Gloria In Excelsis Deo

Thankful~Psalm 100

2011-11-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

The Bible is full of verses about thankfulness. One of the most dearly loved is Psalm 100. The sweet ladies over at Dear Lillie are giving away a beautiful word art of Psalm 100. Click HERE to read the post.

They have a gorgeous shop with lots of artsy things so check that out, too! I plan to print out my copy and frame it so it can grace the mantle.

Thank you Dear Lillie for sharing this!

Sometimes, life doesn't go as planned....

2011-10-31T11:44:00.000-07:00

We had grand plans for the weekend! The bags were packed, the food made and ready to go. Fun, fellowship and shopping! Not to mention touring and catching some beautiful fall color in North Georgia.

But, then...yes, plans had to change.

Thursday night I experienced the worst RA flare-up in all the 15 years that I have had it. The pain was so intense, I couldn't move my limbs. Slowly it eased as Bob faithfully prayed for me. It, unfortunately, left me swollen, painful and minimally functioning. No trip for us. We were all very disappointed. There wasn't even a Plan B of seeing some people on Sunday. I still couldn't leave the house.

The very good news is that today I am feeling much better! I can function and certain joints no longer look like things that belong in buns with ketchup and mustard!!

Through all of this a thought has emerged. It seems we (some of my immediate family?) have fallen into the trap of looking for the next social engagement as the highlight of our days. Living for the next "fun" event. Can we, should we, be content with each day as a gift from God and enjoy the work, chores, family time and quiet of each day as much as a "social event"?

Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Yes, I believe we should! The example that we see all around us is living for entertainment. That we are only truly happy if we are having "FUN". Get through the work week so we can "PLAY" on the weekend.

This verse leads me to believe otherwise! Every day can be joyful and we can be glad in it! Even if that means working hard and fulfilling our responsibilities. We can be peaceful and content daily.

(Please don't misunderstand me, disappointment over a lost trip is normal and to be expected. But are we balanced in our outlook on life? Are we just as content and happy being at home as we are out at a social event? Food for thought...)

So, sometimes life doesn't go as I had planned, and that is OK. I am seeking to be peaceful, happy and content today as I teach my children, cook our meals, fold laundry and all the other things I do on a regular basis.

Today is a good day! I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Have a joyful day, wherever you are!

Thankful!

2011-10-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

Just a few of the things that I am thankful for today....

...such a beautiful blog background created by my sweet daughter...

...amazing red leaves on my trees outside my kitchen window...

...work for Bob and the boys...which means some much needed money! :)....

...finding a much needed used wheelchair in my city for only $45...

...a chance to visit friends this weekend and spend some time with my family...

...fresh green beans from the garden...

...the ability to crochet and create fun and functional things that I can enjoy...

...cool temps and sunny days....

...fresh eggs in abundance...

...my Heavenly Father who loves me when I mess up and doesn't expect perfection from me...and a wonderful husband who does the same!...

...great children who love the Lord and want to live Godly lives...

Well, the list could go on and on but I just had to share some of the things for which I am thankful!

Blessings,

Awesome Giveaway!!

2011-10-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

Over at Unsinkable, these fine ladies are giving away a pattern for a beautiful, 1910 Tea Gown ePattern kindly donated by Mrs. Chancey of Sense and Sensibility Patterns! What an awesome pattern!

Just hop on over to the Unsinkable blog and enter. The giveaway is until November 12, 2011.

Happy sewing,

Back again...

2011-10-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that so much time has passed since I have posted. This last month has just flown by.

So much has happened.

Many things were scratched off the to-do list. Yay! That's always a good feeling!

I have opened a Facebook account....I'm not impressed. More on that in another post.

I saw old friends on Facebook...very nice but few really wanted to connect. That's a little sad.

My sister Cheryl, rode in segments from Michigan to Orlando, FL with a group to raise money and awareness for a pregnancy help center. It was grueling but very rewarding for her.

God has provided work for Bob in amazing ways! He is working with a pool company and a landscape company on a commission basis. He has several opportunities for sales right now. A BIG THANK YOU to all of you who prayed for us. Keep praying that these projects move forward. Also a landscape project popped up so Bob and the guys will be installing that in just over a week. God has been so faithful to hear and answer our prayers!!

Our garden started producing more beans! This is truly amazing! We had planted pole beans but they never produced. Now since the rainy, cooler weather has come, we are getting lots of wonderful, sweet beans! Also the yellow squash and zucchini are producing. More blessings!!

Bob has mastered Google Sketchup to the place that he can use it to present pools in a 3D format. That is a real praise as he had to relearn how to use the program and made quick progress.

I was asked to make some custom aprons and so making some more money for the household expenses.

We were accepted by the homeschool convention in SC, the one we really wanted to attend. The kids continue to sell ebooks.

We "happened" upon a huge yarn sale at Hobby Lobby and I was able to get some yarn so I can make more slippers to sell!!

And the list goes on...I see these things as direct answers from God to the prayers that we poured out to Him. Some people would say this was all coincidence but no, it is the hand of God.

Why do I doubt, why do I fear? There is no need. God will supply my needs. He will provide. He has proved Himself faithful over and over.

Grateful,

Life right now is just amazing....

2011-09-19T06:12:00.000-07:00

I am in an amazing season of life right now. I guess you could call it "growing pains"!

Recently, we have been praying, crying out to God, to show us what to do. In every area of our lives as a family and individually.

We had been going through such a dry time. We had to leave the church we were attending.  We seemed to have almost no friends. My one good homeschooling friend had to get a full time job so I never see her anymore. Bob's work was very steady from March through mid-July and then nothing.

So we were totally and completely relying on God. And praying... and hoping.   But, you know, God is faithful. He will never leave us or forsake us. It was just fine to be taken out of the busyness and hurry to stop and focus on His still, small voice. Sometimes, we can't hear it in all the frenzy. We rush on about our own ways and don't heed His voice, His directions, His ways. So we waited. And waited......

Just when we were about at our end, (of money), God sent work our way. He prompted us to hold a yard sale. Then another call for a design job came in. Bob has connected with a pool company and it may do very well for us. (Keep praying about that one, will you?) Julia was paid for her jewelry that she sold to a store (finally). Their ebooks sold well when hosted by the Homeschool Freebie of the Day. Julia was asked to do some graphic design and was paid well for it.   Some Mennonite friends of ours run the Deli in town. I asked if they would sell some aprons, hotpads and slippers that I made. They were happy to do it and I sold almost all the slippers and hotpads in 2 days. (I had been trying to sell them at shows for about a year!)

We also had been praying about being vendors for homeschool conventions this year. The door to FL was closed even though that was our first choice. So we have knocked on the door of NC. Then God sent a lady to our yard sale to tell us of a new convention in SC called "Teach Them Diligently". So this morning I am filling out the application for that convention. Knocking on that door to see if it is where we are to be in March 2012.

We are friends with a sweet Mennonite family here in town and God is bringing me some sweet ladies online as new friends!

There are other things God is showing us. It feels like....

Isa 54:2-4 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame:.....

That may be taken out of context but that is what it feels like here. God is pressing us forward, requiring that we walk in faith and not in fear! He is showing us things we need to learn and do.

I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of this last night. As a family, we read 1 Peter 1.   I was so encouraged by this....
1Peter 1:3-9 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Our faith is being tried right now and we are believing that it will come out more refined. God is keeping us by His power. But during this trial, we can have joy unspeakable and full of glory! We should be rejoicing!! Wow! I don't rejoice most of the time. But I can and I should. What a different perspective this is. Lord, help me to see and have faith through this season. Help me to hear your still, small voice and follow your leading, not doing what I think is best.

So, if you feel led, please pray for us, will you? I believe that God is faithful to hear and answer our prayers.

If you are going through a dry time, a trial, take heart!  You are not alone and God is for you. Have faith and believe His Word. Listen for His voice for He wants to show you the way.

Blessings,

2 Freebies!!

2011-09-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was the big day but don't worry! You didn't miss out!

I am talking about the 2 freebies being hosted by the Homeschool Freebie of the Day!

Yes, Warfare by Duct Tape is giving away The Throwing Axe Booklet and The Shield and Buckler Booklet!! Just hop on over there and get your FREEBIES!! (Scroll down to the bottom of the page.)

We are also giving a 20% discount on all titles of the ebooks for Jewels by Julia AND Warfare by Duct Tape! Good only until 9/17/11. So don't delay!! Use coupon code HSFREE22 .

One of our customers, Stephanie, said, "Thank you Mark and Steven for sharing your creativity (and mom Gloria for the ebook)! We downloaded the FREE Shield and Buckler ebook and my boys, 8 and 4, and 35 year old husband have had so much fun. This really helped spark their imagination, enhance their love of learning and most importantly created memories.
I just purchased The Battle Book and looking forward to what it brings our family! I'll be back for more!!"

So, go make some memories,

Bless the LORD

2011-09-08T01:37:00.000-07:00

Psalm 103

A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.

He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.

Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

Bless the LORD,

This Little Beauty is FREE!

2011-09-07T01:19:00.000-07:00

Today, right NOW, this instructional ebook is FREE! The Homeschool Freebie of the Day is hosting Julia's ebook as a freebie for just TODAY!

So hop on over there for the link to her site, or a-hem...,( just click on the side bar), and click on the Freebie star. Be sure to save it to your computer because it will only be there through Saturday.

SALE! Julia is offering 20% off all her ebooks until 9/10/11. Use the coupon code HSFREE11 to get the discount!

This necklace ebook is an excerpt from her How To Create Noticeably, Noteworthy Necklaces ebook.

You will find it on her website, Jewels by Julia Shop, and can purchase it and download it as a PDF.
Thank you Mr. Erskine for hosting our ebooks!

In the Desert

2011-09-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

I am in the desert and it is not easy.

It's not what I'm used to.

I don't like it.

It's LONELY!

In the article, "No Fellowship, No Problem!" Chip Brogden encouraged me with these words,

The purpose of solitude in the spiritual desert is to get you to see that Jesus is Enough. You’re not going to die from lack of fellowship, but if you don’t learn that Jesus is Enough then spiritually speaking you’re dead already. He’s the One you need to be focused on – not starting a fellowship, not finding a home group, not making something happen with other people.

So, we've tried and tried to be part of a fellowship of believers and it has not worked out since we moved here. Chip goes on to say,

There are times and seasons where He calls you to be alone and apart with Him. I’m not saying it will always be like that, but what if it is? What if He calls you to walk alone with Him for the rest of your life? Is Jesus enough for you? I asked that question of a group of Christians once: is Jesus enough for you? Because most Christians do not believe this. They want Jesus, but they also want fellowship with others. Really, do you know what Christians want? Not fellowship with others. That sounds so spiritual. Really what they want is acceptance from other Christians. You go deep down and that’s what they want. They want to feel accepted by other Christians. Well, all I can tell you is that you’re setting yourself up for a huge disappointment. Eventually there will come a time when you will have to decide between the truth that God has revealed to you and the acceptance of other Christians. Now it hurts when you are not accepted by other Christians.

Yeah, I guess I want to be accepted by other Christians....and yeah, the disappointment is there, too.

But the bottom line is your spiritual life and walk with God does not depend upon the acceptance of other Christians. You might think it does, and it sure makes things easier, but it is not a condition of following Christ – making sure other Christians understand and accept you. The deeper you go into God the more unacceptable you will be to other Christians. ....Jesus is Lord and if you are His disciple then He accepts you whether the rest of the Christian population accepts you or not.

I AM accepted by my Father in Heaven. He sees me and hears my heart cry! He knows me for I am His!
He loves me just the way I am!

“Oh brother Chip, I’m so lonely, I’ve been going to church every Sunday for twenty years and now we just sit home on Sunday and we feel so empty inside!” Well praise God, if that’s where God has you right now then thank God for it. Stop looking for other people to fill a void that only Christ can fill. You’ve been covering up that void with a lot of religious junk and He’s stripping all that away. He’s trying to build something in you, so let Him do it according to the times and seasons that He has appointed. Don’t rush through that process. Get comfortable with just you and God. My goodness, you don’t even know what it’s like to walk with God and just be hidden in Him because your whole life you’ve been following Him in a crowd, worshipping Him in a crowd, praying to Him in a crowd, learning about Him in a crowd.

