Day by Day

Wish List:

2009-06-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

The day before school was finished, our kids, with the help of mom, wrote on a sheet of paper all the different activities that the kids wanted to do this summer. This has been so much fun as it has given them something to look forward to and then to remember all the things they've already done.

Ah, don't you miss being a kid sometimes...

1. Go to the Library (sign up for summer reading program) Done
2. Slide into the kiddy pool from swing set slide Done
3. Go to Rock Museum
4. Attend Vacation Bible School Done
5. Go to the Water Park (with passes from past reading program)
6. Work on Memory Verses Done
7. Go to Settler's Park (a new park we've never been to)
8. Go to Science Museum
9. Smores Night Done
10. Go to Krispy Kreme & Watch them make doughnuts Done
11. Blow Bubbles Done
12. Go to the Zoo (with family pass) Done
13. Play freeze tag Done
14. Go to the Beach (a "little" drive for us) Done
15. Play with Ice Excavation Ring (Toys frozen in ice for them to dig out) Done
16. Swimming Lessons Done
17. Graduate from Dolphin Swimming Class Done
18. Go Fishing (Free day) Done
19. Harvest our first peanuts from the Garden (Waiting for harvest)
20. Make peanut butter
21. Go to Berry Farm Done
22. Run through sprinklers Done
23. Emily learn to ride bike without training wheels (learned how to ride a scooter)
24. Visit new toy store in neighborhood Done
25. TBA

Obsessed

2008-07-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

I recently picked up the book "Crazy Love - Overwhelmed by a relentless God" written by Francis Chan. There is one chapter that is entitled "profile of the obsessed".

Obsessed: To have the mind excessively preoccupied with a single emotion or topic.

This is how I would describe the relationship I had with my blog. There was the ever present preoccupation of what I would be posting next. The thinking and rehearsing the words, pictures, and stories in my head of what I wanted to share. Reviewing the best way to phrase a sentence or how the posting would look.

I had been feeling God asking me to consider what it would be like to be away from this blog. But I did not relent. I liked this idol, and what it did for me.

I finally bent my will towards Him.

He was calling me back away from my own consuming thoughts, and asking me to fill the space with His thoughts. And so I have been steadily turning my heart back to my home, family, studying Bible. Allowing my thoughts to wonder about what He wants. Doing this has allowed His burning Spirit in me to be heard more often.

The goal now for this blog is to journal of the Lord's faithfulness; and to share with family and friends the updates of our family.

"The Bible teaches us to be consumed with Christ and to faithfully live out His words. The Holy Spirit stirs in us a joy and peace when we are fixated on Jesus, living by faith, and focussed on the life to come."
~Crazy Love, by Francis Chan

Blue

2008-04-11T08:56:00.000-07:00

Bodacious Blueberry Muffins
1 and 3/4 C flour
1/3 C sugar
2 t baking powder
1/4 salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 C milk
1/4 C cooking oil
1 C blueberries

Mix together all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl mix together beaten egg, milk, and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just moistened. Fold in blueberries. Place in prepared muffing pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.

*These muffins bring a twinkle to my children's eyes, so I double this recipe to make 18 regular sized muffins and freeze any leftovers, that is if there are any! :)

Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup packed
1/8 cup all purpose flour
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 T. Butter

Combine topping together w/a fork until it resembles a coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle on top, just before baking. This mix can easily be made in advance.

*Special thanks to Amy @ Momadviceblog for this recipe.

Good one...

2008-04-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

If you want a great laugh, and you're a woman, then click on over to Shortstop's Blog.

Good one, Sarah!
:)

"Cold Tangerines" - Book Review

2008-03-30T14:21:00.001-07:00

I first heard about "Cold Tangerines" by Shauna Niequist through Sara's Blog "Shortstop". It was there that she shared her love for this book, and offered 10 copies in a giveaway to the those who left comments on her blog.
Instead, she was brave enough to ask Zondervan Publishers to provide 30 copies, one for every person who commented. They agreed! How cool was that? I was very excited to have actually won something and then to have the book arrive on my doorsteps soon thereafter.

"Cold Tangerines" reads as fresh as it looks, with its glossy, vibrant orange cover.

As I read her stories it was like sitting down to coffee with a good friend as he/she opened up the pages of their life that had been written for them, and the lessons that had been learned along the way. Between the pages there was laughter, tears shed, and head nods in agreement. There were numerous quotes and chapters with green post-it notes that I had tagged just begging to be shared. There were entire sections I wished to simply tear out, and send in the mail to a friend or family member who could really use these words of refreshment.

The writing was deeply honest. Many stories were shared that most of us would never imagine divulging to just anyone, let alone a good friend, but the author does this with amazing faith in her readers, lest she would sit in the seat of judgment from those less willing to be true about themselves. I respected her for that. So often relationships with people are so superficial. When I first meet someone, I quickly grow weary of the customary "foo-fa" of conversation. I really just want to say to them, "Tell me who you really are, what is your story, and what makes you tick?!"

This book is for anyone who has ever experienced love, jealousy, family, death, a new baby, sin, failure, frailty, joy, disappointment, and friendship. It is especially for that aspiring writer who needs boost in the arm and is wondering if the world will ever allow them to share their own words, too someday.

Some of my favorite chapters were: "swimming" (wonderful definitions of friendship), "eggs and baskets" (where the disappointment's in life can be "good" Romans 8:28), and "soup from bones" (how God can make the crumbles of our lives into something glorious). There were simply too many wonderful quotes and stories to share, therefore I can only highly recommend you place this book at the top of your "to read list" and experience the flavors of these stories for yourself.

In closure, this was a wonderful book about the celebrations of life. It made me want to make the most of every day. To turn the stagnant parts of my own life and home into something beautiful - worthy of sharing and an offering to my Lord.

Truly the authors own words best described her book:

"You pray for wonderful, honest, gritty, tender stories to write, but then you have to live through them".

*****************************

*Please be sure to visit "Shortstop" for additional Book Reviews and later this week for a "Question and Answer Session" with Author, Shawna Niequist.

*Special thanks to Sara at "Shortstop" and Zondervan Publishers for the opportunity to experience "Cold Tangerines".

Welcome Spring and Celebrations!

2008-03-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

Well here we are, March 20th, the First Day of Spring. So thrilled that it's official!

For weeks now, in the midst of the dreary weather we've been having, I've been pining for this day.

The crocuses are blooming. The daffodils are begging for a beautifully warm day to open themselves from their cocoon, the tulips, and the lilacs are growing in stature as they await for their appointed time. The seed and flower catalogs are arriving in the mail. The seed pods we've purchased are needing to be planted. We are waiting for a nice day to dig up the dirt in the new raised garden beds that my husband built from railroad ties. Of course the weeds have started their ritual of taunting us as they stake their ground in any place they can possibly find fit to grow.

With the arrival of spring, we are quickly ushering in the celebration of Easter. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early previously (95 years old or above!). And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here are the facts:

The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).

Pretty interesting!

Along with Easter, 3 days later we will be celebrating our son's 5th Birthday. I had already been feeling like this year had gone by surprisingly too fast, but when I think back to the day that he was born, it makes these last few years seem like they have gone by even faster! Our plans are to have a party at Carl's Jr. Play Land with some buddies of his. Have some pirate theme cupcakes and open presents. He of course is very excited to be a big boy!

Here's hoping you have a reflective and celebratory Easter weekend!

Yearly Play Date

2008-02-20T14:37:00.000-08:00

It's mommy's turn. Yeah!

In a few days, I will be boarding an airplane to Texas.

There I will find my best friend, Mrs. T. with her husband and 6 precious children (one is baking in the oven - due in May). Each year we take turns in taking mini-vacations to each other's homes.

Remember all those times (8 of them) that my hubby went out of town last year?

Turns out, he has earned a free round-trip ticket. I was so blessed when my husband suggested that I use this ticket to go see Mrs. T.

So the planning began. Best to go earlier in the year before it gets too hot there in Texas (I am such a wimp!) or in the fall time.

With only two weeks notice of booking due to the traveling restrictions and black out dates, I have been a busy mommy getting ready for the trip.

Here's what I have been up to:

~Made double batches & put in freezer:
French Toast, Pancakes, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Homemade Sloppy Joes.
~Made up a menu plan for the next two weeks.
Posted on fridge.
~Grocery shopping done!
~Daily schedule made up for the next two weeks.
Posted on fridge.
~Laundry caught up!
~Arrangements made for meetings.
~Cleaned up kids room (can we say tornado!)
~Organized and cleaned up office desk.
~Worked on & packed "surprises" for Mrs. T's family.

Still to be done:
~Haircut for mommy this afternoon.
~Drop off gift/food for another friend who just had a baby
~Haircuts for rest of family this evening.
~Make homemade maple syrup.
~Organize freezer (maybe)
~Check weather report in TX (heard they have been in the 60's, with a few days in the 80's.
~Pack clothing & toiletries.
~Pack carry on bag. "Let's see, what are the security restrictions, again?"
~Load I-Pod with last Sunday's missed sermon, and maybe an interesting show or two to help with the multiple airport layover's I have.
~Tidy up the house a bit.
~Give Daddy important phone numbers, insurance cards, library cards, and zoo membership cards.
~Give my kiddo's and hubby great big hugs & kisses goodbye. Promising to try and not miss them too much. :(
~Get cash out for the trip.
~Smile when I think of giving a good friend a big hug, going on our "date" to Olive Garden (a tradition), seeing her kid's smiling faces, and being able to talk with each other without the restraints of the computer or telephone.

I'll be sure to catch up with you all when I return and share about how my play date went. :)

Yogurt Sample

2008-02-15T07:47:00.000-08:00

Free Darigold all natural yogurt - select states

Get a free Darigold all natural yogurt here. It's only available in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. After entering your contact information, the site reads, "Look in the mail for your free
yogurt and milk coupons soon, plus other great offers."

Thanks to moneysavingmom.com, where you can find great grocery saving tips each week.

Building a good correction routine...

2008-02-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

Here is a great article I received today and wanted to pass it along to all of you. Hope this is encouraging and helpful in our roles as parents:

Parenting Tip - February 14, 2008

Anger Confuses Correction
A good correction routine teaches children that they must change. Their current course of action will not work. It's unacceptable and needs adjusting. Unfortunately the clear message that the child has a problem and needs to work on it is sometimes missed because of parental anger. A parent's harshness can confuse the learning process. Instead of thinking, "I'm here taking a Break (a time out near you, where you can see them and hear them...not in their room) because I did something wrong," the child thinks, "I'm here taking a Break because I made Mom mad."

The child's focus changes from correcting what he or she did wrong to avoiding parental anger. A break is meant to bring about a HEART change! It's a time out for the Holy Spirit to work in our child's heart. It's important to remember that your anger is good for identifying problems but not good for solving them. When you're tempted to respond harshly, be careful to take a moment and think about what you need to teach in the situation. It's easy to react with anger when your kids do the wrong thing but it's more helpful to move into a constructive correction routine.

For example, Dad yells, "I've had it! I called you five times and you didn't come, so I'm not taking you to the party!" The child gets a mixed message. Is missing the party the consequence for not coming when called, or is it the consequence for making Dad angry?

Children who grow up with explosive parents learn to focus more on pleasing people than on living with convictions about right and wrong. They may learn to make changes in life, but not because they're determined to do what's right. Rather, they make changes to avoid upsetting people; they become people pleasers or just plain sneaky. Kids then believe that what they did was okay as long as Mom or Dad didn't find out. As long as no one gets angry, then there's no problem.

When you make a mistake and correct in anger, it's important to come back to your child and talk about it afterwards. Clarify what was wrong, why the consequence was given, and apologize for your harshness.

For more on correcting children, read chapter four in the book, "Good and Angry: Exchanging Frustration for Character in You and Your Kids,” by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller. For more information about building a strong and effective correction routine in your family consider the Heart Work Training Manuals and CDs. These manuals are used for in-depth training of parents both for individual study and also for mentoring others. You can learn more at www.biblicalparenting.org.

