Frosted Banana Bars

Eli made this recipe a few weeks ago from his VBS cookbook. They turned out delicious, and he was very tickled at his success in the kitchen!

Frosted Banana Bars

1/2 C. butter, softened
2 C. sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 C. mashed bananas
1 tsp. vanilla
2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, bananas and vanilla. Combine the flour, soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased jelly roll pan (or for a cake instead of bars, into a 9x13 pan). Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes (or slightly longer for a cake). Cool and frost. The original recipe called for Cream Cheese Frosting, but we made a white Decorating Frosting. Just about any frosting would probably be good on this recipe!

Shades of Blue Book Review

A friend and neighbor was deeply touched when she read this book and wanted to share it with me to get my reaction. Shades of Blue draws you in within the first few pages. It is the story of two people (and those they love) whose lives are rocked with the pain and consequences of abortion. It is a book that shows the healing and peace that can be found through God's forgiveness, and the lengths to which the main character goes to make things right is inspiring and convicting. The author handles this difficult topic with compassion, grace and honesty. It is definitely "life-changing" fiction. (You'll need a box of Kleenex for this one.)

Vanilla Tea & Lemon Scones

Last week was busier than usual - some weeks just seem to turn out that way. With catching up from our mountain get-away, the official start of a new school year, a mentor meeting, and an end-of-the-summer picnic with old friends, my calendar was hopping. And then throw in a spontaneous afternoon chat with a neighbor (during a spontaneous earthquake!), a surprise visit from a favorite aunt, and an unexpected morning of yard saling with my husband, we had quite the week!

But smack dab in the middle was a quiet place provided by a friend. For several hours on Wednesday afternoon, she lavished classical music, good conversation and tea and scones on me. A lovely combination that ministered to my heart and gave me refreshment and renewed energy to pour out to others. Isn't that just how it's supposed to be? Taking care of one another so that we can take care of one another . . .



(Thanks again, Candy, for a sweet afternoon. And BTW, I bought a bottle of that Natural Bliss Sweet Cream Creamer that I'm enjoying every morning in my tea!)

Birthday Collages

It's been fun making birthday collages lately for friends. Just tape cut-outs in an artful manner to a piece of cardstock, write a message on the back and pop in the mail! I like to keep an eye out for old copies of MaryJane's Farm and Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazines for lovely images. Victoria magazine has beautiful photos, too - but I can't bear to cut mine up and instead save them for seasonal inspiration!

Worshipping With Hands & Feet

Miss Romaine is a long-time volunteer at the nursing home we visit from time to time. She’s probably the same age as some of the residents, but she doesn’t act like it. Every Sunday morning Miss Romaine gathers the residents who want to go to the church service and makes sure that they get there by pushing their wheelchairs to the chapel herself or directing others to do so. But her service doesn’t end there. She stations herself near the back of the chapel and is constantly alert to the needs of those around her, with one ear on the service and the other ear and both eyes on the residents. At any moment she may quietly pop up and get a Kleenex for someone or adjust a wheelchair or fix a blanket.

As I watched her once again during the service yesterday morning, I wondered if she’s ever able to truly focus on the service and be ministered to, if she’s able to worship free from distraction. And then the Spirit quietly and distinctly spoke to my heart: “She is worshipping.”

Though worshipping Him does minister to my own heart, I forget sometimes that the focus of worship isn’t about what I get out of it, but ultimately what I give Him. Miss Romaine knows all about that. Every Sunday morning, she worships her Savior with her hands and feet.

A Book on Amy Carmichael

Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur by Frank L. Houghton is a gem of a book. Written in 1979, it is the timeless story of one of the most dearly loved and well-known missionaries, Amy Carmichael, who spent more than 50 years loving and serving the children of India. One of the best things about the book is that it contains so many excerpts from Miss Carmichael’s own journals which allow an intimate look at the personal relationship she had with her Heavenly Father. Inspiring and convicting, this book makes one want the kind of relationship Amy Carmichael had with her God. Filled with the stories of how various children came to her, of prayers that were answered in amazing ways, of the preparation of her lifework, as well as the difficulties and heartaches of intense ministry in the heart of a foreign land, every page is filled with Miss Carmichael’s passion – that of her love for Jesus Christ. After reading such a book, one may be tempted to say that Amy Carmichael was an amazing woman. But what would be more accurate (and I’m sure would please her more), would be to say that Amy Carmichael served by an amazing God.

(For more reading on Amy Carmichael, another excellent resource is A Chance to Die – The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael by Elisabeth Elliot.)

World's End State Park

Scenes From Ag Progress Days 2011

Along Pine Creek's Rail Trail

County Fairs & Lumberjacks

I love county fairs - the domestic arts exhibits being my favorite. They provide so much creative inspiration that when I go home from the fair I want to start canning, baking and crafting immediately! We enjoyed two fairs this weekend - the Tioga County Fair on Friday night and the Clinton County on Saturday.







One of my favorite parts at Tioga was the oxen demonstration a man gave using his team of oxen named Brookes & Dunn. He explained the fascinating history of oxen, some interesting facts about them and how they are trained.


