Becoming a Christian

I grew up in a christian home with 2 parents who love the Lord with all their hearts. They have served in church for as long as I can remember. I for the most part always did what my parents had required of me. I went to church, youth group, a lot of church activities...so I was going to heaven...right?! I never stole...well there was that time I took my Dad's paycheck out of his wallet...but he forgave me, I never killed anyone, I was a good person so I will make it to heaven when the time came right?

My life went in every direction in my late teen and twenties. I "had" to get married because of wrong choices I had made. So I continued living my life in a very good way. Being kind to others, raising my kids right...I took them to church for Christmas and Easter. The marriage ended in a divorce after many years of difficulties. My parents were once again there for me. My three children and I moved in with them and I went back to school. Once again...I'm good because I'm a good person....right????!

I met the man God had created for me in 2002. We courted for a few years and he finally asked me to marry him in 2004. We set the date for 2005. My sister developed a brain infection in April of 2005 and watching my parents during this time was very eye opening to me. I was SO angry at God for allowing this to happen to my sister. How could they be so calm on the outside? Their Pastor came to the hospital and I remember thinking...Why is HE here, what good is HE going to do? I stormed off and went out to clear my head. Now during all of this my now husband and I were basically in financial ruins. We were thinking about calling off the wedding. How could we pay for it?

One night while at work my now husband couldn't get his normal radio station in at work. All that would come in was a Christian radio station. He listened to what the speaker (Chip Ingram) was saying. He was talking about all the things Job (said like Jobe) had endured through his life. He had lost everything...hmmmm a lot like us. At the end Chip gave an alter call and my husband took that step of faith and accepted Christ as his Savior!! He called me on the phone crying...he NEVER cried....saying something had happened to him...AHHHH I was in a panic....He said he wasn't injured and described what he had been through....I KNEW what had happened. It was at that moment I whole hearted gave my life to Christ and accepted Him as my Savior. I know now why back in 2005 my parents could be so calm...Christ was in control of the situation. My husband and I were married in November of 2005....we have a Christ centered marriage!

***my sister is doing well now. She is living in an assisted living apartment. Mom and Dad are still serving the Lord with everything they are. My husband and I are preparing for our call into ministry! We are excited for what and where the Lord will send us. Please do not wait until later to take this step of faith and accept Christ as your Savior!! The next minute might be too late! Dr. David Jeremiah has a great plan of salvation...click HERE. Please do not wait.

To read other Becoming a Christian posts visit Heavenly Homemakers.

Cooking Thursday...Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie

I have been cooking A LOT with my cast iron pans in the past few weeks. I have a pan I got from my grandmother that I just finished seasoning. I do not know what it is about cast iron pans, but I'm SO drawn to them. It might be the feel of years gone by, everytime I cook something in them it is the best. So I got thinking...why stop at just meals? I decided to start making desserts in them as well. I thought I'd start small and work my way up the sweet chain.

You could probably take any cookie recipe and put it in the pan.

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie

1 1/4 cup flour

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter melted plus 2 teaspoons to butter the pan

1 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and rub 2 teaspoons of butter in the pan, up the sides and bottom. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda together. In another bowl with an electric mixer, beat egg and yolks until frothy. Beat in brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla and melted butter until smooth. Add flour to mixture and beat on low until combined. Mix in chocolate chips.

Spread dough evenly in pan. Bake for 23-25 minutes until golden brown and barely set. Cool before slicing...if you can stand it...LOL!

To see other recipes visit Diary of a SAHM.

Gratituesday

I am so thankful for God's healing hand on our bodies. Last year at this time I was recovering from back surgery. Going into the surgery my doctor told me not to get my hopes up for a full recovery. I had a broken vertebrae low in my back that had been pinching off the nerves in my legs. My doctor was unsure if the feeling would come back to my feet. I could still walk but my feet had numb spots in them. I was in horrible pain all the time.

Although the recovery was very painful, I spent more time reading the Bible and praying than I ever had. The Lord gave me comfort each and everyday. One year later...I only have some tingles in my feet at the end of the day. I have full movement in my back with NO pain!! That in itself is such a blessing to me. Thank you Lord for healing my body.

To see more Gratituesday posts visit the Heavenly Homemakers site.

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods: raining, raining and more raining!! We did hit a high of 53 degrees early this morning. But we are expected to hit a low in the 30's.

One of my simple pleasures: the smell of fresh baked bread.

On my bedside table: Bible, cell phone and lamp

On my TV: nothing

On the menu for tonight: penne pasta with sauce, homemade garlic bread, and salad

On my To Do List: bake some bread, make muffins for hubby's lunch, clean the house, steam the floors, laundry, schooling the children.

