Sometimes, your life just gets stood on its head.
A few days after I decided to take a break, both my grown sons found themselves, rather traumatically, without a place to stay. So, suddenly, I have all three of my children staying in my daughter's room. Thankfully, both of my sons are very respectful of their little sister. If you are a regular reader, you know our house is very small, so we became very crowded.
Within a few weeks, #1 son took a bus to South Dakota to be with his girl friend. The end of that long complicated story is that they have an apartment, are both working, and are holding their own right now. We are thankful for those blessings.
#2 son is still living with us, but got on where Ed works, and has done very well there.
In addition to all the drama from my sons, we had decided to start homeschooling my daughter this fall. This is a long complicated story, which may become its own blog. I have spent a lot of time this summer researching and collecting cirriculum, as well as teaching myself how best to teach my daughter according to the way she learns.
Oh yeah, I had also convinced the Vacation Bible School "team" at church to try something differnt, spent a lot of time putting that together. It was a great success!
Plot twist #2. As most of you know, our house is a rental and in very poor condition. Our land lord plans to "bulldoze" it as soon as we move. We knew we could not spend another winter there, but also knew that we probably couldn't buy anything either. We spent a lot of time praying about a new house. Not only did God hear, he answered in a big way. Two weeks ago today, we closed on a five acre peice of property. It has a three bedroom house, a two car detached garage, and a barn. So, we have our little homestead! Its about 75 miles from the old house so moving has been a challenge.
Enter plot twist #3. Last Saturday, as we had been doing for the three days previously, we met at the old house. My son in his car, me in mine and Ed in the truck. We had a three vehicles loaded and were ready to make the daily drive back to the new house. Since I was parked on the street, I walked down the driveway to my car. My son got in his car, and since he did not see me, thought I was already down at my car. He started backing up.
I felt the bump from behind. When I realized what was happening, I started praying! Ed saw what was happening, and yelled at my son to stop. The back tires were on top of me. God is so good! After about four hours in the Emergency Room, I was on my way home! No broken bones, and no internal injuries! I am however, very SORE! My left knee is banged up pretty badly, my left shoulder has a serious case of road rash, and my right side is very bruised. I'm confined to using a walker for now. I was able to take a few steps without it yesterday. Needless to say I am finished moving! Now, I just have to sit and watch everyone else. I guess the Lord knows I need to work on patience too!
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Friday, March 7, 2014
Friday with Food: A Week of Ham...and a Break
Welcome to Friday with Food!
First I want to say that I am going to take a few weeks off from posting. There are things that need my attention. I plan to be back by Monday, March 24. You can sign up for email notification, and you will get an email as soon as I post a new entry.
Last weekend, I baked an 11.5 lb half ham. I served it with buttermilk biscuits (made with a mixture of whole wheat and brown rice flour), and some roasted red potatoes. We ate that ham in one form or another most of the week. Katherine was thrilled. Ham is one of the things she does like.
The second day we had ham and swiss cheese on the remaining biscuits, The next day we had ham and eggs. I don't know how many "snacks" Katherine made of grabbing a piece of ham from the fridge. Finally, I took the bone, with a little bit of the meat and put it aside for beans. I took what was left in my meat grinder and ground it up. I put some in the scrambled eggs Ed and I had for breakfast yesterday, and I put the rest in the freezer for future ham salad.
This morning I made the flax bread I had been promising Ed all week. I took about a half cup of almond butter and mixed it up with a little molasses and mashed banana. I spread it on the flax bread and that was our breakfast.
Then I put the ham bone in a crock pot with some pinto beans, pepper and rosemary. That, and some cornbread, will be our supper tonight.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
See ya later!
Connie
First I want to say that I am going to take a few weeks off from posting. There are things that need my attention. I plan to be back by Monday, March 24. You can sign up for email notification, and you will get an email as soon as I post a new entry.
Last weekend, I baked an 11.5 lb half ham. I served it with buttermilk biscuits (made with a mixture of whole wheat and brown rice flour), and some roasted red potatoes. We ate that ham in one form or another most of the week. Katherine was thrilled. Ham is one of the things she does like.
The second day we had ham and swiss cheese on the remaining biscuits, The next day we had ham and eggs. I don't know how many "snacks" Katherine made of grabbing a piece of ham from the fridge. Finally, I took the bone, with a little bit of the meat and put it aside for beans. I took what was left in my meat grinder and ground it up. I put some in the scrambled eggs Ed and I had for breakfast yesterday, and I put the rest in the freezer for future ham salad.
This morning I made the flax bread I had been promising Ed all week. I took about a half cup of almond butter and mixed it up with a little molasses and mashed banana. I spread it on the flax bread and that was our breakfast.
Then I put the ham bone in a crock pot with some pinto beans, pepper and rosemary. That, and some cornbread, will be our supper tonight.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
See ya later!
Connie
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Repurposed Thursday: "The Best Laid Plans"
Actually the orignal line was "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men", and it comes from a poem written by Robert Burns in 1785. You can read the whole thing here.
Anyway, the point is that often things don't turn out like we plan, and today was one of those days for me.
It started out great. I have three repurposing projects that I wanted to at least get started so I could share them with you tonight, but alas, it was not to be!
Ed was off today, and as he often does on his day off, he cooked breakfast. He made whole wheat pancakes and bacon on the electric griddle. Now, our kitchen is very small, and we only have electrical outlets on one wall. The kitchen counters are along the opposite wall, which means if we want to plug something in on the counter, we have to run extension cords across the floor. I'm sure you can see where that could cause problems.
After we ate, Ed cleaned up most of the mess, but forgot to unplug the griddle. He went outside to work on the fence where Meeko keeps getting out. About ten minutes later, I was in the bathroom when the phone rang. In my haste to get to the phone, which meant a trip through the kitchen, I didn't even look at the floor. I got my foot hung in the extension cord.... and I'm not sure what exactly happened. I didn't fall, but I did do some fancy footwork. The grill wasn't so lucky. It was on the kitchen floor in a bazillion peices.
I did manage to get to the phone. It was Ed. He was up on the hill behind the house, and needed me to come out for a minute. Yes, I'll admit it, I was a little annoyed. Once I did what he needed, I returned to the task of cleaning up the mess.
As I started picking up the broken plastic, I almost slipped in what I soon figured out was a combination of coffee and bacon grease. Yuck! My coffee cup had been thrown to the floor too, but it was tougher than the griddle.
Of course, I am loathe to throw anything away that I might be able to use. I put the broken plasic in the trash, but took the griddle part out to the lab to be stored until I can figure out what to do with it. I'm thinking it might make a nice chalk board.
While I was cleaning up the rest of the mess in the kitchen, my ribs really started to hurt, as if I had something too tight around them. To make a long boring story short, the pain got bad enough that I took a naproxin and went to bed. Its a little better this evening, but I'm still feeling pretty "stove up" as the old folks used to say.
I must have seriously wrenched something when I tripped.
Needless to say, there was no repurposing today.
Hopefully, I'll be better tomorrow.
See ya then!
Connie
Anyway, the point is that often things don't turn out like we plan, and today was one of those days for me.
It started out great. I have three repurposing projects that I wanted to at least get started so I could share them with you tonight, but alas, it was not to be!
Ed was off today, and as he often does on his day off, he cooked breakfast. He made whole wheat pancakes and bacon on the electric griddle. Now, our kitchen is very small, and we only have electrical outlets on one wall. The kitchen counters are along the opposite wall, which means if we want to plug something in on the counter, we have to run extension cords across the floor. I'm sure you can see where that could cause problems.
After we ate, Ed cleaned up most of the mess, but forgot to unplug the griddle. He went outside to work on the fence where Meeko keeps getting out. About ten minutes later, I was in the bathroom when the phone rang. In my haste to get to the phone, which meant a trip through the kitchen, I didn't even look at the floor. I got my foot hung in the extension cord.... and I'm not sure what exactly happened. I didn't fall, but I did do some fancy footwork. The grill wasn't so lucky. It was on the kitchen floor in a bazillion peices.
I did manage to get to the phone. It was Ed. He was up on the hill behind the house, and needed me to come out for a minute. Yes, I'll admit it, I was a little annoyed. Once I did what he needed, I returned to the task of cleaning up the mess.
As I started picking up the broken plastic, I almost slipped in what I soon figured out was a combination of coffee and bacon grease. Yuck! My coffee cup had been thrown to the floor too, but it was tougher than the griddle.
Of course, I am loathe to throw anything away that I might be able to use. I put the broken plasic in the trash, but took the griddle part out to the lab to be stored until I can figure out what to do with it. I'm thinking it might make a nice chalk board.
While I was cleaning up the rest of the mess in the kitchen, my ribs really started to hurt, as if I had something too tight around them. To make a long boring story short, the pain got bad enough that I took a naproxin and went to bed. Its a little better this evening, but I'm still feeling pretty "stove up" as the old folks used to say.
I must have seriously wrenched something when I tripped.
Needless to say, there was no repurposing today.
Hopefully, I'll be better tomorrow.
See ya then!
Connie
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Wednesday with the Word: Don't Be Angry
Welcome to Wednesday with the Word!
My daughter Katherine is what they call a "special needs" kid. Only they can't seem to figure out what her needs are. She has been officially diagnosed with ADHD and Anxiety Disorder, as well as meeting the criteria for Educational Autism. All that, along with some plain old stubbornness, makes school work a challenge. She is often behind, and gets extremely overwhelmed trying to get caught back up.
Today was one of those days where she had a major assignment due, but didn't complete it. I had noticed something about these types of assignments, and emailed the teacher this morning with my observation. I was not making excuses for Katherine, but rather looking for some information/insight into a possible solution.
The response I recieved was not what I had hoped. The gist of it was that Katherine's problem is poor time management, and that I need to set down a specific time and place for her to get her homework done, so she doesn't get so overwhelmed.
I was absolutely livid! For one thing, I know all about Katherine's time management issues, because I had dealt with it, every day, for the last 13+ years, and we do have a set time and place for homework. And as I told this teacher "Having a set time and place for homework dosen't make her get it done any more than taking that proverbial horse to water makes him drink it.:"
People seem to think that Christians shouldn't get angry. I don't know where they get that, because it is not scriptural. The Bible has a lot to say about anger. It is mentioned 268 times. The word "angry" is mentioned 113 times.
Anger is a normal human reaction. There is nothing wrong with being angry. God gets angry (Numbers 11:10). Jesus got angry and drove the crooked money changers out of the temple courts (Matt 21:12). It is not a sin to get angry, it is a sin to stay angry and to let the anger lead you into doing something you shouldn't. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes:
"In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry," Phil 4:6 (NIV)
James has something to say about anger too:
" My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry," James 1:19 (NIV)
So we shouldn't be hot heads who fly off the handle, at the drop of a hat. However, when we do get angry, we need to take a deep breath before we explode all over the source of our ire (or whoever is close). I admit that I have short fuse, at least with certain things. It has taken a great deal of effort to train myself to tell God first, when I am angry. Please understand that I will probably remain "in training" the rest of my life.
Sometimes, I am so mad all I can get out vocally is "Lord?", but he knows what I'm feeling and what I'm thinking, Sometimes just the act of reaching for Him can calm me down enough to respond appropriately, or not respond at all. Not responding is hard, especially when my mind is reeling with a hundred nasty things to say. He has also restrained my hand when I felt like throwing something. If He didn't, we wouldn't have any coffee cups.