"Happy Heart Day!"

2008-02-14T07:16:00.000-08:00

This was the sweet greeting I received from my kiddos this morning. They jumped on my bed and presented their valentines that had been hidden so very carefully under their pillows from the night before when Daddy helped them to sign cards and put into envelopes. As I tucked them into bed, they were just beaming with sneaky faces filled with joy.

My husband gave me a hanging rose heart wreath and heart fridge magnets with sayings on them. We are also looking forward to dinner with pizza for the kids and Chinese food for the parents. Also hoping for an early bedtime for the kids so that we can just hang out.

We are not going out on the town tonight as we have been "catching sneezes", if you know what I mean. :(

Here's part of a devotion I came across this morning. It is so appropriate for this "Happy Heart Day!"

The ultimate example of love:

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to you own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!
~Philippians 2:1-11 NIV

"Light" moments...

2008-02-12T14:55:00.000-08:00

The alarm was set for 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Not typical for a weekend, but there was a special reason; the opportunity for 15 women to huddle around their sewing machines, cutting mats, and ironing boards to make their own personal Log Cabin Quilt.

This quilt is so beautiful and easy to make! We had so much fun learning how to do this and it is something that could be a family heirloom for years to come. I will have to share pictures of what I did at a later time. Being that this quilt is for a someone special who reads this blog.

The log cabin represents the home. It was designed back in pioneer days and is one of the most popular quilting patterns.

We chose 7 different fabrics. One fabric is for the center squares of each block of the quilt. It represents the center of the home. In pioneer days they would use red as the center, since it represents love.

There are 3 “light” fabric choices and 3 “dark” fabric choices. The 3 light fabrics are all on one side of each quilt square, and there are 3 darks on the other side of each quilt square, that surround the center square. Compare the “light side” to our salvation and intimacy with Christ, weddings, babies, family and friends. The “dark side” of the blocks represents the trials and adversities of life. The “dark” moments of life help to draw us to the Lord and to grow us in our maturity. The “dark” moments in life help us realize how wonderful the “light” moments really are!

Having this opportunity to work on a quilt was so refreshing. It has been almost 5 years since the last time the sewing machine was dragged out for such a project. For a momma of little ones, it is very satisfying to work on something where completion is in sight.

I was also very thankful for my husband as he cared for the children all day. The kids had a great time enjoying their daddy. They first played a game of Chutes & Ladders, got the car washed, went to Toys R'Us to peruse the aisles, visited Cabela's to view the large fish tank of trout and then play a bit in the tents, and lastly stopped in at Carl's Juniors for lunch and climbing the play structure.

When mommy arrived home the kids were fast asleep. I soon followed their example. After nap time, we went to the Dollar Movie Theater and saw "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything", a Veggie Tales Movie. Very cute. Of course the big, bad pirate and the cheese curd's with teeth were scary for the kiddo's.

So we had a fun, full day of family fun. Treasuring these moments...

Overflow

2008-02-05T07:41:00.000-08:00

Have you had a difficult day, month, or even last year?

I sure have. :)

If so, then I hope you would take a moment to read this letter sent out by our mentor from the Keepers of the Home Group, Lori Gammon:

Dear friends,

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 "Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."

2 Cor. 1:7-10 "And our hope for you is FIRM because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort." "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On HIM we have SET OUR HOPE, that HE will continue to deliver us..."

As I read through God's Word each morning I see sweet, sweet promises of God, I see sins that he wants me to avoid, I see new and more wonderful things about Jesus, I see promises that he makes me that I can cling to in my times of trouble and adversity.

Today's verses are sooo precious to me! Christ's sufferings will be allowed to "flow" into my life. I kind of wish at times that this said "trickle"...but it says "flow" and that does not mean once in a great while...it means pretty steady, at least from what he's allowed in my life! I'm sure many of you know what I mean! :-) I know that I used to say "I can't wait till this hard thing is over!" whatever that hard thing was. But, what I didn't realize is that it will be a "flow" of suffering and trials and adversities. Thankfully it doesn't say "flood!" Although there have been times when it's definitely felt like a "flood!" But I love the next few parts of these verses. Just as suffering flows into our lives, so also through Christ, does our comfort OVERFLOW! I love the words God uses...he allows suffering to flow...but his comfort to OVERFLOW! He more than makes us able in our weakness, to endure by his strength!

You will not experience the fullness of God until you have experienced him in deep, deep trials and hardships and suffering! No hole is so deep that our God is not deeper still! Corrie Ten Boom shared this long ago! God does not send the one without the other. God does not send suffering, without sending an overflow of comfort for us. BUT, we need to look to him and fix our eyes upon him and our thoughts upon him in the MIDST of trials and suffering to receive the outpouring of his grace, love, and comfort! We can wrongly choose to become bitter and resentful in the midst of the trials and doubt the goodness and faithfulness and love of God OR we can choose to believe his Word and believe his character and FIRMLY KNOW and be CONVINCED that God is who he says he is and that he will do what he says he will do....and RECEIVE the outpouring of his love, grace and comfort that he desires to give us! We need only turn to him, humble ourselves before him and reach out and RECEIVE his comfort!

Sometimes we all experience difficult times in our lives that leave us feeling that it is beyond our ability to endure! Paul did too! BUT what we need to purpose to remember is that these trials and sufferings and persecutions and adversities happen in our lives....why? So that we might not rely on ourselves, but instead that we would learn to choose to rely on God instead! It is ONLY as we SET our HOPE on HIM that we will continue to see our character grown, our faith grown and our spiritual maturity grown and that we will experience deeper intimacy with Christ! We all want character, we all want to be more godly and more spiritually mature....how does this happen in our lives? From coming under the Lord and allowing him to have his way in us and in our lives! From allowing him to send us not only blessings, but suffering as well! And He is faithful...with suffering also comes comfort...the comfort of knowing God and knowing his principles and seeing the truth of his Word come to life. We gain comfort from his love, his faithfulness, his grace and his mercy.

These times in our lives are not meant to hurt us but to redirect us and to strengthen us through Christ that he will continue to deliver us from ourselves and our sin and our flesh...to purify us for Himself and to make us more like Jesus!

So if today is especially difficult or hard....look up and remember that this thing, this circumstance, this situation...has come so that you would not rely upon yourself...but instead that you would yield to God and to choose to set your hope on Christ who is seeking to continue to work in you and set you apart and to work out his good pleasing will in your life, redeeming you and sanctifying you and transforming you....in order to bless you and do good to you and draw you ever closer to Him! Allow him to comfort you as only He can! "

Hope this has been a blessing and a source of encouragement!

Kitchen Postings

2008-01-30T06:56:00.000-08:00

"Obedience to God is not some diet we suddenly blow. It is something to which we recommit every single day, no matter how we blew it the day before". ~ From: Praying in God's Word - Recovery, by Beth Moore

"A day hemmed in prayer seldom unravels". ~ Author Unknown

******************************

From time to time, I've placed various postings on my kitchen window sill that have special meaning to me. It could be a favorite scripture, a lovely thank you note, a concept for life, reminders, or quotes like the ones above.

Are there postings that you look at for daily encouragement?

Prayer

2008-01-30T06:49:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends,

Our dear neighbor will be having knee surgery at noon today. Last Sunday, she turned 97 years old. She is in good health, but she has been in extreme pain because of the knee problems. Following this knee replacement there will be a week of rehabilitation. Would you please remember Vergie in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks so much!

More...

2008-01-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

Today, we received another few inches of snow. Out comes the snow shovel - again. Then back in the garage it goes along with the other handy tools; where it waits until tomorrow's forecast for even more snow.

We are certainly pleased to have much more snow than last year. It really reminds us of our last home in Montana where you'd have to wait until April/May (if you were lucky) for the snow and ice to thaw out just enough to see the ground below.

Another exciting tidbit about our town is that we may be getting an Aquarium. Seems so odd to have one of these when there isn't even an ocean nearby. If this venue becomes a reality, then this would be a great place to have the kids visit during the winter seasons. We had a zoo pass this year, but we just might get an aquarium pass for the next year, instead. The tickets are half price right now, but the doors aren't scheduled to open until 2009. Here's the website for more information: Boise aquarium

Hope you are enjoying Winter?
I say, "Spring come early!"

Wasn't very long ago...

2008-01-16T10:21:00.001-08:00

that my son was 21 months old and my daughter was
3 months old in these pictures.

"2004"

We have been able to catch this same pose over the years
as they open their Christmas stockings.

"2005"

"2006"

As I was reviewing our picture file this photo got me all choked up.
They both look so "grown up" with their feet reaching to the
end of the couch and hanging over a little bit. They grow up so quickly.
Sniff, Sniff.

"2007"

Next milestone,
Their feet touching the ground.
Mine don't even do that on most couches. ;)

Let's chat over a cup of tea...

2008-01-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

...and catch up.

Starting from Thanksgiving - this year seemed to be one of our favorites. It was made special with a visit from my husband's parents from Oregon. The kids were so excited and so were we.

Preparation for this Thanksgiving feast was so much fun.
My mother-in-law worked right along side me in the kitchen as we prepared a meal with all the fixings for 4 adults and 2 kids. :) As it should be - we had many leftovers. Mom shared her recipes for creamed peas and mashed potatoes, then I shared my recipes for the Turkey, Cornbread Stuffing, Gravy, and a Holiday Yam Dish.

The next thing I knew, she was offering to teach me how to make Homemade rolls and Cinnamon Rolls (my husband had a smile on his face!) I don't think I will ever forget the special time of fellowship and meal preparation we had together. She got me over the fear of using yeast and getting my hands in dough with flying colors! What was even more meaningful was that this roll recipe was first taught to her by own Grandmother. It is not one that has been recorded on paper, but remains in her memory. So as mom, prepared the rolls and taught me the techniques, I was carefully/frantically recording the different steps and measurements. I look forward to some day passing this recipe to my own daughter.

Since then, I have made another batch of Cinnamon Rolls. The entire process went very well, although next time I will use much more cinnamon & sugar. Mom says, "It should be flowing out of the rolls ". Mmm...

Here are some rolls that I made for my husbands work.

Although, a wager had been made with his boss and fellow coworkers that if they let my husband leave early that day, then I would make them cinnamon rolls. Of course clarification was in order! Were the rolls going to be made from tube refrigerator rolls or homemade ones? Was my husband going to be let go more than say half and hour before quitting time or a substantial amount of time? Joking - all in fun.

Next thing you know, my husband returned home from work a couple hours early, helped finish packing the car, and then the guys received these yummy treasures when we returned from our trip:

Had to show you these happy faces of the kids mixing colors of frosting for Christmas Sugar cookies. They really enjoyed the entire process and the mess. Sprinkles and candy bits!

We made our way to Oregon with only one road closure due to inclement weather and a truck accident. Then the next day, my sister got married. Here is a picture of her in her sweet and beautiful wedding dress. The shoulder straps were so romantic.

I liked the Bride & Groom Elephant's placed on their wedding cake.
So fun!
Just like the two of them.

Then a surprise!

On Christmas Day, at about 2:00 p.m., I received a call from other sister Tiffany, that her water had broke. She was having a baby! So I quickly went up to the hospital to be with her. It was such a special time to spend the next 12 hours with her, her husband, friends, and family. Sophia Daisy was born the next day at 4 a.m., weighing 5 lbs, 7 oz. Healthy and cute as could be. It was such a privilege to be there for the delivery. Since Sophia was originally due in early January, she was such a good little girl to be born when her auntie was in town. She was the first out of my 6 nieces and nephews that I was able to see as a baby. This event was really the highlight of the entire vacation. Something I won't forget. :)

Proud parents! Just minutes after baby was born.

