Pearl's Gleanings

True Beauty: A Review

2009-03-31T09:49:00.004-04:00

Each year Vision Forum hosts a very special weekend for fathers and daughters to deepen their relationships and to be encouraged. Although I have never been to one of these retreats I have had the pleasure this past month of listening to the eight CD set from last years retreat.

At the 2008 Father Daughter Discipleship Retreat speakers Doug Phillips, Scott Brown, Geoffrey Botkin and daughters Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin brought six messages that were filled with biblical exhortation, practical advice and vision for biblical father daughter relationships. The issues addressed included how a daughter should relate to every member of her family, how to prepare for marriage to a godly courageous man, what a true beauty looks like, the Proverbs 31 woman, and how fathers are to protect the daughters in their home. Every message painted the picture of the biblical woman God wants each of us to become and aim for to His glory.

It took me several weeks to get through this set, there was just so much to chew on. I have read several books on the subject of biblical womanhood, yet I still find I need the fresh encouragement as it is a subject so highly contended not just in the culture of the world but the church as well. As I listened I was exhorted, I learned new things, I renewed my vision for what God wants me to become, and I was rebuked for where I have failed. All of the CDs were good, but if I were to pick a favorite it would be the message by Scott Brown on the Proverbs 31 woman. He presented 12 key principles from Proverbs 31 that should be the mark of a godly woman, I found this especially helpful in guiding me as I seek to educate and prepare my self toward that ideal.

If you too are looking for encouragement as a daughter remaining at home or are just catching the vision to return to your father's house you will find this set a great blessing. It would also be great if you and your father could listen to it together. To read more about this set or purchase it click this link to the Vision Forum website.

List of the CD titles included in True Beauty:

Foundation Vision for Father & Daughters ~ Doug Phillips
The Proverbs 31 Woman ~ Scott Brown
Transitions from Beautiful Girlhood to Noble Womanhood ~ Anna & Elizabeth Botkin
Beauty: What Is It? ~ Doug Phillips
Fathers, Daughters, & Family ~ Panel Discussion
Continued from CD 5
How to Prepare a Daughter for Marriage ~ Geoffrey Botkin
How Fathers Can Protect Their Daughters in a Defiling Age ~ Scott Brown

Seed Starting the Frugal Way

2009-03-10T13:46:00.010-04:00

Great Rewards of Simple Planning Series

And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:12

I got the first seeds of the year planted today and I wanted to share with you how I start my plants from seed. It really isn't that complicated and only requires a few simple supplies. Although it may sound time consuming keep in mind that it is over a 1-3 month period. Starting your own seeds not only saves you nice sum of money it is very satisfying. Normally when I start my seeds the snow is still on the ground and it comes as a great encourager that spring is just around the corner.

You will need:

Soil (be sure to get soil specifically mixed for seed starting)
Containers
Seeds
Heating Pad (optional)
Water
Sunshine (or grow lamps)
Tender Loving Care

Now, it is possible to start seeds in just any old soil, but you are really taking your chances; and you probably don't want to have to throw out half of your plants because the soil had some disease in it. For the same reason you will need to sterilize any containers that have had soil in them. The choice of containers is very wide and the way you plant in them just as varied. You do not need to purchase any of those special seed containers that fill the shelves at you local garden center, whatever you have on hand is best for you because it comes at no extra cost. You can use:

small and large planters,
tin cans, styrafoam cups,
plastic containers such as berries come in,
egg crates,
cardboard box lined with plastic,
milk jugs and cartons,
yogurt cups,
soda cans,
pop bottles,
sectioned planters from last years plants,
and on and on.

Basically anything that will hold the soil together, and either has holes in the bottom or can be punctured. You can even purchase a nifty little PotMaker that transforms newspaper into perfect sized biodegradable seed pots. What I am using this year is old containers from last year and recycled produce containers. I was able to make some removable dividers from some old plastic salad boxes for the berry containers to separate them into six plant cells. I cut them so that the vertical dividers would lock into the horizontal divider. When it comes time to transplant all I will need to do is wet the soil and pull out the dividers resulting in six separate soil blocks containing the little plants.
I lined the bottom with a piece of wet newspaper before adding the dividers to prevent the soil from escaping while still allowing good drainage. You will want to do this with any container that has large holes.

Once you have your supplies together it is time to get started.

Sterilize containers by washing them in a ten percent bleach solution, rinsing them out and letting them air dry.
Pour your soil into a bin and add water a little at a time mixing it with your hand until it begins to feel like a rung out sponge when squeezed, and starts to hold together.
Fill your pots with the moist soil leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch of space at the top. Tamp down lightly to create a bouncy soil.
Sprinkle seeds over the surface of large containers and for separated containers that are small or have cells just place 2-4 seeds around the center of the cell. Press seeds lightly so they get good contact with the soil.
Spread dry soil on top of seeds. Your seed packet may have a recommended depth printed on the back. A good rule for how much to spread on is the seed depth in the soil should be about 1-2 times the diameter of the seed. So a seed with the diameter of 1/8" should be covered with 1/8-1/4" soil. It don't have to be perfect though, just somewhere in the vicinity.
Cover with something clear, such as an open zippy bag or plastic wrap (spread over tooth picks placed in the soil and secured with a rubber band), and place in some type of tray to catch any soil or water. My containers had the lids that came with them so I snapped those on and wrapped plastic wrap over the tops to cover the holes.
Place in a warm spot like the top the refrigerator or on a heating pad set on low. Most vegetable seeds do not need light to sprout so you can cover them with a towel to hold moisture and heat when they are just starting.
Check on them every day to see if they are have sprouted. If the soil looks dry mist with water or pour some water into the tray under them. DO NOT pour directly on the soil as that may disturb you little sprouts.
Remove everything off the top once most of them have sprouted and place them in a sunny south facing window. If the window is cold you may want to continue the heating pad until they are well established. At this point you will need to divide the sprouts in the large container and transplant them to their own individual pots. If they were planted in divided pots wait until they have their full two leaves then thin to one strong seedling per pot.
Transplant them to larger pots as thy out grow their little ones unless the pot you started them in is big enough. You can use regular potting soil for that. Normally the ones you start later in the season such as brassicas, squash, and herbs can be transplanted from their small pots directly to the garden whereas the early ones such as tomatoes and peppers need to be transplanted as they get bigger, especially tomatos. I have found that tomatoes need a milk jug size container and peppers a tin can size one.
Harden off your plants when it starts to get close to planting time. For simple instruction for this check out this link. You may start this process early on when you start getting warm days if they are outgrowing your window, just be sure to bring them in at night. I hope to start keeping my larger plants in my cold frame once they outgrow our window, as long as the nights aren't to cold they should be fine if I have started to harden them off.
Transplant to the garden according to each plants transplant date. Normally that is printed on the seed packet in relation to your areas last frost date.

For more information you can find instructions in any basic gardening book such as Gardening 101 by Martha Stewart Living Magazine.

The Planetary System ~ Darwin

2009-02-27T13:16:00.007-05:00

1. Fair star of Eve, thy lucid ray
Directs my thoughts to realms on high:
Great is the theme, though weak the lay,
For my heart whispers God is nigh.

2. The Sun, vicegerent1 of his power,
Shall rend the veil of parting night,
Salute the spheres, at early hour,
And pour a flood of life and light.

3. Seven circling planets I behold,
Their different orbits all described;
Copernicus these wonders told,
And bade the laws of truth revive.

4. Mercury and Venus first appear,
Nearest the dazzling source of day;
Three months compose his hasty year,
In Seven she treads the heavenly way.

5. Next earth completes her yearly course;
The Moon as satellite attends;
Attraction is the hidden force,
On which creation's law depends.

6. Then Mars is seen of fiery hue;
Jupiter's orb we next descry;
His atmospheric belts we view,
And four bright moons attract the eye.

7. Mars, soon his revolution makes,
In twice twelve months the Sun surrounds.
Jupiter, greater limits takes,
And twelve long years declare his bounds.

8.With ring of light, see Saturn slow,
Pursue his path in endless space;
By seven pale moons his course we know,
And thirty years that round shall trace.

9. The Georgium Sidus2 appears,
By his amazing distance known;
The lapse of more than eighty years
In his account makes one alone.

10. Six moons are his, by Herschel3 shown,
Herschel, of modern times the boast;
Discovery here is all his own,
Another planetary host!

11. And lo! by astronomic scan,
Three stranger planets track the skies,
Part of that high majestic plan,
Whence those successive worlds arise.

12. Next Mars, Piazzi's orb is seen,
Four years six months, complete his round;
Science shall renovated beam,
And gild Palermo's favored ground.

13. Daughters of telescopic ray,
Pallas4 Juno, smaller spheres,
Are seen near Jove's5 imperial way,
Tracing the heavens in destined years.

14. Comets and fixed stars I see,
With native luster ever shine;
How great! how good! how dreadful! He,
In whom life, light, and truth combine.

15. Oh! may I better know his will,
More implicitly obey;
Be God my friend, my father still,
From finite -- to eternal day.

Now, lest you think your eyes deceive you about the author of this poem I will inform you that this is not the more famous Darwin, though I have not yet been able to track down his first name (just try to Google Planetary System by Darwin and see what you find). If only the world had listened to this Darwin instead.

I discovered this beautiful and very educational poem (you could do whole unit study on it) in an antique school book printed in 1839 called The Reader and Definer: Pieces in Prose and Verse Designed for the Higher Classes by Albert Picket and John Picket. I have always been fascinated with school books printed before 1900, to consider the great thinkers educated by these books alone should make us wonder where we have went wrong with modern education. Perhaps this excerpt from the preface of the above mentioned book could give us a clue:

This second part of the New Juvenile Reader has been prepared with the direct reference to the objects of instruction -- the communication of ideas -- which are the elements of thought -- and the formation of moral character. The selection, therefore, are suited to the strength of young minds; to convey accurate and definite ideas, and to promote the growth and health of the moral affections.

All these old school books I have collected are based on a Biblical worldview and I don't mean Deistic either, Christ is often mentioned and extolled. As we homeschoolers seek to train up the next generation according to Scriptures I think we need to dust off these old educational books and reprint them (perhaps even update them a little) to use to educate true great thinkers -- those founded in the Word of God.

1VICEGE'RENT, n. [L. vicem gereus, acting in the place of another.] A lieutenant; a vicar; an officer who is deputed by a superior or by proper authority to exercise the powers of another. Kings are sometimes called God's vicegerents. It is to be wished they would always deserve the appellation.

VICEGE'RENT, a. Having or exercising delegated power; acting by substitution, or in the place of another.

~ Webster's 1828 Dictionary.

2 Uranus the planet.

3 astronomer (born in Germany) who discovered infrared light and who cataloged the stars and discovered the planet Uranus (1738-1822)

4 large asteroid; the second asteroid to be discovered

5A name for Jupiter.

The Great Rewards of Simple Planning: Vegetable Garden Planning in Limited Space

2009-02-02T14:54:00.013-05:00

I have found that prior planning of my small garden is essential in order to reap a greater harvest at a lower price. Garden planning is something my father (the main gardener in our house) never did -- but then he did not start seeds indoors, succession plant or implement as many space saving ideas as I do. Also, I find planning my garden ahead of time takes away a lot of stress when it comes time to plant. Come Spring I can just focus on getting those vegetables into the ground and watching them grow.

1. Make your layout. Draw a scale (like 1/4in. = 1ft.) drawing of your garden space on a piece of notebook paper and put an arrow pointing North. Mark rows and pathways on your sketch. If you don't already have permanent (or raised) beds and walk ways I highly suggest you plan them into your garden this year especially if you are dealing with limited space. Then you can make a master plan of your garden that you can just make copies of each succeeding year to use for your layout. Thus eliminating this step from here on out. To learn of all the benefits of permanent bed gardens and how to achieve them read Gardening for Keeps and Build Permanent Beds & Paths.

2. Decide which plants you want and how much space they need. Now it is time to get out the seed catalogs if you plan on ordering seeds. If not just write down all the plants you think you will want to grow this year. When dealing with small spaces you will want to take into consideration which vegetables and fruits cost the most at market. For instance don't waste you time, space and money on potatoes when you could be growing tomatoes. Once you have an idea of which plants you want to grow you need to find out how much space each one needs and how many days to maturity. If your not sure you can check out this seed spacing chart and this maturity chart for the most common vegetables.

3. Choose each plant's spot and determine quantity needed. Determine how much space you want to devote to each plant from you total sq. footage (including your garden rows only). Using the information from the previous steps you can mark in pencil where you want to plant each vegetable. For larger plants such as tomatoes and peppers you can mark where each plant will go using your scale to place them at appropriate distances from each other. For your other smaller plants (such as onions, lettuce, spinach) you can just mark their boundaries. Here are few tips to keep in mind when planning a small garden:

You can plan to plant your early maturing plants around your late maturing plants (see my garden plan above).

Place your tallest growing vegetables on the North side of the garden to keep them from shading you shorter plants.

