The White Woods

Suprise!

2012-01-23T08:59:00.000-06:00

It's official, my dear sweet sister Ana is getting married!!!

....She's going to be a beautiful April Bride....

Silent Song

2012-01-07T14:18:00.001-06:00

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

...Deep calls to deep...

By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song

is with me-- a prayer to the God of my life.

Psalm 42:5, 7-8

The son greatly wished to make a "Song of Lovely Things" to sing to his Beloved-- but he could not find singing-words.

He heard the voice of his beloved saying, "You are walking on the road where all who love Me walk. Some of them walked this way singing, and they've left their songs behind. Find their songs. Sing their words. They will be your songs to Me."

But the son became full of grief, because there come a day when he could find no words to sing-- neither his own, nor those of others. And yet he wanted with all his heart and soul and mind to ascend to higher places, to stand in the presence of his Beloved....

And He who is love eternal whispered, "Then I, too will approach you, silent in my love."

And the son entered into this silence, to meet the eternal Beloved there....

After a while there was a sound in the gentle stillness, a voice that whispered, "Even your silence is, to Me, a song of lovely things....

~*~*~*~*~

My Father, there are reasons why I could feel downcast.

When I think about some parts of my life, it's hard to

pray--even harder to worship in freedom...

...relationships that are difficult...

...dreams and goals that are crumbling...

...old hurts that wound me over and over....

Some parts of me feel cold and wordless.

Is the problem that I've buried some things deep

inside? Are you patiently calling-- through days and

months-- for me to open up to you at some deeper level?

Today, Father, I trust you to go deeper.

~A. Carmichael, I Come Quietly To Meet You~

Beautiful Beads on a Basket

2011-10-25T15:17:00.003-05:00

::~*~::

Dried Fruit

2011-10-25T15:15:00.003-05:00

Between Jobs

2011-10-25T14:48:00.002-05:00

On Mondays I have a couple hours between jobs where I'm able to go sit by the fire at the local Coffee Shop Bistro and read a book, sip some coffee or the special Latte of the day and just relax before heading out again.
It's truly a blessing from the Lord.
Thank you Jesus. ~::

Early...

2011-10-25T14:41:00.002-05:00

Christmas decorating at the Shop. (:

Fall Shots

2011-10-25T14:38:00.003-05:00

Rainy Day

2011-10-25T14:33:00.003-05:00

A happy way to spend a rainy day: Inside where it's warm surrounded by antiques and cozy music.

I Love My Job

Hay Bales

2011-10-25T14:30:00.000-05:00

2011-10-25T11:47:00.002-05:00

Pickin' Corn

2011-10-25T11:40:00.003-05:00

All the way back in August we picked some sweet corn to freeze and also to munch on. It's SO good! :)

^Handsome Brother Man^ (:

Little Josiah Man loves his corn! If you can't tell, his little face is on the edge of a huge smile! (that my camera failed to capture.)

Wind on the Hill

2011-09-29T11:43:00.001-05:00

No one can tell me,

Nobody knows,

Where the wind comes from,

Where the wind goes.

It's flying from somewhere

As fast as it can,

I couldn't keep up with it,

Not if I ran.

But if I stopped holding

The string of my kite,

It would blow with the wind

For a day and a night.

And then when I found it,

Wherever it blew,

I should know that the wind

Had been going there too.

So then I could tell them

Where the wind goes...

But where the wind comes from

Nobody knows.

A. A. Milne

Grandma's 80th

2011-09-25T19:05:00.002-05:00

We had the pleasure of driving out to Wyoming the first part of August for my Grandma's 80th birthday. Most of the relatives were able to make it, which was such a blessing for Grandma to be able to have her children, grandchildren and GREAT-grandchildren together for her birthday. :)

Here are a couple... okay a bunch... of shots that I captured while there. (:

Grandma with her grandchildren and their spouses.

Boys

2011-09-23T15:02:00.003-05:00

They're still clinging to that hint of summer....

September Outing to the Park

2011-09-23T14:32:00.003-05:00

2011-09-01T11:19:00.001-05:00

Wow, it almost feels like I should reintroduce myself on here because it's been so long!

Hi, my name is Leah, I'm a photographer and I have 3 other jobs. I'm so unbelievable busy that I don't have time to post on here. (: Well, you get the idea. So yea, I have actually been unbelievably busy! I now have a total of 3 jobs (4 if you count photography). I am really really enjoying them though! I work at a Bakery as a clerk and I work in an antique shop as a clerk and I am a waitress at a German restaurant. I work 6 days a week. I'm tired, but GOD is SOOOO GOOD! I find myself at my wits end so often but then 1st Corinthians 10:13 comes to mind:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

The weather is always changing here, as usual. :) Tuesday was cool and cloudy (just perfect in my opinion), yesterday was warm and humid, and today is shaping up to be about the same. But Fall is coming and I cannot WAIT! :) I think Fall is my favorite season out of the year. Some days it can be warm so you just have to wear a t-shirt and other days it can be a tad chilly and you can throw on that gorgeous plaid sweater that's been hiding in your closet. You can wear flip-flops or those beautiful black boots you've been waiting to wear with skinny jeans. Ah, as usual, fashion tends to take over my thoughts. What I can wear with that?? :) Makes me happy, don't cha know? :P

Our dog recently had puppies again. Two beautiful Shih-poo puppies. (shitz-tzu and poodle mix). We've dubbed them Bo-bo (the little black boy) and Penny (the little brown girl). They're starting to run now and so the barriers have come up and out of the basement to land in front of their cages to keep them in. As soon as they figure out how to jump over, we're doomed. :) But they're just SO cute!! :)

Oh, that quilt picture on the top? Um yea, second-hand-store, half price. Makes me happy. :) :)

So, what have ya'll been up to? School started a couple days ago here (not for me though). Are you going to college? Are you still in high school? How's IT GOING??? :)

2011-07-28T20:58:00.002-05:00

4th of July

2011-07-21T16:24:00.000-05:00

Flying a Kite with Auntie

2011-07-21T16:12:00.001-05:00

Magazine Pages

2011-07-21T16:01:00.000-05:00

Beautiful Summer Days

2011-07-21T14:49:00.003-05:00

...mean reading by the lake...

2011-07-20T15:07:00.000-05:00

When you're finding it hard to be patient

Another beautiful post by Ann.

Please, go read it.

John Newton

2011-07-11T10:53:00.000-05:00

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith and love and every grace
Might more of His salvation know
And seek more earnestly His face

Twas He who taught me thus to pray
And He I trust has answered prayer
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair

I hoped that in some favored hour
At once He’d answer my request
And by His love’s constraining power
Subdue my sins and give me rest

Instead of this He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart
And let the angry powers of Hell
Assault my soul in every part

Yea more with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Cast out my feelings, laid me low

Lord why is this, I trembling cried
Wilt Thou pursue thy worm to death?
“Tis in this way” The Lord replied
“I answer prayer for grace and faith”

“These inward trials I employ
From self and pride to set thee free
And break thy schemes of earthly joy
That thou mayest seek thy all in me,
That thou mayest seek thy all in me.”

Satisfied

2011-07-06T10:32:00.001-05:00

All my life I had a panted
For a drink from some clear spring,
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within.

Refrain
Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings,
Through His blood I now am saved.

Feeding on the husks around me,
Till my strength was almost gone,
Longed my soul for something better,
Only still to hunger on.

