It's An Actual Real Post!

Hey, all my bloggerland friends. Look! It's a real post...not a "...pictures are up on my photo blog" post! Amazing! :) Wow. It's been a busy...while! And, I still have a bit of business left and then things slow down..well, do they really, because the holidays are coming? Maybe not, but they will slow down a bit perhaps.

Wow. Life has been good. We have been doing good in school this year. Today Myra got to go with my friend, Susan, to hear a weatherman from Lexington speak. She said she liked it but didn't understand most of it! So, I asked her what was the one thing she learned, and she replied that "Floods are the killerest of all the weather things that happen." I thought that was a good description! :) ha!

We're continuing our study of early American history and have now ventured into the Little House on the Prarie book, which we are totally stoked about. (that's a So. Cal. phrase for those of you Kentuckians!) Myra loves the movies, and so she's been a bit concerned that the books don't follow the movie that close. I think she's concerned that someone wrote the books wrong, because "Jack was not a bulldog!" But, yes, in the books, he is. And, Pa has a beard. That one just blew her away! :)

Myra has been doing some geometry in her math lately. (do they really start this in third grade? GEEZ!) But, she's been doing very well in it. Lizzie is working on her addition and subtraction skills, which Myra keeps saying is SO EASY, but I keep reminding Myra that it wasn't so easy for her a few years ago.

Lizzie is continually having to be reminded that she is a GIRL and that is a wonderful thing! She loves to be dirty, climb things, wear jeans, and be rough. But, she also continues to constantly bring us laughter!

We have now added some home ec. to our week (on top of what we normally do) and this past week we learned how to PROPERLY set a table and learned the rules of the kitchen. Soon, we will be doing some unit studies on ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and...something else. I'm feeling too lazy to get up and look!

Nehemiah is talking more and more. He went through a few weeks of being the sweetest angel...but has reverted a bit to acting like a normal two year old. But, that's to be expected. He's still alot of fun and ALL boy. His favorite thing is cars!

Myra, the other day, came to me and said..."Mom, am I allowed to say 'What the h_ _ l?' I quickly replied that that was not an appropriate thing to say and that it was cursing. She immediately started bawling and asked my forgiveness because that day at our CHURCH function, she walked around a corner and saw some kids spraying their hair purple and blurted out with the above statement! To which her friend, that was with her, quickly replied "OOHHH, you said the h_e_l_l curse word!" She said "mommy, I didn't know, I didn't know." Apparently she heard it on one of our family friendly movies that I had let her watch. (really, I hadn't seen it in awhile and didn't know, folks) It took everything in me to not fall on the floor laughing, picturing my sweet daughter blurting that out at the church function. Oh well, might as well be a pastor's kid! I kept laughing about that one all day, but did tell her that God knew she didn't know and that He forgave her and that from now on she was responsible if she ever said it again. That didn't seem to offer her much comfort, however, because she was so broken over the fact that she had cursed. Later in the day, Nehemiah pulled down an antique plate I had hanging on my wall and it broke, and she looked at me and said, "I know why our day is cursed!" :) hee, hee...poor girl! :)

Well, on a more serious note, last night I had my first NILMDTS call. So, I spent a few hours at the hospital with our area coordinator. She was amazing, and I was so blessed to be able to go and shadow her. Please pray for this young mother who has lost a child. It was an honor to go photograph this little one and bless this mother with these pictures. God was with me, and it went amazingly well. I didn't cry (and I cry over EVERYTHING). My stomach was in knots for several hours before I left, but once there, I had such a peace. I got in there and did what I needed to do to bless this family. They are in my heart, and always will be, I'm sure. I thank God for this organization and the opportunity to use these gifts He's given me to reach out to those who are hurting.

Don't mean to end this on a sad note, just to catch everyone up on life lately.

Oh, and HAPPY 35th BIRTHDAY to my wonderful husband Shane tomorrow! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your life these past 13 years. I love you so much and thank God everyday -(except on the days you get on my nerves!) :)-for you! Even on those days, I know that there is no one else who could fulfill me the way you do. Here's to every day I have had with you and every day I have yet to come! :) xoxoxo

Timothy '09

Timothy's senior pictures are now up on my photo blog. :)

Farley Family

The Farley Family pictures are now up on my photo blog. :)

And one just for fun!

My Family

Well, here we are-my little family! My dear, sweet friend, Melinda, came over yesterday and we hopped across the street from our house and got some pictures done! It's been awhile. I rarely get 'in front' of the camera. Of course-I am better behind it, but I do need proof one day for my great-grandchildren that I DID exist! Anyhow, I love my family. I am so very blessed to have each one of them...Nehemiah keeps me very busy, but gives great hugs and kisses! Lizzie is the one who makes me laugh just about daily. Myra is my sweet, compassionate girl who is such a great helper to me. And, of course, my wonderful Shane, who I just love and adore! Happy Fall to all you out there! :)

The Fosters

Ha! The Foster family pictures are now up on my photo blog. Little "G", here, got ahold of grandpa's sunglasses! Love it! :)

Likens Family

The Likens' family pictures sneak peek are now on up on my photo blog! :)

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Womack

Congratulations to Seth and Andrea, who were joined in marriage on October 4th. I am getting their previews up on my photo blog, so be sure to check back often this week for those.

Gretta's Kids

I was also blessed to be able to take pictures for my dear friend, Gretta, recently. She is a local pastor's wife and a dear friend, who has her hands full, as you can see! She is a beautiful woman of God, and her children were so much fun to take pictures of. They are up on my photo blog now, too.

