Books, Bedlam, and A Lively Hope

Daily Devotion 137

A special kind of love

The most important kind of love that I feel is from my Heavenly Father... to quote a quote we have posted on our wall

The Love we need to have

For God

From God

Like God.

Recently I have been feeling SO much love from and for Heavenly Father!  One of the lessons I have been learning most of all lately is that it doesn't matter what ANYONE else thinks of me... because I have a Father in Heaven who loves me more than words can express!  His shoulder is the only shoulder that I can cry on ALL the time, His arms are the ones that I love to be comforted by, and His praise is the praise that is the only one worth earning!  His love is never wavering and always constant... and I have SO much to learn so I can make my love for others like HIS.

Even though I don't know who my future husband is... I have in the last little while developed such a love for him!  I think that this love truly is starting to become like God's!  My sister and I were talking the other day and she said that she wants to come and stay with me when I get married, and I said "Oh, but you have to give us time together!"  It was rather funny because I was getting rather defensive of someone that I don't even know!  I've started to realize that this love is a very special kind of love.  I love lots of people... friends, family, neighbors, and lots of other people... but there are two kinds of love that are set apart, very sacred and special!  The love that I feel for my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and the love that I feel for my future husband.  Those are both loves that I won't feel for ANYONE ELSE!!

I think of my future husband often and pray for him daily, and I can't wait to meet him!!  All you unmarried girls out there (and boys too!) learn NOW to love your future spouse with ALL your heart and save that love for them, don't give it away!    

My future husband...whoever you are, wherever you are... know that I am learning to love you with all my heart, and I'm keeping it special and pure JUST FOR YOU!

Gardening Tips

A while back I found a some books at a garage sale for 5 cents a piece and bought several. Most of them where gardening and  home project books. Several of the books where written by Jerry Baker. OK maybe I've been under a rock, but I don't have a clue who he is, but his books are great, LOL. So I thought I'd share some tips from his book  101 Great Garden Tips .

• To increase the organic activity in your soil, add 1 tablespoon of regular, not diet, cola to your plant food mix.
• Panty hose make great ties for tomato plants.
• Wash your hands, wrist and ankles with a heavy lather of Fels Naptha soap after gardening. This will help take the sting out of Poison Ivy and bug bites.
• Exercise your evergreens to keep them growing tall, full, and wide. Shake them gently from time to time to remove dandruff and older needles.
• Evergreens were "ever lucky" in early New England. A pair of evergreens were planted in the dooryard of newlyweds to symbolize health and long life.
• Hammer away a the ends of the stems of fresh cut flowers and branches of flowering shrubs before placing them in a vase. This allows them to quickly draw up water.
• To hold blossoms longer, spray cut flowers with hairspray.
• To dye white carnations, cut the stems and place them in hot water with food coloring added. Let them set for one hour.
• Garlic to the rescue: if you put 1 or 2 garlic cloves into your rose bushes, they will never be bothered by aphids or other insects.
• You can remove the faded flowers from bulbs, but the foliage must be left on to provide the bulb with food for next year's flowers.
• Yesterdays news make great garden mulch. Put down up to three layers of single sheets of paper and then add three inches of grass clippings over the top.
• To protect seedings from the weather and varmints, cut the bottom out  of a one gallon milk jug and place it over your tender young plants.
• For no-mess watering of your hanging plans, let a few ice cubes slowly melt into the soil.
• A dose of castor oil saves ferns: add one tablespoon castor oil and one tablespoon of childrens shampoo to a quart of warm water, and give each plant a 1/4 cup of the mixture.
• Always mix your plant food with warm water because plants will take it up faster.
• Recycle those foam packing peanuts by using them in the bottom of your clay pots when repotting. They are lighter than pieces of clay, and are particularly good for hanging plants.
• The best mouse trap bait is pumpkin seeds, you'll find that mice can't resist them.
• Trying to trap a raccoon? Use marshmellows as bait, they have a sweet tooth.
• Try using a mixtrure of coffee grounds and orange peels scattered arond your favorite plants to keep cats from using it as a litter box.

OK, I hope you found these tips handy, I know I learned a few things.

Prayer please

Hello all. I have not blogged today due to well honestly i just do not know what to say. Today has been a hard day. NOTHING turned out like it was to. I am not going to go into details right now..

I am just hear to ask for prayer. Prayer that i can keep it all together.  I am feeling so overwelemed right now..

Thank you all for your prayers and emails. I will do my best to get to those who have emailed me later on tonight.

god bless

glenda

My thoughts. *U*

Thank You Jesus For Everything!

Bless it day to thee friends!

