Today's Happy Moments

a minute with a friend

an hour with my sister and brother

eating gummy butterflies with my little boy

cup of coffee with cream

spinach and sprout salad with avodaco

a haircut

(and then she wouldn't let me pay!)

a Psalm

kisses

phone call from a friend

sprouted grain toast with butter and three citrus marmalade~yum!

pure cold glass of water

listening to the quacks

the last load of laundry in the washer

To be happy, one must be aware.

Happiness is not a thing you can cut off by the yard or measure in chunks.  It is a matter of moments when you suddenly know that this moment is special.  A few such moments are enough for a long time.  The trouble with most of us, it seems to me, is that we chase happiness so hard that when we find it, we have already rushed on looking for more.  The truly happy person is one who realizes the happiness of that moment, or that hour.  ~~ Gladys Taber

Spiritual Disciplines

"And excercise thyself rather unto godliness." I Timothy 4:7b

I'm reading, once again, Spritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney.  I first read the book two and a half years ago.  I didn't make it all the way through it then, but what I read was so worth it.  Later, I picked it up again, re-read and again benefited but did not complete the book.  Tonight all is quiet in my home and I've yet again read the first chapter.  I've been blessed once again.

God's grace simply amazes me over and over again.  To think that he continues to love me as I continue to falter and fail, never ceases to put me in awe!  All because of Jesus and his blood that covers me.

What do I want out of my life?  Am I daily moving toward that goal.  Am I the person I want to be?  Who am I?  I've been pondering these questions heavily lately.  And God has been so good to give me peace, rest and answers.  At the very top, most of all, I want to be like Jesus.

I want to journal here what I learn as I plow through the Spiritual Disciplines book.  The following quotes come from the first chapter of the book.

Tom Landry, coach of the Dallas Cowboys football team for most of three decades, said, "The job of a football coach is to make men do what they don't want to do in order to achieve what they've always wanted to be."  In much the same way, Christians are called to make themselves do something they would not naturally do--pursue the Spiritual Disciplines--in order to become what they've always wanted to be, that is, like Jesus Christ.

Discipline without direction is drudgery.  

(For me vision is key!  Vision will keep me going when I've run out of energy.  It gives hope!  Sunday's sermon was so good.  I Chronicles 4:10, "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!  And God granted him that which he requested.")

The Spiritual Disciples are the God-given menas we are to use in the Spirit-filled pusuit of Godliness.

(In this book he covers: Bible intake, prayer, worship, evangelism, service, stewardship, fasting, selence and solitude, journaling, and learning.  But he also mentions that there are many more such as: confession, accountablitiy, simplicity, submission, spiritual direction, celebration, affirmation, sacrifice, and "watching". )

Godly people are disciplined people.

Learning and following involve discipline, for those who only learn accidentally and follow incidentally are not true disciples.

He says of many Christians, "They have dabbled in everything but disciplined themselves in nothing.

(Ouch!!!)

I've never read anything by William Barclay but Donald Whitney quotes him as saying, "Nothing was ever achieved without discipline:.."  Barclay goes on to talk of Coleridge and says of him, "He lost himself in visions of work to be done, that always remained to be done." (This is why it is best that my life remains simple.  My mind can easily become overwhelmed and I can become almost paralyed as to what to do next.  Simplicity brings me clarity of thought and a calm that I cherish.)  Barclay also said, "No one ever reached any eminence, and no one having reached it ever maintained it, without discipline."

"Freedom and discipline have come to be regarded as mutually exclusive, when in fact freedom is not at all the oppostie, but the final reward, of discipline." ~ Elizabeth Elliot

The Two Became One

Promises

Vows

A Covenant made to God between man and woman

Hope

Love

Faith

Trust

Loyalty

Happiness

Joy

Peace

Dreams

Bittersweet moments

Tears

 Smiles

Laughter

Energy

Worship

Beauty

Friends

Family

Purity

Pride

Giving

Recieving

Protection

Grace

All wrapped into one evening that promises to last a lifetime.

God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.
That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.
Psalm 67:1,2

Light=Beauty

This is one of my favortie times of the day, when the first rays of sunshine make it into my living room.
I love sunshine.
I love the shadows it casts, the way it makes the ordinary, extra-ordinary.
I love the hope that it brings to my heart, the reminder that His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness.

