Prayer Request Sunday

Hi dear One's...

Do you have something weighing on your heart and mind that we can lift to God in prayer?  He is waiting (actually He is well aware of your needs, but is just waiting for you to come to Him)...won't you share your burden so we can lift it together to Jesus today?

Praying for you to have courage...remember we are not in this world alone, we have each other and we are called to carry each others burdens.  I'd love to stand with you and believe God together this week.

James 5:16

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

My current list of thanks to God:

111.  For a heart filled with passion for God, even when others can't understand

112.  For 3 week guests (who grew up in Ethiopia with my Princess Sweetness-14)

113.  For Aldi's (grocery store)...boy are the snacks cheap!

114.  For Shakespeare camp for my oldies (Fozzdike, Princess Sunshine, Princess Giggles and her sweet Ethiopian girlfriend Genet).

115. For a unexpected phone call from Becky,

who wants to get together and teach me how to finish a quilt top

I have been wanting to quilt-

i.e. playdate on Monday!!

116. For a few moments to de-dust my dresser

(embarrassing how much fur had accumulated).

117.  For r.a.c.c.o.o.n.s and the joy they bring me 

(unexplainable joy from heaven straight to my heart!)

2 weeks and they move to the woods ;-(

118.  For a Knight who built them a play tower for the master bath

119.  That my Heavenly Father calls me His beloved (because He loves me more than I can even wrap my mind around).

120.  For Saturday mornings to sit at the computer and jot down some of my thoughts to share.

My Current Obsession

Once upon a time there was a girl who was feeling like she needed to be a little creative.  She stumbled upon a new shop, thanks to her Mum, called Restaurant Depot.  This place is filled with wonderful cases upon cases of restaurant supplies, thus my obsession began.

It started rather innocently with a huge box of *juice oranges (Valencia).  Add to that 25 pounds of sugar that disappeared in a weeks time.  

Orange marmalade I love you.  Even if you took me three whole days.  Who knew that marmalade was a three day process?

Day one: slice your oranges thin. (I also used 4 lemons) Soak in water for 24 hours.

Day 2:  Cook the oranges.

Day 3: add sugar -only half of the total amount.  To figure half, first measure your fruit.  The amount of cups of fruit will equal your amount of total sugar used (I am going pectin free in this recipe). Stir occasionally, more as it gets to the boil (burnt jam is yucky!)

Bring to a rolling boil (that you can't stir out).  Boil 5 full minutes.  Add in remaining sugar, 2 tbs. lemon juice and a nice chunk of butter.  Stir, bring to a rolling boil again.  Boil hard for 10 minutes or until your desired firmness.  (you can freeze a saucer or two and drop a few spoons on it to check if it is thick enough yet.  Tip plate to see if it is Jammy enough for your liking).

Ladle into sterile jars (with sterile lids ready).  Wipe jar rims clean with a clean tea towel or paper towel.

Put on lid and ring, tighten to fingertip tightness (which means just tight, not too tight).  Add to a hot water bath (I put a tea towel on the bottom of my huge canning pot, so I can fit more jars in without jar breakage.

Process once boiling is reached for 10 minutes.  Lay out a clean towel for the jars to sit on for the next 24 hours.  Take jars out with a jar gripper, set on towel.  Right away many of the jars PING- or seal.  Leave for 24 hours to cool.  

Check for seal. If didn't seal, use right away.  Store sealed jars in a cool dark place until ready to eat.  

 

As you can see I used old Atlas Ball canning jars.  They say they are not safe to use, and recommend the lids with screw on rims instead. 

However, I am a girl with a vintage soul and when I saw these for $.10 a jar I was on those babies. 

I was counseled by an 80 year old woman who gladly shared 50 years of canning wisdom with me and told me that they are just perfectly safe!  I agree and have 40 new jars full of various jams to prove it.

A Flynderella God Love Story

This is kind of a bug focused week, so hang on while I share my heart (yesterday was ant day).  Today will be fly day, if you will.

It's summer in my end of the world and guess what that means; an excess of flies.   

I detest flies.  

They remind me of filth and just hearing them buzzing about my house, makes me down right crazed.Not that I live in a palace or anything, but I just don't like their presence in my house.  I happily whack at them and ask the kids, if I find a kid with free hands wandering about, if they have time to, "Give a headache to a fly for me." (meaning kill it!) 

So while I was ranting and raving this week about how much I detest flies and who was letting them all in and still managing to constantly watch the door for anyone who might be slow to close it, thus inviting the unwelcomed guests inside our humble abode, more seemed to be arriving.

As many as I gave a massive headache to, more  would arrive.  Why wasn't word getting out that this was not a fly friendly atmosphere? 

As I was grumbling under my breath I heard God whisper, "I wish you hated sin as much as you hate these flies I keep sending to you."  

OUCH!

A simple reminder of priorities and where I am focusing my hatred.  Somehow I had gotten out of whack with my perspective of what I should be detesting.