After a week of visiting dear Oregon, we then returned back to our "home" in Idaho despite another road closure and more inclement weather. New Year's was a quiet night at home with hubby, staying up and watching a movie till' midnight, and then watching 10 minutes of network T.V. parties.

Looking forward to another full year!

Creak...

2008-01-15T14:10:00.000-08:00

Goes the link button for New posts.

Stretching...
The brain as I begin journaling after a 2 month hiatus.

Blowing off...
The cobwebs on this blog.

Smiling...
As I think of the fellow bloggers out there.

Knowing...
They're still there. :)

Thankful...
To be here.

Celebrating...

2007-12-13T07:30:00.000-08:00

I have all kinds of things I would like to post about, and talk about, but it is Christmas, and while I am keeping up with things, there is much more to be done. There is celebrating Christmas early with our own little family this coming Sunday, a Christmas in Oregon to prepare for, cookies and memories to make, and more errands to run. :)

So I am continuing my break and starting my Christmas blog break now.

If there is something that is just too good to not share, and cannot wait until the new year I will pop back in to post, but if not, I will see you in the New Year!

May the Lord Bless you and your families.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
2 Corinthians 9:15

Work of our hands

2007-11-21T09:06:00.000-08:00

Taking a bit of a blogger break. Although, there are tons of "future postings" swirling in my head. Must write them down on paper. :) So, a break there will be. Working on preparing Thanksgiving Dinner, welcoming Grandpa & Grandma for a visit (the kids can't wait!) and finishing some projects with fast approaching deadlines.

I'll leave you with this quote from Missy's Blog Everyday Graces.

"In this week when many of us will spend hours preparing food, laying a table, writing down our blessings and speaking them aloud, we will be communicating our love with the work of our hands."

Wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving!

Giving Thanks for

2007-11-13T21:00:00.000-08:00

Sourdough stuffing

Stuffing is an important part of the holiday menu in our home. Here is a wonderful combination of ingredients that play a great supporting role to the rest of the Thanksgiving dinner. The sourdough bread gives the stuffing a tangier flavor than regular bread, but you can use the latter in a pinch.

8 cups (1/2-inch) cubed sourdough bread (about 12 oz)
1 pound turkey Italian sausage
Cooking spray
5 cups chopped onion (about 2 pounds)
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
8 oz package pre-sliced mushrooms
2 cups (1/2 inch) cubed peeled Bartlett pears (about 2 medium)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven 425 F

Arrange bread in single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 F for 9 minutes or until golden. Place in a large bowl.

Remove casings from sausage. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage, and cook for 8 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add sausage to bread cubes, tossing to combine. Set aside.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and carrot; saute 10 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Stir in mushrooms; cook 4 minutes. Stir in pear, basil, tarragon and salt; cook 4 minutes until pear begins to soften, stirring occasionally. Add pear mixture to bread mixture, tossing gently to combine. Stir in broth and pepper.

Place bread mixture in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; cover with foil. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake stuffing an additional 15 minutes or until stuffing top of stuffing is crisp.

Makes 12 servings.

NOTE: This stuffing could be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Store the stuffing, covered with foil, in your refrigerator. Bake as directed.

To view more Thanksgiving recipes, craft ideas, decorating ideas, cleaning/organizing or anything else that has to do with this special holiday; then head over to Kelli's Blog "There is No Place Like Home where she is hosting a week long "Giving Thanks" Celebration!

(*Recipe from The Associated Press and Photo from Becky Luigart Stayner AP)

Love this...

2007-11-12T07:21:00.000-08:00

~Ps. 23:7 “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

“What you feed your mind affects your attitude, and your attitude affects the choices you make, which in turn affect every area of life for good…or for evil, and the choices you make determine the consequences!"

by Connie Julin

Smiles

2007-11-10T20:02:00.001-08:00

What is it about marshmallows that are so much fun?

The other day, I was telling my husband, "Watch this. When I give the kids a marshmallow there will be an instant smile". It never fails. Marshmallows bring out the smiles in people. Go ahead, I dare you - just try and eat one without smiling!

While you are partaking of this soft, yummy treasure; I also dare you to not have a fun memory of eating marshmallows. For me it's playing the "Pudgy Bunny" game in High School or roasting them over a campfire.

What happens when you eat a marshmallow?

Living it

2007-11-08T23:00:00.000-08:00

I recently heard this song again and this time I intently reflected on the lyrics. It's verses had renewed meaning:

OH LORD YOUR BEAUTIFUL

Oh Lord, You're beautiful
Your face is all I seek
For when Your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.

Oh Lord, please light the fire
That once burned bright and clear;
Replace the lamp of my first love,
That burns with holy fear.

I want to take Your Word and shine it all around
But first help me to just live it Lord.
And when I'm doing well,
Help me to never seek a crown.
For my reward is giving glory to You.

*The last verse really got me. My prayer is that I will start & KEEP living what I have learned from His word and the lessons He is teaching me right now. Then when I'm doing well, that I would seek to give Him glory, instead of looking back at myself.

Why?

2007-11-08T09:55:00.000-08:00

Just recently, my little boy showed interest in why and how his body works? You know, those important questions:

How come by bones don't fall off?

Why do I yawn?

What's in my brain?

Our answer is "Well son..."

Word descriptions don't seem to do justice for the type of explanations that are needed. So, off to the Library we went. Checked out 2 books: "What's inside? My body" by Scholastic and "I Can Move" by Mandy Suhr.

Here are some of the activities we did to help understand how our bodies work:

~Ran in place for 30 seconds and then listened to our hearts thumping to understand the chest.
~We practiced doing the following movements and then found pictures of people dancing, crawling, sitting, walking, and bending and posted on a poster.
~Counted the different places that bend in our bodies, and then all the places in one foot.
~Talked about the difference between pushing, pulling, and lifting.
~Compared our bodies to that of plants and animals.
~Talked about how people move in different ways. Those who need wheelchairs and crutches in a house. Found places that it would be hard to move, like stairs.

This was so much fun. Just watching them sit there quietly soaking in the information and then jumping around in discovering how their body works. Good stuff! And a privilege to watch them learn.

Cheating time

2007-11-08T08:11:00.002-08:00

For once TIME has been kind to us. Typically, with the time change that most of us experienced on Sunday - our household usually struggles with it. The kids sleeping, waking, napping, and eating schedules become totally off kilter. Truly, I think that Daylight Savings Time is a secret plot against parents. :)

But this time, the change has worked in our favor. It has helped tremendously with our kids "time to go to bed" routine at 8:00 p.m., instead of much later; like it was before. Now my husband and I look at the clock that reads 9:00 p.m. and strangely there are no kids around.

Another time saver has been getting haircuts for everybody. No more fighting the unruly calick's, hair falling in the face, finding that hair clip, and also trying to figure out what would look good with an outgrown hair style. It has been such a great help for those days that we have to leave the house.

Even, when we can "cheat" time - here and there - it just still keeps ticking on by. This morning, I found that one of my children had quietly climbed into bed along side of me. So I put him back in his bed. But wait, he was already in his bed! I was realized that I was actually holding my daughter. Then again, just before the alarm went off at 6:30 a.m., I woke to find another child in my bed. So this time I go to put her back in bed, and found that she was already in bed! I has been actually holding my son.

So it could have been that I was really tired and confused. More so though because these children are 18 months are apart in age. My daughter is growing taller. My son is also growing much taller. Now we have to swing to one side of the bedroom doorway as we walk by to avoid bumping his head. This is where time has not been so kind to us. Realizing how fast these little/big kids are growing. :(

Coffee Date

2007-11-06T14:03:00.001-08:00

All last week, my husband said that he was looking forward to having a coffee date. The idea was to go to Fred Meyer's with the kids. Then check them into the "Play Land" and have a date with his wife for an hour.

Later, I had to admit to him, and now to you readers that I struggled with this date idea. I just knew for sure that at any moment the "Mommy Guilt Police" were going to come to our table with shaking fingers of shame on you - as we were enjoying our Starbucks Peppermint Mocha and Caramel Macchiato.

But you know my sweet husband reassured me that all was well. After finishing our treats, we then went on through the aisles (while ignoring the prices), and looked at the household and toy sections for future gift ideas. As our precious alloted time came to a close, we then walked hand in hand back to claim our children. The report was positive. They were fine. They were happy! So were husband & wife!

Fall crafting

2007-11-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a sample of the different crafting activities we have been doing during this Fall Season:
These bird feeders were simply put together with an empty toilet paper roll, peanut butter, and bird seed (from WinCo's bulk section).

We then hanged the feeders up in the backyard. The squirrels were really attracted to this treat, but very frustrated that they couldn't get to it. :) ha, ha.

Here is our son's collection of the different types of leafs & plants we've been finding on our nature walks. It's been so precious to hear him ask to place another specimen onto his

Collection poster.

We then took our favorite leafs and placed them in the middle of wax paper, along with some crayon shavings; and then ironed the pieces together. It was really neat to see the colors blend together.

Here is a pumpkin decoration that I made in our MOPS Group. I have had lots of practice putting it back together again, and, again as the kids would take it apart because of their curiosity to see the full toilet paper roll inside. They thought it was silly that the pumpkin didn't have seeds inside.

Traditions

2007-10-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

Painting pumpkins has been a tradition in our house for many years now. It is so easy for these little ones to create their own art, and then be able to see them all month long.

Hayride fun

2007-10-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

We recently had a field trip day at the MAIZE. This place is a working farm that offers hayrides, educational talks, a huge maize, petting zoo, refreshments, and of course a pumpkin patch. The hayrides were the "hit" for the day.

They loved watching the red tractor work.

This one is my favorite pictures of the day.

Navigating the children's maize

Found the perfect pumpkin.

A great day overall. The kids had fun.

And mommy did too!

Catching up

2007-10-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

...on pictures from September and October. Best do this before we say hello to November. Can't believe how fast October went. My favorite month of the year!

Here are some pictures of our little girl turning 3 years old:

Look at me - I'm 3!

Our little girl LOVES horses.
So deciding on the theme for her party was not too difficult.

A thrilled little girl who loves Appaloosa Horses, for sure!

Note to self: Do not serve caked after 5 p.m.

Keeps children up until midnight going potty.
We think it had to do with the frosting and Red Dye #40.

She got a horse stamp collection, an Appaloosa horse toy, animal farm shapes with holes and strings to sew with; along with a window gel Birthday Cake decoration from her Auntie; then a card and gift from Grandma & Grandpa. We also played "Pin the tail on the donkey (horse)".

All in all a very good day. I don't think I've ever heard my daughter talk and chat that much! She was very excited.

Precious Treasures

2007-10-30T07:44:00.001-07:00

In an earthly mine (the type you dig) men are looking for (usually) one precious thing. In the mine of God there are all kinds of precious treasures. Each on is the mother lode with veins running in every direction and leading to other mother loads; rich each one beyond all the others.

Nobody digs in the mind of God without effort, so those who do not dig never know what they are missing.

It is dark in the mine, for (Pr 1:6) the words of the wise are full of dark sayings, but the owner supplies light to those who are earnest, the light coming mysteriously with effort.

Those who come must spend a lot of time searching for they know not what, for the treasures of God are fully of mystery; but once found they know what they have found and rejoice as those who have (Ps119:162) found great spoil. And the value increases as they have not yet found.

Moreover, they take it away from the mine in their hearts only to find that others have also found it before them; and they took it away, yet it was still there, put there to be found by (James 2:5) the poor of this world rich in faith. Then mysteriously they discover that they give it to others with the greatest diligence and effort, they cannot get rid of it all. The harder they try to get rid of it the richer they become. Each vain just keeps getting wider and richer.

Treasure Found

2007-10-30T07:14:00.000-07:00

Well I'm back from the retreat!

