My Loving Home

Friday, July 3rd

{ 09:06, Friday, July 3, 2009 } { 0 comments } { Link }

Greetings! We've had a productive day, doing various tasks around the house. My dishwasher was installed today; what a blessing that I certainly don't take for granted after 3 years of washing dishes by hand. I'm very thankful to the LORD and Hubby!

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At the store this morning, I found a black & white houndstooth fabric to make a skirt for $1.50/yd. It's a washable/dryable polyester, 60" wide. Now I'm looking for a pattern for a simple A-line skirt. I also bought some blue and white gingham to make some new kitchen curtains, also for $1.50/yd.

Wal-mart has started marking down their flowers, and I got a pack of six begonias for .50! They are a bright fuschia pink, and will add a nice touch of color in my third raised bed garden along with the marigolds I planted last week.

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DD#2 made oatmeal raisin cookies tonight, while I made iced tea in my West Bend Iced Tea machine. I've also browned ground beef for a big crock pot full of chili we'll make tomorrow. It's been cool enough that chili sounds good again! We like chili on baked potatoes or cooked pasta, and sometimes we add some taco seasoning and use any leftovers in taco salad.

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Have a fun and safe 4th of July! My family is planning on grilling hot dogs, and watching the fireworks in the nearby town. I am thankful to the LORD for the freedoms He has granted to America, our great country!

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Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

His Eye is on the Sparrow

{ 04:18, Monday, June 29, 2009 } { 2 comments } { Link }

Greetings! We have been notified by our water company to expect a 45% increase in costs! Wow! They said the increase was necessary to keep up with their rising production costs, and to upgrade equipment. Add to that the projected increases we'll see in energy costs from the Cap and Trade bill, and I don't know how an average family like us is supposed to keep up. Hubby has already been notified of no raise this year (again), so every increase in our bills means we slip a little further in what's available for our family expenses. I am so thankful that the LORD provides for our needs, and that He is loving and kind toward His children.

His Eye is on the Sparrow
Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain
I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

"Let not your heart be troubled," His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

Saturday, June 27th

{ 11:54, Saturday, June 27, 2009 } { 0 comments } { Link }

Greetings from our little homestead! This was a busy Saturday, and a very productive one. The morning started with a trip to Wal-mart for some groceries and household supplies. I got a pack of six varigated marigold plants for $1. After a quick lunch of sandwiches and a salad, we went to the garden center for boards, top soil, and some patio blocks. I found a hanging basket of New Guinea Impatiens for $3 which we hung by the shed on a wrought iron shepherd's hook that we already had.

This afternoon, Hubby and DS built a third raised garden bed for me!

As soon as it was finished, I planted eight more tomato plants and the six marigold plants. I have room for cucumbers, pumpkins, and more lettuce and onions. While I bathed the little DC for Church tomorrow, Hubby and DS put down patio block for the fire pit we found on sale last week. It is really nice, and we got it for a great price. I'm looking forward to some romantic evenings sitting with Hubby by the fire.

Have a blessed day!
~Jennie

Friday, June 26th

{ 02:23, Friday, June 26, 2009 } { 3 comments } { Link }

Greetings from our little homestead! It has been very hot here; it reached 102° this week. Despite the heat, the garden and flowers are doing well. I ended up having 16 tomato plants. Here are some of the flowers which have started to form on the larger plants:

The many little flowers were a very welcome site; I'm looking forward to that first BLT sandwich!

I always appreciate store-bought tomatoes; they are a nice treat. But nothing tastes like a home-grown tomato!

The bush green beans are also flowering:

We have been eating a lot of green onions from the garden, and still have many more. The flowers look pretty and add welcome color to the yard:

Hubby gave the "thumbs up" to my getting chickens!

I'm really excited; this will be something very new for us, since we are "city kids" transplanted to living outside of town!

We've had lots of pets--dogs, cats, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, fish, freshwater crabs, etc. But we've never had what we would consider "farm animals," so we've got a lot to learn! Hubby is going to start on the chicken coop soon; I'll be sure to post pictures. We are looking at August for getting "the girls" because July is already busy with the DC's 4-H Fair. Our plans are to buy Red Pullets (already started, and 17 weeks old) so that we know we're getting pullets, and so they're ready to move outside in their coop. We're eagerly looking forward to this new project which will enlarge our little homestead. I appreciate Hubby's willingness to help me try new things!