I did wait a few hours before I responded,to Katherine's teacher and I talked to the Lord a lot in that time. I didn't want to be rude or hateful, but I did want her to know that I didn't appreciate her insinuations. I don't know that she would agree that I have mastered my anger, but the Lord knows, I did give it a good try.
How has the Lord helped you handle anger?
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
My daughter Katherine is what they call a "special needs" kid. Only they can't seem to figure out what her needs are. She has been officially diagnosed with ADHD and Anxiety Disorder, as well as meeting the criteria for Educational Autism. All that, along with some plain old stubbornness, makes school work a challenge. She is often behind, and gets extremely overwhelmed trying to get caught back up.
Today was one of those days where she had a major assignment due, but didn't complete it. I had noticed something about these types of assignments, and emailed the teacher this morning with my observation. I was not making excuses for Katherine, but rather looking for some information/insight into a possible solution.
The response I recieved was not what I had hoped. The gist of it was that Katherine's problem is poor time management, and that I need to set down a specific time and place for her to get her homework done, so she doesn't get so overwhelmed.
I was absolutely livid! For one thing, I know all about Katherine's time management issues, because I had dealt with it, every day, for the last 13+ years, and we do have a set time and place for homework. And as I told this teacher "Having a set time and place for homework dosen't make her get it done any more than taking that proverbial horse to water makes him drink it.:"
People seem to think that Christians shouldn't get angry. I don't know where they get that, because it is not scriptural. The Bible has a lot to say about anger. It is mentioned 268 times. The word "angry" is mentioned 113 times.
Anger is a normal human reaction. There is nothing wrong with being angry. God gets angry (Numbers 11:10). Jesus got angry and drove the crooked money changers out of the temple courts (Matt 21:12). It is not a sin to get angry, it is a sin to stay angry and to let the anger lead you into doing something you shouldn't. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes:
"In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry," Phil 4:6 (NIV)
James has something to say about anger too:
" My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry," James 1:19 (NIV)
So we shouldn't be hot heads who fly off the handle, at the drop of a hat. However, when we do get angry, we need to take a deep breath before we explode all over the source of our ire (or whoever is close). I admit that I have short fuse, at least with certain things. It has taken a great deal of effort to train myself to tell God first, when I am angry. Please understand that I will probably remain "in training" the rest of my life.
Sometimes, I am so mad all I can get out vocally is "Lord?", but he knows what I'm feeling and what I'm thinking, Sometimes just the act of reaching for Him can calm me down enough to respond appropriately, or not respond at all. Not responding is hard, especially when my mind is reeling with a hundred nasty things to say. He has also restrained my hand when I felt like throwing something. If He didn't, we wouldn't have any coffee cups.
I did wait a few hours before I responded,to Katherine's teacher and I talked to the Lord a lot in that time. I didn't want to be rude or hateful, but I did want her to know that I didn't appreciate her insinuations. I don't know that she would agree that I have mastered my anger, but the Lord knows, I did give it a good try.
How has the Lord helped you handle anger?
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Makin' Do Tuesday: Good Ol' Duct Tape
Welcome to Makin' Do Tuesday!
We love duct tape around here. I see rolls of it all over the house, until I need one! Thats one reason why I took a coffee can, slapped on a duct tape label that says "tape" and keep it in my office. The can also holds masking tap and scotch tape too.
We have rolls in our backpacks and in both vehicles, and have used it for many emergency fixes as well as not so emergency fixes. When we winterize our windows with plastic sheeting, we attach it with a staple gun, but reinforce with duct tape, sealing the edges.
We used to have our dogs tied out on cables, and Libby was notorious for pulling a snap right off the cable, even heavy duty ones, made for big dogs. It was pretty impressive for a 65 lb dog, but a royal pain for us. Ed finally decided to the hardware store, buy 25 feet of covered cable, a snap and a turnbuckle, and make one that she couldn't pull out. It worked, but the end of the cable stuck out, and began to get frayed. Have you ever had a metal splinter in your hand? Ouch! The ends got wrapped in duct tape, and no more splinters. If you like animals, espeically crazy ones, you can read about our bunch here.
My son James went to school with a kid who did all kinds of creative things with duct tape. He made roses, and wallets, and even went as far to create a duct tape tux for prom. I don't remember if they let him wear it. Anyway, we've never got creative with our duct tape, although I did use the colored stuff once for Vacation Bible School. Mostly we use ours for repairs, and this has to be one of my favorites.
Ed has two pairs of leather work gloves. He bought the second pair as a backup. Well, he put a couple of good holes in the first set, so he switched to the second set, although he hung on to the first. A while later, he did the same thing to the second set, and was in the middle of something where he couldn't stop (or at least, didn't want to), and suddenly the mental light bulb came on. He got a roll of duct tape, and had me tape up the holes in his gloves. Since it worked so well, he had me tape up the old pair too. I was going to take pictures of both pairs, but he must have put one back in his truck. Anyway, this is the second pair. The first one is taped on the thumb and forefinger.
As you can see, these get quite a work out, but probably not as much as the duct tape!
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
We love duct tape around here. I see rolls of it all over the house, until I need one! Thats one reason why I took a coffee can, slapped on a duct tape label that says "tape" and keep it in my office. The can also holds masking tap and scotch tape too.
We have rolls in our backpacks and in both vehicles, and have used it for many emergency fixes as well as not so emergency fixes. When we winterize our windows with plastic sheeting, we attach it with a staple gun, but reinforce with duct tape, sealing the edges.
We used to have our dogs tied out on cables, and Libby was notorious for pulling a snap right off the cable, even heavy duty ones, made for big dogs. It was pretty impressive for a 65 lb dog, but a royal pain for us. Ed finally decided to the hardware store, buy 25 feet of covered cable, a snap and a turnbuckle, and make one that she couldn't pull out. It worked, but the end of the cable stuck out, and began to get frayed. Have you ever had a metal splinter in your hand? Ouch! The ends got wrapped in duct tape, and no more splinters. If you like animals, espeically crazy ones, you can read about our bunch here.
My son James went to school with a kid who did all kinds of creative things with duct tape. He made roses, and wallets, and even went as far to create a duct tape tux for prom. I don't remember if they let him wear it. Anyway, we've never got creative with our duct tape, although I did use the colored stuff once for Vacation Bible School. Mostly we use ours for repairs, and this has to be one of my favorites.
Ed has two pairs of leather work gloves. He bought the second pair as a backup. Well, he put a couple of good holes in the first set, so he switched to the second set, although he hung on to the first. A while later, he did the same thing to the second set, and was in the middle of something where he couldn't stop (or at least, didn't want to), and suddenly the mental light bulb came on. He got a roll of duct tape, and had me tape up the holes in his gloves. Since it worked so well, he had me tape up the old pair too. I was going to take pictures of both pairs, but he must have put one back in his truck. Anyway, this is the second pair. The first one is taped on the thumb and forefinger.
As you can see, these get quite a work out, but probably not as much as the duct tape!
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Monday, March 3, 2014
Catch-Up Monday: Back to the Deep Freeze
Welcome to Catch-Up Monday!
Once again, we are in deep snow, and frigid temperatures. Ok, well, not really deep snow. We might have five inches, but our early morning temperatures were in the negative single digits, and yes that is temperature, not wind chill. Wind chill was about -25.
Because the storm came in Saturday evening and was predicted to continue through this morning, all our chruch services for yesterday were cancelled. The only up side to that was that it gave Ed and I a day to spend on some stuff here without feeling the pressure of a schedule. We don't have that too often. We were able to go through mountains of papers and determine what attention, if any, they needed.
I spent most of the day today keeping up with the fire in the wood stove, and taking care of a lot of the administrative type things that sprang from yesterday's paper sorting. Since some of it requred phone calls to government related agencies, you can understand why I didn't get it all done. I did however, put a pretty good dent in it. I may have even managed to save us some money, and that is always good!
I have a few interesting things planned for the rest of the week, so I hope you check back in with me tomorrow.
See ya then!
Connie
Once again, we are in deep snow, and frigid temperatures. Ok, well, not really deep snow. We might have five inches, but our early morning temperatures were in the negative single digits, and yes that is temperature, not wind chill. Wind chill was about -25.
Because the storm came in Saturday evening and was predicted to continue through this morning, all our chruch services for yesterday were cancelled. The only up side to that was that it gave Ed and I a day to spend on some stuff here without feeling the pressure of a schedule. We don't have that too often. We were able to go through mountains of papers and determine what attention, if any, they needed.
I spent most of the day today keeping up with the fire in the wood stove, and taking care of a lot of the administrative type things that sprang from yesterday's paper sorting. Since some of it requred phone calls to government related agencies, you can understand why I didn't get it all done. I did however, put a pretty good dent in it. I may have even managed to save us some money, and that is always good!
I have a few interesting things planned for the rest of the week, so I hope you check back in with me tomorrow.
See ya then!
Connie
Friday, February 28, 2014
Friday with Food: Affording Good Food
Good evening! Welcome to Friday with Food!
I really hate grocery shopping! I hate it even more when I have to go on a crowded Friday night. Normally Ed goes with me, and we do our shopping either Thursday or Friday morning. Well this week, Ed was tied up during the day cutting wood, (because we are expecting some signficant weather) so we ended up going tonight! I would have gone by myself, but we had to get dog food, which we buy 50 lbs at a time. Nah, I'm not lifting that.
Since we were getting dog food and a few other non-human food things, we needed to go to Wal-mart. I could tell that Ed was just dead tired, and really didn't feel like going to two or three different stores like we normally do, so I offered to just get what we could get at Wal-mart and go home. I can go back by myself tomorrow if I needed to. So that is what we did. Yeah, Wal-mart on a Friday night. Did I mention that this is also a payday for Military and probably other federal employees? By the time we got out of there, we both felt like we had been run over by shopping carts!
When my brain clears tomorrow, I'll figure out if Isaved any money, which brings me to the actuall subject of this post. How do normal people on an average budget, afford to feed their families healthy, real, food? The short answer is just like you do everything else: Do the best you can with what you have.
We would love to eat grass fed beef, and free range chickens/eggs, but we want to eat more than once a week, so we don't do that. We do however, read labels, and opt not to buy processed food. We don't buy white flour and or refined sugar. We've leared to do without or make healthier alternatives. Sometimes, in our budget, that means we have to do without sweets or snacks.I promise, it won't kill you. I use the money that I"m not spending on hot dogs and lunchables to buy organic milk and butter. It's a trade off. The weeks that we don't have to spend as much on meat, we load up on organic veggies. When we do have a little extra in the budget, we experiment with something new. Sometimes we like it, and sometimes we don't.
If you haven't figured it out from reading this blog, I cook almost everything from scratch. If I could, I would do it all that way, and some day I hope to be able to. Yes, that takes more time, and thats hard when you are trying to hold down a full time job and/or taking care of small children, but like the old cliche says: "Where there's a will, there's a way". Maybe you can't afford to buy all the ingredients for something you want to try. Can you buy some of them this time and some next? I do that when I want to bake something new and don't have the money to buy different types of flours, and other things too. So, I might buy 100 percent whole wheat flour this pay check, and buy walnuts the next one. Both things will keep in the freezer until you need them.
