potter

Curious George, and other titles by Hans Rey

A Child’s Garden of Verses, by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Lord is My Shepherd, and other titles by illustrator Tasha Tudor

Elementary Fiction: (ages 6-12)

Aesop’s Fables, by Aesop

Treasury of Fairy Tales, by Hans Christian Anderson

The Mitten, by Jan Brett

Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie Brink

The Pied Piper of Hamelin, by Robert Browning

Riding the Pony Express, by Clyde Robert Bulla

The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Incredible Journey, by Shelia Burnford

The Courage of Sarah Noble, and other titles by Alice Dalgliesh

Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates (DVD), Hans Brinker; Or, the Silver Skates, by Mary Maples Dodge

William Tell, by Margaret Early

The Matchlock Gun, by Walter D. Edmonds

Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson

Tanglewood Tales, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Saint George and the Dragon, by Margaret Hodges

Huguenot Garden, and other titles by Douglas M. Jones, III

The Jungle Book, and other titles by Rudyard Kipling

Frog and Toad, and other titles by Arnold Lobel

Hiawatha, and other titles by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Lost Princess, and most other titles by George MacDonald

Iron Scouts of the Confederacy, by Lee McGiffin

Sarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlan

Anne of Green Gables, and other titles by L. M. Montgomery

The Railway Children, and other titles by E. Nesbit

Annie Henry and the Redcoats, and other titles by Susan Olasky

Two Little Confederates, by Thomas Nelson Page

Treasures in the Snow, by Patricia St. John

Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, and other titles by Margaret Sidney

The Bronze Bow, and other titles by Elizabeth Speare

Heidi, by Johanna Spyri

Little House in the Big Wood, and other titles by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Middle School Fiction: (ages 12 +)

Little Women, and other titles by Louisa May Alcott

Coral Island, http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=51704 and other titles by R. M. Ballentyne

The Pilgrim’s Progress,http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=51704 http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=29870
by John Bunyan

Canterbury Tales, adapted by Barbara Cohen, by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins

The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe
Any book by Charles Dickens except Great Expectations

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Count of Monte-Cristo, and other titles by Alexandre Dumas

Johnny Tremain, by Esther Forbes

Lieutenant Hornblower, and other titles by C. S. Forester

The Gift of the Magi, and other titles by O. Henry

The Dragon and the Raven, http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=24297 and other titles by G. A. Henty

All Things Bright and Beautiful, and other titles by James Herriott

Hind’s Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard

Tales From Shakespeare, by Charles and Mary Lamb

Brothers of the Sled, by John Leeper

The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

The Girl of the Limberlost, and other titles by Gene Stratton Porter

A Lantern in Her Hand, and other titles by Bess Streeter Aldrich

Men of Iron, and other titles by Howard Pyle

Light in the Forest The Light in the Forest, by Conrad Richter

Beowulf, the Warrior, and other titles by Ian Serraillier, translator

Kidnapped, and other titles by Robert Louis Stevenson

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, and other titles by Mark Twain

The Princess Adelina, by Julie Sutter http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=24297 http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=47832

Around the World in Eighty Days, and other titles by Jules Verne

Augustine Comes to Kent, and other titles by Barbara Willard

The Horn of Roland, and other titles by Jay Williams

The Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann R. Wyss

Elementary and Middle School Biography: (ages 12 +)

Augustine: The Farmer’s Boy of Tagaste, by P. de Zeeuw

The Talking Wire: The Story of Alexander Graham Bell, by O. J. Stevenson

Daniel Boone, by James Daugherty

Carry on, Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=65830

Alone, Yet Not Alone, by Tracy Leininger http://www.visionforum.com/1137.html&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=65830 http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/?productid=65987

John Bunyan, Author of Pilgrim’s Progress, by Sam Wellman

The Columbus Story, by Alice Dalgliesh

A Confederate Trilogy, by Mary L. Williamson

Robert Fulton, Boy Craftsman, and other titles by Marguerite Henry

George Fredric Handel: Composer of Messiah, by Charles Ludwig

Stonewall, by Jean Fritz

Johannes Kepler: Giant of Faith and Science, by John Judson Tiner

Robert E. Lee: Christian General and Gentleman, by Roddy Lee

Eric Liddell, by Catherine Swift

Queen of the Reformation, (Katherine Luther), by Charles Ludwig

Most of the books above are for high school age and above as well. I love some children's books as much as those targeted for adults. The simplicity of style is often refreshing and adult-aimed humor in children's books usually makes me smile. One such book, targeted perhaps for a children's audience but with a deep and abiding message is Matthew Wheelock's Wall - 1992 publication written by Frances Ward Weller and illustrated beautifully by Ted Lewin. You will want to purchase several of these for gifts. The message of the book always brings tears to my eyes -- building for future generations.

We'll stop there for now...this should give you plenty of reading materials to get you started for your long winter's reading by the fireside or under a cozy quilt. I pray that finding and reading good books will be an adventure for you that will never end!
Happy Reading!!

Honorable Mentions ... no small victory!

2010-11-11T23:37:00.000-05:00

Well, some of you may have been disappointed that you didn't place 1st, 2nd or 3rd in our writing contest. Here are some considerations for you that should bring smiles to your faces. First, there were over 320 entries! Think of that! You were competing with some pretty sharp writers, my friend. Secondly, we offered the contest before our instruction was complete, so you had to write from 'old skills' rather than newly acquired ones. And third, in our next webinar contest, you just may be the winning entry -- never give up. I would post some of my earliest writing for you to smile about, but it's too embarrassing. Many of your submissions far outshine my writing at your ages. I've kept at it and gradually improved, by God's grace. You will improve daily if you write daily with the important suggestions I've given you with more to come next time. Here are the criteria we used for judging (there were five judges, by the way, all qualified in more than one area of writing):

 grammatical accuracy

 strong, imaginative imagery that avoided using tired, trite phrases, jargon or slang

 good lead sentences and first paragraphs, where applicable

 clearly understood development of the theme or thesis, where applicable

 a strong concluding paragraph

 good sentence structure with strong nouns, verbs and properly used modifiers

 for rhyming poems, strict adherence to the chosen meter

 for unrhymed poems, strong, palpable imagery appropriate to the subject and additionally,

 skillful use of internal rhyme

 interesting themes for both poetry and prose --

 did the writing grab and keep our interest throughout, or was the piece

 too rhetorical (instructional with little to keep interest in a storyline)

 too artificial (either too silly and unbelievable or impossible situations)

 too boring

 too ‘wordy’?

 With articles and essays, did the writer make and prove a point well?

 If a song, was the meter adhered to throughout? Was the imagery strong? Did the words fit the tune and was the music appropriate to the message?

 In all types of writing, did the writer strike a chord with us so that we wanted to keep reading and felt satisfied when we finished reading it – either entertained, inspired, or in some other way glad we had read it? Or was the piece easy to put down, even before the end? Did we enjoy reading it?

This final point for each judge, was often the deciding factor. If your writing moved us in some way that kept us reading, kept our interest and left us wanting more, your submission had more winning potential perhaps than a piece that was written more correctly, following all the rules. but didn’t inspire or instruct our hearts or move us to a level of interest in the topic that would cause us to remember it. Learning to move the reader's emotions, not through soupy, affectatious writing, but striking a chord in the heart, is something often more given than learned. Ask God for this ability as you write.

How to win a place of notice next time:

All writing errors can be corrected. All writers can improve. Please don’t be discouraged if your name wasn’t in the list of honorable mentions or in the winner’s circle this time. Keep journaling as well as other writing exercises as you apply the suggestions we’ve mentioned in our sessions and others you can learn from the resources we've mentioned. Keep reading your poems, essays, articles and papers to your friends and parents and ask for suggestions for improvement. Keep reading great books and learn from these writers how to construct good sentences, find strong nouns and verbs as the building materials, how to use modifiers accurately, how to use discernment when describing a scene or depicting emotions or writing dialogue, how to create tangible, palpable imagery. Read great books and take notes on all these topics -- this is perhaps the best way to improve your own writing. Don’t be afraid of criticism. In fact, ask for it all the time. Ask anyone who will listen to your writing, “Does that make sense to you? What do I need to add? What do I need to take out? How could this be written to convey my point better? Do I need to re-write or just start over?” You will never improve as a runner if you don’t run or as a singer if you don’t sing. You will never become a better writer if you only practice writing skills occasionally. Write every day. Read every day. Ask the Lord to help you improve for His glory and He will.

Here are the names selected with care for honorable mention:

Stories (18 and above age group)

The Attic Treasure—submitted by the Compton siblings, Lauren, 18, Johanna 12 and Caitlin, 9
The Letter – Callan Seargent and Lourdes Torres
Beyond Recall – submitted by Laura Raborn
Ode to Preacher Joe or the Mississippi Days -- by Amy Frank
Keep Walking in His Steps -- Andrea Allan Fisher
Defending Home – by Koleesa Amundson
Alan’s Farewell – by Rebekah Morris
Samson – Olivia Cornwell
Yellow Bird – Teresa Nuckols

Articles and Essays (18 and above age group)

Resurrection Day Surprise – Faith Blum
What is Love? -- Michelle Payne
Hamlet: An Allegory - Tom Morris
Simple Blessings: Saturday Dinner - Jasmin Aprile
Of Pests and Priorities - Sarah Huslander
Upright - Debbie Hogan

Poems (18 and above)

The Mountains – Rachelle Jones
Twilight in America: A Visual Poem - Kendra Thomas
Yet Unformed - Sarah Willard
The Call of A Princess - Melinda Pound
The Appeal of a Damsel [once in distress] - Shelby Courtney
The Shepherd - Zach Strother
Bumble-Bee Words - Stephanie Perdue
Judas and the Door - Amanda Neely
Lonely Ascent - Marsha Ashabraner
Crazy - Abby Walker

Stories (13-17 age group)

Grandpa’s Story - Patti Childers
The Long Road Home - Amy Jo Underwood
Today I am Battling Restlessness… - Manus Churchill
Sir Valiant and the Will - Allison Hawbaker
Woven Secrets - Jocelyn & Gianna Stanush
The Life of Letters - Rachael Stahr
Christ Provides - Lauren Hall
Peppermint & Christmas Bread - Sarah Hall
The National Bible Bee -- Emily Brigham
My Special Place - Maria Fulton
He Has - Danielle Kent
A Walk in the Woods with God - Rebecca Wall
Chayel- Katelyn Zeiger
Henty de Valor and the Terrible Beastie- Sophia Smithe
Touching Noses - Mckynzie Neilsen
Just like Daddy Did - Hannah Monnington
The Promise - Ginelle Verhoog Tobias,
A True Knight - Rachel Cantrell

Articles and Essays (13-17 age group)

The Boston Tea Party - Hannah Scott
Rivers of Living Water - Alina Maira
Run for One - Justin Jantomaso
The Industrial Revolution - Coral Wood
A Reflection of Glory - Tiana Worthy

Poems (13-17 age group)

Remembering Him – Nicole Jones
Mommy - Rachel Hubbard
I Am God’s Poem - Anna Henderson
Wild Horses, haiku - Emma Rolf
Gen. Jackson - age 14 twins, James & Lauren Fletcher
America’s Hope - Christina Hommes
More Than Words - Jenna McKenzie
Of Warriors and Christendom - Laura Verret
In My Grandma’s Garden - Rebecca Knauss
Enter Spring - Hayley Fowler
Here I Stand - Schuyler McKonkey
Valiant, the Brave - Jaclyn Hall
The Wind - Dasha Reiss
The Calling - Faith Froemming
The Seedling - Jenna Kyler
A Thunderstorm - Rebekah Barfield

Stories: (age 12 and under)

Mercy - Paige Baker
Louisa Payne’s Story - Sierra Campbell
Sleep & Frazzled Me - Karis Churchill
Nurse at Heart - Laura Hubbard
The Mysterious Disappearance of Jon Dixon - Sophia Ellen Jantomaso
Robert E. Lee’s Character - Hannah Knight
Zachary Ward : The Coffee Machine - Angelo Ward
Cowboy Jim and the Horse Thieves - Samson Strother
The First Thanks Given - Charlotte Boyer
The Ride of Paul Revere - Aimee Pelletier
A Letter to God- Natalie Tederoff
Miracle at Premier Gorge - Joseph Anand

Poems: (age 12 and under)
Sunlight - Hannah Finck
The Wind - Rebecca Riggins
Fall is the Best Season of All - Hannah Walker
Gen. Robert E. Lee - Jacob Ward
Autumn Leaves - Gianna Lonneman
For His Pleasure - Hannah Speer
A War of Trepidation - Hannah Roethle
Dancing with Leaves - Katie Gullett
God’s Wrath- Sarah Carpenter Joy - Analaea Proffitt
The Life of William Tyndale - Matthew Presley
Keep on Christian Pilgrims - Mary Bethany Adams

And the winner is...