I ran outside in my bare feet to take this photo. From my back deck, the row of cedar trees were in my way. I love running in the grass in my bare feet. It makes me feel *alive*. Today, though, I soon felt *frozen*. :) Aw, well, just a good little boost for my immune system.

Today is the beginning of days of family and friends. We do our last preparations this morning and by this evening we will be basking in the fellowship of many with whom God has so blessed us! We are counting our blessing and always right there at the top is the incredible families the Lord has placed us in, the family we have created, our close church family, and the many friends we hold dear. God is good.
I love reflecting on the gift He gave us so many years ago. And also anticipating the coming of that Gift once again.

Precious

I'm so thankful for this precious little girl that the Lord has entrusted to my brother and sister-in-law. I'm counting the days until I get to hold her, breath in that baby smell, and just marvel at the goodness of God right before my eyes. Soon.....

And I still pray that the Lord will enable me to bring another life into this world. My heart has that yearning. My children are hoping. My husband and I dream.....

I'm not wasting any time pining away over what I "want". I'm so blessed with what God has already given me. A little boy who calls manger scenes "Angel barns". :) A little girl whose heart for giving is keeping her quite busy these days. An 11 year old whose gentle and quiet spirit cause me to stop and ponder. And a young man so full of ambition and life. My husband and I are counting our blessings as we all pray for more.

Shaken

My body shakes and my mind races as I stare helplessly at this poor man, bruised, bleeding, and broken. He seems so helpless. Men are so pitiful when everything is stripped away and they have nothing to lean on, they're left without all their props. I suppose they are no more in need of sympathy than a woman in the same situation but to me a man on verge of crying because of despair is almost more than my heart can bear to see.

The rain continues, slower now but still there as I stand on the side of the road with this man I've never met, his world just came crashing down around him, literally. He's taken a hard hit to some vital organs and glass is embedded across the back of his neck. There is blood, but not so much that it is of any immediate danger. It's his groans of despair that tear at my heart. And my helplessness amazes me.

And I'm reminded how fragile life is, how weak our flesh is, and how thankful I am to know what my eternity holds all because of the Son of Man who was bruised, bleeding and broken for me! I wonder if this man I'm standing with knows my Jesus. I feebly offer to pray for him and he is thankful.

Let's keep it real

Prices continue to rise but we can still keep it real. That's my goal. And I believe it to be very possible.

Local Nourishment has a great post on this, full of links to give you more ideas. It can be done! And then I want to point you to Storybook Woods who will show you how to do it with class!!! I'll be making her Roasted-Garlic Pumpkin Humus, only I don't have pumpkin. I really don't think it will be a problem. I'll just roast some squash! We all like humus, but my oldest has a love for the creamy dip! And all that garlic will be good for him as he's trying to recover from the flu.

Last night we had two large homemade pizzas that were, oh, so yummy! They only cost us $4.50. That's 75 cents a person. We might just have to implement a regular pizza night!

A new Bible verse

While putting Zeke down for his nap, he was reciting some of Bible verses for me. He recited his new one this way...."All we like sheep, have gone to the fair." :)

Food Budget Inspiration

I'm simply out perusing blogs trying to find some new ideas and motivation to keep the grocery budget in check. I thought I'd share them with anyone who might be reading here. And this post will serve as a reference for me.

I enter a state of shock every time I walk into a grocery store. I guess its just my personality. I never get over it. I'm sorely missing my garden vegetables! I didn't realize how much they were saving me. Which reminds me, I need to get out there and plant a bunch of garlic.

30 Bucks a Week This lady appears to be an excellent cook. I'm not seeing any "cheap" food here, lots of interest and variety using whole foods.

I like her cookbook list which features books by Mark Bittman and Alice Waters.

Sugar Crafter I'll show this to my husband and I'll just bet I'll be getting a Pumpkin Spice Latte! Sounds so yum!

TasteSpotting Just another new-to-me food blog. So many options!

Seven Spoons Oh, so many good looking recipes and cookbooks! The chutney looks incredibly scrumptious and the brussel sprouts call my name.

