At Home in Georgia

November 22

Thank God for Your Home

And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4

Nineteen-year-old Jason stormed out of the house in a fit of rage. Dad had made him mad again. Couldn’t his parents ever get along with each other? He had had enough. He was going to get back at his parents for the way they had treated him. “The next time you hear of me, it’ll be in the headlines,” he called over his shoulder angrily.

He drove off in the car and picked up his friends, Pat and Freddie. They left their home state of South Carolina and drove to Atlanta, Georgia. There they decided to rob a bank or steal a vehicle. After searching awhile at a mall for a chance to do this, Freddie left his two friends and caught a bus back home. The other two boys continued north and happened to end up in our small town. They decided to steal a vehicle. One day, our local newspaper ran the sad story of an elderly couple murdered in their own house.

Their pickup truck and about $300 were stolen. The two boys were eventually linked to the murder and arrested.

Last week our local newspaper bore the headline that one of the boys, Jason, was convicted and received two life sentences plus ten years in prison. A sad story it is, and yet so typical of the world about us. Children end up doing things they never imagined in reaction against their parents’ treatment. Neither parents nor children can be blamed for the other’s mistakes, and yet parents have a great responsibility to influence their children for the right.

Have you thanked God today for your godly parents? Do it now. If you do not have godly parents, have you thanked God for your salvation, that you can teach your children what is right? Do it now. If your father made mistakes and did not treat you right, have you forgiven him? Do it now. If there is bitterness in your heart toward your home life,

have you rid yourself of it? Do it now.. Life is too short and eternity is too serious to hold a grudge. Purpose now to be the kind of person that you would wants others to be to you!

Tim Mast, Crossville, TN

A happy family is but an earlier heaven.

—Sr. John Bowring

Bible Reading: Ephesians 5:25—6:9

One Year Bible Reading Plan:

James 3

Ezekiel 24—26

Used by Permission of Vision Publishers

PO Box 190, Harrisonburg, VA 22803

Phone: 877-488-0901

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

Such Blessings!

Last weekend we received an email from his lovely wife letting us know that he would be arriving the next day (Sunday)~! It's not easy finding a day in the fall up here in Oregon, that is dry let alone sunny:P So, it's important to check the weather daily to see if there will be a window of time. They did and he was on his way.

I want to share a wonderful thing here quickly. I was blessed to see the title of the email that she sent..."Greetings!! From your landlords wife!" It was wonderful to see that she acknowledged that she belonged to her husband:) Not as a possession but rather as his helpmeet, his adoring wife! Something not to be ashamed of in the least. It was truly refreshing:)

He showed up Sunday morning around 10:30am. I had not been feeling well the night before and so had not slept well. This meant sleeping in just a tad the next day;P Miss Sarah was the only one dressed so she greeted him first while Miss Mary-Ann and I got dressed. Shame on me for being so lazy that day:P

I went out to meet him and my what a blessing. He was very sweet and pleasant. For all of my silly conserns about things, it was wasted as he had no real expectations of us and so the fellowship was quite sweet and encouraging:) He spent time speaking with our Miss Sarah while she helped him at one point which she enjoyed greatly. She has since shared some little stories that he shared with her about himself.:)

I had the blessed opportunity to correspond with his lovely bride and get to know her a bit better. I am looking very forward to getting to meet her in person. Perhaps Spring:) Lord willing:)

We sent him home a few days later with some homemade soaps, peaches, pearbutter and oatmeal cookies which I've been told he ate half of on his ride home:P

We have truly been blessed by the Father in our moving her. He has given us godly landlords, plenty of room for our homesteading needs and the sweet fellowship of this past week:) How could we ask for more?

I know they read our blog now and again so I want to say...Brother and Sister...thank you for your sweetness and your encouragment here. You are truly a God breathed blessing in our lives.

It's Always Something!

Well, it's always something. Just as Miss Mary-Ann and I were arriving home from our class, there was Miss Sarah sitting at the front porch. She had gone out to feed the animals and found one of our whethers laying oddly in the pen. Closer inspection showed he was dying so she gathered him up and came to the front of the house to wait for us. He died just as we had arrived. Poor little thing. And our poor Miss Sarah. It seems she's always the one that is on hand at these times. Perhaps the Good Lord has given her this gift of comforting the dying animals we have.

We were all saddened by Pi's passing but we expected it. Well, at least I did. I had been giving him injections for what i suspected was pneumonia. This was positively revealed at his passing this morning. I had hoped the medicines were working but it was already too late by the time I had figured out what it was. Such is farm life.

This winter is supposed to be colder than last year and much wetter so we've decided to sell off the goats for this year and look into purchasing bred does in the Spring. We'll see. In the meantime, the ones we have, both Nigerians and Nubians, need to be sold.