2010-11-05T00:50:00.000-04:00

The moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrived--here is the list of winners for Mrs. Morecraft's First Writing Contest. Each winner is asked to e-mail his or her address to mmorecraft@gmail.com so that we can send your prize to you. We are thrilled with the response and hope you love your gift. Thanks to all who entered. You each possess amazing gifts. We were privileged and honored to be able to read your writing and look forward to even better entries during our next contest, hopefully, to be held early next year. A lonnnnggg list of honorable mentions should be posted at this site early next week.

Age 12 and Younger Division

Stories:

1st place: "Sunrise Mustangs," by Danielle Dodge, (age 12), also our GRAND PRIZE WINNER!!
2nd place: "The Rescue," by David Hubbard (age 7).
3rd place: It's a tie! "Bonnie's New Year," by Isabella Saffa (age 10), and Gloria Bringe (age 12);
and, "How Americans Fight," by Daniel Hubbard (age 9).

Poetry:

1st place: "Mrs. Morecraft's Musings on Grammar & Composition," by Mary Caroline Whims (age 12)
2nd place: "Stone Clad Domain," by Aurora Hacker (age 12)
3rd place: "God Sees Everything," by Brianna Bower (age 12)

Song:

1st place: "I Worship You," by Victoria C. Lipp (age 12)

Age 13-17 Division

Stories:

1st place: "Pain of Death," Jefferey French (age 17)
2nd place: "Titanic's Last Night," by Valerie Braymer (age 13)
3rd place: It's a tie! "Home," by Alexa Myers (age 16); and "The Survivor," by Laura Andrews (age 17).

Articles and Essays:

1st place: "Never Forget," by Hannah Estes (age 17)
2nd place: "We the People," by Sarah Dana (age 15)
3rd place: It's a tie! "Character," by Grace Macias (age 16); and, "Death is Life," by Leah Macias (age 14). Yes, they are sisters!!!

Poetry:

1st place: "Lady Liberty," by Josiah Ortega (age 16)
2nd place: "Harbor Storm," by Kristina Clark (age 13)
3rd place: It's a tie! "Of Authors Great and Gone," by John Horn (age 15); and, "Life is Like Sailing," by Cassidy Clark (age 15).

Song:

1st place: "A Sinner's Plea," by Andrea Noah (age 14)
2nd place: "Cleansing Flow," by Kailey Hogan (age 15)
3rd place: "Susanna's Song," by Caroline Beckman (age 13)

18 and Older Division

Stories:

1st place: "Shiny Coin," by Jane Anne Henderson
2nd place: "Homecoming," by Sarah Bryant
3rd place: "The Gentle Prisoner," by Kathryn Yen

Articles and Essays:

1st place: "Life on the Edge," by Donna Mauney
2nd place: "Who are You? You are Life," by Riannen Schlosser

Poetry:

1st place: "The Heroine of the Woods," by Tiffany Cadle
2nd place: "The Electrical Storm," by Jill Manteufel
3rd place: "But for a Moment," by Rachel Vogel

Songs:

1st place: "Woman of Honor," by Nicki O'Donovan
2nd place: "Dreams," by Joy Billigmeier
3rd place: "Streams of Mercy," by Rachel Petersen

I'd like to highlight one winning entry tonight -- thanks to Mary Caroline Whims, age 12, for paying attention to my writing classes and taking such good notes that she could turn them into a poem! Congratulations for winning first place in the poetry division for your age group, Mary Caroline!

Mrs. Morecraft's Musings on Grammar and Composition

by Mary Caroline Whims, age 12

Diagrams, participles,

Past and present tense,

Simple subject, predicate

For building a sentence.

Watch yourself for fragments,

Keep commas all in line.

Correct your punctuation

And you will do just fine!

Create a sense of quiet.

Think of our Lord each day.

Learn to use good research tools.

Read what the experts say.

Broaden your vocabulary,

Fix your spelling, then,

Read aloud and take advice

And write it all again.

One more piece of counsel

To help you as you write:

"Thinking God's thoughts after Him,"

Is pleasant in His sight.

Preferring simple elegance,

Choose carefully each word.

Write with a Christian mindset

As you glorify the Lord!

How to Write Right

2010-10-18T22:30:00.000-04:00

I hope you love to write and receive personal letters like I do. Yes, I confess to being an e-mail addict -- so many messages to so many friends and so little time! But I receive a little thrill when I see a beautiful envelope addressed to me on the front of an envelope made of special paper in lovely, even script. *Sigh* I know the writer of this epistle, although it may be short and to the point, has spent several valuable minutes of time when they could have been doing something else much more important showing me that they care about me. And, I might add, showing me that they care about the kind of impression they are making on me. That sort of letter always leaves a very good impression, regardless of the length of the message.

We could all improve our handwriting skills. What better way to do this than in letter-writing. No, you are saying, my handwriting is terrible! I have a workable solution for you. Check out this writing handbook -- it's one of many that are available online.

Of course, the ultimate handwriting is calligraphy or italic handwriting. Once again, there are many courses available from online sources. I have several of these and have toyed with them. I hope to find time to actually sit down and take the course. Then you can be sure I'll write more letters so I can practice this skillful art.

Every beautifully written letter requires two other ingredients besides skillful writing techniques: a nice pen that will easily accomodate your new skills and lovely writing paper. The pen on the left is only one of scores of pens available online, this one from Amazon. I personally use the blackest ink I can find and cream colored paper. I have personalized writing paper which is embossed with my initials. They came with personalized gift card enclosures and note cards as well. I much prefer these to the generic variety that have 'thank you' printed on the front. Although I have received many notes written on generic cards that I treasure. The words, not the materials used always carry the most meaning to your recipient. However, the materials you use as well as the care you take in writing your letter or note reflect your values and care. Just as your choice of clothing, the way you care for your belongings, and many other habits reflect deeper character traits, even so the type of papers and style of writing you use to communicate your thoughts to someone will show something about who you are.

Next post, I'll talk more about writing papers.

Books That Help You Communicate Clearly

2010-10-10T21:55:00.004-04:00

Noah Webster was an American lexicographer, textbook pioneer, spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and prolific author. In 1806 he published his first dictionary, A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language. In 1807 Webster began compiling an expanded and fully comprehensive dictionary, An American Dictionary of the English Language; it took twenty-seven years to complete. To evaluate the etymology of words, Webster learned twenty-six languages, including Old English (Anglo-Saxon), German, Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Arabic, and Sanskrit. Webster hoped to standardize American speech, since Americans in different parts of the country used different languages. They also spelled, pronounced, and used English words differently.

Webster completed his dictionary during his year abroad in 1825 in Paris, France, and at the University of Cambridge. His book contained seventy thousand words, of which twelve thousand had never appeared in a published dictionary before. As a spelling reformer, Webster believed that English spelling rules were unnecessary, so his dictionary introduced American English spellings, replacing "colour" with "color", substituting "wagon" for "waggon", and printing "center" instead of "centre." He also added American words, like "skunk" and "squash," that did not appear in British dictionaries. At the age of seventy, Webster published his dictionary in 1828; it sold 2500 copies. In 1840, the second edition was published in two volumes. --source, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merriam-Webster

http://affiliates.visionforum.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=1137&URL=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/productlist/?search=websters+1828+dictionary Vision Forum sells a reproduction of this dictionary with all it's Christian connotations intact. Since that first publishing, many updates and revisions have taken place with the addition of thousands of newly adopted or created words.

A reward for sorting through a box of books I haven't missed for the six years I've lived in my current house was the discovery this week of a thrift store copy of The New International Webster's Pocket Grammar, Speech & Style Dictionary of the English Language. Although missing a few components such as accompanying examples in every area of instruction, nevertheless, every one of the 300+ pages is jam-packed with clear instruction in virtually every area of communication, spoken and written, even including a page of proofreaders' markings and how to interpret them on the last two pages.

A surprise was the chapter of almost 40 pages of foreign words and phrases common to English usage. Here's an excerpt from the forward to that chapter:

In a language like English, whose vocabulary is at least 80 percent borrowed from other language sources, it is not always easy to judge whether a word or expression should be considered as "foreign" or "naturalized." The chief sources of our foreign words and phrases are French and Latin. Other heavy contributors are Italian (particularly for musical terms), German, Greek, and Spanish. But English is a ready borrower and adapter, and we find in our list contributions from other European languages...from Semitic tongues, ... from languages of Asia, ...from the tongues of the American Indians; ... and even from the languages of the far pacific, notably Hawaiian. --p. 266

Following this excellent summation of the word-borrowing tendencies of our language is an easy-to-read explanation of the diacritical markings (pronunciation guides) of the words which follow. If you've ever been stumped at a restaurant featuring foreign words, this guide will be very helpful. Although there are many tools available in various languages that may fit the bill better than this one when travelling, here's a good place to start, especially if you are an "arm-chair" traveller.

Chapter IV provides helpful information for academic assignments such as research papers, book reports and reviews, science project reports and a section entitled, 'a precis.' If you are unfamiliar with this phrase, here is the description given:

A precis is a concise summary in your own words of the essential points of a longer piece of writing, usually one-fourth to one-third as long as the original. Learning how to do this provides excellent training in reading for comprehension and in mastering the technique of clear, concise, and accurate writing. It is a useful skill, if mastered, and will be a valuable tool both for schoolwork and in the business world. ... A precis, unlike a paraphrase, cuts wordage to the minimum, simplifying and getting to the essential meaning in very few words. It contains no details, examples or illustrations, and it does not allow any comment or interpretation on your part. The French meaning of the word, "exact," describes it accurately. --p. 225

Precise instructions for writing 'a precis,' follow this description. What a great idea! Are you rambling on with dependent clauses, semi-colons and wordiness that just won't find a conclusion? Stop and write 'a precis' before you find yourself lost in the maze of your words! What a great idea for students as well. Assign this as a daily or weekly exercise until concise writing, relying on nouns and verbs rather than modifiers, becomes easy.

Just as valuable if not more valuable are the sections on how to write letters of various types, how to write a resume, non-verbal and verbal communication, commonly misused and misspelled words and much more. I intend to purchase several copies of this valuable resource to keep on hand for gifts and may put one in every room of the house as well.

Roget's Thesaurus is an invaluable tool for any serious writer. Yes, we have availability to dictionaries and various other writing tools on our computers, but you need to learn to love to read your dictionary and thesaurus and become a word addict like me. Your writing skills will advance immeasurably. There are many different versions of the Thesaurus available now, as well as many different types of dictionaries -- dictionaries of synonyms (I think the thesaurus does about the same job here), rhyming dictionaries, Scrabble dictionaries, dictionaries for students ... on and on. Check it out.