CACH School Pictures

I got to do the school pictures this year for our local homeschool group. For those of you who have been waiting, they are now up on my Photo Blog! :)

Collett Family Pictures are up

Hey all, I know it's been awhile. I feel like all this is lately is a place to say "I got new pictures posted on my other blog!" But, that's all I've had time for lately, honestly. I just had a photo shoot on Saturday for a great family. We had alot of fun-it was very laid back, just how I like it! :)

Other than pictures, we are continuing to homeschool, which is going well this year. We are continuing our study of early American history with Winter Promise. Both girls are still doing Singapore math, which I plan to continue with until it's over my head...which might be next year! :) (math is not my strongest subject) :) And, we're enjoying our art program that I added this year. We're using "Discovering Great Artists". Each week, the goal is to study one artist and then do an art project in their style. We have done Matisse and Cezanne the last few weeks, since I've had the book. I took pictures of our pictures, and hope to post them, when I have time to edit my own pictures! :) I just started working on some of my own from May. That's how far behind my life is! :) ha!

Last Saturday, our friends from Michigan called and said their vacation plans had changed, and asked if they could come stay with us. And, so, the next evening, the six of them entered our domain and we all shared it for a week-all ELEVEN of us in our 1600 square foot house! It was great! :) They are so much like family to us that it wasn't even a question of "if" they could come. Although, it does seem awfully quiet around here this week! :) It was a joy to have spent a week with them. We'll probably head up there in January!

Some other dear friends, the Thomas'-from Virginia, were supposed to come in for the night tonight with their four kids (I'm seeing a trend here, are you? I would say God is preparing us for four more kids, but my husband might call me "unsaved" at that point!) :) . However, they called about an hour before they were to arrive and said they were in the ER with one of their little ones who was complaining of a bad stomach ache in the car, so they are still there and we are mourning not seeing them, but praying for Lydia. We pray we are able to go see them soon.

Other than that, I have a wedding on Saturday and five more photo shoots this month. It's gonna be crazy! But, I'm thankful I'm so popular! ha! :) We've just gotta get all these pictures in before the weather changes. So, I will be posting alot this month.

Alrighty, it's time for bed. Yes, I am older now, and I have to get up early to school my children! :) I need my sleep. Hope all of you in blog-land are doing well. Hopefully I can continue posting about life, but it might be November before I get to again! :) So, happy October for now!

The last of the Rucker Pictures are up!

Okay, this is the last installments of the Rucker wedding pictures to go up on my photo blog.

We're all well here. We were blessed by the arrival of our friends, Jare and Elizabth and kids, from Michigan on Sunday evening. They called late Saturday night and said their vacation plans fell through and asked if they could come see us. We've known them for ten years and they are like family, so of course we said YES! So, this week there are 11 of us in our 1,600 square foot home! It's a house full of blessings this week! :) I'll have to catch up more later. :)

More Rucker Pictures are up

I've been working like a mad-woman on these wedding pictures and have now posted some random shots and some dancing pictures on my photo blog. Make sure to check them out! :) I will be posting shortly about our life, when I get a minute. That will probably be in about 16 years, as it stands now! :) ha!

Rucker Wedding Pics are up

Well, finally, I am getting the Rucker wedding pics posted to my photo blog. It's been a while in coming, but it's been a long month! They have been ever-so-patient with me. I will post more of their pics in the next few days. Right now I have their "couple" pictures up. Enjoy! :)

Is Jesus Your Friend?

You wouldn't want Jesus as your friend, after this one!

A song to bless you today

Wow. There's really not a lot to say about this video. It speaks for itself. It was sent to me by my worship leader today. He said he's looking for the sheet music and choreography to it. I'm just not sure our worship team is good enough to pull it off, however. :) Enjoy a good laugh! :)

The Happy Home

Happy home! O, bright and cheerful hearth!

Look round with me, my lover, friend, and wife,

On these fair faces we have lit with life,

And in the perfect blessing of their birth,

Help me to live out thanks for so much heaven on earth.

-Martin P. Tupper (p.28,Daughters of Destiny)

*photo copyright 2008 Kari McGrath Photography

There Once Was A Queen

If you have a little bit of time, please go here and read this darling story that made me smile and brought a few tears to my eyes. It's a bit long, but a very good read. We sometimes get so busy doing, that we can overlook what blesses our husbands and families the most. It's an old story (1926), but it's so relevant to us today.

*photo by Jenneil Harbert

God, Our Exceeding Joy

"...Authentic joy in God will overflow with praises. In fact, as C. S. Lewis says in his book on the Psalms, “we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.”1 It’s not wrong to say, “We were made for God.” It’s not wrong to say, “We were made for joy.” It’s not wrong to say, “We were made to praise.” But it is more fully true to say, “We were made to enjoy God with overflowing praise.” This is the ultimate goal of life.

Now mark this: we have been describing the prayer of a divided heart. The psalmist would like to know a constant uninterrupted experience of God as his exceeding joy. But in reality there are times when he feels forsaken. He knows in his head that God has not forsaken him. But it feels like he has. So his deepest strategy to escape this most dangerous condition is to pray, “Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.”

-To read the whole article from John Piper, click here

The Snare of Things that are Seen

"...God had to bring Abraham to the end of his own strength, and to let him see that in his own body he could do nothing. He had to consider his own body as good as dead, and then take God for the whole work; and when he looked away from himself, and trusted God alone, then he became fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able to perform. That is what God is teaching us, and He has to keep away encouraging results until we learn to trust without them, and then He loves to make His word real in fact as well as faith." -A.B. Simpson

More than a vase made of glass....

"There he proved them." Exodus 15:25

"I stood once in the test room of a great steel mill. All around me were little partitions and compartments. Steel had been tested to the limit and marked with figures that showed it's breaking point....

...God does not want us to be like vases of glass or porcelain. He would have us like..toughened pieces of steel, able to bear twisting and crushing to the uttermost without collapse.

