Gratituesday

This week has been a very difficult one for me. Satan has been attacking me in all directions. I started feeling great after my back surgery. On March 17 I got the OK from the doctor to finally remove my brace. I was so happy. I was feeling so great! I was able to clean the house, do the laundry ect. everything I have been called by God to do. Then on March 22 (see last week's post) everything went down hill.

Satan has been putting in my head that God is doing this to me. He wants me to feel bad about things, even angry! I know God isn't doing this to me, he is allowing it to make me grow. I have so many more medical tests to go through this week. Sunday in Church I sat there and cried almost the whole service. I am not one to show my emotions in front of people. Every time someone asked me how I was doing I lost it again. I am SO discouraged about things.

I am SO thankful for a very caring and wonderful Church family. Everyone there is so loving. It is our family. Sunday our Pastor asked us to name a blessing in our lives. Since I was on a one way pitty party street I couldn't name any at the time.

I have a lot of blessings:

• Christ as my Savior,
• a wonderful Husband who walks with Christ,
• 3 children who also walk with Christ,
• the health of my family,
• healing of my back,
• a warm home, a simple life.

The list could go on and on. What are the blessings in your life?

Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

To see other Gratituesday posts visit the Heavenly Homemakers.

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table: Bible, current issue of Hobby Farm Home magazine.

On my TV: nothing much, we are trying to limit out TV watching.

On the menu for tonight: simple chicken and rice with mixed veggies.

On my To Do List: laundry, spring clean the kids rooms, pick out colors for our bathroom. We are hoping to start the remodel soon! Anyone have ideas...I defiantly want purple...what goes with it? Brown? maybe.

New Recipe I tried last week:

Hearty Winter Casserole
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 can tomato soup, undiluted
1 lb. egg noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 T. oil
Paprika (optional)
Preheat oven to 375º.
Sauté chopped onion in oil. Add beef. Cook well. Add tomato soup. Cook egg noodles according to directions on package. Drain well.

Add cream of mushroom soup. Grease large shallow casserole dish. Place 1/2 of beef mixture in bottom of casserole. Add 1/2 of noodle mixture.

Put remaining beef mixture over noodles. Top with remaining noodles. If desired, sprinkle paprika lightly over top of casserole. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

In the craft basket: crocheting, I'm brushing up on the different stitches. 31 days of prayer for my Husband cards.

Looking forward to: spring!

Homemaking Tip for this week: When using tomato paste you never use the whole can. With the left overs put them into an ice cube tray and freeze. Then put into a Ziploc freezer bag to use when needed. Better yet if you can find the tomato paste in a tube it is great!

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other): I really didn't spend too much time reading blogs this week. But I've started our homeschool blog and I've posted about the trip we took to learn about maple syrup.

Favorite photo from last week: This is a picture from the museum we went to. This interpreter is talking about how they used maple sugar in the 1800's. This is my favorite place to visit.

Lesson learned the past few days: my Husband took me on a trip away for the weekend. What I learned/realized was that I love the simple life. I love our home in the country and long to be more self sufficient. Growing our own food, having a few food producing animals ect.

On my Prayer List: my Husband and children, parents, unsaved family members.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses: Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;"

To see other Happy Homemaker posts visit Diary of a SAHM.

Slow Cooking Thursday

I got this recipe from the Taste of Home Website. This serves 2 but is easily adapted to serve more.

Veggie Lasagna

3/4 cup meatless spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup sliced zucchini
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3 tablespoons 1% cottage cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons beaten egg
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 no-cook lasagna noodles
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

Spread 1 tablespoon spaghetti sauce in a 1-1/2-qt. slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Top with half of the zucchini. Combine the cheeses, egg, Italian seasoning and garlic powder; spoon a third over zucchini.

Break noodles into 1-in. pieces; sprinkle half over cheese mixture. Spread 1 tablespoon sauce over noodles. Top with half of the spinach and mushrooms. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cheese mixture and spaghetti sauce.

Cover and cook on low for 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until noodles are tender. Yield: 2 servings.

