Serving Him At Home

A Good Soldier

2012-01-09T20:15:00.001-05:00

Some Bible study notes from studying 2 Timothy 2:3-4: Endure hardship with us like a good solider of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer.

When I trusted theLord as my Savior, I also took Him on as Lord—as my Commanding Officer. As my C.O., the Lord has the right to do withme as He pleases.

My life should betotally committed to Him. Although theseverses may be talking about a pastor, the same principles are true for me. I am not to become entangled in worldlypursuits. I am to have singleness ofpurpose: pleasing the Lord. If I am to be a good soldier then myaffections, time and talents are to be used in godly pursuits that wouldfurther the gospel. Spending time onworldly pursuits can cause my heart to stray from Him and those things canbecome my treasure. (Matthew 6:21; alsoColossians 3:1-2)

Jesus tells us thatwe are to love the Lord with ALL our heart, soul, mind and strength. That doesn’t leave room for much else. That doesn’t mean that we’re to not do thingsthat are church-related but that in ALL we do, the Lord should be first.

Another thing abouta soldier’s life was that hardship was expected. John tells us “not to be surprised, mybrothers, if the world hates us” and Peter says “do not be surprised at thepainful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening toyou”. But Paul tells Timothy to “Endurehardship with us”. We are not alone inthese trials; we have a body of believers who can come alongside to help andcomfort. The Lord Himself said that wehave a Comforter. We can go to thethrone of God and receive mercy and find grace in our time of need.

To live a life thatis pleasing to the Lord is one of total commitment and hard work; it is onethat involves suffering and trials. Weneed to rely on the Lord for strength and endurance to be a good soldier; tofollow orders from our Commanding Officer whether they are easy or hard. If we have a singleness of purpose as asoldier does, then the Lord will give courage and perseverance to accept theassignment He gives us (Psalm 16:5).

If we persevere andplease our Lord, then we will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; Iwill put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Master’s happiness!”

Happy New Year

2012-01-03T01:13:00.002-05:00

Veterans Day

2011-11-11T18:22:00.001-05:00

Thanks so much to all the brave men and women who have served (and are serving) our country so that my family and I can have many freedoms that other countries do not enjoy. Thanks especially to my dad, sister, brother-in-law, and various other relatives who have served during times of peace and times of war. I am so grateful!!

The Family Circus

2011-11-09T19:05:00.000-05:00

"Family Circus" creator, Bil Keane, dies...

I didn't know Bil Keane or his family but I certainly felt like I did! I grew up reading "Family Circus". I was about 7 or 8 when my dad brought home one of their books. I still have it--even after 47 years! It's falling apart and I've since bought another copy but I still kept that one.

Ever since I received that first book I've been collecting them and have almost the entire collection. To me, "Family Circus" celebrates marriage and family life back in the day when it was a more innocent time. When family values were important.

I know his cartoons were cheesy sometimes but they were very sweet, too. I guess I am really nostalgic about them. They remind me of growing up in the 1960's when it was so much different than today. His cartoons were about things that I could relate to and about families that I knew. Did this ever happen in your home?

I don't know if his son will continue his legacy but I'm glad I have a lot of his books because I will never be too old to read them. It will be a sad day, indeed, when there's no "Family Circus" on the funny pages.

Focusing On Gratitude

2011-11-02T19:35:00.001-04:00

It is only the beginning of November and already I am seeing Christmas lights, hearing Christmas music and seeing Christmas items displayed in the various stores around town. What happened to November? What happened to Thanksgiving? I am probably in the minority but I think it is way too early to start with all this Christmas stuff!!

This month I want to focus on being thankful. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." God wants us to be thankful for everything that comes our way. He doesn't want us to be thankful only when times are good, money is abundant, children are behaving and our health is well. He wants us to be thankful in ALL circumstances. How can that be? How can we be thankful when things go "wrong"? Because God says that ALL things work together for good. ALL things. Even when we don't understand that, He says it is. God is sovereign and is in control. Everything He brings our way is to conform us to the image of His Son. He uses it all for good.

I am most thankful for my salvation. I'm thankful that God choose me, rescued me, saved me and adopted me. Thank You, Lord, for loving me--who was dead in my trespasses and sins--and making me alive in Christ.

The Hiding Place

2011-10-25T17:41:00.000-04:00

For the last few days whenever I'm in my car, I've been listening to The Hiding Place from Focus on the Family's Radio Theatre. It is so good (as all their productions are). What an amazing story of God's grace and the power of His love in peoples' lives. Corrie had every reason to be bitter, especially after the war when one of the Nazi guards asked Corrie to forgive him. But, she chose love instead. Only God's grace could do that!

If you get a chance, please listen to this!

New Recipes

2011-10-24T17:59:00.003-04:00

I tried out some new recipes and added them to Serving Recipes at Home. They include: Unstuffed Pepper Casserole, Chili, Rolls and a Banana-Nut Cake. I hope you'll go over and take a peek!

Quiet Days at Home

2011-10-15T22:09:00.000-04:00

This week has been full of quiet days at home. I enjoy those so much. I am able to catch up on chores, complete the entire cycle of laundry (wash, dry, fold AND put away), bake some goodies, spend time studying the Word and have a leisurely hour or two of reading. I still have to take and pick up Julianne from classes but the rest of the days are gloriously free of obligations. I try to savor them when they appear because lately they have been few and far between.

I finished Finding Focus in a Whirlwind World. As Kay Arthur said, "Every Christian who is actively serving the Lord needs to read it...and then keep on the shelf to be read again, for it contains timeless truths I need to keep as intimate friends." I agree!

Up next is:

The subtitle is "A Woman's Guide to Intentional Living". One of the things that I truly am striving for is live intentionally. Not to just go along during the days, weeks, months and years without a specific plan or just reacting to what comes my way--but to live for Christ intentionally. Seeking ways to serve Him and others. Enjoying fellowship with Him. Those things don't happen naturally. I'm looking forward to reading this.

On quiet days it sometimes feels like I should be "doing" something...some activity or service...but then I realize that I am doing something. I am serving my family and the Lord. Even though I am home, I can still send a card of encouragement or make a phone call.

Thank You, Lord, for quiet days at home where I can savor You and serve You and enjoy life to the fullest.

The Path of Life

2011-10-14T00:29:00.000-04:00

You have made known to me the path of life;

You fill me with joy in Your presence,

With eternal pleasures at Your right hand.

Psalm 16:11

Take Time to Be Holy

2011-10-07T07:27:00.000-04:00

Take time to be holy

Speak oft with thy Lord

Abide in Him always

And feed on His Word;

Make friends with God's children

Help those who are weak,

Forgetting in nothing

His blessing to seek.

Take time to be holy

The world rushes on

Spend much time in secret

With Jesus alone;

By looking at Jesus

Like Him thou shalt be

Thy friends in thy conduct

His likeness shall see.

Time time to be holy

Let Him by thy Guide

And run not before Him

Whatever betide;

In joy or in sorrow

Still follow thy Lord,

And, looking to Jesus,

Still trust in His Word.

Take time to be holy

Be calm in thy soul

Each thought and each motive

Beneath His control;

Thus led by His Spirit

To fountains of love

Thou soon shalt be fitted

For service above.

(W. D. Longstaff)

Third Day Preview

2011-10-03T01:02:00.000-04:00

Just a few; more to follow:

Others

2011-09-30T23:59:00.000-04:00

Lord, help me live from day to day

In such a self-forgetful way

That even when I kneel to pray

My prayer shall be for - Others.

Help me in all the work I do

To ever be sincere and true

And know that all I do for you

Must needs be done for - Others.

Let "self" be crucified and slain

And buried deep; and all in vain

May efforts be to rise again

Unless to live for - Others.

And when my work on earth is done

And my new work in heaven's begun

May I forget the crown I've won

While thinking still of - Others.

Others, Lord, yes others

Let this my motto be

Help me to live for others

That I may live for Thee.

(Charles D. Meigs)

Finding Focus in a Whirlwind Life (Part 3)

2011-09-29T18:50:00.000-04:00

More wisdom from Finding Focus in a Whirlwind World:

But a busyness that isn't God-directed and God-motivated is not God-blessed. Busyness can ravage the soul as thoroughly as idleness can.
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Even when activities are worthwhile, to diligently occupy ourselves doing what we want, to keep from doing what we ought, is not commendable or wise.
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The emphasis is not on learning to pack more into each day, so much as learning to order our day according to God's will. We must recover our time from wasteful activities, and liberate it for God's purposes. Again, reading the Bible and considering His truths are essential.
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The Christian life should have a rhythm--doing and resting, speaking and listening, giving and receiving. The life of Jesus illustrates that perfect balance.
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Jesus and His message are inseparable. He stands as the perfect embodiment of all He proclaimed and taught. His totally integrated life and ministry reflect His union with the Father. His work, the expression of His life, is worship.
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Service in the kingdom consists not of isolated acts for the benefit of mankind, but of acts of obedience done for Him, in Him, because of who He is, and what He is like.

Likewise, solitude without service easily degenerates into self-absorption. Time with the Lord must quicken us to our needy world, not provide a soothing insulation from it. The natural fruit of looking at God is a heightened zeal and vigor to serve Him. As we ponder His grace and love, we long to express our gratitude in acts of obedience and to communicate Him to others.

Finding Focus in a Whirlwind World (Part 2)

2011-09-28T07:19:00.000-04:00

More highlights from Finding Focus in a Whirlwind World:

God directs us through His Word and His Holy Spirit. They are our Director's (God) gracious provision for us. The Bible is God's most complete revelation of Himself to us. Through it we grow in our understanding of what He is like, what He has done, what His plans are for the future, and what He wants from us. If Christ is to be our Center, our Director, we must develop right notions of God and of ourselves, through His words to us.
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...His voice is quiet, and our spiritual ears must be trained to listen for His instruction and leading. Before opening your Bible each morning, ask Him to teach you and make clear God's ways and will.
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Busyness isn't always the culprit. Even in slack times, we can be so preoccupied that God can't get our attention. Life becomes cluttered with too many options and competing interests. Decisive living requires the selective burning of bridges.
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More tomorrow...

Birthday Celebration

2011-09-27T22:33:00.002-04:00

I had a wonderful day celebrating with friends and family. A few of the lunch bunch ladies treated me to lunch at a nearby French restaurant. Oh la la! I had the quiche Lorraine and it was very good. Better yet was the fellowship.

Then in the evening, our family (plus Jessica's beau, Anthony) all went to my favorite restaurant, Firebird's. I love that place. We had a nice time celebrating my birthday. I was just happy to have everyone there. With the kids' schedules and Michael being out of town a lot, it's hard to get us all together.

