Busyness as Usual

It's been a while. We are some pretty terrible bloggers. But at least we've got good excuses.

My first excuse is school. I'm really enjoying it, though it takes me a while. Geometry though difficult still has it's rewards. I believe I've gotten a second wave on history. (Second wave meaning: When it's about four in the afternoon and you've still got a ways to go on the all day shopping trip, and you suddenly have a new burst of energy and all the silly jokes that weren't funny half an hour ago are. Third or fourth wave being: Right before bed time after that long day, when you burst out laughing at the most slightly humorous thing some one says or does.) I'm loving poetry more and more, and Laura and I have only to finish some experiments in biology and we're done! (Chemistry next:-/ not to sure how that's going to be.) And Piano gets better & better. :-)

Speeking of piano Caleb asked me if I would teach him last week. (I was so surprised!) So we had our first lesson Thursday. He has not practised very much but I only gave him one song. He keeps saying he wants to do the one on the next page, which I guess is a good sign. The next lesson is this afternoon. I really hope he will excel in his learning.

The main reason he asked I think is so he could get a little closer to having an instrument to call his own. Laura has her violin, I have my piano (and flute) and Luke got his heart set on Banjo, though he's learning guitar first. Caleb wanted to play the drums for the longest time when he was little. But the other day he was quite seriously considering the tuba, (or trumpet). He's a very indecisive young man. Though I think that will straighten out in a few years. He is just trying to figure out what's, Caleb. The other day he was trying to figure out what to do for an up coming science fair. He was so indecisive! He would change what he wanted to do almost every five minutes it seemed. He's finally decided though, he's going to make a parabola to get our wireless Internet signal all the way back to the farthest corner of Mama and Daddy's bedroom. He's excited about it too. Now I just have to make up my mind about what I'm going to do for the science fair... =)

And speaking of science the birds have been have a hay day around here lately (in spite of our three kitties ;-). There are dozens of robins, at least six blue jays, several pairs of cardinals,

wrens, blue birds, gold finches, and occasionally HUGE flocks of unidentified birds (Sunday night I was out side and I heard something that sounded like a car coming up the drive way, it was actually birds flying over head it was so cool!) They really like it when it rains.

And speaking of weather, I do believe spring is in the air! I am so excited. I just can't wait to plant the garden, and go bare foot all day with out being cold. We've spent a lot of today out in the woods and playing around in an old "hang out" a.k.a. the fallen ceder tree.

Well I guess I should go for now. It's been a really exciting winter, when I think about it. Very busy before Christmas and New Years, sick during (though we all made it to the table for chili on Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner the next day:-), and trying to get as much school done as possible afterwards. And lots of adventures, laughs, trials, and love all mixed in.

Anna

Please note, I wrote this post all week long. I just thought some things

might not make very much sense with out that knowledge. :-)

Thanksgiving and the Hugonots

5-6-1688

Wednesday

Today while we were eating supper some men came and said that we had to leave our home and country and go and live somewhere else.

I do not really want to go, but Mama says that that can not be helped. So I suppose I had better get used to it. And after thinking about it four the past five hours or so I think that I am starting to get used to it. But what makes me sad is that this house is the only one I ever lived in and here is the the only place I’ve ever known and now we’ve been ordered to go to some place new and different.

I don’t think I’d mind as much if I was the one who was wanting to go some place else. I really don’t mind it that much, going to the new world. But I’d like to have lots of time to pack! But I guess that can’t be helped either.

The solders said we’ve got to be out by tomorrow afternoon or their going to throw us out. So I’ve been up all night packing, and helping pack. I doubt that we can get all the things we want into the wagon and on to the boat as well.

Papa says that the boat will probably already be crowded and overloaded and the captain won’t let us take very much on board. But Mama says that if we get there and there is spare room on board, and we didn’t bring any more than the absolute necessities, and we can’t come back and get more, then we’ll regret not taking it along.