Refrain

Poor I was, and sought for riches,
Something that would satisfy,
But the dust I gathered round me
Only mocked my soul’s sad cry.

Refrain

Well of water, ever springing,
Bread of life so rich and free,
Untold wealth that never faileth,
My Redeemer is to me.

Refrain

~Clara Tear Williams~

2011-07-06T10:24:00.002-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th! :)

Enjoying July

2011-07-05T16:45:00.000-05:00

Oswald Chambers

2011-06-30T16:43:00.000-05:00

My attitude as a saint to sorrow and difficulty is not ask that they may be prevented, but to ask that I may preserve the self God created me to be through every fire of sorrow. Our Lord received himself in the fire of sorrow, He was saved not from the hour, but out of the hour.
We say that there ought to be no sorrow, but there is sorrow, and w have to receive ourselves in its fires. If we try and evade sorrow, refuse to lay our account with it, we are foolish. Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life; it is no use saying sorrows ought not to be. Sin and sorrow and suffering are, and it is not for us to say that God has made a mistake in allowing them.
Sorrow burns up a great amount of shallowness, but it does not always make a man better. Suffering either gives me my self or it destroys my self. You cannot receive your self in success, you lose your head; you cannot receive your self in monotony, you grouse. The way to find your self is in the fires of sorrow. Why it should be so is another matter, but that it is so is true in the Scriptures and in human experience. You always know the man who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, you are certain you can go to him in trouble and find that he has ample leisure for you. If a man has not been through the fires of sorrow, he is apt to be contemptuous, has no time for you. If you receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people.

How Emptiness Sings ~Christa Wells

2011-06-29T18:17:00.000-05:00

A new-er-ish favorite of mine:

Click on the title to go listen to it. Also, there are more of her songs on the right sidebar.

My other favorite is "All That You Need"

How Emptiness Sings by Christa Wells

Lyrics:

Brother, he’s suffered like a tree taken down
Wept as he witnessed his dreams carved out
And how can a man just keep walking around
With his heart full of holes

But ooh,
His bow is on the strings
And the tune resonates in the open space
To show us how emptiness sings:

Glory to God, Glory to God!
In fullness of wisdom,
He writes my story into his song,
My life for the glory of God.
Hmm, hmmm

Sister carries her loneliness
In a hidden hollow inside her chest
And sometimes all that she wants is an end
To the long, long night

But ooh,
Her bow is on the strings,
And the tune resonates in the open space
To show us how emptiness sings:

Glory to God, Glory to God!
In fullness of wisdom,
He writes my story into his song,
My life for the glory of God.
Hmm, hmmm

I haven’t been asked yet to walk the hard roads
Still there’s a sense of deep loss in my soul
In the middle of a party, I’ll just want to go
Home.

But ooh,
My bow is on the strings,
I’m beginning to learn where to find the words
To the song that emptiness sings
Ooh, bow is on the strings:

Glory to God! Glory to God!
This is how emptiness sings, oh,
This is how emptiness sings
Hmmm, hmmm

Centerpiece Beauty

2011-06-25T22:07:00.000-05:00

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Josiah's 1st Birthday

2011-06-25T21:59:00.002-05:00

Pocket Books from Katya

2011-06-25T21:41:00.000-05:00

::~ Such beauties ~::

pleasing to the eye

2011-06-25T21:30:00.001-05:00

...the taste buds and the tummy...

Cool Summer Drink

2011-06-23T09:09:00.001-05:00

Sparkling Lemonade Floats

1/2-3/4 cup sugar (1/2 for tart, 3/4 for sweet)*
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon peel strips (from 2 lemons)
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
1 cup cold water
vanilla ice cream
club soda or sparkling wine {I used Sierra Mist}, chilled

Stir together sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir in lemon strips. Simmer for five minutes. Allow to cool. Stir in lemon juice. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove strips and pulp. Stir in 1 cup cold water. Refrigerate to cool completely.
To make floats: Scoop ice cream into glasses. Pour lemonade 1/2 to 3/4 full. Top with club soda. Garnish with lemon slices if desired. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4-6 (depending on glass size)

*For this recipe I definitely prefer the lemonade on the tarter side because you’ll be adding more sweetness with the ice cream. But it really depends on your personal preference.

THIS IS SO GOOD!!!!

I found the recipe here at Kitchen Simplicity...

Pride vs. Humility

2011-06-21T09:17:00.000-05:00

“Spiritual pride is the main door by which the devil comes into the hearts of those who are zealous for the advancement of Christianity. It is the chief inlet of smoke from the bottomless pit, to darken the mind and mislead the judgment. It is the main source of all the mischief the devil introduces, to clog and hinder a work of God.
Spiritual pride tends to speak of other persons’ sins with bitterness or with laughter and levity and an air of contempt. But pure Christian humility rather tends either to be silent about these problems or to speak of them with grief and pity. Spiritual pride is very apt to suspect others, but a humble Christian is most guarded about himself. He is as suspicious of nothing in the world as he is of his own heart. The proud person is apt to find fault with other believers, that they are low in grace, and to be much in observing how cold and dead they are and to be quick to note their deficiencies. But the humble Christian has so much to do at home and sees so much evil in his own heart and is so concerned about it, that he is not apt to be very busy with other hearts. He is apt to esteem others better than himself.”

~Jonathan Edwards~

Audrey Assad, Show Me

2011-06-20T22:28:00.000-05:00

You could plant me like a tree beside a river
You could tangle me in soil and let my roots run wild
And I would blossom like a flower in the desert
But for now just let me cry

You could raise me like a banner in a battle
Put victory like a fire behind my shining eyes
And I would drift like falling snow over the embers
But for now just let me lie

Bind up these broken bones
Mercy bend and breathe me back to life
But not before You show me how to die

Set me like a star before the morning
Like a song that steals the darkness from a world asleep
And I'll illuminate the path You've laid before me
But for now just let me be

Bind up these broken bones
Mercy bend and breathe me back to life
But not before You show me how to die
Oh, not before You show me how to die

So let me go like a leaf upon the water
Let me brave the wild currents flowing to the sea
And I will disappear into a deeper beauty
But for now just stay with me
God, for now just stay with me

Getting There

2011-06-16T11:30:00.000-05:00

[P]ride is the deification of self, and this today in some of us is not of the order of the Pharisee, but of the publican. To say "Oh, I'm no saint," is acceptable to human pride, but it is unconscious blasphemy against God. It literally means that you defy God to make you a saint, "I am much too weak and hopeless. " Humility before men may be unconscious blasphemy before God. Why are you not a saint? It is either that you do not want to be a saint, or that you do not believe God can make you one. It would be all right, you say, if God saved you and took you straight to heaven. That is just what He will do! "We will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Make no conditions, let Jesus be everything, and He will take you home with Him not only for a day, but forever.

{Oswald Chambers }

Get A Move On

2011-06-16T11:23:00.001-05:00

"And beside this... add...."