It was an enjoyable time of being with other women who had like minds of loving their Lord, husbands, and families. It was a short trip with about 28 hours teaching, talking, eating good food, quick trail walks, and sleep (actually not that much). The schedule for the retreat was different then typical ones, as it wasn't all about "personal enjoyment", but more about an intense time of learning and encouragement. Making the most of our moments together. There was uncontrollable laughter and the shedding of tears. Good stuff.

I had been thinking that I couldn't remember when was the last time I had sat for so long. My only concerns were of taking care of myself, eating (no cooking, or coaxing little ones to eat, or cleanup!), having conversations with other women with little to no interruptions, and then simply focusing on the teaching times. It was an odd feeling for me as the day before, I hadn't "rested" the entire day while I was running around preparing for this trip. My mind was definitely going in different directions. So I was thankful for this different state of mind and being.

But truly, what was most impressed on my heart was how the Lord provided exactly what I had needed. As I shared in the previous post, I was simply looking for a rainbow in my heart again. Not only did I receive a rainbow, but a treasure. Not just one treasure, but many! He gives so much more than we can ever imagine to those that He loves. I am so thankful.

The treasures that He so tenderly gave to me were gems to hold onto even when the rainbows do fade.

Hope to share some more about the teachings we learned and catch up on some pictures soon.

Looking for a rainbow...

2007-10-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the
strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
Psalm 73:26

Isn't this verse just beautiful? My heart is heavy today, actually for a few weeks now. It seems like the slightest of offenses from someone wounds my heart. From those who have disappointed me or then being hurt by someone I love. My soul feels empty and there is a battle for truth amongst the discouragement that surrounds it.

I am trying to remember, but struggling to find peace in that the love of God is far greater than any earthly relationships or situations. His love is a secure love. I am so glad that He never changes. I just need to BELIEVE in His promises that I can rest in Him!

This weekend is our "Keepers of the Home" Women's Retreat. God is so good in His perfect timing to provide this special weekend of teaching and encouragement by some wonderful mentors. The theme for this weekend is Marriage and Intimacy, with the titles of each session being: Precious Treasures of the Heart, Mind, and Body. If you would, please pray with me that when I return from this trip that a rainbow will be present in my heart again. I also hope to share with you any special gems that were learned from this weekend.

Caught again

2007-10-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

Here we go again...

Sharing each other's colds. Lots of fun!

It started with Daddy being sick last week. I hoped (deluded thinking) that the rest of us would be immune. No such luck.

Out comes the Airborne, Tylenol Cold, Saline Spray for stuffy noses, disinfectant wipes, and other helpful concoctions to help rid ourselves of these colds. Ah yes, not to forget the pile of tissues. We ended up getting a big pack of tissue boxes at Costco, as we had used up every last tissue in the house. Almost had to resort to good old T.P. :)

What's your regiment when cold season arrives at your home?

Being still

2007-10-10T06:58:00.000-07:00

"My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forever more" ~Psalms 131

"How trusting is a baby? Not very, some would say babies cry violently as soon as they feel the slightest hunger. It is the weaned child, a little older, who has learned to trust its mother, to fret less and simply ask for food instead of wailing. The profound simplicity of this patience is David's model for how he, and all Israel, should wait on the Lord. The apostle Paul comments similarly, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation...I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:12-13). ~NIV Student Bible

Study Challenge

2007-10-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

Book of James

A. Read through the book of James. (5 min.)

B. Then re-read each verse and record 54 direct commands of how “we” should act. (45 min.)

C. Pray everyday, for one week, over 5 of the commands that you are most struggling with in your life.

D. For further understanding, read through the Book of James using Bible helps and/or a Bible commentary.

(This devotion was such a blessing to me, that I wanted to be sure to share it with you. My prayer is that it would be a special encouragement to you, as well.)

Disaster

2007-10-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

I recently came by a recipe called "Easy Pizza Dough". The recipe was simple and to the point. That is where I went wrong. You know that saying, "It's too good to be true". Well it was.

Throughout my married life, I have taught myself to cook. I wouldn't say that I'm a beginner by any means nor a chef. I am definitely not put off by trying new recipes, but for some reason just trying yeast in baking has just been one of those things I'm a bit timid to try.

As of late, we've been having pizza nights. Whatever crusts we use have been the store bought types on sale. So when I came by this recipe for easy pizza dough, I then found courage to open the small, shiny package of yeast and take a go at it.

Everything was going smoothly until I started to roll the dough onto floured wax paper. A nice circle was forming, but then when I went to pick it up the dough stuck to the paper. I was having to peeeeel it off. Leaving quite a bit of dough remaining on the paper. Then I tried more flour to help with the stickiness. This time rolling it out on the pizza pan. That didn't work because the dough would sink into the holes of the pan and wouldn't move; and again sticking to that pan.

Tried more flour. By this time the dough was too tough, and probably had too much flour.

Defeated!

Although, I was bummed, my husband showed what a sweet guy he was and told me how it was really okay and that he was proud of me for even attempting this new thing. Doing pizza dough from scratch. He quickly saved the day by running to Nick & Willy's to purchase some cheese pizzas. We then put on our own toppings and had some tasty pizza for the night.

So now I am determined to find a good, FOOL PROOF pizza dough recipe. I know there are some accomplished cooks out there.

Maybe someone would be willing to share their own recipe with a comment on this blog or through an email?

Birthday Update

2007-10-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

O-kay, so isn't my hubby the sweetest guy to have hi-jacked this blog with birthday greetings. I was proud of him for the great job he did, along with clip-art, too!

I had a pleasant day celebrating the event of growing another year older. Wish it was in height, but no it is only in age. I was so very blessed by the thoughtful phone calls, cards, and emails sent my way throughout this last week. Then to top it off with a special dinner at the Olive Garden.

Yes, truly a good Birthday. Sweet memories. Thanks to all of you for sharing the love...

Birthday Wishes

2007-10-04T19:51:00.002-07:00

Hi Everyone,

This is John, Lisa's Husband, and I have high-jacked my Wife's blog in order to wish Lisa a Happy Birthday. She really is a great Wife and wonderful Mother. I really enjoy her companionship and look forward daily to coming home to her. So please join me in wishing her a hearty Happy Birthday.

I love you Sweetheart.

A good week...

2007-10-04T07:22:00.001-07:00

It seems like this week is turning out to be a "good" week. Here are some of the highlights:

~My home seems to be in order (for the moment).

~No sick kids.

~Hubby is home this week!

~We received a new dishwasher from our landlord.

~Tonight, I am going to a women's social dessert. Looking forward to meeting other women, but also being able to try a few tasty desserts. Not too much. Just enough to put a silly smile on my face. :)

~Then tomorrow, is my Birthday! Hoping to make a rare visit to the Olive Garden. Their bread-sticks are simply to die for.

~The mailman has also been kind to me this week. I received a new cook book, "Taste of Home's" - Quick Cooking Book 2007, a card from my sweet Grandma, and another card from an old friend. I love emails, but truly treasure a handwritten note. The best ones are those "just thinking of you" notes.

~Much to be thankful for; in this moment where life seems a little easier.

Hope your week has been going well.
What have you been up to?

Halibut anyone?

2007-10-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my father-in-law's fishing trip to Alaska, we have a nice little stash of Halibut tucked away in our freezer. So far, I have made one yummy dish with these, but I am now looking for some other ideas.

Anyone have a tried and true recipe or some ideas for using Halibut?

Best so far...

2007-10-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

Grilled Garlic Herb Turkey Burgers

Description:

A flavorful grilled turkey burger seasoned with garlic and other herbs.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 small onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Add sliced cheese, lettuce, sliced onions, ketchup, mustard, pickles and hamburger buns, for serving.

Instructions:

1. Combine ground turkey with seasonings in a bowl and mix well with hands. Shape into 4 patties, each about 1/2-inch thick. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours or overnight.

2. Grill, covered, on medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes per side or until done. Serve with cheese, buns, lettuce, mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles, sliced onions, etc.

10 minutes + marinade time

Cooking Time: 12-16 minutes

**These are the best Turkey Burgers we have had so far.
Very flavorful, along with all the sandwich fixings.

If you haven't already, be sure to check out "Tammy's Recipes". I have found this site enjoyable to look at and very helpful.

Just finished...

2007-10-01T07:06:00.000-07:00

I have just finished the devotional journal, "Whispers of Hope", by Beth Moore. It was a 10-week odyssey of prayer. This devotion asked the reader to adopt the P.R.A.I.S.E. format for their prayer time.

The acronym meaning:
~Praise
~Repentance
~Acknowledgment
~Intercession
~Supplication for self
~Equipping

It seems that through every Beth Moore study I've ever done, my life is eternally changed because of it. It's not necessarily that "she" is changing me, but more from the deep study and reflection of God's Word that "coincidentally" mirrors what I happen to be experiencing in life, or apply to the trials I soon will be coming to. This last study was no different. So thankful!

For now, I will be reading straight from the Bible, for two weeks. I will be studying about the women of the Bible. Not all of them, just the main characters. Already, I have seen that even though they were "Bible Women", they also struggled with sin. They often took situations into their own hands. The women used everything they had fairly or unfairly - and did it skillfully.

The question was raised, "How can I achieve God's Will despite obstacles?"

My honest answer was by being a woman of prayer, being diligent, seeking my husband's leadership, being courageous, and relying on Him!

What's your answer?

And, do you have any devotionals or studies that you have particularly enjoyed?

Is it possible?

2007-09-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

I have often heard people say that eating healthy and using coupons is just not possible. Saying that the coupons "out there" are for only junk food. The following example is of a recent grocery "find" shows that this just isn't true. This is how I was able to purchase organic food for little to no cost:

Right now, there are printable coupons available at these locations : Link, Link or Link. They are Save $1/1 when you buy any flavor/variety of Muir Glen/Cascadian product (Exp. 10/18)

I used these at our local North Western Albertson's store that has Muir Glen organic diced, whole, or fire roasted tomatoes 14.5-15 oz on sale for $1.25. With coupon, made them .25 cents each! [price good till 10/3]

Then again at our local Fred Meyer's (Kroger Company), I used these with their Muir Glen Tomato paste for .99 each. Which made them FREE, but for some tax.

Lastly, at WalMart, I used this coupon with their Muir Glen organic diced, whole, or fire roasted tomatoes 14.5 - 15 oz. for $1.17. Final price .17 cents each. They also had packages of the Cascadian Farm Broccoli Florets - 8 oz package for .48 cents w/coupon.

Last year when these coupons came out, I was then able to find the Muir Glenn Tomato products, and Cascadian mixed vegetables, corn, carrots, cereal, and granola bars for some good prices.

I simply brought these coupons with me when I did my regular shopping trips, and then made notes of whether these would be good values or not. Our family really enjoys these brands of organic products. They seem to have a much better taste than even some of the name brands; and they are healthier for you, too!

Be sure to stop over at Money Saving Mom where this discussion of "Balancing health and frugality" continues...

*Special thanks to pinchingyourpennies.com for the links*

Quiet here...

2007-09-27T12:57:00.001-07:00

...on the blog that is, but not at home. Daddy is coming home from another business trip, and then again in a few more weeks. So, this causes mom to be on double duty". :) Despite this, I really do enjoy having one on one time with the kids. Just simply playing together is good stuff.

My little boy's favorite game is playing, "TAG - YOUR IT!", and then another new game we made up that closely resembles Soccer. The object of the game is to kick the ball past mommy and sister; ultimately hitting the fence to make a goal. I have to say that "J-dog" has a pretty good kick. :)

Then today, we tried to find different ways to turn a small amount of orange juice, into the color RED. Ketchup, red slushy, red sprinkles, and paprika work good. :) Mom had to stop the fun when the kids started asking, "Let's put grass, and then let's put dirt in it..."

Beautiful

2007-09-20T07:17:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

If you love things about the home as much as I do, then be sure to visit Everyday Graces with her posting "Measure for Measure". It's beautiful posting.

Welcome Autumn!

