Harvest at the Vander Vorsts

This afternoon the combiners pulled in.

Daniel(9months) decided that he wanted to get in on it as well. He loves riding on the 4-wheeler and being with the "big" boys.

We trust everyone is having a good summer. We hope to get back to blogging soon.

Pictures of Spring at the Vander Vorsts

We have been enjoying the nice spring weather and the baby animals that come with it. It is fun to see the "first" signs of spring.

This week we had an unexpected baby show up. We all think she is pretty cute and are trying to come up with a name for her.


Daniel was in awe of the whatever his older siblings were doing.



We have 11 bottle calves (so far) and even Amos and Micah help to feed them. The hardest part about feeding the calves is keeping track of who is fed and who isn't. We seem to have gotten a system down now.

Joe inqubated 40 eggs and last week 34 of them hatched. It was very interesting watching them come out of their shells. Joe will be getting 25 more chicks next week.

Katrina is the primary caretaker of the kittens. She has each of them named and plays with them almost every day.
Amos and Micah really enoyed being able to get quite a few tractor rides when the men came to plant.

Monday Evenings with Victoria Botkin

Victoria Botkin is the wife of Geoffry Botkin and the mother of seven children. Her husband has been doing an online mentoring series for men, which ends this week. Mrs. Botkin is now going to do one for the ladies. She will be talking to mothers of young children, but we think that other woman who listen to Mrs. Botkin will benefit greatly because we have received much encouragement and help from their family. The titles of the sessions are:

All about Eve

All about Sarah

The Proverbs 31 wife

About love

How to help your husband love you

How to become a wise woman

The sessions will last from 8-9pm central time Monday evenings.

The sessions will start March 1 and go till April 26. To sign up for the sessions click the title.

The Blessing of Family Eccentricities (by Rebecca)

The Blessing of Family Eccentricities

Chapter four from the book The Little Boy Down the Road written by Mr. Doug Phillips inspired me to write this post.

The word eccentricity means irregularity, departing from the norm, special, something out of the ordinary (that only you can do). Large families tend to be eccentric (a lot of variety and different personalities). That is great. It means having a home that is filled with life. The larger the family, the more potential for special gifts and work. Welcoming variation in an environment of unity is key to family prosperity. We cannot prosper unless we can love one another.

The more children distance themselves from the unique look and feel of their family, the more they hinder their potential as multigenerational visionaries because they are exchanging the blessing of family eccentricities for the curse of peer conformity. Scripture says that were your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Time is the greatest treasure a child has. Therefore we must spend that time wisely. How we spend the majority of our day, such as on the internet or with friends, shows where our treasure is. If we spend time with family, that is were our heart will be. Eccentricities reflect both strengths and weaknesses, both add life and color to the church. From the strengths we learn character, and from the weakness we learn to have compassion on others.

Sounds of life

Sounds of a household are windows into the souls of the family. Many homes today are filled with the sounds of the polluting television and shouts of family despair. Homes can also be like a dead tomb because there are no children, which means there is no noise. The Christian household is supposed to be different. It is to be a place alive with love and joyful sounds, filled with people of all ages who are sinners, thankful to God for life, forgivness, and for each other. Sometimes a Christian household could be described as gloriously organized chaos, it is the noise of everyday life. We should love the sounds and eccentricities of our homes and families. It is a gift from God (1 Chronicles 16:28-29).

Where Moth and Rust Destroy (by Jessica)

We all have different interests and treasures. Amos and Micah love trucks (or tractors). I enjoy shopping. Joseph really likes 4-wheelers. But the more we let our interests and earthly treasures consume us, the easier it is for us to get distracted from things eternal, such as God and His word, loving our brothers and sisters, seeing others as more important than ourselves etc. We must remember what our real treasures are and that we are just passing through this earth. This earth is not our home and the only thing from this earth that will be in heaven is people. Our short time on earth should not be consumed with the things of this earth. People are much more important than things. So what is our real treasure?

Isaiah 33:6~Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the Lord is His treasure.

Proverbs 3:13&15~ Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.

Throughout the whole Bible, especially in the book of Proverbs, we see how godly wisdom and the fear of the Lord should be our highest treasure.