2 Peter 1:5

In the Matter of Drudgery. You have inherited the Divine nature, says Peter (v. 4), now screw your attention down and form habits, give diligence, concentrate. "Add" means all that character means. No man is born either naturally or supernaturally with character, he has to make character. Nor are we born with habits; we have to form habits on the basis of the new life God has put unto us. We are not meant to be illuminated versions, but the common stuff of ordinary life exhibiting the marvel of the grace of God. Drudgery is the touchstone of character. The great hindrance in spiritual life is that we will look for big things to do. "Jesus took a towel... and began to wash the disciples' feet."
There are times when there is no illumination and no thrill, but just the daily round, the common task. Routine is God's way of saving us between our times of inspiration. Do not expect God always to give you His thrilling minutes, but learn to live in the domain of drudgery by the power of God.
It is the "adding" that is difficult. We say we do not expect God to carry us to heaven on flowery beds of ease, and yet we act as if we did! The tiniest detail in which I obey has all the omnipotent power of the grace of God behind it. If I do my duty, not for duty's sake, but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience the whole superb grace of God is mine through the Atonement.

--My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers --

Under the Willows

2011-06-14T10:02:00.000-05:00

     Between willow-fringed banks of softest green, and under the bluest of summer skies, the little river took its lazy Southern way. Tall blue lobelias and golden flags played hide-and-seek in the reflections of the gentle stream, and an occasional spray of goldenrod, advance-guard of the autumn, stood apart, a silent warning to the summer idlers.
     Somewhere overhead a vireo, dainty poet of bird-land, proclaimed his love to the wide world; while below, another child of nature, no less impassioned, no less aching to give vent to the joy that was bursting his being, sat silent in a canoe that swung softly with the pulsing of the stream.
     For Sandy had followed the highroad that led straight into the Land of Enchantment. No more wanderings by intricate byways up golden hills to golden castles; the Love Road had led him at last to the real world of King Arthur days-- the world that was lighted by a strange and wondrous light of romance, wherein he dwelt, a knight, waiting and longing to prove his valor in the eyes of his lady fair.
   Burning deeds of prowess rioted in his brain. Oh for dungeons and towers and forbidding battlements! Any danger was welcome from which he might rescue her. Fire, flood, or bandits-- he would brave them all. Meanwhile he sat in the prow of the boat, his hands clasped about his knees, utterly powerless to break the spell of awkward silence that seemed to posses him.

--Sandy, Alice Hegan Rice--

Sandy

2011-06-14T09:51:00.000-05:00

     Ruth sat with her chin in her hands and gazed absently out of the window. She remembered when that yard was to her as the garden of Eden. As a child she had been brought here, a delicate, faded little hothouse plant, and for three wonderful years and been allowed to grow and blossom at will in the freedom of outdoor life. The glamour of those old days still clung to the place, and made her love everything connected with it. The front gate, with its wide white posts, still held the records of her growth, for each year her grandfather had stood her against it and marked her progress. The huge green tub holding the crapemyrtle was once a park where she and Annette had played dolls, and once it had served as a burying-ground when Carter's sling brought down a sparrow. The ice house, with its steep roof, recalled a thrilling tobogganing experience when she was six. Grandfather had laughed over the torn gown, and bade her do it again.
     It was all the trees, though, that she loved best of all; for they were friendly old poplar-trees on which the bark formed itself into all sorts of curious eyes. One was a wicked old stepfather eye with a heavy lid; she remembered how she used to tiptoe past it and pretend to be afraid. Beyond, by the arbor, were two smaller trees, where a coquettish eye on one looked up to an adoring eye on the other. She had often built a romance about them as she watched them peeping at each other through the leaves.
     Down behind the house the waving fields of blue-grass rippled away to the little river, where weeping willows hung their heads above the lazy water, and ferns reached up the banks to catch the flowers. And the fields and the river and the house and the trees were hers,-- hers and Carter's, -- and neither could sell without the consent of the other. She took a deep breath of satisfaction. The prospect of living alone in the old homestead failed to appal her.

--Sandy, Alice Hegan Rice--

Bible Reading

2011-06-08T15:42:00.000-05:00

I recently came across some very good blog posts about creating and nurturing your Bible reading time. I have really been struggling with this for a while now and I've been praying that God would open my eyes and show me how to understand and treasure His Word. These posts do just that for me. I pray that they would do the same for you...

One Habit that Radically Changes a Family

I can relate to this post because we do the same thing at home. We pray at the beginning of every meal and we end the meal with the reading of the Word.

Quite Time: Listening

I thought this one was so good because it is an excellent example of what the Spirit can do in your heart through the Word.

How to Eat Differently this Year

Ah, another from Ann. Reading the posts above brought some thoughts into my mind and Ann pretty much sorted through them and brought reasoning to it all. So nurturing!

“Reading, as it were, puts the solid food into our mouths, meditation chews it and breaks it down, prayer obtains the flavor of it and contemplation is the very sweetness which makes us glad and refreshes us.” ~Guigo

How to Change Your Mind

This is excellent! This gives a couple helpful steps on how to learn Scripture, rereading it over and over and over until it is a part of you...

I pray that the Lord would use these in your lives as He has in mine. So often we become sidetracked with the daily duties in life that we don't read what is truly important. We put aside what will give us strength and hope and what will get us through the tough days and we do what "has" to be done. But, what really needs to be done is for us to take time in the Scriptures. Time to calm our hearts before plunging into the day. Time to become closer to the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe.

Time with our Heavenly Father.

Pray that the Lord would create a desire for His Word in your heart and listen to the Holy Spirit's answer.

It Is Well With My Soul

2011-06-07T14:40:00.000-05:00

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

--Horatio G. Spafford Peace--

Happy (late) Memorial Day

2011-06-01T13:34:00.000-05:00

More Pictures Here

Love-At-Second-Sight

2011-06-01T13:06:00.002-05:00

I haven't the foggiest idea where I got this or when I got it, I just found it in my drawer the other day and re-fell in love with it. It must have been love-at-first-sight when I got it to begin with (whenever that was), so I think it's safe to say that it was "love-at-second-sight" when I discovered it in my jewelry drawer the other day....

Photography Interview

2011-06-01T10:02:00.000-05:00

I was recently interviewed by our local newspaper for an online story that they wanted to do about my photography. The lady that interviewed me was so very sweet! They posted to the story today...

Photography Story

Lily-of-the-Valley

2011-05-25T10:47:00.001-05:00

::They're out and so are the Lilacs. The beautiful mixture sure makes for a very lovely smelling garden and home!::

Clustering Round Young Bingo

2011-05-23T16:21:00.000-05:00

'Has Jeeves thought of another scheme?'

'No, but I have.' Bingo bent forward and patted my knee affectionately. 'Look here, Bertie,' he said, 'you and I were at school together. You'll admit that?'

'Yes, but--'

'And you're a fellow who never lets a pal down. That's well known, isn't it?'

'Yes, but listen--'

'You'll cluster round. Of course you will. As if,' said Bingo with a scornful laugh, 'I ever doubted it! You won't let an old school-friend down in his hour of need. Not you. Not Bertie Wooster. No, no!'

'Yes, but just one moment. What is this scheme of yours?'

Bingo massaged my shoulder soothingly.

'It's something right in your line, Bertie, old man; something that'll come as easy as pie to you. As a matter of fact, you've done very much the same thing before-- that time you were telling me about when you pinched your uncle's Memoirs at Easby. I suddenly remembered that and it gave me this idea. It's--'

'Here! Listen!'

