Of Vacuums and Friends

A son after my own heart.

When under stress, one of my best stress relievers besides prayer, is vacuuming. Today I cried, I prayed and I vacuumed. I even vacuumed the stairs, just for a little more relief.

It helped.

Or at least I *think* it did.

My girlfriend came over and swept me away for a few hours-I tried to cancel with her...but she refused to take "no," for an answer. She wanted to be with me. Can you imagine that?

She brought me to Starbucks, which I have given up, in order to save for the Princess Sweetness' adoption. Then do you know what she did, she bought my coffee. She told me to stop saying thank you, as however many times I said it was one too many for her. ;-) I am lousy at receiving, another one of my many faults.

How wonderful to be plunked down with strong coffee and a good friend.

My other two girlfriends met us and we spent a couple of hours talking about life. My friends rearranged the furniture, saying we needed a little nest to cosy up in, as we gathered our hearts and minds together. The time slipped quickly away as we shared with each other.

I am so thankful for their friendship and for their understanding of my love for vacuuming. How good it is to be loved and accepted just as I am. How good it is to have friends. Thankfully all of them are also sisters in the Lord. Holding each other tightly through life, as we seek God in the place each of us is standing.

"Life has no pleasure higher or nobler than that of friendship."

~Samuel Johnson

How do you relieve stress?

Prayer Request Sunday

Psalm 71:5

For thou art my hope, O Lord, thou art my trust from my youth.

Hi Friends!

Hope all is well with you today. Would you like me to pray for you this week? Is there something on your heart, I'd love to join hands and hearts with you and take it to God together.

From my heart:

I am rereading The Prayer of Jabez. It is a quick read, but have seen God use it mightily in my life. Praying that he would bless me indeed, that He would expand my borders (my influence/outreach/ministry opportunities), that He would keep me from evil and that I wouldn't cause pain.

Oh Lord, let my words and life point to you and not to myself. Help me speak the Truth in love and to not lead, but walk in surrender to your Spirit's leading. Let me be an instrument of peace. Give me courage Lord, as sometimes it is just easier to do nothing.

All of us are but His instruments who do our little bit and pass by.

-Mother Teresa

Virtue-even attempted virtue-brings light; indulgence brings fog.

-C.S. Lewis

Sweet Italian Kisses

Sweet Italian Kisses

~subtitled: Chocolate Peanut Butter Mini Tartlets ala Me

I was talking to my girlfriend yesterday, asking her if she knew how to make pie dough. She said she didn't. I told her that if she learned to do this, not only could she make pies, but cinnamon rolls, tarts, quiche, sugared twists and I am certain many other tasty treats on the cheap.

I took a basic pie dough recipe and added two Tbs. of sugar to the dough for fun.

I rolled it out to about a 1/8 inch thickness. Grabbed a glass (use a round cookie cutter or a wine glass...whatever is convenient) and cut out an even number or circles.

Butter or grease a cookie pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On half of the circles, I plunked on peanut butter. The other half got a spoonful of Nutella-but you could use a chunk of chocolate, a few chocolate chips or a Hershey's Kiss.

Grab a small bowl with water, dip your finger in and run it around the edge of your peanut butter circles-wetting the edge of dough slightly. Grab a circle of Nutella and place on top of peanut butter circle. Crimp around the edge with a fork to seal.

Place on prepared cookie sheet.

Crack an egg into a bowl, lightly beat with a fork. Add a tsp. of water to egg, beat again. Brush egg wash mixture over tartlets. Sprinkle on turbinado sugar if you have it...or regular sugar will work too.

Bake until golden, mine took about 10 minutes.

Ready to bake!

Yumm-o!

I should have made a double batch of pie dough,

as these disappeared immediately. Enjoy!

So What if my Jeans are Tight...

Okay, this picture has NOTHING to do with my post, but these are my favorite pants on Princess Mercy (I made them!) and as it matches her top...

well, humor me will you?

As I got dressed yesterday, I noticed that my jeans had gotten a little small. Now, usually this might bother me a tad, but not this time. Why? Not because I love tight jeans or anything...or that fact that I couldn't even zip the first pair I tried on...

but,

because the Holy Spirit whispered,

*What do you expect, you are expecting!*

I giggled a little out loud.

"Yeah, from Ethiopia, a near 12 year old Lord."

Perhaps it is time to push away from the chips and salsa at night. Oh how I love fiery salsa loaded with cilantro. Or maybe I should just enjoy my pregnancy of sorts and remember that I may even be eating for three. We are still open to God bringing home more than just our Princess Sweetness. Of course eating for two requires a few extra chips and maybe some avocado thrown in for good measure, right? We want this to be a healthy pregnancy don't we? (did you notice that I am sucking you into this equation?)

