A Jar of Beauty

One of my favorite hostess gifts to give is a wide-mouth canning jar filled with flowers from the garden or store - sometimes with a ribbon around the middle, sometimes without. This lovely arrangement was given to me by a friend I saw yesterday that's filled with flowers from her gardens. It sure makes the kitchen where it now sits brighter -

Home

"Home - it's such a beautiful word! It's the center of our lives, the place that holds us with invisible strings of love within its walls. Home is the place where the delectable smells and tastes of "my favorite food" linger; where the comfort and beauty of "my room" and "my bed" can be enjoyed; where "my dreams" are inspired and begin to grow; where bedtime routines, prayers, and blessings give comfort; where the intimacy of deep relationships - unconditional love, grace, forgiveness, encouragement, unselfishness, laughter, and memories - is shared with people who have made us a priority in their lives. It's where appetites for favorite music, movies, books, games, art, and traditions are shaped from infancy on up.

Home is a haven from a world that is swimming with challenges and difficulty. It is a school where one learns how precious life is intended to be. It provides the context of learning to know and love my Creator, the beauty of the world he made, and his Word, which guides me. And it is the environment where direction and purpose and values are passed from generation to generation, protecting and preserving all that is precious in life.

The task of building our home into places of beauty and life that will feed the hearts, souls, and minds of our children is the most comprehensive task to which God has called us as mothers. We are called quite literally to be "home makers" - to plan and shape a home environment that provides our families with both a safe resting place and a launching pad for everything they do in the world."

-- From "The Mission of Motherhood - Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity" by Sally Clarkson

Puddin'

Every summer my grandfather, sister and I would set out into the woods behind our home to pick wild raspberries. After we had a few buckets full, we presented them to my grandmother who would turn them into raspberry puddin'. I always loved (and still do!) how the puddin' turns the milk we pour over it a lovely shade of lavendar. In my grandmother's recipe below, you'll see that the puddin' can be made with raspberries or cherries which is pictured above - I made raspberry last week. : )

Raspberry or Cherry Puddin'
1 egg
3/4 C. sugar
1 tabl. melted butter
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 C. sour milk (make sour milk by placing 1 tabl. of vinegar in your 1 C. measure and adding enough milk to make 1 cup)
2 C. flour
Beat egg and then add sugar. Mix well and stir in melted butter. Dissolve baking soda in the sour milk, then add milk to batter alternating with flour. Fold in 1 qt. of raspberries or pitted cherries. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan and bake for 45 minutes at 350. (You don't need to use a mixer for this recipe - just beat it up by hand.)

How to Stay Out of the Lion's Mouth

(Photo by Eli)

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

-- II Peter 5:8-11

I was nearly killed when the lion tried to devour me. But God pulled me from the mouth of the lion and tended to my wounds.

How not to be eaten again?

* vs. 8 - Be sober/be vigilant - PAY ATTENTION! Remember that the roaring lion is not a little pussycat to be played with. He seeks to devour me. My heart and mind need to be focused and looking for Truth, sorting out lies.

* vs. 9 - Resist him - Turn from evil quickly. Don't entertain the snake/lion even for a moment (Genesis 3). DON'T PLAY WITH SIN!

* vs. 9 - Remain steadfast in the faith - Stay near Christ, close to the Word, prayer/reading/studying/memorizing faithfully and diligently every day for my own protecton. It's SO much easier to sin if I am not diligent in this!

* vs. 10 - Remember that the God of all grace is far mightier than the roaring lion. God has Satan on a leash. Trust in God's strength/peace/provision/protection. Remember that God WILL help me - I can't do it on my own strength but must walk in obedience to Him.

Abba, help me to be sober, resistant, and steadfast. Help me to remember Your great might, strength and wisdom. Help me to stay out of the lion's mouth.

Protecting Our Sons

"The devil does not have to defeat us to steal our boys. All he has to do is distract us from protecting our sons.

If a police officer came to your door and warned you that your neighbor's boys had just been mugged and then murdered, you would be on the lookout for anything that might let that enemy in your home or near your loved ones.

God warns in His Word that there is an enemy after us, and he is out to steal, kill, and destroy us and our boys. If we are not careful, we will aid him in his mission. This is too often accomplished through what we allow our sons to read, watch, and listen to.

The devil uses many venues to destroy boys' minds, morals, and manhood. The more mindless entertainment they take in, the less capable they are of distinguishing right from wrong and good from evil.

Can you imagine sending soldiers into battle unarmed? They would be the laughingstock of the military and decimated by their enemies.

Our homes need to be places of refuge where our sons can find peace for their young minds, protection for their hearts, and training to prepare them for the mental and physical battles they will have to fight every time they exit our homes. Consider these years their training ground for the giants they will fight to protect their own families someday."

-- From "Preparing Him for the Other Woman - A Mother's Guide to Raising Her Son to Love a Wife and Lead a Family" by Sheri Rose Shepherd

Corning Museum of Glass

One of the places we visited while away was the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York. If you are ever in the vicinity of Corning, make sure to drop in and enjoy this art, science and history musuem combined! There are hallways of glass sculptures, galleries of ancient glass artifacts and a big area of hands-on science exhibits. We enjoyed various demonstrations and shows involving glassblowing, the science of glass and how different types of glass break. Who knew glass could be so interesting?! Visit www.cmog.org for more info.