To see other slow cooking recipes visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM.

Weigh In Wednesday

After the frightening experience I had Sunday I decided it was high time I made some changes. I've used my back as an excuse for way too long. I am much better now, with the exception of my "episode" on Sunday. We have almost an acre of land here. I can get out and walk frequently.

Every Wednesday I'll post my journey of weight loss. I'm not as concerned about the numbers as I am about how I feel. But today was the first time I've been on a scale since December and shockingly I'm down 20 pounds. I know that after surgery I was thinking more about what I ate because I wasn't able to be out of bed for a while.

Lately, the biggest challenge for me with food is at night after the kids go to bed. I find myself eating just to eat. I laugh because I really enjoy watching the Biggest Loser, but what am I doing??? EATING!! We need to start keeping healthy choices in the house. No wonder I have health issues. But I'm praying that this will be the beginning for me.

So check back here every week for an update on my journey. I will talk about how my week went with: food, water (a big one for me), exercise, challenges, successes, plans for the next week, and weigh in.

So see other people working toward a healthier life visit Happy to be at Home.

Gratituesday

To see other Gratituesday posts visit the Heavenly Homemakers blog.

I am SO thankful for friends in the EMS (emergency medical services), especially when we need them. Sunday I had not been feeling well all day. I've had this cold I can not seem to shake. Around 4 pm or so I started having this pain in the center of my chest. It kind of felt like heart burn but nothing helped the pain. Me being so tired of doctors I let it go. Around 7 pm my parents were dropping the kids off from church that evening and I asked my Dad (who had a heart attack 2 years ago) about the pain he had. It was the same as what I was feeling. Now I really started to panic! Then I did a big NO NO and took one of my Dad's nitro pills for chest pain. It took the edge off the pain.

We decided that I should go to the hospital. My parents took the children to their house. I stood up to go to the hospital and the pain was so bad I had to sit right back down. After my parents left the house my Husband called 911. Within minutes we had someone here. They then pulled up in the big truck, pictured below. Then we had over 15 people here. Since I've been involved with the fire/EMS for a number of years I'm good friends with all of them. It was so comforting knowing that I was in good hands. After being yelled at for taking one of my Dad's pills, the ALS-paramedic gave me another nitro, it took more of the edge off the pain. The paramedic is who we call my fire department parent. He and his wife have always watched over me during calls and such. It was a lot like a reunion of sorts.

Good news is my heart is very healthy. They are almost certain I have a hiatal hernia (I'm not sure I spelled this right) caused by the brace I had to wear after back surgery. My stomach is pushed up into my other organs. I have to go on Thursday to my doctor to get the complete diagnosis. But they are certain I will not require any more surgery! PRAISE GOD!! Our son (who really wants to be a fireman when he grows up) was very disappointed he wasn't here to see the fire truck! LOL!

Happy Homemaker Monday

My posts and comments will be light today. Last night I was able to "ride" ambulance, but not as I had hoped. I was the patient. About 4 pm yesterday I started having pains in my upper abdomen. It got worse as time went by. Around 7pm it was so bad my husband called the ambulance. After many tests, thankfully it was not what I had thought...my heart...but probably a hyenal hernia. Most likely cause from my brace all these months pushing everything up. I have to go see my doctor...yeah another doctor visit...in a couple days.

On my bedside table: Bible

On my TV: nothing

On the menu for tonight: bean soup

On my To Do List: change our diet

New Recipe I tried last week: nothing new

In the craft basket: crocheted pot holders

Looking forward to: feeling 100%

Homemaking Tip for this week: do not feel as if you HAVE to do it all.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other): nothing comes to mind

Favorite photo from last week: did not upload them yet

Lesson learned the past few days: do not wait to tell someone your in pain!

On my Prayer List: unsaved family-especially my brother in law Dave.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses: Phillipians 3:1-11

To see other posts visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM.