Don't you think?

So if you see me; smile and tell me~ my *pregnancy* is beginning to show!

I'll smile, don't be afraid!

A Gift of Organic Apples

Some friends, who were up to their eyeballs in their parent's organic apples, kindly thought of us. What a beautiful gift, that will keep on giving well through the winter. We made oodles and oodles of applesauce, that we put in the freezer for the long winter. We also ate many straight out of the buckets, and have enjoyed some yummy baked apples.

Baked Apples ala Me:

*As many apples as you plan to eat for that dessert

(our apples were small, so we gave everyone two)

*core the apples

*peel the apples

*butter the pan you will be using

(I guess you could use cooking spray, but why?)

*place the prepared apples in the pan

*stuff them if you like with nuts, dried fruit-about 1/2 way full

(we used dried cranberries and raisins, or skip the *stuff* if you like)

*pack with brown sugar

*top with a hunk of butter

*a tiny sprinkle of Real Salt (the kind of salt we love!)

*sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mix

Bake at 350 degrees~ until slightly soft or to the softness you like.

(we like them a bit hard, so we cook them about 20 minutes)

Grab yourself a bowl. Gently with a spatula, a wooden spoon or cooking tongs; lift that yummy apple out of the pan. Spoon some of that yummy sugary liquid over your baked apple. Make sure it has had a minute or two to cool, of course you could add a scoop of ice cream to help out the cooling factor!

Enjoy!

Sewing Seeds...Update Chile!

picture: courtesy of Jeff Crandall

Just wanted to show you some of the sweet Mapuche girls in their Sewing Seeds skirts!

Aren't they cute?

And thank you to my Pastor~ Eric Peoples, for asking us to join you in this ministry~ what fun!

Prayer Request Sunday

Welcome to Prayer Request Sunday@ Over the Moon with Joy!

Psalm 62:5

My Soul, wait thou only upon God: for my expectation is from Him.

Good morning friends and friends to be! Hope you are well and that your heart is full of the goodness of God. Praying that we wake with joyful songs of Thanksgiving on our hearts and that we are not a forgetful people, but a grateful people who easily recall all that the Lord has done for us.

I hope you have stopped by for prayer...well and to say *Hello!* Please leave me your prayer requests and I will gladly blanket you in prayer this week.

From my heart:

My mother's heart has been very heavy since September, some of you know we began a new adoption to Ethiopia on the onset of September, as the Holy Spirit guided us. We jumped in immediately, knowing that God wanted us to be the parents of a beautiful girl who had been waiting and waiting for almost 5 years for a family. We quickly prepared a photo album and some love tokens to send to her in Waliso, Ethiopia.

I told you that the*album/package* didn't make it to Ethiopia as planned in September. We were told that the earliest would then be November, as the director of our agency wouldn't be traveling until then. A bit into November I emailed her and asked if she still was planning on a trip in November. She told me maybe January? My heart sank.

My girl, Princess Sweetness, was told in September she had a family, but had no picture of us to wait with~as her the package remained stuck in Florida waiting for travel clearance.

The whole time I was praying and asking God to make a way~something that perhaps we couldn't see. Then, my friend Shonni told me she was going to Ethiopia to pick up her new son on the 28th of November. I thought that maybe if we could send a picture with her and leave it at the Transition House (we are using the same agency), that maybe MAYBE, someone would come before January to take it to our daughter.

Sweet Shonni said yes! Our director/friend Sue Hedberg from Celebrate Children International, said *YES* It was a long shot, as the orphanage is still 2 1/2 hours away from the Transition House in Addis, but at least it was a glimmer of HOPE for this Mama's heart.

THEN PRAISE GOD...Sue sent us an email Saturday morning that I cried my way through. She is leaving for Ethiopia after Thanksgiving! She will bring our care package to our daughter. I am crying even now. God is good and He does answer prayer!

What can I pray for you dear friend?

A Simple Touch of Home

We have a pot of water simmering on the stove. Into this post I have added, a handful of whole cloves, a whole cinnamon stick broken in half, the peels left over from the oranges we ate for snack.

Left to simmer with a watchful eye, as it is necessary to occasionally add a bit more water to the pan.

The house smells so yummy. Let's go sit in the living room and read a good book together!

Something the Holy Spirit said to me as I was thinking about fellowship & friendship at my church...

"If you are not willing to be the difference, why would you expect any change?"

