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Showing posts from 2012

Host A Game Night

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In my family, we love playing all kinds of games. From board and card games to made up games and charades.  Games are such a great way to connect as a family and they are amazingly educational, too.  Kids (and adults!) learn so many thing from games.  To name just a few: Waiting their turn promotes patience Sequential concepts instant results from decisions made sensory perception social development dealing with limits promotes self-control When children engage with others in a game, they have to learn that even in the excitement and intensity of a close match, they still have to submit to the limits and boundaries of rules and regulations. An important life lesson!  When kids develop a sense of fair play early on, they end up "way of ahead of the game".  ha :)  The other night we invited three families over to our home for an evening of games and dessert and it was so much fun, we are hoping to do it regularly.   I made two pies and a pot of coff

Weeds That Feed

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I am constantly amazed at what God has provided to the 'simple'.  He has literally surrounded us by healing plants and herbs.  I've travelled the United States extensively and I've spotted wild growing herbs like Plantain, Mullein and Dandelion all over the place. Just those three little herbs represent amazing healing power.   Natural remedies may take a little longer than our instant drive-through generation can tolerate, but I would rather let my body heal well, than injure my liver and only mask illness.  Which is all what pharma-chemicals do.  Nevertheless, I've noticed that those who use herbs and natural remedies are looked on as simpletons.  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  James 3:17 Even still, the fact remains that more people are sick, diseased and dying than ever before and unfortunately, among the causes ar

Our ThanksGiving Day

I really love celebrating Thanksgiving Day. I have a thankful heart and this holiday is closest to the most God honoring holiday that exists.  We all have SO much to be thankful for! Did you know that the word "thanks" appears in the King James Bible exactly 500 times?  We should be thankful every day and not just on Thanksgiving.  But it's great to take a day just for thanking God, isn't it? Sticky Situation This year we decided to invite a couple of families from church to share Thanksgiving Dinner with us in our home, but neither family gave us a firm answer and it was going on 10 days since I'd asked them.  They may not have realized that leaving an invitation to a major holiday in the air for so long is actually very rude (and a bit insulting), but we needed to solidify our plans so I would know how much food to buy. Good Etiquette + Prayer = Blessings We prayed about it and just when I was going to call these two families to get a definite answer, so

Homeschool and Life

When my children were little, we were home most of the time.  We didn't know any other homeschoolers and we didn't belong to a homeschool group. I wanted to find one for the social needs of my oldest who is now grown and married, but I came up empty handed no matter how much I searched.  So she ended up missing out on some of the things I would have liked for her.  Like a keepers at home group for girls that so many homeschool groups are starting nowadays.  She would have loved that.  But since we didn't really have that opportunity, I tried to provide her with as much as I could myself.   My other children are boys and in their teens and they have a whole other need. Boys were not made to sit at home cooking, cleaning and knitting with mother.  God gave boys the desire to conquer. Their needs are opposite that of girls.  And once they pass puberty, it is a definite NEED for them to have some sort of life outside of mama's skirt.  I always chuckle quietly to myself wh

Clean for the Holidays

November is here! Are you getting ready for the holidays? Getting the house cleaned up before company arrives, or parties begin, can be a bit overwhelming, so I always try to start early making sure there is "a place for everything and everything is in its place".  A few tips: De-clutter before you clean.    Cleaning is a chore all by itself, but when there is tidying, pick up, and de-cluttering to do at the same time as dusting, scrubbing, and mopping, it can be overwhelming.  If that's the case, I think it's advantageous to  just  tidy, pick up, and de-clutter on one day and leave off cleaning till the next.  One day can just be "trash & tidy" day where you take time to put things up, throw out trash, tidy up corners, table tops, toy areas, shoes and clothing, newspapers, dishes, etc.  It can actually make you feel better when you SEE how nice everything looks.  Next Comes Cleaning  Save the cleaning for the next day and then  onl

Being Where You Should Be

As I think about the recent horrific shooting in Colorado, a particular thought keeps coming to mind.  Many died that night because they chose to patronize a dark film in a dark theater at dark midnight rather than being at home sleeping peacefully in their beds.   In other words, where they should have been.   I feel a strong urge to keep myself and my children where we are supposed to be at any given time.  I choose our activities carefully and always seek my husband's thoughts on the matter, too. There have been many times that I've been absolutely certain that God has protected me through my husband.  S o when he expresses a preference about where we go or who we go with, even if it seems trivial, I'm careful not to just toss it aside even if it seems insignificant. Wrong Place Wrong Time The victims of a shooting are not to blame so please don't misconstrue what I'm saying.  It's just that, in this instance, had those people  not wanted to go to a