Slow Cooking Thursday

Last week I found hams on sale for .69 cents a pound so I picked up a HUGE ham. We cooked it up and now have many packages in the freezer of ham ready to use. I found this recipe and made it the other day. It is delish!!

Ham and Potatoes

1 package frozen hashed browned potatoes
1 teaspoon salt (I left the salt out because ham is very salty)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups cooked ham chopped
2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided

Mix all ingredients except for one cup of cheese in greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 5-6 hours. Thirty minutes before serving, sprinkle reserved cheddar cheese over the top. Makes 4-6 servings.

To see other slow cooking posts visit our hostess Sandra at Diary of a SAHM.

Happy Homemaker Monday

To see other Happy Homemaker posts go on over to Diary of a SAHM.

On my bedside table: Bible, we are in Deuteronomy. Passionate Housewives Desperate for God, this book is a great read. It is full of information on homemakers. In our culture being a homemaker has gone by the wayside. Someone who is a keeper at home is so often thought of as not having a job. One huge thing I have taken from this book so far (I'm only in chapter 2) is that we are NOT "slaves" to man but to Christ. (1 Corinthians 7:22 For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave.) This is my calling as a wife and mother!

On my TV: The 10 Commandments, Little House on the Prairie-Season 4, The Greatest Story Ever Told

On the menu for tonight: Stuffing Crusted Chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans. The recipe is SO easy take a box of stuffing mix and run it through the food processor. Take 2 eggs and dredge the chicken in eggs and then in stuffing mix. Bake until done.

On my To Do List: Schooling-maple syrup, doctor's appointment for me tomorrow (should be brace off day!!)

New Recipe I tried last week: I got this recipe from Taste of Home

Bacon Swiss Meat Loaf

1 egg

1/4 cup evap milk

1 1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese

1 cup crumbled cooked bacon

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

Combine egg, milk, 1 cup swiss cheese, 3/4 cup bacon, bread crumbs, garlic powder and onion powder. Add beef and mix well. Shape into loaf. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until meat is no longer pink. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon. Bake for 3-5 mins longer until cheese is melted.

In the craft basket: card making and scrapbooking.

Looking forward to: getting my brace off! Also, we hit 60 degrees yesterday!!

Homemaking Tip for this week: If you use dryer sheets, after you run them in the dryer take them and dust with them. I do this all the time.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other): Michelle has been a great inspiration to me in the past few months of my recovery.

Favorite photo from last week: Andrew and I had been up all night because he was sick with the flu. After cleaning up the bathroom-again- I came out to find him doing this. It made me melt knowing that at such a young age when he is sick he can turn to God's Word and feel better!

Lesson learned the past few days: There are so many things in our life that takes the focus off of God! We are working to correct this.

On my Prayer List: my brother in law-Dave with cancer, unsaved family members, my Mom who has been sick a couple of days.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses: I mentioned that I've been reading Passionate Housewives, well the chapter I read last week really spoke to me. I went to college to become a paralegal and was in a great job when God called me home. I see so many women who "have it all" and satan starts to worm his way into my life. Telling me I could have it also, think of how much we could give the kids if I were working outside the home. The book referenced Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:for they shall be filled." Like I mentioned above in my lesson learned I have let so many things take my focus off of God. Therefore, I have been struggling with my place in the home. The author ends the chapter with "Drink deeply as we journey through God's Word and His beautiful promises for meaningful womanhood."

Freezer Food Friday

This is my first Freezer Food Friday post, this is hosted by What a Crock blog. I've been wanting to make more meals to store in the freezer. Not only will it save us a lot of money by not buying processed foods we will be eating healthy meals.

Chicken Potato Casserole

10 oz. can condensed reduced fat and sodium cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1-1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
3-1/2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1-1/2 cups frozen peppers and onions, thawed
1-1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1-1/2 cups crushed potato chips


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine soup, sour cream, milk, chicken and 1-1/4 cups cheese. Spread three-quarters of this mixture in a greased 2-quart baking dish.
Sprinkle hash browns and peppers and onions over the top of the casserole and press down lightly, then top vegetables with remaining soup mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and potato chips.