I am so thankful to the Lord for my family and what they mean to me. As a mom, I didn't really need any presents except them! As a wife, I am so happy that I married the man of my dreams!

Here's some pictures from the evening:

Anthony, Me, Jessica

Birthday cake!

Jared, Michael, Anthony

Julianne and Jared

Julianne, Me, Jared

Michael and me

All of us. This is what makes me happy: everyone together!

My present from Jessica (a beautiful picture from with pictures of her and Anthony, our family and his family

My present from Julianne (a drawing of my dad)

Close-Up of my Dad

Finding Focus in a Whirlwind World

2011-09-27T08:17:00.000-04:00

One of the pages on this blog (well, the only page so far!) is my books to read. I have been reading lately but not the books on my list. I went through some of the books the other day and realized that a lot of them have about 10 or less chapters in them. If I read a chapter a day, I could finish a book in about 2 weeks! So, every evening I've been going upstairs and reading one chapter. The first book I'm reading is Finding Focus in a Whirlwind World. I kind of thought this was going to be a "how to" one simplifying life but it's so much more. The author, Jean Fleming, talks about focusing life, not simplifying it--or even balancing it--that that is key to truly Christ-centering living. I have lots of things underlined so I won't share all of them but here's a few to encourage you. I believe this book is out-of-print but you can still find it used online or perhaps at a used bookstore.
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The Apostle Paul's obvious center was Christ. His writings never digress from Christ. They ring with the steady, predictable hammer striking the anvil of life: life is in Christ, of Christ, through Christ, by Christ, with Christ, for Christ, from Christ. To live is Christ, and to die is more of Christ. (Oh that this would be the center of my life also!!)
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[when going through trials or any event in our lives] ask only a few fundamental questions: How can I know and experience more of Christ in this situation? What does Jesus want me to do? How can this situation bring Him glory and honor?
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Demonstrating our love for God through our obedience to His direction is the surest indicator of His work in our life.
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The practice of spending time along with God has been called the Morning Watch, Personal Devotions, and the Quiet Time. By any name, it is essential to the focused life. Make God your Director by setting aside time each day to read the Bible and pray.
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More tomorrow...

Catching Up

2011-09-26T14:13:00.002-04:00

It seems that September has flown by and here we are a few days away from October! It still feels like summer here with temperatures in the 80's and the high humidity. But...I looked at the forecast for the weekend and it's supposed to be cooler. And today I'm seeing out my window something that has been missing for the past few weeks: blue sky!! We've had 7.27" of rain so far this month. I wonder if our winter is going to be as wild as the rest of the year has been?
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One of the things that I have been working on is my household notebook. Now that I'm no longer homeschooling and my schedule has changed, I needed to make a new one. I'm using a mixture of Mom's Home Journal and The Intentional Planner. I really like both of the forms in each of these!

I'm trying to hone my daily routines, meals, etc. since I am now at a different stage in my life. I'm no longer homeschooling and have been devoting more time to what I call my "encouragement ministry". I really enjoy talking with women about the Lord and His Word and how we can implement it in our every day lives. I want to be able to do my work here in a timely manner so I can be available if needed but I don't want to neglect my family for other people! It's a different time now as Michael is out of town a lot, Julianne is in college and Jared is working and in college. Mealtimes are not always a sit down affair but I want to be able to provide good food no matter what the evening looks like.
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It seems on Sunday when I go to church that my week is pretty clear but by the time I go home, it's filled. This week is no exception. Tonight I'm meeting a friend for Bible study; tomorrow is our monthly Lunch Bunch, I'm getting my hair cut, and our whole family is going out to dinner to celebrate my birthday; Wednesday I'm babysitting for a friend (4 boys!) while she goes to the doctor; Thursday I have a dermatologist appointment; Friday some of the ladies at church are going to teach us non-knitters how to knit scarves. We hoping to make 120 by December 6 in order to take them with us when we serve the homeless. Saturday is my day to clean the church and that night a bunch of friends are getting together for a potluck/get-together to encourage a friend who will be undergoing breast cancer surgery soon. And Sunday evening is the Third Day concert in Charlottesville. But as Cheryl over at Copperswife says, I have learned to "hold my plans loosely". To me that means to be prepared for God's appointments, which we call interruptions. To be ready to minister to those in need. I don't want to be so tied to my schedule and my routine that I miss opportunities to serve.

Bookmobile Memories

2011-09-09T07:22:00.000-04:00

I like the above poster because it reminds me of going to elementary school in the early 60's. It was such a simple time then! Our school didn't have a library but we did have a bookmobile that came every week; at least I think it was every week.

I can remember lining up just like this and waiting to go into that wonderful bus. It was filled with books! Every week I would hurry up and pick out the books I wanted to read. The reason I rushed was so I could have time to read the other books that were there. One of my favorites was (and still is) The Little House. Oh, I loved this story and would read it over and over!! Others books that I liked were Harry the Dirty Dog and No Roses for Harry! How fun these books were to read and I'm so glad they are still in print. As my children were growing up, I was able to read these to them and they have come to love them as much as I do!

I remember the inside of it looking like this with all the shelves full of books and I would sit near the back, out of the way, so I could read, read, read!! I don't know if there are still bookmobiles out there. I hope so! But if not, make sure you take your children to the library on a regular basis. Cultivate in them a love of reading.

Now, go read a book!!

Weather News

2011-09-08T19:22:00.000-04:00

Since August 24, we have had over 10" of rain in our area. There are no longer any water restrictions! The last two days we have had heavy downpours and thunderstorms but today was mostly sunny. Thankfully, our area has not had the devastating floods like the Northeast.

I'm looking forward to the cooler weather and the things I love: sweaters, soups and stews, the beautiful autumn foliage, warm days and crisp evenings, and sleeping with the windows open. It shouldn't be too long before a good cold front comes through and gets rid of all this humidity.

Since the weather has been so crazy lately, my husband is looking into getting a generator. Hurricane season still has two months to go and then winter. Our area is right on the rain/snow line so we get a lot of freezing rain and sometimes ice. We haven't had a bad storm in a long time but this winter might be different.

I found some puzzles on clearance the other day and hope to work on those this coming season. I also like to work on my embroidery! In a few weeks some of the ladies at church are going to teach a knitting class. We want to make 120 scarves to give to the homeless. I hope I can knit one or two...I'm not sure how easy it is to learn to knit!!

Even during these times of uncertain weather, it's comforting to know that God is still in control. From Trusting God:

Whether the weather is nice or bad, we are never the victims or even the beneficiaries of the impersonal powers of nature. God, who is the loving heavenly Father of every true Christian, is sovereign over the weather, and He exercises that sovereignty moment by moment.

Thank You, Lord, for Your sovereign control over every area of our lives!!

Hurricane Debris

2011-09-06T18:35:00.000-04:00

Hurricane Irene didn't do much damage to our yard; just branches and leaves everywhere. We were without power for two days, which is nothing! Several friends were without it for a week or more.

We ended up spending one night at a friend's house. It was so nice to have a warm meal (that wasn't fast food) and to sleep in the a/c. Little things do matter.

Two men from church came last week and took away all the debris I had raked together. That was such a blessing and I know it was to Michael also. He came home on Monday from 10 days in Honduras and I wanted to have the yard all clean for him.

The morning after the storm

Our backyard yard

After I cleaned up!

Excellent Deal!!

2011-09-06T10:45:00.000-04:00

I read (actually listened) to this book last year and it is excellent. Now it is on sale for $1.99 for the Kindle. Remember you don't need a Kindle device to read it. You can download the Kindle app to your computer, laptop, phone, etc.

Here's the link:

Hurricane

2011-08-30T00:32:00.000-04:00

It seems while all of Richmond was talking about the earthquake Hurricane Irene was headed our way. It was supposed to pass east of us and we were only going to get rain. Ha! It turned out that the Central VA area actually got worse winds that Virginia Beach. Our power went out at 5 pm on Friday and it just came back on tonight.

I will have pictures to post tomorrow but we are all safe and happy to have electricity again!

Unusual Day

2011-08-24T10:47:00.000-04:00

Yesterday at 1:51 pm while I was in an art store buying supplies for Julianne the ground began to shake...and it kept shaking. The clerk and I looked at each other and I said, "This is an earthquake"; we then walked out of the store along with everyone inside. (Which I hear from my CA friends is a no-no, but what do we know here??) It was a little disconcerting; I mean, the ground shook a lot to the point where stuff was moving on the walls and a few things came off the shelves.

The worst part was that cell service was completely out and I couldn't get in touch with Michael or the kids. It took about 45 minutes to get through and for me to find out that everyone was safe!! What is really strange to me is that we have had 3 aftershocks, though I only felt one of them. I associate those with large earthquakes but apparently they happen after any kind of quake.

As the news winds down about the earthquake, we are preparing for Hurricane Irene to possibly come near our area. Last I heard, it was heading mostly east so we might only get rain...which we need. Oh, and today you can sometimes smell the smoke from the Great Dismal Swamp fires. These are strange times, indeed!!

I have seen some good verses posted after the earthquake but the one I posted on my FB wall was this:

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:1-3)

The earth might shake but God is ever-present. What a comforting thought!!

Good Advice

2011-08-12T20:18:00.000-04:00

God is Faithful...

2011-08-11T12:56:00.000-04:00

...even when I am not. That fact was made clear to me (again) last Tuesday morning. The first Tuesday of every month our church serves a homeless meal at another church in the city. We have four teams, made up of 5 people, who serve on a rotating basis. This month was not my rotation but I was filling in for someone else. On Monday night I received an email from the team leader telling me that they were going to be shorthanded.

Did I take a moment and pray about it? No, I immediately started thinking what "I" could do to fix the situation. I sent out an e-mail to a bunch of people asking for volunteers. When I woke up the next morning and checked my messages...nothing. Did I pray about it? No! Again, I started making plans...thinking that "I" had to fix this!

But God is faithful...always. I went ahead and drove to the church thinking that we were going to have to do this with just 3 people. But while we were in the middle of preparing our meal, I get a call from a member of our church, Barry. He heard we needed someone to help and he was on his way! Earlier I had mentioned my plight to my husband, who "happened" to mention it to our church secretary, and Barry just "happened" to stop by church and heard about it. God was (and still is) in control. He was planning this all along for my good and His glory. He showed Himself faithful and true. He showed me that He is sovereign. He showed me that I can't do anything without Him.

Lord, help me to turn to you first whenever I need help and not to rely on my own strength.

Gone!