I have a confession to make. When I was a child, I read the dictionary and encyclopedias for fun. We had Compton's Pictured Encyclopedia 12vol which my parents purchased from a traveling book salesman, I believe. I can still close my eyes and see the red bindings and the slick surface of the pages as my eyes slid over the mostly black and white images and words, gorging myself with information like a hungry child who fills his mouth too full. Now these encyclopedias are published by Britannica and are available on CD-Rom at a fraction of the price of the hardcover edition which you can still purchase for just under $1,000. I believe. I confess my delight in turning pages, rather than clicking on links. There is something wonderful about touching the paper and smelling the ink or the dusty emanations from old volumes that have been here longer and perhaps been held in the hands of other bibliophiles. 'Boring old books' can come alive if you love them long enough.

A word of caution, however, as you peruse the contents of the more modern dictionaries, thesaurus listings and encyclopedias. We live in a world that has lost its comprehension of a Christian mindset and world-view.

Believing that God is the Creator of all things and the Source of all knowledge and wisdom provides the foundation and backdrop for the Christian's belief system. "In Him [Christ] are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," Colossians 2:3. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge," Proverbs 1:7. But the humanists who largely dominate our educational systems today have stolen that heritage from us.

We read in the newer editions of dictionaries such as the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, definitions such as this one:

Christian:one who professes belief in Jesus Christ.

Compare that definition to the one given by Noah Webster in his 1828 dictionary:

Christian: 3. A real disciple of Christ; one who believes in the truth of the Christian religion, and studies to follow the example, and obey the precepts, of Christ; a believer in Christ who is characterized by real piety.

May I encourage you to purchase the original Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary containing definitions of words from a Christian worldview. Vision Forum's link to purchase is: http://affiliates.visionforum.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=1137&URL=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/productlist/?search=websters+1828+dictionary

http://affiliates.visionforum.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=1137&url=http://www.visionforum.com/browse/productlist/?search=websters+1828+dictionary

Truth is not negotiable! Choose your words and their definitions wisely.

Wonderful Words...

2010-10-01T00:02:00.003-04:00

I'm so glad you could come to class tonight at my house...Mercy and I had a marvelous time hosting you here. Thanks for not parking on the wet grass. ;-)

Some of you wanted to order my little book of poems, "Roots & Vines." The books are $10. each, plus $2.00, shipping and handling, for a total of $12.00.
Send us an order with your check to: Becky Morecraft, 302 Pilgrim Mill Rd./ Cumming, GA 30040.

We've only just begun to consider poetry -- we'll continue to think about great poets, their poems, how to read and write poetry ourselves in the next two sessions. During one of them, I hope to have my sister, songwriter Judy Rogers, as a guest, helping us pursue the subject of writing poems as songs

Here's a link to some music and books I love. The "Little Lamb" song I sang tonight from William Blake's poem, was recorded by Carly Simon and one of her sisters in the '70's on a recording called, "Sing Songs for Children," which has recently been re-released. Judy and I sing it often to our grandchildren. You will love this recording! I think you'll enjoy all the children's songs on this recording, but I haven't heard the whole thing in a while, so 'disclaimer' if there's something objectionable -- I'm pretty sure It's all good.

Don't forget to go to my sister's website and listen to some samples from her recordings. The web address is http://www.judyrogers.com/ Judy's music is impeccably biblical and singable. If you aren't already a fan, you will be after even one listen. You can also hear and download Judy's music at http://www.bluebehemoth.com/ I'm privileged to sing many songs with her on the recordings, the most on "Arise! Shine!" Our children, all grown with children now, (except for Mercy), sing on the earlier recordings. What a blessing to see our children's children now learning and loving Judy's God-honoring music!!

Two of the women who have most influenced my writing are Suzanne Rhodes and Luci Shaw. Their books are wonderful and easily available. Suzanne's books can be purchased from Canon Press. The link for her student poet's manual -- The Roar From the Other Side -- which I referenced many times tonight is:
http://www.canonpress.org/shop/search.asp?search=suzanne+rhodes&sortby=name&sfield=custom1

And her newly released book of poetic prose and wonderful poems about her life as a mother, wife and observer of God's grace is entitled, A Welcome Shore. The link: http://www.canonpress.org/shop/search.asp?search=a+welcome+shore&sortby=name&sfield=name

Luci Shaw is one of America's premiere Christian authors and poets. All of her writing reveals her God-owned heart. I first read, Listen to the Green, when it was given to me as a gift in the late '80's. My thoughts about poetry have been expanded and my writing of both poetry and prose, become more compact ever since. I know you will love this book especially, although I have many of her others as well. Explore and enjoy.

Here's a little poem I wrote, fresh from the inspiration of her writer's retreat in 1997:

(background: I had just been to South Africa with my husband for a mission trip and saw Zulu and other tribal women sitting outside the Pretoria zoo, making beaded jewelry, belts and trinkets...)

Bartering, Pretoria

(for Luci Shaw at Kanuga)

All day she beads her bright poems

onto belts and bands,

squat in the dirt,

her baby tethered to her

by a long, red rag.

Her nimble fingers fly,

sorting fragments,

chips of hope on thread,

strung together

and sold for silver.

Around my waist I'll wear her bartered skill

to art shows, conferences and concerts

when I choose denim and Africa;

while she in trade

will feed her child tonight.

RBM

6/1/'97

Tonight many of you asked for lists of poetry books I would recommend. Suzanne Rhodes and Luci Shaw have written many of the modern poems I enjoy. Most of their poetry is what is called 'blank verse,' or unrhymed poetry. They are both extremely skillful in this genre. But, I'm certain they could each write rhymed verse that is equally wonderful. In Listen to the Green, Mrs. Shaw's rhymed verse is breath-taking. I'll be reading a selection of some of her work next week, I hope. Rhymed poetry can become trite -- simplistic, soupy and wordy. Paring your words down to the 'exact' words needed to convey your message should be one of your goals as a poet, whether your poetry is rhymed and following exact patterns (we'll talk about those next week) or unrhymed, blank verse.

Who do I love to read? There are many, many poets I love and read as often as possible. I cut my teeth on poets such as Alfred Lord Tennyson, William Wordsworth, John Milton, Geoffrey Chaucer, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Frost, Shakespeare, Robert Service, Eugene Fields, Rudyard Kipling and many others. I came from a family of readers and writers, so I had early and frequent exposure to so many great writers in every genre. One of the greatest encouragements I ever gave my own children was to teach them to read using McGuffey readers. There are many wonderful poems in these readers! My son, John Calvin, recited, "The boy stood on the burning deck, whence all but him had fled...," at about nine years of age...there wasn't a dry eye in the house! Read great poems of every type aloud to your children -- it's important to learn HOW to read poetry, not in a sing-songy voice, but putting the emphasis on verbs and nouns and not at the end of each line. And then have your children read them aloud -- find poems that are appropriate to your children's stage and age and have them memorize portions of poems or whole poems. These lines will stay with them FOREVER! Especially poems that are put to music will stick in the brain...you know what I mean, don't you?

Purchase a great book -- "Best Loved Poems of the American People." (see link) When our older children were able to read, we would frequently have a poetry reading night, sit around the living room and choose favorite poems to read aloud. What great memories that made! Alongside a collection of poems, I recommend your children memorize poetry. A common practice that has been abandoned in modern times, perhaps because so many children watch television which has brief segments of action, broken up with commercials. Modern children haven't developed the skills required for memorization. I highly recommend a book that I have a link for on this page called, Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization, student workbook. Also, you can purchase a 3-cd set of poems, read aloud by Andrew Pudewa, along with instructional book. Here's the link: Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization, a Mastery Learning Approach , Poems Selected and Read By Andrew Pudewa 3cd's and 1 Dvd in Case. This book will guide you and your student through the steps necessary for memorization of poetry and show the additional benefits that will accompany this endeavor. Thanks to the Tully family for telling me about this book.

In terms of curriculum, I would highly recommend your listening to Victoria Botkin's cd, (available from Vision Forum, I believe ?), on how to choose curriculum. Those Botkins are bright folks and I highly respect their educational advice.

But in terms of teaching writing, my best advice is to do what I did and give your children lists of books to read, appropriate to their stage, and report to you about each one. As they write a short report, you will be able to ascertain if they actually read and understood the content, as well as teach important grammar lessons. Mind you, reading for reading's sake may be valuable on some levels, but it profiteth little. Grasping the content and precepts of books should be your ultimate goal. I am working on an updated list of recommended books for each level; but for now, check out Vision Forum's books -- particularly biographies and historical fiction. I hope this gets you started! I've already recommended some of my favorite books for teaching grammar and writing skills on earlier blog posts. Just go to my archived section and look back ...

Please thank Mercy some time -- she really worked hard this week and was rewarded with a successful slide presentation as well as great audio. She has to work from my PC instead of her Macbook because of the program we use to record each session. Bless her heart...what a daughter!!

God bless you and I look forward to our next class...the man of fire...who was he?

Writing Contest Rules & Prizes...and more!

2010-09-30T13:41:00.002-04:00

Mrs. Morecraft's Writing Contest

please submit entries to mmorecraft@gmail.com

You MUST write 'Contest Entry for Oct. 14' in the subject line of the e-mail with your submission attached in order for your entry to be received.

Rules and guidelines:

1.You may submit an original short story, a poem, an article, or song.

2.Word limit, 1,000 words, (use your computer's word count feature).

3.The topic may be fictional or based on reality. (Remember to write with a Christian mindset, so guard your heart and words accordingly. Listen to Week I of the webinar for guidelines in this regard).

4.Please indicate your name and age on your entry. Entries will be loosely divided into three age groups for each category of writing: 12 or younger, 13-17, 18 and older.

5.Prizes will be awarded to the top three writers in each category and age group.

6. Entry deadline is October 14th, 12 o'clock midnight, Eastern Standard Time.
No late entries will be accepted.

7.One entry per person.

8.Please send your entry to mmorecraft@gmail.com.

9.No reply will be sent to acknowledge your entry due to the number of people who may submit entries -- sorry.

10.Winners will be chosen by a panel of expert judges. If in attendance at the SAICFF (San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival), the winners will be awarded their prize during the festival by Bertha Jean herself! If not in attendance, the winners will receive their prize in the mail. Winning entries will be featured on one of the last two sessions of the webinar as well.

11. Judging will be unbiased as each entry will be given a number so that the identity of each entrant will be unknown until judging is complete.

Partial list of prizes to be awarded:

The Grand Prize: Mrs. Morecraft will personally assist you in editing your work and pursuing publication. The Grand Prize winner will also receive a copy of Verses of Virtue, edited by Beall Phillips and Roots & Vines, a poetry book by Rebecca B. Morecraft.

Other prize-winners will receive one of the following: autographed copies of Mrs. Morecraft's poetry book, autographed copies of Verses of Virtue, Vision Forum's calligraphy box and pens and journals or similar prizes.

Game Night Fun!!

2010-09-24T14:28:00.001-04:00

Game night ideas! We play Scrabble or 'Speed Scrabble' -- do you know how that works?
My daughter-in-law, Kim, taught me how to play this several years ago. Don't play with Kim.
You will never win. Or if you do, you will live to regret it! (Just kidding!)

Speed Scrabble 'rules'
Place the tiles face down on the table, as usual.
Every player takes seven tiles.
Immediately start making words with your tiles all by yourself. You are essentially creating your own crossword puzzle.
When your tiles are all used, you say, "Take one," and you and each player may choose one more tile. This continues until all the tiles are used up. A minute or so is allowed to give each player time to try to use up all their tiles. Add up your score by counting the number value on each tile, just like with real Scrabble. Subtract the number value of any of your unused tiles from your total score. The highest score is the winning player.

Pretty obviously, if you get a high value letter and can use it twice, in two words that cross, you almost certainly will win. But if you can't use the high-scoring letters, subtracting them from your final score means you almost certainly lose. Sound fun? It is...