Bake casserole, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. 8 servings


To freeze, assemble casserole as directed, except do not thaw potatoes, peppers, or onions and do not sprinkle with potato chips. Wrap casserole in freezer wrap or heavy duty foil and freeze. Reserve potato chips in pantry. To thaw and bake, let thaw overnight in refrigerator. Uncover and bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes until bubbly. Then top with crushed potato chips and bake 5-10 minutes longer.

Vegetable Steak Stir-Fry

This recipe I got from one of my new cookbooks, Pillsbury's Best of the Bake-Off. I've linked to the website. Enjoy searching through all the wonderful recipes. We loved this recipe. It is a great way to stretch your food dollar. Stir frys go such a long way and it gets your family eating veggies. Next week we will be trying a chicken curry stir-fry.

1 lb beef steaks cut into strips
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 package oriental ramen noodles
2 cups water
1 bag frozen broccoli, carrots, water chestnuts and red peppers (usually called a stir fry mix)
1 teaspoon oil
1 jar whole mushrooms, drained (I used fresh)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 green onions (optional)

In bowl, combine beef, garlic and 1 tablespoon oil, pepper and set aside.

Remove noodles from package, save seasoning packet. Bring water to boil in a large pan. Break noodles into 3 pieces and add to water with frozen veggies, bring to a boil again. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 2-3 minutes or until veggies are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Return mixture to saucepan, stir in seasoning from packet. Cover; keep warm.

Put the other tablespoon of oil in large skillet over medium high heat add steak. Cook until meat is no longer pink. Add veggie mixture, mushrooms and soy sauce. Heat thoroughly. Garnish with green onions.

Ice Cream Cookie Dessert

A few have asked for this recipe so here it is. It was SO good. Next time I make it I'm going to try using peanut butter cookies, I think they are called nutterbutter cookies. I got this recipe from Taste of Home. Also, at the bottom of my blog is a search box for Taste of Home recipes.

1 package cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, ground up
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
1 container frozen whipped topping, thawed
Chopped pecans and chocolate syrup

In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press half into an 8 x 8 pan. Spread with ice cream. Press remaining crumb mixture into ice cream. Spread with whipped topping; sprinkle with pecans. Serve immediately or freeze. Serve with chocolate syrup. 9 servings

Please join us in prayer

Please join us as we pray for my brother in law, David. He is my Husband's older brother. Last June he was diagnosed with mouth cancer. They did surgery on his mouth and throat hoping to get all the cancer. The picture above is of my Husband and his brother's. There is another one but they did not come to our wedding. Dave is the one closest to the door. He is 53 years old and has a wife, Patty and 2 grown children (22 and 21). Their 22 year old son is planning his wedding in August. Picture right below is of their children. The second one is Matt dancing with Patty. Sadly we do not get together with Matt's family.

Last month they discovered another lump on his jaw and decided to start Chemotherapy to try and kill it once and for all. Well Sunday night Dave woke up in such pain they took him to the hospital. After many hours of tests they discovered that the cancer has spread to the rest of his body, including his kidney and many other areas of his body. He is not expected to live much longer.

Dave is not saved. Matt has shared the gospel with him on a few occasions but his heart is so hard he hasn't wanted to hear anything. They all grew up believing that if you are good you will be "ok" and go to heaven. Matt is going to go visit a couple more times as the Lord allows. Please pray that the Lord will give him the words to share with Dave. Also, that Dave's heart will soften to Christ. If anyone has some suggestions on how to share with him in this time please email me.

Slow Cooking Thursday

Stop by Diary of a SAHM to see other recipes.

This recipe is just perfect for the sickies that have been going around our house and many other homes as well. Even the smell coming from the kitchen makes me feel so much better! I just can not wait for the warmer temperatures so we can open the windows again.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (6-8 servings)

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cups cooked chicken chopped

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup diced celery

2 packages long grain and wild rice mix (with seasoning packets)

5 cups chicken broth

5 cups water

Combine all ingredients in a greased 4 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 4-6 hours, or until rice is done. Do not overcook.