I think I agree with them both! We should be prepared for the worst, and pray for the best. I personally intend to carry this book. I think I’d try to bring it with me if I had to swim all the way. Though the pages would get all wet and messy.

I’m so worn out. But I’m also a little excited... and scared, more so than I have reason to be I guess. What ever happens I can know that God is watching over us and nothing happens unless He lets it. I’m getting sleepy now and my hand is tired. I guess I’ll go get a little nap before it’s time to get up again.

Hannah

5-7-1688

Thursday

I’m going to sleep on hay tonight! This is my very first time to try it. Mary and Rachel are not very excited about it. But they will not complain no matter how unhappy they are with the situation. They are awfully good about that. I complain a lot more than they do about things. I guess that means I am immature. They are always telling me that things can always be worse than they are and we ought to be quite thankful that they are not. So I just decided just now that every time I write in here for the rest of my days that I’m going to say how something could be worse than it is, and be thankful that it isn’t! So here it goes.

We might not have had this nice barn to sleep in, with all this nice, clean, smelly, hay to sleep on, and these nice people who said they would let us stay in here.

We might not have gotten a place to sleep at all, and we might not have plenty to eat and and all these sweet animals that are staring at us as we get ready for bed.

Thank you LORD that we do.

Hannah

5-9-1688

Saturday

Oh, today has been so wearisome!

We finally made it to the coast yesterday noon. It started raining the night we slept in the barn and it rained all day long and was still raining that night a bed time. There were not any houses near by so Mama found all us girls a place in the wagon and kept the rain out with a piece of canvas.

When we woke the next morning were damp an dirty but the sun had come out and there was a stream near by to wash up in. So that made us feel a lot better. and so we set off again and made it here by noon yesterday as I said. Then we went trekking all over town trying to find a place to spend the night until almost three O’clock and all of us girls were so tired that Papa and Mama left us siting by the road with all of our luggage there with us, and took Benjamin and headed back into town because they had to go and sell the horse and wagon it town. It was very sad to see old Prince go but he is just an animal after all.

But any way, we sat there for the longest time and we watched people walk past, fisher men and farmers and business owners, they rode. And Mary and Rachel talked quietly with each other and kept an eye on baby Joseph, while I played with Leah, Ruth, Sarah and Phoebe. I should have liked to hear what they we’re talking about, but then again, they we’re probably talking about their concerns about the trip, and if I heard them I might get really worried. I tend to do that often and exaggerate things and worry, especially when I’m tired. So I suppose it’s best that I didn’t hear.

But I did have fun playing in the sand by all that water watching the sun draw near the horizon.

As it was getting almost to sun set a nice fisherman came along and asked us if we needed a place to stay that night. He was about middle aged, and I think he was kind of worried about us. Rachel talked to him. She told him we were waiting on our parents to get back from town. At the time I was thinking “This fellow may have seen other folks like us, being forced to leave the country and wants to help”. He ask if we’d mind if he waited with us until our parents got there. Mary said that we wouldn’t mind. And so we sat and waited until it was almost too dark to see and then Papa, Mama and Ben, came tramping back down the road to find us all siting there in the dark waiting for them.

And long story short we did end up spending last night with the fisherman (his name is Allen) and his family (his wife and two little boys).

This morning Papa brought Ben and I (of all of us to pick from I don’t know why he picked me, though I’m happy he did;) back to town to see if we could find a boat to leave on. Papa said he was looking for one that was planning to sail soon. We brought some lunch with us and had a good time walking all up and down the the wharves asking different folks where they were going, if they were taking passengers, and if so how much would a one way trip for 10 people would cost. I suppose it’s probably needless to say we got some strange looks! One gentleman nearly fell of the wharf when we asked him, then he said: “Mister! I hardly got room for ten crew men! not a spare inch of space left on this here girl!” He was right. The deck was covered with baggage all under canvas and the hold looked like it was nearly over flowing!