While browsing around I ran into a lot of articles that I remember reading a few years back about the Food Stamp Challenge. Basicly, people spent a dollar a meal per person. Even politicians gave this a try. Actually, this is quite standard in our home. This is my goal. I know other moms who spend less than this. I was visiting with one just yesterday. She has 3 times the children I do (Yes, that's 12 children that she is blessed with!) and she was sharing some of her techniques for staying within a budget.

After my little tour I have new inspiration. I'll continue to cook real food on a budget, always trying new recipes and using what is available to us at the time. I'm off to enjoy a hot cup of tea while I read aloud. Maybe a latte this weekend.....

The Charm of Simple Things

My side yard in the morning.

A sweet friend game me this book. She's the kind of friend you can never out give. She is constantly doing so much that it is impossible to "pay her back". She's a mentor to me, a real live mentor. What a blessing! In my homeschooling journey most of my mentors have been online friendships. Women, who I've never met, except at my keyboard, who have taken the time to invest in my life. I'll be forever grateful to those few who have shared their wisdom with me. And now God has blessed me with an "older woman" to encourage, admonish, and, yes, correct me!

My mom has always been there for me. I can't even begin to describe all the ways she has invested in my life. And I realize more every day the heritage that I have been given. It's in me. It's who I am, because of all the hours that she and my dad spent with me. It comes from the home she built for us, the food we cooked together, the clothes she sewed for us, the games we played together. And the list goes on and on. Some things are just part of my fiber. I don't remember learning them. But now I have friends who are learning these things as adults, I don't mean cooking and cleaning, I mean all the lessons my mom taught me as we were cooking, cleaning and playing, just going about our every day lives. And then I realize so much has been given to me by my parents. The life we lived together was a simple life! And I'm so glad.

I found several quotes in book The Charm of Simple Things that I want to take note of.

"You will be surprised by how much of an adventure can enter into ordinary things."
Laura Ingalls Wilder

"Most of us, if we are honest with ourselves, will admit that we live too fast, too erratically, too crudely, and too thoughtlessly. The remedy or antidote for all of this is to live gently."
W. Phillip Keller
Taming Tension

"Simplicity is not just another interior design option. It is also one of the great expressions of Christian faith. Simplicity is devoting our lives to one thing and one thing only--to loving the Lord our God with our whole being and our neighbors as ourselves."
Harriet Crosby
A Place Called Home

Zeke was washing up some dishes tonight, greatly enjoying himself. For some reason when you are little bubbles and water is enough to make doing dishes a delight! He was kind of talking to himself and I could hear in the next room. "You know how long this is going to take me? Years to get this done, all done."
Hmmm...that's how I feel some days. :)

I realize the picture has nothing to do with my post, but I like it anyway.

Kailee Grace

Here she is so fresh from Above!

My baby brother's first baby!

Duties~our joy

No unread emails in your It is wholly impossible to live according to Divine order, and to make a proper application of heavenly principles, as long as the necessary duties which each day brings seem only like a burden grievous to be borne. Not till we are ready to throw our very life's love into the troublesome little things can we be really faithful in that which is least and faithful also in much. Every day that dawns brings something to do, which can never be done as well again. We should, therefore, try to do it ungrudgingly and cheerfully. It is the Lord's own work, which He has given us as surely as He gives us daily bread. We should thank Him for it with all our hearts, as much as for any other gift. It was designed to be our life, our happiness. Instead of shirking it or hurrying over it, we should put our whole heart and soul into it. --James Reed

This quote really blesses my heart, speaks to me. And when I live this way I'm truly content and happy. I feel I experience true joy. I'd much rather enjoy the simple joys of the day to day than live to be ready for the next big adventure. This week (so far) has been one of those weeks. It's a "Grace Week" after being back to our studies for 7 weeks already!. We are still learning a lot but just not while doing our normal lesson routine. We've done extra cleaning, some yard work, odd jobs for the neighbor, etc. Today we made a huge pot of pear butter and also a quart of yummy pear syrup. This afternoon we whipped up a batch of no-bake cookies and decorated a container so that we can deliver them to our neighbor later this evening. Oh, and we've flown kites! It's been perfect weather for successful kite flying and I'm so glad we've taken the time to enjoy it.

I first read this quote in an article in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Today it appeared in my inbox from Crosswalk.