Serve with crackers or corn muffins.

Simple Woman's Day Book

For Today...

Outside my Window... rain, over cast skies and spring birds!

I am thinking... about spring starting to show its face. "For as the earth brings forth its bud, ...so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations." Isaiah 61:11

I am thankful for... a Husband walking with the Lord.

From the Learning Room…Maple Syrup Unit Study! I'm so excited about this unit, as a kid one of my fondest memories was walking in the woods with my Dad tapping maple trees. Then cooking down the sap into syrup. We will be doing this unit for 2 weeks and will wrap it up on the 21st when we go to the museum to see how it was done in the 1800's.

From the kitchen... Beef Stir Fry, Salad and maybe fresh bread (our 14 yo wants to learn how to make it) Also a lot of maple syrup recipes.

I am wearing...sweatpants,tshirt, sweater,socks and slippers.

I am Creating… a homeschool blog...Homeschooling with heart it is in the very early stages. I hope to have more added this week along with entries on our unit study.

I am reading... the Bible through in a year with my Husband. Passionate Housewives:Desperate for God, Homeschooling the Challenging Child.

I am hoping... for these mild temps to continue. Mild for us NYers is mid 30's to 40..LOL. It is supposed to be in the 50's Tues and Wed.

I am hearing... the children talk about the weekend and discussing what Pastor was preaching on! It really warms my heart to hear things like this!

Around the house... Some minor cleaning of the rooms.

One of my favorite things... the smell of spring in the air, can you tell I'm so ready for spring??!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... my woman's Bible study tonight, my Husband's "date" night with Andrew tomorrow, Wednesday-mid week service at Church. The rest of the week nothing!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... Twins? Andrew came upstairs the other night dressed like father. It was so cute.

To see other daybooks go over to The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table: The Passionate Homemaker:Desperate for God, Bible, Homeschooling the Challenging Child by Christine M. Field

On my TV: The Walton's Season 2 and Little House on the Prairie Season 4

On the menu for tonight: Beef Stir Fry with noodles. If I remember I'll post the recipe tomorrow. I will also try to take pictures as I cook it. I usually forget the camera!

On my To Do List: clean living room, laundry, make some bread and cookies.

New Recipe I tried last week: Ice Cream pie (just like the ones you get from the store)

In the craft basket: scrapbook stuff, some crocheting.

Looking forward to: going to the doctor next week and hopefully being able to get rid of this brace!

Homemaking Tip for this week: clean as you go, see something out of place put it away.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other): Evening Shade Morning...I enjoy reading this blog daily. She always has great posts.

Favorite photo from last week: This is my very handsome husband. I was messing around with the camera and since the kids and the cats run now when they see me coming...LOL!...I decided to take pictures of him! I love this picture.
Lesson learned the past few days: being angry in any way shape or form is a sin. Our ladies Bible study is on anger. This includes: irritation, agitation, anger, temper-tantrums. The Bible has so many verses on this topic, it has really been a great topic.

On my Prayer List: My Husband, our children, unsaved family members, our Church.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses: Psalm 30:5 (NKJV) "For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night. But joy comes in the morning."

To see other Happy Homemaker posts visit Diary of a SAHM.

Camera Fun-Color options and Shutter Speed

This week we are talking about Color options and Shutter Speed. Below are some of my samples that I took today. Our camera has 5 color settings: High, Natural, Low, Black and White and Sepia. The first picture is high color. I should of zoomed in further, their faces are too bright. But I've noticed when I set the camera to high color a lot comes out too bright. I'm going to have to figure out when I would need that.

This one below is natural color. I'm not seeing much of a difference, maybe a bit darker.

This one below is of low color, you can see the difference in their shirts. Andrew is getting really tired of posing for this. LOL! He is trying to tip his sister out of the wheelbarrow!

This picture below is black and white. I love this picture. It is such a sweet picture of Hannah and Andrew. As you can tell from the pictures I post here, our 14 yo hates to have pictures taken with her sister and brother.