I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ. Phil. 3:8


Matthew 6:19-21~ Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Is Christ our greatest treasure? Do we see view our earthly treasures as undesireable(a loss) compared to knowing Christ, the greatest treasure? The things on this earth will not last forever, but God and His word will. His word is the only infallible rule of faith and practice and will never perish.


1Peter 1:24-25 "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever".


Do people know us by our earthly treasures and our earthly knowledge or do they know us by our heavenly knowledge and our relationship with a God who is; infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.

Posted by: Jessica

photocredit

Being Humble (by Katrina)

Are your relationships with your siblings based upon your own selfish interests? Being humble is the number one key to all relationships. When we have conflicts with our siblings they will only stop when we cloth ourselves with humility. A readiness to admitting we are wrong and asking for forgiveness is one way humility is expressed in our relationships. This is what I have been learning from "Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends".

What if we are right? We still need the attitude of Jesus, who although a king, humbled himself even to the point of death on the cross. Jesus expressed His authority by serving others, by considering the interests of others, not only His own interests (Philippians 2:1-10). When we think only of our own interests it causes arguments and strife. Our pride can hurt our relationships.

The problem is that we can't 'make' ourselves humble for very long. It is an attitude, a condition of our hearts, rather than a feeling. It is an attitude created by seeing ourselves correctly and understanding God correctly. We must always be gratefully humble, remembering what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. We should not take praise for ourselves when praise belongs to someone else, and if we do it by ourselves, we must remember that we are nothing apart from God.

Posted by Katrina

Pictures of This and That (by Jessica)

Daniel was having a Ruff Day. The outfit that he's wearing is size 6-12 months and he is only 2 1/2 months. He is a very chubby baby.

We got 8-10 inches of snow Saturday night.


WWe girls baking. We have been making cookies and selling them in town.

Dad and the boys eating breakfast at 5:30 a.m. before they left Monday morning. They went to Texas to look at vans.

Our view of the Wolf mountains.

We have been doing "fun stuff" while Dad and the boys are gone. Making cards, reading, playing games and spoiling Daniel.

How are you Educating and Why? (by Jessica)

I am often asked why I am educated at home. It has nothing to do with local school quality. The 'why' question is mostly asked because homeschooling is not mainstream and is therefore a little different. Most people are not really asking for our philosophy of education. We should ask "why", but not because it is or isn't mainstream, but because we are intentionally keeping before us our purpose for doing something.

One reason to ask that question is because our children are part of the next generation and how we train them will determine whether they will be the ones who will turn their generation back to God and the Bible. Are the people whom they look up to people who are, or were, used greatly in turning people back to God and the Bible, or are our children modeling their lives after people who have little or no concern for the kingdom of God? We must constantly ask why we are doing what we do, whether attending homeschool, public school, or private school.

Regardless of the educational method we chose, as followers of Christ, our first priority must be God's Word. If God's Word is inspired and without error, then it must be sufficient for ALL of faith and practice. What does God's Word say about education? First, it commands parents to train their children, not just when it is convenient, but diligently, in everything that we do(Duet.6:4-9). Therefore, God's Word should guide in every activity we undertake, rather than be subservient and conform to our activities. Training in God's Word should be second to none on our activity list because our first priority is to love God with all of our heart. What is the greatest passion of my heart? What place does God's Word have in my education? Do I naturally default to it to guide my decisions, to instruct my path, to give counsel to others? If God's Word is important then the method of education should honor it, teach it, promote it, be guided by it.

Second, we cannot seperate knowledge and the fear(respect, awe) of God (See Prov.1:7). Another way to say this is that education is never neutral, it either honors God as creator and the source of true wisdom, or it dishonors God and exalts man. Psalm 1 says,"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night..." If we sit under wicked counsel do we expect to be godly? In Luke 6:40 Jesus says, "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher." We will become like our teacher(s). Parents(especially fathers) have the responsibility to protect and provide, but as children we have the responsibility to honor our parents. We should not give our hearts and loyalties to those outside our homes, but to our parents. This can be difficult. It will require wisdom and a strong faith, but God uses it in a mighty way in our lives, our family, our churches, and in our community and world. can make a tremendous impact on the parents and other children in the home. Another verse is Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...". Again, education is not neutral to this command as it either renews our mind, causing us to present ourselves to God, or it causes our mind to not believe God and conform to the world. Is my heart being transformed into a picture of Christ or conformed to the fleeting values and standards of the world?