It's nice to add a little variety to the day-to-day tasks. Thanks, Honey!

Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

A Sweet Saturday

{ 11:31, Saturday, June 20, 2009 } { 2 comments } { Link }

Greetings! We had quite a bit of lightning and thunder last night--a good "drink" for the garden! Today was sunny and very hot. After doing the laundry and hanging it outside, we were able to travel to a bulk foods store a little ways from home, and the scenery was very pretty. I stocked up on baking supplies and some other discount foods; it was definitely worth the drive. We were able to get several dozen fresh brown eggs, too.

It was a beautiful and productive day!

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Happy Father's Day to my beloved Hubby! I hope you will be able to tell from our gifts and celebration tomorrow how special you are and how very much you mean to us!

We love you, Dear!

Proverbs 17:6 (KJV)
Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

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Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

June 19, 2009

{ 04:22, Friday, June 19, 2009 } { 2 comments } { Link }

Greetings! I was encouraged today; we had our first produce from our little garden! Fresh green onions for tonight's chicken salad! The simple things in life make me happy! The tomatoes look like they'll be flowering soon, and it won't be long till we can have a big leaf lettuce salad! One tomato plant looks sickly, so I'll be filling that spot in the raised bed with either another tomato plant or more lettuce. I hope to plant cucumbers and pumpkins this weekend, weather permitting.

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Today the rain has held off long enough to wash and dry four loads of laundry outside. What a blessing! I am trying to reduce the electric bill as much as possible, and not using the dryer unless absolutely necessary makes a big difference. I am using my drying racks more and the electric dryer less on rainy days. Also, doing baking early in the morning and cooking extra which can be reheated in the microwave or eaten chilled helps, too.

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Hubby told me it is time for a dishwasher. We have been quite some time without one. With a large family, we have a lot of dishes to wash by hand. So our new dishwasher will be installed next week. I am very grateful to have such a sweet Hubby who blesses me with so many good things. He is my best friend!

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I am trying to do better at keeping ahead in my kitchen work. I have been baking a minimum of two loaves of bread daily, and that has helped. Today I made an Italian chicken pasta salad early in the morning, and we had that with freshly baked bread and strawberry jam for lunch. Meals go much more smoothly when I start their preparation early in the day.

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DDs and I are practicing a couple of specials to sing at Church. We enjoy music and singing together, especially music which is honoring to the LORD. Both DDs play a lot of special music and offertories at Church, which blesses Hubby and me. It's nice to hear the "good fruit" from the many years of piano lessons!

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If you have any tips and ideas for staying ahead in the kitchen, please leave me a comment! Also, I am looking for more ideas to reduce the electric bill. Thanks!

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John 15:5 (KJV)
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

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Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

Saturday, June 13th

{ 09:39, Saturday, June 13, 2009 } { 2 comments } { Link }

Greetings! Life has been busy around our little homestead. We've had so much rain, which has made hanging the laundry outside difficult, but has been great for the garden.

The grass, bushes, and trees are so green. The lettuce, which was slow to germinate, has started filling in finally. Tomorrow Hubby and I plan to put cages around the tomato plants.

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I've been striving to do more advance preparation in the kitchen. Whenever mealtime comes around, I frequently feel unprepared and caught "off guard." Part of that feeling comes from not consistently planning menus ahead of time. So, I've made a checklist to follow each morning: make a salad and put in the fridge; make a dessert; fill the bread machine; put something in the crock pot. By doing these four simple things, dinner is so much more simple and less frantic. I'm still trying to come up with a plan for lunches!

Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

John 13:35 (KJV)
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another.

Monday, June 8th

{ 11:47, Monday, June 8, 2009 } { 4 comments } { Link }

Greetings! Hubby and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary on Saturday, June 6th. It's truly amazing to me how quickly the years have gone. I guess that means we're keeping busy, getting along, and having a good time together!

Seriously, Hubby and I are truly blessed by God to have a common faith through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This faith has also given us so many common goals that we can work toward together: raising our children for Him, trying to be a good witness of our faith, leading a quiet life, keeping a home that is God-honoring, and many hobbies and interests that we share together.