Grow as many plants upward as possible to conserve on space. Good plants to grow on supports are pole beans, indeterminate tomatoes, squashes (as long as their fruit don't become to heavy), cucumbers, peas and melons. To read about growing vertical check out Tower Power and How to Build an A-Frame Trellis. This year I plan on building all my garden supports out of branches from the woods near our house and lumber salvaged from pallets (except for the tomatoes cages that I have left over from last year). A little imagination can go a long way. I'll let you know how they turn out.

4. Order seeds, build supports. Between now and planting time you need to order the seeds you are going to start indoors and those you are going to sow directly outside. I normally start scouring my seed catalogs in December and order the end of January or beginning of February since I need to start my tomatoes and peppers in March. If you plan on buying your plants then you can buy your seeds at the same time or a month before you last frost date order from a catalog. At this time you might also want to consider marking a calendar for any succession planting you want to do. I highly recommend succession planting for crops such as radishes, onions, lettuce and spinach so you don't get them all at once. For more information read How to Plant Succession Crops. Be sure also to build those supports or purchase them before you begin planting. By erecting your supports when you plant you can avoid damaging the roots once the plants are established.

Now you are one step closer to a highly successful garden season. Stay tuned, I plan on posting next week about my seed prorogation from our one small south facing window-- it is possible!

The Great Rewards of Simple Planning: Composting

2009-01-27T14:37:00.004-05:00

The first area I am going to address is the garden, since right now is the time to be making those preparations even if, like me, you have a couple of feet of snow on the ground. Today it is going to be about making compost.

Composting is the number one way to improve your soil. You can save a lot a money and have a healthy soil by harnessing this natural process. It may takes several months to make but the steps are very easy and can become a part of your daily routine, like taking out the garbage.

1. Set apart an out-of-the-way spot in your yard to be your compost corner. Now you don't want it to be to far from your back door though as you will need to access it every day or two. Your composting can be done in as a heap or you can build an enclosure for it out of pallets or chicken wire (for a cylinder). For simple instructions for several different home built models click here and for more complex here.

2. Begin keeping a compost bucket in your kitchen. The humble ice cream bucket works great and can be stored under the counter near where you normally chop up vegetables. Take it out as it gets to full. I have really been surprised how fast ours fills up. The number of things that can go into it are by no means limited to vegetable scraps. Be sure to also put your coffee grounds (w/filter), tea bags, moldy bread, stale crackers and chips, egg shells, freezer burnt vegetables, and several other non-meat and non-dairy products that have seen their better days.

3. Turn it, water it , leave it. Once it gets around 3 to 5 cubic feet start adding your new additions to a new pile. If it is really cold you just leave it. When it starts feeling like Spring you need to check it about every week or so to make sure it is moist and turn it. It should be ready in 2-4 months. If your in no hurry and can wait a year just put some dirt on top and leave it to do its job.

4. Get it ready for the soil. Compost is mature when it is dark brown. It should be crumbly with very few large particles and have an earthy smell. It will also be about 1/3 its original size. To test it place a small amount into a sealed bag and let it sit for 4 days. If it smells like ammonia or smells rotten it isn't ready. When it is ready sift it through a frame fitted with some hardware wire to remove anything to big. Now it is ready to use. You can either store it in some buckets or apply it straight to the garden as a manure or mulch.

The Great Rewards of Simple Planning Series: Introduction

2009-01-27T14:18:00.005-05:00

There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
Proverbs 30:24,25

We all have something in our mind that we want to become or accomplish yet it just seems so far out of our reach that we just lay it to rest and plunge through another day. But often they are just at our fingertips, we simply need to do a little planning ahead. So I want to share with you in a blog series some simple preparations that have helped me realize great rewards . I am not sure how long this series will be, but I plan to post on it at least once a week. It will include my gleanings about:

Composting
Garden Planning for Limited Space
Seed Propagation
Vegetable Ferments
Sourdough
Soaking Grains
And More

I hope you can learn a little from my ramblings.

The Heart of Thanksgiving

2008-11-25T15:57:00.006-05:00

Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Proverbs 16:19

Many of us are busy in preparations for Thanksgiving, some to travel, others for the meal. I am happy to report that pies, potatoes, and cranberry sauce are all ready awaiting that feast at our house. Yet, even if the turkey is ready to cook, the pies made, or the car packed; are you ready to give thanks? In the midst of our making ready let us never forget that one thing needful, preparing our hearts for the true purpose of the day.

Thankfulness begins with a humble heart. True gratefulness of heart is never half-hearted, no, it is rather born of a deep sense of unworthiness and lowliness of mind. Who are some of the most grateful people you can think of? Would you ever in the same breath call them proud, arrogant or haughty? Never, because we can only be thankful when we realize that what we deserve we do not get, and what we don't deserve we receive. Those who believe they have earned what they have, or have some right to what they don't have, will never be thankful. Complaining comes from a wrong view of ourselves and of God.

Ah, did we but rightly understand what the demerit of sin is, we would rather admire the bounty of God than complain of the straithandedness of Providence. And if we did but consider that there lies upon God no obligation of justice or gratitude to reward any of our duties, it would cure our murmurs (Gen. 32:10).
-John Flavel

When we have a right view then we will say with the Psalmist:

He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:10-12

The best way to prepare our hearts for thanksgiving is to soberly consider our own unworthiness and the great goodness our God has bestowed upon us. The blessing of mercy and grace that receive through our Lord Jesus is equal to the greatness of the punishment we deserve. Now what we receive is upon His merit, our praise can never be enough for such a gift. For most of us our earthly blessings also far surpass what we deserve. Do you have health, food, and clothing on your back? Then you are blessed far more than many in this world, all the rest we have is extraneous blessing. As we come to this holiday may it not just be one day of thanksgiving to God for us; may it renew in us a heart of continual gratitude, for this is the will of God.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
I Thessalonians 5:18

May the Lord bless you with a thankful heart!

Free Sheet Music!

2008-11-23T15:19:00.002-05:00

I just had to pass on this link to a beautiful piano arrangement of 'Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus by LaShannon Hyder. It is a 4-page PDF file completely free.

'Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus by LaShannon Hyder

~Enjoy

New Semi-Complementarians or Old Feminists?

2008-11-23T15:12:00.005-05:00

Here is an article my Mom wrote for LAF that you may find interesting regarding Mrs. Palin and her supporters.

New Semi-Complementarians or Old Feminists?

~

Proclaiming Thanksgiving ~ 1777

2008-11-17T14:04:00.002-05:00

Saturday, November 1, 1777

The committee appointed to prepare a recommendation to the several states, to set apart a day of public thanksgiving, brought in a report; which was taken into consideration, and agreed to as follows:

Forasmuch as it is the indispensable duty of all men to adore the superintending providence of Almighty God; to acknowledge with gratitude their obligation to him for benefits received, and to implore such farther blessings as they stand in need of; and it having pleased him in his abundant mercy not only to continue to us the innumerable bounties of his common providence, but also smile upon us in the prosecution of a just and necessary war, for the defense and establishment of our unalienable rights and liberties; particularly in that he hath been pleased in so great a measure to prosper the means used for the support of our troops and to crown our arms with most signal success:

It is therefore recommended to the legislative or executive powers of these United States, to set apart Thursday, the 18th day of December next, for solemn thanksgiving and praise; that with one heart and one voice the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts, and consecrate themselves to the service of their divine benefactor; and that together with their sincere acknowledgments and offerings, they may join the penitent confession of their manifold sins, whereby they had forfeited every favor, and their humble and earnest supplication that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, mercifully to forgive and blot them out of remembrance; that it may please him graciously to afford his blessings on the governments of these states respectively, and prosper the public council of the whole; to inspire our commanders both by land and sea, and all under them, with that wisdom and fortitude which may render them fit instruments, under the providence of Almighty God, to secure for these United States the greatest of all blessings, independence and peace; that it may please him to prosper the trade and manufactures of the people and the labor of the husbandman, that our land may yield its increase; to take schools and seminaries of education, so necessary for cultivating the principles of true liberty, virtue and piety, under his nurturing hand, and to prosper the means of religion for the promotion and enlargement of that kingdom which consisteth in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
And it is further recommended, that servile labor, and such recreation as, though at other times innocent, may be unbecoming the purpose of this appointment, be omitted on so solemn an occasion.

Where was the ACLU?!

A Cultured Lady

2008-10-24T13:01:00.004-04:00

Disposition is culture. Health is the soil, intelligence the branches, and disposition the leaves, buds, and blossoms -- the robe of living beauty, fragrance, and sweetness with which a young woman is to clothe her life. Without heart-culture the finest mental culture is like a tree with nothing but cold, leafless limbs.

--Author Unknown

Taken from In My Father's House, Edited by Tamara and Naomi Valine, Lily Press, 2004, pg. 57

Ten P’s in a Pod: Book Review

2008-09-30T11:53:00.006-04:00

A family on a mission: that describes the ten members of the Pent family in this humorous, but inspiring story. It was a mission that included traveling over a million miles, lots of faith, family unity, and consistent leadership. The rewards? A treasure laid up in heaven of many sons brought unto glory, and plenty of treasure left here on earth; including a book that will bless and encourage you as you build a vision for your family, present or future.

They were by no means your average American family from the 1950’s, in fact they named themselves “The World’s Most Unusually Family”. What made them so unusual? They were pioneers of home schooling (before the word was even in anyone’s vocabulary), they traveled singing and preaching the Gospel, and lived by faith not by bread alone but by the Word of God. Their father’s devotion to God’s word, not only for himself but for his family as well, was the sustaining force of their lives. He knew that the Scriptures were able to make his children, and all who heard them, wise unto salvation. As they traveled all those miles they had a great time and learned to love God and each other in a deep and meaningful way. Arnold and Persis Pent may have never been able to give their children much in the way the world’s wealth and success, but they gave them things much more meaningful. They trained them in the way of the Lord, the way that they should go, and gave them a life full of experiential faith and love.

When I started reading this book I was seeking to find a vision for my future family that would truly glorify God. I doubt I could have found a better book outside of God’s word to give me such a vision. I was challenged, encouraged and all around inspired to be more devoted to God and His Word. I hope that if I ever have a family of my own that we can live by the principles of God’s word as the Pent family did, but I hope as well, by God’s grace, to start living more fully by them now. This book was a real blessing to me and now ranks up there with my favorite books. I think that if you read it you will find it just as much a blessing.

To purchase this book visit this link to Vision Forum.

Apple Rice Pudding

2008-09-26T15:33:00.003-04:00

Here is an easy, healthy, frugal and delicious recipe. I make it whenever I have leftover rice and my family loves it. I found it in Wholesome Sugarfree Cooking, an Amish cookbook that uses all natural sweeteners. It is one of my favorite cookbooks.

1/4-1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 apples, chopped
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups milk
2/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup coconut, wheat germ, or sunflower seed, optional

In a medium saucepan, heat maple syrup, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and apples until hot and bubbly. Add the cooked rice, milk, and raisins. Heat until mixture begins to bubble, but has not reached a full boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pudding thickens, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with topping and serve. This is also delicious without the toppings.

Beautifying Our Homes With Flowers

2008-09-18T11:18:00.008-04:00

Flowers add a burst of beauty and color to ordinary spaces. Having a bouquet on the dining table, a small teacup with a large bloom resting in it on the bathroom sink, or a tall vase with a flowers or two poking out on a bookshelf add a sense of beauty and peace. Even though it is fall there are still plenty of opportunities to find flowers to brighten up your home. Wildflowers, seedums (which we have an abundance of right now), rose of Sharon, hostas, and hydrangeas are just a few which are in bloom where I live. Also I can still find plenty of greenery to add to my bouquets or, as in the picture above, golden grasses. Let your creativity flow. If you haven't done much in floral arranging before these three easy steps should get you started:

GATHER flowers and foliage that complement one another in color, texture, and size.
CONDITION flowers by snipping stems at a sharp angle. This creates more surface for water intake and prevents stems from sitting flat against the bottom of the container and forming a seal. Remove any leaves that will be submerged in water to avoid excess bacteria buildup. Place flowers immediately in water. Add floral food.
ARRANGE flowers in vessels that coordinate with the design. 1

If you need more inspiration try Googling "flower arranging" to get some handy tips and beautiful examples (popular magazine websites are often the best).

1 Melissa Ozawa, "10 Things to Do with a Bucket of Flowers", Country Living, July 2008, 36.

Summer Pictures

2008-08-06T11:14:00.003-04:00

Here is a few pictures I thought I would share to document my summer. Sweet satisfaction.

My first red tomatoes, ripe green tomatoes (special variety), and collard greens.

Herb garden.

First fitted blouse that I have ever sewn.

Cards that I made.

Me and Sam, taken back in May.

This weekend we will be gone on a short trip to visit family in Illinois and we are meeting Sam there. Then he's coming home for a week. Yippie!

