Blessed Femininity

Growing Hearts: Mealtime Bible Devotions

2013-07-16T02:01:00.001-05:00

One of my greatest privileges as a mother is to open up, teach from, and reverence God's Word with my children. What riches God's Word has to offer us all! Absolute truth, genuine comfort, chastening conviction, flawless guidance....it's all right there.

Our family has been working on mealtime devotions. We've found that consistently having dinner as a family every night when my husband walks in the door is such a blessing. It's an even larger blessing when we commit ourselves to open up the Word of God together at this time. We've used various books to guide our devotions at times. Recently, I stumbled upon a gem at a used book sale. I found this:

Principles Under Scrutiny: A Scriptural Approach to Personal Finances by Larry Burkett, c 1985.

The picture and title drew me to this book. Seeing the family with the open Bible and then reading the bold words above it, I just knew this was a must read. As my concern for the direction our nation is heading grows daily, I want to waste no time helping our family to be grounded in the Scriptures in all areas of life. Learning as much as we can about how to steward all that God has entrusted to us monetarily or otherwise in a way that is pleasing to Him is especially important to me. May we pass on these principles to our children with the hopes that they'll do the same.

Once I noted the author, it solidified my decision to purchase this book. I remember listening to Larry Burkett's radio show, "Money Matters", before he passed away a decade ago. I so appreciated his love for the Lord Jesus Christ and his love of helping others to learn what God's Word teaches about finances. Just from the testimony I heard on the radio of his devotion to God and His Word, I have a great deal of respect for him.

While I wasn't sure if this book would be material that would be fitting quite yet for our three young children, it only took a couple of suppers to realize this is just right. Mr. Burkett presents the information so clearly that the concept he is trying to teach becomes quite easy to understand. He uses many wonderful illustrations to reinforce the concept he is teaching, but, best of all, he references lots and lots of Scripture. Our children have asked some good questions as a result of listening to these teachings, and it has been a blessing to our family to explain and talk through the reasons for why we make the decisions we do regarding certain aspects of finances, giving, saving, and more. But beyond the financial lesson being taught, the spiritual truth being conveyed is an even larger blessing. Mr. Burkett certainly was gifted in using such a practical area of life to draw one's attention to his/her heart on the matter and what God teaches about what he/she ought to do or think about first.

I'm not certain that this book was meant to be a "devotional guide", but we've found it to work just as that. If I counted correctly, there are 60 devotionals included in this book. Each devotional is the front and back of a page. There are seven categories: (1) Attitude, (2) Church & Sharing, (3) Insurance & Investing, (4) Borrowing & Lending, (5) Business, (6) Family, and (7) Ministries & Scriptural Highlights. While we've only made it part way through the devotionals on "Attitude", each one has been excellent thus far. A couple of my favorites so far are "Being Content" and "Suffering for Christ vs. Living Like a King". I don't know if each one will capture the attention and interest of our children, but I have no doubt the Lord will guide us and help us to use this book to navigate the Scriptures on the topics being discussed.

Lastly, since the book was published in 1985, I find it fascinating to learn of the principles Mr. Burkett emphasized in the book that were under scrutiny at that time. It's probably no surprise that those same principles are still absolutely under scrutiny today, only amplified now many fold, which reaffirms my desire to pass on these important teachings to our children all the more.

Whether it be Larry Burkett's book or another as a supplement to our mealtime devotion or simply the Bible alone, it is my prayer that my husband and I will be consistent with opening the Word of God at the dinner hour and at any hour together as a family. Growing in understanding and appreciation of God's Word together ~ I can't think of a better investment than that!

Do you have mealtime Bible devotions? What devotional resources have you found beneficial for your family?

"I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways." ~Psalm 119:14-15

Garden Goodies

2013-07-13T17:19:00.004-05:00

Lots of veggies are beginning to ripen in our garden! :-)

We've been enjoying lettuce for quite some time now, but other than that, we've only taken in a couple of cucumbers, some grape tomatoes, and a few peppers. Now, lots more are beginning to ripen ~ yay!

Grape Tomatoes

Tomatoes

Jalapenos

Bell Peppers

Squash

Cucumber

We've also been able to harvest a couple of our herbs for several weeks. We've been picking cilantro and basil and drying them out and storing them in mason jars. Both of these plants are growing monstrously huge! The rosemary is not growing as well as those two, and the oregano is not receiving much sunlight because of where it was planted. It's being covered up by the squash & cucumber leaves. They are growing, nonetheless, and we'll harvest what we are able to. I might try to transplant the oregano to a different spot.

Beautiful Basil

Creeping Cilantro

The garden is starting to look like a jungle! Praise God for rain, sunshine, and fruitful plants!

Praying that I am connected to The Vine, the Lord Jesus, so that my life can be as spiritually fruitful as these plants! Love how the Scriptures give such beautiful pictures to understand important truths.

Are any of you picking veggies or herbs from the garden?

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." ~John 15:5

Growing Hearts: Fruit in Season

2013-07-02T10:39:00.000-05:00

Two divine appointments occurred yesterday that blessed my heart as a mother and as a follower of Christ. I just want to take a moment to document them here. Just when my mama heart was growing a bit weary, the Lord gave me a glimpse of His working in my children's lives and once again reminded me that He is so faithful, so completely trustworthy, and so deserving of all praise for any breakthroughs in child rearing. Sometimes, I feel like a broken record in our home. I like to call it consistency, but I know my flesh sometimes turns it into moments of nagging and discouragement rather than teachable moments filled with encouragement. I was reminded yesterday that just as I take opportunities to encourage my children, our Heavenly Father makes opportunities to encourage His children as well. What an amazing, loving God we serve!