Eats Shoots & Leaves ... hmmm ... where should the comma go? A fun book all about punctuation.
Who says writing has to be boring!!

Here's a link to a book for young writers. I just received my copy from Amazon and it looks very helpful -- no fluff, just good instruction with lots of examples of 13 categories clearly explained "to help students correct composition problems."
A paperback book, only 67 pages long, plus the index, this is a gem.
Learning Grammar Through Writing

And here are a couple more -- let me know what you think after you purchase yours. In fact, if you will send me a review or critique, I'll post it here on my blog.
(Subject to my editing, of course!)

Mrs. Morecraft's Writing Contest Rules (and more)

2010-09-24T00:48:00.003-04:00

We want to glorify God in the study of writing and all else we do. We're excited about what we have coming up next week, the first of two sessions on writing poetry and journaling, along with additional input for our Grammar Sidebar. We're working on having a special guest who will read one of his and our favorite poems during the class! Be sure to tune in for this very special event.

Please do call Vision Forum's costumer service department if you are registered for the webinar and haven't received your link to hear this week's -- or last week's -- recorded session.
I highly recommend a few books to help you with important areas of writing, such as style, grammar, imagery, word choice and much more. They are listed here on my site. All you have to do is click on the link and you'll be directed to the page on Amazon where you can order the book. I'll be putting a few more up from time to time, so check back.

Mrs. Morecraft's Writing Contest

submit entries to mmorecraft@gmail.com
you MUST write 'Contest Entry for Oct. 14'
in the subject line of the e-mail with your submission attached
in order for your entry to be accepted.

Rules and guidelines:

You may submit an original short story, a poem, an article, or song.
Word limit, 1,000 words, (use your computer's word count feature).
The topic may be fictional or based on reality. (Remember to write with a Christian mindset, so guard your heart and words accordingly. Listen to Week I of the webinar for guidelines in this regard).
Please indicate your name and age on your entry.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three writers in each category and age group.
Entry deadline is October 14^th. No late entries will be accepted.
One entry per person.
Please send your entry to mmorecraft@gmail.com.
No reply will be sent to acknowledge your entry, due to the number of people who may submit entries -- sorry.
Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges. If in attendance at the SAICFF (San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival), the prizes will be awarded during the festival by Bertha Jean herself! If not in attendance, you will receive your prize in the mail. Winning entries will be featured on one of the last two sessions of the webinar.
Judging will be unbiased as each entry will be given a number so that the identity of each entrant will be unknown until judging is complete.

"Words are all I have to steal your heart away..." Elvis

2010-09-22T19:54:00.000-04:00

Here I sit, all alone, on the brown leather couch that faces a cathedral window in my living room, as thoughts of you fill my mind. Outside my window hardwood trees stretch to their full height, brushing low-hanging clouds in this late summer Georgia sky. As I think expectantly of your visit with me tomorrow, I anticipate, a little breathlessly, what I want to say to you. All I have are words -- will they be the right ones? Will they answer questions you've wanted to ask all week? Will they confuse or delight? All I have are words...I pray they come close enough to quenching a little of your thirst for glorious writing but that they will leave you wanting more. And herein lies the mystery of good writing -- we plunge ahead, breathlessly reading the page and turning hurriedly to the next one, anxious to know how it all turns out, but disappointed, even with a happy ending, when it's all over. We lay the book aside and run out to buy the next one. What a disappointment to discover that there are no more! Well, then...we'll just have to write the next one ourselves, only with better characters, a more complex plot and a surprise ending maybe...still working on those thoughts.

Oh, here's the link (above) to the book I mentioned to you last week. It's one of the best, written originally by E.B. White, author of Charlotte's Web.

Thanks for coming to my house on Thursday evenings! I know there were and maybe still are some technical difficulties, but, bear with us! We're working on all of it. Your comments and suggestions have been so helpful. I'm excited about 'seeing' you tomorrow at 8 p.m. Plan on staying a bit later tomorrow so we can enjoy's Mercy's Apple pie tartlets with fresh cream on top! Yummm! (Recipe to follow).

Another book I highly recommend is Writing to God's Glory, by Jill Bond. Jill's approach is fresh and highly biblical. You will find the exercises and suggestions helpful and invigorating.

Grace Notes: Greetings, my webinar friends!

2010-09-17T22:34:00.001-04:00

Grace Notes: Greetings, my webinar friends!

2010-09-17T22:34:00.000-04:00

Grace Notes: Greetings, my webinar friends!

Greetings, my webinar friends!

2010-09-16T22:58:00.005-04:00

I had a wonderful time with our class last evening, although, I apologize that the room did get a bit stuffy with all of you lovely people sitting around on the couches, floor and extra chairs pulled in from the dining room! ;-)

What a delight to share our love for language as it relates to developing our skills as writers and speakers! I'm working on pulling together the power-point slides for you, as well as occasionally recommending a book that I think will help you hone your skills or help your children develop theirs. We had a few technical difficulties with our first session -- thanks for your patience and understanding. We hope to improve in these areas every week.

A few of you have sent suggestions, questions, and even some of the poems and stories you wrote tonight about Jane and her little black lamb! Great response! We'll get to as many as possible and try to get back with you. If you had technical difficulties, I'd advise sending your questions to Vision Forum's customer service department since our tech skills are limited here at home, as you could probably tell from a couple of issues we had during the first session. If you have trouble getting through to Vision Forum, let us know and we'll field the question as best we can. One suggestion we have heard is that if the sound was low on your computer, you may need either head-sets or speakers that will connect to your computer.

Here are my suggested assignments for the week:

1.) If you don't already have one, set up a regular Bible reading program for yourself and /or your family. As a part of this program, keep a Bible dictionary, Strong's exhaustive concordance or another good concordance, and notebook nearby so that you can write down favorite verses, suggestions for further study, interesting new facts and words or whatever the Lord brings to mind. Also, write down any questions you have and ask your pastor, husband, elder, or you dad -- whoever is in authority over you -- to help you find answers. As you read the Bible, ask the Lord to show you ways you can take the truth of His word and improve your skills as a writer to bring Him glory.

In connection with this suggestion, remember my recommendation to find a copy of the Westminster Confession of Faith and its Larger and Shorter Catechisms. We memorized the Shorter Catechism when I was growing up and all of my children did as well. It's a wonderful practice for everyone in the family to work on one catechism question a week, look up the Scripture references and discuss it at breakfast or dinner. As you read it, notice the very concise way the men who wrote these documents phrased their sentences. There is no 'fluff' in their writing. Instead, they wrote to encourage Christians to rely on Scripture alone for their beliefs, not the opinions of men.

2.) Review basic grammar -- parts of speech, sentence structure, punctuation -- if you're older, all those things you learned and do by rote now, but may have become a little rusty applying on occasion. If you're young, now's the time to drill these into your head. I'll be recommending some of my favorite books that will help you learn the basics using interesting methodologies in a few days, Lord willing.

3.) Journal! Write as much as possible, in complete sentences, and with expanded vocabulary. Try to think of new ways to say the same old things that bring new life to your thoughts. Check out famous diaries from the past and learn from them. Create a blog, even if it's just for yourself or a few friends, but make it worthwhile, not just idle chat. Write about recipes, the weather, your hobbies. If you're married with a family, write about your children, your pets, your interests -- whatever the Lord has given you to do. Then expand your interest a bit into other areas -- test out a few new hobbies, things your parents or children enjoy that you've never really tried -- see how this will awaken new areas of your brain and make your writing more interesting. Also, consider keeping a separate prayer journal. As you pour out your heart to the Lord, write honestly, but carefully :0, remembering that you don't want to embarrass either yourself or future generations who may read your writings! As you read back over your prayer journal, you will be amazed to see many times how God answered your prayers, not by granting what you thought you needed at the time, but by giving you something better -- a sense of His presence and love through times of trial.

4.) Write real letters! Instead of an e-mail, send a friend or relative a real hand-written letter. Use beautiful paper, a nice pen and language that is real but lovely, with thoughtfully chosen vocabulary. More on this in another class. Check out Vision Forum's offerings in these areas -- I know they have a beautiful box with calligraphy pens and other related items for sale.

5.)Check back tomorrow for a possible new link to my blog. I'm having a little difficulty with this site. When I get it set up, I'll list recommended books with a link for easy purchase which will give you a head-start on the next few weeks of classes.

Until then, God's blessings on you. I'm praying for the Lord to make Himself real to you in all you do this week, for His glory.

Becky Morecraft

"Give her the fruit of her hands..."

2010-09-09T07:38:00.010-04:00

Praise for my mother for her steadfast devotion to the Lord, her husband, her mountain heritage and land, her family and her church cannot be exaggerated. She is my prime example of godly womanhood in all its facets of beauty, wisdom and grace. She has passed her passion for life, for literature, for learning down to her children. We but follow feebly in her firm footsteps that always lead us to the foot of the Throne where our strong and kind Savior sits to chide, forgive and bless. Every nuance of every gift and grace I possess, I account to my mother's nurturing. This little poem is but a poor tribute to her blessings in my life and the lives of thousands of others with whom she has come in contact during the past 81 years. May God continue to bless you, dearest Mama.

The Fruit of Her Hands

"Give her the fruit of her hands and let her works

praise her in the gates." Prov. 31:31

My mother's roots wrap mine

in pithy strength,

fending off

the August drought

and creeping blight,

the canker worms

who fear her light and

crawl back to their hollow darkness,

cowering.

Her blue eyes see

clear down

through all my muddiness

to clumps that

clog my springs of joy;

and on her knees,

with both hand tugging,

she sees it right again.

With both hands open,

scattering seeds,

she feeds us full

to overflowing.

No friend nor stranger

passes from her door

with needs denied.

Her briars kept clipped,

she harms no beast nor bird,

but, ever abiding,

props the weaker limbs

with grace,

distilling

healing dew

at pruning time.

Rebecca Belcher Morecraft

from, Roots & Vines

1999

After Your Last Breath

2010-08-14T10:17:00.010-04:00

My sister, Judy Rogers, loves to take photos. She is a poet, singer, artist, photographer, comic (sometimes untentionally :-) and beautiful mother and grandmother to eight (so far). Her thoughtful words sent to me today will inspire you, as they have me, to live for eternity.

After Your Last Breath

On the evening, August 12, 2010, the news came through my email of the name of one of the missionary workers killed by the Taliban the week before in Afghanistan, Brian Carderelli. The report stated that he was a Christian and a member of a PCA Church in Harrisonburg, Va. who had been serving some of the other medical missionaries since last September by documenting their efforts through his videography & photography skills. Though I didn’t know this young man personally, my heart grieved for his sorrowing family & church.

As I thought of what we would refer to as his “untimely death”, that all too familiar & often avoided scripture, “It is appointed unto man once to die & after that the judgment,” rushed to mind . I thought, through my tears, of what Brian might have been doing up to the moment of his last breath. No doubt he had been busy about kingdom work, seeking to implement his less than one year old digital video degree from James Madison University to aid in presenting a message that would glorify God by increasing a burden for the health & souls of the Afghan people. I’m sure he had lots of footage & photos, but in an instant, it was all left behind & God called him home.

I thought of my own life, a lover of photography myself, and the 25,000 photos on my computer and my desk & shelves strewn with pictures, papers, CDs, books & Bible study notes. I was reminded that I, too, will take my last breath, probably when I least expect it, and what will remain to show for the life I have lived? What will soon be gladly discarded? What will be kept & treasured? And more importantly, what treasures have I “laid up in heaven?”