This one is sepia. I love this color. We had a few pictures from our wedding in this color. It fit because we were married in a historical village museum.

Now for shutter speed. I have never played around with this feature. That is SO 35mm days. LOL! Anyway, I thought it would be fun to learn about it. So this is what the manual says about it: "Shutter priority mode is primarily used to prevent blur when your subject is
moving. To prevent camera shake, use a tripod for slow shutter speeds."

When I took a photography class in our homeschool group we learned about tripods. It is still something I would like to get. There is one called a monkey (or something like that) you can wind the "fingers" around anything to hold your camera. Ok I was way off...LOL...it is called a gorillapod tripod. Well not way off, I was still in the same species.

It sells on amazon.com for about $20, you will see it can wrap onto just about anything. It is very sturdy also. Ok enough of the commercial break!

Our camera has a huge range for shutter speeds. It goes from 1/1000 to 8.0 (which is a very slow speed! I thought the battery in my camera died when I took a picture, I turned it around like what is wrong with this camera...I got a picture of my face...LOL!! Which wasn't pretty so I deleted it)

See it is pretty dark, but clear. This one is 1/1000 (above picture)

This one is taken with the shutter speed of 1/4. Pretty blurry. I liked the range of the different speeds. So until next week, go out and have fun with your cameras.

Love Dare Days 13-18

DAY 13-Love fights fair

"If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand." Mark 3:25

The dare was to come up with a list of rules of engagement for fighting. My Husband and I rarely fight, we disagree on occasion but we do not let it get to a fighting point. Neither of us are confrontational people. We would rather sit down and talk it over after a period of cooling off.

DAY 14-Love takes delight

"Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life." Ecclesiastes 9:9

The dare was to give up an activity we would normally do and spend quality time together. Usually in the evening Matt gets on the computer and I either read of watch some TV. Tonight we turned the TV off and talked. It was a time of great conversation. We reconnected as a couple in conversation.

DAY 15-Love is honorable

"Live with your wives in an understanding way...and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life." 1 Peter 3:7

The dare today was to show honor and respect to each other that is above our normal routine. I decided to praise him more. Not only in public but in our home in front of the children. I can see a change in the way he holds his head up. I tell him how much I appreciate him everyday. I'm working on getting up with him in the morning. But I've been having trouble sleeping at night. I sometimes am awake until 3 am, and he is up at 4:30. I've been praying for the Lord to correct this for me. The sleep aid I've been taking has not helped me at all. I would love to spend this time with my Husband before he goes to work.

DAY 16-Love intercedes

"Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers." 3 John 2

The dare today was to pray for our spouse's heart. Specifically 3 areas where I desire for God to work in his life and our marriage. I did not really agree with this. It is not really up to me to pick the areas for God to fix. I pray for my Husband everyday, for his whole body. I just finished up the 31 days of prayer for my Husband and he could sense a difference in things at work. Sometimes they were worse sometimes better.

DAY 17-Love promotes intimacy

"He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends." Proverbs 17:9

The dare today was again different for me to grasp. I know people do tell others what they discuss in their marriages. The dare was to guard my Husband's secrets and pray for them. Really listen to them when he shares personal thoughts and struggles. I really do listen to him when he talks to me. I would never think of telling someone else what we have talked about in private.

DAY 18-Love seeks to understand

"How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding." Proverbs 3:13

The dare today was to prepare a special dinner at home for just the 2 of us. We are also to focus on getting to know each other better. It is not economical for us to make 2 meals. I am planning on preparing a special snack for us. Besides this isn't about the food, it is supposed to be about talking to each other. In the back of the book there are a list of questions to ask each other. I might suggest we go over this list again. We did it when we first got the book. It will be nice to see how or if our answers have changed.

This is a great study for couples to do. Although I do not agree with everything in the study I think it is a good one for couples.