To celebrate our special day, our family visited an Amish area in a near-by state. We drove through the countryside, had a delicious dinner at an Amish-Mennonite style restaurant, and enjoyed the day together very much. Here are some of the sights we enjoyed:

It was a lovely day, and a wonderful day to celebrate our wedding anniversary!

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Yesterday we spent a blessed day at our church services. The message was encouraging, preached from the Bible, to lead the lost to Christ and the saved to holy living.

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Today DDs and I made strawberry jam. It turned out very well, though the strawberries floated to the top a bit. But it certainly passed the family's "taste test" at dinner tonight on homemade bread!

Here are a few pictures DD#1 took of the process and the finished product:

Stirring the jam.

Ladling the jam into jars.

The finished jam!

Looks good enough to eat!

We had a pleasant time working together, and had something delicious to enjoy now (and later this fall and winter) when we were done! Looking at this fruit, preserved for later use, makes me think of the fruit that God wants in my life.

Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

I earnestly pray that my Heavenly Father will be working in my heart to create this "fruit of the Spirit." I want to walk in the Spirit each day as I serve the Lord and my family.

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Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

Busy Days

{ 09:22, Thursday, June 4, 2009 } { 1 comments } { Link }

Greetings! We've been busy around our homestead. DS#1 has completed all his school work, and I've completed figuring his final grades. He and DD#1 have registered for their fall classes at the junior college, which is exciting. Two children in college! Hooray! Hubby and I are very happy for them, to see how the Lord is guiding them in the paths He has laid out for them. It's fun to see how they are growing and becoming more independent in making their decisions based on what He has for them, not just what we tell them.

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Our garden and flowers are doing well. We've had so much rain that we've only had to water the garden a few times. Now if we can have a few warm, sunny days, the plants will really grow. All of the flowers are starting to spread out and fill in and look nice.

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DD#2 finished a basket for one of her 4-H projects. It was fun to help her with it last night; she did a good job. This was the basket project which she had started at the workshop with one of the mothers in our 4-H group. One project down, four more to finish!

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Here is a devotional which spoke to me, especially as I think about our children, their futures, and all of the big decisions which lay ahead for them.

Running With Endurance

John 12:24 (KJV)
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the
ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

You can tell the size of a Christian by what it takes to stop him. Hebrews 12:1 says we are to "run with patience the race that is set before us." And this word "patience" is not used in the sense that we use the word. It literally means "endurance."

Everybody knows that a runner is going to win or lose primarily by his endurance. You cannot quit. When it hurts, you cannot quit. When your lungs are on fire, you cannot quit. When your feet feel like lead, you cannot quit. When your sides ache, you cannot quit! You'll never be a spiritual athlete if you're a quitter! No pain. No gain.

Thank God for His power that enables you to run the race and gain the victor's crown!

~Daily Devotional from "Love Worth Finding" by Pastor Adrian Rogers

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Tonight I'm going to do a bit of planning for DS#2 & #3's preschool this fall. We're not going to do much this summer, just work on Bible verses and alphabet recognition. This fall we'll be doing Little Hands to Heaven with them. After spending time reading and planning, I hope to do a bit of crochet on my dear MIL's Christmas afghan. I'm going too slowly on it, especially with how many other projects I have to complete by Christmas!

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Hubby and I are preparing for our 22nd wedding anniversary this weekend.

How quickly the years have gone. Our celebration will be simple, but meaningful, like our wedding day was.

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Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

John 13:35 (KJV)
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another.

A Restful Weekend

{ 03:19, Tuesday, May 26, 2009 } { 1 comments } { Link }

Greetings! We had a wonderful 3-day weekend! I have been lonely today without Hubby! He is my dearest, best friend, and the times we spend together are such a blessing to me. I am thankful to have the children home with me during the day, but there's just something extra special about the husband-wife relationship that compares to no other relationship!

We bought several plants this weekend, including impatiens, hostas, purple heart, geraniums, and tomatoes.

Purple Hearts were new to me; I saw them this year for the first time. The descriptive spike in the plant says that they will flower. It will be interesting to see what the flowers look like.

I took some cuttings from my ivy. I'd like to have some hanging baskets and some pots of ivy on my front porch.

I've been told these clippings will grow roots; I'm hoping it will work so I can have some free plants.