2011-08-01T23:21:00.000-04:00

I had decided to put all my vacation pictures onto a separate page but I messed something up and they all disappeared so I will have to try again...but not this week!

I am on the "craft team" for our upcoming VBS and we have been busy preparing all the crafts. This week we have two prep days plus all the stuff I'm doing at home. I am taking this material:

and cutting it into these squares--ALL the material!!

Thankfully I have a rotary cutter and the material is thin so I can layer it. I have about another hours' worth of cutting to do!!

Besides the two VBS prep meetings, I am feeding the homeless tomorrow and going to our church's baptism in the evening. Wednesday I'm getting my hair cut and prep meeting that evening. Thursday during the day I am free and will probably do chores but Thursday night we have a deacon's meeting. Friday the exterminator is coming over because I keep seeing ants in my kitchen and Friday night I'm going out to dinner with a friend. Whew!

My weeks are not normally like that; it just happened that everything fell into place this week! I'm thankful that my days and weeks are usually much quieter.
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I have been having trouble with my eyes not focusing well for close-up reading when I first wake up. I like to do my devotions in the morning and it has been very hard to do that. This morning I started listening to John MacArthur's sermon series on Philippians on my iPhone. I think this solution will work very well!
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My girlfriend, Trish, and I signed up to go The Gospel Coalition's 2012 Women's Conference. We're so excited. I'll be able to fly down using the vouchers I got when our flight was twice-bumped coming back from my sister's in NV. Can you imagine a whole weekend with all those wonderful speakers? I know the Lord will have a lot in store for me!
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That's about all from here. It has been thundering for about two hours now but no rain. I know a lot of the country is in a similar situation. We need relief from this heat and help for our plants! I hope you all are able to stay cool wherever you are!

Finally!

2011-07-23T11:41:00.000-04:00

Julianne and I at the Grand Canyon

I finally upload our vacation pictures onto my computer. Whoo Hoo! I'm not sure when I'll get them organized but at least they are out of my camera. Perhaps tonight I'll have a chance to work on them.

In the meantime, above is a preview!

Ogranizing!!

2011-07-17T15:44:00.001-04:00

It was a busy week and started off a little stressful because of Julianne's classes at college. She did get the English class she needed and at the time she needed so it has all worked out. We're so thankful!! Julianne starts her classes on August 22nd (Jessica's 25th birthday). I now have three children in college. How crazy is that?

This past week's project was the pantry and it is complete. I emptied everything out, cleaned, discarded, etc. and now it is all organized. I use this planner to inventory everything. Hopefully now I won't end up with 8 cans of cream of potato soup...which I discovered I had. I also dated each item so I can use them before they expire.

Here's what it looked like before (click to see larger):

And after:

It is such a feeling of accomplishment to get that room organized. On my way to church this morning, I looked in and admired it. Haha!!

This week: kitchen cabinets!

College

2011-07-11T01:18:00.001-04:00

Tonight at midnight Julianne signed up for her college classes!! She was able to get into all her art classes but it wouldn't let her sign up for English 111. She has already passed the requirements to get into that class. After talking with some other friends on Facebook, it seems that happens a lot. So....early tomorrow morning we have to go down to the campus, talk with a counselor and get her approved for that class.

And I thought it was all going to be simple....

Bees!

2011-07-10T23:07:00.000-04:00

We discovered a yellow jacket nest under the bush next to our front door. A friend of ours, whose brother-in-law raises bees and our friend is learning from him, came over to get rid of the nest. Below are pictures from this adventure!

Suiting Up

Digging for the nest

Found one!

One of the nests he found. There are some dead yellow jackets there and some that were a day or two away from hatching. He told us we were about to have many bees swarming around our front door!!

Home!!

2011-07-02T23:59:00.000-04:00

After getting bumped off two flights, Julianne and I finally made it home at 6:00 in the evening; we were supposed to get home at 9:00 in the morning! It was inconvenient but we did get compensated very well for it!

I have literally hundreds of photos to upload and sort through so it might be a week or two before they are up. And I promise I'll just show you the good pictures.

Before I left on vacation, I made a long list of summer projects. I have been using Microsoft's OneNote 2010 and I love it. Here's a video that shows you how it works. I created a household notebook and then added pages for each room in the house with a list of all that needs to be done. It's nice to have everything all in one place.

My first project was cleaning out the linen closet. I discarded all the old medications, lotions, soaps, etc. that we had and also old towels that were getting thread-bare. I organized and labels everything. It's now easy to see what we have. As I was going through it, I found that we have about 10 bottles of shampoo! I don't think we'll have to buy any for a while.

Next week I'm working on organzing my craft room. Here's a copy of what needs to be done. I will take a picture of the before and after so you can see my progress!

Sort through craft projects

Make a list of ones to be completed

Wash curtains

Wash window

Move chair and table to guest room

Clean carpet

Pictures

2011-06-20T15:21:00.000-04:00

I'm able to upload my pictures! Here's are a few:

Nightime view from my sister's backyard

Sunset

We visited Red Rocks Canyon one day. Beautiful!!

I have a lot more but I'll save those for when I get back to VA.

No pictures for now

2011-06-17T00:09:00.000-04:00

I'm having a great time at my sister's. The temperature has been in the 100's so we have spent a lot of time in the pool!

I won't be posting any pictures until I get back. My laptop froze up on me so I won't be able to upload anything. I can't access my e-mail either.

It's actually a blessing in disguise. I would probably be reading and checking up on email when I just need to be relaxing. I just dread having a full inbox, though!!

We're Here!

2011-06-14T14:38:00.000-04:00

Julianne and I arrived safely, and very tired, in Nevada. My sister was at the airport and we made our way to her house. I took a shower when I got there; I always feel so grimy after traveling all day, especially on a plane. By the time I hit the pillow it was about 1:00 am....4:00 am according to my body!

My suitcase doesn't look as messy as the one above but I am all unpacked and ready for two weeks of relaxing. I hope to post some pictures later today. My sister's backyard is a paradise!

Getting Ready...

2011-06-12T00:39:00.000-04:00

Monday evening Julianne and I will be flying out to spend two weeks at my sister's house in Nevada. This is Julianne's graduation (birthday/Christmas) present. We're really excited and looking forward to spending the time just relaxing.

We have a few excursions planned; most notably we'll be spending two days at the Grand Canyon. Driving out one day, spending the night and the next day there. One of the things we're looking forward to is a Star Party, where amateur astronomers from across the country bring their telescopes and share their knowledge with us. I'm so looking forward to this!!

It's going to be wonderful to get a close-up view of God's heavenly creation. And to be able to see the Milky Way in the dark sky. Psalm 19:1-6:

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

²Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
³There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
⁴ Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
⁵ which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
⁶Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

A Reminder to Myself

2011-06-07T22:00:00.000-04:00

I didn't heed my own advice to leave margin in my day and I paid the price. I'm so tired!! This morning was my team's day to feed the homeless and that is always a busy day. Actually a busy two days because I shop for all the salad ingredients the day before and do a lot of the prep work.

We finish serving and cleaning up around 1:00 and then we all go out to lunch together...and then head home. But, today, for some reason I thought I should just add a bunch of extra errands into the mix before we went home. By the time we got everything accomplished and returned home, it was almost 5:00!!

When I don't allow enough margin in my day, then I feel rushed and irritated because I'm trying to get a lot done in a little amount of time. If there's not enough margin, then there is no room for mistakes....and no room for ministry. I won't be able to talk with the bank clerk or cashier. Margin is something that's very important to my sanity!!

If you haven't read Margin yet, I hope you'll pick up a copy. It will definitely help you to create "white space" around your time, finances, health and spiritual life. Click here to find it on Amazon: Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives.

(I'm an Amazon Associate and I earn a referral fee if you click through to the link and purchase the book. No one has bought any yet so I don't know how much I earn. :-D)

Julianne's 17th Birthday and Prom

2011-06-05T23:11:00.000-04:00

Julianne and her friends getting ready to go to the Christian Alternative Prom

Julianne and Morgan

Lovely Ladies

Friends over for Julianne's 17th Birthday. They were supposed to watch a movie but decided to just sit around and talk!

Some Good Deals on Books for Kindle

2011-06-03T13:15:00.000-04:00

These deals won't stay around forever so check them out. Remember, you don't need a Kindle device to read these books. You can download the Free Kindle Apps! to most Smartphones and computers.

Inspiration!

2011-06-01T12:43:00.000-04:00

After reading this article over at Copperswife, I was inspired to dejunk my junk drawers! Here's what it looked like before:

I found a set of drawer dividers at Target. It was much cheaper buying this pack than buying them separately and trying to figure out if they would fit.

And here's the results:

If you are looking for some good homekeeping and homeschooling tips, articles, book reviews, etc., then please stop over to Cheryl's blog, Copperswife, and visit a while. I really enjoy reading her blog because she is a woman whose passion is for the Lord and for her home.

She Waited for the Call That Never Came

2011-05-31T08:07:00.001-04:00

She Waited for the Call That Never Came

She waited for the call
that never came;
searched every mail
for a letter,
or a note,
or card,
that bore his name;
and on her knees at night,
and on her feet
all day, she stormed Heaven's gate
in his behalf;
she pled for him
in Heaven's high court.
"Be still and wait; and see"--
the word God gave;
then she
knew that He would
do in and for and with him,
that which she never could.
So doubts ignored
she went about her chores
with joy--
knowing, though spurned,
His word was true.
The prodigal had not returned,
but God was God,
and there was work to do.

(from Prodigals and Those Who Love Them)

Julianne's Graduation

2011-05-30T21:45:00.000-04:00

Here's some pictures from Julianne's graduation last week. Click on the picture if you want to see it larger.

Graduation Day! It turned out to be a beautiful day.

Michael handed Julianne her diploma; she gave me a rose. It was really very special.

It's official!!

Julianne and I with some crazy people behind us!

Morgan and Julianne

Jared and Julianne

Me and Julianne

Morgan and Julianne

Me and my handsome husband, Michael. Proud parents!

My mom and I. She drove down from NJ to celebrate with us!

My wonderful family. Me, Jared, Julianne, Michael, Grandma , Jessica

My favorite three children in the whole world! Jared, Julianne and Jessica

Julianne's school ring

Dancing at the Senior Banquet with a friend, Luke

At the Senior Banquet the night before graduation. It took place after graduation rehearsal.