Hope everyone is haveing a sweet summer. =)

Favorite Authors Tag

2008-07-29T14:50:00.008-04:00

Who is your all-time favorite author and why?
The Holy Spirit and hence all the authors He used to write the Bible. =)

Who was your first favorite author and why? Do you still consider him/her to be among your favorites?
Nancy Rue, she wrote very adventurous historical fiction from a Christian perspective. Her books were the spark to my interest in American history. I haven't read any of her books for probably seven years, so I don't know if I would still enjoy them as much.

Who is the most recent addition to your list of favorite authors, and why?

John Newton, I read a book of his letters here recently and was greatly blessed by his simple, straight forward way of teaching truth.

If someone asked you who your favorite authors were right now, which authors would first pop out of your mouth?

Besides the above:
Elizabeth Prentiss
Isabella Alden
Charles Spurgeon
John Bunyan
Jane Austin
The Botkin Sisters
Charles Dickens
Louisa May Alcott

There are probably more that I can't think of right now.

The rules:

Link to the person that tagged you.
Post the rules somewhere in your blog.
Answer the question.
Tag six other people in your post.
Let the people tagged know they've been chosen in a comment on their blog.

I'll have to think about who to tag, it won't be six people though. Sorry for breaking the rules. (=

Five Things I Love (to do)

2008-07-22T14:08:00.004-04:00

I have several things that I love so I thought I would put a twist on the list and do things I love to do (especially when I am under stress).

1. Pray and Read God's word.
This week I have had a little trial and this has been my life line. God is so good to me.

2. Make something with my hands.
Sewing, crochet, card making, knitting, cross-stitch, ect., these all bring me an great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

3. Play the piano.
My favorite way to relax. I love to improvise hymns and play hymn arrangements. I enjoy classical pieces as well.

4. Fellowship with like-minded people.
I always come away refreshed and encouraged after spending time with other families of like mind. What a blessing!

5. Ride my bike or walk in beautiful surroundings.
Usually this is with my dad. Three or four nights a week we go for a bike ride on the back roads around our house. West Michigan is a beautiful place to live and right now it is in full leaf and bloom. I always return home feeling rejuvenated.

Now I get to tag four people to list their own five things they love (excluding family).

Emily at A Heart of Praise
Amy at Under Southern Skies
Emily (She isn't blogging yet, but she told me she would soon. So this is for her when she gets online.)=)
Rebecca at By His Grace and for His Glory

The School

2008-07-19T08:04:00.006-04:00

This poem has been a great blessing to me and greatly encouraged my heart. I hope you shall be blessed by it.

We are scholars, nothing but scholars,
Little children at school,
Learning our daily lessons,
Subject to law and rule.

Life is the school, and the Master
Is the man Jesus Christ,
We are His charity scholars,
His the teaching unpriced.

Slowly we learn, all His patience
Is hourly put to the test;
But often the slowest and dullest,
He pities and loves the best.

Still, we sit at the feet of our Master,
Very low at His feet.
Study the lessons He sets us,
Sometimes lesson repeat.

Some of the lessons are pleasant,
Pleasant, and easy to learn;
The page of our task-book simple,
Simple and easy to turn.

But anon the reading is painful,
Studied mid sighing and tears;
We stammer and falter over it,
Do not learn it for years.

Yet that is no falt of the Master;
All His lessons are good;
Only our childish folly
Leaves them misunderstood.

And still we go on, learning,
And learning to love our school;
Learning to love our Master,
Learning to love His rule.

And by and by, we children
Shall grow into perfect men,
And the loving, patient Master
From school will dismiss us then.

No more tedious lessons,
No more sighing and tears,
But a bound into home immortal,
And blessed, blessed years!

~Elizabeth Prentiss
Golden Hours: Heart Hymns of the Christian Life,
Solid Ground Christian Books, 2001

Bread Tips

2008-07-18T13:28:00.005-04:00

As I was making bread today I was thinking about how many little tips I have gleaned to help improve my whole wheat bread. I know many struggle with trying to get their 100% wheat bread to rise and have good texture, so I thought you might be interested in some of my simple techniques.

1. Use hard white wheat flour.

Most wheat flours you buy at the store are red wheat; some prefer this, but the white wheat doesn't have as strong a flavor and makes more pleasant tasting and lighter colored bread. If you have a wheat mill you can buy your own berries to grind, if not King Arther brand sells a whole white wheat flour (not white flour, white wheat flour).

2. Use a hard fat.

Butter, lard, chicken fat, bacon grease, ect. are all good. My favorite is chicken fat, I skim it off of my chicken stock and it makes delicious bread. Just be sure not to add any seasoning to your stock before skimming the fat off or your bread will have that flavor (though bay leaf does add an interesting flavor to bread).

3. Use potato water for your liquid.

This can be water you have saved from boiling potatoes or water with a little potato blended into it ( I keep some potato chunks in my freezer so I just have to thaw it and blend into my water when I make bread). Just be sure to add it to the measuring cup before measuring the water so you don't end up with to much liquid.

4.Knead until gluten is developed.

Usually this takes about 10 minutes. To test pinch off a golf ball size piece and hold up to the light. Pull gently until you can see the light through it, if it breaks before this it isn't fully developed, knead more and test again.

I hope these tips have helped you. My bread recipe can be found here.

No-Frills Frilly Apron: A Pattern Review

2008-06-17T14:30:00.001-04:00

When we recieved our first issue (free sample) of Mary Jane's Farm magazine I had to make the free apron pattern that it included. This apron is a curved darted apron with a large flounce around the bottom that tapers at the sides. The waist band is sculpted and the pattern includes two pocket options: a regular curved square and a full waist-to-flounce pocket. In the magazine it suggest using vintage table clothes and working with the details to create decoration. A lovely idea if you have old stained table cloths that can be salvaged for the project. I was able to pick up some delicate feminine specialty cottons from our local Joann Fabrics that I thought fit the pattern quite well.

The first step in this pattern was the hardest, it was to enlarge the pattern in the magazine by 400% ( it comes on a 1/4" grid). If you attempt to make this pattern save yourself a lot of trouble and have it enlarged at a copy shop. I had some 1" gridded pellon that I used to carefully copy the pattern. It came out perfect - two hours later. So I was rolling my eyes at the comment in the magazine "I used freezer paper and drew a 1" grid and just re-drew the 1/4" squares on the pattern. It went fast and I enjoyed it!" Another commenter said it only cost her $0.87 at Office Depot, so you won't save a lot by doing it at home.

The instructions were pretty straight forward, but not as detailed as most patterns. As an experienced sewer I was able follow it and make adjustments as needed, a beginner would probably need some help. Two places where I made adjustments to the pattern were adding a triangle to the pockets and joining the ties to the waist band with no top stitching (using the method that most commercial apron patterns give). Another adjustment I would make is finishing the edges where the flounce meets the body either by serging or French seam.

Over all I thought the pattern was simple and left a lot of room for creativity. I was delighted with the finished product and would consider making again. The flounce adds such a feminine touch and makes it a lot of fun to wear. I think it a great garden and outdoor apron, though you may want a more sturdy fabric than what I choose. Just be careful not to get a hand wash or dry clean only fabric. If you are interested it obtaining this pattern it is the current issue of Mary Jane's Farm (vol. 7 no.4 May-July). You can also purchase the printed pattern from Mary Jane's Farm for $8 (you still have to enlarge it yourself). I believe it may also be in her special stitchery issue Artists in Aprons which includes five apron patterns and only cost $10.99.

Also check out her free "Make-Do" apron pattern.

My Finished Apron

Rhubarb Season

2008-06-10T14:48:00.006-04:00

In my family we LOVE rhubarb. Every year when it comes into season I am required to make large batches of these two recipes. If I had more I would probably make a wider array of recipes, but for now we have to buy it so it all goes into the tried and true recipes. Both of these recipes are passed down from my grandma (slightly modified by me to have less sugar, they still are extremely sweet). From my family to yours, ENJOY!

Rhubarb Jam

5 cups rhubarb, chopped and tough strings peeled off
2 cups sugar
1 3oz box of raspberry jello (strawberry good too)
In saucepan stir together rhubarb and sugar and heat to a boil. Simmer until rhubarb is soft and mushy. Stir in jello and boil 1 to 1 1/2 minutes more. Remove from heat and pour in to sterilized jars and cap with two piece lid. Let sit until sealed. Can also be put in freezer containers and frozen.Refrigerate after opening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rhubarb Strawberry Pie

3/4 to 1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unbleached white flour
2 cups chopped rhubarb (1/4 to 1/2 in. slices, tough strings removed)
2 cups sliced strawberries
2 9" pie shells

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir together sugar and flour. Add fruit and toss to coat. Pour into pie shell and top with remaining pie shell. Crimp or flute edges and slit top, or do a lattice top. Bake for 40 -50 minutes or until crust is golden and filling thick (you may want to cover edges with foil when it begins to brown). Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Beautiful Spring

2008-05-15T09:21:00.005-04:00

Spring is in full bloom and I am enjoying it immensely. This morning when I went to uncover my plants (had a light frost) I couldn't resist taking my camera with me. Our Lord has given us such beauty.

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

Song of Solomon 2:12

Nourishing Traditions Book Review

2008-05-13T16:40:00.007-04:00

Nourishing Traditions is a cookbook with a mission to educate modern man about the way we were created to eat, the way man has been eating for thousands of years. Before science started creating food in a laboratory God created food that would nourish our bodies, not just feed us. He also provided us ways to prepare it that would even further nourish us. But when man thought he could find a better way of providing food he lost his way to his own good health and the health of his progeny.

Nourishing Traditions is a guide to eating the old way. Based on the research of Dr. Weston A. Price, a dentist who traveled the world studying “primitive” tribes in search of healthy people and what they ate, Sally Fallon seeks to bring his discoveries and those of many other researchers to your dinner table. The way in which we provide our food today is radically different from our forefathers; dairy, meat, eggs, produce, bread, fats, and processed foods are all produced in new ways that are robbing us of the nourishment our bodies need to sustain ourselves. This book brings us back to food and educates us in the foundations of good nutrition. Fats, carbohydrates, proteins, dairy, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes each are explained and expounded on to equip us with the truth about nutrition so we can make wise decisions in our diet. After giving us the preliminary information for good nutrition she goes on to give many recipes for old favorites and new cuisine prepared in traditional ways that retain and release important nutrients, and aid in digestion. At the beginning of each section there is a commentary to further explain the concepts behind the recipes, then on the side margins of all the recipes there are quotes from many sources on proper nutrition.

I have put off writing this review for some time because I am still studying the book and rereading important parts. If is full of valuable information that you aren’t going to hear many other places. I am convinced that much of what taught in this book is just the way we were created to eat and prepare our food. Of course I do not agree with everything (especially the raw meat eating) but I have learned so much about how to nourish my family from this book. As I have done further research on the traditional ways of eating it has led me to realize that the main reason we are where we are in our food production is not because big corporations were greedy for our money, but because women left home (and consequently the food preparation of the family) for “higher work”. This is what has led us to seek for someone else to prepare our food and the large corporations were just all to willing to bring the industrial revolution to food preparation. Our health crisis is not the fault of big business; it is the fault of woman who thought their work could be done by anybody. Well, now we know it can’t, and that is why it has mainly been the wives and mothers returning from the workforce who are rethinking their family’s diets. Out of love they are preparing foods that don’t just keep their family from being hungry, but nourishes and strengthens them for the task that are before them.I truly hope that you will obtain your own copy of this wonderful book and start taking the steps necessary to nourishing your families. At first it may seem overwhelming to implement everything you learn, but you have to see it as a journey to good nutrition that you can begin today by taking one step at a time. In the future I hope to share more with you about what I have been doing to change our diet. In many ways we are restricted because of budgetary reason but I have been able to implement many of the principles presented in this book nonetheless. In fact I found many to be cheaper than what we have been doing. So don’t give up hope; catch the vision for better health for you and your family!

For more information and lots of online reading visit the Weston A. Price Foundation.

To purchase for $16.50 click here.

Good websites with information on eating the "Nourishing way":

Traditional Bread

Fermenting

Dairy

Finding Food

Sustainable Food

The New "Improved" Life?

2008-04-10T11:51:00.005-04:00

The old-time farmer said, "The fast-grown punkin usually turns out to be the 'pore' one," and the saying still goes. Despite all the progress of science, the average man of today most often ends up physically poorer than the same man of a century ago. Life-expectancy in youth and middle age, for example, has naturally risen because of medical progress; but because he lacks proper exercise, nutrients, and mental relaxation, the man over sixty today is actually a weaker man than his ancestor was at the same age. The elderly man of today has less chance of living than did his counterpart of the past! In 1832 a special census was taken of all people in the United States over 100 years old. The possibility of inaccuracies was taken into consideration and hearsay, such as reports about Negro slaves, was ruled out. It was found that at one person in every 4,500 Americans was a hundred years old or more. Today the figure is only one in 34,000.

Few of us can comprehend it, but two things have vitally changed the character of food and mankind during the past century. One is that much of present-day food is grown from a more depleted soil and it is therefore proportionately deficient. Another is that nutritional losses from refining and processing further lessens the value of food. In some cases the loss may be as much as fifty percent.