We should educate to train disciple-makers and prepare citizens for the kingdom of God. Phil. 3:20 says that our "citizenship is in heaven". This world is not our home and should not be our focus. Compared to eternity, our time on earth is not measurable. How then should we educate and why? We would be wise to consider this often. 2 Tim. 2:2-4 says, "...the things you have heard from me...commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier." While parents do have an important responsibility to protect their children, sheltering should not be the primary reason for homeschooling or private school. Paul is telling Timothy to make disciples of men with proven spiritual character able to teach others. Instead of sheltering, we need to be training soldiers. When a soldier is in training they are preparing for the day they will enter the battle, how to fight the enemy, and all about the enemy. If they didn't know about the enemy, how the enemy thinks and what the enemy knows how can they successfully fight against them. It is the same with children. They need to know how our world thinks and how our "world" has been trained in order to know how to fight against it. The battle will not be easy(Eph.6:12) but it is a battle we are equipped to fight(Eph.6:14-17). Are we educating with the purpose to raise up soldiers and establish citizens of heaven or is our reason based upon some other foundation?

Our decision should be guided by what is most effective in spreading the gospel

This is one of the primary reasons why our family has chosen to homeschool. We think it is the most effective way to fulfill the great commission given in Matt.28:18-20. There are many ways that families can minister through their churches and in their communities. Some of the ministry "tools" in the New Testament were: church planting, discipleship, ministry to widows and the fatherless, hospitality and many more. Homeschooling should and does give us time to do the things mentioned. Also, living our normal lives can have an impact' if love for God in our hearts expresses itself through loving our families and neighbors. We can have an impact on people by the testimony of our lives and not even know it. Our actions really do speak louder than our words. Many think that spreading the gospel would be most effective attending public school, but our family believes differently.

Posted by~ Jessica

Wanting What Someone Else Has (by Joe)

Coveting is the desire to get or have something that does not belong to us, it is taking someting that belongs to someone else but we think we need it. God knows what we need and what we don't need. God knows what to give and what to take away. Christian people learn to be content with a little and with a lot. One of God's ten commandments is, "thou shalt not covet." God gives this commandment, not because he doesn't want us to have anything, but because coveting will keep us from possessing what we really need most- God himself. When people covet they cannot enjoy God because they are putting something before Him, they are worshipping an idol. In their mind they are pursuing what they want, and it takes priority over God. The Bible says covetousness is idolatry. It often happens gradually and unknowingly to us.

Posted by: Joseph

How Do You Homeschool With 8 Children? (A Mom's Perspective)

This post is in response to a question by one of our faithful (3) followers. I hope it gives encouragement and helpful ideas to those who read it.

In some ways, this is a difficult post to write, because we haven't found that perfect curriculum or schedule out there yet. We are always looking for new ideas, always trying to reform for the better. It has been our experience that it isn't necessarily the curriculum or the schedule that gauges our success, however. It is if we have reached and captured the hearts of our children. This has been a process for me, as I tend to be task oriented, thinking that if I have mastered the schedule, I have arrived.

It has been our observation that there are as many reasons to homeschool as there are homeschoolers. We are of the conviction that this world is not our home, we're just passin' through. A lot of what we do is, prayerfully, preparing our children to be strong in their faith, to be able to give reasons for their faith, to make wise decisions in life, and ultimately to be prepared to meet their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 talks about teaching God's Word to our children diligently when we sit, walk, lie down and rise up. This is what we try to do.

Most of our school is done with everyone learning together. This eliminates the problem of having individualized lessons for each child. We teach to the level of the oldest, and the younger children, amazingly, learn right along with them. This helps the younger ones to learn concepts faster, and it teaches the older children to take time for their younger siblings, helping them along the way.