Julianne and her Daddy

A Busy Week

2011-05-19T01:01:00.000-04:00

This week has been very busy preparing for Julianne's graduation and party. Tuesday I went grocery shopping and picked up most of the items I need for her party. My fridge is now full of 192 hot dogs!! Tomorrow my husband and I will be picking up charcoal, etc. for the grills and also water bottles for the party. I decided to go with water instead of soda because it's healthier and it won't attract bees! (But I guess the hot dogs aren't healthy. Oh well!)
==========
Speaking of healthy, I have not drank a Dr. Pepper since May 9th. Woo Hoo!! I have to say that I look longingly at the bottles when I'm in the checkout lines at Target or the grocery store. Actually, I haven't had any caffeine drink since then. I'm trying to drink more water but truthfully it is hard! Pray for me!
===========
This afternoon Julianne and I went up to the local community college to take their placement test and apply to attend in the fall. She did very well on the reading/writing part and "ok" on the math part. But we expected that so it was fine. Tomorrow I have to call to make an appointment to see the dean and give him some paperwork since she is only 16. After that we can pick out her course of study and then wait until July to sign up for classes. It's amazing to me that this time has already come. The years have literally flown by and we are entering a new phase in our lives.
==========
I still haven't put together Julianne's scrapbook. I asked a friend to help me tomorrow night. I hope she's available. I haven't a clue how to go about putting it together. Well, I can put it together but need help making it look nice!!
==========
That's about all from here. Things should get back to normal around here next week and I hope to be able to post more. Until then may you have a blessed day!!

It's Getting Closer!

2011-05-05T16:49:00.000-04:00

Graduation is now two weeks away! Julianne and I worked on the announcements last weekend and they were all mailed Monday and Tuesday. There are nine high school graduates from church this year. Most of them are home schooled and some of them will be graduating with Julianne on the 21st.

The menu for her party is planned out. I contacted a friend at church and she is going to make cupcakes for us. She has her own home business and is very talented. Julianne wanted these instead of cupcakes. She also wants me to make her favorite macaroni salad. You can find it here on my recipe blog. We're also have the usual cook-out food but adding some vegetarian options for Julianne and others.

Now that the announcements are out, I can work on Julianne's memory book. I'm not a scrapbooker so it won't be anything fancy. I have all her school pictures over the years and I just want to put those into a nice album for people to look through at the party.
==========
I finished up the ladies' Bible study last night. I'm sad to end it but glad at the same time! It really was very time-intensive. I think if I teach again and it is every week, I would like to co-lead with someone else. That way all the studying time is not condensed in one week. Now I have a teeny, tiny taste of what our pastor goes through each week.
==========
Last week our Lunch Bunch ladies went to Lewis Ginter Botanical Park and we had a great time. Here's a few pictures:.

Greener Grass Conspiracy

2011-04-30T04:31:00.000-04:00

"Greener Grass Conspiracy" Trailer - Stephen Altrogge from Crossway on Vimeo.

Crossway Books asked 100 bloggers to review Stephen Altrogge's new book, entitled "The Greener Grass Conspiracy". I am one of the chosen!

Stephen is a blogger over at The Blazing Center. I've always found his blog very encouraging and a lot of times very funny. I follow him on Twitter and he always makes me laugh. He is also a pastor and a singer/songwriter for Sovereign Grace Music.

Stephen's writing is very engaging and easy going. This book was a joy to read not only because it had humor but it was also very practical. Throughout the book there were examples of what to do if you are not content in your circumstances.

I liked his definition of contentment: a disposition of the heart that freely and joyfully submits to God's will, whatever that may be. It really comes down to a heart issue. In the chapter, 'I Worship My Television", he has a section called You Might Be An Idolater If... with examples of the way we might be thinking wrongly about our circumstances. He says later in the chapter, "We take action by repenting of idols and turning away from them. To repent is to change both your thinking and your behavior. Repenting of idol worship takes different forms depending on the idol." He then goes on to give examples of how to change our thinking and behavior.

This book is filled with practical ideas to deal with our heart. Each chapter ends with Stop-Think-Do questions that reinforce the chapter and dig deeper in a more personal way. It would be good for a discipleship study with another.

Statements like this will cause you to examine your heart closely: "When we complain, we're loudly saying that the blessings of the gospel aren't enough. We're saying that the death of Christ isn't enough. We're saying that eternal fellowship with God, purchased at great cost to God, isn't enough to satisfy our souls" and it continues like that for the rest of the paragraph.

If you are struggling with contentment, then I urge you to pick up this book. It's a Scripture-filled guide to helping you set your eyes and thoughts on Jesus. Convicting but full of practical ideas and examples to encourage you on that journey toward our final home. As Stephen says near the end of the book, "If we're going to escape the Green Grass Conspiracy, we must keep our eyes fixed on heaven".

2011-04-24T06:07:00.004-04:00

He Lives!!

I serve a risen Savior, he's in the world today;

I know that he is living whatever men may say;

I see his hand of mercy; I hear his voice of cheer,

And just the time I need him, he's always near.

Chorus:

He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me

Along life's narrow way.

He lives, he lives, salvation to impart!

You ask my how I know he lives?

He lives within my heart.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian,

Lift up your voice and sing.

Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the king!

The hope of all who seek him,

The help of all who find,

None other is so loving, so good and kind.

Graduation

2011-04-23T18:31:00.000-04:00

I've been working on invitations for Julianne's graduation party to be included in her announcements. It's getting closer.

We had a photo shoot the other day and now I'm waiting to get them back from the photographer so I can include them also. Here's a preview:

Hebrews 4:12

2011-04-20T22:53:00.000-04:00

The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.-- A. W. Tozer

Some people like to read so many [Bible] chapters every day. I would not dissuade them from the practice, but I would rather lay my soul asoak in half a dozen verses all day than rinse my hand in several chapters. Oh, to be bathed in a text of Scripture, and to let it be sucked up in your very soul, till it saturates your heart! --Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Here, then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy. --R. C. Sproul

Where Have I Been?

2011-04-19T16:49:00.000-04:00

I feel like it has been a long time since I've blogged and I think I'm out of practice! The next few months are going to be busy but I hope to do a better job of keeping everyone updated.

Here it is April 19 and the month is half over. Spring has finally come to Central Virginia and everything is green! Including all the pollen coating my car! Whenever I'm heading out, I have to rinse off my car.

Julianne and Michael are just getting over bad colds. I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the pollen. This year it has been very high and when it's windy out, you can actually see the pollen blowing to create a green haze. Right now all the oak trees are dropping their pollen pods (I have no idea what they're called) and it makes interesting little tumbleweeds that blow down the street.

This stuff clogs the gutters, clogs the sewer, and is a general nuisance! And as I mentioned, it rolls down the streets as pollen tumbleweeds when it gets windy. Thankfully I am not allergic to this but many, many people are suffering right now!
==============
I started teaching a ladies' Bible study a month or so ago and we are almost finished. I have about 10 wonderful ladies that come to church every Wednesday night and we have been learning/studying about problems women face. We're going through Damsels in Distress: Biblical Solutions for Problems Women Face by Martha Peace. I read through this with my friend, Trish, a few years ago and this time around I'm learning more. I recommend any book by Martha Peace.
=============
Speaking of books, I'm reading Written in Tears by Luke Veldt. It's a father's journey through Psalm 103 after the sudden death of his 13-year daughter. Very moving but yet very practical also.
=============
Julianne's graduation is about one month away....May 21st. I received the announcements and am now in the process of sending them out. One snag, though.....a few months ago I deleted all my contact information on my Palm and it was deleted on the back up also. Every name, address and phone number---gone. Trying to reconstruct all this information has been a challenge. To that end, I bought a *real* address book and am using that. Sometimes technology is not so great!
============
Michael and I (along with another family) were officially installed as Deacon and Deaconess at our church. What a privilege it is to serve the body of Christ in this way!!
============
I think that's about all that is going on right now. Have a blessed day!

Still Here....

2011-04-12T20:07:00.000-04:00

I'm still here but have been very busy lately. I promise to post soon!!

Third Day Concert/Fairfax, VA

2011-04-02T15:08:00.000-04:00

Trish and I at the official meet and greet. The concert was wonderful !!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2011-03-30T12:41:00.001-04:00

For Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Outside my window…very gray, rainy day; I’m sure all the trees and new growth are very happy!

I am thankful…for the privilege of teaching a ladies’ Bible study. I pray that I will correctly handle the Word of God!

From the learning rooms…I’m still selling my books on Amazon and also getting ready to sell some curriculum at our local sale in May.

From the kitchen...I’ve been trying new recipes and so far they’ve been good!

I am creating…nothing at the moment!! I need to work on some more birthday cards soon.

I am reading…Jane Eyre (again).

I am hearing…Julianne talking; heater running (it’s quite chilly today)

Noticing that... I cannot stay up as late as I used to do, which is sad because I enjoy the quiet evenings to myself :- )

Around the house...I found a nice collage picture frame that I want to hang in our bedroom. I’d also like to get three such frames, one for each child, and hang them in the hallway.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Ladies’ Bible study tonight; Third Day concert on Friday!!! My girlfriend and I are driving up to Northern Virginia on Friday night, checking into a hotel, going to the concert and then coming back on Saturday. I.cannot.wait!!

Here is a picture I’m sharing…..Here's Mac Powell, from Third Day. This was taken in 2009, the last time I saw them. I don't think I'm going to take my camera this time.

If you like this post and would like to read more like it, then please visit Peggy's site, A Simple Woman's Daybook.

Margin--FREE for Kindle Users

2011-03-21T22:27:00.000-04:00

This book has been such a blessing to me; I wrote about it here. Remember you don't need a Kindle to read this book or any other Kindle eBook. You can download the Kindle app to your phone, laptop or computer. For a limited time, this book is free so head on over to Amazon and download it....now. ;-)

Sunday Hymn

2011-03-20T07:39:00.008-04:00

I STAND IN AWE

You are beautiful beyond description

Too marvelous for words

Too wonderful for comprehension

Like nothing ever seen or heard

Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom

Who can fathom the depths of Your love

You are beautiful beyond description

Majesty enthroned above

And I stand I stand in awe of You

I stand I stand in awe of You

Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You

You are beautiful beyond description

Yet God crushed You for my sin

In agony and deep affliction

Cut off that I might enter in

Who can grasp such tender compassion

Who can fathom this mercy so free

You are beautiful beyond description

Lamb of God who died for me

(Mark Altrogge)

Exercise Motivation

2011-03-19T12:38:00.000-04:00

I finished my hour of talking myself into it, so I'm off to the gym. :-) Have a blessed day!!

Weekly Schedule

2011-03-18T15:53:00.000-04:00

Everyday is not the same and I've learned to hold my schedule lightly. Proverbs 19:21 says, "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." That has really put interruptions and changes in "my" plans into perspective. I have this little note written on a card that is on my planner:

Lord, help me to be satisfied with Your plans today. I have my own plans but help me to be satisfied with what You have planned for me.

