wishing

I'd be more thankful if fall were here too...but it's coming...can't get here soon enough for me!

This week had two days of little sleep. Honey worked in Huntsville Tuesday and Wednesday. That's an 1-1/2 hour drive from here. And he had to be there to work at 4am. Yep, 4am. That meant leaving home at 2:30...and getting home at 2:30. He was one tired man when he got home each evening. The first day of this was my MNO...and I had such a great time! But, I got home about midnight..and was, as usual, too keyed up to sleep. So, I computed till the alarm went off at 1:30...then couldn't get to sleep till Honey called to tell me he'd made it safely there, at 3:40.

We did get to bed at a reasonable time Wednesday evening...but I feel like I've been working my way back to restful ever since.

Thursday brought a baby shower for a friend of mine. What an angel her new little babe is! Rebecca and I both soaked up the baby holding time! Natalie gave me her "Mama, you need to get pregnant" speech so many times that I lost count! If there ever was a family that desired a babe, this one is it.

Friday, we were home all day. Love those days! We finished up our school week. Rebecca mixed up both the bread dough and the pizza dough. What an awesome help she is to me.

Today, Toby and Thomas are planning to do some inside work...after they tidy up a few things outside. It's overcast and threatening to rain, so they figured an inside job would be good. There's a list a mile long of things that to be done....both just for normal life and for getting our home ready to list for sale.

Oooh! I found one home yesterday that looked beautiful..but it was only a 3 bedroom..but 3-1/2 baths!! Can you imagine?? We have only 1 bathroom now..whatever would we do with 3-1/2?! It also had an inground pool and pool house. But only a little over 7 acres.....bummer.....

Rebecca is back with some organizing boxes for me. I'm on a quest to get this office organized and usable!! I need to organize the school books we are not currently using and the completed school work. That will free up alot of space! Then it's time to be serious about getting things listed for sale...either eBay or elsewhere. Too much stuff!!!

Pondering Palin

I was visiting over at here this morning and I was shocked at the number of "Palin Post' over here...I had no idea many were questioning as I am...BUT what I noticed was division among people....It shouldn't be that way...It made my heart sad, that so many cannot ponder their own thoughts or feeling with other "Christians" because they will be made to feel like 'freaks' or somehow unchristian if they disagree with a woman in office...One post even referred to people to think that the woman needs to home is a "know it all"....how very sad...Also one said those who 'question' Palin are for Obama...People just don't get it....Did any of us ever stop to think that this division is not of God?? That quite possibly Satan has jumped on the "Palin" bandwagon and is totally using this situation to divert our attention from what the real issue is?? and that is "What is best for our Country" weather it be McCain/Palin or the other the true heart of the matter is 'Who will uphold "YOUR" values, "YOUR" morals, "YOUR" liberities!! Period! If you do not feel either party will uphold "YOUR" values then you have a right to decide to not vote...that will NOT make you a bad "Christian" or a horrible "person" it just means you are exercising your God given freedoms...there may come a time when you cannot do that, you will not be given a choice...enjoy it now...We should ALL(including myself) pray about what we are to do..and after praying in earnest you are led to vote for Obama who I am to stand in your way? If you led to vote for McCain, Awesome! If you are led to not vote, so be it...its not my place to judge anyone...but I do have a right, just as you and everyone else in america has the right to his or her own opinion...and none of us have the right to attack the other just because our opinions differ...maybe, just maybe if we listen to the other side we might learn something! I am personally not a fan of a woman being in the White House in a that position...before you gasp and choke on your coffe let me say this...I love the woman, she is kind, she is pro-life, she is sharp, BUT she has a family and in that family is a special needs child. As a mother of a special needs child I personally know the amount of time it takes to raise a child like that...as much as we want things to be 'normal' they are not. I am sure she will make a great VP if elected along with McCain, however with that said...she needs to be home with her children...Example: Her baby is seriously ill, but she has peace talks with Iran...which gets neglected? The child or Iran peace talks? Kapish? Think about if McCain died in office Palin would be in line for the President, how will she balance home and office...I mean really, she will be running the U.S....our country is in perilous times we need someone who can be focused on this country...I don't know...its just silly the way this has become so divided...For those that are pondering Palin in office not being a good thing..I commend you for stating your opinion...Thank You...for those that think its ok...I have also read and considered your opinions...thank you...Who will I vote for...Certainly not Obama, but not sure for McCain either...Not voting does NOT mean a vote for Obama....it means simply not voting! If you have comments you can either private message me here on blogger or you can use my email hs_fmly@,msn.com I have chosen not to allow comments on this post.

Daily Devotion 249

Philip could have felt that his ministry was being elbowed aside and eclipsed when Peter and John came to the mission he had developed. They just seemed to brush aside recognition of his excellent beginning in planting the church. But he accepted it graciously and moved on to the next assignment the Spirit had for him! He did not seem to care who got the credit for what he did. Because of his faithfulness, his work was effective.