It's time to get to know my Father, one on one without all the baggage. Time to be quiet and restful and let Him fill the void and bring real peace.

The Bible does not say “hold fast to the Body” or “hold fast to the members of the Body”, it says “hold fast to the Head.” The Bible does not say, “Seek ye first the fellowship of others”, but “seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and all these things – including fellowship – will be added to you.” You learn to do that and the rest will take care of itself, in the time and manner that God sees fit.

I choose to trust Him in this area of my life. ...To walk in faith that His timing is right and true. ...That I don't need to force the fellowship but wait on Him to provide the best thing. I am beginning to be excited about what God is going to teach me and reveal to me through His Word and prayer.

So, I'm in the desert. It's lonely. It's quiet. And that's OK.

Where are you, today?

To read the entire article mentioned above, click here.

What's Going on Around Here

2011-08-31T17:40:00.000-07:00

Life has been full lately. Some of the things we have been doing....

Bob has completed our third chicken coop. We call it the Dawdi Haus because it is attached to Coop 2. The oldest group of hens has moved in and seems to have settled in nicely.

It has 3 nest boxes and a nifty lid so that you can reach inside and get the eggs without going into the coop!
(He's so smart!)

He also has replaced our upstairs toilet, it broke! So glad he is a handy fix-it man!! I'll spare you the picture.....

Today he stained the back of the carport of our log home. It was one of those jobs way down on the list. But now it is done and looks great!

Of course, he is puttering in what is left of the garden, considering the heat and excessive drought conditions.

And, most importantly, Bob has had precious time to read the Bible. God is teaching him more and more and he is soaking it up like a sponge!

While reviewing some history books for the boys' schoolwork, he realized that his ancestors on his mother's side come down from the Pilgrims of 1620 and the Puritans that came over on the Winthrop Fleet in 1630!
And that they wanted a godly life and religious freedom and were willing to put their lives on the line to get it!

The kids have all gotten new computers. They were able to buy them with the money they earned from their businesses. So far, Julia has gotten back into blogging, taught herself how to use Gimp and started a new site for free blog backgrounds. (My new background is one of her free backgrounds!) She is also my "right hand man-er-woman"! She helps me so much around the house.

Mark has ramped up his schooling and is planning a new Lego movie with Steven.

Steven has made a stop-motion animation movie about David and Goliath. He is in the finishing stages and we are hoping for the premiere soon! Then Mark and Steven plan to do a movie together.

We are excited about some new places for the kids to sell their ebooks. They are now "live" on The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Ebook Store! Yay! Click on the link and then search in "companies" for Warfare by Duct Tape and Jewels by Julia. We have a couple other places in the works, more info on that later.

They are also kept busy caring for our 26 new little chicks that I posted about last time.

Me, well, I have learned to continental knit. I am basically a crocheter that dabbles in knitting. But I find knitting to be very slow for me. I watched this knitting video after someone suggested the continental style and I really like it! It will take some practice to get really fast but I have it down now. I love learning new skills even at my age!

It has been a whole month that I have been trying a new way of eating. A friend of mine has Fibromyalgia and she was greatly helped by eating this way. I don't have Fibro, but I deal with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Basically it is no sugar, no high fructose corn syrup and no hydrogenated oils or lard. Do you know how many foods this cuts out? The kind in a can or already processed? Quite a bit. So I have learned how to make my own refried beans, my own tortilla shells with whole wheat and ones from corn. I have made muffins with honey instead of sugar. I dragged out my old Sue Gregg cookbooks and voila! it was all in there! She has some great recipes if you want to keep it simple, from scratch and whole wheat, etc.

I have been working hard to promote the kids's ebooks, fixing up websites and finding another convention for next year. As well as plan and begin another school year with the boys.

Dealing with our garden produce has been a learning curve for me this year!

It has been a great problem to have, pumpkins and squash, tomatoes and peppers. Bob planted cayennes this year as well as jalapenos and green peppers and they have been prolific!! So I will learn how to dry the cayennes and make a powder out of them. They are too hot to eat fresh! But I use the powder all the time to make our hotsie-totsie sauce (like Taco Bell sauce). We've made lots of fresh salsa, too!

Today I washed about 5 dozen jars that were given to me. I plan to can chicken soup when we butcher 3 old hens whose time has come.

It is also time to buy groceries this week. I plan menus for a month and grocery shop once a month. I inventory all that I have in the pantry and freezer and then make out the grocery list. Tomorrow is the big day to hit the stores. I absolutely love doing it this way. I save about 9 hours of my time every month by only shopping once in the month. Occasionally, I'll stop in the store if there is a great BOGO sale or we need more produce.

This has been an incredible time of learning to walk by faith. In all areas of my life, I have to live by faith. My health, my children, our finances, our businesses, everything is out of my control and firmly in God's hands. I can't do anything to change these things except believe that God will make a way, show us the way to go and provide everything we need in the right time and the right way. We are not just sitting on our hands, as they say, but doing all we can do. But in reality, we can only trust. God is faithful and true. He will never leave us nor forsake us.

So this is what has been going on in our lives. What's new with you?
Leave a comment and tell me what new in your life. I'd love to hear from you.

Gotta run, Bob is patiently waiting for me to cut his hair!

They're Here!

2011-08-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

They have finally arrived! They came on Friday morning early. The phone rang and we knew it was time!!

Here they are! Twenty-six of the cutest, fluffiest little chicks you have ever seen!

Freedom Ranger is their breed and they are meat chickens. This is the first time we have gotten chickens solely for the purpose of meat.

They are so adorable right now that it is hard to think of butchering them but we must, in about 10 weeks! So no getting attached to them and naming them like pets.....unless the names are Crispy, Original, Nugget, Baked and Fried!

We got them from some Mennonites in PA who raise these as their business. The Freedom Ranger Hatchery is a very reputable business. Our chickens came right on time and they are vigorous and healthy! All of them lived and they even gave us a free one in case one died. Now we have 26!

This is what they will look like when they are full grown. The Rangers are not a hybrid breed. They are real chickens unlike the Jumbo Cornish X chickens. If you are looking for meat chickens, I would highly recommend this breed and these breeders. You can find them HERE at Freedom Ranger Hatchery.

Gotta go check on the little ones,

Giveaway and Free Blog Backgrounds!!

2011-08-24T14:36:00.000-07:00

Julia is hosting a giveaway of her jewelry!

She is giving away 5 pairs of earrings!

Five, yes, 5 blessed people will win a pair of her handmade earrings!

This giveaway is to announce her new "I Love It!" Blog Designs website!

Go to Julia's blog to get all the details and to leave comments to enter to win.

All of the adorable blog backgrounds are free!! She has some really pretty ones there and is busy designing new ones!

Here are the beautiful earrings that she is giving away.....

You can get all of the details of the giveaway here at Julia's Journal. You can also read her story of how she learned to do the backgrounds.

The blog backgrounds can be seen HERE at "I Love It!" Blog Designs.

I am so proud of her. It is important to let our children know they are doing a good job and that we are proud of them. They need to hear it. We need to say it. It builds confidence in them and affirms our love for them.

Have a great day!

Free Homeschool Planner

2011-08-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

We all love a bargain, especially if it is free!

I am an email subscriber to the Homeschool Freebie of the Day. Daily they offer some sort of freebie, usually homeschool related. I highly recommend it.

This FREE Homeschool Planner was a recent freebie on the Homeschool Freebie of the Day. It is not actually free because you have to print it yourself. But I loved the clear directions and multitude of forms that you can customize to fit your desires. Check out the site if you haven't gotten a planner yet. This might be just what you need!

Enjoy!

Well Educated

2011-08-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year. Time to make plans for the current school year, what to study and what not to study.

It is a daunting thing to be a homeschool mom. After all, the education of my child is on my (and my husband's) shoulders. What if we do it wrong? What if we don't teach them something they need to know?!? (Some might feel this way, actually we don't, keep reading....)

Well Educated. What parent doesn't want their child to be Well Educated? Of course we do. But what defines Well Educated?

I guess that depends on your worldview. What are your beliefs as a parent based on? What kind of person are you seeking to be and therefore what kind of person do you want your child to be?

The pressure to be like the world and to think like the world is very strong. It (thinking like the world) is probably the way we were raised especially if we attended public school (or even Christian school).

There are basically two worldviews:
1. Man-centered
2. God-centered

Our current culture is based on the man-centered worldview. It is basically Greek in nature. Man's thinking and logic are the ultimate goal and authority. Man's wisdom is sought out and made the standard for living. The classics like Plato, Socrates, Homer, Aristotle and Shakespeare are studied and glorified. They become the center of our educational choices. You might be considered not Well Educated if you don't study these teachings.

As a Christian should I have a God-centered worldview or a man-centered worldview? Is the Bible, God's Word, my guide and my authority? Am I seeking to make God's thinking my thinking, and God's ways, my ways? Do I desire to become more like God daily in my beliefs and how I live my life?

The God-centered worldview does just that. It places the Bible as the authority and guide for life. The ways of God are sought after and taught to the children. It may mean not being like the world, but choosing to be like Christ in all things. So as parents, if we have been educated in a traditional school setting, we must be very careful to weigh our every action against the truth of the Bible to see if it is a Biblical way or a man-centered way.

In 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 it says,"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
That no flesh should glory in his presence.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

God calls us to holiness and godliness. Filling our minds and those of our children with humanistic thinking is not beneficial and will not point us to holiness.

Our goal should be as 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

And, verse 22, "Flee youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

And in 2 Timothy 3:15, "And that from a child thou hast know the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

1 Timothy 4:12, "Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

I am not suggesting that anyone be ignorant of classics or historical figures. I am saying they should not hold the place of prominence. A general knowledge of these things is sufficient. I am also saying that just because a work is considered a classic does not mean that is should automatically be read or studied. All information should be weighed and carefully selected which means some classics are not fit to be read!

Our goal, as a family, is to have a Biblical worldview. We seek to be more like Christ daily in word and in deed. We choose our educational materials to reflect that worldview. We teach our children all the educational basics and concentrate on materials that reflect Biblical morals and character. Our goal is not that they "get ahead in life and have jobs that make a lot of money" but that they fulfill the calling of God on their lives, to be all that God intended for them to be.

As my husband said just the other day, "If a man was well versed in all the teachings of men, science, and literature but that man was ignorant of the Bible and the ways of God, that man would not be Well Educated!"

So our definition of Well Educated is knowing the Bible and living it out as a child of God first and foremost. Then the other things of reading well, speaking well, writing well and having knowledge of the subjects of life come second.

Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

These definitions and goals help guide us as we choose what to study and not to study with our children, along with prayer.

Praying for a blessed new school year,

P.S. Please forgive me for capitalizing Well Educated. I am emphasizing the words to make a point.

Free DIY Fruit Fly Trap

2011-08-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

This time of year fruit flies can be a nuisance. If you have your garden produce laying around or those bananas from the store, they can attract fruit flies. What do you do???

This trap is a no fail solution!!

You need:
Tall glass or jar, preferably clear so you can see when you have trapped the little guys.
Tape, scotch or masking will work.
Some kind of bait, like ripe banana or fruit.
Piece of paper, I used 8 1/2 x 11.
Scissors

Form the paper into a cone using the long side of the paper. Keep the hole really small, like 1/8 of an inch. So the flies will crawl through but not be able to fly out. Tape.

Now tape the whole length of the cone on the inside and out so they can't get out.

Place the "bait" in the jar. Place the cone in the jar. The cone should not be touching the bait.
Tape securely around the edge of the glass. Make sure there are no gaps.

Trim down the cone so it is easy for the flies to go in.

Leave it where you see the most fruit flies. Believe me, if you build it, they will come. It fills up overnight and does a great job of catching the flies.

My sons dispose of the flies by taking the jar outside and filling it with water. Then they throw out the paper and the bait.

So no need to go crazy over fruit flies. You could mke it a homeschool project! ;-) (wink)

Seven (days) of Skirts

2011-08-08T17:10:00.000-07:00

Here are my last two modest skirt samples.

Skirt: Handmade pink and white gingham check. This is a basic A line skirt with an elastic waist.

