I hope you all will enter. I am going to be having more giveaways at my blog in the next couple of weeks. The deadline to enter *this* giveaway is the 21st, so be sure to tell all your friends who you think would want to win.

Hope you enter,

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

I hope you have enjoyed reading the thoughts and happenings of a fourteen-year-old girl from the country. “You can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens you!” Philippians 4:13

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Be sure to vote for me in the HOMESCHOOL BLOG AWARDS. I was nominated in the Best Teen Gal category, so make sure you vote in that one for me. Thank you!

you can go here to see who all was nominated of my family -

Nominated in the Homeschool Blog Awards

Simple Woman’s Daybook - Page 13

For Today…October 27th, 2008

Outside my Window… It's a windy day. I can see the trees moving. It's pretty cold out!

I am thinking… that I CANNOT write my Emotion Commotion article about Gentleness... it's not clicking!

From the learning rooms…Math... blek and practicing my handwriting - it's atrocious. And I am going to be reading some different books.

I am thankful for…Amanda whose birthday was yesterday and all my siblings.

From the kitchen… some grits with butter and honey. I am going to go make some after I finish this post.

I am wearing… my blue skirt, a grayish-blue shirt that says "Priority - 'Seek ye first the Kingdom of God.' Matthew 22:37." Oh and I am wearing my long knee-high socks that are a very light blue-teal colour, and they have snowflakes and snowmen on it. :P

I am reading…the Bible - I read Joshua 1-3 (finally out of Deuteronomy! haha) today for my Bible Reading Challenge. And I am going to be reading The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace. 

I am hoping… that I can get my school work done in a timely manner.

I am creating…a poem for Miss Kylie’s kids newsletter, Kids Of Faith, for the Fall edition.

I am hearing… Eric and Isaac talking in the living room. And Wilbur making a bunch of noise scratching on his branches that are in his box.

Around the house… it's pretty quiet, except for the above!

One of my favorite things…yummy pumpkin pie with a dallop of whipped topping on top.

I am praying for…Drews Family TX. For my Grandma Starr too. And Aunt Jen. - she is missing her momma. :( Missing her too.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…I am just really going with the flow!

I accomplished since last week…Got almost all of GGM articles done, one more!! AHH

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

This is a picture showing the alphabet in sign language and also numbers 1-9. I got it off of SisterLisa's blog. She gives lessons in sign language on her blog.

For Guidelines of this meme, visit The Simple Woman. I hope you will join me! If you posted your own Simple Woman’s Daybook! I really love doing this meme. :)

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

I hope you have enjoyed reading the thoughts and happenings of a fourteen-year-old girl from the country. “You can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens you!” Philippians 4:13

For Today…October 20th, 2008

Outside my Window… The sun is shining, the wind is blowing… it feels like Fall is finally here!

I am thinking…that I need to get started on my six articles that I am going to write for Growing In Grace Magazine for November - Emotion Commotion, Snuggle Up With A Good Book, Interviewing Susan Marlow for book review, and a couple other ones for extras.

From the learning rooms… Polished Cornerstones.

I am thankful for…the lovely weather we are having. Bit windy, but with the leaves falling, it makes it look like a fairy tale is happening.

From the kitchen…Cranberry Muffins this morning. We had some friends over and Eric begged me to make some, right after I popped out of bed at 10:30… I don’t like cranberries, but I made them anyways. :) Everyone else loved them! Oh and Mrs. Brown (the one that came over) brought a coffee cake with her. She’ll have to share the recipe for that. :)

I am wearing… blue skirt, red long-sleeved shirt, blue garden shoes, and my hair is pulled back.

I am reading…the Bible - I read Deuteronomy 14-16 today for my Bible Reading Challenge. It was about what the Israelites were to eat - the animals and different things about if your brother is poor.

I am hoping…that I can get all of my GGM articles done in a timely fashion.

I am creating…a poem for Miss Kylie’s kids newsletter, Kids Of Faith, for the Fall edition.

I am hearing…Amanda and Jocelyn talking and laughing about something on the computer, and Luli crabbing to come downstairs.

Around the house…pretty quiet now. Wasn’t too long ago that things weren’t quiet!

One of my favorite things…the wind. :) Perfect for today, isn’t it?

I am praying for…Drews Family TX. For my Grandma Starr too. And Aunt Jen. - she is missing her momma. :( Missing her too.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…get the goat and chickens stalls cleaned out, get my GGM articles done for November, get my room cleaned up, get all of the drafts I have on here posted or outta there! Get up at 7am every morning and spend an hour in quiet time with the Lord.

I accomplished since last week…Got some of the goat stalls cleaned out! A little of my book review is done… not completed, but getting there.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

A beautiful white mare… wouldn’t you love to riding on her? I sure would.