Sin Nature

Many doctrines have invented terms that are  nonexistent  in the Bible. Like the term total depravity. You won’t find that anywhere in the Bible.  Nor does the word “sinful” ever appear with the word “nature”, as in "sinful nature". In fact, every use of the word “nature” in scripture, the opposite is implied.  For instance, the Bible says in Romans 1:26-27  —  " For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature : And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet." This verse makes it utterly clear that h*mose*uality  ( that God calls abominable)  is contrary to nature.  It's a choice, like every other sin.  Charles Finney said, “If in fact we had a sinful nature that would be the best of all exc

Soft Femininity

Soft femininity is something every woman must constantly pursue because we are living in a world where it is being aggressively attacked.  Yet it's worth fighting for.  Especially if you are married.   The Instincts of Men God gave men natural instincts to protect and care for the vulnerable, and weak. They are attracted to those who need them, admire them, and appreciate them.  These male instincts are not conscious choices by men (real men), they are God given and they are good!  For a godly man, this means he will be naturally drawn to having a wife and children - both weaker than he and in need of his protection and provision.    Men who are effeminate are not born that way.  Men and women are all born with their respective God-given instincts.  Depravity somewhere in the upbringing subdues those who behave contrary to what God has designed.  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor

Eggshell Water for Joints

I am making some eggshell water today.  Sounds weird, but eggshell water, taken in small amounts daily, helps to increase bone mineral density. Eggshells are quite rich in calcium.  They even look like thin, round bones, don't they? My joints have always been loud, snap, crackle and pop joints. My mother and youngest son are the same way so I guess there are some genetics involved.  But I've always wanted to find a way to strengthen them. So I found a recipe for eggshell water that I want to try and I will report the results in a few weeks to let you know how it works.  To make the eggshell water, you pour 2 cups of hot water over 4-5 crumbled egg shells. (Make sure the eggshells are clean and membrane free.)  Add 1 tsp fresh lemon juice or vinegar. Cover and let sit for 2 hours. Strain the shells out and put liquid in a clean glass jar with a lid. Take a sip of the liquid one or two times a day. You're not supposed to take more than that amount as it could build up

Summer Reading Vs. Skill Building

Well the summer of 2012 is past and beautiful Autumn is upon us.  Fall is my absolute favorite time of year.  I had a restful but productive break from blogging (for anyone out there who's still reading this blog! lol).   So how did you spend your summer?  Did your kids participate in the popular summer reading programs that most public libraries offer? I must say, we have never participated in one of those programs until this summer.  We reluctantly joined about a month into the program. But the prizes were really disappointing, as we'd expected.    My biggest biggest difficulty has been finding books that are worth investing the time to read.   There is so much drivel now a days (as Charlotte Mason would say) and so few books to choose from that don't have more of a negative influence than a positive one.  And since my children are impressionable and precious to me, I am pretty particular about the materials I give them to read. So our reading choices

Time for a Blogging Break

I will be on a blogging break for the month of August.  We are in the process of redecorating, wrapping up last year's and preparing for next year's homeschooling and many other things right now.  But do check back in the fall. :) May God bless the rest of your summer!

The Dress Barn

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Time to laugh again.  :)  I've actually shopped at The Dress Barn before (once when they had a good sale) so this is really hilarious.  Have a good belly laugh ladies!

Who Guides the House?

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The Bible says in 1 Timothy 5:14 that a woman is to guide her house. (Not be the head of it, but guide it.) I will therefore that the younger women:  marry bear children  guide the house give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully   We can see that after marriage and bearing children, that our work is guiding the house.  And it's very important. Never think of your job as a homemaker and housewife, as less than absolutely vital.  It is so huge.  And you are irreplaceable.  Who else sees to it that the house is running smoothly, there are regular meals, boo boos kissed, clean places to eat, organized places to play, sanitary places to wash and soothing places rest?   Wives and Mothers. We are indispensable in this most noble calling.  If we want to know what work the Lord has given us to do, we need turn to no other source than the Bible.  When we guide our house, we are taking charge of the day. A wise woman looks around her, sees what needs

Getting By in a Tough Economy

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We're living in very economically challenging times.  Of course it's not the first time our country's had it rough financially. It's fascinating to read about stories from the Great Depression and how people learned to live with less. Those folks were really innovative when it came to living frugally.  In fact, if you haven't checked out Clara’s Kitchen you are missing a real treat. She has great stories and creative recipes from the depression era and she is delightful to watch.  I've tried her "poor man's meal" and it was very good. Here are some ideas for managing your home on a tight budget. Maybe you will find a couple of them helpful for your own household. ·        If you live a ways from town, try to fit all your shopping needs, library trips, etc into one trip to conserve gas. ·        Eat most of your meals at home. ·        If you can, grind your own grains for making your own homemade breads, muffins, cakes, flatbreads