As Christians, every calling is a high calling from God; missionaries, farmers, plumbers, businessmen, teachers, mothers - none is less honorable than another. But how we spend each day & every breath is a calling that should sober us – not momentarily as we share in someone else’s sorrow – but in an ongoing effort to leave behind very little of that which “moth & rust will destroy & thieves will break in & steal,” but to leave a godly legacy, whether by reputation or documentation, or both, so that after our last breath, our great store of kingdom treasures will shine brightly in our loved ones’ hour of darkness & sorrow.

Judy Rogers August 12, 2010

Why I Write...epic poems and other things

2010-02-04T15:28:00.006-05:00

(What follows is the preface to an 'epic' poem I penned for Vision Forum's quadricentennial celebration of the settlement of Jamestown in 2007. I say 'epic' because of its unsuspected length (I didn't intend to make it this long), not because I believe it equal to others dubbed as such. In this preface, actually written several months after the poem itself, I open my heart to you, my reader. Follow me into my childhood haunts and track the simple workings of my brain that lead me back home, always, over and again.)

Preface and Acknowledgement

In June of this year, [2007] I was privileged to write the original, more prosaic version of the poem that follows this preface, for Vision Forum’s 400^th Jubilee Celebration of Jamestown’s settlement. The following paragraphs give some background for the direction the poem took when, at last, I found a poetic ‘voice’ to tell the story. Before I read the poem to the gathered audience under the big white tent, I said something like this in introduction:

Recently I spent a week at the beach with my children and grandchildren. They love to hear my stories and ballads and asked to hear favorites every day. I come from a long line of storytellers and can anticipate the request of each one–little four-year old Anita wants princesses because she imagines she is one; for Jane, at six, exciting stories of adventures, battles and horses and scary beasts are perfect; Jessie and Izalou, at age two, are happy with attention from Grandmommy. Every night at bedtime, their sleepy eyes expectantly searched my face as I told them all their favorites, along with my own favorites--stories about when I was little, growing up in the rugged mountains of Virginia. Ballads and hymns taught me by my mother, passed on from hers, sang them to sleep.

My husband and I had brought stacks of books with us for further research on the settlement of Jamestown in preparation for our participation in Vision Forum’s celebration of the event two weeks later. As we read the rich history of all that occurred during those early years, much of it from first-hand narratives, and began sharing incredible accounts of God’s hand of providence with our children and grandchildren, a picture emerged to me of a grandfather reliving with his grandchild events through which he had struggled: I had found the “voice” I had prayed for to tell these remarkable stories of our nation’s beginnings.

The realization that this voice was a strong one from my childhood gradually dawned on me as the grandfather in the poem began to take on flesh and blood through his stories. The voice wasn’t vague but was one that is forever enshrined in my heart: the voice of my own story-telling grandfather.

How can the scope of the drama of Jamestown be conveyed in mere words? The bravery and horrors, the battles and intrigue, the romance, ingenuity and tragedy that played out on the stage of history, both in England and Virginia; while overarching and under-girding each scene the mighty hand of Providence worked through the perseverance of men. How could this grand history be recounted so as to engage the minds of the young and capture the consciences of those caught unaware of history’s power to inspire? It helps to have been bathed in a stream of epic tales since childhood as I was, virtually breathing in with the crisp mountain air a reverence for the land, sinful man’s losses and righteous men’s crosses, the poignancy, passion, and final redemption or damnation all men face. My grandfather often quoted from Longfellow, Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal. ‘Dust thou art, to dust returnest’ was not spoken of the soul, (from A Psalm of Life, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow).

My grandfather was small of stature, but I never knew that until I saw pictures of him when I was grown up. Maybe the reason he seemed bigger than life to me was because of the gargantuan stories he read and told me when I was a little girl–-I was riveted by selections he chose from La Chanson de Roland, Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Spencer’s Faerie Queen, Milton’s Paradise Lost, and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. A former schoolteacher turned Presbyterian preacher, he showered me with a plethora of stories from history and literature. On Sundays after Granny’s home-cooked lunch, he’d quiz us on Bible trivia and check up on our memorization (and comprehension) of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Of course, we read the Bible--the book of Job was our favorite to read aloud because of its majestic, poetic descriptions of God’s creation and its happy ending! I delighted to hear him read or quote poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, William Wordsworth, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Service, and Rudyard Kipling, to name a few favorites. This rich heritage is better far to me than chests of gold!

The clank of the old Royal typewriter keys as Grandpa carefully prepared his sermons each week and the pungent smell of the mimeograph ink mingled with the scent of the dust of the decades clinging to his old books will forever remain in my memory. He let me help make the Sunday bulletin on Saturdays in the summer. The heat of that cramped, third-story office in the manse intensified the sounds and smells that seemed to seep into my pores, enveloping me like a mantle. I never felt that I was interfering; rather, as he talked and listened to me, always giving me real work to do, no matter how small the job, we became a team. I was helping my grandfather and I was content.

Gradually and steadily, under his wise and loving tutelage, together with that of my parents, theologically, morally and historically, I formed a solid personal identity and found a foothold in the rapidly moving current of history. This firm foundation is the bedrock, the base upon which I have built my life and it is broad and strong enough to hold future generations.

I adored my grandfather--we were “kindred spirits”; and I loved my Grandpa’s dad. Great-Grandpa Charles had a snowy beard and hair that curled in soft clouds around his gentle face. He always carried peppermints in his pockets for his grandchildren and often entertained us with little songs or stories. One evening, when just a hint of frost was in the air, he sat rocking on the back porch where the nearby Golden Delicious apple tree spilled its juicy treasures for our eager mouths. The shadows made by the trees as the sun set behind the craggy cliffs across the little river a few hundred yards away were creeping across the lawn. I munched my apple and decided to try to make conversation.

“Gonna be gettin’ cold soon, Great-Grandpa,” I ventured. “Want me to fetch your shawl?” When he didn’t answer, I got up from my seat on the painted porch floor where I’d been dangling my legs, enjoying the peace of the quiet Sabbath afternoon and touched his arm.

“Great-grandpa, did you hear me?” His head was bowed onto his chest and his whittling knife slipped soundlessly to the floor a-top curled shavings from the toy he had started for me. On the backside of the blade, I could see the worn place his thumb had made. It was our last moment together: Hush’d is the harp: the Minstrel gone, (from The Lay of the Last Minstrel, by Sir Walter Scott). I was seven years old and thought it was tragic that my great-grandpa had died so suddenly and alone. But now, more than fifty years later, my perspective has broadened.

I am a grandparent, six times over, so far. I have five “born” grandchildren and one due early next year. I pray that I may live to a ripe old age and see them become strong, Christian warriors as my children, their parents have grown up to become. But I have come to realize that there was a blessing attached to my kind great-grandfather peacefully passing on to glory as he watched me happily swinging my short legs out into the future. The length of our days holds much less importance than the heritage we leave our children who will either bless or curse our memory. A long life can be one of misery if fraught with bitterness and discontentment from a rebellious heart; while a life dedicated to the glory of God and trusting in Providence, even though it may be short, will be a blessed one through submission to God’s sovereign hand and faithfulness to His revealed will in Scripture. As we read history with a Christian mind, these parallel truths stand out in bas-relief.

Belief in God’s sovereign purposes accompanied by daily discipline and devotion to duty kept the fear of death at bay for my grandparents and many of the original settlers. Arms become steeled for battle when such a belief is strongly held and life-altering decisions become plain, if not always easy to make. For a man, woman or child devoted to duty, as it is properly understood, death is not the greatest enemy. Are we not stirred to perseverance by the boy, who, faithful to his father’s orders, stayed at his post on a burning ship? “The boy stood on the burning deck, whence all but him had fled…,” (from Casabianca, by Felicia Hemans). My own son, John Calvin, memorized this poem from his McGuffey Reader, as did my grandfather almost a century before him! Courage and faithfulness were stamped on the consciences of generations of brave men and women who inspired their children and grandchildren to embrace heroism and virtue, not only through their own daily examples, but also through the tools of Scripture, true tales from history, stirring poetry, music that inspires the heart and great literature. Our current age and culture, in large part, seems to have cast these standards off as outdated sentimentalism.

Such a faithful man was Matthew Maury of Virginia, who in a letter to the Grand Admiral of Russia in the mid-1800’s, declining his invitation to continue his studies in oceanography at St. Petersburg, gave his reasons: I am contending, as the fathers of the Republic did, for the right of self-government, and those very principles for the maintenance of which Washington fought, when this, his native state, was a colony of Great Britain. The path of duty and honor is therefore plain, (from Library of Southern Literature, VIII, pp. 3453-3454, quoted by Richard M. Weaver in, The Southern Tradition at Bay, p. 169).

We are called quite simply to be faithful; not necessarily to accomplish feats of grandeur and achieve fleeting fame, but to stand at our post, relying on the grace of an all-sufficient God, and be faithful as they were who came before us, those who realized the joy of triumphant perseverance! Not cruel fate, but kind Providence guides our fragile bark through the tempests and squalls to safe haven. Death’s neither early nor too late: our times are in His hands. Be faithful: this our only task. He’s wiser Who has planned. --RBM

My great-grandparents, Charles and Sarah (Raines) Anderson, blessed us with my wonderful grandfather, their son, Elihu Hiram Anderson, faithful minister of the Gospel, educator, storyteller, balladeer and godly example. I am grateful for the legacy of his sterling character, his love for the Lord, the testimony of his life’s diligent work, and for the stories, poems and songs he passed on to both my mother and me, as well as hundreds of friends, students and parishioners who were privileged to know him. I could never adequately thank my unforgettable grandmother, “Granny Anne,” Anne (Fuller) Anderson, his wife, who was everything a grandmother should be; nor her daughter, my mother’s sister, my Aunt Virginia Belle, who taught me to read in a little two-room wooden school house on Prater Creek. I loved cuddling in her lap as a very little girl and hearing her gentle voice read poems as steam from her cup of tea made sweet-smelling curls in the air.

My mother was delighted to hear of the poem project I had undertaken for our state and nation’s 400^th birthday. I watched excitedly as she turned the pages, reading each line for the first time as familiarly as if she’d written it herself. Suddenly she stopped and said, “Honey, I’ve heard about these events before.” Her china blue eyes opened wider and she snapped her fingers–“I know where!” she exclaimed and raced back to her bedroom to return with an antique book across whose faded cover I could barely make out the title: To Have and to Hold, by Mary Johnston, an up-dated copy of which I had just read during the week at the beach because of the history of the settlement of Jamestown it contains. “My dad, your grandpa, read this book over and over and had practically memorized it. He told it to me from memory as we walked to school together when I was just a small child. It was one of our favorites.” My mother had often told me how she stayed beside him from the time she was a toddler, following after him at his chores, listening to his songs and stories, begging for more as they walked together several miles each day, to and from the little mountain school where he taught his own and local children.

Even though my mother had heard this story about the settlement of Jamestown more than seventy years ago from her father, it had left a lasting impression on her. Again I realized that my own grandfather was indeed the model for the one in my poem. He passed on to my mother, not only the history of Jamestown’s settlement through Mary Johnston’s wonderful book, (who’d gleaned many historical facts from her father, Major John Johnston, CSA, and her cousin, General Joseph Johnston, CSA); but he continually inculcated in her a love for great literature and true history, along with a love for beautiful words and songs and ballads, all sifted through the grid of Biblical truth which retains only that which is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent, and worthy of praise..., from Phillipians 4:8. My mother, persevering at her post, has joyfully instilled a vital appreciation of this legacy in all of her children.