Appointment #1: We received a knock on the door right after breakfast time. It was a person of a different faith handing out invitations to come to an event they were hosting. I politely thanked the person for taking the time to stop but immediately let them know that I am a Bible-believing, born-again Christian. She pointed out to me that this event is Bible-based, and they just would like us to come and visit. As 1 John Chapter 4 and 2 John instructs us to do in such situations, I then simply asked, "Who do you believe Jesus Christ is?" She replied that He is the Son of God. I agreed with her, and then further asked, "Do you also believe He is God?" She replied, "No, I do not believe He is Almighty God." I confirmed for her that I wholeheartedly believe that Jesus Christ is Almighty God, and I encouraged her to study the Scriptures concerning this. The lady brought up John 17:3 as support for her position on this, and right then, our 6 year old daughter walked up to the door by my side. In her hands was her stack of Bible memory verses she reviews at breakfast time. She held up a verse to show this lady, and it just happened to be John 3:17. It states, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." How timely and precious! Only a perfectly timed orchestration of the Holy Spirit! The lady then said that she just wanted to comment that she is happy to see the children learning the Bible as there are so many families out there in which this is not the case. She left our doorstep, and my heart leaped for joy that maybe, just maybe, a seed was planted in this lady's heart that would be watered after another knock. To God be the glory!

Appointment #2: Our oldest son received a call from a friend of his. We moved a little over a year ago, and he has come to play with this friend pretty often. This particular friend's family does not believe that Jesus Christ was/is the true Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. I've heard my son witnessing to this friend on occasion, but it had been quite a while. As I was going about some tasks, out of the blue I overheard my son talking about the Lord with this friend. I don't think I could have ever put so beautifully into words what my son managed to so eloquently and easily explain to his young friend in a few statements. Again, all credit to the Holy Spirit for giving the words to speak at the appointed time. I could only hear my son's half of the conversation, but the part I remember most is when I heard him say something like this... "Have you ever heard Jesus called the Lamb of God? And you know how lambs were sacrificed in the Old Testament as an offering for the sins of the people? Well, the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ was the offering for our sins and that He is the Lamb of God, the Messiah who saves us." I was overjoyed!!! After some hard days around here dealing with less-than-desirable attitudes, this was a breakthrough moment that opened my eyes, convicted my own heart, and humbled me all over again. I thanked the Lord for this encouragement and refreshment to my heart to continue on through all days (easy or hard) and to take this responsibility as mother to its fullest potential. I haven't a moment to lose to help point these children to the Lord Jesus Christ and to help grow their hearts in love and service toward Him.

Both of these divine appointments challenged me greatly, rekindled the fire to be a bold and loving witness for our Lord Jesus Christ, and blessed my heart as an imperfect and sometimes weary mother. Any fruit of His working in our lives will come in His timing as we allow Him to work in us. How faithful is our God! It is my prayer that I will be the faithful mother God has called and equipped me to be, and that the Lord will continue to work mightily in and through our family.

Lastly, these happenings brought to remembrance how before we moved I used to have Bible tracts readily available at our front door to hand out to those who stopped by for such occasions. I'm off to create a supply for our new home!

"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season..." ~Psalm 1:3a

Linking to...

Far Above Rubies: Domestically Divine Tuesday

Growing Home: Teach Me Tuesdays

Teaching This Generation our Nation's Heritage

2013-06-27T17:39:00.000-05:00

As we approach Independence Day, my mind is filled with a mixture of emotions and thoughts. The last few years' Independence Day celebrations, in particular, have left me with quite a burdened heart, and this year is no exception.

I'm afraid our nation is losing sight of its very own heritage, its very own meaning, and, ultimately, its very own freedom & liberty. My sentiments are unchanged from a couple of years ago and, in fact, my concerns have only grown exponentially deeper. In my lifetime, I've never felt so burdened to voice my concerns and to contact our representatives about the issues of our day. Even more importantly, I've never felt more eager to teach my children the importance, value, and cost of liberty. My heart is burdened to pray for the Lord to intervene and to move upon the hearts of our nation's people and leadership. This country was founded by God's grace and for His glory. My heart sincerely breaks with every deliberate act, petition, and order to remove God's Holy Name and influence from the pillars and corners of America. It seems at every turn, someone somewhere is trying to teach our nation's children there is no God, there is no gratitude due His Name, there is no biblical standard or authority, there is no consequence for sin, there is no eternal judgment. How much more will our nation have to endure before her people are moved to action and to prayer? It is my fervent prayer that America will regain her freedom and will desire to glorify her Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ. God's people musn't be silent, and we must take every opportunity, with His help and wisdom, to pass on a godly legacy to the next generation. If we don't seize the day to point our children toward God, the world certainly will aim to pull them away from Him.

This week, our family is taking the time to learn about the founding of our nation. We're studying our founding fathers, the Second Continental Congress, the American Revolutionary War, the biblical principles that framed our Declaration and Constitution, the faith and courage required to rid the colonies of tyranny, and the sacrifice and blood that was shed to provide us the freedom we've known and been blessed with for centuries. I honestly believe our nation has grown and is growing generations of citizens who don't know and/or don't respect our nation's history and the sacrifices that created this country. So many of our government schoolbooks have attempted to literally rewrite the account of our history, giving absolutely no acknowledgement of our Heavenly Father's hand in it, and I think we all are witnessing the evidence of reaping what has been sewn. As long as the Lord grants me breath, I am adamantly of the opinion that it is my duty as an American citizen to teach my children the godly legacy they behold and to train them to stand up for what's right, to do their duty to protect and participate in America's freedoms, and to humbly seek God's wisdom and guidance to live daily in accordance with what is pleasing to Him. Just sing a few American "patriotic" songs, and no American citizen can deny the acknowledgement of gratitude offered to God ~ the true Founding Father of this nation and of us all ~ throughout the lyrics. I would encourage each parent stopping by here to print out the lyrics to just a few patriotic songs throughout the next week and share them with your children. The lyrics alone will declare the glory of God and give credit to His Name for the birth of our nation and as the Author of our liberty. Take a look at these lyrics:

Even though our family is carving out time in our schedule to study and truly appreciate our nation's history and God's providential care concerning it, my heart is genuinely unsettled with the current status of this great land. So many words and concerns are overwhelming my mind, but my heart is longing for quiet, comfort, and peace. I wanted to express some of my thoughts here, but I think I need to just stop right now and go to the One ~ the only One ~ who can truly bring any peace and solace ~ my Heavenly Father. I'm reminded that He has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. To that end, I will continue in prayer for our nation and for the generations of tomorrow. I draw so much comfort knowing that He is in control, He is completely trustworthy and sovereign, and He will someday send His Son again to redeem His children. If I didn't have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the hope of eternal salvation through Him, this nation and world we are living in would indeed be a very scary and dark place. I'm thankful I've been adopted into His family by asking the Lord Jesus to save me. I'm thankful God's people are waking up to the reality we are living in and seeking His guidance and mercy. I'm mostly thankful this world is not the believer's final destination but instead someday all who have called upon His Holy Name will be in His Presence singing praises to His Name in a place His Son is preparing at this very moment. Praise be to the mighty Name of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.

"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." ~Colossians 1:16-17

Cherry Pie in a Skillet in 5 Easy Steps

2013-06-25T00:30:00.001-05:00

Have any of you ever baked a pie in a cast iron skillet? If not, you ought to try it! I have an entire post coming up soon devoted to cast iron skillet recipes, but I just wanted to share this fun recipe now.

Last week, we were delighted to have my hubby's grandmother out for a visit. I decided to make some cherry pie...in a skillet. Very easy & delicious!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

EASY PEASY CHERRY PIE IN A SKILLET

1. Grease your skillet.

2. Make some good old fashioned pie crust using flour, cold butter (or shortening), and cold water. Roll out the dough and divide in half. Shape & roll one half into a circle large enough to cover the bottom of the skillet. Place in skillet & shape edges.

3. Fill with cherry goodness {or the fruit of your liking}.

4. Roll out the other half of pie dough into a circle to cover the pie filling. Cut into strips and make a simple lattice, or cover it fully and make a few decorative slits if you prefer. Sprinkle some cinnamon & sugar liberally on top of pie.

5. Bake until top crust is golden, and it's ready to be served!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

We love our pie with some vanilla bean ice cream. Homemade would be even better. Yummy!

What's your favorite pie to make?

"And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul."
~Deuteronomy 30: 9-10

Linking to...

Garden Update

2013-06-08T11:34:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

I can't believe I haven't found anytime to post for so long, but I just had to journal a bit of our gardening progress. My handsome and handy hubby built me a 5' x 10' raised garden bed in April, and I couldn't be more thrilled! We would love to have a much larger-scale garden, but until the Lord wants us to live on a homestead, we are content with using our space as best we can. :-) We figure we could add a few more of these, but we wanted to start out and see how just one goes first.

My hubby found a supplier with a special mix of compost/soil and filled it up. Then he marked each board off at each foot, and we tied on pink string to make square foot sections.

I had an idea of a few things I wanted to plant, so I quickly drew up a 50 square grid and started penciling different plants in. My Uncle Jim warned us that certain plants didn't like to be planted next to one another, and I was very grateful he told us that. So, I did a little bit of research and think we came up with a nice plan. I started planting lettuce, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, and canteloupe according to the grid one by one. I also planted a few herbs ~ basil, cilantro, oregano, and rosemary. Fun! We used nursery plants this time around. We had a lot going on during the early spring months and didn't have time to start germinating any seeds. Lord willing, next year, with the help of all your generous advice, we just might be able to do that. Here is what the garden looked like freshly planted.

A few days after we planted this, we had to go north for a couple of weeks. We asked our kind neighbors to keep an eye on the garden for us and to water it when necessary. Upon our arrival home, we learned from our neighbors that we had so much rain while we were away, that the good Lord above watered it all that it needed! We were so pleased to find very few weeds, no pests, and the plants looked like this:

We've been checking the garden everyday and watering it well. Just this morning, I snapped a couple of photos of its growth:

A view from the opposite end:

There are a few plants that are hard to see from these views. Here are some close-ups. Each plant is so unique and beautiful!

I'm so thankful for a handy and creative hubby. I'm so thankful for my thoughtful parents who gave me some birthday money. I decided to use it for this garden. With the combination of his talent and skills and their generosity, Lord willing, this is a gift that will keep giving and giving!

Even though I haven't had time to blog much lately, I try to check in on friends. For some true gardening inspiration, check out:

Anyone else been planting anything? Anyone part of any local co-ops?

"And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat." ~Genesis 1:29

Banana Cherry Streusel Muffins

2013-05-14T09:18:00.001-05:00

Greetings all! Long time no blog! This has proven to be an extremely busy season of life. I'm hoping to take some time to capture some of these moments and record them here as time allows. Today, I just wanted to share a creative muffin combo cooked up in the kitchen this morning. :-) Blessings to you all!