How often am I guilty of this?  Too often I am sure.  Where I embrace sin, instead of developing a plan of attack to 'give it a headache' in my life (kill it/get it out!!)  Sin has a way of making itself comfortable, and we begin to embrace it instead of kicking it out on its fat ole' behind.

As soon as I heard I told God I was sorry.  How right He was over my attitude toward sin.

Then do you know what God did? 

He reminded me how I kinda was like this fly.

  I tend to carry the "filth"  (SIN: wrong doing)  around too.  And though I never saw myself like these miserable flies, we were more alike than I could have imagined.  

Now God was not trying to kill every ounce of my self esteem, trying to make me walk around with my head downcast or anything.  Because in the next breath He showed me that I am more like the Cinderella (or Flynderella if you will) of flies.

As I come to Him with all of my filth (sins), He forgives me as I confess them (yes, sometimes He needs to remind me as they have become a little to welcome in my life).  He cleanses me, washes away all the filth and dresses me up in what He calls 'robes of righteousness.'  Cinderella called this her ballgown.  Imagine me, all fancied up by God's hand, taking away my old nasty rags and instead putting on me an outfit that far surpasses anything that I could give myself. 

Can you see me (a giant Mama fly) all dressed up in a beautiful white robe made and given to me by God because He has forgiven me and loves me.

Imagine that for you too.  

I will never look at those nasty flies the same, now perhaps as I bring them to their little fly knees, there will be a smirk on my face, in remembrance of what God showed me today.

What We were Told...Lies I tell YOU!

I was having a conversation a few days back, as I was carefully crossing off the zillions of accumulating errands that needed to be tended to,with my daughter Princess Sweetness (14) and Princess Giggles (12).My fourteen year old was adopted a bit over a year ago from Ethiopia, Africa.  

Somehow we got on the subject of eating(had we been gone so long that we were beginning to waste away??) and we began to talk about weird things people eat.She began to laugh and then to whisper to her sister Princess Sunshine. I asked what they were whispering about.
Princess Sunshine burst into giggles. 

She said that Princess Sweetness said she was told back when she lived in Africa, that Americans ate ants. Princess Sunshine just couldn't believe that someone would have told her that.  But Princess Sweetness with the seriousness that only comes from that sweet Ethiopian princess' face, said,

"Yes they did.  And I believed them. 

I was worried that when you adopted me that I would have to eat ants." 

I began to laugh, partly in thinking of how I could have possibly gotten her to eat an ant (though we seem to have an excess of them this year),as I can't even get her to eat breakfast cereal

(yes, I am still making coffeecake and muffins
for every breakfast, BIG SIGH). 

But also...

because as a girl my parents told me that same lie about people in Africa.

  They told me they ate ants and that they were like a snack on a regular basis for them. 

I was totally grossed out.

I shared with my Ethiopian daughter that I had been told the same thing about Africans. 

She was appalled.

How could anyone think that she would snack on ants.

Not saying that some people don't do this, just saying that people are funny

and we tell our kids some pretty weird things.

I love it when I learn something new about my daughter's life prior to her coming to our home.  I love to hear about her Ethiopian culture and the things that stand out as significant in her mind. Adoption, it is a wonderful adventure.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to find out the truth about who is not eating ants...

might have to do some homeschool research this year to see who actually is eating those ants, so as to set the record right once and for all.

Prayer Request Sunday

Bless your heart, would you like prayer this week?  

 Let me know what we can believe God for together!

Remember, there is nothing too small (or too big) to take before God.

Beauty in Simplicity

 Jeremiah 33:3

"Call to Me 

and  I will answer you 

and tell you great and unsearchable things

that you do not know."

Line your heart and life up to God and things become suddenly clear. 

Confess your sins (wrong doings) and humble yourself,

instantly this puts you in the pathway of God. 

It allows you to hear Him. 

It allows you to clear the other voices out of your head,

that would block out His beautiful voice from your ears.

God's ways are simple. 

For those who would follow Him, 

the path is clear and understanding comes.

How are you doing today? 

Do you know Him? 

Would you like to?  

What is your relationship like with your Heavenly Father?  

Simplicity ~the requirement is just to call to Him. 

It is never the wrong time to call to Him if it is done in faith.

"I will answer you..." that is His part. 

Jesus,

His life, His death, His resurrection is the way we can connect to our Holy Father. 

Call to God through the name of His only Son Jesus.  

Then listen ...

can't wait to hear what He tells you!

Up to my EYEBALLS in...

jam...

busy, busy, 

hot and busy.

Well, some of us at my house...

Tobin is a bit on the lazy side these hot summer days.

He thought it better to take a nap in the strawberry crate,

than to help me core them and get them into the pot.

I wonder who is smarter, him or me?

So far I think we have about 40 pints of jam...

wondering if that will make us through the winter or not?

Feeling Fabulous?

Reasons Why You Should Feel Fabulous Today:

1.  It's Monday

2.  God made you- you are wonderfully and beautifully made!

3.  It's summer (well, in our part of the world)

4.  You are a gift from God

5.  I am happy to have you for a friend

6.  You are younger than you will be next week!

7.  You are a blessing to others

8.  If you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior,

your life is redeemed by His precious blood!

