Sew Mountain Momma

A Good Poem

2010-11-01T09:03:00.005-04:00

The Perfect Dinner Table

by Edgar A. Guest

A tablecloth that's slightly soiled

Where greasy little hands have toiled;

The napkins kept in silver rings;

And only ordinary things

From which to eat; a simple fare;

And just the wife and kiddies there;

And while I serve, the clatter glad

Of little girl and little lad

Who have so very much to say

About the happenings of the day.

Our manners may not be the best;

Perhaps our elbows often rest

Upon the table, and at times

That very worst of dinner crimes,

That very shameful act, and rude,

Of speaking ere you've downed your food,

Too frequently, I fear, is done,

So fast the little voices run.

Yet why should table manners stay

Those tongues that have so much to say?

At many a table I have been

Where wealth and luxury were seen,

And I have dined in halls of pride

Where all the guests were dignified;

But when it comes to pleasure rare,

The perfect dinner table's where

No stranger's face is ever known:

The dinner hour we spend alone,

When little girl and little lad

Run riot telling things to Dad.

Blessings to you,

Elizabeth

A Place of Grace

2010-10-29T06:26:00.005-04:00

(Mary and Evie, playing in the leaves)

Several years ago, I read a book by Susan Hunt called "Your Home: A Place of Grace". As I read through that book, page by page, my heart began to break. It was speaking directly to me, had been written for me, I was sure. And as I turned each page, tears clouded my sight, until I could only lay it down in my lap and cry out to my Father. "O Father, please, please make our home a place of grace. Do whatever it takes to change this family and this home to become a lovely place that glorifies You."

Little did I know that not only would my loving Father hear this heart's cry, but He would answer that plea. And it wasn't going to be fun.

Backtrack a few years before that. I was participating in a women's Bible study at my church. We were watching dvd's and following along in a book. To my best recollection, the speaker was Beth Moore. I am not even really sure about that. But, one day, during that study time, she spoke to me. Right at me. And I have never forgotten what she was talking about.

She was using the illustration that Jesus used about the grape vine and the reason for pruning. I remember she talked about the process of pruning the vines, cutting the plants back till there was almost nothing left, burning the cut off branches, and then waiting. Waiting for the growth. Waiting for the bloom. Waiting for the fruit.

(Cari and Evie)

Now, fast forward to a year ago, this month. Peak into the windows of my home. What do you see? You will see me weeping. You will see my husband weeping. You will see us clinging to each other for support and encouragment as never before. See my children. See the anger and resentment on their faces. See their disappointed looks at the hard choices my husband and I had to make.

Fast forward again. What do you see now? You see a mother with her heart broken. You see a father with a firm determination to do what he believes is right. You see the same couple, clinging, crying, praying. You see some of the children have changed their minds and are a bit more settled. You see some that have not.

Fast forward again and you will find more sorrow. You will find a woman so broken, so bowed under the weight of all that is happening she doesn't believe she will ever stand upright again. You will see that she chooses to trust her Father and she chooses to thank Him for these circumstances, knowing He is Sovereign, but the agony and pain of it seems more than she can bear. You will find a very sick husband, unable to do anything for himself. You will find a rebellious child here and there. You will find very little harmony, grace or peace in this home.

You see, the end of this month marks the end of a year that has been the hardest one yet. This year, we have faced scandal, we have faced vicious rumors, we have dealt with rebellion, we have dealt with lies, we have dealt with people who sought to tear our family apart, limb by limb. For a while, we thought those people had won, through their deceit, through their arrogance, through their outright sin.

But, fast forward to the present. You know what you will find? You will discover, upon close scrutiny, that we have been pruned by the Gardener. Oh, it hurt. He took shears with unmeasurable strength and cut here, trimmed there, until there was hardly any of the old plant left. Then, He waited. And do you know what happened? We grew. We bloomed. And now, we are starting to see the fruit.

Wanna guess what the fruit is? Do you? Do you?

Our home, a place of grace. Truly. I didn't think it was possible. I had given up hope. We have daughters who love each other, help each other, work together, laugh together, pray together. We have a momma and a papa who have fallen in love all over again, with a deeper, more intimate, more meaningful love. We have parents and children who laugh together more often than not. We have a family that is working together, playing together, laughing together and loving each other.