Banana Cherry Streusel Muffins

Directions:

1. Prepare your favorite banana bread/muffin recipe batter.

2. Fold in some cherries (or fruit of your choice).

3. Line two muffin tins with paper cups.

4. Fill muffin cups with desired amount of batter. (I like them pretty full!)

5. Make some streusel topping ~ cut all ingredients with pastry cutter until crumbly.

{I used 1/2 stick butter, 1/4 cup flour, 2 T. brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon.}

6. Generously sprinkle streusel topping onto muffin batter in cups.

7. Bake according to original banana muffin instructions. {I baked these at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.}

8. Take out of oven. Let cool slightly. Slather some good country butter on top & enjoy!

Well, for whoever still stops by here, thank you so much for visiting! May the Lord bless you with all the simple joys of life He gives!

"Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance." ~Acts 2:28

Spring Beauty

2013-04-13T19:16:00.000-05:00

Happy weekend, everyone! It's starting to look like spring around here! Here are a few photos of some flowers around our home right now. A little time spent planting annuals brings a lot of joy!

♥ Each bloom gives a glimpse of the beauty of our Creator. ♥

"O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches." ~Psalm 104:24

Celebrating the Art of Homemaking: Recycling & Sewing a Skirt

2013-04-05T22:38:00.001-05:00

Greetings, everyone! I hope you all had a blessed Easter celebrating Christ's resurrection! We serve a living Saviour!!

I've been wanting to do more sewing lately, but I haven't had much time for extra stuff right now. This project, however, was for something we needed, and I was thrilled to take it on.

Our daughter needs a black skirt for her upcoming choir concert. I typically don't buy much black for her. I remembered that I had a black skirt in my closet that I rarely wear. I decided to take a scissors to it and sew it up again in her size. Sew, here is the before and after of my recycled skirt project! ♥

BEFORE AFTER

First, I cut off some of the width...

Then, I turned it inside out, and sewed up a new seam lengthwise...

Next, I kept it inside out and folded over the top quite a few inches to shorten the length. I took off my sewing machine arm and sewed around the circumference of the waist almost entirely, but I left an opening for some elastic if I wanted to put that in...

And that was it. Now, it's sized for our petite little lady, and it cost me nothing! Bonus!

Has anyone else been working on any sewing projects?

♥ Have a great weekend, everyone! ♥

"The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted." ~Psalm 18:46

Update on Prayer Request

2013-03-22T08:32:00.001-05:00

I just received word that Michael Farris, the President of the Home School Legal Defense Association, was on Fox & Friends this morning giving an update on the German family facing deportation for homeschooling their children. Thank you to all of you who have been praying!

You can view the video that aired this morning here. You can read an update on the family here.

There are now three things we can do to help this family:

Continue to pray for the Lord's intervention to help this family! Their case is going to be heard on April 23, 2013.
Sign the petition to the White House here ~ authored by Michael Farris of HSLDA. {They are asking for 100,000 signatures by April 18, 2013.}
Encourage others to do #1 and #2 as the Lord leads!

"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up." ~Psalm 5:3

Happy Birthday, Mr. Livingstone!

2013-03-19T04:00:00.000-05:00

Do you know who was born 200 years ago today?

David Livingstone!

We've been studying about him in our History & Geography course this year. He was a Scottish medical doctor and pioneer missionary explorer to Africa spreading the gospel to the people there.

I wasn't sure if Google would draw a logo up in his honor, so we just wanted to share. ;-)

Praying that I could be a faithful missionary for the Lord right where I'm planted and be open to go wherever the Lord wants to send me!

"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. " ~Isaiah 6:8

Pieces in the Puzzle

2013-03-18T09:31:00.001-05:00

Today I'm pondering my piece in God's puzzle. Have you ever thought about that? As I grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, I often ponder and marvel that I am part of God's Story, that He has a specific plan and purpose for my life to bring His Name glory.

I pray that today as I go about my daily privileges as a wife, mother, and ultimately as an adopted daughter of our Heavenly Father, that I will please Him in all that I do as I submit to His will and seek His guidance. I pray that I will remove my own selfish desires, will, and plans and fully seek out what His agenda is for me today.

I can't see the whole picture of God's great plan, but God can. He designed me, you, and this whole world. He planned out my part and your part in His Story. I just pray that I will be faithful to His plan ~ always seeking His guidance and following His instruction.

I trust in the One, our mighty Saviour and King Jesus Christ, who can see the completed puzzle ~ who holds every piece in its proper place! What a Lord we serve!

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." ~Revelation 1:8

Dry Erase Board Tip

2013-03-15T04:30:00.000-05:00

Ever had someone use a permanent marker instead of a dry erase marker on a white board? Well, I have. :-) I was just about to throw this white board out when I remembered a tip I learned somewhere along the line...

Rubbing alcohol will remove permanent

marker from dry erase boards!

BEFORE

{Notice how the rubbing alcohol affects the permanent ink?}

AFTER

The red permanent marker had actually been on this white board for a few months. The black permanent marker was added by me just before taking the picture for illustration purposes. If you catch it early, the permanent marker will most likely be completely removed. If it's been around awhile, it may have some traces left behind. But this is good enough for our schooling purposes! Now.....to find a more discreet location for the permanent markers.....that is the real challenge! :-)

Just wanted to share in case you found yourself with this same problem!

Please pray for this dear family!!!

2013-03-14T07:21:00.003-05:00

Please take less than 2 minutes to watch the news clip found here.

A Christian family is facing deportation just for homeschooling their children!! Our current government is not supporting them and has agreed with the ruling of deportation! The fate of this family now rests with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. However, I know that the fate of this family rests in the mighty hand of God, who is sovereign, in control, and has a plan and a purpose for this dear family facing this outrageous persecution. God Bless and keep this dear family standing on His truth. May He protect these dear folks as they seek Him.

Will you please join me in praying for them?