New Recipe I tried last week: I'm not sure I tried any new recipes.

In the craft basket: cards, I still have to get the curtains done for my sister..LOL!

Looking forward to: Ladies Bible study...there is only 2 more weeks of Bible study then we will not have another one until September!! :-(

Homemaking Tip for this week: sprinkle hot water on the mirror to clean them, then wipe dry.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other): didn't read many blogs.

Favorite photo from last week: This was from a couple of months ago..this is my niece...who says girls can't play football...she was growling at my son...LOL!

Lesson learned the past few days: I love the weekends we just stay home and spend time together.

On my Prayer List: unsaved family members, family health, my children to continue their growth in Christ.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses: "Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus 2:13

Shoofly Pie

The above photo is one I found in our files. I did not take this picture. The first time I had this pie was at a friends house. The next time I had it was from an Amish woman...YUM! Both were just great. I've made a shoofly cake before which I posted here. The cake is also really good it is alot milder than the pie. My love for cooking came from my Mom but also growing up in a community where there were a lot of Mennonite woman who were great cooks. It was from them that I carried on my love of a simple life.

I was in such a baking mood today that I decided to make one. I've often wondered where the name came from but have had no luck finding out. This is a very easy recipe and less trouble than most I've seen where you have to layer the crumbs and molasses mixture.

Shoofly Pie

CRUMBS

1 cup flour

2/3 cup light brown sugar (make sure you use light...dark has more molasses and will alter the flavor of your pie)

1 Tablespoon shortening

Mix flour and sugar. Cut in shortening. Take out 1/2 cup of crumbs and set aside.

BOTTOM PART

1 egg slightly beaten

1 cup molasses (I always use Blackstrap molasses, I love the flavor of it better)
1 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 9 inch unbaked pie shell (homemade or store bought)

To reserved portion of crumb mixture add egg and molasses. Blend in 3/4 cup boiling water. Dissolve soda in the other 1/4 cup water and add to molasses mixture when dissolved. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle reserved crumbs on top. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 40-45 minutes.

Serve warm if you like with ice cream on top. Be aware this is a VERY rich pie. Cut servings very small. We all love it here. You must like molasses to like this pie. I use Golden Barrel molasses that we get at a Mennonite Store not far from here.

Hearts at Home---Living with Less

I am excited to share a fun opportunity with you!

To celebrate the release of Hearts at Home’s newest book: Living With Less So Your Family Has More, by Jill and Mark Savage, the Hearts at Home blog is launching the Living with Less Contest.

Email Hearts at Home a story or money-saving tip that gives a peek into your daily experiences representing the humor, richness, or spiritual aspects of what it’s like to live with less.

Better yet, blog readers will benefit as many of the money-saving entries will be posted on the Heart’s blog throughout the month of February!

For contest details go here!

Cooking Thursday...Taco Salad

This is a salad I got from my Mom. Just because it is a salad do not think its healthy..LOL! It can be if you use the healthier stuff.



TACO SALAD


1 pound ground beef cooked and drained
1 packet of taco seasoning...or make your own (add while your cooking the beef)
1 bag of lettuce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 bottle of Thousand Island Dressing
1 bag of Doritos crushed up


Mix the lettuce and the ground beef in a large bowl. Add the cheddar cheese and the dressing. Put the crushed doritos on just before serving. ENJOY!


This is a most requested recipe from our church. My family loves this recipe as well. For more recipes visit Diary of a SAHM.

Gratituesday...God's Word

I have been going through some down times here lately. Not really sure why...maybe just the winter blues. I had lost all desire to teach my children, do my housework, pretty much do anything!

I started really devouring the Word of God. Mainly in the Psalms. It is such a comfort to know that no matter what I'm going through the Bible always has the words to comfort me. Reading these words daily really helped "snap" me out of this cycle. Along with being in prayer a lot.

Our curriculum this year for home school is The Prairie Primer, and I've done a lot of research on Laura Ingalls Wilder. She was a very godly woman, as were many people in her days. I came across a website that has so much information on her. One that I really enjoy is her list of scripture that she had tucked in her Bible.

What are you grateful for this week? To see more gratituesday posts visit Heavenly Homemakers to see the list.

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods...pretty mild for this time of year in the north. Its in the mid 30's. Snow is starting to melt.

One of my simple pleasures...the smell of fresh baked bread.

On my bedside table...clock, cell phone, Bible.

On my TV...Program from the history channel about Martin Luther King Jr.