Is the pruning done? I seriously doubt it. Will there be no more pain? I can pretty much guarantee it. And, like my dearest friend in the world says, (and you know who you are, menu! ~wink~) had I known it would take all that to get to where we are, I most likely would have begged God to not take us through that. But, we have come through it and we are more blessed for it.

Dear ladies, I write this to you because I know so many of you are struggling, you are hurting, you aren't sure how much more you can take. Be encouraged. This may be a pruning time in your life but know that in the end, you will be more beautiful for it.

I encourage you to get out your Bibles and read Ecclesiastes 3:1-11. Particularly, verse 11 starts with this: "He has made everything beautiful in its time."

I am praying for you, dear friends. I hope that you will be encouraged, that you will know that there is a purpose and plan, that you will trust that God always gives fish and bread not serpents and stones, and that you will see that you are becoming more beautiful.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth

Some good thoughts for the day...

2010-10-27T09:15:00.002-04:00

Here's a link to a good reminder about our responsibilities to our families.

Enjoy!

http://raisinghomemakers.com/2010/be-the-keeper/

Sincerely,
Elizabeth

Emotions: Love

2010-10-25T06:13:00.004-04:00

(This is our kitty, Smidgeon. She was enjoying Evie's reading time the other day. Put her right to sleep!)

I am continually amazed at how God works in our lives. I Peter 3:4 reminds us that one of the goals we should aim for is to have a gentle and quiet spirit. Years ago, I began to ask God to give me just such a spirit. Little did I know that in my stubborn arrogance, I would have to be wrung through a wringer washer in order for this to start to become a reality for me! But in the process of learning, the Lord directed me toward what it takes to gain that quiet spirit.

One of the places in Scripture that became my mantra was in Colossians 3:12-14. There is so much to say of these verses, but for today, I will focus on verse 14. "And over all these virtues put on LOVE, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (NIV, emphasis mine)

Another is I Corinthians 13:3, the last part of the verse, "but (if I) have not LOVE, I gain nothing." (NIV, emphasis mine)

And finally, I John 3:18 "Dear children, let us not LOVE with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." (NIV, emphasis mine)

Did you know that love is a choice? I mean, I have heard many times, and I continually tell my children that love is not a warm, fuzzy feeling, but rather something we choose to do whether we feel like it or not. And for the most part, that is true. However, I didn't realize that in saying it this way, I was making love a chore, kind of like doing the dishes after every meal. You do them, whether you feel like it or not.

I love my husband. Now, some days, I LOVE my husband. Other days I...(sigh)... love him. Once in a while, that love is a chore. And, unfortunately, he knows it. But what would happen if we proved our love with actions like I John mentions? What if, instead of loving my husband whether I feel like it or not, I simply chose to be madly in love with him? What if I chose to be delighted to see him, I listened with eyes wide open looking only at him? What if I smiled at him when I saw him or winked and caused my eyes to twinkle at him? What would that do for him?

Recently, the Lord has opened my eyes to men whose wives either love them as a chore, something they 'must' do, or worse yet, whose wives pick, belittle, ignore or publicly mock them. I see men who are treated with contempt and sarcasm. I see men, brave men, strong men, capable men who walk with their shoulders hunched, exasperation in their eyes because that ONE woman who vowed to love him and honor him, till death do us part, has chosen to love him as a chore and his life is miserable. He walks around defeated.

Contrast that with a man whose wife loves him cheerfully, adoringly and willingly. He walks with a light step, has all the confidence in the world that come what may, He will conquer it!!

Yesterday, my Pastor made a point about why you choose to marry someone. The modern concept of "he meets my needs" is common, but unacceptable for the Christian woman. The Pastor made the point that we should be doing everything in our power to be meeting HIS needs. (The effects of this, by the way, can be quite wonderful! ;-) I took this a step farther, and asked myself, why did I choose this man to marry? Oh yeah, his good looks and fine build certainly helped my choice, but over the years, I have come to hold the verse in Psalms dear to my heart that says, "God puts the lonely in families." (Psalm 68:6) Because in our situation, my hubby joined a ready made family of 5 girls and their momma, I have been blessed with the perspective that enables me to want to go beyond "love" to bless and encourage my husband, to laugh with him, to play with him, to be with him. And what a joy he is to me in return when I am loving him with my actions and not just in words.

So, you might be wondering how this helps us toward our goal of a "gentle and quiet spirit"? It works like this, when we love our husbands in a way that helps them to feel secure and safe, it flows over to our children, to our neighbors, to our extended family, and so forth. And when we work to fill our homes with love, our hearts begin to fill with joy, peace, contentment and gentleness. It is a stepping stone toward the ultimate goal. And, without love, you have nothing.