You don't have to change everything over night. Just do a little at a time. For me, little changes seem to stick better than a major overhaul. It took me about two years to decide that I was done with refined sugar. The internet is full of information that can help you get started eating healthier without breaking the bank. Many times, the healthier foods are more filling, so you won't eat as much in one sitting. This has the potential for producing leftovers, and therefore stretching your grocery budget dollar.
The idea is to keep working at it.
Have a great weekend!
See ya Monday!
Connie
I really hate grocery shopping! I hate it even more when I have to go on a crowded Friday night. Normally Ed goes with me, and we do our shopping either Thursday or Friday morning. Well this week, Ed was tied up during the day cutting wood, (because we are expecting some signficant weather) so we ended up going tonight! I would have gone by myself, but we had to get dog food, which we buy 50 lbs at a time. Nah, I'm not lifting that.
Since we were getting dog food and a few other non-human food things, we needed to go to Wal-mart. I could tell that Ed was just dead tired, and really didn't feel like going to two or three different stores like we normally do, so I offered to just get what we could get at Wal-mart and go home. I can go back by myself tomorrow if I needed to. So that is what we did. Yeah, Wal-mart on a Friday night. Did I mention that this is also a payday for Military and probably other federal employees? By the time we got out of there, we both felt like we had been run over by shopping carts!
When my brain clears tomorrow, I'll figure out if Isaved any money, which brings me to the actuall subject of this post. How do normal people on an average budget, afford to feed their families healthy, real, food? The short answer is just like you do everything else: Do the best you can with what you have.
We would love to eat grass fed beef, and free range chickens/eggs, but we want to eat more than once a week, so we don't do that. We do however, read labels, and opt not to buy processed food. We don't buy white flour and or refined sugar. We've leared to do without or make healthier alternatives. Sometimes, in our budget, that means we have to do without sweets or snacks.I promise, it won't kill you. I use the money that I"m not spending on hot dogs and lunchables to buy organic milk and butter. It's a trade off. The weeks that we don't have to spend as much on meat, we load up on organic veggies. When we do have a little extra in the budget, we experiment with something new. Sometimes we like it, and sometimes we don't.
If you haven't figured it out from reading this blog, I cook almost everything from scratch. If I could, I would do it all that way, and some day I hope to be able to. Yes, that takes more time, and thats hard when you are trying to hold down a full time job and/or taking care of small children, but like the old cliche says: "Where there's a will, there's a way". Maybe you can't afford to buy all the ingredients for something you want to try. Can you buy some of them this time and some next? I do that when I want to bake something new and don't have the money to buy different types of flours, and other things too. So, I might buy 100 percent whole wheat flour this pay check, and buy walnuts the next one. Both things will keep in the freezer until you need them.
You don't have to change everything over night. Just do a little at a time. For me, little changes seem to stick better than a major overhaul. It took me about two years to decide that I was done with refined sugar. The internet is full of information that can help you get started eating healthier without breaking the bank. Many times, the healthier foods are more filling, so you won't eat as much in one sitting. This has the potential for producing leftovers, and therefore stretching your grocery budget dollar.
The idea is to keep working at it.
Have a great weekend!
See ya Monday!
Connie
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Repurposed Thursday: Notebook Calendar
Welcome to Repurposed Thursday!
First I have to give a shout out to my oldest son, James, who is 27 today! Happy Birthday honey!
Do you have things in your house that you keep, but you don't really know why? I do. Like this notebook (aka loose leaf binder). It was given to me somewhere along the line, and I really don't have a use for it, but it was too good to throw out. I suppose I could have donated it to Goodwill or our church yard sale, but that never occured to me until now.
Today, still working on getting my house in order, sorting papers, and generally trying to figure out where I am going to put everything, I was once again confronted with the notebook. I opened it to take the few papers that were in it out, and it hit me: I knew what to do with it!
I went to the computer to see if I could find downloadable calendar pages. Well, of course I could, so I printed them out. At that point, I was going to take pictures of everything as I did it, but my camera battery was dead. (Note to self, "you really need a second camera battery") I did get this one of the front of the notebook.
Then, I couldn't find my three-hole punch, so I used the one-hole. I laid the paper up next to the rings in the binder, and using a ruler to help me keep even, I marked three dots on the paper. Then I used the hole punch to punch out the dots. Then I put them in the binder. It was a perfect fit.
I went to the trash and pulled out the piece of self-adhesive dry erase paper, that I had just pulled of the wall, where it was not being used. I used it to cover the inside of the front of the notebook. I attached two of those removable wall-hanger thingys on the outside of the front of the notebook. I used a large clip and a peice of string to make a pen holder. Then I put the whole thing on the wall next to the chalkboard that I painted on the wall next to the phone.
A little later, I decided to go hunt a dry erase marker, which meant an expedition into Katherine's room. I found one, and wrote one of my favorite scriptures on the dry erase paper. Then I put the marker on top of the binder rings. I don't know if it will stay like that, but it's there for now
This evening, the battery was charged so I took these pictures.
What do you think? The best part was that everything that went into it was stuff I already had.
First I have to give a shout out to my oldest son, James, who is 27 today! Happy Birthday honey!
Do you have things in your house that you keep, but you don't really know why? I do. Like this notebook (aka loose leaf binder). It was given to me somewhere along the line, and I really don't have a use for it, but it was too good to throw out. I suppose I could have donated it to Goodwill or our church yard sale, but that never occured to me until now.
Today, still working on getting my house in order, sorting papers, and generally trying to figure out where I am going to put everything, I was once again confronted with the notebook. I opened it to take the few papers that were in it out, and it hit me: I knew what to do with it!
I went to the computer to see if I could find downloadable calendar pages. Well, of course I could, so I printed them out. At that point, I was going to take pictures of everything as I did it, but my camera battery was dead. (Note to self, "you really need a second camera battery") I did get this one of the front of the notebook.
I went to the trash and pulled out the piece of self-adhesive dry erase paper, that I had just pulled of the wall, where it was not being used. I used it to cover the inside of the front of the notebook. I attached two of those removable wall-hanger thingys on the outside of the front of the notebook. I used a large clip and a peice of string to make a pen holder. Then I put the whole thing on the wall next to the chalkboard that I painted on the wall next to the phone.
A little later, I decided to go hunt a dry erase marker, which meant an expedition into Katherine's room. I found one, and wrote one of my favorite scriptures on the dry erase paper. Then I put the marker on top of the binder rings. I don't know if it will stay like that, but it's there for now
This evening, the battery was charged so I took these pictures.
What do you think? The best part was that everything that went into it was stuff I already had.
Have a great evening!
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Wednesday with the Word: I Have Hidden Your Word
A few weeks ago, I wrote about taking up the "whole armor of God" part of which is the “Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:16). In that post, I mentioned that a knowledge of God's word is essential. You can't use what you don't know.
The Psalmist writes it this way” I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.(Psalm 119: 11) If we know God's word, we can use it to protect ourselves from Satan's deception, just like Jesus did (Matt 4:1-11).
So, how do we hide God's word in our heart, so that our Sword of the Spirit is ready when we need it? We must commit scripture to memory. I know. I can hear the groaning from all parts of cyberspace. Memorize scripture? Yes, memorize scripture. For some of you memorizing anything is a challenge, and for others, just the thought dredges up unpleasant memories from Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. I understand that, but I would submit that you “can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.”(Phil 4:13) That one is a good place to start! It was the one my sister hung on to when she got clean and sober after a twenty-year meth and alcohol addiction. It still makes her kids cringe, but the up side of that is that they know it too!
Even I, who never had trouble memorizing large passages of scripture, find the older I get, the more I have to work at it. I still do though. Work at it, I mean. Ed does too. One problem we both have, and I think I have mentioned this before, is that we grew up with the King James Version, and recall many verses from that, but know them in the newer versions too. Its like growing up in a bilingual household. Sometimes, scriptures come out half KJV and half NIV! However you say them, they have the same meaning, and the same power!
So how do you get started memorizing scriptures? I don't think there is any one way to do it. A lot depends on you. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Normally, I think people start memorizing what grabs them. One way to start is just to start reading your Bible on a daily basis, and pay attention to what speaks to you, those things that hit home. Those are the ones you want to commit to memory. Ed and I both write what we want to memorize on 3x5 cards and keep them in our Bibles. Once we learn them, they go into a card file box and they get reviewed weekly. Writing them down also helps with the memorization process.
Maybe you already have some idea of what you want to learn first.
How about John 3:16? Genesis 1:1? Romans 3:23?
Want an easy start? Learn the shortest verse in the Bible. John 11:35 says “Jesus wept. “ Ok, so why would we want to memorize that? It shows that Jesus cares about us, and hurts when we hurt. Read it in its context, and you'll see what I mean.
A little more adventurous? How about the 23rd Psalm?
When I was 14, my grandma challenged me to memorize the 7th chapter of Acts. It is Stephen's testimony and has 60 verses. As I said, memorizing came easy for me, so it took about two weeks. I still know most of it, and with a little effort, it would all come back. My point is that once its in there, your subconscious has it. Before Jesus was crucified, he promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would help them to remember all things (John 14:26) I believe the same is true today. When we make the effort to commit God's word to memory, the Holy Spirit will help us remember just what we need, just when we need it.
The 119th Psalm, part of which I quoted at the beginning of this post has a lot to say about God's word. Verse 105 says “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” Yes, I did say “verse 105”. There are 176 verses in Psalm 119, making it the longest chapter in the Bible. Talk about a memorization challenge!
Seek the Holy Spirit's guidance, start small, memorize what speaks to you, or pick up a challenge. However you decide to go, start learning God's word, so your sword will be honed and ready when you need it!
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
The Psalmist writes it this way” I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.(Psalm 119: 11) If we know God's word, we can use it to protect ourselves from Satan's deception, just like Jesus did (Matt 4:1-11).
So, how do we hide God's word in our heart, so that our Sword of the Spirit is ready when we need it? We must commit scripture to memory. I know. I can hear the groaning from all parts of cyberspace. Memorize scripture? Yes, memorize scripture. For some of you memorizing anything is a challenge, and for others, just the thought dredges up unpleasant memories from Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. I understand that, but I would submit that you “can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.”(Phil 4:13) That one is a good place to start! It was the one my sister hung on to when she got clean and sober after a twenty-year meth and alcohol addiction. It still makes her kids cringe, but the up side of that is that they know it too!
Even I, who never had trouble memorizing large passages of scripture, find the older I get, the more I have to work at it. I still do though. Work at it, I mean. Ed does too. One problem we both have, and I think I have mentioned this before, is that we grew up with the King James Version, and recall many verses from that, but know them in the newer versions too. Its like growing up in a bilingual household. Sometimes, scriptures come out half KJV and half NIV! However you say them, they have the same meaning, and the same power!
So how do you get started memorizing scriptures? I don't think there is any one way to do it. A lot depends on you. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Normally, I think people start memorizing what grabs them. One way to start is just to start reading your Bible on a daily basis, and pay attention to what speaks to you, those things that hit home. Those are the ones you want to commit to memory. Ed and I both write what we want to memorize on 3x5 cards and keep them in our Bibles. Once we learn them, they go into a card file box and they get reviewed weekly. Writing them down also helps with the memorization process.
Maybe you already have some idea of what you want to learn first.
How about John 3:16? Genesis 1:1? Romans 3:23?
Want an easy start? Learn the shortest verse in the Bible. John 11:35 says “Jesus wept. “ Ok, so why would we want to memorize that? It shows that Jesus cares about us, and hurts when we hurt. Read it in its context, and you'll see what I mean.