On the menu for tonight...ham, potatoes, carrots, cabbage and fresh baked bread.

On my To Do list...organize the kitchen, start looking at paint samples for the kitchen.

New Recipe I tried...various bread recipes found on Allrecipes.com

In the craft basket...I'm making curtains for my sister.

Looking forward to...Ladies Bible study starting tonight

Homemaking tip for the week...making your own bread is not only a healthier way but you will save money also. Although I "cheat" a little and make the dough in the breadmaker, I finish it off in the oven.

Favorite Blog post of the week (mine or other)...really didn't read many blogs

Favorite photo from last week...no photos today.

Lesson learned this past week...We are so blessed here in the US for what we have. We might complain about having a small house, a car that doesn't run very well. But at least we have all that. Tomorrow might be a different story.

On my prayer list... the people of Haiti, after the devastating earthquake.

Devotionals, Scripture reading, key verses...Psalm 142:1-3

"I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way in the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me."

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

Book Review...How to reach your full potential for God.

This book could not have come at a better time in my life. This quote from the book is one that I will not forget, "If you truly want to reach your full potential, you must have a clean heart, a clear mind, and a balanced schedule."

What really hit home was in Chapter 4-"Essential #1 A clean heart". He talks about what causes sadness in God...ME!! When I reject His plan and direction. Boy! Ouch right of the bat...time for the steel toes. How many times in my life have I done what I want? In a nutshell my sins cause Him sadness. This book also showed me that just carrying my Bible to church, or just opening it to look up a verse here and there. I need to be in the Word every day, studying and memorizing.

There are seven essential steps you need to take according to this book. These steps are: "A clean heart, a clear mind, using your gifts, a healthy body, right relationships, balanced schedule and taking God-approved risks." The last one was a hard one for me to digest. I like my comfort zone. I do not like to step outside of this zone. My husband and I have been called into ministry. We have talked lately about where we feel God is leading us. We both feel strongly he is leading us into missions. My first thought is Hawaii here we come! See there I go again...COMFORT! I have no idea where the Lord will lead us but we are very excited to go anywhere.

God gives us a lot of challenges in our lives. Why? To strengthen us and to prepare us for His plan in our lives. No matter where we go or what we do God is right there with us at the end of the book Charles Stanley challenges us to make a list of verses that speak to me (the reader) about God's promises, provision, protection and love for me. Memorize them and recite them often. I will be doing this and posting them here on my blog.

I highly recommend this book! It is a must read. No matter how strong you feel your faith is. This book will bring you to your knees!

Cooking Thursday....Brownie Bread

Yesterday I was in such a baking mood that I made hamburger rolls and a new bread recipe I found Brownie Bread. The hamburger rolls were something I always wanted to try but never had until yesterday. I must say they turned out really well. The brownie bread was another one that sounded interesting to me. Since I do not like chocolate my family was my testers. Everyone loved it! So for Cooking Thursday I'm posting that recipe. ENJOY! I always start my bread in my bread machine and then finish it in the oven.

Brownie Bread

1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup boiling water

2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

2 teaspoons white sugar

1/2 cup warm water

3 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons oil

1 egg

1 egg yolk

In a small bowl dissolve cocoa in the boiling water, let it cool a little. In another bowl dissolve yeast, sugar and warm water let that sit for about 10 mins or until creamy.

Place cocoa mixture, yeast mixture in bread pan. Place oil, eggs, flour, sugar, salt in the pan.

Set the breadmaker on the dough setting. After the cycle ends remove dough from the bread maker and place in a bread pan. Let the dough rise until doubled in size.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Remove from pan and let it cool.

This would easily be adapted to make without a bread maker. Just place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well and let the dough rise. Punch down and knead and let it rise again. Then bake like directions above.

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

Review....Molly Gets Organized

I mentioned before that I've been blessed to be a part of the review team for Econobusters. Well as an added bonus she has graciously provided me with another product to review Molly Gets Organized~All in one place.

I was SO excited to dive into this ebook. One thing I really want to do this year is become organized and STAY that way. How many times do you clean your house to just turn around and the kids have messed it up on you! Well no more I'm staying on top of everything...including making the kids pick up after themselves.

Ok now back to the ebook...I tend to go off on tangents...LOL!! This is a whole collection of organizing articles from 2009. Each month there is something new to work on. What a wonderful addition to any library. You can pick a month and start organizing. WOOOHOO! Sixty-nine pages of wonderful organization glory! From an emergency kit for your car to creating a home inventory binder. The inventory binder is my next project because we have a large freezer in our basement that I always forget about...lol! I will have a handy list right where I need it so I do not forget about the large ham I have in the freezer.