2007-09-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

There are just a few more days until Autumn officially starts. But, I am already celebrating its arrival. This is my favorite, favorite, favorite time of the year! :)

~The first leaves have fallen on the grass.
~The weather is in the 70's - which is perfect for me!
~The stores are showing off their Autumn decorations (even some Christmas -shhh. I didn't say that) .
~Starting to dream about Thanksgiving Meal delights.
~There is that "baking is in the air" mood with friends here at home and with "blog friends".
~We've pulled out the lightweight jackets from their slumber.
~Looking forward to going on our annual country drive of the valley and into the mountains to view the splendor of the changing colors.
~Then there is hopes of going to the pumpkin patch and finding that perfect pumpkin...
~Hoping to visit a Bazaar or two.
~My kiddo's are eagerly anticipating more leaves falling down so that they can jump into "Mommy's leaves" as soon as she gets a nice big pile raked up. And then again rake up the same pile so that they can gleefully tear it down. Doing this again for 20 or more times. :)
~Last night, I made my husband some Rice Crispy treats. Puts a smile on his face every time.
~MMM... Maybe it's time to break out the hot chocolate or apple cider.

Welcome Autumn!

Freezer Pleaser #5

2007-09-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

Simple Salisbury Steak

1 can of mushroom soup
1 pound of ground beef
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg beaten
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (or 2 small cans of sliced mushrooms)

In a bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of the soup, beef crumbs, egg and onion. Shape firmly into 6 patties. (If you are using raw meat, you can freeze it now and brown the mushrooms and freeze them too, or you can freeze everything after cooking)

In a skillet over medium heat, cook patties, a few at a time, until browned on both sides, spoon off fat, set aside.

Stir in remaining soup and mushrooms, return the patties to the skillet, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until done, turning patties occasionally.

Allow to cool and place patties and sauce into freezer bag. Lay flat to freeze.

To COOK: Allow to thaw. Reheat and eat!

*Can put this dish over rice or noodles and make with a little extra gravy mixture.

(Campbell's soup recipe)

A first

2007-09-15T22:08:00.001-07:00

We had an abundance of tomatoes gifted to us by a neighbor. So I decided to try my hand at making Spaghetti Sauce from fresh tomatoes.

There were 8 tomatoes to work with. Most of them were small and getting very ripe.

Making this sauce was very easy. Just blanched the tomatoes. Peeled the skins off and pureed in the blender. Added seasonings, a can of tomato paste, and additional veggies. Then simmered for 1 to 2 hours. Added some ground sausage (optional) . And served.

This made 20 oz of red sauce that we used for pizza and then kept the remainder for spaghetti another night. It was yummy and flavorful!

Happy Dance

2007-09-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

There are some people that I call my friends who don't use creamer in their coffee. Just black is good for them. I'm not one of those people. ;) I love to flavor up my coffee. So when I came across this deal at Walgreen's, I was doing the happy dance.

Here's how it worked out:

~2 Coffeemate Liquid Creamers 16 oz: $4.38 regular price
~Buy one get one free: $2.19 on sale
~Used two, $1.00 off each printable coupons = .19 cents

Aroma

2007-09-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

There's just something about the smell of bulk cooking spices. So says the cashier at WinCo. I sure wouldn't know as I don't have much of a smeller for a nose. : )

Here is what I picked up to help restock and refill the spice jars:

~Parsley Flakes
~Nutmeg
~Cinnamon
~Pumpkin Spice
~Garlic Powder
~Minced onion
~Parsley Flakes
~Yellow Mustard
~Basil
~Italian Seasoning
~Grated Parmesan Romano Cheese
~Dried Cranberries

All these spices were purchased for just under $5.00 total. Lovin' the bulk section!

Job Title Change

2007-09-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

Whew! So glad this week is done! It has been another busy one. I think that my title of "Stay at Home Mom" was changed to "Stay in the Car Mom". We were gone every single day along with 3 out of the 5 weeknights. Then Dad was gone for another business trip. Toward the end of this week the kids were falling apart.

This busy schedule is not my true desire for our family. My goal is to usually stay home for at least 2 days a week, even better would be three days. This helps me to manage my home better, care for my husband and kids, and save money with less gas usage, not going out to eat, etc.

I find that so often us moms say that we are "Stay at Home" Moms, but are rarely home due to the demands of our busy schedules. I know for me, this is an area that I constantly need to be balancing. Purposing each day and week for what is really important and lasting.

Thanks!

2007-09-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all you wonderful bloggers out there that have been leaving comments on this blog. You are such a source of encouragement to me! It puts a smile on my face to have this connection with you.

Grateful to walk with you in this life and online journaling.

40% Chance

2007-09-05T21:00:00.000-07:00

Today, I decided to take the kids to the Zoo. Since we have a yearly pass, it makes going to the zoo another option than going to the park again. They offer a nice kids section that has an Educational building for children to discover all sorts of things, exhibits that are kid friendly, a giraffe slide, and gopher tunnels to play in.

Before leaving, I checked the weather forecast. It said a high of 74 degrees with a 40% chance of rain. The clouds in our area didn't look threatening. More just heavier clouds than usual with blue sky shining through some pockets. Well as soon as we left the play area the skies opened up and let go it floodgates of water. Let's just say that we learned so much about the Kimono Dragons.

We huddled there for 10 minutes. Then decided to run to the next exhibit for cover. I looked back and my little boy was missing. He had tucked himself into a kids tunnel near the Mearkats viewing area. He called me over and we huddled there until the water started to then stream into our small area. Then we ran into the Rain Forest Exhibit to get out of the rain!. Pretty ironic. This rain forest didn't even have the real mist. Just dry as can be. :)

The rain had stopped, but thunder was still threatening another downpour. So we quickly went over to the Penguin exhibit. What we found was an empty pool with penguins walking around the bottom of it. There was a window in the viewing area that had cracked. So until the workers got it fixed, the penguins were enjoying the rain from above. My little children couldn't understand how the penguins could be happy without water in their pool. Momma did her best to explain and cheer them up.

Next time I read 40% chance of rain, I will take head. :)

4th Time

2007-09-05T20:46:00.001-07:00

Today, has been one of those busy, full days where I am now on my 4th attempt to warm-up a cup of tea. And this one is being threatened by the dog whining for a walk and then the kids fighting sleep with all their might. Their Daddy is gone on a business trip. So here I am, "escaping" to the blog.

My complaints are really not warranted. There truly are many more people out in this world that are having much more than just a "hard day".

Reading about Amy's First Day of traveling to their new home really made me feel more thankful for my present circumstances. You'll come away thinking, "Man, I hope tomorrow gets better". Check out Amy's Humble Musings.

New Word

2007-08-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

"Look Mom!" -
"It's an Appaloosa!"

Yes, my dear daughter who is almost 3 yrs. old shared these words with me.

It took me by surprise.

I guess with all the horse books we have been reading lately, they have started to make an impression on her.

This also reminded me of when I was a little girl. I became so enamored by Appaloosa's when my Uncle took me to a horse ranch and showed me the horse he rode. All I remember is that it was the most beautiful horse I had ever seen. So since then, there has been a special place in my heart for Appaloosa's. And now also in my daughter's.

Morning surprises

2007-08-31T14:36:00.000-07:00

This morning, as I opened my living room shades and peered out the window, there was a bright green sign beckoning to me. It was a garage sale sign directing to the sale just across the street from our house. So I put down the freshly poured coffee, got the kiddos dressed & presentable, and left the house without having breakfast. I'm talking priorities, people!

It wasn't a "great" garage sale, but we did find a treasure or two. We picked up a few coloring books, some national geographic type magazines for the kids to look through, a new Bingo Game that had a Cage Set for the balls to turn in, and my favorite find the: "Sammy The Seal" Book by Syd Hoff. I remember this book from when I was a kid. It is simple as can be, but so very intriguing to children.

After breakfast we read "Sammy The Seal" and the kids proceeded to act like seals catching fish. So funny. :) When that was done, we played a game of BINGO. My little boy enjoyed this so much that he wanted to keep playing this game over and over. But mom told him to wait until Daddy got home and we could all play together. He was satisified.

Anybody else remember reading this book as a kid?

Wordless Wednesday - Fun at the Park

2007-08-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

4 yr old logic

2007-08-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent conversation we had in the car with our son:

Dad asks: Where do eggs come from?

J. says: Chickens!

Dad: Where do chickens come from?

J: The Barn!

then Dad asks: Where does milk come from?

J: Cows!

Dad: Where do cows come from?

J: The Barn!

Dad: Who made the cows?

J: God did!

then Dad asks: Where do hamburgers come from?

J: McDonalds!!!

Lots of smiles and stifled giggles from the parents in the front seat of the car. :)
It makes sense - to a toddler.
Although, going to McDonald's is a "big" deal in our family, as we don't go too often. So he remembers these things. :)

Discovery walks

2007-08-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

At least once a week the kids and I, sometimes the dog, will go on a bike ride around the neighborhood. They all really enjoy this time as we always find new things to talk about and discover.

This morning, my son's bike had a flat tire. So we decided to go for a walk instead. Besides, the wee little ones were ancy as could be and mom really needed some fresh air. Here are all of the things we talked about, learned, and did on this walk:

~Held hands
~Brought our elderly neighbor's newspaper to her front door that was left on the sidewalk by the paper boy.
~Talked about our favorite flowers.
~What colors they were?
~Why they looked like that?
~We saw a construction site with workmen, their trucks, and a crane.
~We talked about what the crane was doing.
~How the engine worked?
~Why the men were on the house and what their jobs were?
~Watched earth worms in puddles.
~Saw a big old tree that had a limb break away and had fallen down into the street.
~We found where the break was.
~Talked about how it landed and why it broke?
~How the branches would be cut up with saws.
~Who was going to clean it up?
~Wondered if the tree was okay and whether we should give it a band aid. :)
~Learned about directions: Left, Right, Stop, Go, Run to this post and stop there. Then do it again at the next post.
~We named the colors of the mailboxes.
~Watched & laughed at the squirrels playing in a tree.
~Counted the squirrels.
~Talked about why they eat nuts?
~Threw stones into the irrigation canal.
~Watched a dog fetch a stick in the water.
~Later saw a mommy duck with her ducklings.
~We counted the ducks.
~Noted how the ducklings always follow where their mommy goes.
~Counted all the American Flags.
~Talked about the colors, counted how many stars & stripes were on it, and what the name of the flag was.
~Pointed out airplanes and helicopters.
~Watched, but didn't touch the butterflies resting on the flowers.
~Talked about how they are a caterpillar, go to a cocoon, and then a beautiful butterfly.
~My son's favorite is the Swallowtail, "with the "legs" on the bottom of the wings", he says.

Our walk was full of discoveries. It became a true learning experience for our kiddos. It was such a precious time to see the world through their eyes. :)

Anniversary

2007-08-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

My husband and I recently celebrated our 11th Anniversary. This was a pretty important year for us. We have seen God move in amazing ways and we are closer than ever before, because of Him.

Leaving our small group meeting the other day, we heard the words, "Congratulations on your anniversary". I thought to myself, "Yeah, this is something to celebrate." There was that sense of accomplishment when you have worked hard at something. And the blessing of seeing the fruits of your labor can be seen soon thereafter. We have much to be thankful for. :)

For the actual day of our anniversary, August 10th, we went to dinner and the movies. A sweet woman from our group gifted us with free childcare for our two children that night. We went to McGrath's Seafood House. For an appetizer we had coconut shrimp. The main entree's were Red Snapper with a crab cake topping and lobster sauce drizzled on top, for me ,and then my husband had the Louisiana Catfish. Both of them tasted just wonderful. Not to mention the Clam Chowder!

We then went to see a movie at the Edward Cinemas. Our first movie alone as a couple in 5 years (I know - we need to fix this. We usually rent movies). The movie we watched was "Borne Ultimatum." It was great! - action packed, fast cameras, and good intrigue. A must see for those of you who are fans of the previous 2 Borne movies.