What's YOUR Answer?

If tomorrow was your last day here on earth, what would you want to be remembered for?

As I ponder this myself, I think my answer would be:

*that she lived what she Believed and that she boldly shared it

* that she loved her family with her whole heart

*that she put others before herself

*that she was passionate about orphans and took action as God directed,

hoping and praying that others would do the same

*she heard and knew God's voice

*was obedient in what God spoke to her

*was kind to others and was a good friend

*she tried her best, even when it was hard and she wanted to quit

*she was nice (thanks Aiden)

Wondering what would you want to be said about you?

Sweet Princess Mercy Learns to Pray!

Click on the link below

"Princess Mercy's Prayers www.overthemoonwithjoy.blogspot.com"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

Resolutions for a New Year:

As my birthday came on Saturday and God showed me in so many ways of how loved I am, I decided that instead of waiting for a new year to revamp me, I am going to begin now.

Now, as you know, many times we make resolutions at the first of the new year, only to have tossed them aside by week two. What will be the difference with my birthday~

*Another Year Given~Resolutions?*

Well, these will be handed over to God and I will allow the Holy Spirit to begin to work the needed changes as I submit it to Him.

What is on my heart is from the Bible. These things that need to be worked on, as the Lord says should show more and more in my life as I mature.

The ones that I think I've been asked to work on, with God's help are:

patience, kindness, self-control, and gentleness.

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

Becoming more thoughtful towards others, particularly my Knight

Working on a gentler quieter spirit, particularly in homeschooling my children

Which means asking God for a greater level of patience (a dangerous thing to pray for!)

Working on opening my home more often in hospitality

Asking the Holy Spirit for more opportunities to lead others to Him

Praying with others, wherever I may be, when God gives me a nudge

Not yelling at my children to get their obedience, but using other means of discipline to teach them correctly

Getting over my fears, so that I can live in the freedom God intended for me to minister in

Prayer Request Sunday

Hello cherished friends and friends to be!

Guess what today is in my world? If you guessed it is Prayer Request Sunday, well then you are right! Please leave me a comment or send me a private email and I will pray for you this week.

Prayer is a wonderful way of communication with our God-it connects our hearts to His!

Jesus is sitting beside the Father in heaven, waiting to hear our prayers so He can intercede for us...come on let's go to Him together!

What's on your heart friend?

Hey, I have some *resolutions* to share with you tomorrow...

God has given me another year and I have decided instead of waiting for a new calender year to refocus some areas of my life...that my birthday is a great benchmark for making some wanted changes.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Thanking God for another year to serve Him!

Thank you Lord for the breath within me, let me use it fully and wisely this year,

in Jesus' name amen.

And The Orphan Dolls are on the move...crying while I read this journal post on what God is doing with them.

www.orphandoll.com

Toys from the Attic

As we cleaned out the attic to make another bedroom for our ever growing brood...we came across a large box of Fisherprice toys.

What a fun way to spend part of our homeschooling day.

*My class* set up the little school house and began playing school. As you can see it is a pretty good size homeschool class!

One of the greatest things about homeschooling is that you get to choose how you want to learn on any given day. Sometimes play is the best learning tool, regardless of age.

Have you made time to play lately?

Motorcycle Babe

How We Eat a Lolli

Some in our house,

thinks eating a Lollipop is a 2 handed job.

Surely it can't slip out if we hold it in with our other index finger.

Smart girl!

Sewing Seeds...update for Chile!

Thank you, all who jumped into Randi's, Sewing Seed's project for Temuco, Chile.

We gathered 43 beautiful skirts for the Mapuche Indians! So many beautiful colors. The mission team left yesterday and will be passing them out sometime in the next week. I am praying the lovely skirts will be a blessing poured out and overflowing!

Thank you so much for being a blessing-and using your time and talents for the Kingdom!

Prayer Request Sunday

Welcome to Prayer Request Sunday!

Hope you popped over to not only to say, *Hi*~ but to ask for prayer.

I'd LOVE to pray for you this week! Just drop me a comment or send me a private email and I will blanket you in prayer. How good will it be that we join together and come before God with your needs.

God is so good!

Love you.. Kimmie

Pirate Hearts'

You want to know how I get my kids to eat beets?

I tell them they are pirate hearts'...

what can I tell you I am raising a twisted bunch of kids...

They fight for them now.

Hmmm, personally I think they are just like candy, of course fresh is better. When I am feeling better, I will grab a couple of bunches from the farm stand and we will enjoy fresh pirate hearts'!

I wonder if they taste different than the canned variety?