It has helped me to remember that God planned those interruptions in my day and I need to see them as coming from Him. I have learned how I respond to interruptions can make all difference. I can look at those interruptions as blessings...obviously God has a much better plan for me or I can look at them as a nuisance. And if I look at them that way, what am I saying? I am telling God that MY plans are better than His; if I grumble and complain, I'm saying I don't want this in my life and see it as an intrusion into MY day. Do you see the sinfulness of that attitude?

To that end, here's how my weekly schedule is planned:

Monday: laundry, clean kitchen, letter writing

Tuesday: finish any laundry, clean living/dining room (out)

Wednesday: clean family room, baking (out)

Thursday: clean bathrooms (out)

Friday: clean office, work at desk (bills, lesson planning, etc.)

Saturday: yard work, menus, shopping lists, coupon cutting

The (out) after certain days is when I have to be out of the house, usually driving to co-op or other activities that Julianne has planned. It will be nice when she can drive on her own.

In the evenings I am have a schedule also but it is definitely different each week. Right now I'm teaching a weekly Bible study and also doing a Bible study with a friend so my evenings are mostly spent in working on those studies. I'm trying to work on my embroidery projects each day but lately that hasn't happened.

I have always been one to work on routines and not schedules. Now I know that some things need to be scheduled like appointments, activities, etc. but I don't think we need to schedule our days down to the very minute!! I tried this and it just didn't work for me. When the kids were little, our routine was something like breakfast, chores, school, lunch, room time, etc. We followed that routine as best we could but I could not be confined into breakfast at 8:00, chores from 9 to 9:30, etc. Every day brings different challenges and it was easier to be flexible and follow through with our routine than to "get behind" in our day.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T06:56:00.002-04:00

Prayer of Saint Patrick

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ at my right, Christ at my left,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

Workout Details

2011-03-16T15:50:00.001-04:00

I went to the gym today and had a session with a personal trainer. We talked about my goals and what would be the best way to approach them. I will be going a minimum of 4 times a week! So far the afternoons have been working out for me (and Julianne). I will be switching up my workout every other day. One day I will do 45-60 of cardio. Ha! When she said this, I was like "oh". But I have been doing about 30 minutes so as of now I'm upping it to 45 minutes.

On the next day I will be doing a 30-minute workout on the weight circuit followed by 20-30 minutes of cardio. Ha again!! I wonder if they have one pound weights?? I'm not sure I can do more than that. :-) I will be meeting with her again on Friday so she can go over all the equipment with me.

After our session, I walked the treadmill for 45 minutes. At first it was slow going and then I decided to stop listening to an audio book and started listening to some music. So. much. better. I'm going to make up different playlists that last 45-60 minutes. It was so much easier (not sure easier is the right word!) to keep going when I had music playing. I only wish I could sing out loud!! That would definitely get me going...but probably empty out the place.

So....there you have it. I think I'll take a nap now.

John Piper's Prayer for Japan

2011-03-12T18:13:00.000-05:00

Father in heaven, you are the absolute Sovereign over the shaking of the earth, the rising of the sea, and the raging of the waves. We tremble at your power and bow before your unsearchable judgments and inscrutable ways. We cover our faces and kiss your omnipotent hand. We fall helpless to the floor in prayer and feel how fragile the very ground is beneath our knees.

O God, we humble ourselves under your holy majesty and repent. In a moment—in the twinkling of an eye—we too could be swept away. We are not more deserving of firm ground than our fellowmen in Japan. We too are flesh. We have bodies and homes and cars and family and precious places. We know that if we were treated according to our sins, who could stand? All of it would be gone in a moment. So in this dark hour we turn against our sins, not against you.

And we cry for mercy for Japan. Mercy, Father. Not for what they or we deserve. But mercy.
Have you not encouraged us in this? Have we not heard a hundred times in your Word the riches of your kindness, forbearance, and patience? Do you not a thousand times withhold your judgments, leading your rebellious world toward repentance? Yes, Lord. For your ways are not our ways, and your thoughts are not our thoughts.

Grant, O God, that the wicked will forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Grant us, your sinful creatures, to return to you, that you may have compassion. For surely you will abundantly pardon. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus, your beloved Son, will be saved.

May every heart-breaking loss—millions upon millions of losses—be healed by the wounded hands of the risen Christ. You are not unacquainted with your creatures’ pain. You did not spare your own Son, but gave him up for us all.

In Jesus you tasted loss. In Jesus you shared the overwhelming flood of our sorrows and suffering. In Jesus you are a sympathetic Priest in the midst of our pain.

Deal tenderly now, Father, with this fragile people. Woo them. Win them. Save them.

And may the floods they so much dread make blessings break upon their head.

O let them not judge you with feeble sense, but trust you for your grace. And so behind this providence, soon find a smiling face.

In Jesus’ merciful name, Amen.

Dying to Self

2011-03-11T07:49:00.001-05:00

Dying To Self

When you are forgotten or neglected or purposely set at naught and you do not sting and hurt at the oversight, but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ,
~that is dying to self.

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even defend yourself but take it all in patient, loving silence,
~that is dying to self.

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any unpunctuality, or any annoyance, when you can stand face to fact with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensitivity, and endure it as Jesus endured it,
~that is dying to self.

When you are content with any food, any offering, any raiment, any climate, any society, any solitude, any interruption by the will of God,
~that is dying to self.

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation or to record your own good works or itch after commendation, when you can truly love to be unknown,
~that is dying to self.

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising in your heart,
~that is dying to self.

~author unknown

John 21

2011-03-10T08:07:00.001-05:00

John 21

1. Jesus is the Word, the Lamb, who paid the price so dear

2. He turned water into wine; the temple He did clear

3. To Nicodemas He told at night, “You must be born again.”

4. And to the woman at the well, He cleansed her heart from sin

5. The Father and the Son are one, this is what He said

6. He fed 5000 men and more for He’s the Living Bread

7. The unbelieving Pharisees are blind and do not see

8. That Jesus came to save and His truth will set them free

9. Sight was given to the blind man to which nothing can compare

10. And we, like sheep, would go astray without the Shepherd’s care

11. Jesus raises Lazarus from the grave so still

12. And rides into Jerusalem—a prophecy to fulfill

13. Jesus, at the last supper, shows His humility and love

14. And that He is the only way to come to the Father above

15. He is the vine, we are the branches and in Him we must remain

16. So when trouble comes, take heart! It was He who overcame

17. Jesus prays for all the saints so that we won’t be left alone

18. Peter denies the One he loves while Jesus stands before Pilate’s throne

19. Jesus dies alone on the cross so sinners He can save

20. But Hallelujah—look—He is not there! It is an empty grave

21. Now Jesus did eat breakfast with the men of Galilee

And restored Peter to the fold as they walked beside the sea

So now you know of Jesus and I hope that you are smitten

As His love and works would fill more pages than man has ever written!

(Years ago at a Precept Bible study the class was asked to write a poem or song about the book of John. This is what I wrote; the numbers correspond to each chapter in the book.)

Praying for Your Husband

2011-03-09T07:52:00.002-05:00

How to Pray for Your Husband

Sunday
-----That he might become a holy man, a man of prayer, mature in the Lord, growing in his knowledge of God. (I Thes. 5:23, Col. 4:12, Eph. 6:18, Eph. 1:18-19, Eph. 3:16-19).
----That he might daily seek God with all his heart, walking in the Spirit moment by moment, growing in his dependence on Him (Ps. 119:1-2, Ps. 27:4, Prov. 3:5-6), John 15:5).

Monday
-----That he might learn to take every thought captive, to not be conformed to the world's thinking and to think scripturally (Rom. 12:2, 2 Cor. 10:5).
-----That he would learn to not depend on his circumstances for happiness but on God alone (Hab. 3:17-19).

Tuesday
-----That he might have new strength in the midst of his busy schedule and that the Lord might infuse him with His strength (Is. 40:31, Eph. 3:14-19).
-----That his self-image might be a reflection of the Lord's thoughts toward him (Eph. 1:17-19, Rom. 12:3, Ps. 139).

Wednesday
-----That he might become a called man, not driven, with well thought-through and prayed-through goals in life (I Cor. 9:24-27).
-----That the Lord might give him wisdom to lead his family physically, emotionally, mentally, and
spiritually (Eph. 1:17-19, Js. 1:5-7).

Thursday
-----That he might stand firm against the schemes of the devil and resist Satan in all circumstances. (Eph. 6:10-18, Js. 4:7)
----That he might not be deceived into unbelief or sin (Gal. 6:7)

Friday
-----That the fruit of the Spirit might be exhibited more and more in his life (Gal. 5:22-23).
-----That he might learn to love as God has commanded (I Cor. 13:4-7, Rom. 12:8-10).

Saturday
-----That the Lord might protect him, guarding his course (Prov. 2:8)
-----That he might learn to manage his time well (Eph. 5:15)

ABC's of Prayer

2011-03-08T19:51:00.000-05:00

ABC'S FOR THE PRAYER WARRIOR:

The following is a alphabetic list of key points to help you learn
how to pray for fellow believers.

A - Anointing - Ask God for the anointing-empowering-filling-
directing-maturing of the Holy Spirit so that the person will operate
in the Spirit's power.

B - Boldness - Pray that the person speaks the word of God with
boldness, confidence, & articulative cross-cultural effectiveness.

C - Comfort - Ask God for the comfort when one is discouraged, broken-
hearted, or stressed out. Trust the Lord for the comfort of the
Spirit's song, strength, & succor.

D - Direction - Ask the Lord that the person will sense God's
specific direction in one's personal life & ministry activities.
Wisdom for discerning the best decision not just the one that is
least objectional to everyone concerned.

E. - Encourage - Ask God to send someone to encourage the person & to
allow the person to be a blessing to many. Trust the Lord for the
renewing of the Joy of the Lord

F - Family - Pray that the person will guide one's family in the way
of the Lord's will

G - Glory to God - Pray that the person will live each day to glorify
God

H - Humility - Ask that the person will develop a sense of humility &
reject pride.

I - Insight - Ask the the person will see people & things from God's
perspective.

J - Joy - Pray that the person will be full of joy of the Lord in all
situations.

K - Knowledge - Pray that the person will desire knowledge of God's
word & apply it consistently. Trust in the Lord for wisdom, ideas, &
insights into all problem areas.