In the end we found no one who said the they had room for 10 passengers. Papa says we can’t wait a whole lot longer and we may have to go on separate ships! I don’t think I can express how badly I don’t want to be separated from part of my family. We’re all praying that the Lord will provide a way so we will not have to split up.

Hannah

5-11-1688

Monday

The Dauphin

Nice Captain, Nice crew (in my opinion, I think Papa agrees with me)

Will take: 5 passengers as of seven o’clock this morning.

Bound for: Plymouth, Massachusetts

The Titan

all right Captain, pretty rough crew (the captain says so himself, I agree with him.)

Will take: 6 passengers as of eight thirty this morning.

Bound for: Boston Massachusetts

Mary, Rachel, Ben, Leah and I are leaving tomorrow at dawn on the Dauphin

Papa, Mama, Ruth, Sarah, Phoebe and Joseph are leaving a whole day later, on the Titan.

Captain is supposed to keep an eye on us during the trip and will be finding someone to get us to Boston as soon as we land in Plymouth, and he promised father that if he could not find any one to take us the he would go himself. Papa gave Ben the bag of money to keep for him. Papa gave us all some thing to be in charge of. I’m in charge of keeping an eye on Leah. Leah’s in charge of keeping an eye on the our Bible, because Papa sent it with us. Ben’s in charge of keeping the money. Papa told him to put it on a string around his neck, and he’s got it on now, I think he’s kind of proud to wear it, because it’s almost all the money we have in the world. Papas taking only a little with them be cause he’s afraid it might get stolen on the way over.

Oh and Rachel is in charge to see that we all look all right and Mary is supposed to make sure we all act all right. We’re all getting up very early tomorrow to pray for safety on the trip and then we’re going down to the dock and getting on the ship and leaving France for good.

Hannah

The Huguenots were a group of people from France who followed John Calvin and his teachings. But instead of choosing to leave their home country, (like the pilgrims) they were told to. It was ether that or become a Catholic. So most left.

We read the book, Escape Across the Wide Sea, over several lunches, quite a while back and really enjoyed it. I have just recently finished this writing project, and I really enjoyed my self. :-D It turned out to be twenty and a half pages long (what can I say, it's hereditary, okay.) Mama read it over the other night and said it aught to be published, somewhere... So I figured our blog would do. (For now...;-) I'll be posting till Thanksgiving since it is so long, and I'd really like to know what you think. =)

Anna

Hymn of the Month and Other Things

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

Revelation 12:10

I must apologize for not posting much for awhile, but I shall make the excuse that most everyone can always make: "we've been very busy." Between school work, house work, the movie and its premier, we've had lots that needed doing.

The movie and bonus features are finished and Anna did a stellar job with the video editing. I think Daddy's going to put the movie up on YouTube or Vimeo soon. Saturday night, May 1st, was the premier. We had almost 50 people there, and of the 15 kids who made it (12 actors, 3 crew members) only 2 were unable to be there. I was very nervous before we watched the movie, while we were setting up and eating, since I was going to be introducing the actors and making a thank you speech, but it all went really well. Everyone laughed and enjoyed it, including me. Anna and I had not laughed at it in weeks since we'd watched it over and over and over during the video editing process. God has worked so many things out during this entire process I feel like I can't give thanks enough (and I can't). We kids are already talking about the second movie of Ad Libbia Production's: something of a mystery, with home-alone homeshcoolers, greedy land developers, homeless people and donut eating police officers, it's still very much a work in progress.

I've also been wanting to talk about what we've been learning on Sunday mornings. One of our elders has been preaching through Genesis, and it has been wonderful. We've just gotten through tracing the "Marriage Union Metanarrative" from Adam and Eve in Genesis 2 to the Bride of Christ in Revelation. There is something beautiful to a young girl's heart in the story of ancient Jewish, courtships, betrothals and weddings. And there is something beautiful, and applicable to a Christian to learn about our Bridegroom's redemption, and love gifts and promised return. It was so amazing to learn, we are in the midst of the betrothal-separation period, and what ancient Jewish brides-to-be would do during the time when they awaited the return of their bridegroom was purify themselves. We have discussed our bride-price, Jesus blood, our dowry, the Holy Spirit, our marriage covenant, Scripture. And you know the place Jesus was going to prepare in John 14, it is not a "Mansion over a Hilltop" but a bridal chamber, the heavenly realization of what every bridegroom-built bridal chamber typified.

There have been many more things we have been learning about the Church and I could go on and on. But I wanted to mention what was in our sermon today. We started Genesis 3 today doing a sort of brief survey of verses on Satan, and went through Revelation 12. I heard someone say once Revelation was written was to comfort persecuted Christians. The way it was explained to day was comforting and if I was a persecuted Christian it would have been even more so, about the defeat of Satan by Jesus on the cross and God's provision for the Church in wilderness.

It is also time for the hymn of the month. I thought I would post one of the greatest hymns of all time, we sung it this morning in our service.

1. 
   
2. It Is Well With My Soul
3. By Horatio G. Spafford, Music By P. P. Bliss
4. 
   
   When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
   When sorrows like sea billows roll;
   Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
   It is well, it is well, with my soul.
   • Refrain:
     It is well, with my soul,
     It is well, it is well, with my soul.
5. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
   Let this blest assurance control,
   That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
   And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
6. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
   My sin, not in part but the whole,
   Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
   Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
7. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
   The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
   The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
   Even so, it is well with my soul.

This song mentions "though Satan should buffet . . . Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and has shed His own blood for my soul" and it says in the glorious last verse "the trump shall resound" like the trumpets blown through the ages by groomsmen coming with the bridegroom to whisk the bride away to the bridal chamber.

This is just a couple of things that have been going on in our life and going through my head.

Laura

Introducting!...

Our reason for not posting for so long.......

A Harvest of Righteousness

A movie about family, fighting,

and how Gods Word changes things.

Produced by Ad Libbia Productions.

Here is the trailer.

Why Ad Libbia?

Ad lib, the term for speaking or performing without previous preparation, was originally ad libitum meaning, in Latin, ‘according to pleasure,’ which suits our blog quite well, as we intend to blog about anything and all sorts of things; whatever pleases us. Ad Libbia, the actual name, was something we derived from the Latin words years ago.

It was a world were anything could be that we wanted. It was the place where most of our imaginative games were played. When we built “dragons” with Legos they lived in Ad Libbia. When we played the game uncreatively called “Little Men,” King Herod and Queen Madame Gasket of the Purple Thrones ruled plastic subjects that lived in a country called Ad Libbia. It was the place were there were gold pieces as big as bicycle wheels and we could ride igaunodons, ostriches or leopards. We could fight World War 3 with Civil War muskets and broomsticks on the top bunk. In Ad Libbia we only outlawed things that were too “weird.”

And you are asking, “What’s the point?”

Perhaps all these childish games are meaningless to you, but for us they are the grandest of childhood memories and the funnest of times. Even more importantly, though, than the pleasures we had were the relationships the four of us were building.

Relationships are really wonderful things, especially our sibling relationships that we have built (and are still building). One thing we have been studying is that relationships, all of the many ones we will have in our lifetimes, are to be God honoring. Everything we do needs to be for the honor and glory of God and His Son Jesus Christ. These truths we are miles from fully implementing but it is what we desire.

We desire to honor and glorify God with this blog. We want every post to be made with a God consciousness. We want to encourage others and entertain; we want to present truth and we want to help people think deeply. We want people who read to grow in their most important relationship of all, their relationship with God.

As we blog together, and we each grow in our own relationship with God, hopefully we will grow in our relationships together that we built when we played Ad Libbia.

(In all honesty we still play Ad Libbia and enjoy it very much. : )