Would you also please join me in offering our wholehearted gratitude to our Lord for allowing us the ability to educate our children in the manner we, as parents, deem fit in the United States of America? Our family does not take this for granted, and we offer up our thanks to our mighty God often. Whether you home educate or have your children schooled elsewhere public or private, please join along in prayer that the selection of education for children would rest in the hands of the parents and not the government! Thank you!!!

^"The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry." ~Psalm 34:15

Countless Blessings

2013-03-11T07:46:00.003-05:00

"My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof." ~Psalm 71:15

♥ A sweet visitor outside our window! ♥

I'm pausing today to ponder all the blessings God has bestowed in my life. The verse above indicates that the Lord God's mercies are countless. I will never be able to properly thank my Saviour for saving me and for all that He has done for me, but I aim to live my days on this Earth trying to thank Him as best I can. :-)

Our pastor has been giving a very convicting series of messages on fearing the Lord and daily living that out. To fear God's Name is not just some theological concept. It is a very real practice in the life of a committed Christian! I've been so convicted over things big and small, and I want every area of my life to show forth the reverence God deserves. If I am to claim the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ, as my personal Saviour, I ought to daily be telling of His love and obeying His Word. As our church body heard yesterday from our pastor, glorifying God ought to be our personal, primary, and pronounced aim in life ~ Amen! I was reminded of this post and how I ought to have praise on my tongue all the day long.

Many of the reasons I began this blog ~ to record all that I am learning about sanctification in all areas of biblical womanhood ~ are so dear to my heart. It's truly a blessing to look back and reflect on what the Lord was teaching me then and to see how He faithfully continues to grow, convict, and refine me in these areas. I'm so thankful today that the Lord teaches us little by little how we can be more pleasing and useful to Him, aren't you? Are you as amazed as I that He is always watching over us? Are you in awe as I am that He cares so very much about the tiniest details of our lives? Are you as excited as I am that He wants us to daily go to Him with our needs? He's never too busy with other things to care for our needs ~ He's always there ready to pour out His love, wisdom, and grace in all areas of life. Wow.

I think back on the times when I didn't know Him personally, when I wasn't seeking His will for my life, when I hadn't asked Him to save me from the penalty of my sins. My heart just feels such remorse for how I hurt Him, how I displeased Him, for how I wasted so much time in my life not being useful to Him....and my heart daily (hourly!) grows in humble gratitude that He cared about me and saved a wretch like me!!! How can I waste another minute of my life by not trying to grow closer to Him or to tell someone else of what He has done in my life??? I can't! We live in some weary times! I must not waste any time at all! In the words of Mr. Collins from Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, "Make haste! Make haste!"

There have been seasons of my life in which I have been more active in witnessing than others. As I think about it, this really shouldn't be the case. I should seize every opportunity the Lord puts in my path to share the gospel with those around me with my words and my actions. I pray today that as I try to do this by His grace in and out of my home that I will prioritize praising and glorifying His Name in all that I do today ~ from my daily household chores and teaching my children to sharing the gospel with whoever comes my way.

So many reasons to praise our Lord! He is SO good!

What are you thanking God for today? Who can you tell about God's goodness today?
^"O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." ~Psalm 34:3

Seeds?

2013-02-22T11:27:00.003-06:00

We have been in our home just under a year, and we are looking forward to our upcoming spring here! After the ice and snow from yesterday's storm begin to melt, we probably won't have too many cold days left. We already have spring buds on some of the trees, and mother robins have paid us a few visits! :-)

We are hoping to begin plans for our very first garden in this home. I'm excited! We planted a few things when we lived in Wisconsin in our raised garden beds hubby made and some tomato plant pots, but we are going to attempt to have a decent sized garden this year in our new yard.

My question for all of you veteran gardeners out there....

Where do you get your seeds?

Does it make a difference?
Organic or not?
Store or catalog?
Local grower or farmer?
Your own harvested?

Before we invest, I just want to get your opinions of where to get some seeds. I have so much to learn and I'm hoping to study up, but I really appreciate your tried and true recommendations. Thanks for the help!

Presidents' Day Fun & Memorization Song

2013-02-19T14:57:00.005-06:00

Presidents' Day is usually a fun-filled day of learning in our home. Yesterday was no exception! We started our morning with our daily routine of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to our American Flag, our Pledge to the Christian Flag, and our Pledge to the Holy Bible.

Presidential History Lessons & Trivia: We read some books about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and other presidents. We learned about their accomplishments and how some of their decisions shaped our nation's history. We also discussed some presidential trivia ~ fun!

Presidential Survey: Our first grade daughter conducted a presidential survey, asking the question..."Who is your FAVORITE president?" We conducted this survey via email and were grateful to have received 65 votes for her to tally! President Ronald Wilson Reagan *won* her survey as the president most voted for as people's favorite. She had fun graphing out the results and sending out the official presidential results to those who voted! ♥ Although, she was a bit disappointed her favorite, President George Washington, didn't win. :-)

Presidential Memorization Song:

We also spent a good portion of the day memorizing the presidents in order as they took office. I had previously researched some potential tunes to help us in this pursuit. The tune that seemed easiest for us to accomplish this was "Ten Little Indians". I had seen some youtube videos of individuals or classes doing this. I have a really large book of the presidents' pictures. We used the book to help us as we sang bit by bit. I turned the page to a president's picture, and they would sing his name. We took three to four presidents at a time and memorized their names in groups. It took us a while, but we sure had a lot of fun doing it. Lots of laughs and tongue twisters occurred along the way! I won't even tell you how many times we sang it. Actually, I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to as I didn't keep track, but let's just say we might have all heard the song in our dreams last night! To commemorate the day's events, I asked our two oldest children to record the song we learned so we can refer back to it as needed. This took quite a few takes, but I'm proud of their effort!