Shirts: Cherokee brand t-shirt from Target in pink and the white shirt is an Liz Claiborne eyelet blouse that I cut the sleeves off of. I just love this blouse! It is one of my favorites.

Hairstyle: Braid, done by Julia my wonderful hairstylist! (again!) This is a better picture of it so you can see the top part.

I really like pink so I often wear it. I tend toward pastels as a rule anyway.

The other outfit:

Skirt: Handmade basic A line skirt with a cute ruffle.

Shirts: Jones of New York blue blouse and a white Land's End t-shirt.

Coming soon: The fashion industry's way to crush the innocence of our girls.....

Stay tuned,

Seven (days) of Skirts! Day 2 & 3

2011-08-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

The days are flying by! We went as a family to the river yesterday for some sun and fun. It was a great time and we even saw some friends there. Needless to say, after being gone for 4 hours I spent the rest of the day catching up so yesterday and today's skirts are here in one post.

Day 2:

Skirt: Handmade culottes, split skirt or gauchos, whatever you want to call them. Pattern online, see below.

Shirts: Cherokee brand t-shirt from Target in lavendar and the white shirt is an Izod from a thrift store about 6 years ago.

Hairstyle: Braid, done by Julia my wonderful hairstylist!

Shoes: Velcro sandals, Wal-mart.

The overshirt idea came from some Mennonite friends that I met recently. They often wear a sleeveless blouse over their dress. I love the idea because sometime I feel just a t-shirt is not exactly what I want to wear alone and the over blouse makes it feel just right!

I actually cut the sleeves off of this blouse right before we left. Here are the steps if you want to make a sleeveless blouse for yourself.

First, cut off the sleeve leaving about 3/4 inch from the seam. Turn the shirt inside out so you see the inside of the shirt. Turn under the edge and then turn under again.

Stitch close to the fold. It should look like the sleeve hole was top-stitched when you look at the outside (right side of the shirt).

The culottes I made from a pattern that I drafted to fit my measurements. It was pretty easy and didn't take too much math! ;-) I bought the pattern online from Patterns That Fit You. It is included in the Skirts patterns. I just love this pattern. I have used it many times.

Day 3:

Skirt: Liz Claiborne, found at a thrift store for $8

Shirts: Plaid white and lavendar Land's End, thrift store $1.25 and a sleeveless white t-shirt Liz Claiborne also a thrift store find for $1.50 (which you can't see).
Hairstyle: Basic ponytail
Shoes: Comfy sandals, same as yesterday!

Bob and I headed into Civilization to do some errands and meet someone for business. I love this denim skirt because it is so comfortable. I love the style of the skirt, it is fitted not gathered at the waist, but not tight. As you can probably tell, lavendar is one of my favorite colors.

So there you have it. Until next time,

Seven (days) of Skirts!

2011-08-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

SOS! Calling all girls, ladies, feminas, and women!

Our culture has almost seen the extinction of a very rare breed of person. Nearly nowhere to be seen, this type of human is very close to being wiped out completely. So difficult is a sighting that when one does catch a glimps of this unusual specimen of humanity, the stares and comments like "So, are you mormon or something?" or "You must be a homeschooler." from bystanders nearly drive it back into hiding.

This disappearing person is a woman.

A womanly woman. A feminine, chaste, discreet, modest woman! A godly woman who cares about obeying the commands of the word of God and the minds of her brothers in Christ more than the pressures of the world that try to influence her to dress seductively and immodestly, following after the trends in Hollywood's movies and New York's runways.

The above comes straight from Julia, my daughter's blog. She is doing Seven (days) of Skirts and I decided to join her. I will be posting as I can as my life is pretty busy!

So here is DAY 1:

This is the work-at-home style of modesty.

Skirt: Repurposed from an Eddie Bauer jumper that was about 10 years old.

Shirt: Cherokee brand t-shirt from Target

Hairstyle: Pulled back into a scrunchie and then up in a clip

Shoes: Super comfy slippers, Family Dollar for only $4.

Here is the back. This hairstyle keeps the long hair out of the way for cooking and cleaning!

I am dressed this way because I am not leaving the house! No one but my family will see me. My shirt and skirt already have stains on them so if I get messy working around the house it won't matter! I didn't even iron my skirt! *Gasp*

My sweetie had to get in on the fun while Julia was taking my picture!! He is just so good to me!

The slippers are my standard footwear around the house. These are in need of a good washing with drips and splotches on them.

The nice thing about this outfit is the comfort. And the pockets! It helps to have pockets for stashing little things I pick up as I move around.

I really like what Julia said on her Day 1 post:
I happen to believe that you can also be modest in pants, capris, and knee-length shorts (like bermuda shorts) as long as they are not tight (Tight clothing is NOT modest. I get so sick and tired of seeing girls wear tight-tight-TIGHT clothing and still claim they are 'modest' because they aren't showing any cleavage or their belly button.) But that's a different topic. :D Anyway... I chose to do this project and wear only skirts with my outfits.

Modesty is a lost art these days. Yes, tight is the norm as well as low-cut and short. I believe a good standard for tightness is the 1 inch pinch. What I mean is, where the clothes cover the hips, grab a piece at the hips. If I can pinch about an inch of fabric away from my body (that really comes out to be about 2 inches of width), without stretching it, I am probably close to being not too tight. If I can do this on both sides at one time, even better. I definitely don't want my clothes to look painted on. Actually, this needs to be done at the waist for t-shirts and legs in pants as jeans these days are sooooo tight. Also the shirt should not be snug, but relaxed fitting and not see-through. Keep undergarments, like bra straps and lacy camis undercover. I could go into more details but I will leave it like this.

The Bible is very clear on modesty. I Timothy 2:9-10 says, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works."

I also believe that as a Christian woman, I have a great responsibility to the men around me to not be a stumbling-block. I don't need to make it any harder for a man to keep his mind pure by dressing carelessly. Do we even think of this anymore? Am I or are you so focused on what I want, to be stylish or have my freedom to dress as I please, that I totally disregard those around me? God help us.

I am not a skirt-only advocate. I do wear pants and capris at home. But lately, I have felt led to wear skirts or loose culottes when I am out in public. I usually wear some kind of blouse with a higher neckline, too. Interestingly enough, people are so respectful of me when I am dressed this way. They open doors and smile more.

Now for the REAL ME part, I almost didn't post these pictures. When I reviewed them, I thought, "Oh man, I look so fat! I can't post these!" Now wait a minute! Fat, fat?? Compared to whom? And who says??

Our culture today is obsessed with skinny. Before the days of Twiggy and Barbie, women were considered normal if they had a little body fat. Strong, robust women worked hard for their families on farms and in the home. Paintings of past eras show women with volumptuous curves and feminine figures. Not to mention my ancestry. I am 100% Dutch. Dutch people are big boned, tall and robust. It is not healthy to be as skinny as your bone structure will allow.

It is NOT NORMAL to be so thin! It may be popular but it is NOT NORMAL. I for one, am taking back my body type and being totally content right where I am and not conforming to what the world and culture say I should look like. I love me, even the way I look! Perfection does not have to rule in how much I weigh. I would not be "prettier" if I was thinnner. So I am going to just be myself. How about you just be yourself, too?

BTW, I have purposely tried to not "preach" here. I am not going to use my blog to be a woman preacher. So if I use the personal tense, please forgive me for sounding self centered. I am trying to avoid finger-pointing, OK?

Well, there you have it. I hope that when people see me, they see my heart's desire for holiness and godliness, and the way I dress doesn't come in the way of that, but rather enhances it.

The Real Me

2011-07-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

Ok. That's it! I've had it! I AM JUST GOING TO BE ME!!!!

Yes, I struggle with wanting people to approve of me. So much so that I have only been writing what is safe, politically correct Christian type writing.

Well, no more! I am going to write what I want. I am going to share what is on my mind and heart even if there might be someone out there who doesn't approve!

It is time for me to be really just me. So I hope I don't offend you, dear reader, but this is my blog and I am going to say things as I see them.

Aaahhh. What a relief to finally just be me. I have some interesting posts in mind as soon as I find some time to get them written.

So for now, have a great evening!

What a Friend

2011-07-27T06:34:00.000-07:00

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

What a friend we have in Jesus all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged; Take it to the Lord in prayer!

Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer!

Are we weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior still our refuge, Take it to the Lord in prayer!

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In His arms He'll take and shield thee; Thou wilt find a solace there.

If you have no friends or they have forsaken you, Jesus is your friend. He will care for you and sustain you. You never have to walk alone.

Never alone,

Really Great News!!

2011-07-21T06:25:00.000-07:00

The details are finally in place so that we can announce that we are now vendors for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine in their ebook store online!!

This is a really big magazine in the homeschool arena. The ebooks will be listed soon. We just signed the contracts so everything is ready to go. We are really excited because they liked all of our ebooks and wanted to sell them in their store!

What is so amazing is that a year ago, I contacted them and asked if they would sell our Battle Book and Armored Glove Book (that was all we had back then). They said no and that was fine.

Then at the GHEA conference a reviewer for their Homeschool Blogger saw our materials and suggested we have it reviewed for more exposure. We checked into it but the cost was beyond our meager budget. So no go there.

Then just the other day I get an email from The Old Schoolhouse asking us to sell in their ebook store as things had changed and they were adding new products! Wahoo! Yes! So we filled out all the forms and sent them the necessary docs and we are on the way!

Will you please pray that they sell well? It would be so awesome to see our children prosper, as they get all the proceeds of the ebooks.

Just for your information, you can buy the ebooks directly from our websites. We get all of the money from our website and we get a royalty from TOS. (But we are so happy with the exposure from TOS!!)

Julia's site is Jewels by Julia and she is selling her How to Create series. Check it out HERE.

My sons' website is Warfare by Duct Tape and they have 4 books for sale. Check it out HERE.

AND, the other big news is that Julia has her jewelry in a local shop now! It is a very nice shop with high end clothing and shoes. They bought the jewelry outright instead of consignment which is so good for Julia.

Here it is displayed at the store. If you are local, please email me or leave a comment and I'll tell you where it is. :)

We are rejoicing here as a family! We are so blessed and we are so grateful. God truly is good!

Rejoicing,

When There is Just Too Much

2011-07-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

Some days there is just too much to do. You feel overwhelmed. You begin to get stressed out. There is no way it will all be done in time.

Yes, we all feel that way sometimes. Julia has written a post for a devotional blog, Meditations of His Love. She speaks to that very thing. Click HERE to read it. I think you will be blessed!

Answering His call,

Room Makeover

2011-07-14T06:19:00.000-07:00

Julia has posted about her new room makeover. She designed the whole thing. We had so much fun shopping online for the fabric from Fabric.com. I was able to help her by sewing the curtains and the bedspread. It was part of our birthday present to her, really.

It is so exciting to see her grow up and mature. She is growing into such a fine young woman. So hop over there to see all the pictures and descriptions about her room. Her blog is HERE.

Have a blessed day,

One Word

2011-07-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

I overheard Julia ask her brothers, "How would you describe Reginald?" (Reginald is a fictional character in a story that she is writing.) They started naming off things and then she said, "One word."

One word. That really struck me. Now it took longer for the boys to answer. Eventually they named some traits.

One word. It stuck with me. How would I describe myself with one word? How would someone else describe me with one word? How would you describe yourself with one word? How do others see you?

Would the word be negative or positive? Am I characterized by good things or negative things?

As a Christian, my life should exhibit more of the fruits of the Spirit than the works of the flesh.

Gal 5:1921 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

The "do" here means habitually, practise, perform repeatedly. I understand that none of us are perfect. We all have a bad day now and then. But this is referring to something that happens all the time, something we are characterized by.

And in the very next verse....
Gal 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Oh, Lord, may my life reflect your character. May I daily become more like you in every aspect of my life. May those around me see you in my life, my words and my actions.

Rom. 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Seeking to be more like Him,

Pray for Your Man

2011-07-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

Our husband, our men, need our prayers. It is easy to get focused on the day-to-day things, sometimes forgetting the importance of praying for those right in front of us.

But it is important, even vital to pray for our husbands. They need the support and the encouragement that our prayers provide. God is able to touch them, mold them and refine them in ways that are beyond our understanding.