A little more adventurous? How about the 23rd Psalm?
When I was 14, my grandma challenged me to memorize the 7th chapter of Acts. It is Stephen's testimony and has 60 verses. As I said, memorizing came easy for me, so it took about two weeks. I still know most of it, and with a little effort, it would all come back. My point is that once its in there, your subconscious has it. Before Jesus was crucified, he promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would help them to remember all things (John 14:26) I believe the same is true today. When we make the effort to commit God's word to memory, the Holy Spirit will help us remember just what we need, just when we need it.
The 119th Psalm, part of which I quoted at the beginning of this post has a lot to say about God's word. Verse 105 says “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” Yes, I did say “verse 105”. There are 176 verses in Psalm 119, making it the longest chapter in the Bible. Talk about a memorization challenge!
Seek the Holy Spirit's guidance, start small, memorize what speaks to you, or pick up a challenge. However you decide to go, start learning God's word, so your sword will be honed and ready when you need it!
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Makin' Do Tuesday: Emergency Subsitutions
Welcome to Makin' Do Tuesday!
Needing to make an emergency substitution while cooking may be the epitome of making do. That is probably why most cookbooks have a list of them somewhere.
Buttermilk can be substituted by adding enough regular milk to a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to make a cup. Let it sit for about five minutes before you use it.
Yogurt and sour cream appear to be just about interchangeable. There are some consistency differences, so I would supposed it would depend on what you were cooking.
1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp cream of tarter will substitute for a tsp of baking powder.
Adding 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt to a cup of regular flour will give you self-rising flour.
If you have self-rising and need regular, just omit the baking powder and salt from the recipe.
Make unsweetened chocolate by adding a tbs of oil to every three tbs of cocoa.
You can make whole wheat cake flour by taking two tbs of corn starch and adding enough whole wheat pastry flour to make a cup.
You can find a ton of other cooking substitutions here.
Sometimes though, you run out of other things beside cooking ingredients. What then?
Use paper towels or napkins as make shift coffee filters.
Speaking of coffee filters, you can use them for tea bags. Just put your loose leaf tea in the center and tie it up with cooking twine or something similar.
Baking soda works great for both toothpaste and deoderant.
Olive oil and lemon juice make furniture polish.
Use vinegar for glass cleaner.
Don't have time to shampoo? Sprinkle baby powder or cornstarch on your head and brush out.
Women used to dab a little vanilla behind their ears in lieu of perfume.
This is just my opinion, but I think that once you understand how some things work, its easy to come up with substitutes for what you need. You may have to think outside the box, but that is what makin' do is all about.
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Needing to make an emergency substitution while cooking may be the epitome of making do. That is probably why most cookbooks have a list of them somewhere.
Buttermilk can be substituted by adding enough regular milk to a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to make a cup. Let it sit for about five minutes before you use it.
Yogurt and sour cream appear to be just about interchangeable. There are some consistency differences, so I would supposed it would depend on what you were cooking.
1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp cream of tarter will substitute for a tsp of baking powder.
Adding 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt to a cup of regular flour will give you self-rising flour.
If you have self-rising and need regular, just omit the baking powder and salt from the recipe.
Make unsweetened chocolate by adding a tbs of oil to every three tbs of cocoa.
You can make whole wheat cake flour by taking two tbs of corn starch and adding enough whole wheat pastry flour to make a cup.
You can find a ton of other cooking substitutions here.
Sometimes though, you run out of other things beside cooking ingredients. What then?
Use paper towels or napkins as make shift coffee filters.
Speaking of coffee filters, you can use them for tea bags. Just put your loose leaf tea in the center and tie it up with cooking twine or something similar.
Baking soda works great for both toothpaste and deoderant.
Olive oil and lemon juice make furniture polish.
Use vinegar for glass cleaner.
Don't have time to shampoo? Sprinkle baby powder or cornstarch on your head and brush out.
Women used to dab a little vanilla behind their ears in lieu of perfume.
This is just my opinion, but I think that once you understand how some things work, its easy to come up with substitutes for what you need. You may have to think outside the box, but that is what makin' do is all about.
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Monday, February 24, 2014
Catch-Up Monday: Busy Weekend and a Roadside Dresser
Good morning! Welcome to Catch-Up Monday!
What a busy weekend! I missed my Sunday afternoon nap, so I took it this morning after Katheirne went to school. I was just worn out!
Friday morning, Ed got up and made his famous King's Ranch Chicken to take for the family meal after Betty's Celebration of Life. It was set to start at 11:00, and we went about 10:00 to help with any set-up. The service was beautiful, and our pastor did a great job. We knew it was as difficult for him as it was for us. He told us later that he knew the Holy Spirit was helping him.
Afterward, we went down to the kitchen to set out the meal, while the family made the short trip to the grave site. When they came back, everything was ready. Did I mention our church has some excellent cooks? By the time the meal was finished, we cleaned up and got home, it was about 2:30 in the afternoon. Katherine was home at three, and Ed and I both took a nap, and still went to bed early. Saturday was going to be another busy day.
Before Betty died, we already had our annual February spaghetti dinner in the church calendar for Saturday. Ed had to work during the day, but would be home in time for the dinner. Since I am on the fellowship committee, I had to be at church at 3:00 to help with set up, decorating, and food preparation. The committee was making the two entrees, salad and bread, and our "guests" were to bring dessert.
Since I was not about to bring a sugary dessert, I opted for those wonderful scones that I made last week. You can read that blog post here. For Katherine's benefit, I made one batch with mini chocolate chips, as well as the one with blueberries. Ed got home from work about 2:30, and I left for church shortly after. Katherine opted to come at five with Ed. The meal was a huge success, but once again, I got home and pretty much fell into bed. Oh, I did have one request for the scone recipe.
At 5:00 a.m. Sunday morning, our phone rang. It was a manager from Ed's work. It seems that the 4:00 a.m. guy didn't show up, and they needed Ed to come in. He was not happy. I wasn't either. Anyway, he got up and went in. I stayed in bed until eight. Katherine and I made it to church a little after nine, so I could make sure someone from Ed's Sunday school class would know that he wouldn't be there.
The rest of the morning went well, with two of our young people getting baptised. I know Ed hated to miss that! After church, I met with the young people to decide who is doing what for the special youth-led service we are doing in March. They are all excited about taking over the grown-up positions for a day.
Sunday afternoon is usually nap time, but I couldn't get wound down enough. I guess I was still annoyed that Ed had to work a second Sunday in a row. By the time he got home, he only had about an hour before we had to be back at church. He told me that he told the manager that if they want to see him on Sunday, they need to come to church, because that is where he will be!
When he came in, he told me that one of our neighbors up the road had set out a peice of furniture I might be interested in. Of course I had to go look, and after checking it out, decided to bring it home.
It isn't real wood, and the drawer pulls are a little corroded, but it is sound, and I can always use more drawer space...if I decide to use it for that. I'm going to let it sit a day or two and think about it. I told Ed, "You do realize that I will have to rearrange the entire house to make room for this, right?" He said, "Yes, and all the books will have to come off the shelves too. " to which I replied, "You know I've been wanting to do that anyway." He nodded "Yes". The poor long-suffering man! He knows that he will come home one day soon, and there will just be a path through the house!
Anyway, our Sunday evening service went very well with even more new people coming. It is exciting when the young people start becoming active participants! We were done there a little after seven, Ed was in bed by eight, and after I talked to my dad, followed about ten.
What a busy weekend! I missed my Sunday afternoon nap, so I took it this morning after Katheirne went to school. I was just worn out!
Friday morning, Ed got up and made his famous King's Ranch Chicken to take for the family meal after Betty's Celebration of Life. It was set to start at 11:00, and we went about 10:00 to help with any set-up. The service was beautiful, and our pastor did a great job. We knew it was as difficult for him as it was for us. He told us later that he knew the Holy Spirit was helping him.
Afterward, we went down to the kitchen to set out the meal, while the family made the short trip to the grave site. When they came back, everything was ready. Did I mention our church has some excellent cooks? By the time the meal was finished, we cleaned up and got home, it was about 2:30 in the afternoon. Katherine was home at three, and Ed and I both took a nap, and still went to bed early. Saturday was going to be another busy day.
Before Betty died, we already had our annual February spaghetti dinner in the church calendar for Saturday. Ed had to work during the day, but would be home in time for the dinner. Since I am on the fellowship committee, I had to be at church at 3:00 to help with set up, decorating, and food preparation. The committee was making the two entrees, salad and bread, and our "guests" were to bring dessert.
Since I was not about to bring a sugary dessert, I opted for those wonderful scones that I made last week. You can read that blog post here. For Katherine's benefit, I made one batch with mini chocolate chips, as well as the one with blueberries. Ed got home from work about 2:30, and I left for church shortly after. Katherine opted to come at five with Ed. The meal was a huge success, but once again, I got home and pretty much fell into bed. Oh, I did have one request for the scone recipe.
At 5:00 a.m. Sunday morning, our phone rang. It was a manager from Ed's work. It seems that the 4:00 a.m. guy didn't show up, and they needed Ed to come in. He was not happy. I wasn't either. Anyway, he got up and went in. I stayed in bed until eight. Katherine and I made it to church a little after nine, so I could make sure someone from Ed's Sunday school class would know that he wouldn't be there.
The rest of the morning went well, with two of our young people getting baptised. I know Ed hated to miss that! After church, I met with the young people to decide who is doing what for the special youth-led service we are doing in March. They are all excited about taking over the grown-up positions for a day.
Sunday afternoon is usually nap time, but I couldn't get wound down enough. I guess I was still annoyed that Ed had to work a second Sunday in a row. By the time he got home, he only had about an hour before we had to be back at church. He told me that he told the manager that if they want to see him on Sunday, they need to come to church, because that is where he will be!
When he came in, he told me that one of our neighbors up the road had set out a peice of furniture I might be interested in. Of course I had to go look, and after checking it out, decided to bring it home.
Anyway, our Sunday evening service went very well with even more new people coming. It is exciting when the young people start becoming active participants! We were done there a little after seven, Ed was in bed by eight, and after I talked to my dad, followed about ten.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Friday With Food: You Gotta Try This!
Good morning! Welcome to Friday With Food.
This is going to be a short post, but it won't take long to share this recipe.
Yesterday on facebook, a friend posted a recipe for Paleo Blueberry Scones. I like experiementing with paleo/gluten free recipes, and have found many of them to be very good. This one also contained two of my favorite foods: cashews and blueberries.
You can see the recipe here. Cassandra gives excellent instructions with great pictures, so I won't do it again here. Let me say, to quote Ed, that this was "slammin"! It is also gone. I already have a request from Ed to make more. Katherine, of course, would not try them because they have blueberries in them.
I am going to make more this weekend, and will probably try my own variation with walnuts and raisins!
This is going to be a short post, but it won't take long to share this recipe.
Yesterday on facebook, a friend posted a recipe for Paleo Blueberry Scones. I like experiementing with paleo/gluten free recipes, and have found many of them to be very good. This one also contained two of my favorite foods: cashews and blueberries.
You can see the recipe here. Cassandra gives excellent instructions with great pictures, so I won't do it again here. Let me say, to quote Ed, that this was "slammin"! It is also gone. I already have a request from Ed to make more. Katherine, of course, would not try them because they have blueberries in them.