Hope you all had a great Presidents' Day too!!!

Any fun activities you'd like to share?

"So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations." ~Psalm 79:13

Happy Napper travels to Washington, D.C.

2013-02-16T00:27:00.001-06:00

Look who traveled to our nation's capital with us this past summer! Thanks to Grandma, this sweet little friend accompanied us on our vacation out east. Happy Napper will now give you a tour of some of our favorite stops in Washington, D.C. ♥

First stop...King Street Metro Station....

{We stayed in Old Town Alexandria, VA for our stay.}

While we wait to hop on the Yellow Line here, the George Washington Masonic Memorial can be seen in the distance...

We hopped off at the National Mall and visited The Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum...

I SPY Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, do you? Make sure to get some self-guide pamphlets at the welcome desk!

We could see the Washington Monument in the background, but we weren't headed there quite yet.

We're headed across the street to that building. Do you know what it is?

It's the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Don't forget to go upstairs and see an actual fragment of Plymouth Rock!

Next stop, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
WARNING: Remember to put on your "creation goggles" before you enter. It's evolution central inside!

Can you guess where we're headed next? Here's a hint: It's where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech on August 28, 1963 as inscribed here.

You got it....the Lincoln Memorial!

Greetings, President Abraham Lincoln! Oh, how grateful we are for your leadership and service to our country, Mr. President!!

Look at this beautiful view from the top overlooking the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Lots of history in these parts!

Now, we're headed on a nice refreshing walk along the Potomac over to our next destination. Do you see it across the Tidal Basin?

We've arrived at the Jefferson Memorial. Shhhh...it's a quiet place here. What an honor to meet the principal author of our Declaration of Independence!

Time to head back to that really tall monument you can see from all over town. Yes, the Washington Monument, named after our very first president! 555 feet of beautiful granite! This is under repair, however, due to an earthquake that struck close by in 2011. So, just admire from afar, and keep your feet firmly planted on the ground beneath. Time to walk to the next memorial nearby.

Let's pay our respects to our U.S. Armed Forces Service Members from World War II at this National WWII Memorial.

What a humbling walk as we view this tribute.

Let's travel up 17th Street a few blocks to the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion in President's Park. In fact, let's take a rest on a park bench and eat some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from our backpack. Oh yeah, and don't forget to look up while doing so! You just never know when the President of the United States is going to fly overhead to land on the front lawn of The White House!

Because President Obama just flew in on Marine One, we can't get any closer to The White House tonight. But it's a beautiful glow in the distance!

Ok, well it's time to call it a day and head back to our hotel in Alexandria. Better hop on the Metro Blue Line over at L'Enfant Plaza!

I would have liked to have shown you the visit to The Capitol, but I was living up to my name that day and napping at the hotel while the rest of the bunch went. If you visit there yourself, make sure to stop by your home state's congressman's office, and they'll probably be able to schedule you a free guided tour of the building!

Well, it's time for me to take another happy nap. Hope you enjoyed the tour! Don't forget to take a little time to study our nation's history on President's Day this week!

"We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old." ~Psalm 44:1

Happy Valentine's Day!

2013-02-14T10:10:00.004-06:00

~Celebration of love is ready to begin! ~

♥ Leftover candy canes from Christmas make cute

heart embellishments ready to dip in yummy hot cocoa. ♥

Heart charts and devotionals on God's Word have been completed!

What beautiful conversations and growth resulted!

Our daughter cut out paper hearts for today and we strung them up!

We're celebrating the love of God's Word

and discussing how very much we love God

and our Saviour, Jesus Christ today!

Awaiting Daddy's arrival for a sweet welcome home celebration!

Special notes and gifts of love from Grandma and Grandpa arrived in the mail...

May everyone stopping by here today know the amazing love of our Lord Jesus! He loves you so very much ~ so much He wants you to spend eternity with Him! Have you called upon His Name to save you from the wages of your sin? He died in your place! Thank Him today for His great love and sacrifice! ♥

"Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment." ~Matthew 22:37-38

Quilt Square Valentine Bags

2013-02-11T21:41:00.001-06:00

Remember the little project the children and I are working on? We have been working our way through our heart chart, and I told the children they would each get a little surprise after we completed all the devotionals. Focusing on the love of God's Word as a family has been a tremendous blessing! We are scheduled to finish the devotionals for this topic on Valentine's Day, so I wanted to make them something a little extra special.

I used a gift card I earned with my swagbucks account to purchase some quilt squares on amazon. I have never made a quilt in my life, but I aspire to! I have been studying the topic recently. However, completing a project as large as a quilt is just not on my radar right now. Nonetheless, I think quilt squares are darling, and I had a smaller scale project in mind. I decided it would be fun to make our children some fun homemade valentine goodie bags! ♥

I gathered all the supplies I thought I would want from around the house...

Materials:

Quilt Squares (5" x 5") ~ 4 squares per bag
Felt
Ribbon
Lace
Embroidery Floss
Various sewing needles
Sewing Machine
Iron
Small Embroidery Hoop
Shears
Thread
Marker

~ We have three children, so I wanted to make three bags. ~

♥ Start to Finish Project Time: A couple of hours! ♥

First, I traced a heart on some cardboard and cut it out. That was my heart template. Then, I traced three hearts on some ivory and beige felt.

I cut them out...

Then I selected the quilt squares I wanted to use for each bag. I just love pastel pinks and blues! I chose 4 coordinating squares per bag.

I pinned each felt heart on one quilt square.

I placed the quilt square with a heart attached in my embroidery hoop and began to stitch around the perimeter of the heart ~ one stitch at a time.

This was my favorite part of the whole project! I love stitching!

I finished all three in very short amount of time! Think I'll try to do some more of these soon!