Ladies, would you choose to LOVE your husbands today? Would you choose to love them completely, happily, thoroughly? The effects may surprise!

Have a blessed day,
Elizabeth

The Best Place for Sarcasm

2010-10-22T07:37:00.002-04:00

(The top half of a wooden crate shelf in my foyer.)

According to the Noah Webster dictionary:

Sarcasm: A keen reproachful expression; a satirical remark or expression, uttered with some degree of scorn or contempt; a taunt; a gibe.

Sarcasm. It has become the cornerstone of our society. It's what sitcoms are made of, it's how we respond to the ridiculous, the obvious, our husbands, our children, our neighbors, our friends. It permeates nearly every conversation at some point. It's sad.

If you are sarcasm free, I salute you. Honestly. I am not being sarcastic. I still find myself, at times, giving a "satirical remark" when a kind response, or a sweet response could serve better.

The thing is, as we see in the definition above, that a sarcastic remark is usually uttered with scorn, contempt, haughtiness even. We tend to use sarcasm to put someone in their place, to show how stupid their comment or question was, to belittle, to quiet them. I wonder what would happen if we instead chose to be sincere, to be loving, to be gracious in our speech. Would we see a change in our homes?

Ephesians 4: 29 says this (NIV) "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

How, I wonder, does sarcasm play into this admonition? If we look at the second phrase of the verse, we see that our words should be helpful for building others up. Does your sarcastic, caustic response to your husband build him up? How about to your children?

The third phrase says, "that it may benefit those who listen." When your child asks you the same question for the third or fourth time, do you answer in a way that benefits her? Do you realize the value of her uncluttered heart and sweetly, lovingly answer her, again? Or do you fill her mind and heart with fear and confusion, causing her to think she is upsetting you, that she doesn't deserve your respect, that she is less of a person or lesser in importance than you are?

I wonder if part of the reason that we seem unable to hold the hearts of our children is because sarcasm is so common in our interaction with them? I wonder if the reason we have so many dysfunctional families is because we don't speak to people with kindness? I wonder if the reason we have so many unfaithful husbands is because we don't speak to them with respect?

The first phrase of that verse says that we should not let ANY unwholesome words come out of our mouths. If we truly understand what sarcasm is, then I assume we are able to properly identify it as unwholesome. It builds up no one. It benefits no one. It tears down. It destroys. It belittles.

(The bottom half of the shelf you saw above.)

So, where is the best place for sarcasm? There is no best place. It is best avoided, taken out of our lives, thrown away, gotten rid of. Permanently.

Ladies, would you pray with me, that God would work in our hearts to help us to remove this unwholesome speech from our hearts and minds. For some of us, it is so deeply ingrained, that it will take nothing less than the power of God to remove it. But if we are going to take a stand in this society, to be a light on a hill, to be salt in this world, we need to start with how we speak to each other. We need to be willing to let our conversations always be filled with grace. And we need to start here. Today. In our own homes.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth

No Place Like Home...

2010-10-21T11:39:00.005-04:00

(A view of my bedroom. Not perfect, but cozy.)

This past weekend, I clocked about 26 hours of travel time between West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. I saw a lot of beautiful sights with blue skies and colorful foliage, deer standing at dusk in the fields beside the roads I travelled, geese and ducks resting in ponds between migration flights. What a pretty weekend.

(An old glass lamp and candle, both given to me by various family members.)

I saw many beautiful houses in what used to be some farmer's pasture. These houses were large, modern structures meant to "demonstrate" a family's wealth and status. But those houses were not impressive. Oh, to the majority of those passers-by, they could have been impressive, but to me, they were a sad reality of where we have come as a society.

(Old plates and cups, dried beans in jars and some of my many cookbooks.)

One neighborhood in particular lay in the path of a hill and many trees which happened to be blocking the rays of the setting sun. It was about 4:30 pm, and without exception, every house was dark inside. There were no lights in the windows, no sign of life within. They appeared cold, dark, forbidding almost.

(Glassware and doilies from family members on a dry hutch given to me by my mother.)

I wondered about the families that lived in these houses. I assumed they were typical, modern American families. Both parents presumably work outside the home, their 2.5 children attend school, sports, music, dance and other extra-curricular activities. This house is used as a "base" of operation, where one goes to shower, sleep, maybe eat a quick meal before heading out to the next frenetic activity.