How can I find adequate words to thank you for making my heritage a treasure to me, dearest of all mothers, Anita (Anderson) Belcher? Not only have you passed on the legacy left to you, but you have added to the rich mixture your own wonderful writing-–your poems, songs and stories, as well as scores of family histories procured through interviews for our county newspaper for over thirty years. You still share all of these, through God’s blessing on your long life, with your (soon-to-be) thirteen great-grandchildren. They just as eagerly gather at your feet as we, your children and grandchildren do, we who rise up and bless you. We stand in awe at your ability to make every moment of life a treasure, though tempted and tried and oft made to wonder, (from an old mountain hymn, Farther Along). Days spent with you are strung like pearls on a string and worn as a prize around our necks. All who know you are encouraged to faithfulness and blessed by your godly wisdom and example. “[S]he has learned much who knows the pain of struggle,” (Mult ad apris ki bien conuist ahan, -–La Chanson de Roland, Stanza CLXXXIV, line 2524). You are my role-model, the greatest woman I know; in large part because you give all glory to God and humbly see yourself standing as a sentinel on the land where God planted you, guarding the heritage left you as a sacred trust. And you love the land attached to our history.

People who give up their own land too readily need careful weighing, exactly as do those who are so with their convictions. I am …sure that one of the deepest mysteries, one of the great, as it were, natural beauties of the heart, …lie[s] in one’s love for his own land, (from an essay by Stark Young, quoted by Richard Weaver in The Southern Essays of Richard Weaver, p. 22). Our land has always been important to my mother and father, as it was to the settlers at Jamestown; for it represents, not only a connection with the past, but is a sign of God’s covenantal blessings on the future of a man and his family. God’s blessings on His people were always tied to a “promised land.” In Deuteronomy 1:8, God spoke to Moses, commanding him: Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess that land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and unto their seed after them, (The Geneva Bible, 1599, Tolle Lege Press edition, 2006).

When my mother’s last parent passed away many years ago, without hesitation she gave up what remained of the monetary inheritance to her sister who lived many miles away in another state and asked to keep the land. My father and his father built the house I grew up in that still stands on ground adjoining Grandpa Anderson’s, given to them by Grandpa when they married over sixty years ago. A few miles hence, each of my brothers was given a parcel of land that we have been told my father’s family inherited as part of a large land-grant bestowed upon our ancestors by an English king more than ten generations ago. Why and exactly to whom we do not know. I used to fantasize as a child that an English cousin would show up at our door and cry out, “Ah, Lady Rebecca! At last we have found you,” thereafter informing me of a vast estate and title I had inherited from some forgotten ancestor. (I hope it’s in the Cotswolds!) Maybe a little work on our family history will give us missing pieces to the puzzle of the land-grant, although I’m not holding my breath for the ancestral estate and title.)

Thank you, “Papa C.,” Clynard C. Belcher, for keeping the land my mother inherited as well as the land given you by your mother and father, Marion Calvin and Una (Puckett) Belcher. No place on earth do I love more sincerely…, (from Virginia’s state song). We are grateful beyond measure to you for defending our land and liberty during World War II, where you fought in Europe in the 3rd Battalion Headquarters, 70^th Division of General “Blood and Guts” Patton’s Army, “The Trailblazers.” We are proud of your courage, Papa, and grateful for the stand you took when our freedoms were threatened, even giving up the opportunity for a college education to enlist at eighteen. I love remembering your wonderful tales of when you were a boy as we were growing up; and your singing us to sleep at night with your deep bass voice and guitar, painting cowboys and yellow roses on the walls of our minds, –RBM. As we snuggled under quilts our Granny Anne had made, you tucked us in tightly with the warmth of your love and protection. Thank you for sharing your faith with us from the time we were babies and for reading from God’s Word to us, without fail, every morning and evening of our lives as we were growing up. Humbly thanking God for the blessings our heritage rendered, you constantly encourage your family--four generations so far-–to be a thankful people, as we gather in the shade of the tall trees you planted as saplings when we were babies.

Thank you, Mama and Papa, for guarding the candle of faith and keeping the wick well-trimmed, from Candle of Faith, on the recording, Arise! Shine! by Judy (Belcher) Rogers. And thank you for reaching out beyond our family to those lost in darkness, whether a biker who stops by your house in the “gap” at the top of your steep mountain for a drink of cold water, or those families whose needs you have met through your prayerful, “hands-on” evangelistic efforts throughout your lives to the present day, helping to establish at least four mission churches in our county. You turned down several promotions, Papa, in order to stay where God had planted you; and, together with Mama, you continue to minister to those God places around you.

Along with, Richard Hakluyt, more responsible than any man in history for the founding of Jamestown, you admonish those who seek riches above the honor of God:

…Godliness is great riches, …if we first seeke the kindgome of God, al other thinges will be given unto us, and that as the light accompanieth the Sunne and the heate the fire, so lasting riches do wait upon them that are jealous for the advancement of the Kingdome of Christ, and the enlargement of his glorious Gospell: As it is sayd, I will honour them that honour mee…, (Richard Hakluyt, quoted in The American Dream, by Stephen McDowell and Mark Beliles, p. 45).

We were planted here on Virginia soil over ten generations ago. Our familee overspreads land that has been in our family throughout its long history. This is sacred ground to me, solid as the everlasting hills, my terra firma. My prayer for our children and theirs, “…children yet to be born,” (Psalm 78:5-7), is that we will continue to dedicate ourselves and our families to passing down the candle of faith through the generations. And not some vague faith in an ephemeral “god” of our own making who is disinterested in his creation; rather, we must hold fast the treasure of a strong and vibrant faith in the God Who really exists, Who thunders from Heaven and Who has spoken in His Word and through His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of men and Lord of history. We must be careful to instruct our children in the “doctrines of our holy religion,” as we have vowed to do. Otherwise, the faith of their fathers will devolve into an empty spiritualism that is void of truth and therefore ineffectual. Ours must be an informed and passionate faith in a covenantal God that is carefully guarded and yet held aloft to light the paths of those who would otherwise walk in personal, familial and cultural darkness.

The flame of faith will be fed by “war stories” from our lives and the lives of those throughout history who have stayed at their appointed posts, regardless of the cost, such as those men who, one-hundred and sixty-nine years after the settlement of Jamestown, declared our independence from England: …for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor, (from The Declaration of Independence). Steadfast commitment to duty, to Christ and to the welfare of future generations marked true heroes and heroines of America’s great past. When we tell their stories to our children, these heroes still speak through us as their history ‘comes to life’ through our words. With all my heart, I pray that I have achieved something akin to this goal through my humble and inadequate tribute to the persevering men and women who “dug our roots in deeply” at Jamestown.

Along with great stories from history that illustrate God’s providential dealings, tell your own stories of God’s hand in your life and in current events. My own dear children and nieces and nephews, (whom I love like my own children), in the midst of your productive lives, don’t forget to leave time to sit out on the porch, singing the moon up, telling your children and grandchildren stories about when you were little...,–RBM (from the preface to my book of poems, Roots and Vines). Remember God’s providence in history as you tell the great stories you have learned, look for it in your own lives, and by His grace, persevere!

Thank you, my precious children and your godly spouses, (I still want to be like you when I grow up), Anne Elizabeth and Dr. Grant Jones Scarborough; Joey (Joseph Charles, IV) and Jennifer (Pabsch) Morecraft; John Calvin and Kim (Pepper) Morecraft, and Mercy Rebecca Frances Morecraft ________?; thank you for sitting still and listening to all those stories and books and songs when you were little and for passing them on now to our grandchildren, our darlings Jane Elizabeth, Anita Katherine and Jessica Lucille (Jessie) Scarborough; John and Kim’s precious Izalou Sutton Morecraft and your new-born brother, Asa Raines Morecraft; as well as baby Joseph Charles Morecraft, V, (Charlie), by God’s abundant grace making an appearance in history in February, 2008!

Our grandchildren already love hearing the stories and songs we’re passing on to them. On a recent visit, our oldest granddaughter, Jane, (who is named for a dear friend and descendant of Pocahontas, Jane Brown, as well as for Lady Jane Grey, courageous queen of England for nine days), absolutely fell in love with John Smith. After hearing his stories from us for four days, she borrowed my camera and took photos of a book cover with his face on it to carry home with her and post on her bedroom wall! Think of that: not a cultural idol, but John Smith! I pray that my grandchildren will reverence these treasures and tell my great-grandchildren the stories and songs they’ve learned from Granddaddy and me--the ones we learned from our great-grandparents and parents and from great, reliable books--in a way that will engage the hearts and minds of our future generations and cause them to love their godly heritage: Oh, Lord, may Your favor rest upon us – show your glory to our children, (from, Psalm 90, on the recording, Never Be Shaken, by Judy (Belcher) Rogers).

In God’s perfect timing and by His gracious providence, the man who was to become my husband came to our tiny mountain hamlet in Virginia to live with my grandparents the summer I turned fifteen. He came to assist my grandfather, whose health was failing, in his ministry at Dickinson First Presbyterian Church. Now, for over forty years, God has blessed my appreciation of great books, my love for history, and a vision for the expansion of His glorious kingdom to grow daily through the faithful teaching, preaching and consistent example in godliness of this mountain of a West Virginian, my beloved husband, Dr. Joseph Charles Morecraft, III. His patience with me is unparalleled, except perhaps by Job himself. Thank you, my dear Mentor and personal Prophet, for your immense thoughts and practical suggestions; thank you for crying and laughing and living history with me.

Thank you, precious Mercy, our laatlammetjie (Afrikaans for ‘late spring lamb’ and pronounced, laht-lahm-uh-kee), not only for filling in for me all these weeks--for cheerfully and skillfully shopping, cooking, cleaning, and so much more; but most importantly, for being a shining star in the lives of all you touch. (For you will shine like stars in a crooked and perverse generation, Phil. 2:15, sung by Judy Rogers on a recording). Thank you for esteeming and loving your mommy and daddy and submitting, in the major as well as the minor, to your father’s will with a glad heart. I am especially grateful to you just for putting up with the umpteenth “final version” of this poem for months, as well as applauding a little too loudly when I was really finished (stop laughing–-you’re right—I haven’t “abandoned” it yet!).

I gratefully acknowledge the incomparable assistance, inspiration and support I continually receive from my best friend and sister, poetess, songwriter and singer, Judy Rogers, (www.judyrogers.com), my ‘meter maid,’ and her long-suffering husband and faithful pastor, Wayne, a.k.a., ‘Robert E. Lee,’ Rogers, (www.sermonaudio.com/calvin1509); as well as invaluable suggestions from my faithful friend, Gail Pinckney Moore, college roommate, superior educator, wife of a true hero, Lt. Colonel E. Ray Moore, (www.exodusmandate.org), and life-long pal. Thank you more than mere words can convey for your prayers, help and encouragement. Especially I thank Zemmie and Enoch Fleck, for your patience and technical assistance during the ‘trial runs,’ making copies ad infinitum. I am deeply grateful to my kind writing friends who, through their suggestions have helped make my original, very rough drafts, if not quite a silk purse, at least a much more presentable ‘sow’s ear.’ Thank you sincerely for your many readings and comments, Judy Rogers, Gail Moore, Carmen Friedrich, Susan Burns, Ina Painter and Jennie Chancey. Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed, Proverbs 15:22.

God is good. May He receive all the glory from this work of love, attempted originally for our dear friend and esteemed brother, Douglas Winston Phillips, Esq., a warrior for King Jesus, of whom the world is not worthy. We consider it no small honor to engage the enemy on the battlefield of this world alongside you. I pray that God will be pleased to wield His mighty sword in the defeat of His enemies in our children’s lifetime. May this tribute to our founding fathers at Jamestown be a tool that God will use in the struggles in which we are engaged; not physical battles such as the settlers at Jamestown waged against flesh and blood, but against our deadliest foe, the spiritual evil that darkens men’s minds--materialism, lethargy, error and intellectual arrogance. May God be praised as we raise Christ’s victory banners aloft in our brief moment of time, passing them along with the candle of faith, down through generations of children who, by grace alone, will love their heritage and gratefully praise the God of all ages Who gave it to them.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Mrs. Joe (Rebecca B./Becky) Morecraft

Canton, GA

September 7, anno Domini, 2007

She's now 112! Dr. Denmark still with us

2010-02-02T15:14:00.007-05:00

Dr. Denmark has reached another milestone in her long life -- she is now 112 years old. Although her life has spanned parts of three centuries, it is not merely the length but the quality of her life that is remarkable. Scroll down to 'blog archives' and choose February 2009 to read the post I put up last year about this time and praise God with me for this remarkable woman.