I just had something on my heart and wanted to share. We all are knowing in some way the things which are coming upon the earth in the economy. I just want you to know that our future is as bright as the promises of God. We are born with the desire to be success by the finished work at the cross. The poor are not getting poorer unless they have that mindset that they accept living in poverty. The middle class should be getting wiser also so we all can have our needs met and if you believe strong enough we all shall have over flow. You see the rich man or woman many not have God leading them either to the land of milk and honey cause even they shall fall [fail]. It is a way of how you think which has you were you are right now. It is not the out side of our body things which brings us God's will for prosperity....... it is the inside way of our thinking about the world, the lack of material things, even the basic needs. We must go inside ourselves cultivate, create and manifest that which God wants for us for we do have the spirit of truth available to guide and assist in all needed to bring victory in Jesus. If you listen to the news, neighbors, friends, family, and newspaper where the gloom and doom is it will become a part of your thinking and believing process. Greater in us then in the world is what is written. Do you believe that? I absolutely do for it is where the angels tread and manna flows it is hope and a future as Jeremiah 29:11 speaks.  This is why renewing the mind is so very important. The mind [thoughts] that leads us to the truth that sets us free. Wanna be free from this atmosphere? Then as messengers spoke many times in scripture "FEAR NOT!" that is the way to finding and receiving all that Father God has your name on. For fear is    False  ~Evidence~ Appearing~ Real. 

Get the message? Some of the messages, news, words spoken and written are not truths. If you hear someone speaking not in accordance to the Bible then it is not real. Also misery loves company so when you are hearing any negativity if you agree then you become as it is. Helpless and hopeless, ect. 

We agree to the thing said if we don't have a word of God to stand on which will bring us unto the Father's teachings. 

God is a God of plenty, No lack, His land is overflowing and many will not or do not ask for what He offers or has freely available. We think we have to have this or that and it will fulfill that need although without His way and word it will not come about in our lives due to lack of knowledge. That is why we perish. It is not God's will we live in fear and lack for that is Not his way of giving in His world. His kingdom within us is stocked up with all kinds of wealth and health. Hallelujah!! I believe, I believe therefore I receive. 

Many think what others say as the word instead of the Bible. Lord, have mercy on those that know your word and do not do it. Renew, Renew for His blessings that make rich and add NO sorrow. In Jesus' Holy Name do this!! 

Lovingly, rilda   

Living in lack and struggle does not please God.

Heavenly Desserts!

Blessings!

   I like desserts as well as the next person but boy do our daughters know how it's done:P

   Tonight our Miss Sarah made her delicious fresh strawberry shortcake! Yum! She makes her own homemade sweetbread shortcakes and makes a nice syrup on the strawberries with just a bit of sugar stirred in on them and serves it with a nice portion of whipped topping!

   Having that on a fresh, warm shortcake is so yummy! I always eat too much of it and always want more:P I'm also allergic to strawberries so I make sure I take my benedryl a half hour before she serves it:P Our Miss Mary-Ann is also allergic and she follows suit. No sense in letting that go to waste:P Some things are simply worth a few hives:)

   Here's her picture of her lovely creation.

   I love fruit season:) Can't wait for all those lovely pies and cobblers:)

God be with thee!

Sister Lori

Friday's To Do List

I have alot to get done Friday, and mostly this is my list to remind myself and make sure I am accountable to get it done.  But if you read it and get anything out of it, great.  If it inspires you, wonderful.  If you are as bored reading it, as I am writing it, I am so sorry! LOL

1.  Clean off dining room table (the free produce I picked up yesterday is here)

2.  Start taking care of veggies (Freezing summer squash and zucchini and making salsa or spaghetti sauce with roma tomatoes and onions)

3.  Wipe down dining room table, chairs and highchair (while veggies are cooking)

4.  Clean off living room tables

5.  Pick up Noah's toys and put things away

6.Reorganize stuff on book shelves

7.  Put dvds and vhs tapes away

8. Dust and Windex in DR and LR (the rooms are ajoined)

9.  Spray fabrics with febreeze

10. Vacuum stairs and DR and LR

11. Wipe down brown chair and ottoman

12. Go through all magazines and purge (I will take some old ones to the Thrift Shop, and some more recent ones, I will box and let friends go through them to read before taking to Thrift Shop)

13. Put supper in the crockpot

14.  Empty dishwasher and start again if needed

15.  Go to Alltel store for a new charger (I am not sure why, but mine stopped working after a year!!)

If I get all this done, which is probable if I don't have too many interuptions, I will start in Saturdays to do list and get a few things done ahead of time.