'It's all settled, Bertie. Nothing for you to worry about. Nothing whatever. I see now that we have made a big mistake in ever trying to tackle this job in Jeeves's silly, roundabout way. Much better to charge straight ahead without any of that finesse and fooling about. And so--'

'Yes, but listen--'

'And so this afternoon I'm going to take Rosie to a matinee. I shall leave the window of her study open, and when we have got well away you will climb in, pinch the cylinder and pop off again. It's absurdly simple--'

'Yes, but half a second--'

'I know what you are going to say,' said bingo, raising his hand. 'How are you to find the cylinder? That's what is bothering you, isn't it? Well, it will be quite easy. Not a chance of a mistake. The thing is in the top left-hand drawer of the desk, and the drawer will be left unlocked because Rosie's stenographer is to come around at four o'clock and type the article.'

'Now listen, Bingo,' I said. 'I am frightfully sorry for you and all that, but I must firmly draw the line at burglary.'

'But, dash it, I'm only asking you to do what you did at Easby.'

'No, you aren't. I was staying at Easby. It was simply a case of having to lift a parcel off the hall table I hadn't got to break into a house. I'm sorry, but I simply will not break into your beastly house on any consideration whatever.'

He gazed at me, astonished and hurt.

'Is this Bertie Wooster speaking?' he said in a low voice.

'Yes, it is!'

'But, Bertie,' he said gently, 'we agreed that you were at school with me.'

'I don't care.'

'At school, Bertie. The dear old school.'

'I don't care. I will not--'

'Bertie!'

'I will not--'

'Bertie!'

'No!'

'Bertie!'

'Oh, all right,' I said.

'There,' said young Bingo, patting me on the shoulder, 'spoke the true Bertram Wooster!'

--Carry On, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse--

The Deeps

2011-05-23T12:03:00.001-05:00

LORD JESUS,

Give me a deeper repentance,

a horror of sin,

a dread of its approach;

Help me chastely to flee it,

and jealously to resolve that in my heart

shall be thine alone.

Give me a deeper trust,

that I may lose myself to find myself in thee,

the ground of my rest,

the spring of my being.

Give me a deeper knowledge of thyself

as Saviour, Master, Lord, and King.

Give me deeper power in private prayer,

more sweetness in thy Word,

more steadfast grip on its truth.

Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action,

and let me not seek moral virtue apart from thee.

Plough deep in me, great Lord,

heavenly Husbandman,

that my being may be a tilled field,

the roots of grace spreading far and wide,

until thou alone art seen in me,

thy beauty golden like summer harvest,

thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.

I have no Master but thee,

no law but thy will,

no delight but thyself,

no wealth but that thou givest,

no good but that thou blessest,

no peace but that thou bestowest.

I am nothing but that thou makest me,

I have nothing but that I receive from thee,

I can be nothing but that grace adorns me.

Quarry me deep, dear Lord,

and then fill me to over flowing

with living water.

--The Valley of Vision--

Fräulein Klein

2011-05-23T11:53:00.000-05:00

Fräulein Klein

I can't remember exactly how I came across this blog, but I encourage you to take a peek. She has the most *beautiful* pictures!!

Yes, it is all in German.

I don't know about you, but my German is a llleeeetttllleeee rusty. Actually, in truth, the only think I know how to say is:

jawohl kommandant!-- Yes, Sir, Commanding Officer!

(Thank you Hogan's Heroes!!!)

But, have no fear, there is this wayswiftyneedo button on the top that translates it for you! Who knew?! And you thought you were going to have to dust off that German book. (:

All right, enough talk. Now go take a look! :)

"...like the sand of the sea..."

2011-05-16T23:11:00.002-05:00

Plantin'

2011-05-14T20:29:00.002-05:00

It warmed up a couple days ago (I mean literally warmed up, it was in the 90's on Tuesday). But, the last 2 days have been cloudy and rainy... and cold! So, I quickly planted potatoes and sunflowers before the rain started Friday, knowing that it might be the only chance I get for a while. These are the first seeds that we've planted so far due to the cold weather. I am SO ready for gardening again!

French Larkspur Giveaway

2011-05-09T10:31:00.000-05:00

Jeanne Oliver Designs and a Giveaway

Echinacea Tea

2011-05-05T14:50:00.001-05:00

:: With all of the colds going around in our house there's also a lot of Echinacea tea going around as well. Rarely is there a time when the pot isn't full with hot water just waiting for a cup and tea bag ::

Friday

2011-04-29T13:23:00.002-05:00

Katya has "The" touch. Every time I go over to her house I am inspired. It's hard to explain other than that she and I are kindred spirits in our decorating (and in just about everything else actually). We think so alike it's almost creepy, but in a good way, I assure you.

{I just realized that we have the same background for our blogs! See!! What did I tell you?!}

Good thing she's my sister-in-law! :)

Oh, and this little girly that has stolen my heart, she likes to pose for pictures. Yea, it's a good thing she's my niece!! :)

*****************

To end this little post, here is a good song! I hope you all have a *great* weekend!

::~How Deep the Father's Love~::

Stuart Townend

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

and the sun came out...

2011-04-26T10:27:00.000-05:00

Victory

2011-04-23T21:39:00.001-05:00

O Divine Redeemer,

Great was thy goodness

in undertaking my redemption,

in consenting to be made sin for me,

in conquering all my foes;

Great was thy strength

in enduring the extremities of divine wrath,

in taking away the load of my iniquities;

Great was thy love

in manifesting thyself alive,

in showing thy sacred wounds,

that ever fear might vanish,

and every doubt be removed;

Great was thy mercy

in ascending to heaven

in being crowned and enthroned

there to intercede for me,

there to succour me in temptation

there to open the eternal book,

there to receive me finally to thyself;

Great was thy wisdom

in devising this means of salvation;

Bathe my soul in rich consolations

of thy resurrection life;

Great was thy grace

in commanding me to come hand in hand

with thee to the Father,

to be knit to him eternally,

to discover in him my rest,

to find in him my peace,

to behold his glory,

to honour him who is alone worthy;

in giving me the Spirit as a teacher, guide,

power,

that I may live repenting of sin,

conquer Satan,

find victory in life.

When thou art absent all sorrows are here,

When thou art present all blessings are mine.

--From Valley of Vision--

**Happy Resurrection Sunday Everyone!!**

British Accents

2011-04-18T11:24:00.000-05:00

They spend half their days drinking tea, and the other half ignoring them.... :)

~Chambers~

2011-04-15T10:07:00.002-05:00

Photo by: Steven Morris from AllPosters.com

"The joy of the Lord is your strength." Where do the saints get their joy from? If we did not know some saints, we would say-- "Oh, he, or she, has nothing to bear." Lift the veil. The fact that the peace and the light and the joy of God are there is proof that the burden is there too. The burden God places squeezes the grapes and out comes the wine; most of us see the wine only.

--My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers--

--April 14th--

Libera-

2011-04-14T13:20:00.002-05:00

I could listen to these little boys all day!

Listen to the Josh in the beginning! Such a SWEETIE!

If you scroll to the VERY BOTTOM of my page you can pause my music so you can listen to their beautiful music. :)

70°

2011-04-13T15:36:00.002-05:00

I told myself that I wouldn't take off my shoes and go barefoot until May. I told myself it was a wise choice 'cause I didn't want to get sick.

I was doing it for my health... right? :)

But, when I woke up Tuesday morning and it was 70° outside, what was I suppose to do? The sprinkler was running, the birds were chirping, the sun was shining... the shoes HAD to come off.