The nail may hold a few lessons for us. After the torturous manufacturing processes, it is driven into its place of service by blow after cruel blow of the hammer. Nothing is left to sight except the head.

The poor finish nail is not only driven to its niche in life like other nails, but the nail set comes along and drives its head well below the surface. As if that were not insult enough, putty fills the hole on top of the head, and paint permanently conceals the place where the nail does its work quietly and faithfully, unnoticed for its importance.

How important is the nail? Suppose all the nails in your house would suddenly go on strike and stop doing their jobs. That would bring chaos.

We, too, are called to silently and faithfully do our work, even if we are not noticed. We tend to think we should receive recognition for the “head-pounding” we endure to hold things together. But God notices all that pertains to His children’s lives.

Our emotions are not made of steel like a nail, but of feelings and sensitivities. So we do need audible and tangible encouragement and compliments frequently. Today, your sincere compliment may be just what someone needs to encourage him to stick with it! Will you give one?

Pondering Things

Photo Album Friday

Me & my BF Niki. I was 9 months pregnant with my oldest, Ashley. See the baby bump?

She was sooo sick here. I wanted her to pose with the cake I made her so we took a really quick picture before she threw up again.

Gustav and Summer UPDATES!!!!!

WE HAVE ELECTRICITY AGAIN! There were several "Thank you, Lords" and "Hallelujahs" spoken (loudly) around here by my hubby and I when the power came back on yesterday at 5:pm!! I even found out today that at least one of our grocery stores is up and running and has replenished what they lost. So after being shut in for days I'm off to the bank and the store today. I hope I never take those things for granted again...try going for very long without your bank, grocery store or gas station...

As for my daughter,

Summer, she is expected to be in the hospital on into next week we know. They are trying to reach her Urologist but haven't been successful due to the phone systems being down in the city where he is. They have found that one of her kidneys is not emptying like it should. It's emptying at about half the speed her other one is and there is a blockage. That's probably why she's been swelling so much. All along it's been kidney stones and infections but now kidney function? That worries me a lot. Poor thing. Thank you for remembering her in your prayers. God bless you for that!

Daily Devotion 248

September 5

Teaching

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Deuteronomy 6:7

“Teaching is an awesome responsibility.” This phrase was often quoted by one of our former schoolteachers reflecting on her commitment to her calling and duty as a teacher. This high and noble responsibility rests upon each one of us. None of us is exempt, from the oldest to the youngest, because “somebody follows you.”

As I went to the barn one morning, I saw our mama cat had just caught a rat. My curiosity was aroused as I watched her carry her prize back to her three small kittens. Eagerly I watched as I imagined she was going to give her kittens a good lesson in rat catching! I was disappointed! She deposited the very alive rat beside her three small kittens. Was her duty of teaching complete? She must have thought so! In perfect contentment she commenced to clean her paws and face and beautify herself. Does that sound like

us? More concerned about ourselves than about our duties?

The small kittens, with their lack of training, pounced upon the rat in their own haphazard way of attack. With each bite the rat would whirl around and strike back. Disgusted, two of the kittens gave up. But one decided the course of success must be to stay as far as possible away from that rat’s head. So the kitten grabbed the tip of the rat’s trail! Away they went, the rat dashing away with the kitten sliding along behind!

Indeed, experience is a good teacher, but a good teacher is much better! May God give us wisdom to fulfill our awesome responsibility patterned after Deuteronomy 6:7.

Stephen Miller, Loyal, WI

We plead the wisdom from our God through each and every day,

For courage, strength, and patience true to teach the godly way!

Bible Reading: Proverbs 4

One Year Bible Reading Plan:

1 Corinthians 14:1–20

Proverbs 5, 6

Used by Permission of Vision Publishers

PO Box 190, Harrisonburg, VA 22803

Phone: 877-488-0901

E-Mail: [cs@vision-publishers.com]

Freezing My Easter Eggs

All my hens are laying now. I just love all the different colors I get each day. I knew I'd be getting pastel blue, green and pink, and of course brown and white, but I'm loving the deep olive green eggs. Those were a surprise to me. Look at that tiny brown egg in the basket! I put it in the pot when I was boiling eggs for potato salad and egg salad today and snapped a picture of it in a teaspoon right before it got salted and peppered and popped in my mouth! Mmmm-good!

I was beginning to get quite a number of eggs in the refrigerator so I knew it was time to freeze some. Recently I have cracked bunches of eggs into a big bowl and scrambled them, added a little salt and poured them into a freezer bag to keep until I needed them for a scrambled egg breakfast. (or supper!)