I am going to make more this weekend, and will probably try my own variation with walnuts and raisins!
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Repurposed Thursday: The Book Clock
Welcome to Repurposed Thursday!
As I told you Monday, I finally got the clock finished. There were however, a few challenges along the way.
Since my clock spindle was long, I knew I would have to put it all the way through the book, with the battery compartment on the back. First, I couldn't find a drill bit big enough. I know there are wood bits here somewhere, but I don't know where Ed put them. I finally found a bit that would work and drilled through the book. I got the clock all put together, put the battery in, and it worked....for about two minutes. After some trial and error, I finally figured out that the spindle was catching on the paper inside the book. So, I got out my trusty exacto knife and cut an inch square around the spindle. Success!
Now for the mice. I bought some Sculpey clay. I had never worked with it before, but I found it very easy to use, although I still need some practice. My real issue came from the baking. The directions say 15 minutes per quarter inch of clay. Ok, well, some of it is a quarter inch, some is a half inch, some is a sixteenth inch. I set the timer for 20 minutes to see what would happen. Well, they have singed ears and tails, but I think they turned out ok for a first time. I glued one to the top and one to the bottom corner. The latter looks more like a cat than a mouse, but it works, so I'm not going to worry about it.
Here is the finished product. It is hanging over my desk in the office.
The rest of today and tomorrow are going to be busy. Tonight is Betty's visitation, and Katherine has a band concert. Tomorrow is Betty's funeral and our church is providing the meal for the family. I will talk to you sometime tomorrow. I just found a new recipe that I have to try!
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
As I told you Monday, I finally got the clock finished. There were however, a few challenges along the way.
Since my clock spindle was long, I knew I would have to put it all the way through the book, with the battery compartment on the back. First, I couldn't find a drill bit big enough. I know there are wood bits here somewhere, but I don't know where Ed put them. I finally found a bit that would work and drilled through the book. I got the clock all put together, put the battery in, and it worked....for about two minutes. After some trial and error, I finally figured out that the spindle was catching on the paper inside the book. So, I got out my trusty exacto knife and cut an inch square around the spindle. Success!
Now for the mice. I bought some Sculpey clay. I had never worked with it before, but I found it very easy to use, although I still need some practice. My real issue came from the baking. The directions say 15 minutes per quarter inch of clay. Ok, well, some of it is a quarter inch, some is a half inch, some is a sixteenth inch. I set the timer for 20 minutes to see what would happen. Well, they have singed ears and tails, but I think they turned out ok for a first time. I glued one to the top and one to the bottom corner. The latter looks more like a cat than a mouse, but it works, so I'm not going to worry about it.
Here is the finished product. It is hanging over my desk in the office.
The rest of today and tomorrow are going to be busy. Tonight is Betty's visitation, and Katherine has a band concert. Tomorrow is Betty's funeral and our church is providing the meal for the family. I will talk to you sometime tomorrow. I just found a new recipe that I have to try!
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Wednesday with the Word: The Ancient of Days
Welcome to Wednesday with the Word!
A few months ago, our Bible study group did the Beth Moore study of Daniel. It was very deep, and for me, very good stuff. I love Bible prophecy, as well as connecting biblical history with secular history, and this study did all that. In addition, it shows God for who he is and shows, in the person of Daniel, an example of who we should be in this world. Last week, in our regular Bible reading, Ed and I started reading Daniel again. Even now, we find ourselves discussing new insights about it.
This morning, through facebook and my mother, I heard some local news about a little ten-year-old girl who was missing. Just a short while later, there was more news. The body of the little girl had been discovered and the suspect was in custody. Like everyone else, I was heart sick. I cannot begin to imagine what that child's family is experiencing: the terror, the heartbreak, the rage. I can only pray that they have the Lord to hold on to. In situations like this, people sometimes lose their faith, or question how God could let something like this happen to a beautiful little girl. I don't have the answer to that. I do know that the earth is under a curse, and will be until the Lord returns. I know that the rain falls on the just and the unjust (Matt 5:45), which means that sometimes good and bad just happen; its not anything we do, or we don't do. I know something else too: Something I read about in Daniel.
Daniel is having a vision about the end times, dosen't understand everything he sees,
so he asks someone standing there what it means. When the explanation gets to the
part of about the ancient of days, the person says:
"But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed
forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under
heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom
will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him."
Daniel 7:26-27
When the time comes, God will take his seat as the righteous judge, court will convene,
and everything will be made right. Sometimes, in this life, people get away with stuff.
However, unless that person repents and finds salvation in the Lord, he or she will not
get away with it forever.
The "his" referenced in this passage is the fourth beast, which is a whole other study.
It's good stuff too! I use Biblegateway.com for my online studies. You can read this
chapter of Daniel here.
Have a beautiful day!
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
A few months ago, our Bible study group did the Beth Moore study of Daniel. It was very deep, and for me, very good stuff. I love Bible prophecy, as well as connecting biblical history with secular history, and this study did all that. In addition, it shows God for who he is and shows, in the person of Daniel, an example of who we should be in this world. Last week, in our regular Bible reading, Ed and I started reading Daniel again. Even now, we find ourselves discussing new insights about it.
This morning, through facebook and my mother, I heard some local news about a little ten-year-old girl who was missing. Just a short while later, there was more news. The body of the little girl had been discovered and the suspect was in custody. Like everyone else, I was heart sick. I cannot begin to imagine what that child's family is experiencing: the terror, the heartbreak, the rage. I can only pray that they have the Lord to hold on to. In situations like this, people sometimes lose their faith, or question how God could let something like this happen to a beautiful little girl. I don't have the answer to that. I do know that the earth is under a curse, and will be until the Lord returns. I know that the rain falls on the just and the unjust (Matt 5:45), which means that sometimes good and bad just happen; its not anything we do, or we don't do. I know something else too: Something I read about in Daniel.
“As I looked,
thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
and the books were opened." (Daniel 7:9-10)
coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
and the books were opened." (Daniel 7:9-10)
so he asks someone standing there what it means. When the explanation gets to the
part of about the ancient of days, the person says:
"But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed
forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under
heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom
will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him."
Daniel 7:26-27
When the time comes, God will take his seat as the righteous judge, court will convene,
and everything will be made right. Sometimes, in this life, people get away with stuff.
However, unless that person repents and finds salvation in the Lord, he or she will not
get away with it forever.
The "his" referenced in this passage is the fourth beast, which is a whole other study.
It's good stuff too! I use Biblegateway.com for my online studies. You can read this
chapter of Daniel here.
Have a beautiful day!
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Makin' Do Tuesday: A Hair Dye Experiment
Welcome to Makin' Do Tuesday!
I found my first gray hair when I was 27 years old, and ever since then I have battled between my desire to at least look presentable, and my loathing for fooling with my hair. My mother's hair was very dark brown, almost black, and very straight. My dad is a natural blonde, with natural curls. My hair is a literal combination of the two. It is straight on top and curly on the bottom. I really don't like short hair, but if I grow it out, I have ringlets on the lower half, which makes it look like a half grown out permanent. Curling irons don't work either.
My natural color is a lighter brown, but it is very hard to duplicate, so I don't try. In the past, I have gone several months, maybe even a year or two, letting the gray come out where it will, much to my mother's horror. Other times, I have kept it a dark auburn, and yet others, like now, a dark brown.
Hair dye can be expensive, and we won't even discuss trips to a salon. I'm not even paying that kind of money for a dye job. In addition, I'm not real crazy about putting all those chemicals on my head, so I was excited to see this article from DIY.com.
For dark hair, you can use coffee, tea, nettle, rosemary or sage. Well, I always have coffee, and rosemary and sage are two herbs I grow and dry myself. So why not try it. I had about a half a pot of leftover coffee last night, so I pour it into a large mason jar along with the used grounds from the pot. This morning, I poured some of the coffee into a pan and put in a large handful each or dried sage and dried rosemary. I boiled it, and then poured it all back in the jar to steep and cool. I keep a squirt bottle, filled with water, next to the bathroom sink. I poured out the water, refilled the bottle with the coffee/tea solution and started spraying my head. Yeah, it was a drippy mess, but it cleaned up easy enough (a lot better than the chemical stuff) I set my kitchen timer for 30 minutes and waited.
To be honest, I didin't see much difference, but it may be one of those things that I will have to do for awhile before I actually see any results. I'll keep at it and let you know.
Oh, on a totally different note, here is a little makin' do tip I got from my dad the other night when we were talking. He had a milk jug that he was keeping outside for something, but he couldn't find the lid. My step mom brought him a cup from a liquid medicine bottle. The narrow bottom slipped down inside the jug, but the wide top caught at the lip. Instant lid!
Have a wonderful day!
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
I found my first gray hair when I was 27 years old, and ever since then I have battled between my desire to at least look presentable, and my loathing for fooling with my hair. My mother's hair was very dark brown, almost black, and very straight. My dad is a natural blonde, with natural curls. My hair is a literal combination of the two. It is straight on top and curly on the bottom. I really don't like short hair, but if I grow it out, I have ringlets on the lower half, which makes it look like a half grown out permanent. Curling irons don't work either.
My natural color is a lighter brown, but it is very hard to duplicate, so I don't try. In the past, I have gone several months, maybe even a year or two, letting the gray come out where it will, much to my mother's horror. Other times, I have kept it a dark auburn, and yet others, like now, a dark brown.
Hair dye can be expensive, and we won't even discuss trips to a salon. I'm not even paying that kind of money for a dye job. In addition, I'm not real crazy about putting all those chemicals on my head, so I was excited to see this article from DIY.com.
For dark hair, you can use coffee, tea, nettle, rosemary or sage. Well, I always have coffee, and rosemary and sage are two herbs I grow and dry myself. So why not try it. I had about a half a pot of leftover coffee last night, so I pour it into a large mason jar along with the used grounds from the pot. This morning, I poured some of the coffee into a pan and put in a large handful each or dried sage and dried rosemary. I boiled it, and then poured it all back in the jar to steep and cool. I keep a squirt bottle, filled with water, next to the bathroom sink. I poured out the water, refilled the bottle with the coffee/tea solution and started spraying my head. Yeah, it was a drippy mess, but it cleaned up easy enough (a lot better than the chemical stuff) I set my kitchen timer for 30 minutes and waited.
To be honest, I didin't see much difference, but it may be one of those things that I will have to do for awhile before I actually see any results. I'll keep at it and let you know.
Oh, on a totally different note, here is a little makin' do tip I got from my dad the other night when we were talking. He had a milk jug that he was keeping outside for something, but he couldn't find the lid. My step mom brought him a cup from a liquid medicine bottle. The narrow bottom slipped down inside the jug, but the wide top caught at the lip. Instant lid!
Have a wonderful day!
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Monday, February 17, 2014
Catch-Up Monday: Coming and Going
Good morning! Welcome to Catch-Up Monday where we catch up after the weekend. Happy President's Day too!
It was a busy weekend for me. I had to be at Mardel Christian and Education store at 9:00 a.m. Saturday for a Vacation Bible School presentation. This is where local churches meet, and representatives from different Christian publishers present their officerings for the upcoming Vacation Bible School season. I was there with my pastor, his wife, and another Sunday School teacher. We really had fun with the new stuff, and I am hopeful that I have convinced them to go out on a limb and try something a little new and different this year. I'll keep you posted on that.