He wants us to be, not hothouse plants, but storm-beaten oaks; not sand dunes driven with every gust of wind, but granite rocks withstanding the fiercest storms. To make us such He must needs bring us into His testing room of suffering.

Many of us need no other argument than our own experiences to prove that suffering is indeed God's testing room of faith." -J.H. McC.

"It is very easy for us to speak and theorize about faith, but God often casts us into crucibles to try our gold, and to separate it from the dross and alloy. Oh, happy are we if the hurricanes that ripple life's unquiet sea have the effect of making Jesus more precious. Better the storm with Christ than smooth waters without him." -Macduff

What if God could not manage to ripen your life without suffering?

-Taken from, Streams In the Desert, Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

-Picture by Photography by Jenneil

More For the Blessings Journal...

Well, I thought it was about time to add to my Blessings Journal. (see this post and this post) It's always good to reflect and remember what God has done, and how He has provided. (**Photo above was taken by my dear friend and fellow photographer, Jenneil Harbert, copyright 2008)

Psalm 145:2-5 says,"Every day I will bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation will praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honor of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works."

1. I am so greatful to the Lord for providing for BOTH of our cars to be fixed this past month. Neither fix was in the budget, but God in his mercy, saw fit to provide. This was above and beyond what we imagined in our humanness.

2. I thank God for our FREE vacation to Tennessee in July! Wow! We had a family from our church call us one day and tell us that they couldn't take the vacation they had booked for themselves back in March. So, they said if we wanted to go in their place, that it was ours-already paid for. It was the first REAL vacation we have taken as a family...i.e..not going to visit with family or friends, just going on vacation for vacation's sake! We stayed in a wonderful 2BR,2BA condo with a jacuzzi tub big enough for our whole family plus yours! :) It was restful and wonderful!

3. I thank God that He provided us the money to get to Tennessee for our vacation!

4. I'm thankful that Myra needed some clothes that fit, and I was able to go to Goodwill and get her 7 pairs of pants and 4 shirts (most name brands) for $17!

5. I'm thankful that God provided for Shane to get a suit for the wedding he recently officiated for some friends. We did not know where the money would come from, and God surprised us-once again!

6. I'm thankful that I'm getting more and more photography business.

7. I'm thankful that we are getting lots of yummy acorn squash out of our garden, along with the earlier crops of lettuce, spinach, basil, tomatoes, and cucumbers. There is nothing like fresh grown veggies!

8. I thank the Lord for my parents who took us to the State Fair recently and paid for everything, including ride tickets!

9. I'm thankful that God is expanding the ministry at our church and bringing in faithful workers, who are called to proclaim the Gospel to central Kentucky. We are so blessed to have John and Ashley and Jason and Marri to help expand our children and youth ministries.

10. I'm always thankful for my wonderful family. I will say it again and again-God has given me a wonderful, Godly husband who is dedicated to serving the Lord and following His calling. He leads us so graciously. He is kind and handsome, the love of my life. My children, though trying at times, bring me so much joy. They make me laugh and learn and who can ask for more than those little hugs and kisses?

Church Staff Pictures

Last night Shane and I headed into downtown Frankfort with my camera and met up with several of our church leaders and did some new staff photos for our church website. We had alot of fun, didn't take too long, and got some great pictures! I've got to finish a few this weekend with a couple folks who couldn't make it out last night, but I'm so happy with what we've got so far. Check them out here, at our church's website. If you live in or near Frankfort, Kentucky, come check us out at The Point Community Church. We love our church and are so blessed to be a part of what God is doing there! (Rick-our lead pastor's picture above)

Phillips family

I had the joy and privilege of doing family photos for Frank and Vivian Phillips this past week. Frank is one of our elders at church, and he and Vivian are just dear, precious friends. We call him our "elder" elder! :) On Monday, they called and said one of their sons and his lovely wife and their grandbaby were in town, and so we ended up doing some pictures that very night. We had a good time and got some great photos. As you can tell, they are very proud of their grandson, Abraham! I will be posting more soon on my photo blog.

The fragrance that God loves to smell

"I had a tiny box, a precious box
of human love-my spikenard of great price;
I kept it close within my heart of hearts.
And scarce would lift the lid lest it should waste
Its perfume on the air. One day a strange
Deep sorrow came with crushing weight, and fell
And broke the box to atoms. All my heart
Rose in dismay ans sorrow at this waste,
But as I mourned, behold a miracle
Of grace Divine. My human love was changed
To heaven's own, and poured in healing streams
On other broken hearts, while soft and clear
A voice above me whispered, "Child of mine,
With comfort wherewith thou art comforted,
From this time forth, go comfort others,
And thou shalt know blest fellowship with Me,
Whose broken heart of love hath healed the world."

-taken from Streams in the Desert, Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

What To Do With All That Zucchini???

If you're like me, you're a bit overrun with zucchini this time of the year. We don't have it in our own personal garden, but we have gotten alot from our cropshare, and I keep having people "offer" some of their zucchini to me. I'm not a big zucchini lover...unless it's loaded with sugar, as in zucchini bread or zucchini chocolate cake! So, I went on the hunt last week for zucchini recipes, found this one on Allrecipes.com and had to share! It was SO yummy! We had steak with it (which I got with a price match at Wal-Mart! It was chuck eye steak, that was normally $4.89/lb and I got for $1.99/lb because Pic-Pac had it on sale! Just a sidenote...we don't often have steak!), and although the steak was good, I just wanted more zucchini pie! I would love to do this with all my zucchini every week, if it weren't for the caloric content...because you can't eat just one small piece. So, even if you are fickle with zucchini, as I am, give this one a try..and let me know how you like it! :) (sorry I dont' have a photo of it!)