Today I wanted to freeze them individually to use in recipes like cakes, cookies, pies, so I emptied out my ice trays and cracked an egg into each section and this time added a pinch of sugar and broke the yolk of each egg. {Always remember to add a bit of salt or sugar before freezing.} Once they're good and frozen solid I'll just pop them out and put them into a freezer bag. This will keep me in good supply of farm fresh eggs even if my hens stop laying for a time. Just eggcellent!

Benefits of the new day and perspective

And so dawned a new day.
Thankfully yesterday is but a pale distant memory.
Add snicker here.
Well, it’s enough of a memory.
Today was a much more FANTASTIC 2^nd day of school.
I thought to try my schedule for Mr. Conductor one more day before trying a revamp and I’m glad we did.
Today was great. We did everything on the schedule and had so much fun together. Plus we were done in 45 minutes and he was off painting his latest masterpiece with his new watercolors while I worked with the girls. In order to work without much interruption with Mr. C, I assigned Sassafras to read one of her assignments to herself rather than doing it with her. It went well.
The only blip is that it seems I have misplaced one of Maiden’s grammar books. I didn’t do the frantic search like yesterday- just a quick one- but fruitless all the same. We decided to make it a matter of prayer and pray that it shows up within the next day or so----- or my memory becomes equally clear as to where I may have put it . . . . . .
That could be a bit of awhile.
No matter- today was a good day. We enjoyed our learning, had great discussion and just plain fun doing it.
It is my hope and prayer that we have many more days like today than days like yesterday.
To do that one needs to have perspective.
Perspective.
It starts with me- if I wake up in a lousy mood it’s a pretty safe hypothesis that we’ll have a lousy day.
If I sleep in and don’t get up ahead of the children and have my coffee and quiet time . . . . . well, it’s just not good, people.
Today could possibly have gone down yesterday’s road if I’d let it- what with the missing grammar book and all that.
But it didn’t.
It was icing on the cake to have Mr. C do so well- but I was also prepared to let him run off if it was necessary.
There is only so much one’s sanity can take.
I continue to learn that even in the small every day stuff it is necessary- no VITAL, for me to go to God’s strength first and not go “own my own”. I work with the children to make it a habit to commit our day to the Lord first and ask Him to help us to accomplish all that He desires for us today.
We are never suppose to go it on own strength and then go to God when we’re burned-out and strung-out, gasping for air and begging for mercy. That’s backwards. He is our strength even in the mundane day-to-day-ness of each 24 hour period.
He’s my strength when we’re just starting the day and we’re eager to crack our books and get started.
And He’s my strength when I’m juggling teaching 3 school levels and the doorbell chimes along with the ring of the phone.
He’s my strength when we stretch one meal to two- including leftover for Mr. Steady’s lunch.
Just as He’s my strength when Mr. Steady takes the wrong container of leftovers to work and it throws off the dinner plans.
He’s my strength when Mr. Steady and his brother take turns driving to work to both economize on gas.
And He is my strength when Mr. Steady reveals to me that he put the spare tire on his car because one tire was so bald he thought it would blow-out.
Amazingly enough- I have no idea what kind of strength I will need for each day but I do know this---
What I have on my own will never be enough.
Not ever.
And so being the ever practical sort- I find it best to lean on and invite God’s strength at the beginning of each new day.
Sure I’ll still have those bad days- those Oh-I-just-want-to-go-back-to-bed-and-start-over-or-just-skip-it-and-sleep-through-it days. I’ll have those days when I “forget” to commit the day to the Lord and ask for His strength to lead me through.
And I will fall completely flat on my face.
Good thing God makes each day new.
Thank you Lord for the chances and opportunities each new day brings.
Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not His benefits. Blessed be the Lord. Who daily loads us with benefits. Psalm 103:2, 68:19

Gustav Update Day 4

The sun has come out today and it's pretty hot. We're still without electricity. I hear there are places here and there getting power back on. Walmart had power yesterday but someone told me there was no fresh produce or frozen or refrigerated food or bread, etc. I got out and picked up a few limbs in the front and some around the chicken coops today. It will take a lot more work plus a power saw to get all that mess cleaned up. This sunshine will dry things up I hope. Thank you for your prayers and kind words and thoughts everyone. It does cheer me up. And it was great hearing Kitty was alive and well and she asked that I let everyone know here at HSB and asked for continued prayers during her very trying circumstances. My daughter was able to be admitted into a hospital ast night thankfully and her doctor has started another IVP and has called in a Urologist. Please keep her in your prayers.

Saturday's ramblings

Pondering Palin

Daily Devotion 249

Pondering Things

Photo Album Friday

Gustav and Summer UPDATES!!!!!

Daily Devotion 248

Freezing My Easter Eggs

Benefits of the new day and perspective

Gustav Update Day 4

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