They did, and it felt SO good!!!! :)

~Lemon~

2011-04-13T15:17:00.002-05:00

Have I ever told you that I *love* lemons?! Not only their taste, but their vibrant color!!! :)

Pretzels

2011-04-13T15:04:00.000-05:00

I made these yesterday and they were SO good!! :)

Makes 16 pretzels:

1 package active dry yeast

1½ cups warm water

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 ¼ to 4 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

Coarse salt

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the sugar and the 1 teaspoon salt. Gradually stir in the 4 cups of the flour to make a dough; add additional flour if the dough is too sticky.
Turn our the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape the dough into a ball. Place the ball in a greased bowl; turn once to grease the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes).
Punch down the dough. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Roll the dough into a 12x8- inch rectangle. Cut the dough rectangle into sixteen 12x 1/2 inch strips. Gently pull each dough strip into a rope about 16 inches long.
On a greased baking sheet, shape each dough rope into a pretzel by crossing 1 end over the other to form a circle, leaving about 4 inches at each end.
Take 1 3nd of the dough in each hand and twist once at the point where the dough overlaps. Carefully life each end across to the opposite edge of the circle; tuck the ends under to make a pretzel shape. Moisten the ends with water and press to seal them in place. Brush the tops of the pretzels with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with the coarse salt.
Bake in the 350° oven about 18 minutes or until the pretzels are lightly browned. Transfer the pretzels to a wire rack to cool.

Moistening the ends of the shaped pretzels with water before sealing them will help keep them in place so that they don't pop up.

If you prefer, you can sprinkle the pretzels with poppy seed or sesame seed (or even cinnamon and sugar!) instead of the coarse salt in this recipe.

Store any leftover pretzels in an airtight bag or a covered container.

--From Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook--

Ana

2011-04-13T14:11:00.000-05:00

~*is lovely*~

Pioneer Woman

2011-04-12T09:45:00.000-05:00

I just recently discovered this wonderful blog. It's much more than just photography... GO check it out!!! :)

Pioneer Woman Photography

"Little" Brother :)

2011-04-07T17:00:00.003-05:00

Little Bits of Spring

2011-04-05T15:56:00.001-05:00

Click here to see more pictures....

--**--

2011-04-03T21:44:00.000-05:00

::~The sun came out the other day and it poured brilliantly into our little abode. I just couldn't keep myself from taking a picture of this little music box being warmed by the spring sun. :)

Tuesday Ramblings :)

2011-03-29T15:42:00.002-05:00

Today we had one of our trees cut down and, of course, we asked if Greta could come over. Kate said she could, so we made a day of it! We sat and watched the tree come down and then we went shopping and had a lunch date with Ana. It was a great day for all of us! :)

This is my oh-so-cozy-log-cabinish-blanket.

Spring is finally here!

The stump of the tree we cut down. It was kinda big. :)

Also, I have been reading The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom.

It is the most beautiful and yet horrifying books I have ever read. Beautiful in that it shows the faith that her and her family had. Horrifying in the sense of what happened to these people at the hands of the Germans. It is not "light" reading by any means. Each chapter has brought me to tears. It's a very sobering yet encouraging account of what they went through. The trust that they had in their Heavenly Father is amazing.

It was cold.
Cold as we walked back to the Beje, cold as I washed for supper, cold even in the snug gas-lit dinning room. Between me and each familiar face around the table crept those small icy fingers. For all Tante Jans's talk about it, death had been only a word. Now I knew that it could really happen-- if to the baby, then to Mama, to Father, to Betsie!

Still shivering with the cold, I followed Nollie up to our room and crept into bed beside her. At last we heard Father's footsteps winding up the stairs. It was the best moment in every day, when he came up to tuck us in. We never fell asleep until he had arranged the blankets in his special way and laid his hand for a moment on each head. Then we tried not to move even a toe.

But that night as he stepped through the door I burst into tears. "I need you!" I sobbed. "You can't die! You can't!"

Beside me on the bed, Nollie sat up. "We went to see Mrs. Hoog," she explained. "Corrie didn't eat her supper or anything."

Father sat down on the edge of the narrow bed. "Corrie," he began gently, "when you and I go to Amsterdam-- when do I give you your ticket?"

I sniffed a few times, considering this.

"Why, right before we get on the train."

"Exactly. And our wise Father in heaven knows when we're going to need things, too. Don't run out ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need-- just in time."

~*~

2011-03-22T13:14:00.001-05:00

*This delicious spring green set of cream and sugar containers makes me very happy.*

*Thank you antique store!*

Spring-ish

2011-03-21T19:53:00.004-05:00

*Yes, its the same fabric as in my header. *

With Christ and For Christ

2011-03-17T13:16:00.001-05:00

:::::All Suffering in a Christian Calling Is With Christ and For Christ:::::

All experiences of suffering in the path of Christian obedience, whether from persecution or sickness or accident, have this in common; they all threaten our faith in the goodness of God and tempt us to leave the path of obedience. Therefore, every triumph of faith and all perseverance in obedience are testimonies to the goodness of God and the preciousness of Christ-- whether the enemy is sickness, Satan, sin or sabotage.

Therefore all suffering, of every kind, that we endure in the path of our Christian calling is a suffering "with Christ" and "for Christ." With him in the sense that the suffering comes to us as we are walking with him by faith, and in the sense that it is endured in the strength that he supplies through his sympathizing high-priestly ministry (Hebrews 4:15). For him in the sense that the suffering tests and proves our allegiance to his goodness and power, and in the sense that it reveals his worth as an all-sufficient compensation and prize.

Not only that, the suffering of sickness and the suffering of persecution have this in common; they are both intended by Satan for the destruction of our faith, and governed by God for the purifying of our faith.

Desiring God, John Piper pp. 216

In the Kitchen With Auntie

2011-03-14T21:06:00.002-05:00

You can see more pictures from this day HERE.... and HERE

Just a couple of my sets (:

2011-03-14T20:53:00.002-05:00

3 Years Old

2011-03-12T17:02:00.000-06:00

Isn't she just the most scrumptious little 3 year old ever?? :)

Edelweiss

2011-03-12T10:01:00.001-06:00

Click on the picture to see a video of Edelweiss :)

Totally LOVE this song!! :)

Magnetic Board

2011-03-08T19:29:00.003-06:00

Take your scrabble pieces and just glue magnets on the back.

My messy bed. :) You can kinda see the board on the left there under the pink paper. I bought the board for $3.00 at TARGET! :)

Once you glue them on they look like a whole bunch of chocolate and graham crackers. :) MMM making me hungry! :)

Decorate Freely :)

I love buttons

Voila!

BUTTONS! :)

If you'd like to see clearer versions of some of my favorite pictures from this project you can go HERE.

(:

2011-03-08T19:03:00.003-06:00

Header Worthy???

A New Bookshelf

2011-02-23T17:44:00.000-06:00

Here is some fabric that thrills me!

Cyclamen For Mama

2011-02-22T13:33:00.000-06:00

Happy(early) Birthday to Mama ::"~

Of Gnocchi and Kale

2011-02-15T18:57:00.003-06:00

Mama and I tried out a recipe for Gnocchi with a delicious side of kale. In my opinion it turned out pretty tasty! :)

Valentine's Day Giveaway

2011-02-14T08:50:00.000-06:00

Come Home!

2011-02-10T13:27:00.000-06:00

"My suffering child! thy days of grief are o'er,
Come home to Me, and rest for evermore."

Jesus! Thou Lord of all! I dare not go;
No work well done for Thee I have to show.

"Great deeds I ask not; but some act of love,
One word for Me thy righteousness may prove."