We will still have our chickens and ducks and rabbits. Of course the inside animals too but Brother Craig and I thought we would maybe take a break from the larger animals for a bit. It will be easier for us to afford wintering if we aren't feeding goats as well. It's a very difficult decision to make but we feel it's the best thing to do for this year.

The Lord has brought us this far and we know He will walk us further on as we endeavor to do His Will in our lives. Times are going to get tougher before they get better so we are sure that the Lord is guiding us to make these changes for now. It will be better financially if we are able to cut back in a few ways and feeding the goats while they are not producing anyway is not a sound thing to do. One day, we won't have to pay for the feed, but until we are able to grow our own it's choices and decisions that need to be made:)

Well, that's the haps for this day. We still have plenty of chickens for meat and eggs, ducks for meat and eventually the rabbits will be a good source for meat:)

Now to pray for our Sarah as she needs a bit of uplifting this evening. God is so good! I know He has another wonderful adventure in store for us. I can't wait to see what it will be:)

Unaswered Prayer?

All of us have prayers we raise up to heaven that "seem" to appear go unanswered as of yet...... some of us have been praying for something for days, months and yes even years....... does God not hear us? This quote is for you.........and me. :) ~ gloria ~

" God's timing is not ours to command. If we do not start the fire with the first strike of our match, we must try again. God does hear our prayer, but He may not answer it at the precise time we have appointed in our own minds. Instead, He will reveal Himself to our seeking hearts, though not necessarily when and where we may expect. Therefore we have a need for perseverence and steadfast determination in our life of prayer.

In the old days of flint, steel and brimstone matches, people had to strike the match again and again, perhaps even dozens of times, before they could get a spark to light their fire, and they were very thankful they finally succeeded. Should we not exercise the same kind of perverence and hope regarding heavenly things? When it comes to faith, we have more certainty of success than we could ever have had with flint and steel for we have God's promises as a foundation.

May we, therefore never despair. God's time for mercy will come -- in fact, it has already come, if our time for believing has arrived. Ask in faith, without wavering, but never cease to petition the King simply because He has delayed His reply. Strike the match again and make sparks fly! Yet be sure to have your tinder ready, for you will get a fire before long. "

The Joy Giver

I have been so busy this past week......from schooling the children ( there are 8 being schooled now!) and tending the home fires... that I have not had a moment to sit and blog.... and I also went into the city this week and that always takes a good chunk of my time ..........in the midst of the busyness, we have also had time to sing our praises to the Lord and rest in His beautiful promises in HIS word! As we enter into this week of Thanksgiving, I like to take time to remember those brave and faith filled souls who came from so far away to establish a colony where they could worship their God freely without being "dictated" how they should do so. They believed the Word of God was to be taught freely and not under the "banner" or "control" of some church........ oh, how I can relate to these brave souls! My journey to the Lord was somewhat of a pilgrimage in many ways! My family travelled over many miles to arrive to a place where God could teach us and show us His ways. So I do have a tender spot in my heart for those pilgrims who came to America searching for freedom to worship to their heart's content!

This past week we have been learning a new hymn to sing for our Bible devotions. We recently learned the beautiful hymn: As the Deer.... if you don't know this lovely song, you so do need to become familiar with it's beautiful melody and even more beautiful lyrics! I have been hearing my children humming and singing this lovely song........

You alone are my strength , my shield; To you alone my spirit yield. You alone are my heart's desire and I long to worship You.

Jesus really is the real JOY giver -- and the apple of my eye! He is what I long for and I need Him like my body needs water! I long to worship Him!

I hope in this coming week ~ that you too will find time to worship the JOY giver!!

Daily Devotion 325

November 21

Giving Thanks

O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

Psalm 117:1

When did you last take time out to really thank God for the many wonderful things He has done for you? Wives, do you really thank God for your husband, or do you take him for granted? Stop and think what a blessed wife you are. You and your husband are Christians.

What a blessing that you can rest assured of your husband’s whereabouts. You can tell others where he is, and he goes where he says he will go.

More than that, you have someone you can look up to. Always remember to pray for your husband. It is always a comfort to me whenever I get home from work and I hear my wife say, “I prayed for you today.”

Husbands, have you thanked God for your wife lately, even today? Sometimes we take them for granted. Do not forget that she is not your slave, but your wife. Ask yourself what you would amount to if it were not for your wife. Really, what kind of man would you be? Brethren, God gave them to us. Let us be thankful for God’s blessings and really appreciate them.

Parents, when was the last time you stopped to thank God for your children? The Bible says that children are a heritage from the Lord. Children are really fun to have around. But sometimes we find ourselves sighing over them. Why is he or she like this? Why can’t they be like so and so’s children? Let us not allow these evil thoughts into our minds but instead give God thanks and praise for our children. Pray earnestly for them. Let us be godly role models for them.

Mark Meighn, Belize City, Belize

Let us live lives of thankfulness.