Plans for our 3rd anniversary

Hi all.  Matthew and I are still what most would call newlyweds (May 21st will be our 3rd anniversary), but we have been through more than most have been through in more than 10 years of marriage.  To just mention a few, we have had a baby (he just turned 2), buried both of my parents, buried both of Matthew's grandparents, bought a house and moved, and both of us have switched jobs (me twice before finally deciding to be a SAHM while pregnant with Noah), all within the first three years (most within the first 2 years).  We know each other better than most couples who have been married for decades (Matthew's mother says we probably knew each other better in the 9 weeks we dated before getting married than she knew her husband within the first 15-20 years. LOL), but at the same time, we are newlyweds and still getting used to communication and getting to know each other's likes and dislikes.

The weekend after our anniversary is a 4 day weekend for Matthew. He took Friday off, and Monday is one of his holidays, so we are taking a short trip to the city (Kansas City, Missouri, about a 100 mile trip for us) to celebrate.  I am so excited about going, but nervous to leave Noah behind.  I have a wonderful friend Jen who has volunteered to stay at our house with Noah while we are gone Friday and Saturday (then we will come home, and still have 2 days to spend with Noah before daddy has to go back to work), and take care of Noah.  It will be easier on Noah to go to bed in his own crib.  Of course, we will leave her with his car seat, keys to the house, etc.  I just hate leaving him is all.  I know she will take wonderful care of him though. 

I decided today to make a list of the things that need to get done before we leave (such as a HUGE list of things that need to be cleaned up on the house before leaving.  It is awful to let a guest inside your home and expect her to make any sense of it all, and I hate coming home to a messy cluttered home too!) and make a goal of getting them all done by next Friday when we will be leaving.  My list is so long, but hopefully I can get it all done and then focus on sewing curtains for the kitchen and laundry room before we leave.

While we are in the city, we will eat our our all time favorite resturant called Ghangis Khan (mongolian BBQ).  The place is awesome.  They have a bar of fresh veggies, meats, and all the sauces, etc you could possibly want for your meal.  You pur your choice of things in a bowl and take it to the front where guys cook it on a huge flat metal thing (you expect me to know what they call it?? LOL) and bat it around with large wooden sticks to make sure it cooks evenly.  It is a little expensive, so we normally save eating there for anniversaries and birthdays.  This year, we are only eating there for our anniversary only.

Also while in the city, we will be shopping for my bday present (mine was April 27th), and my Mother's Day present from Matthew.  We consider the trip itself our present to each other.  We are planning a trip to Sam's to stock up on some things, and I am in need of some new bras, so Matthew said I can buy 4 new ones.  ( I am so excited about that.  LOL)  We will be staying at a hotel, which tickles me pink for some silly reason. LOL  We are hoping to stay somewhere with an indoor pool!  (We had a hard time finding a place with any pool that was open while on our honeymoon 3 years ago because in May most pools are either not open yet for the season at a hotel, or they are closed for remodeling, but most places that have indoor pools have them opened all year round.) 

I guess I am rambling here, but I wanted to write down what my plans will be for myself as well as writing releases stresses about the out of town trip as well.

Dogs On Thursday ~ May 15

Lance's Dad is home with Hospice care...

Well, this hasn't been the best week. 

Tuesday Lance's dad was sent home from one hospital, but was very weak and unable to stand on his own, so Tuesday evening he was taken to another hospital's ER and he was admitted there.  Tests were ordered and it was found that the cancer has moved around and there is another spot on his brain.  

The Dr determined that radiation probably wouldn't be very beneficial for him at this point.  If they focus the radiaiton on the cancer in his brain area (which they think is causing his symptoms...he's not comprehending things), then the cancer on his lungs or liver could start giving him problems (in the time radiation was being done).  The radiation takes a week or two and then another week or two to take affect.  If the radiation wasn't going to be beneficial and it's side-effects HORRIBLE, it was determined that no other radiation or chemo would be done and he would be able to rest more peacefully at home.

We are extremely blessed to have two relatives who work for/with Hospice.  Lance's cousin (and aunt) have been extremely helpful in getting Hospice set up and running in their home.  It was decided Wednesday morning while his dad was in the hospital, and by 3PM Hospice was at their house with paperwork and a bed with oxygen being set up.  His dad was transported by ambulance and arrived home that evening to a bed that was already made and waiting for him.  He seems to be resting peacefully whenever I've seen him.

He wasn't swallowing on Wednesday, but started swallowing again Wednesday night, so he could take his meds and even eat a tiny bit.  (they do have soluble meds)

He seems to recognize people briefly and speaks occasionally.

We've been spending as much time as possible there, Lance took Wed and Thur off but plans to work tomorrow and then take the weekend off to spend there.