( A piece of my textile art with a display of teacups and saucers, all from thrift stores.)

I guess the thing that bothered me most is the impression of "home" that the children in this society are getting. Rarely do you find mothers home before their children, with dinner simmering on the stove, maybe fresh bread or cookies coming out of the oven. Is there a candle lit somewhere, soft music swelling in the background? Is there time for a snuggle and story before Daddy gets home?

(An old wooden crate holding various knick-knacks hung on one wall in the kitchen.)

I told my husband this morning that I am a "freak of nature" in this modern world. But more than anything, I want to be here to give my children a sense of "home". I want them to have roots that penetrate their very hearts, making it impossible to get away from those treasures we all long for, even if we do so secretly. I want my children to go out into the world and to be home-sick. Not so that they are crippled and can't escape my apron strings, but so that they will be driven to provide a similar home for their own families.

(The mantle in the living room. Everything here was either given to me or I found at a thrift store.)

I want to provide a "Place of Grace" to my family. I don't ever expect to make the front of "House Beautiful" or to earn some fantastic reality show on HGTV. It's not even about that. It's about providing a place of comfort, beauty, warmth, love, peace and protection from the world. It's about doing the best I can with the resources God has given me to create an environment that is pleasing to the Lord. It's about making sure my family has the best...the best of my love, the best of my time, the best of my prayers, the best of my teaching, the best of my discipling.

(A hoosier recently given to me by my Aunt, with more teacups, saucers, and pretty plates that I have been collecting from thrift stores.)

Ladies, could I offer you some advice? Be willing to stand against the push and pull of society. Be willing to make your house a home in every sense of the word. Don't allow the "status quo" to force your house to become a "base of operations" but do everything in your power to make your home, well... a home.

With all my hopes for you,

Elizabeth

Again, with the trying...

2010-10-20T10:49:00.004-04:00

This has been a crazy year for us. We have had times of heartbreak, times of illness, times of quiet contemplation, times filled with crazy, hair-raising, non-stop activity, times of remodeling, times of tears, times of laughter, times of just wondering.

Now, we are facing the end of another year. Interestingly enough, I had posted back in January about my desire to be more diligent with this blog. But, God had other plans. In the meantime, I read, did some praying, searching and wondering. I have grown much this past year, and now feel ready to be back to sharing.

I have learned many things this year, about what is important, what really matters, who I am in the Lord, and part of His purpose for my life. I am certain I have many more things to learn. But, this is where I am, here, now.

I hope, as I did before, that this blog can be a help, a blessing, an inspiration and a joy to those who choose to read it. My heart's desire is to be more like Him, and that will be shown through my service to my husband, my children and my home. I don't expect to be well known, considered a great writer, an inspirational speaker, or whatever many people blog for. I do want to be used by the Lord. I am getting to the point where I am one of those "elder women" who should be teaching the "younger women" about loving the Lord, your husband, your children, your home, to be diligent, thoughtful, prudent and wise.

I ask you to bear with me, as I share my heart. I hope to be consistent, but I may not be. So, I ask that you be patient with me. I am simply a wife/mother/home keeper who doesn't have a lot of time. But, I do care about you, my readers. I do have a heart for young women who are misled, confused and unsure of themselves. I do desire to see you grow in maturity, in love and in grace to be the women you were created to be.

Thanks for sticking with me,

Elizabeth

Unintentionally Guilty

2010-01-10T16:30:00.004-05:00

I am working on reading my Bible through in 90 days. Quite an undertaking, I assure you, yet God has enabled me (so far) to be diligent and to stay right on track. I have been a Christian for ~ahem~ many years, but I have never read the Bible completely through. I have attempted to, but in trying to do it in a year, I get bogged down. Reading it in 90 days, about an hour a day, seems to suit me much better and I am really enjoying it.

As I have read, I have learned much. Like, I had no idea that Noah and his family were on the ark a total of one year and ten days from the time God shut the door until the time He re-opened it. Whew! That Mrs. Noah must have been some kind of woman! I can't stand animals in my house and yet she lived with two of every kind couped up in a boat for over a year. All I can say is, "YUCK!"

Once I started reading in Leviticus, I read about God's laws and decrees He intended the Israelites to follow. There were quite a few of them and I found that many times they were repeated. (You know that if God sees fit to repeat something, He must really mean it!) Starting in chapter 4, though, I noticed that the Lord saw fit to repeat something 6 times. And if that didn't reach out and slap me silly, I don't know what else would. Because it scared me.