L - Love - Ask the the person will labor from Godly motives, not to
please other people or live hampered by a fear of men

M - Motivation - Pray that the person will be a vessel of God's love
to others

N - Needs - Pray that the person will realize that in Christ all
needs will be met according to His riches in glory. Trust that the
Lord will provide in all areas of life.

O - Open doors - Pray that the person will recognize opportunities to
share the gospel.

P - Prayer partners - Ask God to provide prayer partners who will
intercede on a regular basis for this person. Trust God for a
community of believers in each domain.

Q - Quiet Time - Pray that nothing will keep the person's life so he
or she will experience personal renewal & maturity in all dimensions
of life.

R - Revival - Ask God to work in the person's life so they may
experience personal revival in all things. Trust the Lord to help the
person spend quality time in devotions

S - Servanthood - Pray that the person will do one's work with a
servant spirit as Christ came not to be serve but to serve. Trust for
an attitude to serve God before men

T - Thankful heart - Ask God to give the person a thankful heart,
even in difficult situations. Pray that one would see the positive
even in negative situations.

U- Unsaved - Pray that the unsaved will develop a hunger & thirst for
Jesus Christ in their lives and that the Lord will use certain people
to bring many to Christ and see that many new churches are planted in
unreached areas

V - Victory - Pray that the person will know victory in spiritual
warfare

W - Weariness - Pray that the person will not get bogged down in
having too much to do and will remember the promises of God for
strength, courage, & help in trouble.

X - X-Ray vision - Ask God that the person will have a discerning
mind into the heart felt needs of people & be able to deal with root
cause problems rather than superficial symptoms. Pray for an ability
to analyze without being critical or judgmental.

Y - Yieldedness - Pray that the person will be completely yielded to
Christ & willing to die to self and take up their crosses, pains, &
disappointments daily surrendered completely to Him in everyway,
loving Him with all their being.

Z - Zeal - Pray the person will have a renewed zeal to share the
gospel. Grace to you & gratitude.

New Recipes

2011-03-05T08:19:00.005-05:00

I've finally updated my recipe blog: extra-easy lasagna, chicken in potato baskets and more. You can find these recipes and many more at Serving Recipes at Home by clicking here! Enjoy!

My Hiding Place

2011-02-24T08:24:00.003-05:00

My Hiding Place

Hail, sovereign love, which first began

The scheme to rescue fallen man!

Hail, matchless, free eternal grace,

Which gave my soul a Hiding Place!

Against the God who built the sky

I fought with hands uplifted high--

Despised the mention of His grace,

Too proud to seek a Hiding Place.

Enwrapt in thick rebellious night,

And fond of darkness more than light,

Madly I ran the sinful race,

Secure--without a Hiding Place!

But thus the eternal counsel ran:

Almighty love: arrest that man!

I felt the arrows of distress,

And found I had no Hiding Place!

Indignant Justice stood in view;

To Sinai's fiery mount I flew;

But Justice cried with frowning face,

This mountain is no Hiding Place!

Ere long a heavenly voice I heard,

From God's own holy, precious Word.

He led me by His matchless grace

To JESUS as a Hiding Place!

On Him almighty vengeance fell,

Which must have sunk a world to hell!

He bore it for a sinful race,

And now can be your Hiding Place!

Should sevenfold storms of thunder roll,

And shake this globe from pole to pole,

I've trusted Christ's amazing grace,

And now He is my HIDING PLACE!

You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.--Psalm 119:114 (ESV)

February Ending Soon

2011-02-23T23:52:00.000-05:00

Another week has gone by and February is coming to an end. I noticed today that there were buds on my maple tree and the tips of my tulips were poking through the soil. Can spring be far behind? One of the things we really need is rain and we're supposed to get a lot on Friday. I'm sure all the new growth will appreciated it.

The robins have been coming to visit. I forgot how big they are compared to all our finches and sparrows. I've been putting water in bowls for them and was thinking about starting up the water fountain again during the warm days. BUT--a cat climbed on it the other day and broke it. So.....that will have to wait until Michael can fix it.
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Julianne has been doing very well with her homeschooling. Last week she got an "A" on her Algebra test. She has been having a hard time in that class but she persevered, studied and worked out and it paid off. I'm thankful and she is also!

It's hard to believe she only has three more months until she graduates!! This past week we've been looking at old photographs that she can use in her graduation memory book and also in a PowerPoint presentation that will be at the ceremony. It's been fun to remember what she was like when we first homeschooled and to see her papers and how her handwriting looked!! I even found one of her preschool books. So cute!!
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This past we I finished memorizing Isaiah 40:28-31. Whew! It has been such a blessing to be memorizing these verses. I think about them all the time! God's Word is truly getting into my heart. This coming Sunday Trish and I will be reviewing all the verses we've memorized and then starting on our next one. Mine is Isaiah 41:10. You'll have to look it up to see what it is. :-)
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My times at the gym have been good....in a painful way. Haha!! I've made it up to 30 minutes on the treadmill and 25 minutes on the bike. I am so tired when I finish; my legs feel like noodles. Next week I'm going to add some strength training to that.

It hasn't been easy to get out the door to go but once I'm there, I'm glad (sort of). One of things that has really helped is listening to my iPod. Some days I'm listening to music; Skillet is at the top of the list right now because they get me moving! Other days I'm listening to audio books. Right now it's John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life. I'll be able to "read" through quite a few books this way!
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I'm leading a Bible/book study that started tonight using the book, Damsels in Distress: Biblical Solutions for Problems Women Face. I'll tell you more about it next time as I'm tired and heading for bed.

Have a blessed day (or evening or whenever you read this)!

Love--A Variation on a Theme

2011-02-15T12:39:00.000-05:00

Love—A Variation on a Theme

If I live in a house of spotless beauty

With everything in its place,

But have not love,

I am a housekeeper, not a homemaker.

If I have time for waxing, polishing,

And decorative achievements,

But have not love,

My children learn of cleanliness, not Godliness.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child’s laugh,

Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints

On a newly cleaned window.

Love wipes away the tears

Before it wipes away the spilled milk.

Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.

Love is present through trials.

Love reprimands, reproves, and is responsive.

Love crawls with the baby,

Walks with the toddler, runs with the child,

Then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

Love is the key

That opens Salvation’s message to a child’s heart.

Before I became a mother,

I took glory in my house of perfection.

Now I glory in God’s perfection in my child.

As a mother, there is much I must teach my child,

But the greatest of all is love.

Author Unknown

Junk Mail

2011-02-15T12:21:00.000-05:00

Tired of getting junk mail everyday? You can get off the junk mail list by contacting these companies and opting out for these types of mail:

Credit card and insurance offers: OptOutPreScreen.com

All catalogs, magazine offers and circulars: dmachoice.org

All coupon inserts that come through Valassis: valassis.com (click "contact us")

All phone, mail or e-mail contacts that come through Acxiom U.S.: acxiom.com/opt-out-request-form

Any unwanted catalogs. Register and check off which catalogs you don't want: catalogchoice.org

Oh Boy!

2011-02-12T21:57:00.000-05:00

Michael, Julianne and I decided to join a gym. There is one that is right up the road from us and it's only $10 a month. So we took the plunge. Today was our first workout. I did 20 minutes on the treadmill, 20 minutes on the recumbent bike and then tried their 30-minute workout, which is a series of weight-training machines that you do in a circuit. I'll let you know how I feel in the coming days. Julianne and I are working out a schedule of when to go during the day. Michael will go in the evenings and I hope to get to do with him a few times also.

Pray for me! It's been a long time since I've exercised. I need encouragement and prayer!!

This and That

2011-02-09T20:26:00.000-05:00

The days seem to fly by quicker and quicker each month. February has been typical, weather wise. We did have a 60 degree day on Monday. The temperature has gone right back to normal but it was a preview of things to come. Tonight we're supposed to get snow but just a dusting. Once those warmer temperatures come around, I'm ready for spring!
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My Scripture memory is coming along well! I have memorized Psalm 25:4-5 and Romans 8:25. For the next two weeks, I'm working on Isaiah 40:28-31. I've got the first two verses memorized and almost the last two. It is definitely the Lord's grace in helping me remember these verses. It has been a good exercise for my brain and even better for my soul. I am not trying to memorize one a week or anything like that; just plugging along until I get my list completed. You can find my list on the pages sidebar in the upper left-hand corner. Next to some of them I have put how many weeks it should take me to memorize. Those are just estimates!
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I served the homeless last Tuesday and we had a good crowd. The 1st Tuesday of each month, we serve hot sliced ham, corn, roasted potatoes, a green salad and a fruit salad, rolls and dessert. We have been averaging about 70-90 men (and some ladies) each month. We have a group of 5 people who make and serve the meals and we have a total of 4 teams so each team serves 3 times a year. I always look forward to it. After we serve, our team usually goes out to lunch and that's a fun time of fellowship!
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Tomorrow I'm having lunch with a friend who suffers from a chronic illness. We have been trying to get together for weeks now. Either she has been out of town, I have been out of town, she's been too sick, it has snowed or something has derailed our plans. Lord willing, I will see her tomorrow and we'll have the afternoon to catch up on things. Julianne will be gone on a field trip all day so I won't need to pick her up from co-op.
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Tomorrow night is my weekly Bible study with a friend and we always meet at Panera Bread. We have a wonderful meal together, a time for sharing of the things in our lives and a time to study. I can't think of a nicer way to pass the evening.
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That's about all from here. I'll leave you with my memory verse for the next two weeks. It has been such an encouragement to me to memorize this verse and to know that the Lord is the one who will help me when I'm weary and tired...and He will never fail!!

Isaiah 40:28-31:

Do you know know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary;

they will walk and not be faint.

Books for Snowy Days

2011-02-03T17:43:00.000-05:00

Since it seems most of the country is covered by snow, was covered by snow or is going to be covered by snow, I thought it would be fun to give you some book ideas to read on snowy days. All of these are from our home library and they are dearly loved.

I'm linking through my Amazon Associates program but you can easily find most of these at your local library. But it might be a good idea to buy some of them for when you can't get out to the library! ;-)

Gather the children around, pop some popcorn and heat up the hot chocolate and enjoy these wonderful picture books!

Humility

2011-01-28T20:56:00.001-05:00

In our Fellowship Group we are reading Humility: True Greatness. It has been a very challenging book and one that I have definitely benefited from greatly. Today, I found this great blog post, The Fifty Fruits of Pride. It's a self-diagnostic test....but be careful.....some of these will really hit close to home. Or at least they did with me!!

Complaining?

2011-01-26T13:04:00.000-05:00

Last night I was reading the chapter entitled "God's Power over Nature" in Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts. It reminded me to not forget that God is in control over nature and not to complain about it. As a weather junkie, I am up for any kind of weather, especially snow. We have had some snow this winter but we have also missed a lot of storms by as little as 40 miles. I didn't think I was complaining about the weather because I was wanting snow when most people were glad we didn't get it. I don't usually gripe about snow or cold or things like that. BUT---I realized after reading this chapter that I was complaining. I was complaining because I wanted snow and didn't get it. It's still complaining!!

Here's two excerpts that hit hard for me:

"But when we complain about the weather, we are actually complaining against God who sent us our weather. We are, in fact, sinning against God (see Numbers 11:1)."

"We as Christians need to stop complaining about the weather and instead learn to give thanks for it. God, our heavenly Father, sends us each day what He deems best for all of His creation."

I am thankful the Lord showed me my sin in this area. In the future I will give thanks for the rain, sleet and snow....even when I don't receive it!

New Music Recommendation

2011-01-20T17:03:00.000-05:00

I recently discovered an album called For All the Saints: Indelible Grace III. They have been around for a while but I've only just found them. They take ancient hymns and put them to new, contemporary music. It's not rock, more folk than anything. I've really enjoyed listening to this uplifting and doctrine-filled music. I only have one of their albums but I'm definitely going to be purchasing more.

If you click on the link above, you can listen to a preview of some of the songs. I'm usually a little leary about picking out new music but I'm glad I took a chance on this one!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2011-01-18T12:40:00.000-05:00

For Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Outside my window…a gray, rainy morning which started off with everything covered in ice. Julianne’s co-op started 2 hours late.

I am thankful…for space heaters, since one is currently warming my feet.

From the learning rooms…I finished Julianne’s transcript and had it approved. Woo hoo!!

From the kitchen...tacos tonight, everyone’s favorite.

I am creating…I’m making some more cloth napkins. This website taught me how to make mitered corners. They look so nice!

I am reading…Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption I highly recommend this book!

I am hearing…only me typing on my laptop and the space heater running.

Noticing that…when the Lord wants me to learn something, I keep hearing about it in many different ways: blog posts, sermons on the radio, etc. He is very creative that way!

Around the house...it seems kind of dull after the Christmas holidays. I think I’ll make some paper hearts and put them around to cheer up our home. The lack of sunshine hasn't helped either.

A few plans for the rest of the week: normal household duties and errands; a game night for the ladies at church on Friday night; clean the church on Saturday and also have Fellowship Group that night.

Here is a picture I’m sharing…..soda bottles lined up (from Julianne's NYE party)

If you would like to read more entries like this or know how to participate in the Daybook, please visit Peggy's site here.

Odds and Ends

2011-01-17T21:03:00.000-05:00

I recited my memory verse to my husband this week. Who, by the way, is back home after being away for two weeks!! The reason I didn't recite it to Trish was because I wasn't in church yesterday. My ocular rosacea was bothering me again and it is not a pretty sight. Next week I will say both verses, Lord willing.

This week looks to be a quiet one. I'm trying to tackle homekeeping items that only occur once in a while. Today I took down all the shower curtains and washed them. If you throw them in the washer with a bunch of towels, they scrub the curtain clean. I also dry it in the dryer. I've never had a problem with it; I just dry it on low heat and it comes out looking so nice!

Next on my list is organizing the two top shelves in my pantry. I have to admit that I haven't looked up there in a while as they are fairly high. I know I need to get rid of some old crockpots and other dishes that I haven't used in a while.

As far as my calendar looks right now I will be home most of the week except when I pick up Julianne from co-op. The only night I will be out is when I take Julianne to That Dance Thing and attend a Women's Fellowship at church. We haven't had one in a long time and I'm really looking forward to it.

The verse I'm memorizing this week is Romans 8:25. It's a good for me to remember this because I can be impatient to see the Lord work in my life and in others' lives.....especially my children.

"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

Scripture Memory

2011-01-12T23:31:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine wanted to memorize Scripture this year and asked if I would memorize with her. I was excited! I have memorized lots of Scripture but not lately so I was up for the challenge. At first we were going to memorize Philippians but then decided to each pick verses instead of a whole book. It was fairly easy to pick which verses I wanted to memorize. The hard part was deciding how I wanted to go about it. Instead of just writing down the verses and getting down to the memorizing part, I had to make everything complicated. Ha! This is my life story!!

First I was going to write them in a book, as suggested at this website. Then I thought I would buy a new journal and put the verses in there. So I went to Barnes and Noble and as I was looking at the journals, I realized I had many blank ones at home that I could use. (I ended up buying picture books in Spanish to send to our missionary in Honduras!). When I got home, I got out all my journals and literally spent an hour trying to figure out which one I was going to use and how I was going to arrange the verses on the page. Realizing that I didn't really want to put the verses into a book or journal, I decided on 3x5 cards. But--should they be white? colored? lined? graphed? blank? should I hand write it or print out the verses? Would I use them separately or buy the spiral kind??? Then it hit me---what in the world was I doing? Did it really matter? Did I really need to spend all this time on such nonsense? Wouldn't my time be better spent on memorizing and meditating on the verses instead of how I was going to display/carry them?

My mind was distracted with all the trappings of the world instead of the Word. I was more concerned about how my verses would look rather than getting them in my mind and heart. What did I finally decide? I wrote out my memory verse for the week on three 3x5 cards (colored/marbled ones that I already had in my desk drawer). One for at my desk, one for by our bed and one to take with me. That's it. Nothing fancy....but something useful and needed.

I pray that I will learn to keep things simple and get down to the business of putting the Lord first in everything I do. May I learn to delight in Him and in His Word.

From Psalm 119:

I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. (16)

Your statues are my delight; they are my counselors. (24)

Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. (35)

For I delight in your commands because I love them. (47)

Let your compassion come to me that I might live, for your law is my delight. (77)

If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. (92)

Oh, and my memory verse this week? Psalm 25:4-5: Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Christmas Day

2011-01-08T23:28:00.000-05:00

Jared and Julianne being silly!!

What brothers do to sisters......

Jessica

Julianne. Go Eagles!!

Jared and his Kinect. Score! :-)

Jessica being goofy

Christmas Pictures??

2011-01-08T23:15:00.000-05:00

Trying to get all three of my children together to take a picture. Hilarious!! Somewhere in all these is a decent one of Jessica, Jared and Julianne :-)

Still Here....

2011-01-07T17:04:00.002-05:00

I'm headed out the door in about half an hour but wanted to stop and say HI! I will be updating tonight or tomorrow but wanted to leave you with this quote from one of our elders who spoke on Sunday.

"How much we long for the Word of God show how much we long for the God of the Word."

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T21:38:00.000-05:00

2010 is coming to an end. Julianne invited a bunch of her friends over and they are having an "all-nighter". Michael put up the screen and hooked her xBox to the projector so they could play. So far, they have been sitting around and talking. Oh, and eating! I have barbeque meatballs, various sandwiches, little quiches, along with some brie and apples, and various cakes and cookies. And lots of soda!

I want to leave you with this quote from A. W. Tozer as a reminder for this coming year. God's timing is perfect! Whatever the coming year brings, know that you can trust God with everything. All things are for our good and His glory. There's much peace in that.

There are no deadlines against which God must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves. —A.W. Tozer

Operation Christmas Child

2010-12-27T18:25:00.000-05:00

My family has been sending Christmas boxes through Operation Christmas Child for many years now. This year is the first time I've given online so that my boxes could be tracked. I received an e-mail a few days ago that my boxes were sent to Zambia, Africa. How exciting. Here's some pictures of children receiving their boxes. Such beautiful smiles!!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T16:09:00.000-05:00

Christmas at Home

2010-12-23T15:59:00.000-05:00

I've had this since early in our marriage. It's my favorite.

Yummy candies on top of a table runner
I bought when I was in NJ earlier this month.
A lady who bowls with my mom quilted it. Beautiful!

Cheery snowmen on my kitchen window sill.

I love this tree.
My sister and I each bought
one a few years ago.

I've had this little mouse for about 30 years!!

Jared gave this to me when he was in 1st or 2nd grade.

I have all these nativities set up under a little Christmas tree.

Ten Questions to Ask at a Christmas Gathering

2010-12-16T11:19:00.000-05:00

From Don Whitney:

Many of us struggle to make conversation at Christmas gatherings, whether church events, work-related parties, neighborhood drop-ins, or annual family occasions. Sometimes our difficulty lies in having to chat with people we rarely see or have never met. At other times we simply don't know what to say to those with whom we feel little in common. Moreover, as Christians we want to take advantage of the special opportunities provided by the Christmas season to share our faith, but are often unsure how to begin. Here's a list of questions designed not only to kindle a conversation in almost any Christmas situation, but also to take the dialogue gradually to a deeper level. Use them in a private conversation or as a group exercise, with believers or unbelievers, with strangers or with family.

You can find the questions here.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-12-15T08:09:00.000-05:00

For Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Outside my window…a very cold morning with a bright blue sky

I am thankful…for our new heat pump; the house is toasty!

From the learning rooms…I ordered Julianne’s graduation invitations and her cap and gown. It’s really happening!!

From the kitchen...enjoying a leftover blueberry muffin from the other morning

I am creating…cards and finishing up some Christmas gifts

I am reading…Waiting for Your Prodigal: Daily Thoughts and Prayers This is such an excellent book; it has been very encouraging and helpful to me.

I am hearing…only me typing on my laptop

Noticing that…it isn’t even winter and yet we are having our second snow event and possibly have another this weekend

Around the house...I’m hoping to finally get a chance to put up Christmas decorations!

A few plans for the rest of the week: a surprise birthday party today; tomorrow (if the snow isn’t bad: lunch with a friend, co-op Christmas party, Bible study; dance for Julianne on Friday night and dinner out with our Fellowship Group on Saturday

Here is a picture I’m sharing…..

Bluebird and Goldfinch on my backyard feeder

If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more like it, please go over here to The Simple Woman's Daybook. Bring some hot cocoa and relax for a few minutes. Perhaps post a Daybook entry of your own?

Surprise!!

2010-12-13T10:10:00.000-05:00

Last night the weatherman mentioned we might have a few flurries in the morning. Here's what arrived:

The dogs' water bowls

Flower Pots

The Backyard

More Pictures

2010-12-07T22:46:00.000-05:00

The Lunch Bunch at The Jefferson Hotel

Yours Truly ;-)

Lunch at The Jefferson

2010-12-07T14:39:00.001-05:00

I went to lunch today with the Lunch Bunch ladies at The Jefferson Hotel. It was decorated so beautifully for Christmas. This tree is in the main lobby coming down the grand staircase (watch the introduction pictures to see the staircase). Stunning!!