Saturday afternoon was spent getting ready for Sunday, house work, and keeping Katherine going on her projects (homework and room cleaning). Oh, and I finished the clock! I'll share that with you Thursday. Saturday evening, we had to take the 30 minute drive to Liberty to go to my niece's twelth birthday party, which was held at a Sleep Inn because they have a nice indoor water slide. Ed and I didn't swim, because frankly, we were both too tired, but Katherine had a great time, and I think my niece really enjoyed her birthday.
Sunday morning, about 6:30, the phone rang. It was Ed's work, asking him to come in. After explaining to the new manager that normally the answer would be "no", because he teaches Sunday School (and has worked really hard to get to the point where he dosen't have to work on Sunday), he said he would do it THIS TIME, because the manager was new, and he was going to be super short-handed on a Sunday morning. So, Ed got up and got ready to go to work. About the time he left, I got up, and as I usually do after I get my coffee, I checked my email for any new posts from Caring Bridge. There was one that said our dear friend Betty had gone to meet the Lord, shortly after midnight. I called Ed and told him, then I made some other calls, and posted the news on our Church's facebook page.
I also ditched my plans for Sunday school, or at least postponed them until next week. You see, the class I teach (5-6 grade), was Betty's class until she got sick. No one could tell me for sure how long she had taught that class, but it was at least 30 years. Those kids love her, and she loved them. So, we spent our Sunday School time taking about, and remembering, Miss Betty. The youth choir sang during the service so we didn't have choir practice after church.
I planned to come home and take a nap, but I started looking through VBS material and crunching some numbers, and by the end of the afternoon, I had what I think is a pretty solid idea of how much money making some changes is going to cost us. Sadly, that is usually the deciding factor. I have, however, already talked to several people who are willing to help in that department. So again, I am hopeful.
Ed got home about 4:45, which gave him just enough time to shower and change before we headed back to church. Our evening service had a few technical glitches, but over all it went well. My friend and co-coordinator of the Sunday evening program, had brought in pizza and that was a big hit. However, by the end of the evening, it wasn't sitting very well with me, and hen I got home, after a short conversation with my dad, I went to bed.
I'm feeling better this morning, and am already working on some things for tomorrow.
Have a wonderful day!
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
It was a busy weekend for me. I had to be at Mardel Christian and Education store at 9:00 a.m. Saturday for a Vacation Bible School presentation. This is where local churches meet, and representatives from different Christian publishers present their officerings for the upcoming Vacation Bible School season. I was there with my pastor, his wife, and another Sunday School teacher. We really had fun with the new stuff, and I am hopeful that I have convinced them to go out on a limb and try something a little new and different this year. I'll keep you posted on that.
Saturday afternoon was spent getting ready for Sunday, house work, and keeping Katherine going on her projects (homework and room cleaning). Oh, and I finished the clock! I'll share that with you Thursday. Saturday evening, we had to take the 30 minute drive to Liberty to go to my niece's twelth birthday party, which was held at a Sleep Inn because they have a nice indoor water slide. Ed and I didn't swim, because frankly, we were both too tired, but Katherine had a great time, and I think my niece really enjoyed her birthday.
Sunday morning, about 6:30, the phone rang. It was Ed's work, asking him to come in. After explaining to the new manager that normally the answer would be "no", because he teaches Sunday School (and has worked really hard to get to the point where he dosen't have to work on Sunday), he said he would do it THIS TIME, because the manager was new, and he was going to be super short-handed on a Sunday morning. So, Ed got up and got ready to go to work. About the time he left, I got up, and as I usually do after I get my coffee, I checked my email for any new posts from Caring Bridge. There was one that said our dear friend Betty had gone to meet the Lord, shortly after midnight. I called Ed and told him, then I made some other calls, and posted the news on our Church's facebook page.
I also ditched my plans for Sunday school, or at least postponed them until next week. You see, the class I teach (5-6 grade), was Betty's class until she got sick. No one could tell me for sure how long she had taught that class, but it was at least 30 years. Those kids love her, and she loved them. So, we spent our Sunday School time taking about, and remembering, Miss Betty. The youth choir sang during the service so we didn't have choir practice after church.
I planned to come home and take a nap, but I started looking through VBS material and crunching some numbers, and by the end of the afternoon, I had what I think is a pretty solid idea of how much money making some changes is going to cost us. Sadly, that is usually the deciding factor. I have, however, already talked to several people who are willing to help in that department. So again, I am hopeful.
Ed got home about 4:45, which gave him just enough time to shower and change before we headed back to church. Our evening service had a few technical glitches, but over all it went well. My friend and co-coordinator of the Sunday evening program, had brought in pizza and that was a big hit. However, by the end of the evening, it wasn't sitting very well with me, and hen I got home, after a short conversation with my dad, I went to bed.
I'm feeling better this morning, and am already working on some things for tomorrow.
Have a wonderful day!
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Friday, February 14, 2014
Friday with Food: 0 for 2
Happy Valentine's Day and welcome to Friday with Food!
Today was a crazy day! Katherine had a four day weekend, and she was working on catching up her homework, and cleaning her room, neither of which were things she wanted to do. While I was supervising that, I also made bread this morning, because we were completely out. In the meanwhile, I wanted to do something for Ed for Valentine's day, although neither of us are really crazy about the holiday. I didn't take pictures today, because I had too much else I was trying to do, but I hope you can follow what I"m saying without them.
Ed's favorite cake is Coconut Cream Cake. Usually that means I make a white cake mix, poke holes in it with a fork, pour on a mixure of sweetened condensed milk and cocnut cream, and cover the whole thing with Cool Whip and coconut.
If you'll remember, a few weeks ago, I decided to remake a brownie recipe using healthier, real food ingredients. That didn't turn out so well, and I haven't felt like trying it again. Today, I decided I would try to do the same thing the coconut cake.
For the cake, I found a recipe in my Betty Crocker cookbook for white cake. I substituted whole wheat pastry flour for the all purpose flour, coconut sugar for the sugar, and butter for the shortening. No, I did not expect the cake to still be white. It smelled wonderful while it was baking, but I thought it looked very dark when it came out of the oven. Of course, I had used the wheat flour and coconut sugar, so that probably explained it.
For the filling, I decided to try and make my own sweetened condensed milk, and found a recipe here, using vanilla stevia instead of sugar. As far as I could tell, it worked fine, and I will file that recipe as a keeper. I shook it up in a jar with the coconut cream, and after I had poked holes in the cakes (I had two 8 inch rounds), I poured the mixture over the cake and let it sit. The cake was soaking up the cream just like it should.
Now for the whipped cream. I actually went and bought whipping cream, because I had found this recipe. I put the beaters and the bowl in the freezer for about 30 minutes. I started whipping and then added the sugar and vanilla while still beating. I think I almost made butter. It was very thick but had a nice flavor to it. Not too sweet though.
I removed one of the layers from its pan, which wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I put a layer of whipped cream and coconut on it, put the second layer on, covered the whole thing with whipped cream and sprinkled coconut on top of the cake. It looked...ok. I cut a piece for Ed, and one for me. Yeah, it was...ok. Nothing to write home about, that's for sure. The flavor of the whole wheat flour came through strongly, and it was very filling. I told Ed that I didn't think there was any danger of his eating this whole cake in one day (that is often what happens with the original recipe), because even if he wanted to, he would be too full.
So we decided to leave this one just like it is, but only make it twice a year: December for Ed's birthday, and June for Kyle's. It's Kyle's favorite cake too. That reminds me. I have to make a German Chocolate Cake in about two weeks for James' birthday. I think we will leave that one like it is too.
Have a wonderful weekend!
See Ya Monday!
Connie
Today was a crazy day! Katherine had a four day weekend, and she was working on catching up her homework, and cleaning her room, neither of which were things she wanted to do. While I was supervising that, I also made bread this morning, because we were completely out. In the meanwhile, I wanted to do something for Ed for Valentine's day, although neither of us are really crazy about the holiday. I didn't take pictures today, because I had too much else I was trying to do, but I hope you can follow what I"m saying without them.
Ed's favorite cake is Coconut Cream Cake. Usually that means I make a white cake mix, poke holes in it with a fork, pour on a mixure of sweetened condensed milk and cocnut cream, and cover the whole thing with Cool Whip and coconut.
If you'll remember, a few weeks ago, I decided to remake a brownie recipe using healthier, real food ingredients. That didn't turn out so well, and I haven't felt like trying it again. Today, I decided I would try to do the same thing the coconut cake.
For the cake, I found a recipe in my Betty Crocker cookbook for white cake. I substituted whole wheat pastry flour for the all purpose flour, coconut sugar for the sugar, and butter for the shortening. No, I did not expect the cake to still be white. It smelled wonderful while it was baking, but I thought it looked very dark when it came out of the oven. Of course, I had used the wheat flour and coconut sugar, so that probably explained it.
For the filling, I decided to try and make my own sweetened condensed milk, and found a recipe here, using vanilla stevia instead of sugar. As far as I could tell, it worked fine, and I will file that recipe as a keeper. I shook it up in a jar with the coconut cream, and after I had poked holes in the cakes (I had two 8 inch rounds), I poured the mixture over the cake and let it sit. The cake was soaking up the cream just like it should.
Now for the whipped cream. I actually went and bought whipping cream, because I had found this recipe. I put the beaters and the bowl in the freezer for about 30 minutes. I started whipping and then added the sugar and vanilla while still beating. I think I almost made butter. It was very thick but had a nice flavor to it. Not too sweet though.
I removed one of the layers from its pan, which wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I put a layer of whipped cream and coconut on it, put the second layer on, covered the whole thing with whipped cream and sprinkled coconut on top of the cake. It looked...ok. I cut a piece for Ed, and one for me. Yeah, it was...ok. Nothing to write home about, that's for sure. The flavor of the whole wheat flour came through strongly, and it was very filling. I told Ed that I didn't think there was any danger of his eating this whole cake in one day (that is often what happens with the original recipe), because even if he wanted to, he would be too full.
So we decided to leave this one just like it is, but only make it twice a year: December for Ed's birthday, and June for Kyle's. It's Kyle's favorite cake too. That reminds me. I have to make a German Chocolate Cake in about two weeks for James' birthday. I think we will leave that one like it is too.
Have a wonderful weekend!
See Ya Monday!
Connie
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Repurposed Thursday: Not Like I Planned
Welcome to Repurposed Thursday!
Well, I didn't get anything done on the clock, although I did find another kid's book that I want to give the same treatment.
Since I didn't do that, I thought I would share something I did a while back. Remember when I said I kind of went crazy with book pages? Well, here are a few more things I covered.
I got this the day we went to the Goodwill outlet.
Well, I didn't get anything done on the clock, although I did find another kid's book that I want to give the same treatment.
Since I didn't do that, I thought I would share something I did a while back. Remember when I said I kind of went crazy with book pages? Well, here are a few more things I covered.
This is the switch plate in my office. It was intended for a little girl, and I really didn't like it. I don't like the paint job either, but that is more than I am able to tackle at this point.
This is better. I would like to do a whole room like this.
Here is the top view.
Here it is covered in dictionary pages.
I also have a gallon-sized, plastic vinegar bottle, that I cut the top off of, and covered with pages. I don't have a picture of it, but sits just below the light switch, and is what holds all those rolls of brown paper that you can see in the first picture.