Consignment Treasures

Today the kids and I went to our local consignment shop. I hadn't been there in so long. There are rooms and rooms of stuff. What I love to look for are the old cookbooks hidden away on a shelf just waiting to be read. Well I found a few old ones and some new ones.

Here are the cookbooks I found today, well the ones I bought. I found a WHOLE bunch of old cookbooks for $5 or less. All of these above were $5 or less. The books I got were: Creative Cooking with aluminum foil (this one really peaked my interest), Pillsbury:Cookies, Cookies and more cookies, Cookies Galore, Pillsbury Best of the bake-off, and THE BEST today was a Gooseberry Patch book:Backyard Gatherings for $5! Then to top it off the woman who was selling the books knew me from when I was a kid and gave me a discount! I was so excited. I love Gooseberry Patch. I'm going to curl up on our couch with my books and read! Then this weekend I will bake.
These are the things the kids picked out. Not only are there very inexpensive books, but movies as well. Andrew got Air Bud: Golden Receiver ($3), Hannah got Aristocats($3), Katie wanted a book "The road to Avonlea"($1). My favorite book I ever had to read in high school was "Johnny Tremain" by Ester Forbes($1). I was so excited to find all this stuff. Also it is great to have a store like this so close to home. The kids can get "new" stuff with out breaking the budget.

Slow Cooking Thursday

This is one of my favorite recipes for meatballs. When I first had it I had no idea there was grape jelly in it. You can even use the little hotdogs also.

To see other slow cooking recipes go on over to Diary of a SAHM.


Sweet and Sour meatballs

1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle chile sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
9 ounces grape jelly
1 pound lean ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1 large onion, grated
salt to taste

Whisk together the chili sauce, lemon juice and grape jelly. Pour into slow cooker and simmer over low heat until warm. You can also do this step on the stove.

Combine ground beef, egg, onion and salt. Mix well and form into 1 inch balls. Add to sauce and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. I have used pre made meatballs before.

31 Days of prayer for my Husband Day 31

I can not believe the month is over. It was such a blessing to not only me but my Husband. He said he could feel a difference this month. So I have decided that I am going to put the prayers down on cards and keep them by my Bible. I'm going to attach them together with a ring. I will post a picture when I get them completed.

Day 31

Pray that your husband will recognize the lies of the enemy in his life. Pray that his attitudes and actions will be guided by the truth as he brings his thoughts into captivity to the Word of God. (John 8:44; 2 Cor. 10:4-5)

John 8:44 (King James Version)
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (King James Version)
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Do not stop praying for our Husbands! It is vital to their lives that we take them before God each day.

Father and child night out

I have talked about the Father and child night out before. It is something my Husband has started doing with each of the children. It is important to give your children one on one attention. He lets them pick out a place to eat, within a 10 minute drive. They share dinner together and a lot of conversation. Last night was Hannah's night out. You should of seen my Husband's face when I said don't forget the camera! He did a great job.

Look at her face, she is so happy. She chose a small pizza place in town. This is a night she looks forward to all month.

Doesn't that look just yummy! She just looked over my shoulder as I was posting this "Oh Father...why did you take a picture of me like this!" LOL!

As you can see the night was full of conversation and great food. I love this picture, It looks like she is singing. Dinner and show..LOL. Matt said she didn't stop talking the whole evening. That is the whole purpose of this night for them.

There were even leftovers. I just love the smile on her face. Now I see why she was talking so much...notice in her arm...Mountain Dew! Next week is Andrew's night.

Gratituesday

I am so thankful for our new furniture. I know that sounds very self gratifying but there is something about getting new items for your home that just makes you feel good. We now all have a place to sit in our living room. We are able to sit there and spend time as a family, something we have not been able to do for a long time.

I know our living room is very small but I love it. We are able to sit and connect as a family, talk about our day, talk about things we want or need to talk about. I love to just sit in there with my Bible in the quiet of the morning and spend time with my heavenly Father.

We have a couch in the front of the picture, my husband's "throne" as I like to call it, and just visible in the picture is the love seat. More than enough room for us to sit together as a family. Although the furniture looks very plush it is really quite firm.