My Hiding Place (Psalm 119:114)

2010-12-02T00:04:00.000-05:00

My Hiding Place

Hail, sovereign love, which first began

The scheme to rescue fallen man!

Hail, matchless, free eternal grace

Which gave my soul a Hiding Place!

Against the God who built the sky

I fought with hands uplifted high--

Despised the mention of His grace,

Too proud to seek a Hiding Place.

Enwrapt in thick rebellious night,

And fond of darkness more than light,

Madly I ran the sinful race,

Secure--without a Hiding Place!

But thus the eternal counsel ran:

Almighty love, arrest that man!

I felt the arrows of distress

And found I had no Hiding Place!

Indignant Justice stood in view;

To Sinai's fiery mount I flew;

But Justice cried with frowning face,

This mountain is no Hiding Place!

Ere long a heavenly voice I heard,

From God's own holy, precious Word.

He led me by His matchless grace

To JESUS as a Hiding Place!

On Him almighty vengeance fell,

Which must have sunk a world to hell!

He bore it for a sinful face,

And now can be your Hiding Place!

Should sevenfold storms of thunder roll,

And shake this globe from pole to pole,

I've trusted Christ's amazing grace,

And now He is my HIDING PLACE!

A Busy Week

2010-12-01T23:49:00.000-05:00

Since Thanksgiving I feel like I have been in a fog. It seems there is so much to be done!! I don't go to the Black Friday sales so I was spared all that craziness. I did do some shopping on Monday during the day when the stores aren't so crowded. The kids are all getting big presents this year so I just needed to pick up some small things and items for their stockings. Every year I ask them if they still want stockings and every year they say "yes"!! I guess it is a tradition they enjoy!
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Also on Monday our new heat pump was installed. I took the three dogs to the kennel so they would be out of the way while the men worked. Since they would be going inside and out and leaving the back gate open, we thought it was best to have the dogs out of the way. Michael stayed home from work so make sure everything went ok. It was so nice to have "real" heat that night!! And it's amazing how efficient it is. Tuesday morning I turned it up to 68 from 65 and it only took a little while to reach the temperature. Our old unit would have run for an hour or more! I know our bill for this last month will be high because we were running on emergency heat but I'm looking forward to seeing what it will be with the new unit!
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We have our claim into the power company and hopefully they will accept it and reimburse us for this unit. Please continue to pray for us!
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I'm driving up to New Jersey tomorrow and will be back on Monday. No internet! I don't mind being without the internet but I do miss e-mail. Oh well, I will enjoy the peace and quiet.
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See you next week!

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!!

2010-11-25T12:05:00.000-05:00

It's a day to be thankful for all that the Lord has given us......the most important is the giving of His Son to die on the cross, to take my place, so that I might live for Him. Thank You, Father!

Our Glad Thanksgivings

2010-11-24T12:39:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving

Once again our glad thanksgivings

Rise before our Father's throne,

As we try to count the blessings

Of the year so swiftly flown;

As we trace the wondrous workings

Of His wisdom, power, and love

And unite our "Holy! Holy!"

With the seraphim above.

As we gather round our firesides

On this glad Thanksgiving Day

Time would fail to count the blessings

That have followed all our way.

Grace sufficient, help and healing,

Prayer oft answered at our call;

And the best of all our blessings,

Christ Himself, our All in all.

He has blessed our favored country

With a free and bounteous hand;

Peace and plenty in our borders,

Liberty through all our land.

And although our sins and follies

Oft provoked Him to His face,

Mercy still restrains His judgments,

And prolongs our day of grace.

While we love to count the blessings,

Grateful for the year that's gone,

Faith would sweep a wider vision,

Hope would gaze yet farther on.

For the signals all around us

Seem with one accord to say,

"Christ is coming soon to bring us

Earth's last, best, Thanksgiving Day!

(A. B. Simpson)

How Many Have You Read?

2010-11-22T23:34:00.000-05:00

Stephen Altrogge over at The Blazing Center has a great post today entitled, "30 Books Every Christian Should Read". I've read 8 on the list but I hope to be able to say someday that I've read all 30. As I was looking over the list, I realized our church's small bookstore has almost every title! Now I know where to buy them. :-)

The new year is coming up in about 6 weeks and I know a lot of people make new year's resolutions. Wouldn't reading all the books on this list be a worthy goal?

Tonight.....

2010-11-20T18:13:00.000-05:00

Tonight I will be going to a lecture by Eric Metaxas at the Richmond Center for Christian Study. Eric will be speaking on the book he wrote about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I'm about halfway through listening to unabridged audio book. I'm looking forward to learning more about this incredible "pastor, martyr, prophet, spy".

From my craft room......

2010-11-19T12:30:00.001-05:00

(Click on each picture to see a larger view)

Humility

2010-11-17T13:06:00.000-05:00

In our last Fellowship Group meeting, we went over several chapters from the book "Humility" by C. J. Mahaney (see link at the bottom of the blog). It was all about beginning and ending our day with the Lord in order to attack pride and cultivate humility. I really liked some of the ideas and wrote them on 4x6 cards so I can refer to them frequently.

1. Reflect on the wonder of the cross of Christ
       -it is there, at the foot of the cross, that we shrink to our true size
2. Begin my day by acknowledging my need for God
        -purpose by grace that my first thought of the day will be an expression of my dependence on God, my need for God and my confidence in God.
3. Begin my day by expressing gratitude to God
        -greet the Savior with gratefulness, not grumbling
        -am I a thankful observer of the countless indications of His provision, His presence, His kindness and His grace??
4. Practice spiritual disciplines
       -prayer, study of God's Word, worship
5. Seize my time in the car (or your commute if you work)
       -use the time in the car to memorize and meditate on Scripture
       -there are other "mundane moments" throughout the day that can be seized as opportunities to experience God's transforming grace by memorizing and meditating on Scripture
                 -use those moments to allow Scripture to transform my thinking
6. Cast my care upon Him
7. Review the end of my day and carefully assign all glory to God for the grace I've experienced that day
       -this is a humble way to end each and every day
8. Receive the gift of sleep from God and acknowledge His purpose for sleep
        -be thankful that we have a God that never sleeps or slumbers!
        -if possible, make my final thought each night an expression of gratefulness for the Savior's sacrifice on the cross as my Substitute for my many sins
       -seize this opportunity by setting apart sleep as a holy gift from God, as a reminder of my full dependence on Him and as an occasion to examine my heart before Him

It's Really Happening

2010-11-16T12:31:00.000-05:00

Last night was the first meeting for parents and students for Julianne's graduation. It's really happening! In the past few years the graduation has been held at various churches but they were small and so tickets were limited. This year the steering committee found a new, much larger, church that holds about 2,000. We aren't even going to print tickets! As of last night, there were 39 graduates.

Julianne was excited to see many friends there; she wasn't sure she was going to know many. The graduates picked their school colors (to be used for their graduation gowns, invitations, etc.): light blue for the girls, black for the guys. They decided they did want to have a banquet, which is probably going to be catered by the church. They decided they did want to have a memory book. I was glad they wanted this but it will be a great memory later on. And lastly, they picked their class verse: "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12) Julianne also decided that she would like a class ring so we're going to order that soon. I was surprised she wanted one but she is always full of surprises!

All the parents have to be on one committee and I'm on "flowers". Each one of us on the committee has to research flowers prices and get back to our leader in December. After that, our work is done until a few weeks before graduation when we have to pick up the flowers, distribute them, etc. Never having seen or worked on a homeschool graduation, I was very pleased last night with how smoothly everything went and how professional it was. Our state convention holds a graduation but with almost 300 graduates it can be rather impersonal and rushed. I'm looking forward to Julianne's. It's going to be May 21, 2011. Mark your calendars!!
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For those of you who follow me on Facebook (are there any of you who do??), I have deactivated my account for the next two months. I have lots of projects I need to work on, not including Christmas gifts, and FB was just taking up too much of my time. Never fear, I will be back sometime after the holidays! (I know you can't wait; hahaha!!!!)

Trees and Heat Pumps

2010-11-09T13:56:00.000-05:00

The autumn season is finally here. The trees are all starting to turn although the maple in the front year is still mostly green with touches of yellow and red. We had our first frost and freeze last week but the temperatures have gone back up. All this week we will be in the 60's during the day and 40's during the night....and it will be brilliantly sunny. There is nothing like the bright blue sky in autumn!

Remember this summer that we had a fence put in our backyard? Apparently when it was installed the contracters cut through part of the electrical cable. It caused our electricity to go out one day in the summer. The electric company came, worked on and all seemed well. Until last week. Again our lights were out but only in half the house. We finally turned off the power to the whole house to prevent a surge. Again the electric company came to restore power but too late....our heat pump had seized. We have it working now temporarily (thanks to our wonderful neighbor) but it will definitely need to be replaced...the whole thing. All $4500 of it. Merry Christmas everyone!!

Thankfully it is working today. Last night we didn't have any heat and it was cold. I'm glad we have lots of blankets!! The temperature in our room was 61* this morning. Brrrr......I didn't want to get out of bed. It's now up to 68*, which feels tropical. Haha!

Please pray that we get the situation resolved soon and that our temporary fix will last until we can get a new heat pump installed. Thanks so much!

Fall Baking Time

2010-11-04T17:20:00.000-04:00

This weekend we're having a marriage conference at church and Saturday morning is a special session for the ladies. I'm making pumpkin bread to share! It's always good when you make it a few days ahead. You can find the recipe at Serving Recipes at Home.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-11-02T11:57:00.000-04:00

For November 2, 2010

Outside my window…yellow, brown, red and green leaves against a brilliant blue sky

I am thankful…that I am secure in Christ

From the learning rooms…lots of studying on Julianne’s part; this year has been somewhat intense

From the kitchen...not sure, haha! Michael is working late tonight because of the election so we may send out for pizza. I have a 50% off coupon from Papa John’s!

I am creating…on Christmas gifts….still

I am reading…a book on quilling; now to put it into practice

Scripture for the week: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)

I am hearing…the heater running; it’s that time of year

Noticing that…a lot of trees are still very green; it seems late in the year—I wonder if our dry summer has anything to do with it

Around the house...two major projects this week and next: cleaning out the craft room and reorganizing the pantry

A few plans for the rest of the week: dentist appointment for Julianne, deacon’s meeting Thursday night and then our church’s marriage conference all weekend

Here is a picture I’m sharing…..Michael and Julianne on a recent outing

If you enjoyed this daybook, please go over to The Simple Woman's Daybook to read others.....and consider posting one yourself!