In order to cover up the stitching on the back of the quilt square I just stitched the heart on, I picked a coordinating quilt square to sew over it. I did that for all three.

Then it was time to cut out some ribbon for the handles. I wanted two handles per bag.

Then I brought these materials over to my ironing board. I fired up the iron and first ironed out the wrinkles created from using the embroidery hoop. Then, I folded over the top edge of the quilt square about 1/8". I made a crease in the fabric with the iron there.

I repeated the fold and crease in the coodinating quilt square that would be stitched on the back. I also did the same with the other two quilt squares for this bag.

I did that for each bag I planned to make. {Each bag = 4 squares = 4 ironed creases}

Then I made a sandwich of the quilt square with the heart on it, the ends of one ribbon handle, and the coordinating quilt square {wrong sides together}.

Then, I pinned the sandwich together through all three layers at the ends of the ribbons inside to hold.

I stitched the first sandwich of the pink bag by hand across the top in a straight line parallel to the top edge.

However, when I got to this point with the first sandwich layer of the second bag...

I decided the sewing machine was the way to go. ♥ I simply sewed a straight line along the top edge about 1/4" down. The presser foot kept aligned with the top edge of the fabric.

I repeated the same exact process (sandwiched two quilt squares and one ribbon handle and sewed along the top edge) for the other side of the bag. So, now, I've used a total of 4 quilts squares and 2 handles per bag. {Front of bag = 1 sandwich; Back of bag= 1 sandwich}

These will be the insides of the bags... [2 bags shown]

These will be the outsides of the bags...

Now, it was time to sew the two sandwiches together ~ I placed right sides together. The seams will be sewn on the inside of the bag, and then the bag will be inverted so right sides are out.

I pinned the sandwiches right sides together to hold in place. I then planned to sew three straight seams following the schematic below ~ sewing a U-turn route by turning two corners (leaving the needle in the fabric ~ lifting up the presser foot on the sewing machine, and turning the fabric 90 degrees at the corners). I back-stitched a few stitches at the beginning and ending for a good hold.

Go slow when you first begin to make sure everything is aligned right and to make sure your machine is moving your fabric along properly. If everything is good, sew away!

Once you've sewed the U-turn, lift up the presser foot, cut the strings, and remove any pins.

Turn it inside out...

And you're done!!! :-)

Well, almost...

I wanted to embellish the pink bag with lace trim. {Didn't think the boys would care for that too much.}

So, after turning the pink bag inside out, I simply cut enough lace to cover the outer perimeter of the top edge of the bag, pinned it in place, and stitched a simple straight stitch by hand all the way around.

That's it!

Now, the fun part....filling them with special surprises!

♥ Happy Valentine's Day! ♥

"These things I command you, that ye love one another." ~John 15:17

Linking to...

Teach Me Tuesdays

Celebrating the Art of Homemaking: Braiding Bread

2013-02-09T07:57:00.003-06:00

I love the smell of baking bread. I love the taste of freshly baked bread. Isn't there just something about bread that brings the smiles out in a family?

I was feeling a little artsy in the kitchen the other day and decided it would be fun to try to braid some bread! Nothing to it!

I simply used my standard white bread recipe with yeast that requires two risings. (I would've like to make wheat bread, but we were getting low on wheat flour.) When it came time to divide the dough after the first rising, I split it into two sections and rolled them flat like usual.

Then I simply divided each section into approximate thirds.

Next, I separated the thirds and rolled each lengthwise.

I took each set of three and lined them up together.

I pressed in the ends together at the top and started to braid the bread like I would my daughter's hair!

Take the right hand strand and put over the middle...

Then put the left hand strand over that one...

Then again take the outermost right one over that one...

And again from the left outermost....

...and so on...

...until you finish the entire length of the bread strands. Then you just press and tuck in the ends together.

I repeated the same braid with the other set of three until I had two braided loaves.

I set them on small individual cookie sheets, and let them rise until about doubled in a warm undisturbed place. (I like to have them rise in a slightly warmed oven ~ shut off of course.)

After about an hour, they were finished rising and I decided to try to make them a bit shiny and brushed them with an egg yolk coating. {1 egg yolk + 2 T. cold water mixed.}

Then, I baked them! [The bread recipe called for a slightly higher temperature in the oven and a slightly longer period of time to bake, but I watched the bread not knowing how this braiding would affect the baking time. It took less time than a regularly shaped loaf would have.] And then they were done & ready to eat! They're not perfect, but they sure tasted good! Next time, I might try braiding all six strands together.

Bread is so much fun because the standard recipe usually produces two loaves ~ one to give as a gift and one to eat with the family! ♥

Who knew it was so simple!? What have you been baking in your kitchen?

"For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." ~John 6:33

Delight in the Law of the LORD

2013-02-07T09:00:00.002-06:00

Our first devotional on this topic proved to be quite encouraging to me as a mother! The children took turns reading from their Bibles the passages in the first heart on our heart chart yesterday. It's so exciting to see our daughter reading Scripture on her own! She loves to read, and she hugged her Bible when we were all done yesterday because she said she loves to read it.

♥ {insert. melted. mama's. heart.} ♥

Before we began that devotional {and in all to follow}, I posed two challenges to them:

What is the reference to the Word of God in this passage? (i.e. What is it called or named here?)
What does the passage state we are to do with the Word of God?

The discussion that followed was wonderful!!! The children concluded that Psalm 1 called the Word of God the "Law of the Lord" and that it states we are to delight in it. Yes! So, my follow-up question which directed the rest of the devotional was...

"How do we DELIGHT in the Law of the LORD?"