We, as wives know our husbands better than anyone. Their strengths and weaknesses are apparent to us. Let us avoid the trap of dwelling on their flaws. It is not our place to fix them. That is God's place. Be on guard against nagging. Better to bring those things to our Heavenly Father and intercede on our husbands behalf. God will move and change as we pray for them. Maybe the best remedy for weaknesses in our men is to get out of the way and let God work in them!

God has a plan for our men that is above what we can think. We may have ideas on how they should be, but God knows what is best for them.

If (when?) those little things they do frustrate you, pray. Don't simmer in negative thoughts, pray. When he does things in ways you would have done differently, pray for him. Pray blessings on him. Pray Ephesians 3 for him. Pray that he would have wisdom, be hungry for God's Word and desire to do the right thing above all else. Pray that he would fulfill his role as leader of the family. Pray he be filled with the fruits of the Spirit. Avoid manipulative prayers, like "God make him see my way..." But pray Biblically.

As you pray, your heart will be refreshed and you will gain a heavenly perspective of your mate. You will begin to see him as the Father sees him. Praying will bring you peace and help you to be sweet and peaceful to him.

Then stand back and watch God faithfully answer your prayers, in His time and in His way. Your life together will blossom and your relationship will take on new meaning.

1Thess 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

May your be blessed as you pray for your man.

Praying,

A Creative Giveaway!!

2011-06-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend Michelle is hosting a giveaway of Julia's new ebooks! She is giving away 3 sets of all three books! Head on over there and enter to win. You will be so glad you did, especially if you win!
Click HERE to go to Michelle's blog, She Looketh Well.

Have a blessed day!

Blessings!

2011-06-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy 2 weeks. I have tried to post 3 times and blogger wouldn't work for me so hopefully this time will work.

God has been pouring out his blessings on us, literally!

We have been sweating through a very hot summer with almost no rain. Needless to say for a landscaping company that is not good news. We had been praying for more work as we were quickly finishing the rush of spring projects that we had lined up. But for a long time, no calls, no contacts, nothing, nada... But just as we are getting ready to do the last job on our list, a previous contact asked for an updated proposal and another friend asked for more work to be done. Thank you, Lord!

We also were praying for rain. Yesterday, God gave us our own personal rainstorm for 3 hours! Seriously.

There were large bands of rain on the radar but far north and south of us. Right in the middle of the radar map was our little storm not even 3 miles wide. We received a drenching rain and cool breezes! Thank you, Lord!

Some friends invited us to go blueberry picking with them today. I had already gotten some at a local u-pick for $10 a gallon. But today we were able to get almost 5 gallons in an hour and a half for FREE!! The berries are bigger and sweeter than the other place. AND the lady told us to come back next Saturday and pick more because they can't get them all and they are falling on the ground!! Thank you, Lord!

Julia wanted a bedroom make-over for her birthday and this week we were able to finish her curtains and bedspread just in time for my sister and her husband coming to stay with us overnight! Thank you, Lord!

Today, a man at a garage sale today gave Bob a full size filing cabinet for free, just what we needed to organize our office space! Thank you, Lord!

A dear friend has offered to post about Julia's ebooks on her blog to help us get the word out. Her blog is She Looketh Well. She is also offering a giveaway for the ebooks so check it out. Thank you, Lord!

I feel like I could go on and on. But don't you see the hand of God in all of this? He is so faithful to do what He says He will do and one of those things is to take care of His children. He will pour out a blessing if you look to Him.

Malchi 3:10-11 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

Psalm 81:10 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

Psa 34:8-10 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

Thank you, Lord,

Read This......

2011-06-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Ephesians 1

So why should I worry? Why should I be discouraged? Look what God has done for me, is doing for me and will do for me! My heart can take comfort and rejoice in the greatness of God toward me.

May your heart be encouraged and blessed,

Peaches!

2011-06-08T06:08:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again when my favorite variety of peaches is ripe. At our local peach farm, the Ruby Prince variety is in season. So we all went down there and gathered the culls (the rejects) and came home with a pile of peaches, about 125 pounds! The culls are only $5 for a 25 pound box. So it is easy to get a lot, maybe too much?

We got those 3 boxes plus 2 containers. Here we are scalding the peaches to remove the skins, then cutting them off of the pit.

It is a messy, sticky, time-consuming job. All of the family pitched in to help! We put the peaches in water with citric acid, lemon juice, to keep them from turning brown. Thankfully, Julia took some pictures. My hands were way too sticky to pick up my camera. She was a great help too, you just can't see her in these pictures.

Then I made peach jam. I also canned peaches for desserts and smoothies. Some peaches went into the freezer but most were canned. This in only half of the peaches. The rest are waiting in the outside frig to be made into tasty jam.

I really love making our own jam. I don't buy any jam from the store but make all of our own every year. It is a lot of hard work but the benefits last all year long!

What have you been up to lately? Please feel free to leave a comment, I would enjoy hearing from you!

Renewing Your Marriage Vows

2011-05-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

Marriage can become like a pair of old slippers, comfortable, worn in all the right spots and possibly taken for granted.

After more than 20 years of marriage, Bob and I had the opportunity to renew our vows. It was meaningful and brought to the forefront our commitment to each other in a fresh and new way.

If you would like to renew your vows with your spouse, here are the vows that we used.

Dear ______,

I want to take this time today to renew the covenants of marriage with you.

I vow to keep these covenants of marriage will all my heart and for the rest of our lives together.

I vow to honor your family, as well as my own, in a way that is pleasing unto the Lord.

I vow to love you with every fiber of my being, in all of our good times and bad.

I vow to keep you as my best friend and have no other friend that takes your place.

I vow to support you and encourage you in word and in deed and to lift your spirits when you are down.

I vow to set aside time especially for you, to keep our love fresh and strong.

I vow to give myself and my passions to you alone.

I vow always to have a heart of gratitude toward you and to always be honest with you.

And I vow to never look for love in anyone else.

Furthermore, I vow to be the Father/Mother I should be, in raising our children in the love and commandments of God and not the leave that great responsibility to you alone.

I vow to keep all of the covenants with you, with the help of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Thankful for my marriage,

Miracles

2011-05-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

Do you believe in miracles?

I do.

Does God answer prayers these days? Does He care about the "little things" or should we just pray for the "big things"?

In January, my dear husband, Bob, was working outside in the cold. Somehow, his wedding ring slipped off of his finger and it was gone, totally and completely gone. He searched everywhere that it could have fallen off but could not find it anywhere.

It really bothered him and me because our marriage is so precious to us and the ring is a symbol of that relationship. Not to mention shortly after that in February we renewed our vows in a church service with all the married couples.

We prayed and prayed to find it. We prayed that God would show us where it was. Nothing, no ring.

Four months later, in April, Bob looked down at the ground near our front door because he saw a glimmer of gold. Sure enough, it was his ring!!

We have no idea how it could have ended up there. He had even looked in that spot before. Only God could have arranged that!

I believe God cares about the little things! I believe He wants to answer our prayers about small things. He wants us to come to Him as the loving Father that He is and ask Him for help, guidance, the things that we need.

To us, this is a miracle. Something that only God could do. It's like He is telling us not to worry, that He will take care of us and even give us the desires of our hearts. Reminding us again that He cares for the little things.

It's not about a gimme attitude, it is about relationship. It's not just going to God with our want list. It's about having a relationship of praise, worship, adoration and trust... trusting God to provide our very needs. Because He loves us.

Luke 12:7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Psa 37:23-25 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

So, if you have a need today, pray. Bring it to your loving Heavenly Father. Trust Him to do the best for you.

Lay your burdens at His feet. He will sustain you.

Trusting Him today,

Great Weekend at GHEA!

2011-05-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

This is Julia's booth before the GHEA conference started. She had a lot to sell!

The booths were usually very busy so it was hard to get a picture of all the people coming and going. She did very well and sold quite a bit. She also enjoyed seeing friends that she doesn't get to see often.

Here is Mark and Steven's booth. They also did very well and sold almost ALL of the weapons that they brought.

People were amazed at the concept and parents of boys were really intrigued with the idea. It was a great learning experience for the children to speak to customers. They kept their cool even when their booths were swamped!

You can download a free Shield and Buckler booklet from the Warfare by Duct Tape website. Click here to go there.

All of the ebooks are available as a download from their websites. Julia's is HERE. The boy's website is HERE.

Julia is planning a freebie in the near future, so you may want to bookmark her website and check back later.

I also had fun seeing friends, (Hi Vickie!) and others that I only get to see at the conference.

Blessings,

The Preview!

2011-04-30T03:30:00.000-07:00

Here is the preview of the new ebooks!! I hinted at this a few posts ago. We will be selling them at the GHEA Convention in Atlanta on May 5-7. If you are at the convention, please stop by, I would love to talk with you!

Julia has been working very hard to write some how-to books for making jewelry. She is done with all three books and they are available for purchase on her website, http://www.jewelsbyjuliashop.com/ .

My sons have updated the Battle Book which they sold last year with computerized patterns, instead of hand-drawn ones. The Armored Glove book was made last summer. The Greco-Roman and Barbarian books are totally new. There are new weapons, helmets and costumes in them.

The ebooks will also be for sale on their website, http://www.warfarebyducttape.com/. as soon as we can get them up there.

They have also made a lot of swords, spears, battle axes and throwing axes to sell at the convention. So if you didn't get your toy weapon last year, now is your chance. :)

As we are super busy getting ready to go, I won't be posting for a little bit. I will let you know how everything went when I get back.

Please keep us in prayer for the whole deal, OK? Thanks so much!!

Blessings,

Forgiveness

2011-04-28T03:13:00.000-07:00

Forgiveness.

God's forgiveness for us, so freely given if we confess.

1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

It does not make light of the sin, but it cleanses it and restores the person to their place in relationship.

Even though it is not easy, forgiveness must be given.

Matt. 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Restore the sinner.

Gal. 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

God remembers the sin no more, could we not do the same?

Heb. 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

All because of the blood of Jesus Christ.

1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Thankful for forgiveness,

Strawberries!!

2011-04-26T03:13:00.000-07:00

Oh, I love strawberries!
I went strawberry picking with my 3 children and we were able to get 57 pounds of berries in about an hour the picking was so good. I wish I had a picture of the berries before we cleaned them. They were huge!!

They were so sweet and juicy we were able to make 72 1/2 pint jars of jam!! Yum! Yum! That will sure taste good when the cold weather comes again.

Canning is something I absolutely love to do. I only learned since we moved here and I just enjoy doing it!

This is the first time in about 3 years that we got enough strawberries to put up an good amount of jam and we are so grateful!

Do you like to can, too?

Spring Flowers

2011-04-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

Here are the azaleas in full bloom. This spring was one of the most beautiful springs we have had here. All the flowers were gorgeous!

Most of the azaleas blooms are over now but the rhododendrons are coming on and should be awesome.

Thank you for praying for Denise. She is healing slowly and is improving. She is going to have surgery on her heel soon.

Would you pray for our family? We are preparing to be exhibitors at the GHEA Homeschool Conference in less than two weeks. We are working very hard to get things ready but there is still much to do. It will be exciting as the boys will have their own booth selling the Warfare by Duct Tape items and ebooks and Julia will be selling her jewelry in her own booth.

Life is good and we are so blessed!

Blessings,

Please Pray

2011-04-12T07:14:00.000-07:00

My niece, her name is Denise Paull, was in a head-on car accident last week. The Lord spared her life. But she is pretty banged up. The front of the car was totally smashed in and it took the emergency workers 45 minutes to cut her out of the car. The Lord spared her legs. She has a broken heel, shattered ankle and broken kneecap. She could have died or lost her legs. Her upper jaw is broken and she lost her 3 front teeth. There was a gash on her face and arm. A nerve was severed in her wrist but God provided a surgeon in the emergency room to microscopically reattach it.

She was visiting family out of state. My sister and brother-in-law were on the plane to join her when the accident happened. They are going to try to fly her home on Thursday with a wheelchair. Please pray for healing and a safe and comfortable journey home. She is 18 years old.

Thank you for praying,

Garbage....er...Extra-ordinary Soup!

2011-04-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

Learning how to save money or how to be a better steward of what I do have is a constant pursuit of mine. Recently, my sweet friend, Danna, lent me her copy of Cut Your Grocery Bill In Half with America's Cheapest Family®. It was a great book and I learned so much. There is no way I can implement all of the ideas at once but I am doing what I can.

One great idea was called Garbage Soup. After we tried it, Julia aptly named it Extra-ordinary Soup. She named it that because you take ordinary leftovers and save them in a jar in the freezer. When you have enough, you make it into soup, possibly adding some fresh onion and celery or whatever you have on hand and it becomes extra-ordinary! If you don't generate any leftover dripping from meat for broth, you could use bouillion. I really like it because it tastes great but also because we won't waste those little bits of leftovers anymore!

This is the second jar of leftover we have accumulated since I read the neat tip.

It's about time to make that good soup!

You can learn more about the authors, Steve and Annette Economides, on their website, America's Cheapest Family.

You can also learn the benefits of homemade broth from an older post that I did here. The link for the Broth is Beautiful article has moved to here.

Happy cooking,

Desires of our Hearts

2011-04-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

Our Heavenly Father is such a good Father. He loves us so much. He often gives us the very desires of our hearts. Granted, sometimes, He doesn't because they are not the best for us.

I have always wanted to bake my own bread, from scratch and have it taste really good!! Almost two years ago, I was blessed to receive a grain mill as a gift from a friend. Then God provided the funds to buy a bread machine. So for almost 2 years my family has been blessed to eat wonderful, healthy, homemade bread, rolls and buns! You know, I don't take it for granted and I don't begrudge the effort. I know that God provided a heart desire for me. He is so GOOD!

So what is your heart's desire? Ask your Heavenly Father for it and watch to see how He blesses you!!

Thankful,

I Need Your Help

2011-04-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

Most of you may know my daughter, Julia. It is her birthday this Sunday, April 10th. You can read what I wrote on her blog here. So if you would like to, it would be nice if you commented on her blog to wish her Happy Birthday.

Thanks so much!

Personal! For Ladies Only!!

2011-04-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

OK, don't say I didn't warn you. Actually, the title is rather silly because probably only women read my blog anyway! But I wanted to give fair warning so after you read this post you won't say, "Why didn't you tell me this was personal?"

During a season of thoughtful frugality, I was thinking on how to save money. I was trying to think outside the box of normal savings. A faint memory came floating through my brain. I had seen these little things on Etsy and had briefly considered them then. But nothing came of it until this moment. It wasn't going to be a huge savings but it was the principle of the thing. Cloth panty shields/menstrual pads!

Before you say, EEWWWW!!, please hear me out. I did some research on how to make them myself and therefore being extra frugal. I had some flannel in my fabric stash. So after reading HERE (I like her layered idea even if she is a little pin crazy!) and this LINK to many patterns, I decided to give it a try.

So I made one.

I tried it on.

It was awesome!

Seriously, I was hooked, completely convinced! It was so soft and comfortable. I just knew that I had to make some to use all the time.

So I did even more research and found out about a relatively new fabric called PUL. It stands for Polyurethane Laminate. It is a waterproof fabric but feels like thin knit, with stretch to it. Fabric.com has it for $7.98 and right now they have a sale of at least 15% off (more if you spend more). It is 60" wide so unless you are making a lot you won't need much. I bought some so I would know the pads were waterproof.

I used the disposable pad I had been using as a pattern and just made up my own pattern. Then I used a layer of PUL and 4 layers of flannel. You could use an old towel for the terry cloth if you wanted it more absorbent. I use a basic snap on the "wings" and it works fine and stays in place. If you want more info, or a copy of my patterns, leave a comment and I'll get back to you. :)

Just throw them in with your regular wash cycles and they clean up beautifully!
Please read what the Hillbilly Housewife has to say about how to use these for your cycle. She explains it so well, I don't need to repeat it. Click HERE.

Here are some I made.

So now you may think I am crazy. But if you sew, try them yourself. You may be pleasantly surprised at how nice they are and wonder along with me why you didn't do it sooner!!

P.S. If you already use these, drop me a line and let me know what you think of them. :)

Happy sewing and saving,

Exciting Things

2011-04-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

Some very exciting things are happening around here. Our home is abuzz with activity and creativity.
The season is upon us and we are up to the challenge.

Here is the first clue:

If you have read any of my other posts, (look back a little ways), you may know what is coming but then again you may not!! When it is finished, we will have an unveiling!! You'll be the first to know!

Here is the second clue:

Some of you know what Julia does really well so this may not be a big surprise. But this has a new twist! It is something that anyone could use. That is all I can say right now but we will let you know all about it when this project is done.

Creatively speaking,

New Blog Header

2011-04-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

A special THANK YOU to my sweet daughter, Julia for creating this pretty new header!! She is so gifted with graphic arts and always does such a good job making things look nice!

The verse has a special meaning to me. Trusting God from my youth. It is really possible to trust God from the time one is small all the way through life! Some people today don't believe this anymore. They seem to believe that letting children "sow their wild oats" is normal. It doesn't have to be this way.

God desires that children be raised up to know and love him. He wants us to love and serve Him all the days of our lives.

2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

God has given to parents the responsibility to teach their children the ways of God.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

What a promise, what a blessing when children are taught to love God and follow His ways.

Isaiah 54:13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

May your days be peaceful,

Lettuce and Flowers

2011-03-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

I forgot to show you the lettuce garden. Bob planted this nice and early and we are already getting some wonderful, crisp green lettuce.

This was the first cutting of lettuce. And it barely made a dent in what is there. Oh, fresh salads!!

This is a view right outside of our house. We have a few large azaleas in the circle of the driveway. They are full of pink buds just waiting to burst into bloom! In the background, you can see the pink dogwood in full bloom. Off to the right, the tulip poplar tree is just flushed out with new leaves.

Here is an early bloom. Soon the bushes will be full of them!

This is a new azalea that we planted just last fall. It is a native azalea. So pretty!!

Spring is blooming all around. We had a sweet rain today that washed down the pollen. The air was so fresh and sweet afterward.

Hope you have a blessed day!

Back Again!

2011-03-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

Hello to my blog friends! It has been a long time since I posted but I am back. My family and I are doing well. Life has been very interesting and we are learning new things all the time!

It seems I often have post ideas as I am going through my day but don't seem to have the time to sit down and write them! So as time allows, I will be posting about serious and not so serious, even fun things.

The weather here has been so nice and warm. Bob has been working hard in our garden all winter and already has some things in the ground. We are hoping for a bumper crop this year.

Last September, we got 23 day-old chicks. They are just starting to lay eggs now. Yay!!

This is the rooster that was the freebie of the bunch. He has feathers on his feet.

So that's it for now.

A special HI to my dear friend, Cindy!! Thanks for encouraging me!

Hope you all have a great day!

Blessings,

Gloria

Freebie Today!! New Warfare by Duct Tape Website

2010-08-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of excitement around here! We started a new website called Warfare by Duct Tape so my sons can sell their ebooks on how to make duct tape weapons and armor. Click HERE to see it.

What is really great is that Mr. Jim Erskine of HomeschoolFreebieOfTheDay.com is hosting a FREEBIE today with an excerpt from our ebook, The Battle Book!! Click HERE to get there.

We are also selling The Battle Book at a discount during this freebie offer. Normally $7.95, we are selling it for only $4.95.

My son Mark has written The Armored Glove Book which we are also selling at a discount of $9.95, usually $11.95.

Honestly, I am not pressuring you to buy anything. I just wanted to let everyone know about the freebie to download and to tell everyone about our new website. :)

God has truly been blessing our family and this is one of the fruits.

I would love to hear what you think about our new website or any other thoughts, so feel free to leave a comment.

Blessings,

I'll be at the 2010 GHEA Homeschool Conference

2010-04-29T06:11:00.000-07:00

Our whole family will be at the GHEA Homeschool Conference this weekend. We will have a booth in the vendor hall. If you are there, stop by and see us at booth 105. It would be so nice to meet you. Julia is selling her jewelry and the boys will be selling some foam swords and an e-book they wrote about battling.

Pray for us that we can do well and that my health will be good. It will be a busy weekend as we are leaving in a few hours to set up.

Thank you and hope to see you there!

A Short Break

2010-03-08T13:23:00.000-08:00

I'll be taking a short break from blogging. My daughter, Julia and I are exhibiting our jewelry in a local jewelry show and need time to prepare. Thanks for understanding and hope to be back soon.

Blessings,

My Favorite Missionaries

2010-03-03T08:23:00.000-08:00

Living Word Ministries International (LWMI) is an awesome ministry located in Thailand. We have watched them in action for about 10 years. This amazing mission is led by two simple people, Charlie and Cathy Milbrodt. They have orphanages, a Bible school where they train up pastors and evangelists, an outreach to Christian leaders and church planting.

They have planted and built 82 churches.

Recently they started producing coffee as a grassroots project designed to better the lives of villagers and produce revenue for caring for orphans and at risk children. Now neighboring villages are begging for them to teach them how to grow coffee and hear the gospel in the process as they send in the evangelism team with the coffee team. To read more about their ministries, click HERE.

This mission is the REAL DEAL! God has astoundingly blessed this ministry and the fruit is evident for all to see.

If you are looking for a place to invest in the kingdom of God, I highly recommend you look into LWMI. Every dollar is used wisely and bears much fruit.

You can also purchase their wonderful coffee, which helps them financially and you get a great cup of coffee. Click HERE for the Mai Tai Coffee site.

Blessings,

The View From Here

2010-02-28T17:44:00.000-08:00

This is the view from the top of our hill. You can see a long way.

It seems like you could see forever.

Seeing forever....

Do I have an eternal perspective? Am I easily bogged down by today's problems?

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

2 Corinthians 4:6-9, 16-18

Blessings,

New Look

2010-02-19T18:07:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is! All fixed up and ready for spring!

A special thank you to my sweet daughter Julia for her talented efforts on my lovely header. She is so creative and always does such a beautiful job! I am so blessed that she is my daughter!!

She also helped me with the many little details of getting the blog to coordinate so nicely. I appreciate you, Julia!

Also some big news, we have decided to NOT SELL OUR HOUSE!! Yay!! After much prayer, we believe God wants us here for the present. So we plan to take dominion of our land and use it in a more productive way. We cleared two areas up the hill for large gardens. The larger one is about 50' x 25'.

The second area is about 30' x 20'. Two weeks ago, Bob rented a roto-tiller and started to break up the ground. It was pretty hard and had some rocks. He was able to get it broken up but will have to go over it again.

Here you can see the boys clearing some of the weeds that we had to cut down to clear the area. This part of our property is very steep. Bob built steps so that we could get to the top without sliding down the hill.

This is looking down on our house from the top area of garden.

Hopefully, we will have a bountiful garden this year. If not this year, then maybe next. :)

Anyway, that's some of what is going on around here.

This is the new garden under about 8 inches of snow. It melted by Saturday afternoon but it sure was pretty while it was here!

Blessings,

Under Construction

2010-02-18T14:28:00.000-08:00

Hang in there! I've got my personal blog designer working on the header. It is coming soon so this blog will look all put together.

Thanks for your patience.,

Arrayed Like One of These

2010-02-17T04:49:00.000-08:00

" And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Luke 12:22-31

Lord, help me to seek your kingdom today, to not fret or worry about those things out of my control. Help me to place all things in Your hands and to trust you implicitly this day. Your Word is true and You will provide all we need.

Thank You.

Do You Morph?

2010-02-16T06:31:00.000-08:00

Do you morph? Change? Conform?

What I mean is, when you are with someone who is different than you, do you tend to take on their characteristics or mannerisms?

I admit, this happens to me sometimes. Mostly in speaking with a similar accent. When I hang around with my friends from the South, it is easy for me to talk more like that.

Is morphing a bad thing or good thing?

That depends on what you are changing into. Some traits are admirable and worthy. We would do well to emulate Godly people. Good role models are important.

Some things are neutral like accents or laughing style.

But what about foolishness or sarcasm? Making fun at the expense of others? No, these things are bad and should not be copied.

Be careful who you emulate, copy or resemble.

"Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2.

Let's seek to be more like Christ, daily, in all things.

Seeking,

SNOW! And LOTS of it.

2010-02-13T17:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we had the most amazing experience. Tons of snow. Ok, for Georgia it's tons of snow. All of you north of the Mason-Dixon line can stop snickering now. :)

Here are the chicken coops and garden area.

We got even more by the time it stopped. Needless to say, my children were very excited. They spent quite a bit of time outside romping and taking pictures.

Check back for more. I have to see if I can get the video to work.

Blessings,

Grace in Time of Need

2010-02-11T01:01:00.000-08:00

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:15-16

Seeking that grace,

Good Gifts

2010-02-09T01:01:00.001-08:00

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?

Matthew 7:11

Believing the promise,

It's a Promise

2010-02-08T07:26:00.000-08:00

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Psalm 55:22

Believing the promise,

Refined Focus

2010-02-01T16:50:00.000-08:00

This blog will serve as my place to share more personal thoughts, reflections and spiritual truths that I am learning. The plan is to post resourceful, frugal, creative and crafty ideas on the "So Dutch" blog,

The newest post is about free math worksheets. So hop over there to read about this great freebie.

What do you do when you feel agitated and stressed? How do you relieve that pressure that builds up from frustrating situations? Feeling overwhelmed? Fearful?

Pray! Pray and take all those concerns to God. He is waiting to hear you. One by one lay them at His feet.   Repent, if need be. Forgive, if necessary.  And then, above all, TRUST. Trust your Heavenly Father to go before you, fight your battles, provide and lead.

Then, rest. Rest in His peace which passes understanding. Know that He loves you and will take care of you.

Focus on Him, not the storm around you.   He is willing and able to meet your needs.

Praying and resting,

Announcing my NEW Website!

2010-01-24T18:03:00.000-08:00

This is an announcement for my new website, So Dutch. I have been wanting to do this for a while now and it finally is coming together. Julia did the header for me. Isn't it neat?

I am 100% Dutch and am proud of the good qualities in my heritage. Why don't you hop over there and check it out?

It is still very new and I have lots more to add. Click HERE to see the new site. So check back again. Thanks for looking!! (Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!)

Blessings,

Children and Clean Homes

2010-01-22T18:19:00.000-08:00

Check this out! This is a quote from "The House That Cleans Itself". According to a study done by the University of Michigan in 2001, "kids who are raised in clean homes are more likely to complete more school and have higher earning potential than those raised in dirty homes."

Wow! Does that motivate you? It stands to reason that if things are orderly, more will get done and the family will be less distracted. Very interesting....

Let's see...I've copied my floor plans and marked my zones. I have the game plan. Now the book says to take a "prayer walk" through my house. Oh, how neat! That's a new concept! I like it! It's on my list for tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.

Stay tuned,

The House That Cleans Itself Part 2

2010-01-21T11:54:00.000-08:00

OK, so over lunch I start reading the book. It's very good so far. She begins by drawing a floor plan to determine the flow of the house and in which order you want to organize your house. Bob drew out a plan last night so I am all set there.

Now I need to copy it and start planning out the zones.

The book was so easy to read I ended up reading the first 3 chapters over my salad lunch. The second chapter encourages you to find the Home Base Zone, the area that, if clean, gives you a sense that you can handle the rest of the job. I will have to think on that one. It doesn't jump out to me right now.

The third chapter discusses how to get the whole family on board. Yay! A family oriented approach appeals to me! I have to finish the book and then have a family meeting. My children already are great cleaners so hopefully they will be inspired to be more organized, too. Julia is very excited so no problem there. Bob is generally neat so that shouldn't be any trouble, except maybe those dirty socks that somehow seem to miss the hamper.....

Well anyway, so good so far. I'll keep you posted.

The House That Cleans Itself

2010-01-21T07:30:00.000-08:00

I am starting to read the book "The House That Cleans Itself" by Mindy Starns Clark. My house is usually in good order but there are times it gets out of hand. Julia has already read the book and is very motivated to put it into practice. We have a good cleaning chart but we are not consistent in implementing it, usually because I am not up to it.

I hope to learn a lot. I'll let you know how it goes!

Have a great day!

Quick, Easy and Frugal Mittens

2010-01-13T06:16:00.000-08:00

The weather has been very cold here lately. It seems to have been cold EVERYWHERE! The gloves and mittens have mysteriously disappeared, too! We had some in the fall. Enough for everyone. Since my gloves got passed down to a child, I decided to make some more.

I had this cashmere sweater that I had found at a thrift store in Michigan last winter. I had already made some leggings from the sleeves so I cut out some mittens from the body of the sweater. Using my sewing machine, I stitched these up in no time.

You could use an old sweater. If it is wool, it could be felted first. Just make a pattern from your own hand. Remember to add enough for a seam allowance and room for that seam allowance in the thumb, especially. Otherwise it will be too tight. Have fun! Let me know if you make some. It would be fun to see your creations, too!!

Have a great day!

The Father's Love Letter

2010-01-07T18:05:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel that no one loves you? God the Father loves you very much. Jesus came to show us the Father. (John 16:25) Here is an awesome letter written to explain how much God loves us. It is all Scripture verses set in the style of a letter. Soak up the truths of God's love. Be encouraged and comforted. Click HERE for the letter.

May you be richly blessed,

A Great Giveaway!

2009-12-04T05:53:00.001-08:00

Beautiful sunshine and warm sand....

Hello, everyone! I am back from my long hiatus! There has been a lot going on so if you want to catch up on the details go visit Julia's blog. She good at posting regularly! Basically, we went to Florida to visit Bob's mom, I haven't been feeling very well and the usual responsibilities of life were all I could handle. Julia has some great pictures of our trip to Florida so I won't repeat by writing a long post about it.

But here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what it was like.

Let me say Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Hope you had a great time with friends and family. We spent a nice quiet day eating lots of good homecooked foods and fellowshipping as a family.

Now for the GIVEAWAY! Jasmine Baucham (Voddie Baucham's daughter) has so kindly offered to host a giveaway of Julia's jewelry and a custom blog header, made by Julia for the winner's blog. Two prizes for the taking!! To enter, simply go to Jasmine's blog and leave a comment. If you want more chances to win, look at the Etsy shop and let Jasmine know which item is your favorite, by leaving a comment. Also if you post about the giveaway, you get another chance to win.

Here is the necklace set that is being given away:

I would love to hear from you but you must comment on Jasmine's blog to enter the giveaway.

Have a blessed day!

Our House is For Sale!

2009-10-30T05:13:00.000-07:00

After praying about it for about a year, we believe that it is time to put our house up for sale. We are planning to move to the area where Bob works but we are very open to whatever God has for us. Would you please pray for us? Especially, that we could walk in peace through this whole process. If you are interested in our house, please leave a comment and I'll get back to you. :)

We have a beautiful home and it will be hard in a way to leave it. But we believe that God is faithful to provide what we need for the next season of our life. He is leading us to walk by faith and not by sight. I find this challenging yet necessary. The right things are not always easy to do.

How is God directing you to walk by faith and not by sight? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Blessings,

Apples!

2009-10-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

Sickness had prevented us from heading up to North Georgia for a weekend visit. I had hoped to get some apples from the orchards while they were in season. Amazingly, our Wal-Mart had the exact variety of apples that I would have purchased in N. GA! So I bought several bags.

Here are the sliced apples already canned up.

Yummy!

Here are the rest of the apples cooking away for applesauce.

Applesauce is one of those "easy to can" items. It is oh, so good and fresh when it is homemade.

If you have never tried canning, apples and applesauce are a good place to start. They are water bath canned and it is pretty easy.

Happy Fall,

The Craft Show ~ Fallfest

2009-10-14T01:14:00.000-07:00

Here is our booth at the Fallfest. We got there early, around 7:30 am. You can see the pretty garland hanging on the edge of the tent.

This was my table of goodies. Julia made the adorable crocheted donuts and we decided to put them with the rest of the crocheted items.

Julia's jewelry table is eye-catching and pretty! It all looked so professional that people were stunned that this was done all by her. They often asked how long she had been displaying at shows and how many shows she did a year.

Overall, it was a good day. We did manage to sell some things. Other sellers said that they were slow, too. The good news was the weather. Rain had been forecasted for the whole day but the forecasters were wrong! Yay! Sunshine and blue skies ruled the day! It was quite warm, temps in the 90's. Except for the loud country music, the day went smoothly. I probably won't sell there again but it was a good experience and it was nice to see friends from town.

We will be posting many items on Etsy so if you were disappointed that you didn't make it to the Fallfest, just check out our Etsy shop and you can still buy these cuties! Just give us a few days to take the pictures and get them posted. You can find the shop here.

Blessings,

A Cute, EASY, DIY Garland

2009-10-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

This adorable garland is so easy to whip up you might put it at the bottom of your "to-do" party list!! I got the original idea from The Purl Bee and you can find the site here. I modified her instructions to make it even easier!

All you need is a charm pack of fabric squares and a sewing machine. Mine are 5 inch squares. (Similiar to this pack. It's not the one I used for the garland but just so you know what to look for in the store.)

I started the sewing with a small piece of ribbon in case I wanted to tie the garland to something. Fold the squares in half with the right sides out to make a triangle and sew down the long folded side about a 1/4 inch from the edge. Slightly overlap them at the tips and just keep sewing until you have the length of garland that you want.

Using fun, bright fabrics, you could make these for parties, to decorate a nursery or even decorate for the holidays. Just get the charms in seasonal fabrics and away you go!!

Happy creating!

About Myself

2009-10-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

My friend, Michelle, at She Looketh Well is having a giveaway. The only requirement is that you introduce yourself and then link back to her site, which you can find here.

So, here is a little bit about me.

Now, I have to admit right up front that I really don't like talking about myself but I will give this my best try.

I started blogging because my beautiful daughter, Julia, had a blog and had met so many nice, friendly young ladies that were sweet, like-minded and serious about God that I wanted to get in on the action and meet some women who were like that, too! And I have!! I was in need of some friendship and encouragement and have found so many nice women here in blogland.

Mainly, I write about what I am learning in my walk with God and the study of His Word. Occasionally, I will post tidbits about my projects or what is happening in our lives.

Here is my best friend and my husband, Bob. He is so good to me and we have a great relationship.

(I don't really love NY by the way, it's just tourist propaganda.....)

And these are my great children! Julia, Steven and Mark. They have been homeschooled all along and are a delight to me.

I have many hobbies and love to produce things. Sewing, quilting, crocheting, canning yummy food, beading, and reading top my list. "Function" is my favorite word, just ask my kids.... Pink is my favorite color with lavendar a close second. I am usually at home enjoying my life as a keeper at home.

Above all, I am a believer, a Christian since I was 12 yo. The Lord is my light and my first love. I seek to serve Him in all I do. I desire to fulfill my role as a Titus 2 woman and continue to grow daily in my walk with the Lord and in the knowledge of His Word.

I guess that about does it. Everything else is just fluffy stuff. :)

Now that I've introduced myself, how about you leave a comment and introduce yourself. I would love to get to know you!

Blessings,

A Win-Win Attitude

2009-10-07T04:53:00.000-07:00

The other night, my dear husband led our family in a teaching of Philippians 1. I gained a fresh perspective of this passage. Even though Paul was in prison, he had an amazing attitude.

He was thankful.
Php 1:3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,

Joyful.
Php 1:4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,

Confident.
Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Rejoicing.
Php 1:18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

Expectant, hopeful, not ashamed, bold.
Php 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

Throughout this chapter, we see that Paul has a win-win attitude. It doesn't matter to him that he is in prison. The leaders will see Christ. '

He doesn't mind that some are preaching Christ for the wrong motive. Christ is being preached!

Paul is content with either option of death or life. Life has a purpose, which is to strengthen the believers. But death would be glorious, for then he would be with the Lord.

Wow! Lately, I have not been walking in a win-win attitude. And I am not even in prison! My problems pale in comparison with Paul's situation. Lord, help me to have a win-win attitude and to walk in your peace.

May you have a win-win day and walk in His peace,

Fallfest Craft Items and a DIY

2009-10-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

Our small town has a Fallfest every October. This year Julia and I are having a booth and hoping to sell a lot of our crafty things.