Happy Anniversary My Beloved!

In the Crisper

2007-08-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

I love fruits and vegetables freshly picked from the garden. So when when my husband brought home a bag of garden extras from a coworker - I was excited! There were yellow squash, fresh green beans, green bell pepper, zucchini, and cucumber.

After having these in the veggie drawer for a little while, the first 3 veggies were threatening to go bad if they weren't used right away. We hated to have that happen, so I did a recipe search on the internet and found this recipe for a "Farmer's Garden Stir Fry". This recipe was just right for using up all the veggies, plus some more in the veggie tray: carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, and white sweet corn. My husband also likes peanut sauce on his Asian Stir Fry's. So all in all it was a perfect match. :)

Farmer's Garden Stir Fry

In the far east, peanuts are commonly used to add intense flavor to vegetables and noodles. These will look like big helpings, but your family will probably be able to eat the whole dish in one sitting. You can use any leftovers in fried rice, adding fresh ginger and garlic to the vegetables.

Ingredients

3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups long-grain white rice

Sauce

1 bunch green onions
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon vinegar (any kind)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Vegetables

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups fresh green beans, cut on the diagonal, or frozen beans
1 small yellow squash sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 small zucchini, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 green bell pepper, sliced

Bring water to a boil in a large pot, adding salt. Add rice, stir once, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 18 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is tender.

To make sauce: Trim and discard roots and any wilted green tops from green onions. Chop them and combine in a small bowl with soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, sugar and red peppers. Stir to blend liquid with peanut butter. Set aside.

To make vegetables: Heat oil in a large skillet, Dutch oven or wok. When it is quite hot, add green beans and stir-fry for 3 minutes for fresh, 2 minutes for frozen. Add yellow squash, zucchini and green peppers and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.

Add sauce and cook, stirring, until vegetables are coated and heated through, or until they reach the texture you like.

Serves 3 or 4 over rice.

Sesame Seed Sauce for Vegetables

Serve this on the side or on top of cooked vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, winter squash, sweet potatoes or zucchini. I especially like it with green vegetables: broccoli, green beans and sautéed fresh spinach.

1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar (any kind)
3 tablespoons soy sauce

Toast sesame seeds in a dry heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir them frequently, removing the pan from the heat for several seconds if they seem to be cooking unevenly. When they are golden and smell toasty, remove from the heat.

Combine sugar, vinegar and soy sauce in a jar or dish. Stir to dissolve sugar and stir in sesame seeds.

Makes about 1/3 cup.

Recipes from: Vegetarian Express Lane Cookbook

Seed update

2007-08-20T22:45:00.000-07:00

These mixed colored marigolds have brought so much enjoyment this spring, during the summer, and most likely into the fall.

They were originally from 2 year old seeds left in the garage from the house we recently moved into a year ago.

The kids and I, had such a fun time planting them from seed into egg crates and then watching them grow (see this post). We've had many fun conversations about flowers and what is needed to help them grow. I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing them just outside the kitchen window every day.

When the flowers shrivel up, you can pull the seeds and save for another planting. Which I plan on doing. A whole lot more next year!

Can you do this?

2007-08-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

Roll your tongue, that is.
I can't.
But my little girl is so proud of herself as she learned to roll her tongue with no problem tonight. Her and her daddy have been practicing. So cute. Although, she will have to wait till daddy gets home from his trip to show off her latest accomplishment. :)

Where's your Momma?

2007-08-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my son was looking out our front window just watching the activities of the neighborhood. He then asked me, "Mom. What's that boy doing?"

So I checked it out. What I saw was a toddler in the middle of the street. I quickly put my shoes on and ran out to him. We live on a busy street with lots of blind spots. This is also the same street that our dog got hit by a car a month or so a go. So he was in danger.

As I came up to him, he was riding a tricycle with only a shirt on, no pants or a diaper, filthy from head to toe and a bit confused looking. He looked to be maybe 2 years old. As I steered him away from the road, I asked him where his Momma was? He said, "Sleeping". The only other words he could say was his name and unintelligible baby talk.

I did not recognize this boy as a neighbor kid, so the assumption was that he came from the apartment complex down across from our house. Because my kids were still in the house, I could not go searching for the mom.

So I then brought him into our house, and left his tricycle outside on our porch as an indicator that he was there. I called the police to report finding a lost child. Then I proceeded to quickly put a diaper on him, give him some water, and washed the dirt from his legs and arms. My heart was breaking for this boy. All I wanted to do was hold him and keep him safe from this situation, but it was not my place. :( He happily played with my children until the police showed up and started the door to door search.

Finally, his grandma came as she and his parents were looking for him once they discovered he was missing. The story goes that mom is a single parent who works the night shift and was trying to catch up on some sleep. This type of incident was not the first time, as she was going to court the very next day for a previous incident. I felt bad for her, but still there definitely seems to be a problem that needs to be addressed. My first thought was I could babysit for her, so someone could be caring for him at all times. Although I didn't think she would appreciate that as I was the one that had to call the police.

Just a real bummer. But so thankful he wasn't hurt from being in the street. I couldn't imagine and don't ever want to experience the panic of loosing a precious child.

Taste Test

2007-08-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

Many of our favorite foods have milk products in them--ice cream, yogurt, cheese, and any bakery product with butter in it. The picture to the right is a typical U.S. Holstein cow. At her peak, she will produce 12 gallons of milk per day--that's 172 eight ounce glasses per day.

*************************************************************************************

We finally did it.
We went to other side...
We purchased Organic Milk.

Certified Organic Milk means we are supposed to be assured that the cows are fed only naturally grown corn and grain, and graze on pastures that are free from synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. As well as the cows are not given growth hormones or antibiotics. So the result is that organic milk should be healthier for us than "regular" milk. That is if all the testing is "up to par". Another positive, is the long expiration date. The half gallons we purchased on August 5th, are set to expire on Sept. 17th.

Unfortunately, it hasn't yet passed the taste test. Even the Fat Free milk they offer is still thick on the tongue. Not like the "regular" milk that you can guzzle down as a nice refreshing drink. For us drinking organic milk has been small glasses, with 2 meals a day, and sometimes adding chocolate syrup. The kids don't seem to mind the taste, but Dad & Mom sure notice the difference.

Then there is the price. Organic cost much more than the "regular" milk. You get less for your money. Also, the price matching between different stores ranges greatly. For example:
Last week this milk was very expensive at Fred Meyer's, so we purchased it at Costco. Then this week, Fred Meyer's had the best price in town. They were also offering Catalina Strips at the register that gave additional discounts on milk.

Our initial review is that Organic milk is "okay". It may just be something we sacrifice in our food budget to allow us to purchase it. Or we may go back to the "regular" milk and pray over our food!! The jury is still out. :)

Has anyone else done "the switch"?

The views

2007-08-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

A few more sights from the trip...
(I thought these had been posted?)

A mountain lake

A favorite...

A view from Mt. Constitution

Family...

2007-08-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the guys just after they had hiked up
Mt. Constitution.

Their entire journey on Orcas Island turned out to be 50 miles
of bicycling and hiking.

Here's looking to next year!

Bike Trip

2007-08-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures from my husband's biking camp/tour with his Dad and brothers to Orcas Island, Washington.

Truck loaded with 4 bikes, a trailer, and supplies.

The guys. A road trip to Washington, a ferry ride to Orcas Island, then a bike ride to the camping site.

More pictures to come...

Orcas Island

2007-08-07T21:25:00.000-07:00

The Ferry

This mama seagull was giving the guys an evil red eye. One of her babies that is brown, is sitting on a rope to the bottom right of the stack near the black post.

Each morning the deer walked graciously through the campgrounds.

Seemed to be an old boat out in the water.

Here is my hubby getting the fires going. He 's so good at that. ;)

John's brother provided the 4 man tent. It was so helpful to have the gear stored just outside the tent.

What not to do...

2007-08-07T20:45:00.000-07:00

A word of wisdom:
One should not reach into a drawer of knives and pull their hand out. It can cause a long cut along your thumb from a boning knife. :(
No emergency here, just a little awkward having a bandage on my thumb and trying to type. I should have known better. :)

Pinto Bean Casserole

2007-08-07T20:44:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 package (9 ounces) tortilla chips
2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 envelope taco seasoning
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce, sour cream and salsa, optional

Directions:

~Crush tortilla chips and sprinkle into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
~In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, tomatoes, tomato sauce and taco seasoning.
~Pour over chips. Sprinkle with cheese.
~Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 18-25 minutes or until heated through.
~Serve with lettuce, sour cream, and salsa.

"Into marvelous light I'm running..."

2007-08-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

Sunday Worship Music - "Marvelous Light" by Charlie Hall

"Stinkin Thinkin!" - Part 4 with Chart

2007-08-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

HANDY LITTLE CHART
Wrong, unbiblical thinking vs. God's truth from his Word:

You say:

"It's impossible"

God says:

All things are possible

(Luke 18:27)

You say:

"I'm too tired"

God says:

I will give you rest

(Matthew 11:28-30)

You say:

"Nobody really loves me"

God says:

I love you

John 3:1 6 &

John 3:34 )

You say:

"I can't go on"

God says:

My grace is sufficient

(II Corinthians 12:9
Psalm 91:15)

You say:

"I can't figure things out"

God says:

I will direct your steps

(Proverbs 3:5- 6)

You say:

"I can't do it"

God says:

You can do all things

(Philippians 4:13)

You say:

"I'm not able"

God says:

I am able

(II Corinthians9:8)

You say:
"It's not worth it"

God says:

It will be worth it

(Roman 8:28 )

You say:

"I can't forgive myself"

God says:

I Forgive you

I John 1:9 &

Romans 8:1

You say:

"I can't manage"

God says:

I will supply all your needs

(Philippians 4:19)

You say:

"I'm afraid"

God says:

I have not given you a spirit of fear

(II Timothy 1:7)

You say:

"I'm always worried and frustrated"

God says:

Cast all your cares on ME

(I Peter 5:7)

You say:

"I'm not smart enough"

God says:

I give you wisdom

(I Corinthians 1:30)

You say:

"I feel all alone"

God says:

I will never leave you or forsake you

(Hebrews 13:5)

This chart is tucked inside my daily devotional journal. Consider placing a copy of it where you would frequently see it, such as: the Bible, kitchen (for me), bathroom, computer, car, work, near calendar, etc. It is so easy for these thoughts to come up that it is good to have a handy reference to help deal with them as soon as possible. Then we can move on to more important things...

I have had to re-read these notes many times! Remembering to think on what is TRUE" and engraving these precepts on my heart.

Hope you have enjoyed this series on "Stinkin Thinkin!. :)

"Stinkin Thinkin!" - Part 3

2007-08-04T20:28:00.001-07:00

(Post continued...)

In the next posting I will show a chart that I think will really help and encourage you, as it was for me.

"Thinking on what is TRUE"...

"I know that years ago a chart very similar to this one helped me SOOOO much! Each time I was tempted to think, ponder, and roll around in that wrong thinking...I could go to this chart and expose the wrong, untrue thought and choose to replace it with the right, biblical thought from God's Word.

This dramatically began to change my life! And it helped me to fear less, worry less, and trust more! I began to have much more peace and rest in my heart. This is the "quiet peaceable spirit" that God is talking about which is of GREAT worth in his sight in 1 Peter 3 when he talks with women. We can have that peace and rest as we learn to take our wrong, sinful thoughts captive. And replace it with God's truth. Each time the wrong thinking or fear "bubbles" up in our thoughts and heart, we need to turn to the Lord and to his truth.

If that means every 5 min. at times...then it means every 5 min. If we turn to Jesus each time we feel that “bubbling” of fear and worry come, or each time we feel discouraged and hopeless then the Lord will be so very faithful to give us grace, and mercy, help and hope! As we turn to him and look to him, we are reminded of where our help truly comes from. We remember how very dependent we are upon him. And as we CHOOSE to trust the Lord, and walk out his leading in our lives…we will begin to see how pleasant his way is!