Their answers lifted my heart. They got it. They understood. They mentioned that we are to: read it, share it, obey it, teach it, meditate on it so it can direct our thoughts and decisions (wow!), memorize it so that we might not sin against God, and my favorite answer came last when our daughter stated that we should love it because we are so thankful God gave it to us as a gift. I am indeed encouraged that they realized different ways we can delight in the Bible, but now we are going to focus on putting those into better practice as a family. We then closed by reading 2 Peter 3:18 and discussed how all the ways we just suggested to delight in the law of the LORD helps us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I asked the children to read Psalm 1 again for me while I recorded them. They grow up so fast, and I wanted to somehow hang onto this precious moment! ♥ So, if you'd like to listen, you can hear our two oldest children as they read Psalm 1 from their Bibles in the video below...

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night." ~Psalm 1:2

Hearts for God's Word

2013-02-06T08:38:00.001-06:00

After doing my own study of conclusions why I love the Bible, I decided it would be fun to get the children's thoughts. =) I made up a simple A to Z fill-in sheet to list out their reasons.

In my studies on what God's Word instructs about itself, I wrote down passages that teach about how we are to treat God's Word. I decided it would be fun to start our mornings out before school doing a devotional together learning about these teachings. I selected the passages I wanted to include and made a little heart chart for the littles to fill in each time we read the passage listed within the heart. We're planning on doing one per day. Once the chart is all colored in (scheduled to be on Valentine's Day), the kids will receive a special surprise. :-)

Very simple yet rewarding. I'm enjoying focusing on the love of God's teachings with my children! What ways do you grow love for the Word of God in your home?

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

Taking Inventory in my Own Heart

2013-02-05T08:24:00.002-06:00

As I began pondering how I could help to grow an atmosphere of awe, excitement, reverence, and love for the Word of God in our home, I took inventory of my own heart. I began to ask myself...

How much do I love God's Word?
How much time do I spend in God's Word?
Do I show respect for God's Word?
Do I share God's Word in our home?
Do I obey God's Word?
Do I seek God's Word as treasure above all else in my life?
WHY do/should I love, seek, respect, obey, and share God's Word?

A myriad of questions kept pouring into mind...a very convicting set of questions, I might add. The obvious optimal answers to those questions above would be "Of course! Always! Yes! For sure! With all my heart! Definitely!" But deep down, I know that there is much room in my life and heart to reverence and take in the Word of God. That is my truest desire before I even begin to try to share the love of it with my children or anyone else. How much do I love God's Word and "why"? That last question above is right where I've been focused ~ "WHY?"

So, I sat down with my Bible, a pencil, and a blank sheet of paper and began to answer that question for myself. I quickly came up with dozens of reasons, backed with Scripture to support.

This was so much fun and helpful! It truly anchored me in the conviction to carry on this pursuit. As I initially thought about my motivations to do this, doubts started to creep in, such as ~ Is it wrong to love God's Word? Are we supposed to? The law doesn't save us (in fact it convicts us!). Only Christ saves us, so should we love His law or just Him? As these questions began to surface, I began to search the Scriptures to find answers. After all, we are told that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth! The sessions in which I researched this topic sparked an Apologetics 101 course. =) Truly, it helped to build a foundation for this project to help me stand firm in why I'm convinced we should love, seek, reverence, obey, and share the Word of God. I will spare you from sharing all of the reasons I came up with, but I will leave you with a few verses and sum up my conclusions...

Psalm 40:8 states, "I delight to do thy Will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart."
Psalm 119:47 states, "And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved."
In John 14:21, Jesus states, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."

I discovered that I love God's Word because I love the Author. I love Him because He first loved me. I love God for so many reasons but one important reason is definitely because He preserved His very Word throughout the ages to all generations so that we could learn of His love and the salvation He provides for everyone that will put their faith and trust in His Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible is the very story of Jesus Christ, our Savior. He is there in the very beginning and in the very end. The Old Testament points to His first coming as Messiah, and the New Testament shares that He in fact came to this earth and was slain as our sacrifice on our behalf and fulfilled all the prophecies of the Old Testament. The Bible tells us of the hope we have in Christ and that He is coming again for us. God's Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path ~ it confronts us with our sin and shows us we are in trouble apart from Christ! It then gives us a way of refuge in Christ ~ a free gift for all who will believe. What other book on earth can stand the test of time for all eternity? Matthew 24:25 tells us, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Wow! A timeless, living, powerful, transforming, warning, life-giving love letter from the Creator of the Universe to all of His creation! How could I not love God's Word? Thank you, Lord, for sharing your love with us in this way. Above all, I love His Word because it teaches me to love my God, my Lord and Savior MORE. I love it for how it draws me closer to its Author. I love that it shares the gospel. It helps me to love, reverence, obey, and appreciate my Savior more.

If you haven't done a Bible study on the very nature of the Bible itself, I would highly encourage you to do so. How entirely fascinating!

I decided it would only be appropriate to carry on this brainstorming, Scripture-searching session of "why we love God's Word" with my children. More on that later... (Lord willing of course!)

"Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it." ~Psalm 119:140

A Valentine for My Children

2013-01-30T10:41:00.000-06:00

With Valentine's Day themes and hearts popping up everywhere, Valentine fun has been on the brain. The Lord has been working on my heart about being more intentional to point the hearts of my children toward Him and His Word. During my quiet time, I've been praying about opportunities to better show my children the love that I have for His Word and in turn help them to love His Word more also! Anything that comes of this will solely be the work of the Holy Spirit, not me! The Lord has been planting some ideas in mind, and I hope to journal some of what He is teaching me here. My valentine projects with my children this year will have one goal ~ to grow their love for God's Word.

"O how love I thy law!

it is my meditation all the day."

~Psalm 119:97