Gratitude List ~ The Thousand Gifts

#21 ~ chocolate (I was blessed to find these chocolates for only $1.60. All I can say is they do me much good!)
#22 ~ Kailee Grace, she's here, with us, on this earth, healthy and whole!

#23 ~ my little brother, he's a wonderful man and I'm so proud of him. He'll make an awesome father!

#24 ~ my friend who teaches my children art ~ She certainly inspired them this week!

#25 ~ soil ~ I love soil, the texture, the scent, the life it holds.

#26 ~ Indian spices, make simple food so very yummy!

#27 ~ The Arts, I'm by no means educated in them, but every little bit that I learn enriches my life and opens up new avenues of joy.

Her Angel

A little angel today did leave her
The little angel her body held
In this flesh, she'll not hold him
Yet he's held by the One who's holding her.

O sweet Jesus, come and bless her
Giver her body grace to heal
May her Spirit soar to meet you
That her heart may know your rest.

My dear friend lost her baby today. She called only minutes after I was rejoicing with my little brother....he and his wife were leaving for the hospital, a new baby to welcome. I cried. With both phone calls. I'm amazed at the intense emotions my spirit can experience. Oh, how I long to be miles from here to welcome my little niece, Kailee Grace into this world, to hug my brother and sister-in-love, to see the joy in their faces, to hear the sweet sounds of the little baby girl, to smell the heavenly scent of a newborn again. And yet, I'd like to be miles from here in the opposite direction, where I'd hold my friend and we'd cry. Hopes crushed, empty arms aching, little boys and a daddy saddened that one will be missing. And yet we have hope...our God is good. Know what my friend said when I told her my brother and sister were on their way to the hospital?..."Tell her I'll pray with every cramp I have." ....and she will. That's the kind of person she is.....sometimes I think she's really not made for this world. Things don't matter to her...people always do. She and my sister share a bond; they both know what it feels like to have empty arms. I've never experienced the pain of a little life lost. The only pain I feel now is of arms outstretched, reaching, longing to touch those that I love.

Gratitude List ~ The Thousand Gifts

#11 ~bright red, perfectly fresh beets raised by my daddy :)

#12 ~ healthy, active, happy children

#13 ~ ties to our history

#14 ~ a very kind, wise dentist

#15 ~ field trips

#16 ~ laughter

#17 ~ a new friend, I think probably a soul mate

#18 ~ an old fashioned snail mail letter

#19 ~ an abundance of old books

#20 ~ a new book

Town Hall Meeting

We enjoyed a 3 hour Town Hall Meeting this morning. I'm a terrible person to estimate how many people attended but I would say between 300-500??? It was well attended considering it was held at 8:30 a.m. when most people have to be at work. Rep. John Boozman took time to answer each question and was considerate of each person who spoke. Afterwards, he was kind enough to speak with my children. When my son told him that we pray for him often, he said, "That is the best gift a person could give me." During the meeting his wife sat right behind us and afterward we were able to visit a bit with her, a sweet, dear lady that I should pray for more often, also!

Today, I thank God I'm an American, still able to freely speak! May God have mercy on our land.

America Frugal Housewife

I found the cookbook Old Sturbridge Village Cookbook at the library and found it quite interesting. It is a reprint/re-do for modern times of the cook book The American Frugal Housewife first written in 1829 by Lydia Maria Child. There is a lot of history bound up in this little book. But I really love the opening quote and went to bed pondering how I could benefit my household if I worked to apply it more diligently.

"The true economy of housekeeping is simply the art of gathering up all the fragments, so that nothing be lost."

The original book gave advice on efficiently running the home, which I wish were included in this book. Instead this book just focuses on the recipes.

I was thinking of our simple supper last night, which really did not require a ton of food, yet was nutritious and delicious. We had chicken breast with a simple stir-fry containing one Japanese eggplant, an orange and red bell pepper, 4 small okra, and a handful of chopped sweet onion. This made up plenty of vegetables for our family of 6, with just enough left over for someone's lunch today. That's not a ton of food and I can probably easily get that from my garden every day for the next month.....just thinking.

I realize many are having tough financial times right now. But it seems there is still so much waste. We've tightened our belt in a few areas but we still aren't using every morsel......if I don't get the produce preserved that is setting in my kitchen, it won't mean that we'll go without a meal tomorrow. Times don't appear to be like they were during the Depression, (thankfully).