Here are the beaded watches that Julia designed and I put together. (Teamwork, it's a beautiful thing...)

I crocheted these earrings using embroidery floss or crochet thread. If you want the pattern, just let me know and I'll be happy to pass it along.

These are hot pads or potholders (depending where you live :). They are made from cotton yarn using two strands together and a large hook. Very fast and easy.

This item is used almost daily in our house. These are heating pads made from flannel material and corn. The corn holds the heat longer than rice or flax and smells nice, too.

Not pictured here is homemade peach jam that I plan to sell at the show.

Julia is selling her beautiful jewelry with lots of new designs and popular colors.

If you live nearby and want more info, just leave and comment and I will get it to you.

Hoping you have a productive day!

How to Change the Font of your Blog Post Titles, Sidebar Titles, and Dates

2009-10-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend, Cindy, asked how to change the post titles to a prettier font. So Julia showed me a post she did on it. If you want to read her post, click here.

But she learned it from a tutorial on KevinandAmanda.com. Click here to go to that post. The instructions are very detailed but it is somewhat challenging to do. But go ahead and give it a try. The results are worth the effort.

Besides, it's good for your brain to be challenged now and then. :)

Have fun,

The Road Not Traveled....Yet.

2009-10-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

The journey continues but the path is a new one. It seems a little rocky right now. Not too hard but somewhat challenging. Occasionally, a bump or two lines the way.

Hopefully, there is a beautiful light at the end of the path, a rewarding place to rest.

We now have a daughter who has graduated high school and is continuing her education in her future role as wife and mother while still living in our home. She is not a child and neither is she an adult on her own. So the way is new and we have never been here before.

What Godly advice can you give me? Have you been down this path already and can give a guiding hand? I would love to hear your story and will carefully regard your advice.

Thank you,

It's Cooler Today!!

2009-09-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

We are praising God for some nice cool weather. The summer has not been extremely hot but it has been long enough.

Soon the colors will be changing on the leaves and we can get out the down comforters. Sigh!

Fall is my favorite season.

Hope your day is blessed!

The Good, the Bad and the Blessing

2009-09-29T07:09:00.000-07:00

As I said in my last post, our life had been a blur these last two months. There have been no catagory 5 storms but so many 1, 2 and a few 3 storms that we have only been able to keep our head above water.

Mostly, it has been health. A Two-Month Cough/Fatigue virus has been passing through the family. It started in July with Julia, the boys got it late July and then I got it August. It delayed the start of our school year. It was so bad for me (I had other health issues that I can't mention here..) that I could only keep up with the major things and blogging had to be put aside for a while. The added pressure of doctor bills put a strain on our finances. And it was just plain discouraging for me. So that sums up the bad.

The good in all this is that before the boys were too sick we finished the medieval study with friends. Through the gift of some money, we were able to buy a quality bread machine and have made lots of good whole wheat bread. The Lord has provided for our needs and we have never gone without. The boys have started school and are diligently settling into a good routine. All of the children are finally feeling better. Some of my issues are coming into balance.

As I write this, it doesn't seem so awful. But as many of you know, when you are in the midst of your own storm, the waves seem very high, the winds strong, and the clouds so very dark. Assuredly, I am never alone. My heavenly Father watches over me constantly and hears my every cry. The Holy Spirit is with me to comfort and guide me. I am learning that we will never be "storm-free" but that we are never alone in those storms. And that if we will allow Him, He will fill us with His peace in and through those storms.

So that is the good, the bad and the blessing. All that the Lord does for us in the midst of life is the ultimate blessing.

May you revel in His blessing today,

New Look

2009-09-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

So, how do you like the new look?

I had been looking for something fresh for fall and just this morning saw this background on shabbyblogs.com. Oh, it was just right. They didn't offer a header so Julia made this one for me!! She is so creative and has taken the time to teach herself how to do all the cute details. So I get the benefit of that knowledge. Thanks, sweetie!

Well, life has been a blur and I am ready to get back to posting! Thanks to Victoria and Jacque for the encouraging comments in my absence. I'll be posting more soon, probably later today.

Blessings,

Freebies and what's going on around here.

2009-07-24T04:17:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Life has been very busy lately so I have not been able to post very much. We had a wonderful time in NY with family. The weather was refreshingly cool and comfortable. The Adirondacks were new to me and I really enjoyed the scenery and views. We toured the Adirondack Museum at Blue Lake Mountain and learned so much about the region. (Of course, a homeschooling family has to see at least ONE museum on a vacation!) The Barton Garnet Mine was very interesting, too. They bring you to a large pit with a pond where you may pick up garnet pieces off the ground. That was fun and fascinating! (Check out Julia's blog for lots of pictures and more details of our trip.) I especially enjoyed seeing Amish country in Lancaster, PA. My sweet husband insisted we stay longer so that I could see some beautiful quilts and fabrics. We even visited an Amish farm, saw the barn complete with cows and horses and admired their neat and lovely homestead. Yes, I bought some fabric for a quilt project. Now if I could only find some time to sew....

Peach season is coming to a close in a few weeks, so yesterday, I went to a peach farm and got some culls (rejects) for $10 for 50 lbs. They are huge, the size of softballs and also are freestone. I plan to make some jam today and probably tomorrow. Some will be canned as slices.

As I mentioned before, I was given a grain mill by a friend. I tried to make bread with a standard mixer and it was a hard job. In order to do it regularly, I would need a bread machine to do the mixing and kneading. PRAISE GOD! I was able to get a new Zojirushi bread machine yesterday! It was basically a miracle. I can't go into details. But God is so faithful! Today I also plan to make my first loaves of bread with the new machine. Wahoo!!

Salsa is also on my list for upcoming projects. With tomatoes in season, I would like to can our own salsa this year for the first time. Have I said that I just love to can? Well, I do!

I have been feeling so well lately that I am constantly amazed! What a blessing to be able to function without all the body aches, etc, that are a part of RA. I felt awesome all through our trip and kept up a rigorous schedule without any problem!! See previous posts for more info on my health.

In the next month, a friend and I are trying to finish up a medieval unit study that we did together over the summer. Health issues and the unexpected trip to see family interrupted out study. But this week we plan to finish up the learning part and then give the children time to film a movie set in medieval times. Costumes need to made and the script needs refining but it should be fun and educational! More details to follow.

My plans for the next school year are firming up. It will be very different having only 2 to work with on academics. I will still be helping Julia learn but the dynamics will be changed. Our main text this year is the Bible. After hearing Victoria Bodkin's CDs I am finally freed to follow my heart on teaching my children what I believe is vital. I plan to incorporate an Old Testament and New Testament survey, book by book along with more indepth study for personal application. I am using my own form and Bible notes for the survey. I'll share as it goes along.

I have a culottes tutorial in the works. I hope to post that soon.

Sorry this is so long-winded. I haven't posted in a while and a lot is going on! :)

Now for the FREEBIES!! Two of my favorite free sites are Behemoth.com and The Homeschool Freebie of the Day. Both of these site post free things DAILY so mark it in your favorites and check back often.

So good to hear from friends, Michelle, Cindy, Victoria and Jacque. If you are visiting, please consider leaving a comment. It's nice to hear from you!

Many blessings,

On Vacation!

2009-07-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

We have been on vacation for about a week now. Bob's Aunt Barbara lives in upstate New York. Bob's mother is also in New York visiting Aunt Barbara. Our trip has been wonderful! Please go read Julia's blog as she has posted about the first part of our trip, including pictures. While we have had a great time, there's no place like home! I'll post more about the trip when I get caught up on unpacking....
Hope your July is wonderful!

Busy, Busy!

2009-07-09T05:30:00.000-07:00

Life has been very busy lately. I haven't posted in a while because I just haven't had time. Since I last posted we hosted our home church at our house. Also on that Sunday we had a graduation party for Julia. We had so much fun with over 60 people attending the party.

Then after a nice week of catching up we spent the evening of July 4th at a friend's house with her family and parents. We cooked out and ate great food, way too much! Then we had our own little fireworks display complete with sparklers.

We are now packing to go on a cross country trip to see some family in New York. It will be 2 days of driving to get there. Touring the Adirondacks and upstate New York will be a new experience for me and the children. It's where Bob grew up but he has been there in years. I'll post about it when we return.

A sweet and generous friend recently gave me a grain mill. This is such a blessing from God. I have been wanting one for a while now ever since eating another friend's wonderful bread. She also passed on her supply of wheat berries and such so I am all set to start on a new chapter of my life, bread baking!

Another exciting thing is how well I have been feeling. The antibiotic therapy is really working! I have no more body aches. I can walk and move so much better. No more crutches. And to top it off, I am no longer anemic. I have been anemic most of my life. My levels went from 10.8 (which is below the normal range of 11.6) to 12.5! Wow! I am so blessed.

Well, the beef in the crockpot is done so I better go can it up. Never a dull moment around here!

Hope you have a wonderful week and see the hand of God in your life.

Blessings,

Health Update-The Road Back

2009-06-25T04:39:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor last Friday. The news is very good! Not just good, it's awesome! I am improving!! It is pronounced improvement. I can move better, my hand is looking almost normal now. My elbow is straighter. I have more energy and can get more done. The down side to that is that I still must take times to rest so that I can recuperate. The antibiotic is actually working! The doctor was so impressed. She even said that this treatment will work for me. She said that she knows because she has done it before. It is so exciting to see such fast improvement. This treatment can take a long time sometimes.

So I'm starting on the road back. It is a good start and for that I am very grateful.

Have a great day,

Julia is Graduating from High School!

2009-06-17T05:39:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful daughter, Julia is graduating from high school! We are so proud of her! She has matured and grown into a lovely young women who loves the Lord. She will continue to learn and grow as she studies alongside of me and her dad. Her desire is to be a wife and mother some day so she is going to continue to learn how to fulfill that calling. Read her beautiful graduation tribute here.

Julia is an entrepreneuer that has two businesses right now. She sells jewelry here. She also sells Etsy banners here. She has lots of gifts and talents. But beyond that she is a sweet and loving person.

We are so blessed to have such a wonderful daughter. We love you, Julia!

Your loving mama,

Our 20th Anniversary!

2009-06-10T05:46:00.000-07:00

Today is our 20th wedding anniversary! We have had 20 wonderful years together. At times, life in general was hard but through everything our marriage has been a constant foundation of love, joy and peace.

I just want to give a tribute to my awesome husband. Bob is a godly man who loves the Lord with all of his heart. He is so loving, kind and gentle. Never unkind or harsh. He meets my needs and cares for me in every way. He is selfless and thoughtful. He is a strong leader and wonderful father. I am so blessed to be married to him! We talk about the Proverbs 31 woman. Well, Bob is the I Corinthians 13 man. He is my best friend. I would rather spend time with him than anyone else.

Thank you, Bob, for 20 wonderful years together.

All my love,

God and Blackberries

2009-06-05T05:56:00.000-07:00

My lovely daughter, Julia, wrote a beautiful post about her views of God and blackberries. I encourage you to go over to her blog and read it. It will bless your heart.
Have a blessed day,

The Little Things

2009-06-02T04:49:00.000-07:00

Should we take our "little things" to God?

Is it silly to pray for that new pair of khakis that we need or want? Foolish to ask to find sales before you go shopping? Pray about whether or not to take a trip to see family? Does it really matter to God?

I believe God cares. I believe He wants us to ask Him for everything. Not just the big things but also the small things.

Mat 7:7-11 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

God wants us to come to Him with our needs and talk to Him about the concerns of our hearts. We don't need to try to make things work in our own strength.

Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

A word of caution. While God is very concerned about us and our needs, He is not a magic charm that we can manipulate to get whatever we want. James 4 warns us about having the wrong motive in asking God for things. We may pray but not receive what we are requesting because we ask amiss to consume it upon our lusts. (James 4:3) It's not a gimme, gimme relationship.

We have prayed for friends for our children and God has provided. We prayed for a church body where we could fellowship and God provided. Not right away or necessarily the moment we asked but He is faithful to answer in the right time. God has answered many prayers for us as a family.

Bring your requests to Him. He is waiting to hear from you. He loves you and wants you to trust Him with every part of your life.