Bible Reading: Colossians 3

One Year Bible Reading Plan:

James 2

Ezekiel 22, 23

Used by Permission of Vision Publishers

PO Box 190, Harrisonburg, VA 22803

Phone: 877-488-0901

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

LET IT SNOW...LET IT SNOW...LET IT SNOW...

Well, just like the title says...we have been getting some of that white fluffy stuff! Currently we have about 4-6" on our back deck. WE are forecasted to get more this evening and on into the weekend! Tis the time of year...can't avoid it no matter how hard we try!

The Men folk will be going hunting again this weekend. They saw plenty last weekend, but nothing worth the shot...or too far to shot at! (Hoping a deer will be got here...as I love to have my freezer full to the limit.) Something satisfying knowing that if we are snowed in for any length of time...food will never be rationed at our house! Of course, we do have about 12 old hens that really need to be caught and put into canning jars...BUT...until they are needed...lucky birds they are!

God will always provide to those who are faithful!

I have washed my hands so much this year, in my classroom, they feel and look like sand paper. The "Norovirus" has been going around...a nearby Elementary school closed down for a day, and then a Big State College closed for a week because of this virus. It is spread through vomit and feces. AND I have two "super dupper poopers" in my room.

One of them, has a "habit" of scratching inappropriate places...(inside of her pants....) Then we have to have her wash her hands...then I sanitize everything, etc....such a vicious cycle...ICK...so hand washing is constant in my room...including the hand sanitizer.

Daily Devotion 324

Giving thanks always for all things unto God the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

My son's big buck (warning... pictures)

We're mainly concerned with meat for the freezer, but for the guys a nice size buck adds to the hunting experience! This big boy gave us a huge amount of meat for the freezer, so we are very thankful! We were also given another deer from a friend. Our last batch of home raised chickens are butchered, and between that and the venison we should be set on meat for the year!

I packed Landon up some leftover spaghetti and meatballs and pumpkin pie when he headed back to college for the week on Monday morning. I told him to take some venison along, too, but he said his roomate's family got 8 deer on opening day and he'd be bringing steaks for them to cook. I'm glad they are eating something healthy at least. I've been dismayed at the fact that he's eating Taco Bell, and frozen and canned dinners at college:-(

The rest of us enjoyed a yummy venison roast and veggies for lunch today before Chris went to work. We're just plugging on with our fall overhaul of the house and yard today, along with schoolwork, and tonight Shannon and Carter and I will head out to the 4-H meeting. We'll be making Christmas crafts tonight that can be used as fair entries next summer:-)

Friday evening we'll be having a Thanksgiving potluck with our homeschool group..I'm still deciding what I would like to cook for that. I may just bring a jar of my homemade applesauce and make a quick apple pie or dessert with my canned pie filling. It's comes in so handy to have the home canned goods around:-)

Tuesday morning

It's a chilly morning here in Tennessee!
Honey's dealing with ice on his windshield each morning now. Time to remember to head out there sooner so the truck can warm up before he's ready to leave for work.

Thanksgiving plans are being made. We're planning a quiet, simple, relaxing holiday this year. We don't take too many days to do really nothing...so that's our plan this year. The girls and I will do as much ahead of time as we can, so no one really has much to do on Thanksgiving. We plan to get some movies and just relax together. Doesn't that sound lovely?!

I'm making a shopping list....for our Keepers' meeting this week, I will be teaching candy making. I have some yummy recipes and am really looking forward to this class! The Contenders will be putting together wood models. I wanted both groups to do something that they could potentially use for Christmas gifts. I think these classes both fit the bill nicely!

I continue on my quest to organize the office. I have a huge pile of stuff to sell. It all needs to be photographed so I can list it online. Much of it is homeschool materials, so that will wait till closer to the end of this school year. But, the sales of this material will probably fund our next year's materials! There's ALOT there!

My birthday just keeps getting better! Yesterday, Rebecca and Thomas' gift to me arrived.....

I have drooled over this book since last year.....checked it out at the library a few times...and now have my very own copy!!!! Rebecca made cream cheese thumbprint cookies from it last night. I LOVE this book!!!!! My children spoil me...and I love them so dearly. God has blessed me abundantly with the very best children ever!!!!

When I was visiting my wonderful friend, Misty last week, I saw her copy of this book on her table. I asked her to borrow it when she was through reading it. Instead, she sent me my own copy! How blessed I am to have such a thoughtful, generous friend!! Did I mention she also bought my supper at MNO? How blessed can one person be?!

I must scoot now...I need to make my list for town and then wake my children. Think I'll kick up the heat a bit before I call them. It's a bit too cool to climb out of their warm beds at the moment....

At Home in Georgia

Daily Devotion 326

Such Blessings!

It's Always Something!

Unaswered Prayer?

The Joy Giver

Daily Devotion 325

LET IT SNOW...LET IT SNOW...LET IT SNOW...

Daily Devotion 324

My son's big buck (warning... pictures)

Tuesday morning

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