Alas! I do remember no such word,
Nor one such act! Pardon me, oh my Lord!

"Yet come, my child, 'tis I who bid thee come,
Nothing I ask from thee; come home, come home!"

I cannot, dare not! Call me not Thy child,
Behold my hands, my heart, with sin defiled!
Behold my wasted life, my barren years,
Behold my murmurs, my rebellious tears;
See how myself I love while cold towards Thee,
My conscience seared, my hardened heart, oh see!

"I see. And since thou nought hast done for Me,
I have done all, poor, sorrowing soul, for thee;
The word that thou for me hast never spoken,
The word I spake for thee with faith unbroken;
The loving deed thou didst not, I have done,
And interceded for thee near the throne.
Thy sins, thy wasted life, thy heart defiled,
Better I know than thou dost know them, child,
And freely all that sin I have forgiven;
Come home, my child, come home to Me and heaven."

My blessed Lord! My Saviour and my All!
Weeping no longer, I obey Thy call,
I come, to praise Thee with my heart and voice,
I come, with blood-bought sinners to rejoice;
I bless my dying day, I bless the grace
That gives me with Thy ransomed ones a place.
Now for eternity that grace to see,
Now for eternal songs to sing to Thee!

--Golden Hours, Elizabeth Prentiss--

The Broken Wing

2011-02-10T13:12:00.000-06:00

Have patience and have faith

The surgeon saith,

Suffer awhile this irksomeness of pain;

This broken limb shall soon be well again;

Yea, what is more,

Be stronger for all service than before.

So come I, broken heart,

To ease thy smart,

With promises the future shall make good.

Bear thou in patience Sorrow's solitude,

For she, at length

Will lead thee forth in manliness and strength.

Yes, and in strength unknown

When joy alone

Held thee within her nerveless arms, until

Thou hadst lost courage, lost all force of will.

God will restore

That which He brake, and give it strength the more.

Will make thee strong and wise

To sympathize;

For thou wilt know to soothe, with tender hand,

The sufferings thou hast learned to understand;

And to the weak

What words of inspiration thou wilt speak!

Thou wilt be strong in love;

Soft as a dove,

Yet hovering as on eagle's wings around

The spot were loneliness and grief are found,

And healing bring,

In grateful memory of a broken wing.

Thou wilt have strength unpriced

To work for Christ!

To testify of Him who pain alone

Could to the human soul Himself make known;

To watch and pray,

Stronger upon each morrow than today.

--Golden Hours, Elizabeth Prentiss--

The Battle of Life

2011-02-09T09:49:00.000-06:00

The wintry storm was raging loud without,

And to and fro,

The angry winds flung carelessly about,

The falling snow.

Luxuriously before the ruddy fire

I sat at ease,

The only object of my heart's desire

Myself to please.

A voice aroused me from my idle dreams;

"Rise, rise, my child!

Shake thyself loose from these unfruitful schemes,

These fancies wild.

"Come forth with me, and buffet wind and storm

And icy cold;

Come as thou art, nor stay thy shrinking form

Thus to enfold!"

IT was the Master's voice. It could but yield

To its behest,

While dread repugnance lay but till concealed

Within my breast.

Behind me closed my sheltering door; I faced

The tempest rude;

Wild, savage winds my shrinking form embraced

While thus I stood

Upon the threshold, casting longing eyes

Back to my home,

Reluctant from my childhood's Paradise

Enforced to roam.

Then plunging onward towards th' appointed way,

I madly went,

And night and day, yea, many a night and day,

My figure bent

Beneath the blast. Assailed with shuddering dire,

By fears opprest,

Despairing, hopeless, stript of all desire,

I onward prest.

Until I heard above the thunder's roll

The Master's voice

Arise once more. It cried : "Oh, faithless soul,

Behold thy choice!

"A life-long childhood, basking idly on

The lap of ease,

Or manhood's strength by long endurance won

In toils like these.

"Whether to gird thyself to walk with Me

Mid conflicts dread,

Or back effeminate to ease to flee--

Living--yet dead."

Already by my labors stronger grown,

I stood and cried:

"Master and Lord! with Thee, with Thee alone,

Let me abide.

"Let me but know I buffet wind and storm,

With Thee, with Thee!

Upon my path Thine own divinest form

But let me see!"

Thus in the hour of battle choice was made!

Choice of unrest!

Thus Christian manhood seeking, undismayed

The storm I breast.

No leisure now, no dreams, no idle time;

I wrestle on;

Beat, icy winds, oppose, oh adverse clime,

Till victory's won.

For I shall win! I shall come forth at last

Not lost, but found!

A Christian warrior whom each stormy blast

Hath victory crowned!

--Elizabeth Prentiss, Golden Hours--

Zuppa Toscana with Yogurt Cinnamon Muffins

2011-02-08T18:49:00.000-06:00

Yum! Just the title makes me hungry! :)

Here is a link to the soup... Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

All right, for the soup I mixed things up a bit. When I cook I like to do it by eye. If it looks like I want more meat, potatoes, water... you name it... whatever it is I will add more, less or whatever makes me feel good. Good way to follow recipes, hu? Anyways, I will show you how I adjusted the recipe and I must admit, it turned out pretty good!

________________

1 lb ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale

Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.
Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.
Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated.
Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve. Delicious!

** I used 1lb of Italian sausage, like it says, but I used about 2 generous tsp of peppers. When I make it again I will definitely use less pepper flakes due to the fact I felt like a dragon afterwards. Plus, my family isn't exactly fond of hot stuff. I'd say maybe a generous 1 1/2 tsp would still pack the heat. I used 1 large diced white onion, a VERY generous 4 T of bacon pieces and also 2 generous tsp of fresh garlic. For the bacon I would suggest frying it well before adding the onions and also cutting it into small pieces. If you don't fry the bacon before hand it makes it slightly mushy while eating. I used about 7-8 cups of water instead of the 10. I used 4 generous tsp of chicken bouillon. I used the whole cup of heavy cream and also 3 large potatoes. I used a little over 1/2 a bunch of kale. Also, I put the kale in shortly after I put the potatoes in so that it would have time to soften. I'm not particularly found of crispy kale in my soup.

________________

Here is the book that has the muffin recipe in it... Mad about Muffins

Here is the recipe for the muffins:

2 cups minus two tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup plain yogurt
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the egg, yogurt, butter, and vanilla extract. Beat together until blended. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until they are moistened. Fill greased muffin tins. Bake 10- 15 minutes or until the muffins are lightly browned. Serve warm. Makes one dozen muffins.

* I doubled my recipe when I made it. Very good, especially if you put some butter and honey on it. :) YUM!

2011-02-02T12:48:00.001-06:00

Hello All, it's been a spell since I posted last. So, I'll post a couple highlights from lately. :)

First of all I finished the Voice of the Martyr's Extreme Devotion. VERY good book! Now I'm onto My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.

Second, I started reading Leave it to Psmith by Wodehouse. Phenomenal! :)

A small maid-of-all-work appeared in answer to the bell, and stood transfixed as the visitor, producing a monocle, placed it in his right eye and inspected her through it.

'A warm afternoon,' he said cordially.

'Yes, sir.'

'But pleasant,' urged the young man. 'Tell me, is Mrs Jackson at home?'

'No, sir.'

'Not at home?'

'No, sir.'

The young man sighed.