Proverbs 2:10-11 says “For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.”

As we spend time EVERY day getting to know God and his character we will come to know that we can trust him and love him and we will be learning how VERY much he loves us! His love will become a reality in our lives as we die to self and live for Christ. James 1:22-25

As we spend time every day in His Word and praying and looking to him often...we will begin to allow the Lord to write his truth upon our hearts and minds and as we abide (drawing closer and closer to Jesus) we will begin to experience the fruits of his Spirit in our lives....love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Gal. 5:22

If you don't feel you have joy in your life, or self-control...spend more time with Jesus and in His Word…not as something rote we do, just to check it off our list or just to gain knowledge…but instead, as part of our desire to have an intimate relationship with Christ. I guarantee it will make a HUGE difference in your heart and life...especially as you begin to count it important to remember his truth and to obey it, by his grace and through his understanding.

I know it was so hard for me to understand so much of what I read in God’s Word in the beginning...but as I tried to concentrate and focus on the things I did understand that I read in God's Word and as I tried to apply those things...the Lord allowed my understanding and wisdom to grow and grow over the 24 years I’ve been reading it each day. I still have far to go…but I’m sooo thankful for what the Lord has done in my life and I have been sooo blessed to have God’s Word in my heart and mind to act as a sort of “filter” that everything I’ve read, heard and seen is filtered through his truth.

The more you read, the more you will begin to understand more and more of God’s Word and you will have more and more “light” or wisdom and discernment from what you're reading.

Like a Polaroid picture coming slowly into focus, so it is with God's Word and with his principles...we grow in our understanding if we don't quit or grow weary and give up and quit reading. We need to persevere and continue to spend time with Jesus each day praying and reading his Word, and he will continue to reveal Himself and his truth to us."

(Chart to follow in next post...)

*from Linda - Keeper's of the Home Group

"Stinkin Thinkin!" - Part 2

2007-08-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

(Posting continued...)

"Thinking on what is TRUE"...

We need to learn how to fight the battle, and to take captive our thoughts. The more we fight, the better we get at it! It is a real, true battle! And battles are not pretty!

Often in the beginning we will feel beat up and plagued with our wrong thinking and this wrong thinking so affects our attitudes and our actions and this causes a lot of drama and undesirable consequences in our lives. If we continue to allow ourselves to think on what is NOT true…we will become more and more depressed and discouraged, frustrated, hopeless etc.

Allowing ourselves to think and react to the wrong thinking, begins a “domino” effect upon our lives:

~our emotions are affected

~our joy is affected

~our energy is affected

~our maturity is affected

~our marriage is affected

~our children are affected by it

~and so are our other relationships

Satan has come to steal, kill and destroy us and our relationship with the Lord. One of his best tools is to just get us to focus on what is not true. To become so entrenched in our wrong, sinful thinking. Because he knows how this can so disable us and make us ineffective and unproductive in Christ!

"Stinkin Thinkin!" Part 1

2007-08-03T08:13:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone...

In these next 4 postings, I will be sharing a chart that one of the mom's in our mentoring group emailed to me and what she had to share on "Thinking on what is TRUE". When wrong thoughts muddle our thoughts and effect our lives. One of my greatest struggles in my life has been with WRONG thinking...some women call it "stinkin thinkin!" This chart and notes have been teaching me to think on what is right, true, and biblical. I hope that it helps and encourages each of you:

As a man thinks...so he is, the Bible says.

What we think SO affects our actions and attitudes! If I think “I can’t do this!” Then I am setting myself up to fail. I will become more and more discouraged. I am choosing to put my hope in…me. And not in the Lord. Often when I am frustrated I am choosing to look too far ahead and this is not reality. We cannot possibly see ALL that the Lord will continue to do in us and in our lives and family…doing today what God shows me and leads me to do, will GREATLY help tomorrow to be much better!

So, instead of allowing the wrong, unbiblical thought of “I can’t do this!” to take me captive….

~I can choose to allow God’s grace to be sufficient.

~I can remember that ALL things are possible with God.

~I can choose to rest in God and put my faith in hope in HIM and ALL he can do!

~I can remember that he WILL direct my steps as I faithfully look to him.

That while WE’RE not able…
~GOD is able to do ALL things!

~That laying down our will to do God’s WILL be worth it!

~That HIS will is what we would always want if we had all the facts.

~That God will supply ALL our needs.

~That he will give us wisdom.

~And that He will never leave us or forsake us.

When I take the time to think on what is really true…it gives me hope, and it helps me to choose to put my faith in God, instead of fearing and worrying (which do nothing and bring no good). Faith and perseverance is profitable and produces in us spiritual maturity.

So...if we can allow the Lord and his Word to change our thoughts, and to transform our thinking with real truth…HIS truth, from his Word, we will begin to think on what is right, good and true! As we look to the Holy Spirit for understanding as we read we will gain understanding...

Monday Night Meme - One Word

2007-07-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

This one was fun because it was quick to do and didn't take much thinking! Yeah! I also went with the first word that came to mind. Hats off to fellow mommy blogger, SHORT STOP who I got this from. If you want to play along, post in a comment. OR, if you have your own blog and want to post it there, let me know so I can come visit!

=====================================================

1. Where is your cell phone?
Purse
2. Relationship?
Married
3. Your hair?
Help
4. Work?
Fine
5. Your sister?
Which one?
6. Your favorite things?
Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream - Sundae Cone Flavor
7. Your dream last night?
None
8. Your favorite drink?
Moca with peppermint, whip cream and chocolate sprinkles on top
9. Your dream car?
Roomy
10. The room you're in?
Living Room
11. Your shoes?
Flip Flops
12. Your fears?
Unknown
13. What do you want to be in 10 years?
Joyful
14. Who did you hang out with this weekend?
Family
15. What are you not good at?
Math
16. Muffins?
Berry
17. Wish-list item?
Hot Tub
18. Where you grew up?
California
19. The last thing you did?
Made dinner
20. What are you wearing?
Clothes
21. What are you not wearing?
shoes
22. Your pet?
Annoying
23. Your computer?
Tool
24. Your life?
Forward
25. Your mood?
tentative
26. Missing?
Rain
27. What are you thinking about?
Tomorrow
28. Your car?
Wash
29. Your kitchen?
Small
30 Your summer?
Friendships
31. Your favorite color?
Midnight blue
32. Last time you laughed?
Today
33. Last time you cried?
A few days ago
34. School?
Soon
35. Love?
Worth it

Bleached

2007-07-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

You won't be able to find bleached baking flour in this house anymore. It's gone in the garbage. We will now only have wheat flour and non-bleached white flour. Doing this wouldn't have previously occurred to me until I heard a story from a friend, who heard it from her friend. It may be folklore by now, but it sure made an impact on me. The story goes like this:

"There was a lady who had some children that were playing outside. They had decided to have a food fight with flour. The playing proceeded to the driveway. Then, all of sudden, the family had to leave for some reason. There wasn't time to pick up the mess at the moment. So when they returned to clean-up the flour, they discovered that it had bleached the driveway!"

Hmmm. Something about that isn't right. It made me realize that when the flour packaging says, "Bleached Flour", it really means that there is bleach in it.

I'm not one to usually react suddenly like this, but it just really helped to take a look at what was in our foods. Buying non-bleached flour and more wheat flour, doesn't cost much more than the other and it is an easy change to make.

It's back!

2007-07-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

The sparkle in my daughter's eyes is back now! :) She is feeling much better. Even trying to wrestle with her daddy. Yeah!

Thank you PBS!

2007-07-25T15:05:00.000-07:00

My little girl has been in love with latest Idaho PBS series on Wild Horses. I don't know what it is about little girls and horses. They just go together.

She grabs all her horses when this evening show comes on and lines them up. Our daughter has an entire family of horses. She recently received a "Daddy Horse" from her Grandma Hertel. Of course the horses come with us when we go places in the car and Mommy is careful to locate these childhood treasures before bedtime. Let's not talk about what happens when one of them falls out of the bed. :)

A few other favorite PBS shows that my kids have enjoyed are the one's on Ferrets and another one on Stellar Seals.

Living Well

2007-07-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone for their encouragement with our "yuckies". Mom and brother are getting better. Just need to get our appetites back. But little sis is still having troubles, so we are keeping an eye on her. :)

I have been following a wonderful blogger series called, "Online Finishing School - "Living Well", by Meredith written on her blog "Like Merchant Ships". I hope that you will stop by and take a look at her series this week. Her blog is very refreshing and has so many great ideas for living life well. Here are some of the titles of topics posted so far:

Living Well:
~Start Small
~Breakfast
~Budgets
~Managing Servants
~Purchasing
~and more to come...

Yuckies...

2007-07-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

We have the stomach yuckies around here. It started with my little girl. Then mommy got it. And then my son started having symptoms. So far Dad is staying strong.

I had a cute conversation with my little boy. I was giving him a hug after finding out he had a fever. I told him, "Mommy's rules are that nobody can get sick anymore." He looked up at me and said, "Mommy, I broke your rules." I said, "I know sweetie."

I'm just trying to keep things going with the necessities of cleaning linens, resting, wiping doorknobs, refilling soap containers, lying around, trying to figure out what toddlers with no appetite & queasy stomachs want to eat or drink, doing more laundry and towels, and then more resting.

Looking forward to "normal days" here at our home. :)

Menu Plan Monday

2007-07-22T17:52:00.000-07:00

I had a great time planning this week's menu. Hope you enjoy!

Monday: Crunchy Mandarin Spinach Salad with sliced boiled eggs, chicken, and bacon pieces. Also plan to bake some Brick Bread.

Tuesday: Dinner with friends

Wednesday: Easy Coconut Talapia with salad and wild rice

Thursday: Baked Chicken with Veggie Casserole, and watermelon

Friday: Pork Stir Fry with Japanese style veggies, noodles, rice, and crab puffs.

Saturday: Burritos, Corn, and applesauce

Sunday: Pizza and Fruit

For more dinner ideas visit Laura at I’m An Organizing Junkie.

Zucchini Time

2007-07-21T15:58:00.001-07:00

What do you do with an abundance of Zucchini this time of the year?

When my husband came home from his recent bike tour, he presented a bag of Zucchini to me, a gift from my sweet mother-in-law's garden. This is such a wonderful vegetable! There are so many uses for it in cooking and baking.

So if you have lots of Zucchini to use up, check out this website over at Menus for Moms where you can read this helpful article: "Zucchini Overload? 11 Ideas and Recipes To Get You Through Zucchini Time."

As for the Zucchini I received, here are the plans I have to use up this vegetable:

Strategically placed it into two weeks of meal planning:
~A side dish of sauteed zucchini w/butter, grated Parmesan cheese, and Italian Seasonings.
~Adding to a Quiche.
~Veggie Casserole
~Zucchini Tomato Casserole
~Grate into 1/2 cup increments and place in freezer bags to be stored. Then defrost for future meals to be used in: spaghetti, meatloaf, muffins, and zucchini bread.

Please feel free to share any ways you use up Zucchini... :)

Frugal Fridays! - Cook Once & Eat Twice

2007-07-20T12:58:00.000-07:00

Baked Potatoes are a wonderful thing to cook once and eat twice. Regular potatoes and yams and sweet potatoes work with this and are so good and tasty. They are wonderful as left overs, and warm up so nicely.

At Wal-Mart, there is a bag of large baking potatoes for under $4.00. There are 9 to 10 large baking potatoes in it. This is very inexpensive compared to other stores for baking large baking potatoes.

This would be great for either a large gathering at your home to provide a potato bar of baked potatoes and many different types of toppings like broccoli, cheese, chives, bacon, sour cream, chili, tomatoes, salsa, black beans mixed with salsa, left over taco meat, chicken, left-over veggies...the ideas are endless for what you could offer as some toppings.