Lord willing, I'll have the clocks done next week. I'm thinking of making the mice out of clay. We'll see.
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Wednesday with the Word: The Whole Armor of God
I love the book of book of Ephesians! It is one of the most encouraging books of the New Testament,
Ephesians is actually a letter to the church at Ephesus, written by the Apostle Paul, probably about 60. A.D., when he was imprisoned in Rome. The letter talks about the Lordship of Christ and the position of the believer as a member of the body of Christ. Paul admonishes the Ephesian Christians to “to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” (Eph 4:1). He encourages them to walk in love; giving instruction in matters of husbands and wives, parents and children, and master and slaves. Today that might mean employers and employees.
In the last chapter (chapter 6), Paul says this
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Eph 6:10-17. (NIV)
Paul reminds the Ephesian Christians, and us, that there is a supernatural battle going on all around us, all the time. In order to withstand the attack of the enemy, the soldier of God must be prepared and protected as he or she goes into battle.
Paul says to put on the whole armor, every bit of it, not just a few comfortable pieces. We can't be protected with just the belt of truth, or the footwear from the gospel of peace, and the helmet of salvation. We have to wear that heavy breastplate of righteousness. Righteousness is not easy. It takes effort, and while no one in this life will do it perfectly, we have to work at it, every single day. The good thing about that is that we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us. We must pick up that shield of faith. Its what protects you from Satan's attacks. Sometimes, in the midst of a battle, hanging onto faith is one of the most difficult challenges you can face. However, this isn't just a defensive position. We are also instructed to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. A sword is used to attack. The Amplified Bible says it this way:
“And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit [d]wields, which is the Word of God.” That “d” refers to a footnote that says:
“Charles B. Williams, The New Testament: A Translation in the Language of the People: Subjective genitive—a type of genitive of possession. Thus here the Spirit is the subject or agent of the verbal action.” In other words, the sword that we are to take, belongs to the Holy Spirit. He wields it, and it is the Word of God. Jesus himself used scripture when he as being tempted by Satan. A thorough knowledge of the scriptures is a tremendous asset, and it will always be brought to mind just when you need it. That is, I believe, another working of the Holy Spirit.
Writer Beth Moore says in her book “Believing God”
“It’s about learning that we don’t have to put down the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) to raise up the Shield of Faith. The way I see it, that’s why God gave us two hands. If we want to live abundantly and victoriously, we must pick up both. To pick up the Sword of the Spirit without the Shield of Faith is to shrivel and dry up in the desert of legalism. To pick up the Shield of Faith without the Sword of the Spirit is to try walking by faith on quicksand.”
Can you see the illustration? A fully armored child of God protecting herself with the shield of faith, while wielding the sword of the Spirit. She stands her ground, and when she has done everything, she still stands, and waits with anticipation to hear her Lord say, "Well done!"
Reference:
Moore, Beth (2004-09-01). Believing God (p. ix). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Ephesians is actually a letter to the church at Ephesus, written by the Apostle Paul, probably about 60. A.D., when he was imprisoned in Rome. The letter talks about the Lordship of Christ and the position of the believer as a member of the body of Christ. Paul admonishes the Ephesian Christians to “to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” (Eph 4:1). He encourages them to walk in love; giving instruction in matters of husbands and wives, parents and children, and master and slaves. Today that might mean employers and employees.
In the last chapter (chapter 6), Paul says this
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Eph 6:10-17. (NIV)
Paul reminds the Ephesian Christians, and us, that there is a supernatural battle going on all around us, all the time. In order to withstand the attack of the enemy, the soldier of God must be prepared and protected as he or she goes into battle.
Paul says to put on the whole armor, every bit of it, not just a few comfortable pieces. We can't be protected with just the belt of truth, or the footwear from the gospel of peace, and the helmet of salvation. We have to wear that heavy breastplate of righteousness. Righteousness is not easy. It takes effort, and while no one in this life will do it perfectly, we have to work at it, every single day. The good thing about that is that we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us. We must pick up that shield of faith. Its what protects you from Satan's attacks. Sometimes, in the midst of a battle, hanging onto faith is one of the most difficult challenges you can face. However, this isn't just a defensive position. We are also instructed to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. A sword is used to attack. The Amplified Bible says it this way:
“And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit [d]wields, which is the Word of God.” That “d” refers to a footnote that says:
“Charles B. Williams, The New Testament: A Translation in the Language of the People: Subjective genitive—a type of genitive of possession. Thus here the Spirit is the subject or agent of the verbal action.” In other words, the sword that we are to take, belongs to the Holy Spirit. He wields it, and it is the Word of God. Jesus himself used scripture when he as being tempted by Satan. A thorough knowledge of the scriptures is a tremendous asset, and it will always be brought to mind just when you need it. That is, I believe, another working of the Holy Spirit.
Writer Beth Moore says in her book “Believing God”
“It’s about learning that we don’t have to put down the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) to raise up the Shield of Faith. The way I see it, that’s why God gave us two hands. If we want to live abundantly and victoriously, we must pick up both. To pick up the Sword of the Spirit without the Shield of Faith is to shrivel and dry up in the desert of legalism. To pick up the Shield of Faith without the Sword of the Spirit is to try walking by faith on quicksand.”
Can you see the illustration? A fully armored child of God protecting herself with the shield of faith, while wielding the sword of the Spirit. She stands her ground, and when she has done everything, she still stands, and waits with anticipation to hear her Lord say, "Well done!"
Reference:
Moore, Beth (2004-09-01). Believing God (p. ix). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Makin' Do Tuesday: A History of Trash and a Little More Salt
I really hate to throw things away. Every time I start to put something in the trash can, I think twice. The first question is “Can I possibly do something else with this?” The answer is almost always “yes”. The second question is “Do I have somewhere to store it until I can use it?” Unfortunately, the answer there is often “no”.
I think if I had room to store recyclables, as well as things I could use for compost, we would have very little trash. That got me thinking about how much trash we, as a society, currently produce, and how that compares with societies of the past, as well as those of other cultures.
So I've started a little research on the history of trash. The first thing I learned, is that human beings have a tendency to be wasteful and sloppy. What to do with it is an age-old question that has produced four answers: Pitch it, burn it, reuse it and minimize it.(Source) This same source indicated that waste has a tendency to go hand in hand with affluence. I can see how it would. Lean times, and times of war lead people to want to make the best use of what they have because they don't know when or if there will be more.
I also learned that I could research this subject for days, and still not read everything. So, its something I'm going to keep working on, and when I finish, I'll let you know what I've learned.
By the way, trash bags, as we know them today, were invented in the 1950's.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned using salt to clean a cast iron skillet. Well, I finally had another one so dirty that it needed the salt treatment.
Isn't this lovely? Its eggs and sausage (I think) with a little bit of a yogurt smoothie thrown in. This sat about two days last week when we didn't have water. Of course, if I had been thinking, I could have cleaned this anyway.
I dumped in some salt.
Started working it in with a paper towel.
I think if I had room to store recyclables, as well as things I could use for compost, we would have very little trash. That got me thinking about how much trash we, as a society, currently produce, and how that compares with societies of the past, as well as those of other cultures.
So I've started a little research on the history of trash. The first thing I learned, is that human beings have a tendency to be wasteful and sloppy. What to do with it is an age-old question that has produced four answers: Pitch it, burn it, reuse it and minimize it.(Source) This same source indicated that waste has a tendency to go hand in hand with affluence. I can see how it would. Lean times, and times of war lead people to want to make the best use of what they have because they don't know when or if there will be more.
I also learned that I could research this subject for days, and still not read everything. So, its something I'm going to keep working on, and when I finish, I'll let you know what I've learned.
By the way, trash bags, as we know them today, were invented in the 1950's.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned using salt to clean a cast iron skillet. Well, I finally had another one so dirty that it needed the salt treatment.
Gathered up all the crud and dumped it in the trash.
Isn't that pretty? I did rinse the salt out with hot water and dry the pan. I've had this skillet for about 30 years, and its my favorite. So there you have it. A cast iron skillet scrubbed clean with table salt. Awesome huh?
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Monday, February 10, 2014
Catch Up Monday: Back to Normal
Welcome to Catch Up Monday!
Yes, we are back to normal. It is still cold at 10 degrees, but our water is running and we have a nice fire in the wood stove. The latter has still been a challenge because that wood is very green, but the Lord has provided and we are doing ok with it.
Yesterday's new evening service at Church went very well. We are excited to see so much interest from young people! We may have to move to the main sanctuary because our original location got a little crowded. What a wonderful problem to have!
Today was spent catching up in the kitchen after going those few days without water. I'm still working on reorganizing the work room/office, and most of it is still in the living room. Sometimes, at the end of the day, I look around and wonder what I did all day, because it dosen't appear that anything was accomplished.
I did find out some exciting news. Jane, from the Mamie Jane's blog, posted that she is going to be featured in Flea Market Style magazine, doing a "$250.00 Junk Hunt Challenge, in Kansas City's West Bottoms. Apparently, there is a huge first friday weekend event every month, in the West Bottoms, where at least thirty antique and junk stores housed in the old warehouse district open their doors. I live less than an hour from the West Bottoms! I gotta go! Can't wait to tell my junkin' buddy! I'm hoping for March, but if not, we will have to go in April for sure!
Anyway, looks like this week is going to be lovely, weather wise. However things are, where you are, make the best of it!
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Yes, we are back to normal. It is still cold at 10 degrees, but our water is running and we have a nice fire in the wood stove. The latter has still been a challenge because that wood is very green, but the Lord has provided and we are doing ok with it.
Yesterday's new evening service at Church went very well. We are excited to see so much interest from young people! We may have to move to the main sanctuary because our original location got a little crowded. What a wonderful problem to have!
Today was spent catching up in the kitchen after going those few days without water. I'm still working on reorganizing the work room/office, and most of it is still in the living room. Sometimes, at the end of the day, I look around and wonder what I did all day, because it dosen't appear that anything was accomplished.
I did find out some exciting news. Jane, from the Mamie Jane's blog, posted that she is going to be featured in Flea Market Style magazine, doing a "$250.00 Junk Hunt Challenge, in Kansas City's West Bottoms. Apparently, there is a huge first friday weekend event every month, in the West Bottoms, where at least thirty antique and junk stores housed in the old warehouse district open their doors. I live less than an hour from the West Bottoms! I gotta go! Can't wait to tell my junkin' buddy! I'm hoping for March, but if not, we will have to go in April for sure!
Anyway, looks like this week is going to be lovely, weather wise. However things are, where you are, make the best of it!
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Friday, February 7, 2014
Friday with Food: Flax Bread
Today there was good news, more good news and bad news.
The first good news was that the lab results came back and my AIC (the test that determines blood sugar levels) was only 5.8! That means I have controlled my diabetes so well, just through my changes in diet, I no longer need medication.
The second good news was that Ed woke up this morning knowing what was wrong with our water. He said "It is frozen in the pump house. If we put heat in there, we'll have water. He was right!" We put a space heater in the floor of the pump house and within ten minutes, we had cold water in the kitchen. We then moved a space heater to the position behind the hot water heater in order to thaw out the secondary freezing spot. It thawed in about ten minutes too. Now for the bad news. One of those pipes broke and started spraying water everywhere! At that point, we turned off the breaker to the pump, left a message for our landlord, went to my mom's house for showers, and went out to eat! Sometimse, you just have to!