Very much like today's food, which is grown larger and prettier but with less nutrient, the average man of today is larger, but lacking in stamina. A striking thing about ancient armor and early American clothing is its smallness. Statistics show that man eats more now, but gets less food value than he did in the past. He becomes softer and flabbier as he increases in size.

-- Eric Sloane The Season of America Past,
Promontory Press 1988

Frugal Cleaning Tips

2008-04-01T12:13:00.008-04:00

One place to cut down on waste and expense may be your cleaning closet. Over the past year I have started to implement easy ways to save and simplify the way we clean our home. Not only have I saved myself some money but, literally, the headache that comes with using powerful chemical cleaners. Now I find that when I have to clean with regular cleaners it really affects me. I used to just take it for granted that a headache came with cleaning, but thankfully no longer. So here are some tips that have helped me:

1. Make your own cleaners.

This may sound complicated but it is actually really simple. If you can follow a recipe you can make a cleaner. Often they only include a few household items that are poured into a bottle and shook up. For some great recipes I found online visit Clean and Green.

2. Use old rags instead of paper towels and cleaning wipes.

If you are like us you probably have many old wash cloths and dish rags that have seen their better days. Instead of throwing them out, give them a new life in your cleaning closet. To make sure they don't end up in the linen closet after they are washed I snip one corner off to identify them from any others. I normally can clean my bathroom with one rag by starting with the mirror, then the counter and sink, and last of all the commode. Then it gets thrown in the wash, not the trash basket. This has cut our paper towel usage in half. If you usually use a wad of paper towels to protect your hands, like my brothers (it is amazing how wimpy my brothers become when it comes to cleaning the bathroom), you can always buy a cheap pair of latex gloves to keep in the bathroom.

3. Buy supplies in bulk

When you make your own cleaners the supplies are pretty cheap to begin with, but you can save even more by buying in bulk. I can get two gallons of vinegar at our Sam's Club for $3.18 and 12 lbs of baking soda for $5.36. If you don't want to use a membership store you may be able to find the same things at any bulk store such as GFS. If you prefer to use ready-made cleaners you can often find concentrates for these at bulk stores that come out to be very inexpensive per batch.

For more advice and tips to save money visit Frugal Friday at Biblical Womanhoo d.

Deep Chocolate Pudding

2008-03-24T14:40:00.005-04:00

6-7 oz dark chocolate (bar or semi-sweet chips)
2 cups milk
1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)
3/4 t. vanilla

Chop chocolate into very fine pieces (in a food processor or blender). In a large saucepan combine chocolate, 1 3/4 cups milk, cream, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk vigorously over medium heat untill it simmers and is smooth and thick. Stir together remaining 1/4 cup of milk with cornstarch. Whisk into saucepan mixture. Bring to simmer and simmer two minutes, whisking and scraping sides of pan with a rubber spatula. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap pressing plastic to the pudding. Chill to desired temperature and serve. Makes ten 1/2 cup servings.

Boiling the Perfect Egg

2008-03-14T10:49:00.010-04:00

In my family boiled eggs are a favorite. We use them in egg salad, deviled eggs, potato salad, or just plain with a little salt. So over the years we have tried several different techniques to make it easier to prepare and to get optimum results. Here is the process I have come up with to get the perfect hard egg.

You will need:

6 eggs (the older they are the easier the shell comes off)
oil
water

1.Gently crack each egg to get an hair-line crack and place in large sauce pan.

2. Pour a little oil into the cap of the bottle and pour over eggs, continue until all eggs have a thin layer of oil on them. (See picture to left.)

3. Cover eggs with cold water and heat to a boil over high heat.

4. When it comes to a rolling boil set a timer for six minutes.

5. After six minutes remove from heat and cover. Set the timer for another six minutes and let pan sit.

6. After timer goes off drain eggs and immediately submerge in ice water. Let sit until ice melts. Drain and store in refrigerator until thoroughly chilled.

7. To shell simply crush shell and slip off . By cracking the eggs and pouring oil over them it creates a slick surface between the egg and the shell, which makes it so much easier to shell than traditionally boiled eggs.

2008-03-11T09:05:00.001-04:00

The Joy of Digital Photography: A Review

2008-03-04T16:46:00.004-05:00

Photography is not just a mindless thing you do to freeze a scene, it is an art and logical process by which you can capture a picture that interprets the mood and importance of a scene. In The Joy of Digital Photography Jeff Wignall teaches you (the novice) how to harness the power of photography the way the professionals do. And his style isn’t boring either; rather, he brings out the joy of photography in a fun, yet thorough way.

Set up in a topic-by-topic format, this book leads you through all the dynamics of taking great pictures whether you are using a small compact digital or an expensive SLR. Some of the topics include are: choosing a digital camera, designing compositions, getting good lighting, people photography, capturing nature and tweaking you shot in a computer software to get the best resulting print. On every page you will see exceptional photos to illustrate and guide you through the process. After reading this book you will be thoroughly informed on how to capture those special moments in your life and the beautiful world around you.

I have always been one of those people that took mediocre pictures, normally nailing my subject to the middle of the frame, now I will never look a photography in the same way. After only reading a few sections I was surprised at how much my pictures had improved. Now instead of just flipping through my pictures they actually held interest and communicated meaning. Also I was able to learn how to use all those confusing features on my digital camera and how changing settings would improve certain settings. This book was launching pad for me, it inspired me to pursue photography as a lifelong hobby and art; and in our digital age it is easier and cheaper than ever to get started.

WARNING!

2008-03-02T21:51:00.002-05:00

Chocolate cravings begin early!

This is a video of a friend's baby girl trying to get her M&Ms. It is funny how desperate she is to get after them!

The Cookie Thief

2008-02-26T09:19:00.004-05:00

by Valerie Cox

A woman was waiting at an airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shops.
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see,
That the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be.
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between,
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

So she munched the cookies and watched the clock,
As the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock.
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I would blacken his eye."

With each cookie she took, he took one too,
When only one was left, she wondered what he would do.
With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, as he ate the other,
She snatched it from him and thought... oooh, brother.
This guy has some nerve and he's also rude,
Why he didn't even show any gratitude!

She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate,
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.

She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat,
Then she sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise,
There was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.

If mine are here, she moaned in despair,
The others were his, and he tried to share.
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

How many times in our lives,
have we absolutely known
that something was a certain way,
only to discover later that
what we believed to be true ... was not?

The Blessedness of Trusting

2008-02-24T15:19:00.005-05:00

Another branch of blessedness, is a power of reposing ourselves and our concerns upon the Lord's faithfulness and care; and may be considered in two respects: a reliance upon him that he will surely provide for us, guide us, protect us, be our help in trouble, our shield in danger; so that however poor, weak, and defenceless in ourselves, we may rejoice in his all sufficiency as our own; -- and further, in consequence of this, a peaceful, humble submission to his will, under all events which, upon their first impression , are contrary to our own views and desires... For want of more of this spirit, multitudes of professing Christians perplex and wound themselves, and dishonour their high calling, by continual anxieties, alarms, and complaints. They think nothing safe under the Lord's keeping, unless their own eye is likewise upon it; and are seldom satisfied with any of his dispensations: for though he gratify their desires in nine instances, a refusal in the tenth spoils the relish of all, and they show the truths of the Gospel can afford them little comfort, if self is crossed. But blessed is the man who trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: he shall be kept in perfect peace, though the earth be moved, and the mountains cast into the midst of the sea.

~John Newton

Taken from Letters of John Newton, Banner of Truth 1990, pg. 150-151

Spring is Coming

2008-02-23T12:30:00.006-05:00

I have been very busy this past week so blogging has been put to the back burner. So I thought I would share some of the things I have been doing and learning.

Last Saturday I started my first seedlings of the season. Although it looks nothing like Spring out side it is that time to get a head start on the season. I planted three types of tomatoes: Lime Green Salad, Aunt Ruby's German Cherry, and Best Boy. Also I planted California Wonder peppers.

If you are interested in starting your own seeds now is the time to try it out. It really isn't as hard as many people think. Here are some articles to get you started:

10 Seed- Starting Tips

How to Succeed at Seed Starting

Starting Seeds Indoors

Any gardening book should have instructions also, just find the best method to fit your circumstances and give it a try.

Another thing I have been learning is digital photography. I hope to share more about that later.

Have a great day!

For Sale: Handmade Fabric Pins

2008-02-07T14:03:00.000-05:00

I am offering for sale five adorable flower pins made out of fabric to use as clothing accessories, or to decorate purses, coats, or bags. Each fabric flower has a pin securely sewn to the back for easy decoration and the edges are finished with fray preventer. The diameter of each of these is 3 1/2 inches.

Fabric Pin 001

*Shipping costs are a flat rate of $2.00, I only ship to USA addresses.

Women Preachers

2008-02-05T11:46:00.000-05:00

We have all heard, seen, or heard of women preachers. In our day they are every where, women leaving their roles as teachers of good things to the younger women and loving and training their children, to preach the Gospel ( or their gospel) while denying the inerrant Word of God as a rule for all parts of life, including the roles of men and women. But I am not here to rant about unbiblical female preachers in the evangelical movement, but rather that all women are preachers and we are to teach a very important lesson to the Church and the world.

Our lives are our pulpit, our submission the message. God has given us a mandate to be a sign and symbol of what the Church is to Christ. We can either preach that the Church is independant of Christ by being unsubmissive, or we can teach the beauty of the Gospel by humble submitting to our head who is a picture of Christ. From the beginning God set up an order to teach His plan for salvation, and he gave the man the headship and authority and the woman the place of helpmeet. He didn’t do this because one was better than the other, but because He created them in that order and for that purpose. How sad it is when women, in the name of the Gospel, throw off God’s order and according to His Word, are guilty of blasphemy. That is exactly what we do when we are not obedient to our authorities. Paul taught that very clearly in Titus 2:5, that to be disobedient to their own husbands was to blaspheme the Word of God. How serious that is! Yet how glorious the way of God is, that we could teach so important a truth simple by living in submission to our heads and ultimately to God’s Word.

I have heard women before question why their husbands couldn’t leave their work and be helpers to their wives. Have you ever thought about what kind of message that sends when we consider that marriage is a picture of Christ and the Church? Christ is simply the helper of the Church in all of her plans and work is what I read in it. It is opposite of what the scripture teaches; yet don’t many churches act like that? That they can do their way of spreading the gospel no matter how opposing it is to the Word of God and still expect Christ to be their helper in it. The Word of God cannot conform to our lives, but rather our lives to the Word of God. That is the picture we are suppose to represent in marriage; the Bride leaves her ways, her dreams and passions, and is joined unto Christ to be His helper in His Kingdom.

As wives, and even daughters, we have a very important message to preach, but we can only preach it by the means God has given us leaning on His grace. Not by usurping the headship of our authorities and taking to the pulpit, but by simply living in accordance with God’s written commands. May God bless you with His grace through His Son in your high calling.

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. (Emphasis added)
Ephesians 5:21-33

Grand Canyon: A Book Review

2008-01-29T15:26:00.000-05:00

It (the Grand Canyon) is a solemn witness to the mighty power of God, who is not only the omnipotent Creator of all things, but also the avenging Defender of His own holiness.

This is written in the introduction of Grand Canyon: a Different View by Tom Vail, and it truly is a totally different view from what you would normally find in the Grand Canyon bookstore. Filled with glossy photographs of breathtaking views of the canyon and contributions from 23 contributors (including Ken Ham, John MacArthur, Duane Gish, and John Morris) it tells the true story of how and when the Grand Canyon was formed.

Taken from a scientific (creationist) view this book leads the reader through several essays of the stories and evidences of the Grand Canyon's formation. These are convincing arguments for the Biblical worldview of creation and the flood, against the secular atheist slant of evolution. Toward the end the author shares interesting information and pictures of the life and habitat in the canyon and how they are perfectly suited for their rocky environment. Also, included in the book is his own story of coming from being an evolutionary tour guide to knowing the Great God and Creator. Every page is supported by beautiful photographs and scriptures that inspire awe of our Creator.

Last February I had the great privilege of visiting the Grand Canyon with my three brothers. I had seen many pictures of it but they never communicated to me the size of what I was seeing. My first glance took my breath away; it just so happened that the CD in our car was playing "Our God is an Awesome God,” how fitting! After spending 4 hours and walking 10 miles on the South Rim I still hadn't had my full of it and wanted to find out more. When I saw this book in the Vision Forum Catalog I was elated and had to have it. I read it right away and wasn’t at all disappointed. I came away from this book worshiping and fearing God. Truly I can say with that song:

“Our God is an awesome God,
He reigns from heaven above
in wisdom, power and love.
Our God is an awesome God”

Beautiful Snowy Morning

2008-01-24T09:42:00.000-05:00

It is winter wonderland here. I thought I would share some pictures I took breathlessly this morning. The sun isn't going to last though, more snow coming this morning!