Mom's Zucchini Pie

1 (8oz.) pkg refrigerated crescent rolls (I used the reduced fat one)
1/4 cup margarine
4 cups sliced zucchini
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups shredded mozzarella (I used a mozzarella/provolone mixture that was fabulous, but you can use any reduced fat cheese here as a substitute..I wouldn't use fat free, though. It never bakes well)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll crescent rolls, and press into a 9 inch pie pan, covering sides and bottom.
2. Melt margarine in a skillet over medium heat, and cook til the zucchini and onion are tender. Season with parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Remove skillet from heat, and mix in the eggs and cheese.
3. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until set. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

How Do You Rate As A 1930s Houswife?

Okay, I found this test from a link on another blog and I had to take it for fun! :) Well, at least in the 1930s I would have been a very superior housewife. A day late and a dollar short is always the case, huh? :)

85 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

Fun at Megan's shower

On Saturday, I got to go to a personal shower for my dear friend, Megan. I met Megan three summers ago at Crossings at Cedarmore camp, where Shane was the associate director. That summer she met Tim, another staff member, and they are getting married in August. Shane is officiating the wedding-his first! I am doing the photography, and my girls are the flower girls. It's going to be so much fun to do this as a family!

We got to go suit shopping for Shane on Saturday, since he does not own a suit! We found a really nice one, and I think I could get used to seeing him wear it quite often, but he thinks they are of the devil! :)

Anyhow, here are a few pictures from the shower! :) As you can see, all the other girls were in their early 20s. I was the "matriarch." I said, "wow, you all look so young in this picture," to which they replied, "well, you have so much wisdom." We all know what that means! :) But, it was so much fun. Laura, from church, was there-and she is just so sweet. And, Megan's sister Rachel is a hoot, and I could just keep her. And, Megan's friend, Jamie, who hosted the shower was also just sweet as can be. They were gracious to welcome me into their circle of youth! :) ha!

We are so happy for Tim and Megan and are so looking forward to seeing what God has for this young couple who seek Him with their whole hearts. Tim just graduated from Southern Seminary in May, and desires to be a pastor one day. He is currently interning at our church. We really love the two of them so much, and are so blessed to be a part of their lives.

My Beauty

"His blood and righteousness

My beauty are, my glorious dress."

Something Beautiful

This is MY song lately. You know, that one song that you hear and it makes you weep every time. This is it for me these days.

Me and the Kids

My sweet, old neighbor, Jim, took this picture of the kids and I last Sunday. He gave us a copy, and I thought it was a sweet picture. He's always asking me for photography advice-as he loves to take pictures, and I enjoy talking to him! He's also an artist and gave us one of his paintings after Shane helped him with his yard one day. It's a painting of some churches, and he gave it to us since we were, quote "church people!" :)

Do I Have To Be the Best?

Link to original article here (I thought this was very encouraging)

By Carolyn Mahaney

Not Her Best

"As homemakers, we can be keenly, and somewhat painfully aware of our lack of specialized skill. Many of us trained for a specific field of work only to leave it behind to come home with our baby; and then the field left us behind as we raised our children. We may see our husband excelling at his career, and observe other women who seem to be “the best” at something, and because we haven’t distinguished ourselves in some way (we’ve been too busy cleaning toilets, running errands, reading children's books and pouring bowls of cereal), we wonder if we are really good at anything.

Twentieth century British author G.K. Chesterton has liberating insight for all homemakers who feel pressure to excel in something besides homemaking. In an essay entitled “The Emancipation of Domesticity” he observed that woman is a “general overseer” in the home, and as such, she must be able to do many things well—she shouldn't have to worry about being "the best" at something.

“In other words, there must be in every center of humanity one human being upon a larger plan; one who does not "give her best," but gives her all…..
The woman is expected to cook: not to excel in cooking, but to cook; to cook better than her husband who is earning [a living] by lecturing on botany or breaking stones….the woman is expected to tell tales to the children, not original and artistic tales, but tales--better tales than would probably be told by a first-class cook.

But she cannot be expected to endure anything like this universal duty if she is also to endure the direct cruelty of competitive or bureaucratic toil. Woman must be a cook, but not a competitive cook; a school mistress, but not a competitive schoolmistress; a house-decorator but not a competitive house-decorator; a dressmaker, but not a competitive dressmaker. She should have not one trade but twenty hobbies; she, unlike the man, may develop all her second bests.
This is what has been really aimed at from the first in what is called the seclusion, or even the oppression, of women. Women were not kept at home in order to keep them narrow; on the contrary, they were kept at home in order to keep them broad” (emphasis mine).

My fellow homemakers, let’s embrace the “larger plan” ordained by our Creator. Let’s not worry about being the best, but eagerly give our all to the broad calling of serving in the home."

Think About It

This video is so funny! I don't advocate all their songs, but this one just made Shane and I crack up! :)

Bad Dog!

Okay, after writing that nice post on our dog, Belle, yesterday, I have an update. She is NOT a good dog! :) We were gone for five hours yesterday-we've been gone that amount many times. During our brief outing, she managed to knock down the two gates we had up to keep her in, and chew up our mini blinds in our front window! Shane was not so happy with her. He said she gets one more chance! :) Guess it's time to start putting her in the crate when we leave. In the meantime, Shane's headed to Lowe's to pick up new blinds!

Oh, speaking of which...all our blinds on our front window are labeled "Jencraft." The only thing I can find online for Jencraft is a lawsuit back in 1996, because their un-glossy mini-blinds contained lead as a binder. I guess the light deteriorated the blinds, and when you dusted them, the dust got into the air and was hazardous to kids. Any updates on this that anyone knows? I have NO idea how old these blinds are-they are in great condition. I don't know if the company is no longer around, or if they upgraded their products. I'm worried, because of the kids..and because my dog chewed them up! Anyone know anything about this?