'Ah well,' he said, 'we must always remember that these disappointments are sent to us for some good purpose. No doubt they make us more spiritual. Will you inform her that I called? The name is Psmith. P-smith.'

'Peasmith, sir?'

'No, no. P-s-m-i-t-h. I should explain to you that I started life without the initial letter, and my father always clung ruggedly to the plain Smith. But it seemed to me that there were so many Smiths in the world that a little variety might well be introduced. Smythe I look on as a cowardly evasion nor do I approve of the too prevalent custom of tacking another name on in front by means of a hyphen. So I decided to adopt the Psmith. The p, I should add for your guidance is silent, as in phthisis, psychic, and ptarmigan. You follow me?'

'Y-yes, sir.'

'You don't think,' he said anxiously, 'that I did wrong in pursuing this course?'

'N-no, sir.'

'Splendid!' said the young man, flicking a speck of dust from his coat-sleeve. 'Splendid! Splendid!'

And with a courteous bow he descended the steps and made his way down the street. The little maid, having followed him with bulging eyes till he was out of sight, closed the door and returned to her kitchen.

Alright, moving on. At the beginning of this year some of our very dear friends bought a house just down the street from us in town. :) You can read about it here at Katie's blog... or here at Olivia's. We have been helping prepare the home when we can. It's so very exciting to have them just a couple minutes way! :)

Next, I got a hair cut! :) Much shorter, perhaps, then would have liked. But, it will grow...eventually. :)

Next, we have had a TON of snow. Probably quite literally. :)

We had a hawk in our backyard just a little while ago.

And, I finished a dress I was working on. This is just some left over material that I needed to get rid of so I used it up on a "test" dress. :) I can't wait to get the real material! :)

Simplicity Pattern: 2917

That's what's up for me lately. How about you??

Hold Fast~ Another Giveaway

2011-01-18T22:31:00.005-06:00

Giveaway

2011-01-10T09:38:00.001-06:00

Grandma's Box

2011-01-08T19:22:00.001-06:00

Happy 2011

2010-12-31T19:53:00.000-06:00

Christmas

2010-12-30T19:17:00.000-06:00

Grilled Steak, for Christmas!

Click above for pictures from my Christmas.

Extreme Christmas Story

2010-12-30T19:02:00.002-06:00

Have you ever smelled fresh hay?

Aristar, the farming lad, began his story. "It's like someone captured the essence of spring and bundled it before it could lose its newness. Mary and Joseph must have smelled it when they arrived at the manger after their long journey."

The other prisoners listened intently as Aristar spoke naturally of the nativity. "The horse's ears would have turned towards the Savior's cry as soon as he was born. They are great listeners, as we should be when Jesus speaks."

Outside the Romanian prison of Tirgul-Ocna, the snow was six feet deep on a bitterly cold Christmas Eve. The prisoners had few clothes, little food, and barely one blanket each. They all missed their families and turned to listen to Aristar's story of Christ's birth for comfort.

He continued, "The light of the star must have been brighter than the moon. It may have shone through the stable's doorway and made the rooster crow announcing Christ's birth." The prisoners listened and wept. After the story, someone began to sing, gradually swelling to echo in the clear, crisp air. Everyone stopped to listen to the beautiful sound.

Even in the harsh prison, the story of Christ's gift warmed the hearts of many. Because Christ is the foundation, one can never lock out the spirit of Christmas.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

-- Luke 2:11--

--Voice of the Martyrs, Extreme Devotions Day 360--

Weaknesses

2010-12-22T10:04:00.003-06:00

O SPIRIT OF GOD,

Help my infirmities;

When I am pressed down with a load

of sorrow,

perplexed and knowing not what to do,

slandered and persecuted,

made to feel the weight of the cross,

help me, I pray thee.

If thou seest in me

any wrong thing encouraged

any evil desire cherished,

any delight that is not thy delight,

any habit that grieves thee,

any nest of sin in my heart,

then grant me the kiss of thy forgiveness,

and teach my feet to walk the way of

thy commandments.

Deliver me from carking care,

and make me a happy, holy person;

Help me to walk the separated life with

firm and brave step,

and to wrestle successfully against weakness;

Teach me to laud, adore, and magnify thee,

with the music of heaven,

And make me a perfume of praiseful gratitude

to thee.

I do not crouch at thy feet as a slave before a tyrant,

but exult before thee as a son with a father.

Give me power to live as thy child in all my actions,

and to exercise sonship by conquering self.

Preserve me from the intoxication that comes

if prosperity;

Sober me when I am glad with a joy that comes

not from thee.

Lead me safely on to the eternal kingdom,

not asking whether the road be rough or smooth.

I request only to see the face of him I love,

to be content with bread to eat,

with raiment to put on,

if I can be brought to thy house in peace.

--Valley of Vision--

Sugar Cookies

2010-12-20T11:33:00.001-06:00

Little Girl Blanket

2010-12-20T11:30:00.002-06:00

::Decembries::

2010-12-20T11:29:00.003-06:00

Christmas basket full of play-dough for our little cook. :)

Harvest Banquet

2010-12-13T21:28:00.003-06:00

I know, I know, I haven't been posting my A Woman's Call to Prayer like I should. Truth is... I've been super busy around here it being Christmas and all ya know. Then, if you go and add the blizzard that we had the last 2 days and the 7+ inches of snow and a good bit of rain that instantly turned to ice on my vehicle making it practically impossible to drive anywhere or even open the door for that matter, ya get my current state of being. But, God is still faithful, and He is working wonders in my life. I have been drawing strength and grace from Acts and Job the last week or so. They are so full of God's Awesomeness I can't even begin to describe it to you. Tomorrow I have the day off of work so, maybe, between some last minute Christmas shopping, the laundry, making dinner, finishing up a blanket, and editing pictures... I am HOPING to get a post or two up. But, if not... God knows! He's still in control and I am so EXTREMELY glad that He is. If I was in charge I think the world would be in utter chaos. Or at least look a lot like my room, which at this particular unfortunate moment in time slightly resembles a... well, let's just not go there...

2010-12-12T17:19:00.001-06:00

Hannah Ruth recently posted about her vacation to Florida and it makes me so happy!! You MUST go and look. This is one of my FAVORITE pictures of the series.

Florida {Part 1}

2010-11-30T14:03:00.004-06:00

I asked for strength--

and God gave me difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for wisdom--

and God gave me problems to solve.

I asked for prosperity--

and God gave me brain and brawn to work.

I asked for Courage--

and God gave me dangers to overcome.

I asked for love--

and God gave me opportunities

I received nothing I wanted--

I received everything I needed.

My prayer has been answered.

--From the Family of Michael Job, an Indian Christian Medical student who was killed in June of 1999 because of his father's evangelistic activities--

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Where there is no cross, there is no crown.
This lesson cannot be learned from books, and
men do not usually taste this sweetness. This rich
life does not exist in a comfortable environment.
If the spices are not refined to become oil, the
fragrance of the perfume cannot flow forth; and if
the grapes are not crushed in the vat, they will
not become wine.

-From a Chinese Christian-

-From Voice of the Martyrs "Extreme devotion"-

A Woman's Call to Prayer :: Chapter 10

2010-11-30T13:49:00.000-06:00

Chapter 10:: When You Are Overwhelmed... Pray!

One groan,

one sight from a wounded soul,

excels and prevails with God.