Seeking Him,

Practical Steps to Have Peace

2009-05-27T05:38:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband gave an awesome teaching on peace this past Sunday in our home church. I wanted to share the notes with you. Ever since Sunday, I have been more aware of my level of peace. I can't say that it is always where it should be. I admit that after a peaceful day I crashed last night. But I believe that the whole point is not being perfect in keeping my peace but in regaining it as sooon as possible! And, yes, I have my peace.

One interesting point is the word "keep". The children and I are studying the medieval age. The castle was designed with a very strong section in the middle called the keep. If the enemy attacked the outer walls, the lord and his people would take refuge in the keep. There they could withstand a siege for a very long time until help came. The notes show how the Strong's concordance defines the word "keep" in Philippians 4:7.

Practical Steps to Have Peace

Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Php 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Php 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

1) Confess your sin before God.

1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

1Pe 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

2) Cast all your cares upon Him.

Psa 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Psa 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

3) Be thankful.

1Ti 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1Ti 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

4) Guard your thoughts.

Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Mat 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Mat 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Mat 6:27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
Mat 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
Mat 6:29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Mat 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Mat 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

5) Receive God’s promise and blessing of His peace.

Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Psa 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Psa 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Psa 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Psa 37:6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Psa 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Keep=G5432
φρουρέω
phroureō
froo-reh'-o
From a compound of G4253 and G3708; to be a watcher in advance, that is, to mount guard as a sentinel (post spies at gates); figuratively to hem in, protect: - keep (with a garrison). Compare G5083.

6) Be vigilant.

Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

May you have a peace-filled day!

Health Update

2009-05-27T05:28:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor last Friday and got the antibiotic prescription. She did such a thorough examination of my joints. She told me that my left shoulder had bursitis in it. I remembered that I had bursitis there while I was in college. She also mentioned that I might have Psoriatic Arthritis because of the ridges in my fingernails. Very interesting. My mom and sister have the same ridges in their nails as well as raised first joints on their fingers. But I am the only one in our family to ever have RA. Maybe it is PA and then it would be more hereditary.
Anyway, I started on the medicine. It made me dizzy so we are backing it down to half the dosage for a while. I felt like I had the flu for two days. Today, I feel amazingly well. No crutches in the morning and no body aches. Praise God!
So that is it for now. I'll post more later.

Have a great day!

The Road Back

2009-05-21T05:09:00.000-07:00

Twelve years ago I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, (RA). It is an "incurable" disease. I have lived in pain every day for 12 years. Most people don't really know what it is or how serious it is.

In the beginning, I went the medical route. Taking drugs to help the disease while the drugs are causing new problems just didn't make sense to me. I just knew there had to be a better way. So for 2 years I tried almost everything alternative while still taking small doses of Prednisone. Then, through divine intervention, I was able to wean off the steroid and live on aspirin for the last 10 years. Yes, I have damage in my joints and lack of mobility. But I would rather deal with that then start up more problems by taking the destructive drugs. The good news was that I could at least function to care for my family and teach my children. Not at 100% but at least enough to manage.

In this last year, my health has steadily gone down hill. I'm at the point where I have to do something. My husband and I have been desperately praying that God would show us what to do. I really didn't want to take the heavy medicine but couldn't see another option. I stumbled across a recommendation for the book, The New Arthritis Breakthrough, by Henry Scammell. Needless to say, I was cautious and a bit skeptical. I have seen lots of remedies for RA and most were worthless. So I borrowed the book from the library to see for myself.

I am no longer a skeptic. Bob and I read the book and believe that this is the journey we should take. The evidence is compelling. The medical testing is authentic. It is a medical therapy that goes for the cause not the symptoms as all the other drugs do.

The basic premise is that RA, Lupus, Scleroderma, Fibromyalgia, Spondyloarthropathy and other forms of arthritis are caused by mycoplasma activity. Mycoplasma are infections. The immune sytem is not going haywire. It is reponding to an infectious agent. The treatment is antibiotics of the tetracycline family because these have been proven the most effective. The side effects are practically non-existent. About 85% of the patients experience complete remission. This is not a new theory. Dr. Thomas Brown researched and treated 1,ooo's of people for 40 years.

I don't have the space here to give you all the facts on why this treatment is so amazing. Please do the research for yourself. Read the book. It is a must! You may decide not to choose this treatment but make an educated choice by reading the book and information on the websites.

Here is a link to a video of Dr. Brown discussing the research behind this treatment and interviewing patients who were treated. Much of the medical research behind the therapy is shown here. (Dr. Brown has passed away and this was taken 10 years ago.)

The Road Back Foundation was formed to support the people using this therapy and to continue to educate, inform and get the word out. Extensive information here. Bulletin board for discussion and questions.

The Rhematic.org site is also extremely informative and has a Yahoo group that provides support and answers questions for anyone wanting to know more. Lots of tesimonials of people who are well today.

I don't give my recommendations lightly. This is something worth serious consideration.

So now I am on the journey to take my life back. One step at a time, I am on the road back.

With hope,

Julia's New Etsy Shop!

2009-05-20T06:28:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Julia, has started a new Etsy shop. I am really excited for her. She has been working very hard to get it all together and it is coming out nicely. Please go over and take a look. She is selling banners that are used at the top of the Etsy shops. These are original designs.

The address is http://thebannerboutique.etsy.com/ .

So if you have an Etsy shop and would like a fresh look, go see what she has to offer. She is daily creating new banners so check back often.

Blessings,
Gloria

Have You Heard? Part 2

2009-04-08T06:03:00.000-07:00

Let me begin by saying that I did not intend my last post to be an extensive review of the CDs by Victoria Botkin. Just a few comments of my opinion of them.

What I neglected to say was, if you are a new homeschooler, you MUST listen to these CDs. If you have been homeschooling for a little while and still have younger children, you MUST listen to these. If you are burned out on homeschooling or just frustrated or your kids hate homeschooling, you MUST listen to these.

They are that good.

'Nuf said.

Blessings,

Have You Heard?

2009-04-07T04:34:00.000-07:00

Recently, a friend loaned me the CDs of Victoria Botkin's Curriculum Advice. I had wanted to hear them, so I was excited. After listening to them, I was not disappointed! My daughter is a graduating senior this year. I have two more children coming up. You are never too old to learn something new!

There was valuable information on both CDs that will improve my home educating as I continue on this journey. Some of what they said(most of the family speaks on the CD) will help me to better articulate what was already in my heart. I was encouraged, fortified, challenged and instructed.

I believe you will be, too.

Pressing on,

Wonderful Series: "To Find Rest for my Soul"

2009-04-06T04:20:00.001-07:00

My friend over at She Looketh Well is posting a wonderful series. It is a week long and is so timely for me. Her words have touched me and reminded me that I must give up my worries, cares and concerns minute by minute if necessary and release them to God. He is faithful and will do all for me if I just let Him!

So often, I try to work things out for myself. No wonder I am overwhelmed and feel exhausted. I'm trying to do God's job!

Casting my burdens on Him

Trust

Ceasing Anxiety

Take His yoke and lean on Him

Thankfulness

All things we need to be reminded of frequently. It's time to find rest for my soul.

How about you? Need some rest?

Go over to Michelle's blog and get the scriptures and full insights.

Seeking Him,

A New Blog

2009-03-26T05:30:00.000-07:00

My son, Steven, has started a new blog! Go over to The Open Book and check it out. His first post is about building the chicken coop with his dad and brother. He is planning to post about our new day old chicks that are coming on Monday.

Have a great day!

Ramblings and Prayer Request

2009-03-23T06:06:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Julia helped me change my blog background. It was time for a spring-y look so she designed a new header to match the background we chose from the Cutest Blog on the Block. I am so impressed with her creativity and flair! She is a joy to have around!!

We have been led to attend a home church. It feels like we are finally home after wandering around for a long time in other fellowships. Every Sunday we come away blessed by the teaching and fellowship. We praise God for the new friends and a place to call home.

I also have been blessed with a new friend. She and her family live 1/2 hour away, close enough for regular visits! They are so sweet and we all get along so well. We just fit! That is an answer to a prayer for new friends. Thank you, God!

For all my new friends that I have found through this blog, I am asking for prayer. I am going to a doctor on Tuesday to get some help with disease that I have, rheumatoid arthritis. I will be seeing a rheumatologist to hopefully get some pain relief. I have not had full time medication for 10 years and I really don't want to start it up again. ( I had taken it for 2 years.) So please cover the visit in prayer. First, I want God's will to be done. Second, I need a better quality of life so that I can fulfull my role as wife and mama. It will be comforting to know that you are praying for me. If you will be praying, will you drop me a comment so that I know? Thanks so much.

Spring is in the air and we have lots of great projects on our plate. Our small garden is growing well. We will be adding more plants soon. Our second chicken coop is almost ready and our new day-old chicks will be arriving next week. My dear husband and Julia are going to the Father/Daughter Retreat at Callaway Gardens next weekend. That should be great. And of course, sewing and crochet projects.

Well, I guess that is enough rambling for now.
Have a blessed week!
Gloria

Just a quick note....

2009-03-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

to let you all know that we are still alive and kicking! Yes, we are finally feeling better and have finally caught up with house cleaning and laundry. So there is a little time for blogging. I have some sewing projects that I am working on so I will post a few pictures soon.

Julia has learned a really neat "granny square" and is going to show me how to do it. I'll show you that, too.

I've been taking advantage of the meat sales at our local grocery store. I have been buying extra and canning it up for future use. Another reason blogging has been put off.

Thanks for your prayers and concerns for our well-being. I have met some truly nice people in blog world and for that I am very grateful.

More to come,
Gloria

Snow and Sickness

2009-03-03T05:33:00.000-08:00

It has been an amazing week! Last Tuesday most of my family came down with the flu. Who knows what it was but it was severe! All I can say is that I am so glad that we are finally getting better. We basically took care of symptoms all week so we were away from the computer.

Then, Sunday it SNOWED!! We got about 5 inches here. We have been hoping for snow for the 3 years we have lived here. We went to Michigan this year to see family and snow and then it snows here! We have been double blessed with snow this winter.

Needless to say, the children loved it! I was enthralled to watch the huge flakes fall so fast it was a white-out. I think if we had not just been to Michigan and were getting over colds, they would have been out in it all day. As it was, they played outside quite a bit and enjoyed it so much.

I prefer the colder weather but I admit that I am ready for spring to come and warm things up a little bit!

Check out Julia's blog for more great pictures and details of our snow and sickness.

Hope you have a great week!

Gloria

Frugal Friday: Can Up Your Frugal Foods.

2009-02-21T07:25:00.000-08:00

My frugal tip is to can your foods that you get on sale. Last week at our local grocery store, London broil roasts were on sale. That is our favorite cut of beef and I only buy it on sale. My extra freezer is not very large so I decided to try canning the meat. It worked!

Let me explain, I just learned to waterbath can only 3 years ago. Last summer I did a little side job of sewing and earned enough money to buy a pressure canner. Oooh, now I was in the big league! I had never done any pressure canning so I got out the instructions and worked my way through.

It was great! I got over my fears of something blowing up (I've heard horror stories!). I really like homemade soup so now I make up a big batch and can it.

Some of you veteran canners may be saying, "But of course! I've done that forever!". Well, it is a thrill for a newbie.

Now I can store meat and soups for a year and free up my freezer for other things. This week's sale was chicken so Monday I'll be canning up the birds.

A tip that worked for me was to cook the meat in the crockpot and then immediately can it when it was cooked. I started it early so it was cooked by early afternoon. It made the beef so tender that way.

If you have never tried canning, check it out! You may actually fall in love with it like I have.

Happy cooking,

Gloria

Jasmine is Having a Giveaway!

2009-02-21T07:15:00.001-08:00

Jasmine from Joyfully Home is having a great giveaway! She is offering the set of CDs from last year's Father and Daughter Retreat hosted by Vision Forum.

I highly recommend these CDs because my husband and daughter attended last year. You will be interested in these especially if you were not able to attend. This is a life changing experience.

So hop on over to Jasmine's blog and check it out. They are also available for purchase from Vision Forum.

Blessings,

Gloria