Lance's brother and his wife are staying there, day and night, (with his dad and stepmom) and that makes us feel better as we know he's being watched closely and getting the care he needs. 

Prayers are appreciated as this is a very difficult time for the family :(

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Tuesday we went to our tax guy about our tax audit.  We have everything in order, and we should be fine unless the auditor (how do you spell that??) says that Lance's work mileage isn't deductible, then we are in trouble.  It's normal in his profession to deduct mileage, as he's considered a 'self contractor'.  The miles from home to his shop and shop to home are considered his commute, but the miles from his shop to his job site are considered tax deductible.  The tax man said that it depends on the auditor on whether or not they raise a fuss over it.  We just have to wait and see.  Lance has all his log books and they contain the mileage from the shop to each jobsite, so hopefully it will all be fine.

Wednesday we met with H+R Block, as we bought the audit guarantee for the year 2006, so they represent us for free at an audit.  We did NOT buy that guarantee for 2005, so we have to pay them to represent us for that year ($120).  That's not a bad fee and may be worth it I guess.  I honestly feel like I can represent us myself, but everybody keeps telling me that is a bad idea.  I seriously have everything in order so I don't see a problem, but I guess I'll just pay H+R Block to come along too.

I called the auditor on Wednesday to make our audit appt.  She set it for June 4 and seemed quite nice on the phone.  Then I went to HRBlock and they made me reschedule it for a later date.  I did NOT want to do this and the auditor was not impressed.  HRBlock kept saying we need more time...more time for WHAT?  I can't imagine what we need MORE time for, I have everything we could possibly need.  ??  Sigh.

So our big audit appt is NOW set on June 13, the very same day as Lilli's recital.  Double sigh.  Lance and I will drive separately so I can leave early from the audit if possible, because I really should be here to get Lilli dolled up for her recital.  It's just a mom thing and it's pretty technical.  'Hair must be parted on the left side in the center of the eyebrow'.  'Hair must be combed through with gel and placed in a low pony tail'.  'Bobby pins must be used if bangs or flyaways are a problem'.  The make-up instructions are even more in-depth.  I really need to be here to get her ready.  Hopefully the audit will go smoothly and we'll be out of there in an hour or two instead of the normal 4! hours. 

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On the menu...I haven't cooked at all since I posted it.  Huge sigh.  I just haven't been home.  I am hoping to cook beef stroganoff tomorrow though.

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Our critters are all doing well, our little Buckeye the buckling is doing great and I hope to get him out to play with the girls a bit this weekend.

The chicks are all doing great and the bronze turkey poults are really getting big.  The guinea keets are all doing well and they are definitely the more wild ones of the bunch.  Anytime we open the cage they run to and fro.  They are so cute though...and FAST!  LOL

Our new chickens are laying pretty good.  We get 5 or 6 eggs per day now.  We were already getting one or two with just our one little hen we had.  I think the new chickens are either young or stressed from the move.  They don't seem stressed, so I'm thinking young.  Some of them are laying medium white eggs and some are laying large brown ones.  They all lay in the same nest, so I'm not sure which hens are laying which eggs.

I plan to let them out to free-range tomorrow afternoon/evening.  We'll see how it goes and if they go back in the coop to roost.  If they do well, then we'll start letting them out each morning for a day of free-range before locking them in again at night.

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Lilli had her first T-ball practice last night.  It was so much fun to watch.  One little girl hit the ball and ran straight to second base...right over the pitcher's mound!  LOL.  It was not Lilli.  Lilli was worried about that.  She didn't think she'd know which way to run.  :)

Lilli did great and had a wonderful time!  She didn't want to leave when we were all done!  She was so tired though.  Practice goes from 6-7:30 on Wed nights and then again from 1-2 on Saturdays.  Her coach was awesome with the kids and they all seemed to have a great time.

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Today was Lilli's field trip to the zoo.  We had a great time but both of us were pretty tired afterwards.  I had 4 girls to watch over while we walked around, and that's just a lot for the zoo.  Each girl had their own ideas about where to go and what to see and how much time to spend at each exhibit.  One girl wanted to run to everything and one girl couldn't keep up no matter how slow we walked.  LOL.  Leashes.  They should give leashes to the parents attending field trips.  HA!

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Tomorrow we are pretty open.  I need to call and schedule Lauren's VCUG for June (to check her kidney reflux).  Lilli has school and then we'll head over to Lance's Dad's for a visit in the early evening.

Lance is spending Saturday and Sunday at his dad's. 

Lilli has a couple things going on Saturday and we'll visit Lance's dad as much as we can.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers, I'll post updates when I can.

Hugs,
Lisa