Grace Notes: A Prayer for the New Year

2010-01-06T14:30:00.000-05:00

Grace Notes: A Prayer for the New Year

A Prayer for the New Year

2010-01-06T14:17:00.002-05:00

"O God, the Author of all good,

I come to Thee for the grace another [year] will require for its duties and events. I step out into a wicked world; I carry about within me [a sinful & unsanctified] heart. I know that without Thee I can do nothing, that everything with which I shall be concerned, however harmless in itself, may prove an occasion of sin or folly, unless I am kept by Thy power. Hold Thou me up and I shall be safe.

Preserve...

my understanding from subtilty of error,
my affections from love of idols,
my character from stain of vice,
my profession from every form of evil.

May I engage in nothing in which I cannot implore Thy blessing, and in which I cannot invite Thy inspection.

Prosper me in all lawful undertakings, or prepare me for disappointments.

Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full and deny Thee and say, Who is the Lord? or be poor, and steal, and take Thy name in vain.

May every creature be made good to me by prayer and Thy will.

Teach me how...

to use the world and not abuse it,
to improve my talents,
to redeem my time,
to walk in wisdom toward those without, and in kindness to those within,
to do good to all men, and especially to my fellow Christians.

And to Thee be the glory. Amen!"

---from The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers

A President's Call for National Repentance and Prayer

2009-08-17T23:52:00.000-04:00

President John Adams on the Need for Repentance and Prayer
A DAY OF FASTING & HUMILIATION, 1798

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES -

A PROCLAMATION -- 23 March, 1798.

As the safety and prosperity of nations ultimately and essentially depend on the protection and the blessing of Almighty God, and the national acknowledgment of this truth is not only an indispensable duty which the people owe to Him, but a duty whose natural influence is favorable to the promotion of that morality and piety without which social happiness can not exist nor the blessings of a free government be enjoyed; and as this duty, at all times incumbent, is so especially in seasons of difficulty or of danger, when existing or threatening calamities, the just judgments of God against prevalent iniquity, are a loud call to repentance and reformation; and as the United States of America are at present placed in a hazardous and afflictive situation by the unfriendly disposition, conduct, and demands of a foreign power, evinced by repeated refusals to receive our messengers of reconciliation and peace, by depredations on our commerce, and the infliction of injuries on very many of our fellow-citizens while engaged in their lawful business on the seas - under these considerations it has appeared to me that the duty of imploring the mercy and benediction of Heaven on our country demands at this time a special attention from its inhabitants.

I have therefore thought fit to recommend, and I do hereby recommend, that Wednesday, the 9th day of May next, be observed throughout the United States as a day of solemn humiliation, fasting, and prayer; that the citizens of these States, abstaining on that day from their customary worldly occupations, offer their devout addresses to the Father of Mercies agreeably to those forms or methods which they have severally adopted as the most suitable and becoming; that all religious congregations do, with the deepest humility, acknowledge before God the manifold sins and transgressions with which we are justly chargeable as individuals and as a nation, beseeching Him at the same time, of His infinite grace, through the Redeemer of the World, freely to remit all our offenses, and to incline us by His Holy Spirit to that sincere repentance and reformation which may afford us reason to hope for his inestimable favor and heavenly benediction; that it be made the subject of particular and earnest supplication that our country may be protected from all the dangers which threaten it; that our civil and religious privileges may be preserved inviolate and perpetuated to the latest generations; that our public councils and magistrates may be especially enlightened and directed at this critical period; that the American people may be united in those bonds of amity and mutual confidence and inspired with that vigor and fortitude by which they have in times past been so highly distinguished and by which they have obtained such invaluable advantages; that the health of the inhabitants of our land may be preserved, and their agriculture, commerce, fisheries, arts, and manufactures be blessed and prospered; that the principles of genuine piety and sound morality may influence the minds and govern the lives of every description of our citizens and that the blessings of peace, freedom, and pure religion may be speedily extended to all the nations of the earth.

And finally, I recommend that on the said day the duties of humiliation and prayer be accompanied by fervent thanksgiving to the Bestower of Every Good Gift, not only for His having hitherto protected and preserved the people of these United States in the independent enjoyment of their religious and civil freedom, but also for having prospered them in a wonderful progress of population, and for conferring on them many and great favors conducive to the happiness and prosperity of a nation.

Given under my hand the seal of the United States of America, at Philadelphia, this 23d day of March, A.D. 1798, and of the Independence of the said States the twenty-second.
By the President : JOHN ADAMS.

Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah!

2009-07-08T16:12:00.011-04:00

Hallelujah, praise Jehovah, O my soul, Jehovah praise;

I will sing the glorious praises of my God through all my days.

Put no confidence in princes, not for help on man depend;

he shall die, to dust returning, and his purposes shall end.

Happy is the man that chooses Israel's God to be his aid;

He is blessed whose hope of blessing on the Lord his God is stayed.

Heav'n and earth the Lord created, seas and all that they contain;

He delivers from oppression, righteousness He will maintain.

I was privileged to sing Psalm 146 in Boston last week at the Reformation 500 event hosted by Vision Forum. I'm standing here by Charlie Zahm, balladeer exceptional.

(photo credits: Anna Friedrich)

Food He daily gives the hungry, sets the mourning pris'ner free,

raises those bowed down with anguish, makes the sightless eyes to see.

Well Jehovah loves the righteous, and the stranger He befriends,

helps the fatherless and widow, judgment on the wicked sends.

Hallelujah, praise Jehovah, O my soul, Jehovah praise!

I will sing the glorious praises of my God through all my days.

Over all God reigns forever, through all ages He is King;

unto Him, thy God, O Zion, joyful hallelujahs sing.

AMEN!

(copied from the Trinity Hymnal, p. 53, published by Great Commission Publications. This selection was taken from the 1912 Psalter, the tune arranged by Lowell Mason in 1829, from a Gregorian chant entitled 'Ripley.')

(I'm singing this psalm in the photo above in San AntonioTX, at the SA Independent Film Festival in January of this year.)

Link to purchase (95 cents) my recording of this psalm--(for some reason, they chose to sample the men's chorus rather than my voice) at Behemoth.com:
http://www.behemoth.com/search/hallelujah%2C+praise+jehovah/

Empathy, Impartiality, and Justice - Vision Forum Ministries

2009-06-16T14:38:00.004-04:00

Joe and Bob Renaud on the Island of Iona in July of 2008.

“[Sotomayor] thinks that her job is to ‘empathize’ with the parties before her as opposed to judging ‘in righteousness.’”

Bob Renaud is in his final year of law school at the Oak Brook College of Law. He has authored or co-authored numerous articles, including a published law review article, dealing with law and public policy issues. He is currently writing a book on the proper understanding of the separation of church and state.

[My guest blogger for this post is our friend, Bob Renaud, who is in his last year of law school. Bob's excellent article appeared first on the Vision Forum web site recently. He is a prime example of how we moms hope our sons and brothers will grow up -- focused, smart, intuitive, a true Christian gentleman, a dapper dresser, and above all, devoted to pursuing a deeper understanding of God's Word and how to consistently apply it to all of life. (And, by the way, he's still single if you are an available, godly young lady ... oops, I think I'm in trouble for that unpaid advertisement!)]

President Barack Obama was just past his first “100 days in office” when David Souter’s retirement gave him the opportunity to submit his first Supreme Court nominee to Congress. He had been planning for this moment. During his campaign for the presidency, Obama explained what he would look for in a nominee to the high court:

"We need somebody who’s got the heart, the empathy, to recognize what it’s like to be a young teenage mom. The empathy to understand what it’s like to be poor, or African American, or gay, or disabled, or old. And that’s the criteria by which I’m going to be selecting my judges.”[1]

President Obama reiterated his commitment to “empathy” last week when he commented on Justice Souter’s resignation. He promised to seek someone “who understands that justice isn’t about some abstract legal theory or footnote in a casebook.” Apparently, to President Obama, a basic understanding of the plain text of the Constitution is now “abstract legal theory.” But empathy, he says, will produce justice.

Once again, President Obama has demonstrated that the “change we can believe in” is not the change we need in this country. What we need is a change towards constitutional and biblical fidelity.

Writing in 1833 in his famous Commentaries on the Constitution, Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story explained that empathy is not the same as justice. Justice must be “freely, fully, and impartially administered.” Without impartial justice, “neither our persons, nor our rights, nor our property, can be protected. And if these, or either of them, are regulated by no certain laws, and are subject to no certain principles, and are held by no certain tenure, and are redressed, when violated, by no certain remedies, society fails of all its value; and men may as well return to a state of savage and barbarous independence.”[2]

By seeking to nominate to the high court, judges who “got the heart, the empathy” — as opposed to judges who are faithful to the law of the land — we are heading toward that “state of savage and barbarous independence” that Justice Story warned about. That was two centuries ago. Justice Story wasn’t the first.

Writing 3,500 years ago in the book of Leviticus, the ultimate Law-giver explained the proper role of judges:

Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour (Leviticus 19:15).

In this text of Scripture, there is no reference to how judges feel about a matter, or how judges should “empathize” with the parties to the case, or even how judges should use their own ethnic background to decide the matter before the bar. The command is to “not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty.” Not feel their pain!

Contrary to what the ACLU or even the president himself might want, our legal system has codified this biblical command not to respect either the “poor” or the “mighty” in our own republic. The United States Code prescribes the oath that all federal justices or judges are to swear or affirm before performing their duties. The oath states:
I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me as [job title] under the Constitution and laws of the United States. So help me God.[3]

President Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, was picked for her empathy rather than her impartiality. In fact, Judge Sotomayor has a record of showing partiality both in her written opinions and as well as outside the courtroom.

In a 2001 speech at the University of California at Berkeley, Judge Sotomayor said that the ethnicity and sex of a judge “may and will make a difference in our judging.” She went on to declare that “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”
Fast forward to 2008, where we see how Judge Sotomayor applies her judicial philosophy of “empathy” in the case of Ricci v. DeStefano (now before the U.S. Supreme Court). In that case, local firefighters in New Haven, Connecticut, took an examination in hopes of getting promoted. When the results came out, the majority of those who took the test and passed were “white.” The town decided to disregard that exam. The firefighters who passed the test were passed up for promotion, and they sued the town for reverse discrimination. On appeal to the Second Circuit Court where Judge Sotomayor sits, Judge Sotomayor refused to examine the issues of the “white” firemen and threw out the case. So much for Judge Sotomayor’s “empathy” for both sides.

And finally, one cannot forget the gaffe committed in 2005 in which Judge Sotomayor explained at a Duke Law School forum that it is at “the court of appeals is where policy is made.” Isn’t that the job of the legislature? Judge Sotomayor caught her mistake and quickly said, “We don’t make law, I’m not promoting that, I’m not advocating that, you know.” However, you have to ask yourself, how does an “extremely qualified” judge make a mistake like that?

Jesus Christ said that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
I think it’s clear where Judge Sotomayor’s heart is — she thinks that her job is to “empathize” with the parties before her as opposed to judging “in righteousness . . . thy neighbour.” And this is why she is disqualified to be our next U.S. Supreme Court justice.

1. A widely quoted 2007 speech that then Sen. Obama gave to Planned Parenthood. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/supreme-court/2009/05/obamasempathystandard_drawin.html?hpid=news-col-blog
2. http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/preambles21.html
3. Title 28 chapter 21 § 453.