The landlord will fix it tomorrow, so when we talk on Monday, we should be back to normal.
Now for the flax bread. I first found this recipe when I was researching gluten free diets. It was a big hit with Ed, the boys and I, but not Katherine. If you read my blog enough, you'll come to realize that is the norm. She doesn't like anything that remotely resembles real food.
Anyway, this is a great focaccia style bread. Ed just likes it with butter, but I've made almond butter and honey sandwiches with it.
Normally, I use a jelly roll pan when I make this, but the one I have left was indisposed, so I used a pizza pan.
First you need two cups of flaxseed meal. You can either grind your own flaxseeds, or buy it like this, preground. I've made it both ways with equal success.
Anyway, this is a great focaccia style bread. Ed just likes it with butter, but I've made almond butter and honey sandwiches with it.
Normally, I use a jelly roll pan when I make this, but the one I have left was indisposed, so I used a pizza pan.
First you need two cups of flaxseed meal. You can either grind your own flaxseeds, or buy it like this, preground. I've made it both ways with equal success.
Then you add a tablespoon of baking powder, and a teaspoon of salt. Here the recipe also calls for one to two tablespoons of artificial sweetener. I used two tablespoons of coconut sugar. I have also used an equivalent amount of powdered stevia. Both work fine. Mix it all up with a whisk.
Crack five eggs into another bowl. Then add a half cup of water and a third cup of oil. I used olive oil. Again, whisk them all together
Add the two mixtures together and whisk until blended. Let it sit a few minutes to thicken. Then pour and spread into greased pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for twenty minutes. Enjoy!
Have a wonderful weekend!
See ya Monday!
Connie
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Repurposed Thursday: Sort of
Welcome to Repurposed Thursday!
My plan for today was to start on a new project and share with you as far as I got, as well as my idea for finishing. Well, I never even got to start, but I'll tell you my plan.
I love the idea of repurposing books that might otherwise be thrown away. I particularly like the idea of turning them into clocks. In a bunch of books I rescued was a library copy of Beverly Clearly's "Runaway Ralph" Well, it looks like Ralph, or some of his relatives, chewed on it, so its not going to make a great clock by itself.
I was at least going to get the clock mechanism installed in it today. My plan is either to make or buy (make is my preference) some mice to go on top of the book and on the tray below. I got the tray as part of my haul from the Goodwill Closeout store, so its cost is about $.88. Anyway, this is as far as I got. Hopefully by next week, I'll be able to show you more.
Now, the reason I didn't get anything done was because about the time I was getting ready to start, I was talking to Ed about something while he was putting some rather large logs in the wood stove. Suddenly, the stove pipe was on the floor, and smoke was coming out the back of the stove. We both switched to emergency mode (which included praying while we were moving). Thank God for the heat gloves that Ed brought home from work. We were able to use them to hold the pipe while we tried to get it put back in. Still it took about twenty minutes, and probably another twenty to get our blood presure back down!
Then Katherine came in and told us there was no water cold water in the Kitchen sink. There is ALWAYS cold water in the kitchen sink. We keep a heater running in there as soon as the temperature drops below 20 degrees. We have a cistern, so we can't keep our tap dripping. The cold water in the kitchen is where the water comes into the house. Uh Oh!. If that is frozen with the heater blowing right there on it, it must be frozen under the house, and we have no way to get to it! Neat! Ed had already drawn water the night before as a "just in case" measure, so we had that, but it wasn't going to last long. So, we decided we should probably get out and go get some bottled water.
First we had to dig my car out. Thankfully, the snow is the dry powdery type, so shoveling was a breeze, what I got to do of it anyway. Ed saw me shoveling, and took my shovel from me. We got to the store, but our road is still a skating rink. I told Ed that if Katherine had school tomorrow, the bus was not going to come down our road. I would get a call in the morning telling me I had to bring her to the end of the road for the bus to pick her up. If that happened, I would just take her to school. If I had to warm up the car, I might as well driver her the other mile and a half to school.
The second issue, if Katherine had school tomorrow, was the issue of a shower. Well, I didn't want to use drinking water for bathing, so I told Ed we needed to start melting snow of the stove, so we could use it for sponge baths.
My plan for today was to start on a new project and share with you as far as I got, as well as my idea for finishing. Well, I never even got to start, but I'll tell you my plan.
I love the idea of repurposing books that might otherwise be thrown away. I particularly like the idea of turning them into clocks. In a bunch of books I rescued was a library copy of Beverly Clearly's "Runaway Ralph" Well, it looks like Ralph, or some of his relatives, chewed on it, so its not going to make a great clock by itself.
Now, the reason I didn't get anything done was because about the time I was getting ready to start, I was talking to Ed about something while he was putting some rather large logs in the wood stove. Suddenly, the stove pipe was on the floor, and smoke was coming out the back of the stove. We both switched to emergency mode (which included praying while we were moving). Thank God for the heat gloves that Ed brought home from work. We were able to use them to hold the pipe while we tried to get it put back in. Still it took about twenty minutes, and probably another twenty to get our blood presure back down!
Then Katherine came in and told us there was no water cold water in the Kitchen sink. There is ALWAYS cold water in the kitchen sink. We keep a heater running in there as soon as the temperature drops below 20 degrees. We have a cistern, so we can't keep our tap dripping. The cold water in the kitchen is where the water comes into the house. Uh Oh!. If that is frozen with the heater blowing right there on it, it must be frozen under the house, and we have no way to get to it! Neat! Ed had already drawn water the night before as a "just in case" measure, so we had that, but it wasn't going to last long. So, we decided we should probably get out and go get some bottled water.
First we had to dig my car out. Thankfully, the snow is the dry powdery type, so shoveling was a breeze, what I got to do of it anyway. Ed saw me shoveling, and took my shovel from me. We got to the store, but our road is still a skating rink. I told Ed that if Katherine had school tomorrow, the bus was not going to come down our road. I would get a call in the morning telling me I had to bring her to the end of the road for the bus to pick her up. If that happened, I would just take her to school. If I had to warm up the car, I might as well driver her the other mile and a half to school.
The second issue, if Katherine had school tomorrow, was the issue of a shower. Well, I didn't want to use drinking water for bathing, so I told Ed we needed to start melting snow of the stove, so we could use it for sponge baths.
I just got the call....no school again tomorrow.
See ya then!
Connie
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Wednesday With The Word: The Gospel in a Nutshell
Our winter storm is over, but it left us nearly 10 inches of the powdery white stuff. Now we are supposed to go back into the deep freeze. The low temperature for tonight is supposed to be -10, which means we will be bringing our dogs inside. The cats will be thrilled.
Ed finally got home about 1:00 this afternoon. He is tired and thankful that he has the next two days off. I am too.
Because I know that God is in control, I can experience stressful times like the last few days with an internal peace. When Ed remarked that I had a fire going today, I told him that the Lord started that one, because I didn't have to work nearly as hard to get it going. When I realized I had a good fire, I gave credit where it was due, and thanked Him profusely.
Non-Christians usually react to that kind of remark, as they would to someone they believe is mentally deficient. Thats ok, because the Bible says the unsaved can't understand. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says:
"The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit."
The "Spirit" in question is the Holy Spirit, the third part of the God-head, which is given to the believer when salvation occurs. How does salvation occur?
One must
Hear the Gospel (or Good News)
Believe it
Repent of sin
Confess faith
Be Baptized
Walk the Walk
So what is the Gospel?
The bare bones of it is found in what is probably the best known verse in all of the Bible: John 3:16.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Sin is disobedience to God. A literal usage of the word is "missing the mark" like an archer who misses the target. Adam and Eve sinned when they disobeyed God in the garden of Eden, and every human being on the planet has followed suit, except for one, but we'll get to that in a minute! The Bible says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Rom 3:23.
The problem is that God cannot tolerate sin. Now, he could have just left us like this and banished us all to the lake of fire dscribed in the book of Revelation (Rev 20: 14-15), but He loves us, and wanted to redeem us from our sinful state. I Peter 3: 9 says "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
"The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23) When God sent Jesus into the world as a human being, his job was to remain sinless, and sacrifice his pure and blameless life for the sins of the entire human race. He did exactly that. Only three days later, God raised him from the dead, and now he sits at God's right hand waiting for the time to come back and get those who accepted his sacrifice on their behalf.
That is the Good News! Jesus died for you! Do you believe it? Well then you're going to need to repent. That means you're life is going to change directions. Then you need to confess. That means you need to speak out and tell what you believe! Baptism is how we show that our old sinful selves are dead and buried, and we come out of the water a new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Lastly, you have to walk the walk. That dosen't mean you won't trip and fall, because you surely will. You have to keep getting up. It dosen't mean that your life will be perfect. You still live in the world, and you are still going to have problems, but you won't ever be alone again!
One more thing. There is nothing you can do to earn salvation. We have all "earned" eternal damnation, just like it says in Romans 6. but there is more to that verse (remember what I said about taking things in context?) "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." It's a gift!
Will you accept it?
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
Ed finally got home about 1:00 this afternoon. He is tired and thankful that he has the next two days off. I am too.
Because I know that God is in control, I can experience stressful times like the last few days with an internal peace. When Ed remarked that I had a fire going today, I told him that the Lord started that one, because I didn't have to work nearly as hard to get it going. When I realized I had a good fire, I gave credit where it was due, and thanked Him profusely.
Non-Christians usually react to that kind of remark, as they would to someone they believe is mentally deficient. Thats ok, because the Bible says the unsaved can't understand. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says:
"The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit."
The "Spirit" in question is the Holy Spirit, the third part of the God-head, which is given to the believer when salvation occurs. How does salvation occur?
One must
Hear the Gospel (or Good News)
Believe it
Repent of sin
Confess faith
Be Baptized
Walk the Walk
So what is the Gospel?
The bare bones of it is found in what is probably the best known verse in all of the Bible: John 3:16.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Sin is disobedience to God. A literal usage of the word is "missing the mark" like an archer who misses the target. Adam and Eve sinned when they disobeyed God in the garden of Eden, and every human being on the planet has followed suit, except for one, but we'll get to that in a minute! The Bible says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Rom 3:23.
The problem is that God cannot tolerate sin. Now, he could have just left us like this and banished us all to the lake of fire dscribed in the book of Revelation (Rev 20: 14-15), but He loves us, and wanted to redeem us from our sinful state. I Peter 3: 9 says "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
"The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23) When God sent Jesus into the world as a human being, his job was to remain sinless, and sacrifice his pure and blameless life for the sins of the entire human race. He did exactly that. Only three days later, God raised him from the dead, and now he sits at God's right hand waiting for the time to come back and get those who accepted his sacrifice on their behalf.
That is the Good News! Jesus died for you! Do you believe it? Well then you're going to need to repent. That means you're life is going to change directions. Then you need to confess. That means you need to speak out and tell what you believe! Baptism is how we show that our old sinful selves are dead and buried, and we come out of the water a new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Lastly, you have to walk the walk. That dosen't mean you won't trip and fall, because you surely will. You have to keep getting up. It dosen't mean that your life will be perfect. You still live in the world, and you are still going to have problems, but you won't ever be alone again!
One more thing. There is nothing you can do to earn salvation. We have all "earned" eternal damnation, just like it says in Romans 6. but there is more to that verse (remember what I said about taking things in context?) "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." It's a gift!
Will you accept it?
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
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