When baking this many potatoes, you can pierce them with a fork on both sides and then wrap them with foil. You can also brush them with olive oil and roll them in sea salt before wrapping in foil, if you would like to. Then put them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 2 to 3 hours depending on your oven.

I would suggest that even if you are not serving these potatoes to guests that you go ahead and make the entire bag of them, and then eat them once more as baked potatoes or make home made scalloped potatoes with garlic, heavy cream or half & half, shredded cheddar, Parmesan and provolone.

You could also cube these cooked potatoes and make a sort of hash brown potato with onion alongside of a meatloaf, or chicken or to serve with eggs.

You could also make a very quick and easy potato soup with the left over baked potatoes. You would just slice them up and put them in a pot with some half & half, butter chopped onions, frozen peas, garlic, seasoned salt and pepper...heat through and serve! :)

Click on this recipe for Homemade Oven French Fries, and other frugal meal ideas.

Find lots of great frugal tips at Biblical Womanhood, hosted by Crystal.

A breath of fresh air

2007-07-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

This morning, I decided to have my devotional time out on the back porch. With all the heat and smoke from fires lately, the air in the morning has been warm and poor in quality. Today, the forecast is 81 degrees at noon and 91 degrees for the evening. Definitely a breath of fresh air from the "summer time woes."

So I was reading through the Book of John and picking up verses that had been highlighted throughout the years that have had special meaning to me:

John 1:12
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God..."

One of my life verses:
John 3:16 "
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

John 5:24
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."

First heard this verse at Raft Rally Summer Camp
John 10:27-29
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them out of my hand. My father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand."

John 15:1-4
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

John 15:16
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last."

John 16:33
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Red Vines

2007-07-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

The other day, my little boy had his first Red Vines Licorice. Since then, he's become quite addicted to them and thinks they are the greatest thing in the whole world. It cracks me up when he says, "Mom, I think about those all the time". Just one does not suffice.

Don't you agree?

It is so funny how he will do "cartwheels" for these. They are a great motivator. But, it seems to me that if he eats too many then a tummy ache may follow. And, I guess we should leave a few for others.

And of course you can't eat a licorice without learning to blow air through the holes, tie them up in a knot, or use them as a straw in your drink.

Good stuff...
:)

Winner

2007-07-14T16:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the responses!
And the winner is: Daphne Wallace.
Thanks for your support, Mom!

You'll enjoy this book, Humor for a Woman's Heart.

Last day for Drawing

2007-07-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

12 more hours to go - to send me your name and email address to johnlisah@gmail.com to win the book, "Humor for a Woman's Heart" - Stories, Quips, and Quotes to Lift the Heart.

Click here for details.

Belated 4th of July News

2007-07-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

We had a great time with some good friends celebrating the 4th of July. We went out to their country home and stayed until the fireworks were done and the bugs chased us home.

The evening had all the "fixins" of a traditional 4th of July Celebration. There were barbecued hamburgers & hot dogs, beans, chips, watermelon, ice tea, pink lemonade, rice krispie squares, brownies, Raspberry Cobbler, and ice cream.

There were 7 kids, under the age of 5, running around (except for the 2 month old). They had fun splashing in the kiddie pool. My little Emily just lit up when she went down the slide into the pool. All the kids got along so well. It was a joy to watch them play with kittens, run on the lawn, check out the cows, and watch fireworks. Definitely a night to remember...

Here are the kids enjoying the water:

Kids checking out the kittens that are hiding in the bushes.

And the cows...

Kids waiting for the fireworks to light up the sky:

What does your name mean?

2007-07-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

L is for Love
I is for Influential
S is for Song
A is for Attitude

Hats off to Nise' for this fun little ditty on her blog.

Fear Not

2007-07-11T07:34:00.001-07:00

Hats off to Especially Heather 's Blog where she shares,
"365. That’s how many times Jesus said “Do Not Fear” in the Bible. That is 1 “Do not fear” for everyday of the year".

This was a very encouraging post and video to view. Hope you stop by her blog.

100th Posting!

2007-07-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

To help you join me in celebrating this special occasion I have some great news for you:

I will be giving away the "Humor for a Woman's Heart" - Stories, Quips, and Quotes to Lift the Heart.
From favorite Christian authors and comedians. Humor has the unique power to lift a heart to new heights, to heal the hurts of a bad day and to infuse the soul with inspiration.

To enter to win this book,
all you need to do is:
Email your name and mailing address to: johnlisah@gmail.com

To be entered into the drawing twice, post about this giveaway on your blog, linking to this post, and email me the link to your post along with your name and mailing address and you will be given two entries in the contest.

One entry per family unless you blog about it and then you are entitled to two entries.

Entries must be received one week from now, Friday, July 13th at 8:00 p.m., Mountain Standard Time. A winner will be randomly selected from the entrants on Friday and the winner's name will be posted on Saturday. Email me if you have any questions.

Spread the word!

Berry Pickin

2007-07-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went to a farm called the The Berry Patch. Where you can pick your own berries, take a hay ride, and view the farm animals. My husband and I spent about 2 hours picking raspberries with the help of our little ones (at least they felt like they were helping). The kids had a fun time talking about the birds and the bees, the mud, the corn in field, and the farm animals.

We picked more than a flat of raspberries. Which turned out to be 5 pounds or 12 cups.

When we got home the berries were washed thoroughly and frozen in 1 cup increments, with Fruit Fresh sprinkled on them and placed into the freezer. The plans for these raspberries are to make smoothies, a cobbler, and when the peaches come in - some Peach/Raspberry Jam.

Here is a picture of the smoothies we made and my little girl really enjoying hers!

Smoothies:

The amount needed for each family will differ. We make one blender full to feed our family of 2 adults and 2 toddlers.

We eat wheat toast with our smoothies and for our little ones we give them about 1 cup of smoothie and for adults a full glass...so that's about 2 to 2 1/2 cups full or 16 to 20 oz. for each big person. Do what works best for your family though.

~We purchase plain yogurt in a tub. One tub (32 oz) that costs about $3.00 lasts us two weeks and makes 4 blender fulls. (we don't measure we just try to use 1/4 of the tub for each blender full that we make)
~We use 1-2 bananas per blender full
~We use 1 to 1 1/2 cups of fruit per blender full
~We use milk to fill blender and to make it the proper consistency (we don't measure)

You can use fresh or frozen berries, peaches, cherries, or pineapple to make smoothies.

You can also add fruit juice instead if you prefer that over milk.

We don't add ice....but you could.

Birthday Cake

2007-07-06T14:52:00.001-07:00

Here we are celebrating my husband's Birthday
with a yummy ice cream cake.
The kids get so excited celebrating birthdays!
They love surprises.
Happy Birthday Daddy!

HOT!

2007-07-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

You know it is going to be a hot day, when it's already very warm in the morning.
105 degrees today,
107 degrees tomorrow.

Feeling sorry for those folks in Arizona with fore-casted temperatures of 116 degrees and those in Texas dealing with flooding. Feeling thankful that we don't have to deal with either of those two extremes.

Putting it into action

2007-07-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

Dear friends:

The following is an excerpt of an email received from my mentor, Lori. The timing of this letter goes so well with my last post on being in devotions, that I wanted to be sure to share this with you. Hope you enjoy it.

A quote from Charles Swindoll:

"Let me mention one more 'cheap substitute' so common among Christian wives in our day. It is learning about what's right rather than doing what is right... It has been my observation that a large percentage of Christian wives know more--much more--than what they put into practice. And yet, they are continually interested in attending another class, taking another course, reading another book, going to another seminar...learning, discussing, studying, discovering...and what results? Normally, greater guilt. Or, on the other side, an enormous backlog of theoretical data that blinds and thickens the conscience rather than spurs it into action. Learning more truth is a poor and cheap substitute for stopping and putting into action the truth already learned."

God's Word has much to say on this but here are just a couple of verses on the topic....

James 1:22-25 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and , after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it ~ he will be blessed in what he does."

We are not to deceive ourselves into thinking that hearing or reading or being taught or writing the Word or posting the Word up in our homes, is enough.....God says if we stop here, we deceive ourselves! He tells us to "DO WHAT IT SAYS!"

He tells us to not forget the truth of God's Word and His Ways that we've been taugtt (by the Holy Spirit, by God's Word, by the pastor, by our Bible study teachers) not forgetting what we've heard....BUT DOING IT!
Then we will be blessed in what we do!!! :)

Many of us want to be blessed by what we do...
but if we are NOT DOING what Jesus tells us to...
we will not receive the blessings that we could be!

Often we are frustrated by things not going well in our lives and by the struggles we face....but as we DO WHAT IT (God's Word) SAYS....
we will be blessed in what we do! :)

Luke 7:46-48 "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When the flood came,the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built."

I know there were times in all of our lives when wisdom was shared with us, but we didn't do what we were told to do....and then when the consequences come we call for help! God says why won't you do what you should?

He wants us to:

1. Come to Him! To pray, to look to Him, to see our need, to draw close to Him.

2. Hear his Word. To be in his Word daily, to hear his Word taught, preached, spoken, and to remember it...not forgetting it, but meditating upon it...thinking about it...stopping and really seeking to truly HEAR it and remember it!

But the final step is sooooo important and one we usually have the most problem with....

3. Put it into practice!
We need to come to Jesus, to see our need for him, to realize we need his wisdom and truth and help and salvation!

Then we need to read his Word and listen as it is taught truthfully and well and be encouraged by it....but we also need to put it into practice...walking it out much like a toddler learning to walk! We will fail and fall many times...but just like a toddler, we will learn to walk in the Lord's ways as we keep getting up and practicing again and again and again what the Lord is telling us to do! :)

This is as much a reminder for me as for anyone else! :) I know that one word has helped me sooo much to keep in mind what I should be doing each morning when God's mercies are new...and I meet with him.

The one word that has helped me so much is the word "purpose!" I seek to purpose each day to do what the Lord is showing me and encouraging me to do...what his Word tells me to do and what the Holy Spirit is leading me to do.

Phil. 3:12-14 says it best....

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Oh, that we would be godly women that are not only hearers....but doers!

That each day, we would "forget" what is behind (God's grace is sufficient to cover the mistakes and sins of yesterday as we humble ourselves before him) and instead PRESS ON, STRAINING toward what is ahead...putting into practice the truth that the Lord has given us as we COME to him, and HEAR his Word....may we also be faithful in his grace to PRACTICE obeying what he has given us! :)

Hope this was an encouragement and blessing to you today!

Always Relevant

2007-07-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

"Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name
lead and guide me"
Psalms 31:3

On Saturday, I came across this verse while reading from my devotional booklet. After reading it I thought to myself, "that's nice". The fact that He can lead us and guide us is a pretty simple idea. But at the moment it was nothing of a huge impact on my thinking.

Then after the events of Sunday and Monday (read this post), the meaning of this verse completely had a new meaning after I read it again on Tuesday morning. It's amazing how this happens. The verse dug deep into my heart with full acceptance and acknowledgment.

As I reflected on this, I think of how good our God is to speak to our hearts. Right were we are! To reaffirm us. To remind us of His promises and faithfulness. I was again encouraged to read the Word every day. It somehow makes the day go so much better. At least I feel more grounded to deal with the many challenges that "come up" throughout the day.

I was also thinking about how some of us who have read the Bible growing up, may sometimes think, " I've already mastered or completed a certain part of scripture, or I studied this in Sunday School Class. Or, "I already know this - now I can read something else. Or, I don't really need to read it every day. Or, have the attitude - been there done that. Or, maybe I'll read books written by Christian Authors instead." I'm guilty of all of this and much more.

But again, I have been inspired to treat every verse from the Bible as if it was the first time reading it. Discovering it's truths and meaning for my life. Just because I've already read a verse once or a dozen times, doesn't mean it won't have meaning for me in the future. That's for sure!