 9.  New opportunities await you today

10.  Why waste another day feeling

anything but fabulous!

My Apologies

 

 *(the day they decided to remove all toilet paper from the roll)

 

 (the crate that stays open...but houses leaves, sticks and such for snacks)

*Skippyjon got some blue nail polish on his ear,
to help me keep him and his sister apart during bottle feeding.
I couldn't tell them apart without this little bit of help.

nap time!

*eating a fish

My life became very busy since MAY, when God gifted me with the triplets.  The triplets have about 4 weeks until release.  They are ready, I am not sure I am.  They have embedded themselves into my heart (and my Knight's too).  Oh, how we love them.  

Though they are MUCH extra work, considering they are living in my master bathroom full-time.  We had planned on building them an enclosure between the house and barn, but somehow we all became used to having them in the house and decided to just keep them there until release day.  

They have been eating all kinds of things they will eat in the wild~ crickets, worms, slugs, snails, acorns, all kinds of wild nuts, minnows, small fish...yup, my bathroom is quite the habitat.  And the triplets are fat and happy, just the way I like them best.

Hope to find more time to share my life, also I am working on our profile (photo album) for our current adoption.  Fun, but lots of time in the evening.  This mama is tired at days end for sure.

Hope you are well and that you too are full with joy and life.  Please drop me a note and let me know how your summer is going!

Love  to you all my sweet friends!

Welcome to Prayer Request Sunday!

Would you like to join hearts and pray about something this week?  

Has God answered prayer about anything we've joined hearts on...

please share...

as it will encourage all of us

and glorify the One who hears and answers our requests!

Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything, by prayer and petition

with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Psalm 20:5

We will shout for joy when you are victorious

and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the LORD grant all your requests. 

Feasting on His Goodness!

My journal of thanks~

101.  For my girlfriend Cyndee who also is a doctor, 

who quickly eased my mind about the scratches

Princess Mercy has on her face. 

(Cyndee also has dark skin and is my go to girl 

when I have any questions pertaining to my African daughters!)
*her scratches happened months ago...but are still very dark and noticable...Cyndee is going to a doctor's conference in 2 weeks and is taking photos of my baby with her to show every  dermatologist of color that she can find ;-)

102.  For my time in the Word (reading the Bible Chronologically)...

2 Kings is amazing!

103.  For an invite to my girlfriend Michele's lake house-

the kids had a blast swimming and playing in the lake.

104.  That King Meemer only has a few days left of his 

stitches having to stay out of the water

105.  That I have at least 105 things to be thankful for!

106.  For my (adoption) social worker 

who gave me her home phone number

  so she can help me whenever she can (sigh, isn't God good!)

107.  For finding My Publisher!...
 so I can make the profile book to show potential birth mothers 
(think scrapbook of our testimony)

108.  For two ladies at church who prayed over me last weekend 
(as I was under fear in making an album to showcase us-
the fear was over the fact that I am now an *older* mama)

109.  For hydrangea's in white, pinkish-lavender and ocean blue
that are blooming in my garden prolifically 


110.  For a date night out with some other couples 
on Thursday night...
good food and great fellowship
(and for daughter's who can babysit
for the party of all the children who are hanging out together at my house!)


Hey...what are you thankful for?

Sewing Toys with Fleece

Fleece is easy to sew with.  

It behaves nicely, it requires little pinning (if any) and allows you to create as you go!

My idea of a good time with my sewing machine.  

Fleece is often on sale over the summer.  This is the time I stock up, as each
Christmas my 8 children get a new creature filled with stuffing and dried lavender to sleep with.  

If you've never sewed, this is a great way to start.

Cut your fabric slightly larger than you want your finished project to be. Keep your shape simple (think large kidney bean shape).

You will need:

fleece-thread-scrap fabric (optional)

1/4 or 1/2 inch extra on each piece for sewing (seam allowance)

2 main body pieces (head and body are attached-think kidney shape)

4 ears (if you want ears)

4 arms (make sure they are cut wide enough to turn and stuff!)

4 legs (wide enough to turn and stuff)

  I take the front body piece and apply eyes, face and such first-stitching them on with decorative stitches.  If I am sewing anything on to the ears or on to paws(think pads), I do this before I sew these body parts on to the creatures main body. 

Once your are *faced* or decorated, then you can sew all your parts together.  Sew ears and paws (right sides together), then attach them (you can use pins if it makes it easier for you).  Turn them right side out.  Stuff them lightly.  Attach to front of main body (faced part).  I pin the part that hasn't been stuffed (the opening) to the body edge and carefully position the parts, so that I don't sew them down as I stitch around the body to join them.

 Place arms and legs on to faced body, make sure you are only sewing about a 1/4 inch of opening of each arm/leg/ear.  Lay other (back part of main body) over faced body. 

Sew all the way around, leaving an opening to turn and stuff main body (at least a 4 inch opening is recommended).  

Stuff (lavender is lovely). 

Hand sew up remaining hole.

Hug and enjoy...or give it to someone you know will!