An Introduction

Though the person I want to introduce you to is not in my district, he is a great man running for an office in your district and wanting to represent you at our State capitol. Matt Krause is running against Charlie Geren for the District 99 Texas House of Representatives. I encourage you to look at Charlie's voting record. You will see that he is rated a low 59% conservative for his performance in the last session and an even lower 55% over his career in the congress. Charlie has voted for restricting and criminalizing free speech, he has voted for taking power away from elected officials and letting bureaucrats play political games with our children's education. H has voted against letting parents decide how and where is best for their children to learn, against 'choose life' license plates that would have funded programs to counsel pregnant women on options other than abortion.

Matt Krause believes Texas government should be smaller, more efficient, and operate like a business. Matt will bring common-sense, responsible conservatism to Austin. As Matt will tell you, he is a Christian, Husband, Father, Conservative, and a Republican. And in that order. Matt will not sacrifice principle for politics, and he values results over rhetoric. In his work as a constitutional attorney, Matt defends the core principles that Texas was built upon—the sanctity of human life, the traditional family, and religious liberties.

If I still lived in Fort Worth, I would be voting for Matt Krause. I believe he will do a great job in Austin representing the people of his district. I believe he knows the constitution and will work to preserve it.

The Republican primary is March 2nd. We all have less than 6 weeks to get educated on who we will give our vote on March 2nd. Please spend some time getting to know your candidates and most assuredly get out on March 2nd and let your voice be heard.

fyi: the last day to register to vote for this election is February 1st. So please make sure you are properly registered (if you have moved, please make sure you are registered in your correct county.)

NOvember

Click Here for the November Newsletter.

Russell Math lesson, my little family

It’s math time at the Russell house. I often think I have a small family. Really when people say I have a big family, I think, no really I do not. I think of the three that are in heaven and the ones that I would welcome into my home if the Lord saw fit to send them and I think my family is small. I look at other families my size and think they are big, but mine is not so big. But, I know my blessings are big! Then I think of the smaller families who think my job is so big… and perhaps it is a bit bigger than your average family. Do you have any idea the logistics of running a home where 9 people reside? The clothing issues alone are enough to make your head swim.

Consider these numbers for a week at the Russell house- (Let me say here, I am extremely grateful for my washer and dryer! I have no desire to do my laundry the way my grandmother, Mae Sadler did for most of her child rearing years, nor do I even have it as bad as my mother did raising the 7 of us)
126 socks to match (Where do all the missing socks go?)
63 pairs of pants (check pockets for crayons, army men, play dough and food, first!)
63 shirts (not including undershirts or just "I think I'll change in the middle of the day' shirts! And those of you who know Hannah, know this number can grow rapidly.)
63 pair of underwear (though boys at certain ages think one pair should work for a week… this is not an option)
21 misc. articles of underclothes (unmentionables)
31.5 pairs of pajamas (you CAN wear them 2 nights in a row)
add to that sheets: 7 beds changed a minimum of once a week.
Towels (I am trying to convince the children that it is indeed important to hang them on the nice towel racks so they can dry and be used for a second day… but they prefer to lay them on the floor, add to this an occasional comforter and blanket along with kitchen towels and wash cloths, jackets and sweaters and you begin to feel like an in-house laundry mat might come in handy! Has anyone thought of the idea of disposable clothes?

If the laundry isn't enough, think about the dishes!
At the very least you begin with-
315 pieces of silverware
189 plates and bowls (that's if everyone only uses one at each meal, when is the last time that happened?)
189 glasses (leaving out the ones for sips in between meals)
pots, pans, baking dishes and the containers that you eat the leftovers out of (as if that is an everyday happening- usually it's either there aren't any or they die some horrible moldy death in the fridge...)

And then you get to the meals. Does anyone out there actually feed their family what the food pyramid says to feed them?
For us that would be 284 servings of fruits and vegetables a week!!!! We would need our own orchard and a garden the size of a baseball field! Milk = 189 cups of milk per week, that is almost 12 gallons per week. We need to get a cow or two!
Meat would be almost 22 pounds per week. Then the grains! 378 oz per week, which is almost 24 pounds! Then once you get all of these foods you have to prepare them into good nutritious meals. Add in a picky eater or two and it’s enough to make your hair turn gray. (please, no comments about the gray in my hair)

Sweeping… Kitchen is done at least three times a day and living areas 1-2 times. I could figure out the square footage, but I think not. Then there is vacuuming and mopping and… the toilets… Let’s not talk about the toilets. It is enough to say we are blessed to have them inside the house and not outside. But they do need maintenance and cleaning on a regular basis.

Now on to education-
We still have 5 that we are schooling at home. I must admit that I sometimes follow way too many rabbit trails when we do unit studies and get burned out when doing it by the books…. So I tend toward the unit studies thought it takes us a while to finish a unit. But the numbers alone might show you why we have chosen this method though it sometimes gets crazy.
Consider for yourself what it would be like to teach 30 subjects at separate grade levels if I followed a traditional curriculum. It would look something like this-
(all taught on 5 separate levels)
10 spelling tests
25 science lessons
25 math lessons
25 English lessons
25 history lessons
25 Bible lessons
plus sports practices and games, coops, church, etc.

Did I mention that I have a toddler, in case it has been too long since you have been blessed with one of those… if it gets quiet, there is a problem! If it gets loud, there is a problem. If by chance the toddler and the 5 year old are gone at the same time, it may take you hours to recover the bathroom from the mess they made while experimenting with baby powder, tissue paper and water!

So, now, you may ask what it is that I have to be thankful for with all that work to do? Well, I'll tell you my friend. It's like this-
Scripture tells us "That my father owns the cattle on a thousand hills" so I know we will always have food to eat!
Also, remember that story about the sparrows, that God arrays them in splendor? So know I don't have to worry about clothes for a while- like forever, I guess...

As for a roof over my head? "He shall cover me with His feathers and under his wings shall I trust."
If everyone in the family learned just one scripture a week different than everyone else in the family we would be at 468 scriptures a year! I wonder how long it would take us to learn the whole Bible at that rate? Oh, now my head is churning… I think we can do it! Where do I start? Gonna go play with the numbers and make some plans and chase that rabbit for a while!…………..

So the next time you begin to feel overwhelmed, come back and look at this list. You never know when you might be blessed in this way, too! But until you are, enjoy how quickly your housework can be done!

I know that I often look to my many friends who have more children than I do and I maybe should, but I don’t think about how much work they have to do, I think about how incredibly blessed they are, because I know I am so incredibly blessed with my little family!

What is more beautiful than the fresh fallen snow?

What is more beautiful than looking out the window this morning and seeing a blanket of snow with still huge snowflakes falling? After spending some time on God’s Word and meditating on the beauty of the fallen snow in scripture. (See verses at the end of this note.) Then enter each of the younger children. First our little Hannah, she goes over to the window and sees the snow and starts to dance and sing a song. “Thank you Jesus for the snow, the beautiful, beautiful fluffy white snow… la la la” And then looks out again and just giggles and says ‘Daddy, it is really snowing.. a lot”. Daniel crowds in giggling with his sister wanting to get in on whatever has her signing and dancing and then you see him glance out the window and he sees it. His face is full of wonder as he stares out the window and you can see his eyes and his expressions as he is trying to process what he is seeing… he is only two and thus does not remember ever seeing snow before. He stands there looking out the window and his face, his eyes grow big then curious then excited as he assimilates what he is seeing. Then he points and exclaims “snow!” though it sounds more like ‘no’. He spends a little more time watching the huge snowflakes fall and then he and Hannah burst into song and dance again about the beautiful fluffy white snow. They decide to go get Jordan and Stephen. First Jordan comes in and as soon as she sees the snow she grabs my arm and says “Look Momma, snow, it is snowing! Jesus does answer prayer! I prayed for snow really I did and look, it is here! Can I call Riley, she needs to know that God answered our prayers.” Then she sits down to look at the snow for a while. In comes Stephen. He looks out at the snow and is in awe. “Mom, look how much snow there is, usually it would take days to work up to that amount of snow. Yesterday, there was no snow and today there is all that snow and it is still coming down in huge flakes. Did you know that it could snow that much when it was not snowing yesterday? If it continues to snow today then we’ll have to dig our way out. But if I had a troop of men, you wouldn’t have to worry because we would have no problem digging a tunnel from here to the mailbox and then if you needed us to we could dig it to the store. If you wanted us to we could dig a tunnel to the playhouse so the children could play. But if it is going to be this snowy we will need provisions and warm blankets……. His story goes on for a while, then he looks up at me and says “It’s beautiful, isn’t it mom.” And then goes back into his army story. Sarah pretends she is too old to get excited about the snow, rolls over and snuggles deep into her covers. But quickly she is roused out of her cocoon and when she sees the snow she smiles and I can see the smile radiating as it goes into her soul.
I didn’t get to see Jonny’s response to the snow, he is working away from home this week in Graham. But when he got up he called me and queried “Did you guys get snow” with a hit of anticipation in his voice. I told him about his siblings reactions and he encouraged me to put Stephen in some jeans, boots and a hat and get pictures of him. You could hear in his voice that he wanted to be here to bombard his little brother in a great snowball fight. Sadly he tells me they didn’t get any snow in Graham, but that they were expecting some tonight or tomorrow, but it would not help them on their job, so he didn’t know whether to wish for it or not. Joshua’s was the response of many men going to work this morning… first a deep breath and almost a sigh then “I hope the roads are good, I’ll be careful, gotta go I’m running late.”
So what is more beautiful than the snow? Watching my children’s reactions when they first see the first snow of the year. Thank you Lord for the snow and for the experience of seeing my children’s reactions to the snow. And for your Word, your living and active Word. Like a blanket of snow, it comes down and covers me and waters my soul as it melts into my spirit and blankets me with white and light. May I in return bud and flourish and yield seed.