Knee deep snow - literally.

Iced Black River behind our house.

Rose bush.

It Snowed!!!

2008-01-22T16:28:00.000-05:00

We have "a little" snow here in Michigan. I thought I would share some pictures I took today of all our wonderful white stuff.

Pond across the street.

Side of our house.

Me, all bundled up (high of 13 today).

The nearly covered bush.

Tracks. Backyard

Currently we are under a winter storm watch, which means...MORE SNOW! Oh the fun of living close to Lake Michigan!

A Cure Against Fretting

2008-01-19T12:31:00.001-05:00

The beginning of the year is time of hope and new vision. Often we set out to resolve to do better and make all sorts of goals we hope to accomplish. But as the year progresses we fail, and it begins to look as if none of our goals are going to be successful. This in turn leads to us getting despondent and fretful.

Well this week that is where I have been, my resolutions are a little harder than I thought, the excitement of the new year is wearing off, and with the upcoming presidential elections looming in the future I find myself worrying. Thankfully though, when all is despondent the Lord brings to my remembrance “ . . . that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;” (Luke 18:1). I think it could be rephrased “ ... that women ought always to pray and not to fret and worry.”As the weaker vessel we can often find ourselves worrying about things we can do nothing about, that is in our own strength, but we ought to remember prayer. That is a supplication to the Almighty who will do all things right and according to His pleasure.

Often our worry has a deeper root problem then simply forgetting to pray. We forget that we have a holier goal than our own happiness, a brighter vision than this worldly pleasure, and a far more glorious hope than this world can ever offer.

Our chief end is not to be comfortable and happy! It is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever! What is your goal in life? Perhaps we should think long and hard about that and see if it is something other than God’s glory. Maybe it is money, marriage, children, intelligence, or fame; do you know what all those have in common? It is our own pleasure, not God’s glory. Those things can be used to God’s glory, but they should only be means to our ultimate end and goal. Getting things in perspective can cure us from worry.

With that holy goal in mind we should construct a vision for our work here on earth. "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”(Col. 3:23,24) It doesn’t matter what you are doing (as long as it is scriptural, sinning is NEVER God’s call) it can be done unto the Lord. God has called many different people to different callings, as women we are called to serve in the home being subject to our God given authorities (Titus 2:5). Our work doesn’t have to be some famous ministry or changing the way things are done, though those are good for those called to do that; God has commanded man from the beginning to take dominion of the earth for His glory and as women we have a special calling to be his helpmeet in that task. As we live with this vision we should bring all our thoughts unto the obedience of Christ (II Cor. 10:5) and live according to His law (love, John 15:12). If we are living that way everything becomes holy as unto the Lord.

As we continue down this road of life instead of dwelling on the daily work and routine, we should look ahead to our most glorious hope. The hope that one day Christ will come to claim His bride and visibly rule this earth. We all may have different views of end times but we all can join together in the hope of every knee bowing to our Lord and Master and every tongue confessing His name. We will be His glorious Bride, if that does not bring you fresh vigor for your work nothing will. We have work to do here, but let us remember what the end of that will be.

It is true, this world is full of hardships and many things to cause us to worry. But we are not of this world, in Christ we are a part of God’s Kingdom. Christ has come that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10), what place does worry and despondency have in that? He also said that we would be full of His joy, the only true joy worth having. So to you and myself I exhort “Thank God for your life and seek Him in prayer every day, not fainting, asking for His wisdom and grace.” (James 1:5,6)

Getting Started with Card Crafting

2008-01-14T20:13:00.000-05:00

Card making is one of my favorite pastimes;it is relaxing and fun, and the end product is something you can share with your friends. But if you have never ventured into the paper crafting realm getting started may be a little daunting. So here is my summary of the basics to get you started.

1. Get your creative juices flowing!

The best thing to get you going is seeing what lovely things are available and what can be done with them. I would suggest visiting your local library and borrowing some books and magazines on card making. My favorite is Paper Crafts magazine, but there are others that are great too, whatever you can find.

2. Get your supplies!Check around your own house first, you may be surprised at how much can be used to make cards: buttons, lace, ribbon, old blank note cards ( to re-cover), decorative paper, edging, staples and what-not. Then you can make a trip to the craft store or even your local Wal-mart. I have a few items in my my aStore that you may find helpful too. I buy nearly all my stuff from Hobby Lobby (if you sign up for their weekly e-ad you will get notices when they have 1/2 off sales, which is about every couple months), especially my stamps because they sell many scripture and religious stamps and you can't beat 1/2 off!
Here is a short list of some basics:

Decorative Paper

The cheapest way to get paper is to buy the BIG stack for half off, 180 sheets for $9.99, but if you want to hand pick your patterns get the by-the-page ones.

Stamps

I use the text stamps the most; the new way I have been buying stamps is clear unmounted, this means you buy as many clear stamps as you want and one mounting block to fit them and you can just stick them on to the block to use, clean it and peel off to store.

Ink Pads

Black is the most use but a few other colors are fun to use also.

Card Stock

This is to make your cards, one 8 1/2x11" page makes two cards. You can also buy this by-the-page, I like to keep a variety of colors on hand.

Envelopes

You can buy these at the store, a thrift store, or make your own using a template.

Glue Stick

An absolute necessary! White glue will warp your paper.

Sharp Scissors

I guess that is a no brainer.

You may also find these helpful:

Embellishments

Like I said, these you may already have but there are plenty on the market to tempt your fancy.

Paper Trimmer

You can just use scissors, but this makes it so much easier.

Exact-o Knife

This is nice to have for precision cuts.

3. Craft your cards.

Now you should be ready to put those things to work. Collect all your supplies and on a large surface lay it out and choose what you want to go into your card. If you need a starting point try using some card maps. That has really helped me, I guess you might call it "my secret". Most of all, just be creative and put together a card of all the things you love.

Show and Tell: Spring Cards

2008-01-12T20:43:00.001-05:00

I like to look ahead to Spring when the dead of winter is all around me, so I thought I would make some Spring cards today. I think my favorite is the three flowers one.

God Bless, and may you have a blessed Christian Sabbath!

5 Keys to Successful Dinners

2008-01-10T18:41:00.000-05:00

1. Plan Ahead
Every time you go shopping have a menu and a list for the amount of dinners until next shopping trip. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate just a few things jotted down for each night (like: Mon.~ chili, corn muffins, toppings). Then, each night after dinner, choose which meal you are having tomorrow night and do any necessary preparations ( i.e. soak beans, put frozen meat in fridge, etc.). It is also nice to write yourself a note of what needs done in morning or just make a mental note.

2. Prepare Early
Do as much preparation as possible early in the day when you are bright and fresh. This will go a long way to having a peaceful afternoon. Employ your slow cooker when practical, this is especially nice in the summer when you don’t want to heat the kitchen up and slave over a stove top. ( At the end of this I will share one of my favorite slow cooker meals.)

3. Allow Plenty of Time
Dinner preparation always take longer than I think. Even if most of it is done before noon, I still need to set the table, make the beverage (that is tea around here), prepare the vegetables and do any last minute sides. If you have little helpers-in-training (younger siblings or children) be sure to plan time so they can be a part of the preparations, this will save you time in the future as my mom daily attest.☺

4. Clean as You Go
When you finish with a dish rinse it and put in the dishwasher or sink, wipe counters when you are finished with them, throw away trash as you make it, and clean up spills immediately. It may take a while to develop this good habit, but if you have allowed enough time it will be much easier.

5. Leave the Kitchen Spotless
If possible, as soon as dinner is done clear and wipe counters and table, wash all dishes, and sweep the floor. By leaving your kitchen thus you will wake up to a clean and orderly start in the morning.

My Favorite Crock-Pot Meal:

Sour Cream and Dill Chicken

Ingredients:

8-10 pieces chicken (thawed the night before)
pepper to taste
2c. sour cream
2 (10.5 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 onion soup mix packet
2 T. lemon juice
2 t. dill

Place chicken in bottom of large slow cooker and sprinkle with black pepper. In large mixing bowl combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4.
Serve over rice (recipe following) with a side of mixed vegetables.

Soaked Rice
(Nourishing Traditions Recipe)

2 c. brown rice
4 c. warm water
4 T. whey, yogurt, buttermilk or keifer
1t. sea salt
2-4 T. butter

In saucepan combine rice, water, and whey (you can also substitute lemon juice or vinegar). Leave in warm place for at least seven hours (I usually do this right after breakfast). Bring to boil and skim foam, reduce to low and stir in salt and butter; cover tightly. Without removing lid, cook over lowest heat possible for about 45 minutes. Yummy!

Note:
These are not original ideas, I have gleaned them over the past couple of years from all the wonderful older women in my life.

A New Excellent Website

2008-01-07T12:33:00.000-05:00

I would like to introduce you to my mom's new website:

eHomebody~One whose focus is on the home.

After working on this project four months it is finally published and up and running. Here are some things about it you may find interesting:

eHomebody blog (offering interesting articles on saving money, homemaking, homeschooling, ect.)

Open House for the monthes of January and Febuary (this includes a gift basket giveaway!)

Homebody newsletter (she is offering three free ebooks for signing up!)

Each week, when you sign up for Homebody e-newsletter, you will recieve
~timely articles regarding issues which affect you, your home, and your
world
~helpful hints and handy tips for making your life easier and more
frugal
~exclusive offers only for subscribers to Homebody
~exciting websites and products for you to explore and enjoy
~book, movie, and music reviews to save you time in wondering whether something is appropriate for you and your family and so much
more!

I hope you will check it out and tell your friends about it!

Recipe for a Happy Home

2008-01-03T17:27:00.000-05:00

Half a cup of friendship, and a cup of thoughtfulness, creamed together with a pinch of powdered tenderness, very lightly beaten in a bowl of loyalty, with a cup of faith, one of hope and one of charity. Be sure to add a spoonful of gaiety that sings, also the ability to laugh at little things. Moisten with sudden tears of heartfelt sympathy, bake in a good natured oven and serve repeatedly.

Taken from:
Mrs. Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping: Timeless Wisdom and Practical Advice
by Miriam Lukken

Handel's Messiah

2007-12-26T10:49:00.000-05:00

I have always been enthralled with this composition. It is a classical piece that is very well done that glorifies God through scripture selections. So I decided to do a little research to find out some fun facts about this magnificent piece.

The work was conceived and first performed for secular theatre during Lent or Easter.

Although Messiah deals with the New Testament story of Christ's life a majority of the texts used to tell the story were selected from the Old Testament prophetic books of Isaiah, as well as Hagaii, Malachi, and others.

Although Handel called his oratorio simply Messiah (without the "The"), the work is also widely but incorrectly referred to as The Messiah.

Messiah is Charles Jennen's Biblical libretto set to music.

In just 24 days, Messiah was complete.

Right up to the day of the premiere, Messiah was troubled by production difficulties and last-minute rearrangements of the score, and the Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Jonathan Swift, placed some pressure on the premiere and had it cancelled entirely for a period. He demanded that it be retitled A Sacred Oratorio and that revenue from the concert be promised to local hospitals for the mentally ill.

Handel conducted Messiah many times and, as was his custom, often altered the music to suit the needs of the singers and orchestra he had available to him for each performance. In consequence, no single version can be regarded as the "authentic" one.

In many parts of the world, it is the accepted practice for the audience to stand for the Hallelujah Chorus.

All of the above facts were found at Wikipedia.com.

Vision Forum Sale!

2007-12-26T10:27:00.000-05:00

Every year I always wait excitedly for this sale. Many times if I see something I want from Vision Forum I will wait till the end of the year to see if it goes on sale. If you are interested in really good deals on really good books be sure to check this out. Also if you go through my links here on my blog to purchase, you will be supporting this blog while buying the things you were going to buy anyway!

Here are some products that you might be especially interested in:

Lessons in Biblical Femininity and Grace (6 CDs)

$43.20

Save $28.80 (40%)
Regular Price $72.00

In Stock

Format: Audio CD

Product Number: 85760

Age Range: Great for the Entire Family

________________________________________________________
Mother and Home-Making Set (2 Books)

$20.00

Save $20.00 (50%)
Regular Price $40.00

In Stock

Product Number: 34800
________________________________________________________
Father & Daughter Retreat (Cass.)