My favorite article in this is organize without spending. I LOVE this. So many times people write articles about organization and you have to buy this and that ultimately spending so much money. Molly's tips are so easy and not expensive at all. From using everything from the cardboard container your foil comes in to using your glass jars (which I already do). I HIGHLY recommend you go on over to The Old Schoolhouse Store and look at this E-book.

You can also see my review of Molly's Money Saving Digest January 2010.

Gratituesday....Parents

It has been a long time since I've participated in Gratituesday. To see other posts visit Heavenly Homemakers to see more.

I am thankful for my parents, I think so often we do not take the time to stop and really tell them how thankful we are for them. My parents are Christians and raised me that way. But I was not an easy teen. I spread my wings in my late teens and early twenties. I did everything against what they had taught me. I did not follow God's design for my life. I went down many wrong roads. But through it all my parents were right there for me.

It wasn't until my 30's when I took that step and accepted Christ as my Savior. I finally got it! All the years I thought because I grew up in a Christian household I was going to heaven. Thank you Mom and Dad for setting such an example for me. Although it took me many years to finally realize my need to Christ. It's almost been 5 years of salvation for my husband and I.

Now that I'm a Mom myself I think I tend to understand more why my parents did certain things. Especially since our oldest is now 15! I find myself calling my Mom and telling her I'm sorry for....fill in the blank.

Happy Homemaker Monday

To see other Happy Homemaker posts visit Sandra's blog at Diary of a SAHM.

Weather in my neck of the woods...cold! We hit -4 Sunday morning. It is supposed to warm up slightly...yeah...23 today.

One of my simple pleasures...sitting around the table playing games with my family.

On my bedside table...Bible, book to review by Charles Stanley "How to Reach your Full Potential for God".

On my TV...nothing

On the menu for tonight...turkey noodle soup

On my to do list...clean and organize the bathroom and kitchen...deep clean!

New Recipe I tried this week....we are trying to trim our food budget greatly by making many of our own convience products. My family loves pudding so I found this recipe tucked into the back of my recipe notebook.

Chocolate Pudding Mix

2 1/2 cups instant dry milk

5 cups of sugar

3 cups corn starch

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups cocoa unsweetened

Mix all ingredients together and store in an air tight container. Makes 10 servings

To Make...shake container to mix everything. Place 2/3 cup of mix in a sauce pan. Add 2 cups of milk cook over low heat stirring until it becomes thick and comes to a boil. Cook for 1 minute remove from heat and pour into serving cups. It will thicken more as it cools.

In the craft basket...scrapbook for my sister, curtains my sister has asked me to hem for her, some cards.

Looking forward to...visit from friends and our Pastor's wife is coming over on Friday.

Homemaking tip...take the time each week to purge your refrigerator. Otherwise it is a much larger task. This includes wiping down the shelves.

Favorite blog post...I really need to start writing down the blogs I visit so I remember.

Favorite photo....again have not uploaded any pictures.

Lesson learned...there are many "fake nice" people around. I was very disappointed to learn that there are some in our church. Ones that tell you something to your face and another behind your back. I have spent many hours in prayer over this. I pray the Lord will help me control my tongue so I do not say something harsh in response.

On my prayer list...family and military. Myself...see above, I have really been missing my friend who use to live just down the road. It has been almost a year since they moved but I'm still struggling with it. We use to get together all the time. I've been praying that the Lord sends a Christian friend with whom I can get together with.

Devotional, Scripture readings, key verse...Psalm 57:2-3 "I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me, God sends his love and his faithfulness."

Book Review---The Busy Couple's Guide to sharing the work and the joy

Let me start by saying I LOVED this book. It was such an easy read. I read it all in one day. That gave me a chance to read it again. Another reason I liked this book is you can read any chapter in any order and still get all the information from it. Kathy's husband Bill also puts in the man's point of view through out the book.

Right off I knew I was going to get a lot of helpful hints from this book. Why? Because right in the first chapter there is a form you can copy and use. Instead of To-Do lists she suggests you use this "Weekly hit list". I love the sound of that and so does my family. There is a spot for weekly time and scheduling. Then there is boxes for different areas of family management. We are placing it in our home management binder. Time management is our families biggest problem is time management. Kathy's book is full of useful information that I pray our family will use.

With everything from time management to managing family relationships there is something in this book for everyone. Each chapter is full of helpful charts and forms to help your family become more organized. I HIGHLY recommend this book.

Tyndale has provided me with a copy of this book free for review.