-William Penn

First, when you are overwhelmed, you have the Bible, which is God's guidebook for dealing with all of life and its every challenge (2 Peter 1:3)

Second, you and I can thank our Lord that through the act of prayer we can seek the heart and mind of God in our difficult situations.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 8:26-27

A word for you-- Again I say to you, "Thank God!" Thank Him that He knows your weaknesses, that He knows your heart, that He knows your suffering, that He knows your desire and your need to pray. He also knows when you cannot pray, so He, through His Holy Spirit, comes to your rescue and prays for you! Thank Him that He has so graciously allowed this avenue of prayer, this whisper, this sigh, this groan of prayer by the Spirit, for those times when words and understanding fail you. You can pour out the contents of your broken, confused heart as best you can, if you can(!)... and leave the rest of your efforts to communicate with God to the power and ability of the Holy Spirit.

Checklist for Prayer

Do your best--Sometimes your heart cries out, "It hurts so much! It's so bad I don't think I can pray!" What are you to do when this happens? First, remember such feelings are okay! They are normal. They are common (1 Corinthians 10:13) This happens to everyone. This is not an indictment against your spirituality. You haven't failed.

Just begin. That's your part. God's part is to "join in and help" you pray. He will perfect your fumbling attempts to do the right thing--to pray even when your heart hurts so badly that you are not sure what to pray or how to pray. He will intercede and groan for you. As explained by a Greek scholar, "The Holy Spirit lays hold of our weaknesses along with us and carries His part of the burden facing us as if we were carrying a log, one at each end."

Try to pray-- At other times, we throw our hands up, turn our heads and hearts up to heaven, and say to God, "I don't know what to pray!" Once again, remember this too is okay. It's normal. It's common. It happenes to everyone. Again, your confusion and inability are not indictments against your spirituality. You haven't failed.

Watch your heart--Don't worry about your words. It's your heart that counts! But God is not as interested in your words as He is in your heart! Man looks--and hears--on the outside, but God looks at--and hears--the heart (1 Samuel 16:7)

Answering God's Call to You

Romans 8:

--The Holy Spirit intercedes for you (verse 26)

--God is for you (verse 31)

--Christ makes intercession for you (verse 34)

So my prayer for you at this moment is that you will let the prayers of your heart flow! When you are in pain... pray! When you are speechless...pray! When you are heartsick...pray! When you are suffering, beaten up, or beaten down by life...pray! When you are troubled or perplexed...pray! When you are overwhelmed...pray! Your heavenly Father knows what you have need of before you ask (Matthew 6:32)... so ask. Use any fumbling words or wails you can muster up out of your hurting heart. Just to be sure you pray... and leave the rest to God.

pg. 106-115

A Woman's Call to Prayer :: Chapter 9

2010-11-30T12:14:00.000-06:00

Chapter 9 :: When You Are Worried...Pray!

The way to worry about nothing

is to pray about everything.

God commands, "Do Not Worry!"

Did you know that over 300 times in the New Testament God commands us, "Do not worry" or "Be not anxious"? Just one of these occurrences, which we considered earlier, is Philippians 4:6-7:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer

and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests

be made know to God; and the peace of God,

which surpasses all understanding, will guard your

hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The Command- "Be anxious for nothing"

The Scope of the Command- "Be anxious for nothing" I once heard a Bible teacher ask, "Do you know what 'nothing' is? It's a zero with the rim kicked off!"

The Solution- Prayer! "Let your requests be made known to God."

By Prayer- Prayer is not only worship but prayer is where all true worship begins... and all worry ends!

By Supplication- Do you have a need (Or, more accurately asked, Do you think you have a need?) Then pray! Petition God by supplication. Boldly go before His throne of grace in your times of need...
and with your needs (Hebrews 4:16).

We can ask and not worry... or we can worry because we don't ask. It's one or the other--and the choice is ours.

With Thanksgiving- Praise, gratitude, and thanksgiving accompany all true prayer.

By Requests- Present your requests to God with utmost confidence. Keep nothing back, neither great nor small. Withhold nothing--none of your concerns--from God. He wants your everything, your every concern! So present them to Him. Leave them in the lap of the Almighty.

The Result-- When you and I are obedient to God's command to not worry, and when we're faithful to pray instead, and the peace of God comes to our rescue and "will guard [our] hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." In other words, as a tribal missionary so beautifully and simply translated this truth, Jesus will make your heart sit down.

And once your heart sits down, peace keeps watch over it. Like a soldier, God's peace guards your heart--and mind!--against anxiety, doubt, fear, worry, and distress. And the result? The battle against worry is won!

Checklist for Prayer

Don't...miss a day of prayer-- If you play hit-and-miss with your daily prayer time, you will most certainly discover that your worry level is higher on the days when you don't pray. Prayer is God's surefire solution for elimination worry. If you pray, then you won't be anxious. If you pray, then you will experience peace of mind. And the opposite is true, too. If you don't pray, then you will be anxious. If you don't pray, then you will not experience peace of mind.

Do... memorize Psalm 23
Psalm 23
¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
³He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
   for his name’s sake.
⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
   I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.
⁵You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
    forever.

Do... determine a "worry day"-- A man who was unable to put his troubles aside completely decided that the next best thing to do would be to set apart a single day, Wednesday, to do all his worrying. When something came up that disturbed him during the week, he wrote it down and put it in what he called his "Wednesday Worry Box." When the time came to review his high-anxiety problems, he found to his great surprise that most of them had already been settled and no longer generated anxiety! He discovered that most worry is unnecessary and a waste of precious energy.

"The riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7)

an inexhaustible reservoir to draw from.

"The riches of his glory" (Ephesians 3:16)

an inestimable wealth to count on.

"The riches of His goodness" (Romans 2:4)

an unfailing resource to rely on.

pg. 94-103

The White Woods

Suprise!

Silent Song

Beautiful Beads on a Basket

Dried Fruit

Between Jobs

Early...

Fall Shots

Rainy Day

Hay Bales

Pickin' Corn

Wind on the Hill

Grandma's 80th

Boys

September Outing to the Park

4th of July

Flying a Kite with Auntie

Magazine Pages

Beautiful Summer Days

John Newton

Satisfied

Enjoying July

Oswald Chambers

How Emptiness Sings ~Christa Wells

Centerpiece Beauty

Josiah's 1st Birthday

Pocket Books from Katya

pleasing to the eye

Cool Summer Drink

Sparkling Lemonade Floats

Pride vs. Humility

Audrey Assad, Show Me

Getting There

Get A Move On

Under the Willows

Sandy

Bible Reading

It Is Well With My Soul

Happy (late) Memorial Day

Love-At-Second-Sight

Photography Interview

Lily-of-the-Valley

Clustering Round Young Bingo

The Deeps

Fräulein Klein

"...like the sand of the sea..."

Plantin'

French Larkspur Giveaway

Echinacea Tea

Friday

and the sun came out...

Victory

British Accents

~Chambers~

Libera-

70°

~*Lemon*~

Pretzels

*Ana*

Pioneer Woman

"Little" Brother :)

Little Bits of Spring

--**--

Tuesday Ramblings :)

~*~

Spring-ish

With Christ and For Christ

In the Kitchen With Auntie

Just a couple of my sets (:

3 Years Old

Edelweiss

Magnetic Board

(:

A New Bookshelf

Cyclamen For Mama

Of Gnocchi and Kale

Valentine's Day Giveaway

Come Home!

The Broken Wing

The Battle of Life

~Lemon~

Ana

Happy 2011