"But what do you do with the toddlers?" Yes, they do present a challenge and yes, we do have interruptions. What has worked great for us is to train the twins to sit on their own blanket during our school time. They are allowed a few toys (not a lot), and are to stay on the blanket unless given permission to leave. After about an hour of this, then one of the older children will give them a little snack and send them outside to play for a little while. I have found that there is a valuable lesson in serving when the older ones help the younger ones.



There are three areas that have to be in place for me to run a meek and quiet homeschool (or any) day:
1) Organization - It is difficult for me to function effectively with a lot of clutter around the house. I am at peace in my spirit when things have a place and are in its place.

2) Chores - I cannot even begin to put everyone's stuff away. Therefore, everyone has chores they do routinely, from the oldest down to the youngest. It is a rare occassion that I do laundry or even put on a whole meal by myself. I am fortunate to have children that help in almost every area of running our home smoothly.

3) Training the children to listen and obey promptly. If I am lazy in my training of the children, our homeschooling day becomes a frustration instead of a joy.

Here is a sample of what a day might look like in the Vander Vorst home:

6:30 am - Rise and Shine.

~ The 2 little girls get the twins dressed and ready for breakfast.

~ Joe does the calf/horse/dog/cat chores.

~ The older 2 girls make breakfast (Katrina & Joe take turns, too).

~ Mom is either sleeping in a little with baby Daniel or taking care of him or getting herself ready.

7:00 am - Breakfast / Bible Study with Dad.

8:00 am - Morning Chores

9:00 am - School starts. We do singing, scripture memory, studying of Proverbs and science together.

~ Individualized lessons include math, writing, and music practice. The older children listen to their math lesson, do and correct their own lesson. I have found it helpful for them to correct their problems the same day they do the lesson (it's a teachable moment).

12:00 - noon meal / Dad teaches catechism while we eat

1:00 - 2:30pm - Nap time for little ones. The older ones are given this time to read their Bibles, read their assigned book, write a report on it which they will give orally to the family in the evening.

2:30-6:00 pm - We try to be consistant in giving each child specific jobs to be done during this time, as well as having some free time that is to be used wisely.
6:00 - Supper
7:00 - 9:00 pm - Dad either does history with the children (they are reading about the Reformation right now), reads a book outloud to them(Ballyntine books, presently), answers Bible questions the children have from their reading, listen to an educational or uplifting DVD, or the children give their oral reports on their assigned book.

There you have it.

It is our goal and prayer to take every moment captive, to make the best use of our time. There is so much to teach and learn. So little time.

A Christian Home

From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures. 2 Timothy 3:15

O give us homes built firm upon the Savior,

where Christ is Head and Counselor and Guide;

Where every child is taught His love and favor

And gives his heart to Christ, the Crucified:

How sweet to know that, tho' his foot-steps waver,

His faithful Lord is walking by his side!

O give us homes with godly fathers, mothers,

Who always place their hope and trust in Him;

Whose tender patience, turmoil never bothers,

Whose calm and courage, trouble cannot dim;

A home where each finds joy in serving others,

And love still shines, tho' days be dark and grim.

O give us homes where Christ is Lord and Master,

The Bible read, the precious hymns still sung;

Where prayer comes first in peace or in disaster,

And praise is natural speech to every tongue;

Where mountains move before a faith that's vaster,

And Christ sufficient is for old and young.

O Lord, our God, our homes are Thine forever!

We trust to Thee their problems, toil and care;

Their bonds of love no enemy can sever,

If Thou art always Lord and Master there:

Be Thou the center of our least endeavor,

Be Thou our guest, our hearts and homes to share.

Written by: Barbara Hart(1916)

Pictures of the family

Katrina & Grace making doll dresses on their sewing machines.