Cooking Thursday

Well Slow cooking Thursday is now just cooking Thursday. Which opens up a great big area. YEAH!! With the new year hubby and I have started really cutting our grocery bill. But I think everyone is trying to do that. We have stopped using process foods and have started making many of these items from scratch. I will still be posting from time to time slow cooking recipes. But here are some convience mixes I made this past week.

Taco Seasoning

1 tablespoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (less if you don’t like heat)
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon paprika
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon sea salt (I leave the salt out with great results)
1 teaspoon black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container. 2 heaping tablespoons is about equal to the packets.

Cinnamon Cappuccino Mix

1 cup instant coffee creamer
1 cup instant chocolate drink mix
2/3 cup instant coffee
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine all, store in airtight containers. Add 3 Tablespoons to 6 ozs. hot water, stir well.

To see other Cooking Thursday Posts visit Diary of a SAHM.

Review for Molly's Money Saving Digest...January

I was SO excited when I was chosen as a reviewer for this digest. One thing my husband and I said we wanted to accomplish in the new year was to save money and become more organized.

For anyone who is not familiar with this let me tell you a little about it. This is published by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine which is mainly a homeschooling magazine but is a wonderful homemaking tool. This is their second year (i believe) of publishing. Last year we just could not afford to purchase these. But after reading through this first issue I know now that you can not afford NOT to get these. They are so well written that you will have your home organized in no time.

The special feature of January is: Evaluate, Prioritize, Organize. This is the perfect time of the year to get all this done.

Also, each issue is packed full of recipes and ways of cutting costs. Food is where we spend the most of our budget. I admit we have become slaves to the "convience foods." Not only are they not good for you, but they are so much more expensive than making the stuff your self. In this issue they took you step by step on how to make a pie crust. I have been very afraid of making pies because of the dough. Not anymore...I made a pie and it turned out great!! It was so simple. I did it in the food processor, if you do not have one then by hand is just as easy.

Also, there are sections on decorating your home on a budget. Ways of putting Scripture in your home by displaying them. I plan on doing this very soon. I will post pictures when I have them done.

The Kids Corner is wonderful also! It has directions on how to make a piggy bank for your children. Teaching your children the art of saving money is a skill they need to learn. Not only can you teach them the art of saving but what the Bible says about money and how to tithe.

PLEASE check out Molly's Money Saving digest it is $4.95! Make this year your most money saving by letting Molly help you. This month there is a bundle on sale for $9.95 you not only get the digest you get the all the organization articles from 2009! You can also visit the Econobuster blog for a ton of money saving tips. Make this year your most organized.

I get no compensation for reviewing these digests they were provided to me free for review.

Happy Homemaker Monday

To see other HHM posts visit Diary of a SAHM OR you can join us.

Weather in my neck of the woods...VERY cold!! A high of 14 degrees today with more snow.

One of my simple pleasures...hearing my children laugh.

On my bedside table...Bible, 2 books I'm reviewing...these are REALLY good.

On my TV...Pride and Prejudice...BOY I love this movie! I've seen it before but with many interruptions. I'm going to read her books again. Gotta love her!!

On the menu for tonight...turkey with all the trimmings. We found this in our freezer and it needed to be cooked up. So the rest of the week will probably be some for of it as well. YEAH!

On my To Do list...finish reading the books for review, write the posts for them. Write the post for the Money Saving Digest (I've been chosen to review these wonderful digests!! Stay tuned for more info on these gems!)

New Recipe I tried...Bagel Bread. This was such a great bread. I'll post the recipe at a later date.

In the craft basket...a complete mess!! I need to organize it before I can do anything else. I'm going to be working on a scrapbook for my sister who is expecting in April!!

Looking forward to...a normal life. I love the holidays but I really enjoy getting back to a more normal, quiet and simple life.

Homemaking tip...making a menu each week will save you so many unnecessary trips to the store, thus saving you money.

Favorite Blog post...I did not read many blogs lately. But I am ready to read them again.

Favorite Photo...I have not uploaded any pictures lately. I really need to do this!!

Lesson learned this past week...I really love being a keeper at home!! It got really crazy during the holidays and I was pretty stressed about many things. But I love being home taking care of my husband and family.

On my prayer list...family, friends and the military.

Devotionals, Scripture readings, key verses...I mentioned that I am reviewing for Molly's Money Saving Digest and the key verses this year have to do with joy. So I've been reading many verses that have to do with that. In Psalm 16:9 in says, "Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure." David found the key to joy. True joy is much more than happiness we can feel joy even during our deepest troubles. Happiness is temporary because it is based on external things, joy is lasting because it is based on God's presence within us.