Flowers for mama

The other day, Shane took the kids and the dog for a walk in the woods. That gave me a chance to go to my friend, Greta's, house and take her some of our garden lettuce and chat for awhile. When I came home, these wonderful flowers were in vases on my table and on top of our antique hutch. Shane and the kids had picked these for me on their walk. I was so surprised and thrilled. Besides hydrangeas, wildflowers are my favorite. Aren't they lovely? I have a great family.

Our new dog, Belle

We had told the girls, when we moved to our new home, that we would get them a dog. Shane said they could get a puppy, I prayed against it. Guess who's prayers were heard? MINE! :) ha, ha!

My friend from church, Janine, emailed me one day with a picture of Belle and the email asking for someone to please find a home for her. She had a good home, but the mother of the house just had her third child, and couldn't do it all anymore. So, we emailed the family, and went the next week to pick her up.

She's been a great dog. She's completely house-trained, and she's not overly active. She IS a dog, and sometimes does dumb dog stuff, but I guess we have to expect that! We love Belle, and are glad she's in our home. And, yes, she DOES look like Benji! :)

My Pretty Girls 7-07-08

Baby Boy

I know he's mine and all....but isn't he beautiful? :)

New Blog Look....Same wonderful blog!

Okay, so what do you think of the new template? Do you like it? I thought I'd try something different! Let me know what you think! Kari

Got My Finger Stuck

Okay, so...Lizzie is my child who is always into something...always getting dirty, always getting into mischief. She's not bad, just curious. Always exploring, always climbing trees and picking up bugs. She was also the child that drew on the walls, "painted" on herself with yogurt, used Desitin as lotion, drew on her arms with a sharpie marker...the one who always keeps me on my toes!

So, yesterday we were in the girls' room, cleaning and reorganizing when she said, "mom, my finger is stuck." I look down and this (refer to picture) is what I see. (Now, I didn't realize until after I took this picture that it was THE finger...so this picture has no "nasty" sub-meanings, it's just a picture of another of her "mishaps!") It's the bottom half of an old recorder. Now, why she was not cleaning, and what possibly possessed her to put her finger into the recorder in the first place I will never know. And, so she got "the lecture"...but then I had to take a picture! :) hee, hee... I have to remember all these things she's done! We DID get it unstuck, but it took pouring water and soap down into the tube! She is just a nut...and I wouldn't have her any other way! :)

Shawn and Tiffany's engagement pictures

A sneak peek of Tiffany and Shawn's engagement pictures is now posted on my photo blog!
click here

Any moms feeling weak and tired?

"When you are weak, let out a whoop, because whatever you are able to do comes through the grace of God. When you are nothing, shout 'halleluja!' because Jesus is getting all the glory and honor for what you accomplish. God loves his weak, imperfect, needy people. He didn't choose us because we won some international awards for strength, beauty, or intelligence. He has made us for Himself, and He is going to provide us with everything we need to serve Him and love others through our imperfect homes and families. What a joy to serve our perfect Creator, Who made us in His image and is transforming us (slowly, but surely) into the image of His perfect Son."

-Jennie Chancey, Passionate Housewives Desperate for God, a book I HIGHLY recommend

Piper-Simplicity is Possible and Good

**Leave it up to Piper to always put things into perspective for you! :)

"This is the normal Christian life – radical freedom from earthly things and earthly security, with a joyful pursuit of God and his righteousness as our treasure."






1 Timothy 6:6-19



"..., verse 8: "If we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content." Christians can be and ought to be content with the simple necessities of life. I'll mention three reasons why simplicity is possible and good. First, because when you have God near you and for you, you don't need extra money or extra things to give you peace and security. Hebrews 13:5, 6 says,
Keep your life free from the love of money. Be content with what you have. For he has said, "I will never fail you nor forsake you." Hence we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?"
No matter which way the market is moving, God is always better than gold. Therefore, by God's help we can be content with the simple necessities of life.
Second, we can be content with the necessities of life because the deepest, most satisfying delights God gives us through creation are free gifts from nature and loving relationships with people. After your basic needs are met, money begins to diminish your capacity for these pleasures rather than increase them. Buying things contributes absolutely nothing to the heart's capacity for joy. There is a deep difference between the temporary thrill of a new toy and a homecoming hug from a devoted friend. Who do you think has the deepest most satisfying joy in life, the man who pays [big money] for a fortieth floor suite downtown and spends his evening in the half-lit, smoke filled lounge impressing strange women with ten dollar cocktails, or the man who chooses the Motel 6 by a vacant lot of sunflowers and spends his evening watching the sunset and writing a love letter to his wife?
Third, we should be content with the simple necessities of life because we could invest the extra that we make for what really counts. Three billion people today are outside Jesus Christ. Two-thirds of those do not have a viable Christian witness in their culture. If they are to hear—and Christ commands that they hear—cross-cultural missionaries will have to be sent and paid for. All the wealth needed to send this new army of good news ambassadors is in the American church. If we, like Paul, are content with the simple necessities of life, thousands of dollars at Bethlehem and millions of dollars in the Baptist General Conference and hundreds of millions of dollars in the Protestant church would be released to take the gospel to the frontiers. And the revolution of joy and freedom it would cause at home would be the best local witness imaginable. The biblical call is that you can and ought to be content with the simple necessities of life..."
John Piper (whole sermon text here)


**and an interesting article on RETIREMENT, by Piper, here.

My homemade pancake syrup

One day I was making pancakes (recipe below) and realized I was out of pancake syrup. I knew I had seen a recipe for pancake syrup in one of my Tightwad Gazette books-which are invaluable, by the way! :) So, I made it up, and my family loved it. Now, for the most part, I just make my own. The kids ask for my syrup over store-bought! :) And, it's economical, too.