The wild roses in my backyard have begun blooming.

I'm pleased with the progress in the raised beds. The onions, green beans, tomatoes, red peppers, and lettuce are growing well. I'm really happy with the raised beds and how well the plants are growing. For me, with limited garden space and limited time to tend a garden, this is a wonderful way to have fresh produce for my family.

The geraniums look pretty sitting by the shed.

I want our yard, both front and back, to have more of the beauty of nature. We don't have many trees, so I'm using plants and flowers to add to the botanical atmosphere. By placing potted and hanging plants on the front porch, back deck, and around the shed, the yard is seeming more "natural" and has a retreat-like feeling to it. I hope to carry this feeling into our home, by adding additional houseplants, baskets, and earth tones in my decorating.

Psalm 24:1 (KJV)
The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof;
the world, and they that dwell therein.

Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

A lovely Saturday

{ 09:14, Sunday, May 24, 2009 } { 0 comments } { Link }

Greetings from our little homestead! Saturday was busy with errands (grocery store, library, fabric store, etc.). It was a productive and pleasant day. For dinner, we had stacked taco salads, which were delicious.

I don't follow a recipe, but I just layer the ingredients on each individual plate in this order:

washed, bite-size lettuce
cooked white or brown rice
taco seasoned browned ground beef
shredded cheese
chopped tomatoes
onions (if desired)

I serve bacon ranch dressing on our salads, and put a handful of corn chips on the side. Yum! I'll be very happy when the lettuce and tomatoes come from our garden!

Psalm 16

Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord:
my goodness extendeth not to thee;
But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent,
in whom is all my delight.
Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup:
thou maintainest my lot.
The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places;
yea, I have a goodly heritage.
I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel:
my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand,
I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth:
my flesh also shall rest in hope.
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence in fulness of joy;
at they right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

Tuesday, May 19th

{ 06:16, Tuesday, May 19, 2009 } { 0 comments } { Link }

Greetings! It's a beautiful day ... sunny and breezy. A nice day for my DC to play outside while I've been busy about my tasks. I made honey oatmeal hamburger buns and a sweet and sour pasta salad this morning, and sugar cookies this afternoon. The laundry is all done, and I'm planning on making a vanilla custard pie this evening.

I have been looking at Hubby's grandmother's cookbook this afternoon. Though I was never blessed to meet her, I feel like I know a bit about her from the memories that Hubby has shared with me. It's nice to look at her cookbook and see her hand-written recipes. I know that she was an excellent cook, and a loving homemaker. Here is a lovely poem from her cookbook:

A Kitchen Prayer
God bless my little kitchen,
I love its every nook,
And bless me as I do my work--
Wash pots and pans and cook,
And may the meals that I prepare
Be seasoned from above
With Thy great blessings and Thy grace
But most of all with love,
As we partake of earthly food
Thy table for us spread
We'll not forget to thank Thee, Lord
Who gives us daily bread
So bless my little kitchen, God,
And those who enter in
May they find naught, but joy 'n peace
And happiness, therein.
~Author Unknown

Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

A Blessed Weekend

{ 04:50, Monday, May 18, 2009 } { 1 comments } { Link }

Greetings from our little homestead! Our weekend was full, but not hectic or busy-feeling. We spent time involved in some activities that were fun, beneficial, and a blessing to us. Friday night we had bad weather, with thunderstorms and hail. My red pepper plants suffered some damage; we'll see how many "bounce back." The onions are growing well, which is good because I have several "onion lovers" in my home!

Saturday DDs and I attended a ladies' dinner at church. It was a real blessing to me. I was encouraged to spend more time in God's Word, and was convicted to depend more on Him and less on myself and my own abilities. It was just the message I needed to hear!

We heard a good sermon yesterday on the importance of faith in a believer's life. It was both encouraging and convicting. We took a nap in the afternoon, then went grocery shopping last night to be ready for the week. I got some good deals on organic produce. I'm trying to include more fresh produce in my menu plans. We eat a lot of canned goods over the winter, so it's nice to have fresh fruits and vegetables on the table again! I'll be so happy when the garden starts producing, and I can save money on the grocery bill from our own backyard.

Tonight I'll be sitting with Hubby and doing some crochet. I'm still working on my dear MIL's afghan and I'm not making much progress! There are several projects "waiting in line" that I want to work on.

Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

Friday, May 15th

{ 08:49, Friday, May 15, 2009 } { 1 comments } { Link }

Greetings! We've had a productive week. DS#1 is done with all of his school work, so he is officially graduated from our home school. We are planning a family reception for him this summer. Next week he'll have his portrait taken in his cap and gown, and we'll mail out his graduation announcements.

The garden is doing well, despite all the rain. The onions are coming up well, and the red peppers look great. The tomatoes, which started out pretty sad-looking, are a lost cause I think. That's okay ... Wal-mart will sell me some very nice-looking tomato plants for under $2/plant!

Our weekend will include planting some more green beans, onions, and a couple of rows of lettuce. We'll buy and put out the tomato plants, too. I'd still like a couple of hanging baskets for my front porch if I can find a reasonable price. In past years, I've gotten them for around $6/basket but I can't find any priced that low this year and I don't want to put more money in my flowers than my vegetables.

I hope we can take a drive this weekend. I'm eager to do some photography; hopefully the ground will have dried out enough to take some pictures of the farmers in their fields. It's been too wet here for them to do much planting; it is a cause of stress for the farmers. Many are having to change their planting plans from corn to soybeans because of the shorter growing season. I heard that the planting delays are costing the farmers $1/acre per day. When you think about the farmers with even 150 or 200 acres ... that is quite a loss.

Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

Sewing projects with DDs

{ 08:50, Tuesday, May 12, 2009 } { 1 comments } { Link }

Greetings! Today I taught both DDs how to lay out and cut out patterns. They had done some working with patterns prior to our "lesson" so it was a breeze for them and me. They are both making split skirts from a Candle on the Hill pattern. Both girls picked denim for its long wearing and easy washing qualities.

Here is DD#1's fabric:

It's a woven floral design on a mid-weight denim.

Here is DD#2's fabric:

It's a printed design on mid-weight denim.

Here are the girls, working together to trace their patterns and cut out their split skirts:

Tomorrow we will start sewing! I know they will do a great job. I hope they will learn to enjoy sewing as much I have over the years.

Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

John 13:35 (KJV)
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another.

Garden news ... and new tenants!

{ 10:30, Monday, May 11, 2009 } { 2 comments } { Link }

Greetings! I'm always thankful for another week to serve my Lord and my family! Hubby built my raised beds for the garden over the weekend. They turned out wonderfully. Here are the supplies "before":

Here is the location in our yard which Hubby selected:

He chose the highest spot in the yard, so that the drainage would be good. It is also an area which receives plenty of sunlight. He and DS#1 worked together to build the beds.

And here are the completed beds, divided into one foot squares and ready to plant:

It was a joy to walk outside this morning and see the raised beds, and know that they were a gift of love from Hubby.

This afternoon I transplanted all 28 of my red pepper plants and my pitiful-looking 8 tomato seedlings. I also planted many onion sets (yellow and white) and green beans. Tonight is supposed to get quite chilly (upper 30s) so we covered the plants for the night.

A few days ago we noticed that we have new tenants:

They are a sweet pair of robins, whose eggs have already hatched. We have enjoyed watching their comings and goings today as they keep busy feeding their babies. How adorable! It is enjoyable and reassuring to see how the Heavenly Father cares for even the birds, and to know that He cares for us even more.

Matthew 10:29-31 (KJV)
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

John 13:35 (KJV)
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another.

A Busy Saturday

{ 12:50, Saturday, May 9, 2009 } { 0 comments } { Link }

Greetings! I think we will have some sunshine today, for which I'm very thankful. This morning Hubby took the older children out for a while, so the little ones and I have been busy here at home. I've baked white bread and a double batch of peanut butter cookies. The two loads of laundry are done, though I think the children will bring me home more laundry to do.

It's good that I don't mind doing laundry because there always seems to be plenty to do each day!

A devotional that is encouraging to me:

Happiness, the By-Product of Righteousness

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6

Happiness is something you stumble over on your way to serving Jesus. When you are serving the Lord Jesus Christ, happiness is the by-product of righteousness. People who are trying to be happy are focusing their energy at the wrong target. If you will seek after righteousness, then you will be happy.

What you need is to drink of the Spirit.