We spent most of Saturday watching a Lumberjack (and Lumberjill!) Competition at Clinton. The events including log rolling, crosscut, springboard and axe throwing. If you ever get the opportunity to attend a Woodsmen's Competition in Pennsylvania or New York, take advantage of it - it's fascinating.




And the fair food was great, too!

A Living Sacrifice

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual (reasonable, logical) act of worship.” – Romans 12:1

What does it mean to be a living sacrifice?

Sacrifices were:

• commanded by God
• to be given with a willing heart
• consumed by God, for God
• a sweet aroma to Him
• broken into parts, small pieces as it were, each piece offered up according to instruction
• used for the cleansing of the people
• a constant reminder that He was (and is) God, holy and worthy of sacrifice
• something that required much time, energy and preparation

In essence, all these things can be applied to my life. Though I am not physically offered up as a sacrifice, I am to be offered up in all other ways as a sacrifice. It is commanded by God; I am to give my life with a willing, humble heart; my life is consumed by and for God; it is a sweet aroma to Him; I am offered up piece by piece, little by little, decision by decision; it is for spiritual cleansing; reminds me continually of God; and requires much time, energy and preparation every moment of every day.

After the sacrifice He has made, how can I give any less?

“God’s call to lay down our lives on the altar of sacrifice means that we give Him all that we are – our rights, our reputation, our desires, our future plans; everything that concerns us – first, for a lifetime, and then, day by day, moment by moment, decision by decision.” – Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Surrender

Listen, Look & Know His Love

Listen to Him, my children. He speaks to you, He teaches you in a thousand ways every day. Through the love of those who love you and live to help you, He touches you, and He speaks to you. In the sunrise and the sunset, and in moonlight, through the loveliness of the things that He has made, through the thousand joys that He plans for every one of you, through the sorrows that come, too, in all these things, through all these things, He Who loved you unto death is speaking to you. Listen; do not be deaf and blind to Him, and as you keep quiet and listen, you will know deep down in your heart that you are loved. As the air is round about you, so is His love round about you now. It is enough. Trust that love to guide your lives. It will never, never fail.

-- Amy Carmichael, from a letter to her "children," excerpted from Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur, Frank L. Houghton

A Surprise B-day Outing

Last Wednesday M. surprised me by taking the day off so we could spend it together celebrating my 40th birthday. I quickly consented! We started with breakfast at a little table outside of Achenbach's Bakery - a cup of hot English Teatime tea with our shared choosings of peanut butter long johns and muffins - chocolate peanut butter and peach.


I never tire of driving the back roads and through the little towns of Lancaster County. We saw so many lovely scenes of farms and flowers and animals. Some of our stops along the way were thrift shops where I found a bundle of homemade gift tags for various holidays, a large glass jar to fill with oats for my kitchen counter, and several packets of stationery for writing to pen pals.


We found an Amish bulk foods and produce store where we bought some of these gorgeous Red Haven peaches to can the next day. (The boys enjoy broiled peaches sprinkled with cinnamon in the wintertime.) The peaches gave off the most enticing smell - it wasn't long before we pulled into the back of a tractor dealer next to a cornfield, put up the hatch and sat in the back out of the drizzle to eat some!


We also stopped in at one of my favorite places in Honey Brook- King's Herb Nook. Their little shop is stuffed full of soaps, all kinds of herbal products, books and odds and ends of bulk foods. We spent several minutes trying to figure out which looseleaf tea we wanted to try and ended up with a bag of Raspberry-Flavored Green Tea - beautiful as well as delicious. I loved their idea of planting tomatoes and herbs in large olive oil cans.


In the middle of nowhere, we came across a little shoe store. My favorite part was the large collage of shopping lists that people had dropped over the years - what fun to read them, especially the ones written by Amish families which included items such as suspenders, bonnets, and long lists of children's names and what their shoe sizes were!


Our day also included a stop in an Amish book store where I bought a thin, plain book called "Tips for (Amish) Teachers" for $2.98. I love reading it - and I've found some ideas to implement with the boys as well as for possible Sunday school or VBS ideas! We also stopped at an Amish hardware store, a delicious little pizza shop for lunch, and a camping/stove store in the middle of nowhere that had a huge reproduction cooking stove that was modernized.


Our last stop was a little stand outside of someone's home where we bought Marty's Aunt a gorgeous bouquet of birthday flowers - her birthday being on the very same day as mine - along with some zinnias for me. Then to "gild the lily," we picked up the boys and had supper together at a favorite restaurant with a sprinkled birthday cake later at home. Some birthday calls and a visit from a friend ended a perfect day. How incredibly rich I am with dear ones who bless me . . .

Our "New" Canoe

Last week Marty got a great bargain on a used canoe. The night we brought it home, Caleb wanted to take me for a spin around the pond. When he saw I had the camera, Caleb protested having his photo taken by covering up his face. M. found it amusing and decided to join in on the fun -

Inspiration

From Frank L. Houghton's book on Amy Carmichael, missionary to India:

"To pour out love all the time, to catch the directing word of the Lord, however softly spoken" - this is what she desired to do, and all her Family would say in chorus, "This is exactly what she did."

Corn Clean-Up Crew

After we froze corn, the chickens jumped in and helped clean up. And a very good job they did of it -