Raspberries

We picked the first raspberries this morning. This bowlful is destined to become our supper for the evening - raspberry shortcake . . .

Home Again, Home Again

. . . from a week at the cabin. A great time was had by all, but there's no place like home! More tomorrow -

A Blogging Break

Taking a break - be back in a week or so . . .

A Hospitality Tip

(Photo by Eli)

"Under the fast-paced pressure that confronts all of us, it is sometimes better to have friends over for dessert than to wait to have them for dinner and then never do it. Sometimes, too, particularly when it is desirable to invite a larger group, or where the act of hospitaity is geared toward introducing new people to each other, a shorter time of dessert and coffee may be more enjoyable for everyone involved. If the group is small, this may be a good time to make a well-tested, but more complicated dessert. Dishes of nuts and candy, or even cheese crackers, scattered around the house will add to the feeling of warmth and welcome."

-- From "The Welcoming Hearth - Your Home Can Be A Safe Place of Warmth and Renewal" by Elizabeth R. Skoglund

In The Garden

(Photo by Eli)

As I'm not one for summer heat, I have taken to my father-in-law's habit of working in the garden as the sun comes up. And I am discovering his secrets. Actually, he didn't keep the benefits of gardening in the morning a secret. He expounded on them frequently. I listened then, now I'm learning. A sweet morning in the garden allows time to listen to birdsong, practice a memory verse, get some exercise, mentally wrestle with a heart issue, and talk with the Lord.

As I was picking peas this morning, I realized that there's more growing in the garden than vegetables - my soul is growing, too.

Strawberry Smash

A quick and easy drink for this time of year and a great way to use up some strawberries -

Puree 2 cups of quartered strawberries in the blender with 1 cup of orange juice until smooth. Pour into a pitcher and add 2 cups of diet OR regular lemon-lime flavored soda. Stir and serve over ice.

Sovereignty of God

(Photo by Eli)

"Every time you love your enemy, you are resting in the sovereignty of God. Every time you speak lovingly and softly in the face of someone else's anger, you are choosing to rest in the sovereignty of God. Every time you resist the temptation to win an argument at all costs, you are resting in God's sovereignty. Because he rules, nothing you do in obedience to him is ever futile. Your life has meaning and purpose because you are included not only in the plan of the One who rules it all, but also in his family!"

-- From "Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands - People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change" by Paul David Tripp

Orange Delight

This is a delicious little recipe idea that our family has been enjoying over the past few days. It's very simple to put together and is perfect for a quick and refreshing summertime dessert. It would also be very nice to make for company - easy-to-do but elegant-looking! To make Orange Delight, simply alternate layers of vanilla ice cream and orange sherbert in a parfait glass (or other tall, clear glass). Pour a few tablespoons of orange juice over the top and add 2 or 3 mandarin oranges for garnish. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Spiritual Depression

(Photo by Eli)

"I say that we must talk to ourselves instead of allowing "ourselves" to talk to us! Do you realize what that means? I suggest that the main trouble in this whole matter of spiritual depression in a sense is this, that we allow our self to talk to us instead of talking to our self. Am I just trying to be deliberately paradoxical? Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them, but they start talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking. Who is talking to you? Your self is talking to you. Now (the psalmist's) treatment was this; instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself. "Why art thou cast down, O my soul?" he asks. His soul had been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says; "Self, listen for a moment, I will speak to you . . . Why art those cast down? - what business have you to be disquieted? . . . And then you must go on to remind yourself of God, Who he is, and what God is and what God has done, and what God has pledged Himself to do. Then having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man: "I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.""

-- Martin Lloyd -Jones

A Word From Thoreau

(Photo by Eli)

"Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify."

Math Fun

Though the boys have officially finished their math workbooks for the summer, I still encourage them in their math skills with our whiteboard math problems. I recently found the "Giant Book of Math Fun" by Raymond Blum at a book sale. It's filled with various types of fun math problems to get kids thinking. Every few days I choose one that's conducive to being written on a whiteboard and let them have fun with it. Marty usually enjoys figuring out the problem as well. It's been fun AND educational - I heard Marty giving Ben a little talk about algebra the other night in relation to that day's whiteboard problem. Check out library book sales and discount stores for these types of math books - they're usually very inexpensive and make math virtually painless!

What Can YOU Do?

(Photo by Eli)

"Wonder JUST WHAT could YOU DO? Too young? Too old? Too poor? Not qualified - or so you think? Well, beloved! Know that God has called each and every one of us to function in His Body. We are the mouthpieces here on earth for Him. We are the feet for Him. We are the hands here in our community for Him! He has called and equipped each and every one of us to be a part of His Body here on earth! We each have talents, spiritual gifts, natural bents and interests, and experiences that can minister to those that are growing in the Body AND those that need to join the Body of Christ! God needs ALL of us working and functioning properly if His Kingdom - His Way of doing things - will come to earth! He needs for us to be that light that shines in the darkness to bring others to Him. Just go into a dark, dark room . . . Light one candle . . . See what a difference YOU can make right where you are!"

-- From "Homeschooling The Easy Way - Volume Two Reprint Book" by Cindy Rushton (www.cindyrushton.com)