$12.50

Save $12.50 (50%)
Regular Price $25.00

In Stock (Limited Supply)

Format: Audiocassette

Product Number: 37624

Age Range: Great for the Entire Family

________________________________________________________

So Much More

$13.00

Save $7.00 (35%)
Regular Price $20.00

In Stock

Authors: Anna Sophia Botkin and Elizabeth Botkin

Format: Hardback (333 pages)

Product Number: 57882

Great Last-Minute Christmas Gift Idea

2007-12-24T10:42:00.001-05:00

Placek (Polish Christmas Bread)

Ingredients

Makes 3 loaves

1 1/4 cups milk
2 packages Rapid Rise dry yeast
2 1/4 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Nonstick cooking spray
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, plus more for bowl and pans
Zest of 1/2 orange
5 large eggs
1/2 to 1 1/2 cups golden raisins

Directions

Heat milk in a small saucepan until it reaches 110 degrees [I did this in the microwave]. Remove from heat; stir in yeast and 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar until completely dissolved. Let stand until foamy, 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer yeast mixture to a stainless steel bowl. Add 2 cups flour and stir to combine. Spray a piece of parchment paper with cooking spray and cover dough. Cover parchment with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour. [I didn't see the use of the parchment paper, it just took the top layer of dough and cost me more.]
Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together 1 1/2 sticks butter, 1 1/4 cups sugar, orange zest, eggs, and 2 cups flour.
Change mixer attachment to a dough hook and add yeast mixture to mixer bowl. Mix together on low. With the mixer running, slowly add 2 cups flour and raisins. Butter a large bowl and add dough. Spray a piece of parchment paper with cooking spray and cover dough. Let rise until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, use a fork to mix together remaining 2 cups flour, 1 stick butter, and 1 cup sugar until crumbly.
Butter three 9-by-5-by-3-inch (8-cup) loaf pans and divide dough evenly between them; top each with crumbs. Spray a piece of parchment paper with cooking spray and cover dough; let rise until rounded over the top.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Transfer placek to oven and bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 1 hour in pan before removing. Store at room temperature, up to 1 week.

First published: December 2007 by Martha Stewart.com

I got the tags for homemade gifts from Sew Mama Sew blog.

More Chistmas Presents

2007-12-24T09:55:00.000-05:00

I had so much fun making these gifts from some fleece scraps that a friend gave me. I made three sizes for my three baby cousins 3 and under. Great way to use up scraps from other fleece projects.

This one is for the three year old girl.

This one is for the 2 year old girl.

And this one is for the one year old boy.

To make the fringed scarves cut 2 strips of fleece of complementing colors and sew together down the center. Then cut fringes every inch on each side to the seam line. Next tie first fringes color 1 with color 2 on each side, then color 1 with color 1 and color 2 with color 2. Repeat across entire scarf alternating ties like above.

We Have a Winner!

2007-12-20T19:35:00.000-05:00

Congratulations Janaya!

To claim your prize please email me your home address and email address at BEFORE December 24th, 2007. I will pass it along to Vision Forum and they will ship you your copy of A League of Grateful Sons.

Thanks to everyone for participating!

GIVEAWAY!

2007-12-13T14:32:00.001-05:00

I am in a hurry today but I have some exciting news. I am having a giveaway! Vision Forum has let me, one of their affiliates, to give away one of the above DVDs. If you want more information on it click here. To enter to win just leave a comment below before December 20th, 2007, and I will draw a name and post it on my blog the 21st. If you are the winner you will need to email me your email and home address by the 24th to receive it.

Contest Closed

STOP! Good News!

2007-12-11T09:40:00.000-05:00

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
I Timothy 1:15

Think carefully of each of these statements and what they signify:

...Christ Jesus came into the world...

...to save sinners...

...of whom I am chief.

Now put them together and you have the glorious message of the Gospel-- the good tidings of great joy.

God Bless You

Frugal Friday - Cheap Rentals

2007-12-07T10:12:00.000-05:00

Crystal did her Frugal Friday post this week on Family night. This reminded me of what a great deal we have been able to find on movies for our family night.

We watch a movie nearly every Friday night (we sometimes play games instead). We used to get them from our library and pay $1 a piece for them, but now we have a $3/month subscription to Netflix (we signed up for their free trial then canceled it, then they sent us this offer). This has been a great blessing because there is such a huge selection that you can find nearly every movie ever made. You can also watch some online which has been nice for when we get a movie that we really didn't like. We have been able to find lots of Christian films, movies from classic authors such as Dickens and Austen, and new releases like Amazing Grace. It is much easier to find a clean movie this way then going to our local movie store or even our libraries not to mention much less expensive.

Verse of the Day

2007-12-04T09:04:00.000-05:00

Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes. I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.
Psalm 119:124-125

Fill Thou My Life, O Lord, My God

2007-12-03T12:11:00.000-05:00

Fill Thou my life, O Lord, my God,
In every part with praise,
That my whole being may proclaim
Thy being and Thy ways.
Not for the lip of praise alone,
Nor e'en the praising heart,
I ask, but for a life made up
Of praise in every part.

Praise in the common words I speak,
Life's common looks and tones,
In intercourse at hearth or board
With m y beloved ones,
Enduring wrong, reproach, or loss,
With sweet and stedfast will,
Loving and blessing those who hate,
Returning good for ill.

So shall each fear, each fret, each care,
Be turned into a song,
And every winding of the way
The echo shall prolong;
So shall no part of day or night
From sacredness be free,
But all my life, in every step,
Be fellowship with Thee.

--Rev. Horatius Bonar, 1866

Sung to the tune of I Sing the Mighty Power of God.

Marriage: Goal or Insentive?

2007-12-01T13:30:00.000-05:00

As a young woman with the God given desire to marry I find that desire to be a good motivator to do certain things: like learn to be a good homemaker, learn to be submissive, and other good things. But if that desire ceases to be a side benefit and becomes a goal, I have made it an idol.

When anything in our lives, whether it is marriage or a position, becomes the reason we live we have replaced God with an idol. My desire to a godly woman should, first, be because I love my Savior and loving my Savior means keeping His commands. The fact that being a godly woman will also mean being a good helpmeet is a side benefit to my ultimate goal and desire.

Making marriage our life goal will not only make us idolaters, but also will make good little hypocrites. The godly man I desire to be my husband only sees the outward and judges by that, but God sees the heart. If I am trying to attract a husband I need only put on an outward show; if I am seeking God's approval I must have a heart righteousness that can only be through His Son.

But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things [the things God knows we need, not what we want] shall be added unto thee. Matthew 6:33

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 3:14

May the Lord and His glory be our only goal in life and let our desire to marry be only if it is to His glory.

Verse of the Day

2007-11-24T12:49:00.000-05:00

For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants.

Psalm 119:89

Cute Hair Things

2007-11-23T19:45:00.001-05:00

I thought these were neat projects for hair accessories at Sew, Mama, Sew! blog.

Dedicated Daughters

2007-11-23T17:25:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to clue my readers in to a great series by Anna S. at Domestic Felicity. It is called Dedicated Daughters and is a uplifting encouragement for daughters desiring to serve at home even when their family is not sympathetic. Here is just a snippit:

And I can tell you something: there is hope, no matter what your current situation is. Whether you are fifteen or thirty-five, at home or far away in college, working outside the home or not, courted by a godly man or without any perspective of marriage right now – it is still in your hands to be strengthened and live out your convictions.

You can read it in my shared items or at her blog.

A Wonderful Thanksgiving

2007-11-23T17:06:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a wonderful Thanksgiving I had! This year we invited all the people at our church that didn't have anywhere to go to spend Thanksgiving with us. We had 15 people in our dining room yesterday, laughing and fellowshipping (oh, did I mention feasting?). After our meal we gathered (or should I say crowded) into the living room and sang a few hymns and read the two accounts of the first Thanksgiving by Edward Winslow and William Bradford. We also sang Psalm 100 as the Seperatist had it.

Truly we have sooooooooooooooooo much to be thankful for. God is SO GOOD! Time and time again He blesses this little wretch and I only wish I was more grateful to Him.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

May the Lord be with you and yours!

Verse of the Day

2007-11-20T12:18:00.000-05:00

Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be THANKFUL unto Him, and BLESS His name.

Psalm 100:3-4

Feminism Gave Woman the Right to Vote

2007-11-15T10:14:00.000-05:00

First off, we must ask: is giving woman the right to vote a good thing? I see that it has led to woman holding office, and politicians pleading the side of emotions more than common sense. But, just because I don't like what I see doesn't make it unbiblical. Scriptures do not speak directly about voting but they do speak about authority and decision making.

But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
1Ti 2:12 -15
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Gen 2:18

In the above scriptures we see that the man is the authority for two reasons: one, God created him first, and two, the woman was deceived. If Paul went back to the beginning you can not say that this teaching was cultural. God has set up the line of authority from the beginning, even before the fall. So when it comes to voting, if the head of the family (the husband, father, brother, nephew) is to make the decisions in the family, shouldn't he also make the decisions in the government that affect all of the family? And if women are more easily deceived should they be trying to choose from among a bunch of politicians that very tempted to lie to get into office? From my own experience, and it is common knowledge, that women act more emotionally and men more intellectually. That is not to say women are completely emotion driven or men completely mind driven; it is just woman tend more to emotion and men more to mind. In the God given roles this works perfectly, the woman acts as caregiver and helper, and the man as breadwinner and leader. But when we reverse these roles we get very mushy minded men and emotion driven politics.

Also we should understand that voting is not a right, it is a privilege given to those that pay into it. Before women entered the work force they did not pay taxes. In the beginning of our nation only land owners payed taxes therefore they had the privilege to vote whether they were male, or female. If the government is directing the tax money then should not those who pay taxes vote for who will direct it?

Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?
Matthew 20:15

In the Old Testament we see that government and decisions were run by men, able men.

Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
Exodus 18:21

Many times the government was led by the patriarchy, the older men that were the heads of families and tribes.(Exodus 3:18, 17:5 Numbers 11:16 2Samuel 5:3 and others, just do a word search on the word "elders" to see what role they played.)

In Scriptures it is clear that the man is the head of the family, therefore he is held responsible before God for decisions and leading, we as woman can rest in that thought. Voting is an awesome responsibility that weighs much on the one that bears it. Let the men sort through all the politicians and lies and let us joyfully submit to our own heads as it is fit in the Lord.

The Heart of Feminism

2007-11-14T12:30:00.000-05:00

I have noticed on other blogs that the mention of feminism in the negative usually brings up many questions and objections by some of our sisters in the Lord. I would like to address some of the objection by addressing what I believe to be the heart of feminism.

A good definition of the heart of feminism is: the breaking down of Biblical roles and order in the church, family, and civil government. Now there are many motives for doing this, some rooted in goodwill perhaps, others in sin and control. But whatever your motive is in being a feminist if it does the above, as I have defined, it is unChrist-like and antibiblical.

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Christ, as being one with the Father, has given us His word through the Holy Scriptures, and it is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the [woman] of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (II Timothy 3:16,17, italics added). Therefore as we, who are bought with the precious blood of Christ, seek by His Spirit to bring into"captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (II Corinthians 10:5) we must use the Bible as our rule of life, guiding us in all we do and say– including how we run the home, the church , and our civil government.

Now it is clear in scriptures that a Biblical marriage means that the man is to be the loving head even as Christ is the head of the church, and the woman is to submit and obey him in love even as the Church is to Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33, I Timothy 2:11-13, Titus 2:4-5, and others). Feminism says that men and woman are the same in their roles and the woman can be the head with the man, that the man can follow his wife and help her in her goals and purposes. But this denies the Scriptures and mars the beautiful picture that marriage is suppose to portray of Christ and His Church. What folly it would be to think of Christ submitting to the Church or following her goals and visions. Or to think of Christ and the Church each seeking their own goals and only meeting for communion together. Yet this is the way so many marriages, even Christian marriages, are run. I am not saying that the Bible says that the man is perfect or even less evil than the woman and that is why he portrays Christ, Adam and Eve both fell in Eden by their individual sin, but the Bible calls us as imperfect human beings to picture the perfect picture of Christ and the Church. And it is only by leaning on His Spirit and keeping His commandments that we can attempt to do that.

I urge you to search the Scriptures to find the proper way to run a home; don’t listen to what our culture is saying or what the flesh desires. Make the Bible your only rule of life.

I hope to later put to rest the objections of what good feminism has brought. If you have any objections to the way I have interpreted these scriptures I would like to hear your interpretation, according to scripture, concerning the roles of men and woman.

New Things

2007-11-14T09:20:00.000-05:00

I would like to introduce you to some of my new things on the side bar. I have found all sorts of things to use to promote books I enjoy and good websites and blogs.

My new shared items list is my favorite. Google offers this wonderful service called "Reader" that keeps track of all my favorite blogs and reading websites. It also has this great feature that allows you to share articles and posts that you find interesting on your blog. I encourage you to check out those links.

Another thing is my store. Amazon has allowed me to make up lists and a store to promote my favorite books, and items. All of the books I own and highly recommend. Amazon is typically the cheapest but you my be able to find it cheaper else where. I could just give you a list of my favorite books but now I can give you a picture and a description.

I am now a Vision Forum affiliate! They just opened up this new program to allow bloggers, like me, and webmasters to earn money by doing what I already do, promoting their products. You can also do this by clicking the link above. There are few, if any, of their books and resources that I would not highly recommend. Also be sure to check them after Christmas and before New Year as they usually have a great sale of 30% to 60% off.

I have also joined a few web rings. I am sort of new to the whole web ring business but I hope it will bring more readers. You can check out other websites on the rings, they are pretty safe but some might be a bit strange. I know LAF is on the Proverbs 31 one.