For Guidelines of this meme, visit The Simple Woman. I hope you will join me! If you posted your own Simple Woman’s Daybook! I really love doing this meme. :)

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

I hope you have enjoyed reading the thoughts and happenings of a fourteen-year-old girl from the country. “You can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens you!” Philippians 4:13The

For Today…September 22th, 2008

Outside my Window…I am in front of the big widow in the living room. I can see the schoolhouse, the barn, the fields and woods around the house and the swing on the porch.

I am thinking… that I need to go hang out the diapers and get dinner started so we can eat at 4:30-5pm tonight. :)

From the learning rooms… lapbooking with Momma has been so fun! We (Momma, Eric, Hannah and I) cut out everything for making the lapbooks. We are doing them about cowboys. Momma is upstairs gluing everything into the folders. I'll post pictures sometime. :)

I am thankful for… wonderful green grass that is still here!

From the kitchen…Well, this week I made some pumpkin muffins, chocolate chip-cranberry-walnut cookies, apple crisp, and cocoa fudge brownies. Wow, I have been baking a lot! I have been making dinner a lot too... I'll have to post some different menus. :)

I am wearing…a big orange T-shirt, blue teddybear pj pants, hair is as a horses tail, barefeet complete the lazy-homeschooler look. :P

I am reading…the Bible - I read Exodus 14-16 today for my Bible Reading Challenge. I am STILL (but almost done with it!) reading Journeys of Faithfulness by Sarah Clarkson, and I am also reading a book by a blogger - SuzyScribbles - called Andi Carter and the Dangerous Descision. I very much enjoyed the first book (that one is the second). I am reviewing them for GGM in November. I will also be interviewing Mrs. Marlow in the book review.

I am hoping…that I can get everything cleaned up before Dad gets home, and keep on the new schedule I made for the laundry. (I am in charge of the laundry now...)

I am creating…A sketch for my Great Grandparents, I have not decided what to sketch yet. Maybe a bird. I will have to post some of the drawings/sketchings on my blog. What is YOUR favourite bird?

I am hearing…the loud fan that is about 8 feet from me to keep the flies out of the house when people come in the door, and Eric outside with Hannah and my Blondie lassie.

Around the house…everything a mess....needing to clean it up. Jocelyn is in the office with Wilbur, Amanda and the Littles are upstairs with Momma, in the attic room.

One of my favorite things…wake up early in the morning and watch the sun come up, making the grass look like a sea of crystals, and hear the birds just beginning to sing.

I am praying for…Drews Family TX, Grandma Starr - she is going to have a meeting with her pastor, my Grandpa in Bedford, IN - he is checking into some occultic stuff (please pray for him too!)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…finish up my GGM article for October, get my room spick and span, and get up at 6:30am all week long, really get started on school, make a list of the goodies I am going to make for Thanksgiving and Christmas. ***Anyone have any recipes they want to share? I am on the lookout!***

I accomplished since last week…Well, I have gotten some of my articles done, and tried a couple new recipes. :)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

I took this picture for Miss Kylie, for a recipe I did on her newsletter, Kids Of Faith. You can go check it out. She also interviewed Jocelyn and me in that issue. All the links on the first page. :)

For Guidelines of this meme, visit The Simple Woman .I hope you will join me! If you posted your own Simple Woman’s Daybook! I really love doing this meme. :)

Being Simple Still,

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

I hope you have enjoyed reading the thoughts and happenings of a fourteen-year-old girl from the country. “You can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens you!” Philippians 4:13

I made some apple crisp on Wednesday morning for a treat. Little did I know how fast it was going to be gone. I myself don’t like it. I never have. But it’s very fun to make. Amanda informed me, with her hand on her stomach, that it was breakfast dish, not a desert dish to be *after* lunch. So I had to give in and let everyone have some while Amanda made some spaghetti noodles for lunch. I thought you might all want to try this recipe, so I will share it with you. :)

Apple Crisp

4 medium apples, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2/3 to 3/4 cup of flour (I used cake flour for this)
1/2 cup of oats (regular oatmeal is fine)
1/3 cup of butter
3/4 tsp. of cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg

Heat the oven to 375*. Arrange the apples in a greased 8×8x2inch baking pan. (I used a 13×9x2 inch baking pan. It worked fine.) Mix the remaining ingredients and then sprinkle it over the apples in the pan.

Bake this wonderful surprise for about 30 minutes, until it turns a golden brown on the top. Serve it warm, if you want, or you can wait until it is cooled. You can serve it with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.

I actually made double the topping because it’s never enough only making the recipe. Everyone loves this at our house… except me! :) But I don’t mind making it. I’m a bake-aholic. Trying to become The Excellent Baker. :D If anyone has a recipe for this, would you like to share, so I can try a few different ones and see which one works best? That would be wonderful!