Bob was an able and amiable companion on our Scotland expedition last June/July...here, we are rejoicing that we are realizing a life-long dream: we're on the ancient Isle of Iona off the mainland coast of Scotland.

"A Highlander Parson Named Joe"

2009-05-19T13:01:00.008-04:00

I received an 'anonymously' written poem from an admirer of my husband this morning and thought you may enjoy reading it...my warmest thanks go out to the author of this masterpiece!

The Highlander Parson Named Joe

Antiquity boasted its Augustine,

And England had her Tyndale,

The Puritans, Foxe, and the Scots had Knox,

But for the best listen to my tale.

The last real Frenchman was Calvin,

The rest of them moved to the States,

Although Lafayette made a good show of it,

Madame Guillotine finished his mates.

En Deutschland, sie haben Bach und Luther,

Uber alles, sie est zehr fantastisch

But compared to our “am besten Held”

Zie “Fatherland” is simply cold fish.

In America, our heroes ain’t dandies,

They don’t come from blue blood or pedigree,

And they’re just as liable to quote you the Bible,

Then boast of a Latin degree.

In general, they shun the big cities,

With all their pomp and great fuss,

They prefer the quiet of country life,

And a pickup truck to a bus.

They hunt from the trees like savages,

And roast their kill au jus,

But they’ll clean up for church on Sunday,

And put away mead and their hooch.

It’s from this stock comes our hero,

With his thick “Shakespearian” drawl.

And his powerful frame puts the fairies to shame,

And makes the “enlightened” crawl.

It’s not that he’s brash or a bully,

He really is quite a nice fellow,

A preacher, by trade, without the parade,

And bold as a lion—but not yellow.

He comes from the hills and the mines,

He’s the pride of Appalachia,

And sure as Pete, he has all his teeth.

Which for Rednecks --a feat let me tell ya!

But, oh, when that man mounts the pulpit,

And opens the Word to be read,

The congregation grows silent,

As the preacher in black bows his head.

And the powerful man from the mountains,

With eloquence to rival the Sages,

Trembles at each inspired verse,

As tears trickle on the pages.

His name, you would think from this tale,

Is descended from kings clad in mail,

But truth be told, the man we know,

Is the Highlander Parson named Joe.

--Anonymous (MC)

May 2009

"Quit Work To Help Your Husband" - Thanks, we're ahead of this curve.

2009-05-11T14:30:00.007-04:00

This photo of Joe and me was taken at the home of Matt and Jennie Chancey, fall '07. Jennie was pregnant with her eighth baby and prepared a full seven-course meal with all the trimmings for a dinner for 15 that was the culmination of a week-end Matt planned in honor of my husband! They made a great team! A few months later, Matt delivered the baby--Jennie didn't make it to the hospital--great teamwork put to the ultimate test!!!

(Guest host of my blog is my dear friend, Jennie Chancey. I copied this entry from her excellent blog, Ladies Against Feminism. Link to it and read her posts to garner needed strength and encouragement as we wage our daily battles against the world, the flesh and the devil!)

By Mrs. Chancey

May 9, 2009 - 6:08:34 PM

A LAF reader shared a link to a story about Michelle Obama quitting her high-paying job to support her husband's run for the presidency and to serve as stay-at-home First Lady. While we're definitely not fans of the Obama administration and its liberal, socialist policies, this article shines the spotlight on something very important: the notion that a wife is invaluable to her husband's success and that an intelligent, savvy helpmate really does play an irreplaceable role in the family. Here's a sampling from the original piece:

It’s not what Germaine Greer and her ilk had in mind for this generation of highly educated, successful, independent women. But it’s a lifestyle choice at the heart of a new theory expounded in Megan Basham’s book, Beside Every Successful Man. The title is not just a trite twist on the familiar concept behind every successful man; it has much greater meaning than that. Basham argues that by using all your talents, skills, education and qualifications, you can make your husband’s career a stellar success, and your family life spectacularly happy. We’re talking an equal professional partnership, where the woman gets the best of both worlds — enjoying using her honed professional skills to enhance her husband’s career, but at the same time having the freedom and pleasure of spending more time with her children.

I realise Basham’s theory feels like taking a cheese grater to the most precious principles of feminism — independence, autonomy, equality, self-development, career. But let’s face it, whose life-work balance would you rather have: Michelle Obama, constantly extolling the joys of being in a strong partnership with a man doing something important, even as she enjoys her children; or Cherie Booth QC, the hard-done-by career woman famously complaining about the hardships of juggling family and career? Basham, an American author, dyed-in-the-wool feminist and successful career woman earning significantly more than her husband, explains it this way. ‘What my friends had in common is that they left school planning to spend most of their adult years working in their chosen fields, and expecting always to derive a lot of satisfaction from their careers.‘Several years ago, I started to notice that among many of us, as other areas of our lives expanded, the enjoyment we derived from our jobs began to shrink. Work began to seem more like an intrusion on our real lives than a vital part of it.’ She and her successful career girlfriends wanted to spend more time enjoying being mothers and wives. But there was a financial imperative as they were all fully paid-up members of the two-income economy.‘We realised we had to start looking at our dilemma from a new angle, and to start seeing our marriages as our own little business enterprises and our husbands as partners in that enterprise.’

As so often happens, Basham says a book changed her life — in her case, David McCullough’s biography of America’s second President, John Adams. ‘While everyone else was caught up by the relationship between Adams and Jefferson and Washington, I was fascinated by the relationship between Adams and his wife. He relied on her in almost every aspect of his work — and in the midst of the goal-setting and strategic planning they wrote each other intimate, teasing and tender love letters that revealed the sweet partnership they had in all things.’This feminist author is experiencing an eye-opening revelation -- but it's one that most of us stay-at-home wives and mothers have known and lived for years. If we've said it once, we've said it a hundred times: a homemaker is not a drudge, a housekeeping automaton, a doll, or arm candy. A wife of vision understands that what she does impacts her family now and in the long term. None of the epiphany experienced by Basham comes as a surprise to women who embrace Proverbs 31 and live it to the fullest. A husband and wife dedicated to a single vision are far more effective and powerful than a divided household where each half pursues its own interests and goals. This is why a wife who submits to her husband's vision and leadership is anything but a doormat--she is a powerhouse for serious, long-term success.
As wives, homemakers, and mothers, we get the most fulfilling, well-rounded "career" imaginable. We wear many hats, all of which have been laid out in Scripture for thousands of years. To us, they're second-nature. So it's a little amusing to see a "dyed-in-the-wool" feminist "discovering" truths that most of us have just practiced quietly for years--all while being ridiculed, put down, sneered at, or mocked as "baby machines," mindless drones, slaves, and all manner of other ridiculous invectives.All I have to say is, "Welcome to our world, Mrs. Basham." Here at LAF, we've been proclaiming for years the beauties and benefits of supporting our husbands, educating the next generation, running hospitable households, caring for the needy, and, yes, even running successful home businesses that involve our children and allow us to use our God-given talents in an amazing variety of ways. Abigail Adams has long been a model for homemakers. No matter how the feminists tried to twist her into a closet women's libber, we knew the truth.

We've read the letters she and her husband wrote each other. We've seen Abigail as a Proverbs 31 heroine for years. She understood that God created man to need woman--and for far more than simple physical companionship. We are truly the other half of the whole, and when both halves work together, the results are astounding. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says it best: "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up."When women work for their own husbands and make their own families successful, they enjoy all the benefits and none of the heartaches of the nonsensical work-family "balance." Being a part of a family is work. And it's hard work. But it's rewarding because it is done for and with our own kith and kin. We aren't selling our labor to strangers or working thankless hours to please a man we don't love. Choosing to make our husbands successful means we enjoy the rewards of work and family at the same time--no balancing act required other than the ordinary everyday decisions about priorities and goals that are a normal part of life. The article continues:

Basham says this working partnership also means abandoning a few precious feminist precepts. ‘Some aspects of feminism encouraged women to treat their husbands as rivals and their homes as battlegrounds where couples questioned whether they were both doing the same proportion of the dishes and the earning. ‘So yes, it does mean biting the bullet and taking care of the household chores that stop him from earning. It doesn’t mean you have to do them yourself (by all means hire help), but your role is to free his time so he’s spending more time making money.’And while much of this argument may feel like an excuse for women to stay at home, she argues it is far from it. It extols and explains the fiscal and personal rewards to be gained if a woman should choose to give up her career and place her professional skills alongside those of her husband. It becomes like a two-man business, a partnership. He may get the public acknowledgement, but she gets the benefits of a significantly improved family income because he’s better at his job — plus, if she seeks it, the joy of spending more time at home being a wife and mother. In Basham’s conclusion, she returns to John Adams’s wife Abigail, whom she takes as her strongest role model. ‘Her strength, confidence, intelligence and eloquence were nearly as significant to her husband’s success as his own were. Adams so clearly valued his wife’s insight, and cherished her companionship, that there could be no question of her being anyone’s lackey.’ They eventually grew to become ‘almost one soul in two bodies’. [Emphasis mine.]Finally! A feminist comes around to see that a marriage is a genuine partnership--a mingling of souls and not just a joining of bodies. The wife at home is a real, significant help to her husband. She can be CFO, COO, nutritionist, master chef, teacher, gardener, photographer, artist, musician--you name it. The scope is as wide and deep as the talents and abilities God has given her, because there is an outlet for every single skill she can put to use. And what can be better than working for a man who not only appreciates your work but can love you for it? It really is an incredible life, and we're glad at least some feminists are finally seeing the light.

Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also , and he praises her: Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.” Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates. ~ Proverbs 31:28-31
© Copyright 2002-2009 by LAF/BeautifulWomanhood.org

photo of Matthew Chancey and his eldest son, John Nathan, Jamestown, 2007

Your Opportunity to Study Under One of the Great Reformation Scholars of Our Day On One of the Most Important Topics of 2009

2009-05-01T14:18:00.001-04:00

Doug's Blog: Your Opportunity to Study Under One of the Great Reformation Scholars of Our Day On One of the Most Important Topics of 2009

500 years ago a man was born whose work would help spearhead the doctrinal foundation of the Reformation and establish the Scriptural foundation for liberty in the West. His name was John Calvin, and he was one of a small, determined army of Christians who turned the world upside down by explaining the true implications of a Christian worldview.

Your children need to know about this man, and the men and movements of the Reformation which built the best elements of Western Christendom.

But it is one thing to read a book, and it is another to have Calvin and his comrades come alive as you study under one of the foremost scholars of the Reformation in America. For four decades, Dr. Joe Morecraft has been studying, writing, preaching, and defending the lives and testimonies of these heroes of Christendom. I have listened to thousands of CDs and teaching tapes in my life and Dr. Morecraft is hands down the finest church history teacher I have heard. For Dr. Morecraft, teaching is not simply an exercise in training the next generation, it is an expression of love of Christ and honor to the heroes of the past. His lectures are thoroughly researched, plain and simple to understand, full of passion, and rife with practical application.

He is simply the best, and this may be your only opportunity to study underneath him.
You might want to drive many miles to learn from this great man, but now you can learn directly from him with the click of a button using our live Internet course.

Dr. Morecraft’s works include How God Wants Us to Worship Him: a Defense of the Bible as the Only Standard for Modern Worship, and his soon-to-be published magnum opus, Authentic Christianity: An Exposition of the Theology and Ethics of the Westminster Larger Catechism. Pastor Morecraft holds a B.A. in history from King College in Bristol, Tennessee, a M.Div from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and a M.Th. and Th.D. from Whitefield Theological Seminary.
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Grace Notes: Doug's Blog: Press Release: Alamo City Tea Party: Phillips Calls Attendees to Honor our Fathers and Seek the Lord

2009-04-20T12:23:00.000-04:00

Grace Notes: Doug's Blog: Press Release: Alamo City Tea Party: Phillips Calls Attendees to Honor our Fathers and Seek the Lord