I am afraid I have been too busy making my side bar here lately and haven't been blogging enough. Please forgive me. I think it is done for now and I hope to post more of my own writing.

The Lord be with you.

Verse of the Day

2007-11-13T09:29:00.000-05:00

Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

Psalm 119:68

Verse of the Day

2007-11-10T09:04:00.000-05:00

Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee GREAT and MIGHTY things, which thou knowest not.

Jeremiah 33:2-3

Verse of the Day

2007-11-09T08:49:00.000-05:00

And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That He might seek a godly seed.

Malachi 2:15

What You Do

2007-11-08T09:09:00.000-05:00

I just got my copy of Passionate Housewives and have begun reading it. Yesterday I found this quote in the third chapter and wanted to share it with you.

What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as and sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the work and faith from which the obedience and the work flow.
--Martin Luther

This quote is Scriptural in its meaning. Not that some how we in the flesh are well-pleasing to God but we lean on Christ in faith and His work in us is well-pleasing to the Father.

Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

2Co 10:3-6 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being;

Mat 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

May God bless you as you serve Him in your sacred calling.

Verse of the Day

2007-11-07T09:28:00.000-05:00

For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing ALOUD upon their beds.

Psalm 149:4,5

Verse of the Day

2007-11-06T09:09:00.000-05:00

Blessing, and glory, and WISDOM, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelations 7:12

To Be Like Thee

2007-11-06T08:44:00.000-05:00

Oh Jesus Christ, in self-despair
I come to Thee! Hear Thou the prayer
Laid at Thy feet; I leave it there --
To be like Thee!

Turn out the darling bosom sin,
The love of self that rules within,
My earnest longing let me win --
To be like Thee!

O let me see Thy lovely face,
O let me hear Thy words of grace,
In Thine own image grow apace --
To be like Thee!

O Gentle, Sinless, Undefiled,
Ev'n in Thy Justice meek and mild,
Help me, Thy loving, longing child --
To be like Thee
--Elizabeth Prentiss

Verse of the Day

2007-11-05T09:20:00.000-05:00

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Isaiah 26:3

Hot Cocoa Mix

2007-11-05T09:10:00.000-05:00

1 c. dry milk powder
1c. powdered creamer
1c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa powder

Blend all together and store in air tight container. To make pour 6 oz hot water over 1/4 c. mix.

Nothing like a cup of hot cocoa on a cold morning, mmmm....
You can add a little more cocoa for a more chocolately taste.

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

2007-11-02T14:54:00.001-04:00

Crust:
1-9" pie crust OR
1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. quick oats
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter or lard

Cut together with a pastry blender and press into 8-9" pie plate. Set aside.

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
1-14 1/2 oz. can of pumpkin
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. real maple syrup
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. cocoa
1/4 t. nutmeg
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground cloves
2 T. milk
whipped topping

Preheat oven to 400F.

Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth.
Pour into pie plate and bake for 30-35 minutes. Garnish with whipped topping.
10-12 servings

I made this pie for my family last week. It received a five star rating. Best eaten in small portions, it is rich.

The Abiding Joy

2007-11-01T15:14:00.000-04:00

When it is suggested that we cannot (some even say, must not) expect to be always joyful, remember that it is written, "Rejoice in the Lord {not, 'sometimes', but} alway." "As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing." When we are told that it would not even be good for us, remember that it is written again, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." Perhaps in that word "of " lies the whole secret of lasting joy, for it is more than even joy in the Lord; it is his own joy flowing into the soul that is joined to himself which alone can remain in us, not even our joy in him. "That they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves." Let us, then, seek not the stream but the fountain;
not primarily the joy but that real and living union with Jesus by which his joy
becomes ours.

I found the above quote in Frances R. Havergal's devotional Royal Bounty.

Old Paths

2007-10-29T19:09:00.000-04:00

Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find REST for your souls.

Jeremiah 6:16

Fall Cards

2007-10-24T12:13:00.001-04:00

I love to correspond with old friends now many miles away and making pretty cards to send those often very long letters in is a real delight. My friends in Texas really inspired me last year when they gave me a set of nine beautiful homemade cards for my birthday. After that I started looking for new ideas for card making and was able to find some great magazines on the subject at our local library. Also there are some neat websites (card maps here) and blogs out there that I have found inspiration on.

Last week my friend at A Heart for Praise did a great post on leaf stamping. I had just been wishing I had a leaf stamp to make cards for the fall . Now I know I have a whole yard full of "leaf stamps". So I tried her idea with various leaves and colors and was able to make this card with them. I will add one more tip to using many colors, use a different leaf for each color or you will have a nice dark leaf print on your light colored ink pad, as I now have! Oh well, live and learn.

Have a great Fall!!!

Passionate Houswives: Desperate for God - Preface

2007-10-20T18:41:00.000-04:00

I have already told you about the new book Passionate Housewives: Desperate for God. Now I am really looking forward to reading it after reading the nine page preface by Mrs. McDonald. I just wanted to pass on the link as it is very good reading even if you don't read the book. The book is available from Vision Forum for $16 and I am sure it is worth every penny.

Apples, Apples Everywhere!

2007-10-19T11:45:00.000-04:00

Apple season is fully here and I am taking advantage of it. Michigan has it’s many beautiful orchards and farms that supply us wonderful fresh apples this time of year. Last week we finally visited one of these orchards. Lined up in a machine shed were neat rows of different kinds of apples. It was a hard choice, but we came home with some Honeycrisp, Jonagold, and Macintosh, mostly Macintosh.

The day after our little trip to the orchard was spent in the kitchen preparing all those apples. Pies, applesauce, apple butter, apple tea and apple jelly are the results of lots of hard, but fun work. My dad especially appreciated all this as he is the apple fan of the family.

What really excited me about all this cooking though was how little waste! In the past when I did my apple cooking I would pull out my apple peeler/corer/slicer, run my apple through it and leave about as much scraps to throw away as I did apples to cook. So this year I decided to put all those peels and cores to work.

First thing they were going to make me was apple jelly. I have never made apple jelly before, I had heard about it but I am not the jelly maker so I never tried to make it. But feeling industrious and having one last box of pectin in the cabinet I took the plunge and looked up a recipe online. I found a few here and here. I used the later and found it very similar to other jelly recipes, you cook the apples down (about 30 minutes) and mash them through a sieve to make juice, then use the juice to make jelly. I’m afraid my jelly didn’t set up very firm, not that there is any fault in the recipe – I actually hope to try it again – but that my pectin was many years old. It is not going to waste though, the resulting syrup is wonderful on pancakes, in oatmeal and to sweeten apple tea.

Making apple jelly has led me to think of other ways to use apple scraps. You could make juice from the cores and peels, syrup from the juice, puree from the peels and also apple tea from dried peels. Although haven’t tried all these ways yet, except the tea, I think they would be wonderful ways of being frugal.

When we really try to be creative with the things we already have it is amazing how much we are blessed. Can you imagine, all those things I made from just six dollars worth of apples? Frugality isn’t just an idea, it is a frame of mind – creativity that can be used to bless our families.

Many Blessings

Passionate Housewives: Desperate for God Giveaway!!!!

2007-10-11T14:28:00.000-04:00

I am pleased to hear that Jennie Chancey and Stacey McDonald have released their new book Passionate Housewives: Desperate for God . I have been hearing about it from a friend who has already read it and I am really excited to get my hands on it. So I was really happy to see that Biblical Womanhood is giving TEN copies away. Please visit Crystal's blog to enter your name and don't wait, comments close Saturday Oct. 13th.

Lectures on Female Education

2007-10-08T13:12:00.000-04:00

I found this post on ministers' quotes from the 18th century on Home Living blog. I was glad to find such wonderful encouragements yet disheartened to see that the Church has come so far from preaching these truths. The comments on the post are quite interesting also.

Good Quote

2007-10-04T12:22:00.000-04:00

I found this quote from Theodore Roosevelt to be very inspiring. It is taken from a speech he gave to the National Congress of Mothers March 13, 1905. You can access the entire speech, which is quite lengthy and very good, at this link.

No piled-up wealth, no splendor of material growth, no brilliance of artistic development, will permanently avail any people unless its home life is healthy, unless the average man possesses honesty, courage, common sense, and decency, unless he works hard and is willing at need to fight hard; and unless the average woman is a good wife, a good mother, able and willing to perform the first and greatest duty of womanhood, able and willing to bear, and to bring up as they should be brought up, healthy children, sound in body, mind, and character, and numerous enough so that the race shall increase and not decrease.
There are certain old truths which will be true as long as this world endures, and which no amount of progress can alter. One of these is the truth that the primary duty of the husband is to be the home-maker, the breadwinner for his wife and children, and that the primary duty of the woman is to be the helpmate, the housewife, and mother...Into the woman's keeping is committed the destiny of the generations to come after us...The woman's task is not easy--no task worth doing is easy--but in doing it, and when she has done it, there shall come to her the highest and holiest joy known to mankind; and having done it, she shall have the reward prophesied in Scripture; for her husband and her children, yes, and all people who realize that her work lies at the foundation of all national happiness and greatness, shall rise up and call her blessed.

-President Theodore Roosevelt

Saving On Lunches: Soups

2007-09-29T16:41:00.000-04:00

Host site

The average lunch menu for many people probably includes sandwiches, chips and other such food. One reason for this is sandwiches taste great and can be made in a wide range of varieties. Also they are quick and easy. But sandwiches have their down falls; they are not always nutritious and/or strain the budget (i.e. bologna is cheap but not exactly healthy). So my solution to solving both the nutrition and budget problems is soups.

Soups are packed with nutrients, and can be made with all kinds of inexpensive ingredients. Think about what can go into soups: leftovers, carrots, chicken bones, celery, beans , noodles, canned and frozen vegetables, potatoes, garden vegetables, squash, and the list goes on- all inexpensive good food.

To start making soups you need a good stock. I usually make double or triple batches of chicken stock to save time later, this lasts me a month or two. Chicken is my favorite stock because we can get chicken leg quarters from our Wal-Mart for $0.49/lb. Mom divides them into backs, legs and thighs to freeze and I use the backs for stock. There are lots of great stock recipes out there, I use the chicken stock recipe from Nourishing Traditions. Be sure to add a couple tablespoons of vinegar to extract the calcium from the bones and parsley to impart additional mineral ions to the broth.1 Other basic stocks include beef (or venison), fish, and vegetable.

Now you are ready to try all those great soup recipes hiding away in your recipe collection. You by no means need a recipe though. Some just like to keep a "soup bucket" in the freezer to collect leftover vegetables and meat, then they simmer it all in some stock or stock/water mix and add whatever spices sound good. When you make soup and have a lot of ingredients on hand, make double or triple batches to freeze for those days when you don't feel like cooking (make sure you like the recipe first).

If you haven't made many soups before you may want to stick to recipes until you get the feel for what taste good and goes together. I have posted two recipes here Bean Soup (my own creation), and Cream of Vegetable Soup (N.T. recipe) 1. Also look for recipes at Recipe Zaar. I like this recipe site because you can search by ingredient and also can adjust servings number then calculates the measurements for you. I have really enjoyed soups from Nourishing Traditions, if you have the book by all means take a look at them. You can find great recipes every where once you are looking for them. So dig in and serve your family something yummy and warm for lunch for a change.

God Bless

1. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon was my inspiration to explore soups. If you don't own the book yet, I highly recommend it.

Bean Soup

2007-09-27T14:29:00.000-04:00

2 c. white or pinto beans ( or 1c. each)
8 c. water
2 T. lemon juice
1 ham hock
1 med. onion
2 T. olive oil (opt.)
4 cloves garlic minced
2 to 4 T. seasoning salt (to taste)
water to cover (can be part stock)
3/4 c. chopped carrots
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 c. -1 c. frozen or fresh spinach
chopped ham meat (opt.)

Combine beans, 8c. water and lemon juice and soak overnight. Drain and rinse beans. In large pot combine beans, ham hock, sliced onion, olive oil, garlic, and seasoning salt. Cover with water and bring to boil. Reduce to low and simmer covered 4-6 hrs ( adding more water as necessary). Add carrots, celery, spinach,and ham meat; let simmer 20 minutes more or until beans and vegetables are tender. Serve with whole grain wheat bread. A wonderful fall soup.

Enjoy!

Heaven Opened: A Book Review

2007-09-18T11:43:00.001-04:00

Heaven Opened, the letters of Mary Winslow, is an uplifting encouragement from a godly woman of a bygone age. Through these letters she reveals to us her complete dependence on God, her heavenly vision, and a deep experiential relationship with her Savior. She gives her reader a deep desire to know Christ as she so joyfully does.

These letters are not just friendly notes but every one of them includes some spiritual truth and edification as befitting to our age as they were in the 19th century. In them we read of how the Lord so graciously worked with her through many trials, and her wonderful understanding of the scripture. She writes people from many different backgrounds and circumstances but her theme is always the same - seek Christ. And her attitude is contiually one of love and concern to the recipient and joy in the Lord. Truly this is "a rich treasury of experiential and practical divinity."