Pancake Syrup

3 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups water

3 Tbsp. molasses

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. butter flavoring, optional

1 tsp. maple extract

Bring all to a boil, sitrring until sugar dissolves (a good rolling boil). Turn off burner, but leave pot on burner until bubbling stops. Makes about 30 oz. cost estimation: $0.90 for 30 oz.

My favorite pancake recipe is from my old youth pastor, Doug Ehrgott. He used to make up gallons of this stuff and we'd go, as a youth group, and serve the deadheads when the Grateful Dead were in town and witness to them by feeding them and showing them Jesus' love. It was alot of fun. Anyhow, these are awesome-my favorite to this day!

Doug's Pancakes

1 cup milk

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 egg

1 tbsp. oil

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

Mix, stir, cook as normal. Makes 10 pancakes.

My Menu for the Next Two Weeks

Okay, well, we've been seriously trying to cut back on our expenses, and so I have gone back to making out a menu for two weeks like I used to do. Shane keeps asking me to simplify our meals, as I really like to cook...most of the time!

Making a two week menu usually helps me with my grocery bill, and I find it helps me with my daily planning. I don't have to think about what I'm going to make every morning. I've decided that since Shane is off on Saturdays, and we decided that's our family day, that I will cook a bigger breakfast, and we'll have dessert on Saturday evenings before our family movie or game. I usually stick to my menu plan, unless I have a massive amount of leftovers that need to be eaten-but we don't mind leftovers at all. And, keep in mind, that Shane is home every day for lunch.

I've also been getting up at 7am the past couple weeks and making breakfast for everyone. I find I get so much more done in my day when I get up early! It's been amazing. So, here is my two week menu:

Monday:
breakfast-oatmeal
lunch-tuna sandwiches, soup, crackers
dinner-Spinach Strawberry Salad with chicken, homemade spelt bread

*the spelt bread was AMAZING, by the way! It took all day to prepare, but I think I might start making a batch a week. Plus, it's a great arm workout, since you have to knead it for 20 minutes! But, it was worth it. yummy! I did make shoefly pie, too, since we had company. It was...good, but different. Probably won't make it again! :)

Tuesday:
breakfast-homemade peanut butter muffins, fruit
lunch-egg salad sandwiches, soup
dinner-spaghetti, garlic bread, salad

*the muffins were very good! I got the recipe from the muffin recipes site I posted a few days ago.

Wednesday:
breakfast-pancakes
lunch-leftovers
dinner-chicken, fresh green beans, potatoes

Thursday:
breakfast-cereal or toast
lunch-hot dogs, mac-n-cheese
dinner-hamburgers, corn on the cob

Friday:
breakfast-oatmeal
lunch-fried egg sandwiches, apple slices
dinner-pesto quiche, salad

Saturday:
breakfast-eggs, bacon, toast
lunch-leftovers
dinner-Cheese and Sausage Strata, salad, blueberry buckle for dessert

Sunday:
breakfast-muffins at home or donuts at church
lunch-Onion Pie (with peanut butter/jelly sand. option!), salad
dinner-Sunday dinners are a free-for-all at our home. usually it's popcorn or snacks!

Monday:
breakfast-oatmeal
lunch-lunchmeat sandwiches, chips
dinner-Tacos, chips-n-salsa, cheese dip

Tuesday:
breakfast-muffins, yogurt
lunch-chili dogs, mac-n-cheese, salad option
dinner-black beans and rice, salad, bread

Wednesday:
breakfast-pancakes
lunch-pb&j sandwiches, chips, apple slices
dinner-spaghetti, garlic bread, salad

Thursday:
breakfast-cereal or toast
lunch-blt sandwiches, salad, chips
dinner-Wild Game Braise(venison), veggies, potatoes

Friday:
breakfast-oatmeal
lunch-leftovers
dinner-Top Sirloin Steak, baked potatoes, veggie

Saturday:
breakfast-eggs, bacon, toast
lunch-Greek salad, bread (pb&j option)
dinner-roast chicken, salad, veggie, cupcakes

Sunday:
breakfast-muffins at home or donuts at church
lunch-leftovers

Giants (a bit long, but worth the read!)

"It is when we are in the way of duty that we find giants...There is a prevalent idea that the power of God in a human life should lift us above all trials and conflicts. The fact is, the power of God always brings a conflict and a struggle. One would have thought that on his great missionary journey to Rome, Paul would have been carried by some mighty providence above the power of the storms and tempests and enemies. But, on the contrary, it was one long, hard fight with persecuting Jews, with wild tempests, with venomous vipers and all the powers of earth and hell, and at last he was saved, as it seemed, by the narrowest margin, and had to swim ashore at Malta on a piece of wreckage and barely escape a watery grave.

Was that like a God of infinite power? Yes, just like Him. And so Paul tells us that when he took the Lord Jesus Christ as the life of his body, a severe conflict immediately came; indeed, a conflict that never ended, a pressure that was persistent, but out of which he always emerged victorious through the strength of Jesus Christ.

The language in which he describes this is most graphic. 'We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed, always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might be manifested in our body.'

What a ceaseless, strenuous struggle! It is impossible to express in English the forcible language of the original. There are five pictures in succession. In the first, the idea is crowding enemies pressing in from every side, and yet not crushing him because the police of heaven cleared the way just wide enough for him to get through. The literal translation would be, 'We are crowded on every side, but not crushed.'

The second picture is that of one whose way seems utterly closed and yet he has pressed through; there is light enough to show him the next step. The Revised Version translates it, 'Perplexed but not unto despair.' Rotherham still more literally renders it, 'Without a way, but not without a by-way.'