Job 37:6
He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'

Psalm 51:7
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Proverbs 25:13
Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters.

Proverbs 26:1
Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.

Proverbs 31:21
When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

Isaiah 55:10
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

Why are we politically active?

In the last two years our family has become consistently more politically active. We have enjoyed learning more and more about the way our government works, more about the grassroots movement, more about the history of our great nation, and more about those who have been elected to serve us in our government. Now much of our ‘free’ time is spent being ‘politically active’. We stuff envelopes, knock doors, attend meetings, promote candidates, make phone calls, write emails, study issues and study those seeking election to public offices. We pray for our leaders and their families, we pray for those seeking political offices and their families. We have read and re-read the constitution and still need to read it again. The kids have memorized the preamble, the bill of rights, the presidents’ names and verses about civil government from the scriptures. We have enjoyed reading some great books and stories about some great heroes in the history of the United States. Our nation was founded by Christian men and on biblical principles.

Why are we politically active? We believe it is imperative that conservative God fearing Christian leaders gain and hold access to the high places. George Washington said, “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without god and the Bible.” We are “We the people”. When our forefathers penned those words they had us in mind. They worked to secure the blessings of liberty for themselves and their posterity. We are that posterity and we must work to hold the blessings of liberty for our posterity. We are involved in politics for our children and their children.

Sadly, I have heard too many people who have given up because they think that it is a losing battle. I choose to differ, I agree with Abraham Lincoln when he stated: “The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe just.”

Many years before our republic was formed Plato mused “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” Then years later as our great nation was but an infant one of our founding fathers George Washington proclaimed: “It is infinitely better to have a few good men than many indifferent ones.” I think it is time to stop being indifferent it is time to stand up and fight. So now the question is… what can I do?

We the people, the Christian conservative Americans need to get out – get educated and vote. We must get educated on who is running for the different elected offices and we must vote. We must educate others and get them out to vote. It is not good enough to simply talk about it we must do it --- VOTE!

Abraham Lincoln noted “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” We can do this destruction through our apathy. We can no longer sit back and wait for others to pick up and then run with the ball. We the people, one nation under God must run with it!

We must implore those elected to public office to consistently judge their actions and decisions by the living word of God. Andrew Jackson, incredibly a democrat, rightly proclaimed “The Bible is the rock on which our republic stands.” We know our history, we know this to be true. We have no doubt our God is able, why do we sit back and act like He is not able? After-all, “With God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

We must with resolute hearts fervently pray for our nation and our elected officials and their families. “If my people which are called by name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and will heals their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Did you know that it was customary when our nation was new for pastors to preach an ‘election sermon’. In one such sermon Daniel Foster (1790) encouraged the people to steadfastly pray for their elected leaders. He assured them as I do here to each of you, that it is truly your duty to pray for your leaders.

So in conclusion, we are politically active for the sake of the generations to come, our children and our children’s children. And simply stated the things we can do to affect change are.. vote, educate ourselves, others and our elected officials and it is imperative that we pray. Now the question is will you join us in our fight to gain and hold the high places?

Mixed Emotions

My dad and mom (Jim and Paula), my oldest brother, Richard is missing. then from left to right: Michael, me, David, Loy, James (Jimmy) and John Mark.

I just got home from Oklahoma where I went to my Uncle Bill's funeral. My uncle Bill was a good man who loved his family greatly and provided and protected them. So for that reason, I am sad. But my Uncle Bill was a Christian, he loved his savior and is now with Him and for that reason I celebrate. He left a beautiful wife of over 56 years, two children, 4 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren and for them I am sad, they will miss him greatly. I had the wonderful opportunity to visit with cousins that I had not seen for years, for some it has been a couple of years and for others it has been around 20. And for that I rejoice. I look forward to getting together with them and renewing our friendships. I hope we can get together for a reunion that does not include a death.
5 of my 6 siblings also made the trip. It was good to see all of them.

December newsletter

Finally got December ready. It is two different pdfs, sorry about that.

December part 1
December part 2