The finished product

Daniel (isn't he cute)

Daniel-1 1/2 months

Everything below is from the month of November

Grace, Micah and "cat"

Joseph, Amos and Micah playing with play-dough

Jessica, Amos & Dolly

~Behold, children are a heritage from the lord~ Psalms 127:3

Journals (written by Katrina)

Journals are very important. In them we write about all our hopes, dreams, discouragement’s, failures and God working in our lives. Also, we can read them to our children and they will believe it because they know it actually happened and know that it is true. I would like to have a journal to tell of all my adventures and read it to my kids just like my Dad and Mom do to me.
Posted by:Katrina
photo credit

Who do you belong to? (by Rebecca)

There is tremendous peer pressure on young girls today. The age at which peer pressure is experienced seems to be happening earlier. It is not uncommon for young girls to have a growing resentment toward their parents if the parents continually ask their daughter to be different from their peers. This resentment manifests itself in girls who aren't permitted to enjoy, without restriction, friends and peer approval. If a young girl is different from her peers, but does not understand why, she will get confused about fitting in when she is surrounded by her peer group. This is usually when and where the real battle starts (Prov.8:1-5), a battle in our heart to see who we really do belong to. John 5:44 says, "How can you believe, when you recieve glory (honor) from one another, and you do not seek the glory (honor) that is from the one and only God?"

Discontentment is the real reason a girl might be feeling restricted. The battle that goes on in our hearts will not happen if we know who we belong to, and why, and we are convinced of both in our hearts. When a girl decides who she is going to give her heart to, she is changing her relationship with her father, either "for better or for worse". "For better or for worse"- this sounds like marriage, and it is, preparing us for our relationship with our husband some day if we marry. If she decides to follow her peer group will she be able to look her father in the eye and see the disappointment? When young girls choose the peer group she is throwing away the love, protection, and leading of her father to follow a life that is hollow and empty.

What kind of women is our future husband going to be waiting for? A true maiden of honor. So why do we want to be like those who's words and actions do not please God? The young men who are giving attention to them are only being led by their visual and temperal desires, having no wisdom, depth, or standard. Jesus knows everything that we think. He knows when we have been coveting things that are not meant for us, or for any daughter of God.

Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's workmanship (masterpiece, work of art) created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Then it is our duty to show our peers, and others, what it means to be a woman of God and a daughter of our father. We can do this by obeying our parents and by the way we present ourselves to others. As girls reject the ways of the world God will help them to live a life that is above reproach (see 1Timothy 2:9-10).

Posted by: Rebecca

photo credit:allposters.com

A Good Romance Book for Girls (by Jessica)

Before You Meet Prince Charming is a book that every girl should read. It talks about the dangers of dating, using our "waiting" years for the Lord and to grow in the Lord. It talks about keeping ourselves pure, a concept that is foreign to our culture today. It made me see the importance of purity, not just physical purity, but keeping our thoughts pure as well. Here is an analogy of keeping ourselves physically pure: you spent the whole morning making a cake for a birthday party, you frosted it, decorated it, and it looked perfect. Later someone came into the kitchen saw the cake and took a small piece. Your cake was now ruined. You could put another piece in the gap and from a distance it would look fine, but it would not be perfect, it would always have a scar. It is the same way with us. Even if we just give away a little tiny piece our rose(body) it will always have a little tear, ruining it's beauty forever.

Keeping our thoughts pure is important. It is also very hard to do. Take for example romance novels. Romance novels are traps, covered in flowers, waiting for someone to pick them up and get sucked into their world of fantasy, romance and happily ever after. Many girls fall into that trap and spend their days dreaming about romance stories that, for the most part, aren't true. Many romance novels also give the wrong impression of "prince charmings". In real life not too many princes come riding in on a white horse with shinning armor to sweep you off your feet. Movies are also very dangerous. So many girls are looking to the movies to be their guide about what is a man. So many married women are asking, "Why isn't my husband like that, why doesn't he act like the guy in the movies?" What they don't realize is that the perfect man doesn't exist. We should not invest our time watching something that is going to make us discontent and unhappy with the real world.

Another thing talked about is, desire the very best. Don't lower your standards just because you think there is no one to meet them. Our culture has the tendency to "lower the bar". But don't take the one dollar now when you could have ten thousand dollars later. It is very hard to wait. But waiting produces patience, and patience produces character, and character leads to godliness. We often have to wait because God has something better for us and we need to use our "waiting" time wisely so that when "prince charming" comes, we are ready.

Posted by: Jessica

Before You Meet Prince Charming is available here