The third figure is that of an enemy in hot pursuit while the divine Defender still stands by, and he is not left alone. Again we adopt the fine rendering of Rotherham, 'Pursued, but not abandoned.'

The fourth figure is still more vivid and dramatic. The enemy has overtaken him, has struck him, has knocked him down. But it is not a fatal blow; he is able to rise again. It might be translated, 'Overthrown, but not overcome.'

Once more the figure advances, and now it seems to be even death itself. 'Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus.' But he does not die, for 'the life also of Jesus' now comes to his aid and he lives in the life of another until his life work is done.

The reason so many fail in this experience of divine healing is because they expect to have it all without a struggle, and when the conflict comes and the battle wages long, they become discouraged and surrender. God has nothing worth having that is easy. There are no cheap goods in the heavenly market. Our redemption cost all that God had to give, and everything worth having is expensive. Hard places are the very school of faith and character, and if we are to rise over mere human strength and prove the power of life divine in these mortal bodies, it must be through a process of conflict that may well be called the birth travail of a new life. It is the old figure of the bush that burned, but was not consumed, or of the Vision in the house of the interpreter of the flame that would not expire, notwithstanding the fact that the demon ceaselessly poured water on it, because in the background stood an angel every pouring oil and keeping the flame aglow.

No, dear suffering child of God, you cannot fail if only you dare to believe, to stand fast and refuse to be overcome."

--taken from my favorite devotional, Streams In The Desert, by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, "written during her six years of missionary work in Japan and China-particularly the six years she nursed her husband while he was dying"

Good Muffin Recipes

These look like some good muffin recipes from the Hillbilly Housewife blog, if you're interested! I plan to make and freeze some. CLICK HERE.

Unsearchable Riches

This is a post from another blog-a friend of a friend. The man who writes this blog lost his beautiful, young wife this year. They had been missionaries in Ethiopia and she and their children were home in the States for a visit. While here, she was killed in a car accident. I encourage you to read his blog. This is a copy of a post that I dare you to read without either crying or just feeling really convicted! :) The original post here.


"I asked Jamie to jot down some thoughts from the past couple of days. Jamie is a sixteen-year old that I attend church with in New Albany. He and his brother Joseph are two of the four guys that accompanied me on this trip. Please forgive the format...we are dealing with 3rd world technology.

Unsearchable Riches

There is more poverty in this land than I could have imagined. There have been
many times that I have wanted to sit down and weep. But the riches of Christ
shine brightly in the face of poverty. The poor and beggarly souls are invited
to stretch out their poor and withered hands to the Savior.
The bitter cup of poverty is a small taste of the emptiness of the soul, and
the hopelessness of the poor is nothing compared to the hopelessness of the
enemy of Christ. To be without God is to be without hope. But God, who is rich
in mercy, is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think.
We have been given so much; we have been given all things in Christ. Why are
we so slow to take up our crosses and follow Him? When He commands us to leave
all and follow Him, it is like telling a prisoner to leave His chains, the
debtor to leave His debt, and the beggar to leave His scraps so that He might
come to the feast. Oh, that we might live as beggars and pilgrims in this life
that we might be kings in the next. We might beg ourselves rich by the grace
that is in Christ.
Ultimately, the rich have nothing more than the poor. Either we have Christ,
or we have nothing. What are all the treasures of this life when we die?
Christ is all in all. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where
moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where
thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19-20) We who have nothing are
freely offered to buy the pearl of greatest price.
Look to the face of Christ, not the hand of providence. The LORD is all love
to His people. There have been moments were I questioned the sovereign love of
God to the Christians in Ethiopia. But it is high treason against the King to
lodge bitter thoughts about Christ. Circumstances may be dark to our eyes, but
the Sun of righteousness is all light. "Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is
good!"

The Power of A Mother's Love

"...Soldier, statesman, scholar, divine; every man is a child to his mother, to the last; and it is the best that is in a man that keeps him always in this childlikeness toward his loving mother. Were it not for the power of a mother's love, that best and truest side of a man's nature would never be developed, for the man's good and for the mother's reward. It costs something to be a good mother; but there is no reward which earth can give to be compared with that love which a faithful mother wins and holds from the son of her love. Oh! if good mothers could only know how much they are doing for their children by their patient, long-suffering, gentle ways with them, and how sure these children are to see and feel this by and by, the saddest of them would be less sad and more hopeful, while toiling and enduring so faithfully, with perhaps apparently so slight a return."

-from Hints on Child Training by H. Clay Trumbull

-the photo is my friend Jen and her baby boy, Lincoln

Modesty Heart Check-Carolyn Mahaney

This came from the Girl Talk blog. click here It has convicted me and made me think twice. I think I will post this on my mirror. By the way, the swimming nuns have nothing to do with this article...but they ARE dressed modestly for the beach! ha! :)

Modesty Heart Check

by
Carolyn Mahaney
Nicole Whitacre
Kristin Chesemore
Janelle Bradshaw

“…Women should adorn themselves in respectable
apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with
braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire,
but with what is proper for women
who profess godliness—with good works.”
~1 Timothy 2:9-10

Start with a Heart Check…

“How does a woman discern the sometimes fine line between proper dress
and dressing to be the center of attention? The answer starts in the intent
of the heart. A woman should examine her motives and goals for the way
she dresses. Is her intent to show the grace and beauty of womanhood? Is
it to reveal a humble heart devoted to worshipping God? Or is it to call
attention to herself and flaunt her beauty? Or worse, to attempt to lure
men sexually? A woman who focuses on worshipping God will consider
carefully how she is dressed, because her heart will dictate her wardrobe
and appearance.” John MacArthur

What statement do my clothes make about my heart?