I was richly blessed by reading this book. It led me to more fully lean on my savior trusting His perfect sovereignty and grace. I was also reminded that a life of perfect circumstances does not produce such a relationship with God as Mrs. Winslow had but rather many trials of faith that are more precious them silver and gold. I hope you will take the time to read this book slowly and carefully, soaking up all the blessed truths and looking more to Jesus every day.

Heaven Opened can be purchased at Reformation Heritage Books for $12.50. Also check out the used price on Bookfinder .

God Bless

Free Ebooks

2007-09-12T09:57:00.000-04:00

Here is a link to 37 free ebooks from Living on a Dime. There are books about organizing, frugality, homeschooling, and cooking.
Enjoy!

Young Women and Higher Education

2007-09-11T12:30:00.000-04:00

Living On a Dime, an e-newsletter about frugal living, had a very good article by Jill Cooper today about blindly following the crowd. I thought she made a good point here about college.

"They" say you have to pay to send your children to college so they can become a success and make a lot of money. When did "they" come up with the idea that going to college makes a person successful? How many parents have accrued $40,000 in debt for their son or daughter's degree, only to find the student working in a field that has nothing to do with his degree? Certainly, a college education can be a useful tool, but it is one that is wasted if the student doesn't need it or fails to use it.

I really puzzle over girls who desire to be full time wives and mother in the future that spend all their money and time gaining a college education that they only use for a few years, if even that. Then they get married and have children and don't know how to successfully run their households. Shouldn't we gain the knowledge of homemaking and child care in our single years if our desired "career" is motherhood?

Just because you stay home and focus on learning to be a homemaker doesn't mean we can't pursue higher education. There is so much education out there that can be gained outside of college and cost a lot less. I am amazed at how much I can learn simple by reading.If you can build good study skill there is an unlimited range of subjects you can study and learn. For instance: the subjects I am studying this year are writing (using my brother's old college books), fashion design, social studies (politics, economics, education, ect.), natural healing, nutrition, art and music. These subjects do not take up all my time though, but are incorporated into my daily routine of cleaning, cooking and helping my family in various ways. I am also taking time in morning to read books on spiritual subjects and in the evening to read books concerning my place as a woman.

Don't think inside of the box, but explore the things that interest you and will aid you in the future. Ask the Lord what He would have learn in the years after high school and pursue those things.

Camp

2007-09-10T15:50:00.001-04:00

Our group of friends at camp.
I'm second from the right on the back row.

I am back from vacation and almost recovered. I don't have much time to post but I thought I would share some pictures from camp for some dear friends who didn't make it.=( God Bless you all.

P.S. I guess that is the only picture for now. Blogger is having a problem, urrr.

Blog Leave

2007-08-25T12:10:00.000-04:00

We are going on vacation and I probably won't blog for two weeks. Just thought I would let you know what happened to me. Have a great week!

Yogurt Making

2007-08-25T11:24:00.000-04:00

Yogurt Recipe
4 c. milk
2c dry milk powder
2-3c. warm water
4 T. yogurt (commercial or from last batch, must have live cultures)
3 t. gelatian softend in 1/4 c. cold water

Heat milk over low heat stirring occationally until it reaches 180 degrees (I use a candy thermonitor to check it).

Steralize a two quart jar in two inches of boiling water for a couple minutes.Soften gelitain in cold water.
In two quart jar pour in dry milk. Add heated milk and stir. Pour in hot water leaving room for gelatain and yogurt. Let cool until 125 degrees.

Pour 1 cup warm milk into 4 T. yogurt and stir. Wisk into jar. Stir in gelitain.
Screw lid on tightly and set on heating pad and set to low. Wrap in a old blanket and leave for 8 hours. Transfer to refridgerator and chill overnight.

Book Review: Marriage to a Difficult Man by Elizabeth Dodds

2007-08-20T13:22:00.001-04:00

This book was not what I expected it to be. It is mostly just the history of the Edwards' family and what was written about Sarah Edwards. The picture that is painted through this history is is a gracious, godly woman that we would all do well to learn from. She wasn't perfect but leaned on God for her strength. In many ways she was an example of the Proverbs 31 woman.

Although I enjoyed the history part of this book I didn't always like the author's commentary because of her secular, and sometimes feminist, views. But don't forgo learning about this wonderful woman just because of the author, most of the book is strictly history and she does have some good comments.

If you are interested in buying this book it is available for $12.99 from Grace and Truth Books.

Contentment

2007-08-19T14:22:00.000-04:00

“What is contentment? It is having a satisfied mind in any situation. It is finding inner satisfaction in God alone and in His provision for you. It is experiencing His peace and confidence in difficult times. It is consciously enjoying the fact that God is good, even when your circumstances are not.”

-Robert D. Jones

Nature's Lesson

2007-08-16T20:09:00.000-04:00

It always delights me when nature teaches us lessons form God's word. Like this week- due to a rather pesky disease in my tomatoes, Early Blight-I have been led to meditate on how the Lord deals with us. Because of this disease I, the gardener, had to remove large amounts of dead and infected leaves off my tomato plants. Do you know how terrible it feels to have to tear apart a plant you have carefully nurtured and cared for from seed? But how much more careful nurturing has our heavenly Gardener put into our salvation;? Yet He must still tear off and prune the leaves of our soul from that terrible disease,sin. I don't know about you; but I know that my Father, by His Holy Spirit , through His precious Son, has much pruning to do on me. He has begun that good work in me1 (He has planted the seed) and now He must also finish it2 by the sactifying (pruning) of His Holy Word3. If only we would lay bear our hearts, having a tender conscience, to His Spirit to work4.

There, my "gleanings" of this week. God Bless!!!

1.Phi 1:6
2. Heb 12:2
3.Eph 5:26
4.Eph 4:30

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2007-08-15T10:31:00.000-04:00

I'm afraid my blogging is going a bit slow this week, I am quite busy. The tomatoes are coming in profusely and I have made eight quarts of spaghetti sauce, four quarts of pizza sauce, and two quarts of salsa. On top of that our church is having VBS this week and I am in charge of snacks. Last night I brought these delicious muffins and they ate all four batches of them! I guess that means they were quite good. =) This is my favorite muffin recipe.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Stir together:
2 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
3/4 t. salt
Pinch allspice

Add and stir until combined:
3/4 c. pumpkin (or 1/2 15.5 oz can)
1 egg (slightly beaten)
2/3 c. milk
3 T. melted butter or oil
1 t. vanilla

Fold in:
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips (or regular size)

Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake at 375F for 25 minutes or until they bounce back when touched.

Frugal Yogurt Tips

2007-08-10T17:32:00.001-04:00

I have been making my own yogurt weekly for at least three months. Not only is yogurt making economical and nutritious, but also fairly easy after you get the routine down. If you don't use gelatin in it, you can also make your own cream cheese. This week I will tell you my frugal tips in yogurt making and next week I'll tell you my process.
FRUGAL TIPS FOR YOGURT MAKING:

1. Stretch your starter. In order to make yogurt you need a couple of tablespoons fresh starter; this can be either commercial yogurt with live cultures, or five-day-or-less old homemade (but then you can only repeat that four times). But a little known secret is that you can freeze yogurt without killing the cultures. So what I do is when I get my tub of commercial yogurt home from the store I measure it out by tablespoons into ice cube trays and freeze it. After it freezes I put it in a freezer zipper bag to keep it fresh. The morning before I make yogurt I put a couple cubes in a bowl to thaw and then use it like normal starter. It works every time.

2. You don't need a yogurt maker. Although helpful, these are unnecessary and just take up more room in your kitchen. I wrap my two quart canning jar in a old blanket and set it on top of a heating pad set on low. Leave it for 8 hours and it is done!

3. You can use reconstituted dry milk. When I first started making yogurt I used the recipe out of the More with Less Cookbook. It used 6 cups water (heated to 125F), 3 cups powdered milk, and either 1 cup scalded whole milk or 1 can evaporated milk. It wasn't as creamy but it tasted the same as using fresh milk.
Next week I will tell you my process and give you some great recipes for using yogurt and making yogurt cheese.

Sewing: Skort

2007-08-09T09:05:00.000-04:00

Here is my latest sewing project. I got the fabric on sale at Joanns when they had 70%off their spring fabrics. I really like how this turned out.

Skort in standing position

Underneath the skirt: culottes

Cute tied waistband

Zipper opening

This is the third time I have made this pattern. Once I made the long one with two buttons in front and the other time I ajusted it to be a elastic waistband for my swimsuit. I highly recommend this pattern, it is modest and functional, great for activities that involve a lot of movement. I just suggest you chose a light fabric for summer because the double layer can get warm. A thicker fabric will be nice and warm for winter activities. Of course wait to buy the pattern until it is on sale at Joann's or Hobby Lobby for $1 to $2. =)

Biblical Womanhood Giveaway

2007-08-07T20:03:00.001-04:00

Biblical Womanhood is having a great giveway this week. They are giving away a $25 gift certificate from Vision Forum plus 5 great CD's! Check it out and enter to win HERE.

Cream of Vegetable Soup

2007-08-07T13:55:00.000-04:00

2 med. onions or leeks, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 T. butter
3 med. baking potatoes or 6 red potatoes, washed and cut up
2 quarts chicken stock, or combination of water and stock
several sprigs fresh thyme, tied together (or 2 T. crushed dried)
4 zucchini, ends removed and sliced
sea salt and pepper
sour cream

Melt butter in a large pot and add onions and carrots. Cover and cook over the lowest heat possible for at least 1/2 hour. The vegetables should soften but not burn. Add potatoes and stock, bring to rapid boil and skim. Reduce heat and add thyme. Cover and cook until potatoes are soft. Add zucchini and cook until they are just tender-5 to 10 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs. Puree the soup with a hand held blender. If soup is too thick, thin with water. Season to taste. Ladle into heated bowls and garnish with sour cream. Serve with round croutons.

I was truly surprised how good this was! It received a five star rating- the highest rating in our house. Makes a great filling lunch served with fresh bread, I had mine with sprouted wheat bread, yum!

Recipe from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

Enjoy!

Cut Butter Cost In Half: with your own spreadable butter

2007-08-03T20:52:00.000-04:00

Our family has some heavy butter users in it, and with the cost of butter going up that can really cost you. A few years ago my Mom started making our own spreadable butter. By mixing half softened butter and half canola oil (other oils work too) with our hand blender, we got a firm yet spreadable butter when chilled. It is just as delicious as regular butter, but nearly half the cost. You can also blend it in a food processor, use a hand mixer, or regular blender. I typically blend 2 lbs of butter with 4 cups oil at once to save time and clean up. You may just want to do one stick with 1/2 c. oil the first time to see if you like it. You can use this blend in some baking when either oil or butter can be used. My favorite cookie recipe uses it.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sift together:
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

In separate bowl cream together:
1 c. spreadable butter (1/2 oil, 1/2 butter)
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar

Add and blend well:
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla

Gradually stir in dry mixture.
Fold in:
1-12oz bag chocolate chips
1 c. chopped nuts

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes. Makes 5 dozen. Beware: doesn't last long!

Enjoy!

Spugeon: Heir of the Puritans, a book review

2007-08-01T16:25:00.001-04:00

In my life time I have not read many biographies, so now that highschool is out of the way they are at the top of my book list. First off was Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Learning about this great preacher was not only interesting, but inspiring. His humble devotion to Christ and His gospel was the one thing that crowned his life.

Starting at very young age he was being educated in the Puritans as well as reading many of the great classics. But the most interesting part of his early education to me was the part his single aunt and mother played. Because of some unfavorable circumstances (we are not sure what those might have been) at the age of one year his grandparent took him in and raised him until the age of six. Here is what is said concerning his aunt:

Ann Spurgeon, the unmarried daughter of the household, was seventeen when Charles came to them. She was, by all accounts, a radiant young girl of a lovely spirit, and she came to have chief charge of the newcomer.She taught him his letters (she was proud of this later on!) and she encouraged in him that irresistible gift of fun that was so marked in his character in latter years.

Isn't this a testimony to the fact that a young woman serving her home and family isn't just wasting her time, but investing it in the lives of those she loves?

His mother also played an influential part of his early years. By praying for him and teaching him in the Scripture she truly did raise in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The story goes on to tell the rest of the life of this godly man, but I will leave this for you to discover. I really hope that if you have the chance that you read this book; you will be greatly blessed and hopefully changed.

Spugeon: Heir of the Puritans by Ernest W. Bacon is available at Christian book.com for $6.49.

Good Quote

2007-07-30T11:50:00.000-04:00

I found this quote thought provoking. It's context was in the chapter called "Home Memories" speaking about not making memories that will later torment us, but I think it applies to many aspects of life.

"We are each preparing for ourselves the house our souls must live in the years to come" - J.R. Miller, Home-Making

By the way, if you haven't read this book yet, it is a wonderful read.