It is to feed on the Word of God.

The deepest need of your heart will be met only in Jesus.

Ask the Lord to fill you with His presence, to fulfill the deepest need of your heart in Him and Him alone. Now trust Him to do it.

~Daily Devotional from "Love Worth Finding" by Pastor Adrian Rogers~

Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

John 13:35 (KJV)
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another.

My favorite sugar cookie recipe

{ 07:00, Friday, May 8, 2009 } { 0 comments } { Link }

Greetings! I thought I'd share the recipe for the sugar cookies I'm baking tonight. It's a drop cookie recipe, very easy to make, and the cookies turn out crispy--they are delicious!

Pioneer® Sugar Cookies
2 1/2 C flour               1/2 C shortening
1/2 t baking soda        1 C Pioneer® sugar
3/4 t salt                   1 t vanilla
1/2 C butter               2 T milk
1 egg

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Set aside. Cream together butter, shortening, sugar, and vanilla. Add egg. Mix until fluffy. Stir in dry ingredients until mixture is smooth. Blend in milk.

Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Flatten with bottom of glass which has been dipped in sugar.

Bake at 375º for 10-12 minutes. Cool. Yield: 5 1/2 dozen 2-inch cookies.

DDs are attending a basket-making workshop tonight, which is being graciously hosted by one of the mothers in our 4-H group. I'm looking forward to seeing the baskets that they've made. Both girls are very creative in their craft making.

Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

John 13:35 (KJV)
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another.

Friday, May 8th

{ 12:41, Friday, May 8, 2009 } { 0 comments } { Link }

Greetings from our little homestead! Another rainy, busy day. DD#1 finished her final exams this morning. DD#2 finished all of her Switched On Schoolhouse computer subjects. Another successful school year is almost complete! The older children work very hard, and are very diligent in their school work. DD#2 dissected a crayfish this morning. She is looking forward to studying something in the medical field in college.

I thought I would share this encouraging devotional:

The Reason We Are Stressed

"Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" Matthew 6:30

Do you know the reason we're stressed? Because we think our needs are not going to be met. We say, "Oh my goodness, I'm not going to have what I need!"

Jesus tells us not to worry about what you are going to eat. And don't worry about what you are going to wear. He's saying only one thing is important--His righteousness. These things don't even take significance until your deepest needs are met. You are to find your satisfaction in Him. If you don't find your satisfaction in Him, you're going to be stressed.

Are you stressed out about something today? Turn it over to Jesus and turn your focus to Him. Let Jesus meet your needs and transform your heart today.

~Daily Devotional from "Love Worth Finding" by Pastor Adrian Rogers~

Today I've been baking bread: cinnamon raisin, white hamburger buns, and white bread. I've also browned ground beef for sloppy joes and chili, and cooked pinto beans for the chili. There is also much laundry and tidying to do. We're looking forward to a fun Mother's Day weekend.

Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

Time for some changes

{ 09:02, Thursday, May 7, 2009 } { 0 comments } { Link }

Greetings! Another rainy day on our little homestead! Maybe the dandelions in the yard are going to be my flowers this year!

Our oldest DC have their job interviews today; we are certainly praying for the Lord's favor and His planned outcome, not only regarding these jobs, but in all areas of their lives. We are trusting Him to bring about the BEST in our children's lives.

I have come to the realization that it's time for me to make some changes. I'm not old (late 40s), but many days I *feel* old due to arthritic aches and pains. Starting today, I'm striving to exercise regularly. Many studies have been done showing that exercise is a vital part of arthritis treatment, and exercise helps people with arthritis in many ways. Exercising regularly has never been easy for me, but I know the Lord can and will help me with this commitment!

Reading the In Touch devotional this morning, I was encouraged by Dr. Stanley's biblical teaching on the power of the Holy Spirit. He writes, "What is God calling you to do that is 'far more abundantly' beyond all that you think you can achieve? Stop making excuses and get to work! Within you lies untapped potential--not your own strength and abilities, but the Holy Spirit's unlimited might. His power will be unleashed in response to your acting on faith."

What a blessing and an encouragement as I in faith, with the Holy Spirit's power, undertake this difficult challenge of exercising and getting in better shape so I can serve Him and my family more fully!

Blessings from my home to yours!
~Jennie

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