In choosing what clothes to wear today, whose attention do I desire
and whose approval do I crave? Am I seeking to please God or
impress others?

Is what I wear consistent with biblical values of modesty, selfcontrol
and respectable apparel, or does my dress reveal an
inordinate identification and fascination with sinful cultural values?

Who am I trying to identify with through my dress? Is the Word of
God my standard or is the latest fashion?

Have I asked other godly individuals to evaluate my wardrobe?
Does my clothing reveal an allegiance to the gospel or is there any
contradiction between my profession of faith and my practice of
godliness?

Before you leave the house, do a modesty check. (What are
some things you should look for as you stand in front of your
mirror?)

From the top…

When I am wearing a loose-fitting blouse or scoop-neck, can I see
anything when I lean over? If so, I need to remember to place my
hand against my neckline when I bend down.

If I am wearing a button-down top, I need to turn sideways and
move around to see if there are any gaping holes that expose my
chest. If there are, I’ve got to grab the sewing box and pin
between the buttons.

The same check is needed if I am wearing a sleeveless shirt.
When I move around, can I see my bra? If I do, I need the pins
again.

Am I wearing a spaghetti-strap, halter, or sheer blouse? Not even
pins will fix this problem! Most guys find these a hindrance in
their struggle with lust. It’s time to go back to the closet.

Can I see the lace or seam of my bra through my shirt? In this
case, seamless bras are a better option.
More key questions: Does my shirt reveal any part of my
cleavage? Does my midriff show when I raise my hands above
my head? Is my shirt just plain too tight? If the answer to any one
of these questions is yes, then I need to change my outfit.

Moving on down…

Does my midriff (or underwear) show when I bend over or lift my
hands? If so, is it because my skirt or my pants are too low? Either
my shirt needs to be longer or I need to find a skirt or pants that sit
higher.

I also have to turn around to see if what I’m wearing is too tight
around my back side, or if the outline of my underwear shows. If so,
I know what I have to do!

And as for shorts – I can’t just check them standing up. I need to see
how much they reveal when I sit down. If I see too much leg, I need
a longer pair.

The “sit-down” check applies to my skirt or dress as well. And I must
remember to keep my skirt pulled down and my knees together when
I’m seated.
And speaking of skirts, watch out for those slits! Does it reveal too
much when I walk? Pins are also helpful here.

Before I leave, I need to give my skirt a sunlight check. Is it seethrough?
If so, I need a slip.

Finally, I must remember to do this modesty check with my shoes on.
High-heels make my dress or skirt appear shorter.

And don’t forget – this applies to formal wear as well.

A note on swimwear: It’s not easy but you can still strive to be
modest at the pool or beach. Look for one-piece bathing suits that
aren’t cut high on the leg and don’t have low necklines.

Modesty-Mary Mohler

"...Don’t blame the men around you who happen to be unfortu­nate enough to be within sight and say that they need to get their minds out of the gutter. Proverbs 30:20 says, “This is the way of an adulterous woman; she eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done no wrong.’” Ladies must remember what battles men face to stay pure as they are stimulated visually by women. They should never have it flaunted in their faces and to have it done at church is an abomination…..

Am I saying that my teenaged daughter cannot wear jeans, tee shirts, shorts, a bath­ing suit or skirts that are above her knee? No, there are times when certain garments within those categories are appropri­ate.

Am I saying that never, ever, not even once can she wear a halter top, tube top, cropped top, mini skirt, skin tight shirts, anything that shows cleavage or midriff, hip-hugger jeans and shirts that don’t meet, that she can’t even go into an Abercrombie store, that she can’t keep Clinique in business when she is 14, and that her Sunday clothes are going to be different from her other clothes? Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. Unlike the discount store whose tags say, “there are no rules,” her father and I believe there are rules. There are absolutes. There is a line that you just don’t cross. I hasten to add that it wouldn’t matter if her father was a seminary president or a ditch digger, the rules would be the same.

Do I sound like an authoritative parent? Good. Parents are to love, shepherd and nurture their precious children but they are also commanded to teach and admonish them, because they are still children. They need direction. So many parents have the nurturing part down, but they abdicate the whole authority issue. They allow their daughters to go out and “go along with the crowd, express themselves and develop their own personalities,” and when they come in looking like harlots, the parents throw up their hands and say, “She doesn’t seem to think like we do about fashion.”

Mothers of sons have often asked me, “What can we do? We don’t have daughters that we can influence, but we have sons that are looking at how your daughters dress.” Men of all ages struggle with this. It is our job as mothers of daughters to make sure that our daughters’ appearances are not causing males to stumble or causing females to point to them as examples to make their cases.

Richard Baxter, the great Puritan preacher, said to women, “And you must not lay a stumbling block in their way, nor blow up the fire of their lust, nor make your ornaments snares but you must walk among sinful persons as you would do with a candle among straw or gunpowder, or else you may see the flame which you would not foresee, when it is too late to quench it.” What a timely warning.

On the one hand, there is a world that says there are no rules and anything goes. Then you have some libertarian type Christians who cry, “Liberty, liberty, we are not under law, we are under grace. It doesn’t matter. Wear whatever you want to…”

Does God care how we dress? Yes, He does. He cares about every aspect of our lives. We are called to holiness, holiness in what we do, what we say, where we go, how we act, how we think, what we listen to, what we read, what we sing, and yes, how we dress. Scripture bears this out. Read Ephesians 5:8-10, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 and 1 Peter 1:15 for starters. May God give us both the desire and the wisdom to live lives that are holy in every aspect. A lost world is watching." Mary Mohler

for the whole article, click here

to read a very convicting and encouraging excerpt from the book, Biblical Womanhood in the Home, on the topic of True Beauty by Carolyn Mahaney, click here