To see other Gratituesday posts go on over to the Heavenly Homemakers blog and read them, better yet join us.

31 Days of prayer for my Husband Day 30

Day 30

Pray that your husband will serve God and others with pure motives. Pray that he will obey the Lord from his heart, and glorify Him in everything. (1 Cor. 10:13; John 7:17-18; Col. 3:23-24)

1 Corinthians 10:13 (New King James Version)
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

John 7:17-18 (New King James Version)
If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.

Colossians 3:23-24 (New King James Version)
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

These past few days of praying for my Husband has been such an awesome journey for me. Not only as a wife but as a child of God. I have learned to be obedient to God by praying each day, most of the time more than once a day. Oh before this I prayed but not as passionately as I do now. I am going to place all the prayers on decorated note cards and clip them together to keep right with my Bible. I will post the picture of them when I get them finished. Just because we are coming to the end of the 31 days doesn't mean it has to end. Keep praying for your Husbands.

Simple Woman Daybook

For Today...March 2, 2009

Outside my Window... is a thin coating of snow we received last night. It is bitterly cold out there, our cat did not even want to be out there.


I am thinking... about church yesterday. It is so great to be a part of a wonderful church. I love to see our children sitting in the pews listening.


I am thankful for... my parents who do so much for all of us.

From the Learning Room…we are starting our maple syrup unit study today, hopefully, I'm not really feeling well today.


From the kitchen... a mess from the weekend. Nothing that a few hands will not fix. Tonight we are having chicken fried chicken (I always wondered why it is called that?? Not just fried chicken) Mashed potatoes, biscuits, green beans/carrots (I have not decided yet)


I am wearing...sweats, sweater, slippers, and my new short hair style. I have not had my hair short in almost 3 years, I love my new style.

I am Creating… scrapbooks. I am so behind on them I have decided to start with our family album and update it. We got a new photo printer so I'll be printing some today.


I am reading... through the Bible in a year with my Husband, we are in the book of Numbers. I really enjoy this time with him. We are also doing the "Love Dare" together which has been a great journey so far. I just started the book Passionate Housewives, Desperate for God, by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald. I am really enjoying this book. It is a very easy read but filled with information.


I am hoping... for a great learning week. We have had a few weeks of great success.


I am hearing... the children talk over their breakfast. I love to listen to their conversations, some of the things they talk about really crack me up.


Around the house... is new living room furniture we got on Thursday and we love it. We are all able to sit in the living room again. It has been so long since we were able to do that. We are starting our family time devotionals again. Sadly we got away from them.


One of my favorite things... listening to the spring birds starting to make their appearance, we had a robin singing outside our window this morning. A sure sign that spring is on its way. We also saw a skunk the other day!


A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... ladies Bible study tonight (our topic is anger...tough one), Tuesday is Hannah's night out with Father (he has started once a month taking one child out to dinner just the 2 of them), Wednesday is mid week service, then nothing else the rest of the week! I love quiet weeks.


Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...another..not so pleasing...sign of spring. Hannah was out side playing in the mud. This is what I saw on the sliding glass door. Lovely isn't it?

To see other daybooks stop by the Simple Woman Daybook blog and check them out. Last week I think there were over 200!

31 Days of prayer for my Husband Day 28-29

Day 28

Pray that your husband will be a man of prayer. Pray that he will seek and pursue God in purposeful quiet times. (1 Thess. 5:17; Luke 22:46; James 5:16)

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (New King James Version)
pray without ceasing,

Luke 22:46 (New King James Version)
Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.”

James 5:16 (New King James Version)
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.


Day 29

(today's prayer)Pray that your husband will surrender his time and talents to the Lord. Pray that his spiritual gifts will be manifest in his career, at church, and in your home. (Eph. 5:15-16; 1 Cor. 12:4, 7)

Ephesians 5:15-16 (New King James Version)
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

1 Corinthians 12:4 (New King James Version)
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:7 (New King James Version)
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: