Music: Psalm 6
Mood: eager

Hey I learned latin/french today: I am enceinte, meaning I am in the advanced stages of pregnancy. Enceinte. It's fun to say. Try it. I also learned another word. Here's a sentence, try to figure out what it means. Or just cheat and click on it to see the definition. "After a long wait, probably more difficult for the Andersons than for us, we gave thanks to God for Tammy was found fecund." As sad as I am to give up being a Pregnancy Princess, I'm super glad Tammy is going to take over it. :D

The ladies on LOC have been giving advice on how to prepare for marriage. Though I'm past that stage, it's never to late to learn and to make the most of every day with your husband/wife. I know I especially need to do this, for my gracious and loving husband has put up with so much from me; the absolute bare minumum he deserves is an equally loving and submissive wife. I don't have much to offer him in terms of skills, for I certainly wasted my youth on things that are meaningless now ( like television). Fortunately God gave me months of free time without having to work before the baby comes to redeem that time. Like Cheryl said, reading books is an excellent way to get caught up on how to keep a home, raise a child, teach, cook, garden, etc. Plus I have ladies in the church to ask advice and a mother in law who is an expert housekeeper. So if you're a girl who has not gotten married yet and has not been born into a family that has taught her these skills, I suggest you get cracking!

Five books I recommend that address the areas I need strengthening in are:
1. What to Expect the First Year - since the most experience I had changing diapers was working at Albany Medical Center changing elderly people, I definetely needed a refresher. This teaches breastfeeding, what you need for a baby, how he/she develops and what to look for, common problems so you don't make enemies with your on call pediatricion, and so much more that is vital in a reference book.
2. A Well-Trained Mind - again, my experience of being homeschooled (for one year) was....well, pathetic, as I had no self-discipline. And I certainly had never heard of classical education. This is a good book on homeschooling, but don't let it overwhelm you. You don't have to follow it exactly to give your kid a better education than a public school could, just pick and choose what works best for you and your quiver. Chances are they are all going to need you at the same time and Child #6 is not going to get that hour of one-on-one reading time with you that they suggest.
3. The Covenanted Reformation Defended... - as a main stream Christian coming from non-denominationalism into the reformed convenanter church, I had no knowledge of our distinctives or why we should even have any. There are many theology books out there that would be useful to read, but especially this one as it's written by one of our elders and specifically addresses issues often brought against us, that we might better defend our faith, even against other Christians.
4. The Act, Declaration and Testimony - hand in hand with CovRefDef, this is a good book to read about the Covenanters, adding a concise history. It's also one of our subordinate standards and a strongly suggested read by our elders if you become a communicate member, just so you know what you're agreeing to uphold.
5. Female Piety - an excellent read that inspires you to be the best wife ever! Also how to practically live as a single Christian woman. If only I could so easily put it into practice...

I've either gone through or am reading each of these now, taking advantage of having to put my feet up everyday. Especially reading A Well-Trained Mind has rekindled a desire to read more. The best way to encourage a love of reading in your kids is to set the example yourself. And even though I wasn't classically educated, that doesn't mean I can't ever be. I may never go back to school but I will learn, and for the rest of my life. My husband is a wonderful example of how self-motivation and the right books and resources can teach you things that will take you just as far or farther than any traditional classroom could. He's never taken a computer class but learned everything he knows on his own, from reading and messing around. Not only does he have an awesome job, he could rival any candidate with a degree in a interview for a job in what he knows.

All this to say that God has commanded us to redeem the time. I don't have to excuse myself for not having been taught all I when I was young what I need to know now, but I do have to do something about it and there's no reason not to go after it when the resources are so abundant.