Trying To Be The Excellent Baker,

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

I hope you have enjoyed reading the thoughts and happenings of a fourteen-year-old girl from the country. “You can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens you!” Philippians 4:13

I am really tired of people, Christians, always saying it id too hard to follow the Bible, and then go with the world. I really am. I am really tired of myself doing that. It got me to thinking about how hard it was for Jesus to be down on earth, living with sinful people, then having to suffer and die for them, so they could have Salvation. It got me to thinking how a lot of Christians want to take the easy way out and ‘go with the flow’ - the worldly flow.

Jesus could’ve taken the easy way out - He didn’t have to die on the cross. He could have said, “You know what, none of my disciples are even standing by Me, all these people hate Me and have rejected Me, so I don’t want to give MY body to save THEM from their own sin.” That would have been the easy way out for Jesus. He could have defide God. He was God. He could have struck all those people who wanted to kill Him dead on the spot, but no, He suffered and died so I could live - so YOU could live.

Jesus said in Matthew 16:24 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” He is saying that if you can’t bear what He bear for you, for His names’ sake, you aren’t worthy to follow Him. He says this numerous times. Luke 9:23
says “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” DAILY. Did you see that word? He said daily. What I am get from this Scripture is that everyday, all the time, think of what He would do, take up your cross and do it. If it is as simple as being nice to your sister or brother, or honouring your parents by cleaning their house. Whatever it is, do it as Jesus would.

What He is saying, to put it in plain words, is this - “If you aren’t willing to lay all you have down for My sake, your Saviour, Redeemer, and Lord, you are not worthy to be MY follower.” How can it be any plainer?

I guess what I am tired of is the Christian people who don’t follow God’s Ten Commandments, who don’t follow His lead, who don’t want to take the time to find out what the Bible really says instead of getting an interpretation (yes, it is an interpretation) from their pastors, and whose hearts aren’t right with God. Jocelyn once wrote an article, that came to mind as I am writing this, called It’s Not Always Light- N-Fluffy. I think you should read it for yourself. I really got ‘enlightened’ so to speak reading it. I think you might want to give it a try.

Lately, this subject has been on my mind. It seems like it’s always too hard to be nice to my younger siblings, it’s too hard to stay up for that extra hour so Momma can get something done on the computer, it’s too hard to clean the kitchen AGAIN. It’s too hard, I can’t, too hard… That ain’t nothin’ compared to what Jesus suffered. Jesus wasn’t always comfortable. I bet He wasn’t too comfortable when He was being whipped and nailed to the cross. That’s the problem with a lot of Christians today - EVERYTHING has to be comfortable. If it doesn’t feel right, they don’t do it. Sometimes you have to do things that are uncomfortable. Jesus had to all the time.

Jesus did say it wouldn’t be easy to follow Him, as many of His followers said. No, it would be very hard. But in Hebrews 12:2, it does say this, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” He is on the right hand of God, He endured the cross, for whose sake? YOURS and MINE. But if you aren’t willing to take up your cross, you aren’t worthy -

Matthew 10:38
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Luke 14:27
And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

You leave your cross behind, you don’t count as following. When you go rock-climbing, you need cables right, to hold you up? Well, think of your cross as the cable that is holding you to God. If you leave your cable behind, how can you climb the steep rocky edge? You can’t; you won’t be able to. You need to make sure you are equipped for the Narrow Road you will be climbing up. If you aren’t, you just might fall off the edge.

The Jewish leaders mocked Jesus when He was on the cross, saying (Mark 15:30) “Save thyself, and come down from the cross.” (Matthew 27:42) “He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.” They wanted a sign. They didn’t go to the Scriptures and saw the many prophecies Christ was fulfilling. It says in Matthew 16:4 - “A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.” You are wicked if you ask for a sign to know that God is God. Jesus said in John 20:29 -

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

You want a sign, I’ll tell you where to find one - go outside and look at the sky, go smell a flower, touch the trunk of a tree, or look in the mirror. You have the signs and wonders of God all around you. All you need to do is open your eyes. You can’t have blind faith when following God.

The Apostle Paul said in Galatians 6:12 - “As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.” That means it’s not always going to be easy, not always going to be comfortable. It *will* be difficult. Jesus said you will suffer as *I* have suffered. I am glad I can suffer like my Dear Saviour did. It’s not too hard. All I have to do is make an effort to do it. Because you know that saying, Where there’s a will, there’s a way? If you have the will to follow God, and want to be like Jesus and Walk In HIS Steps, then you can. I’d rather walk in the dark with my Jesus, then walk in the light alone.

Please do not think that I am being judgmental about Christians, I am simple stating what I believe. I wrote this post for you all to be encouraged, not to think I am being a snob. I am only trying to be an encouragement to you, my fellow Brothers and Sisters in Him. I do hope I am.

Walking This Narrow Road,

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

I hope you have enjoyed reading the thoughts and happenings of a fourteen-year-old girl from the country. “You can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens you!” Philippians 4:13