I know that Christ came to redeem me and that I am no longer under the law. We are taught that quite often in our Evangelical settings. But, that does not mean that the law is now null and void or that those books in the Bible no longer hold any relevancy for us today. There is still much to be gained from reading, learning and understanding the laws, decrees, commandments and principles that God has laid down for us to live by. Well, you might wonder how important are they really?

Listen to what God said to Moses: "If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible." (Lev. 5:17, NIV) (see also: Lev 4:13, 22, 27, 5:1, 4) Emphasis added.

How many times, daily, hourly, minute by minute do you suppose one could sin against God and not even know it? The idea that even now one of us could be sinning in some way against God is a tad bit unnerving. But what makes it worse, is that God says we are guilty and will be held responsible. Wow. No more "ignorance is bliss". No more can we shyly giggle and go "whoops! Well, God knows that I am just dust." No. Six times God says we are guilty and will be held responsible.

How do we avoid this trouble? How do we keep from being held responsible? Granted, once we accept Christ as our Savior and Redeemer, all of our sins are forgiven, past, present and future. But we are to live holy lives, because God Himself is Holy. Near the end of Leviticus, in chapter 20 verses 7 & 8, He says this: "Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. Keep my decrees and follow them, I am the LORD who makes you holy."

It's a great thought for contemplation, is it not? Is there an answer? I believe it is to stay in His Word. We must know what the Word says in order to follow His mandates. We are to test the Spirits, we are to discern the Truth, we are to grow in grace and knowledge. We can only do that if we stay in the Word.

It's still early in the New Year. There is still time to resolve to spend time studying His Word everyday. It is possible to not be so naive, to not be unitentionally guilty. Will you plan to know Him more this year? Or will you plan to try to claim ignorance to the Great I Am? It's certainly your choice.

Thanks for your time,
Elizabeth

Well, Trying Again.

2010-01-08T12:10:00.002-05:00

Every year, we resolve to do better, to make better choices, to gain more control in one area or another.

I hope to get this blog up and running again. It's been a while. The Lord has been doing many things in my heart and my life and I have been through a season that required me to "Be Still".

As I attempt again to renew this blog, my goals are the same but at a different capacity. My desire is to inspire women to love the Lord with all their hearts, minds and souls, to love their husbands and their children, to be managers (keepers, guardians, busy) at home, to be ministers in their own Jerusalem.

My hope is to update this blog at least once a week. I hope that you will be patient with me as I openly admit that this blog is not my life, my highest priority or my reason for living. I do not have time every day to write, update and make progress reports. I have observed blogs that add new things four or more times a day. I don't have that kind of time. I am at a different place in my life.

So, tomorrow, I hope to have this blog up and running again.

Thanks for sticking with me!
Elizabeth

Aaahhh, Summer Relaxations!

2009-07-11T18:54:00.010-04:00

My daughter, Mary, thought this was a really neat picture. I think she has a really good eye. Oh, and the relaxation part? We got to cut all that hay after she took the picture.

Cinnamon rolls the size of a large man's hand. I made these and they are excellent. (If I do say so myself.)

More bread that I made, all packaged and ready to go.

My Sunflower Bread, as it cools. What a fun, creative way to make a loaf of bread. I have been selling bread like this and the last two pictures at our local farmer's market each week and I am loving the whole experience. I start baking at around 4 am on Friday, go until about 11 pm. Then I get up between 3 and 4 on Saturday to finish up. We sell on Saturday mornings. Today, I brought home one lonely loaf of raisin bread and a few sweet rolls. Relaxing, if you don't mind all of those dishes, the back pain and the lack of sleep.

Laura got a new puppy, Salem. Smart dog. No. Really. He is pretty smart. Even for a dog. It's so relaxing.

The Squirt turned six and had a banana split birthday. She had originally wanted banana splits, with a banana cake and banana chips but we narrowed that down to simply (probably not the word I am looking for...) banana splits. We had the whole works. Turned out, she really only wanted ice cream, a banana, and some chocolate syrup over it. The rest of us enjoyed "the works" part. And some relaxing. Sort of. Are parties ever relaxing? I wonder.....

I gave Cari and Shannon a hair cut. It looks nice, but when I cut Shannon's hair, I wanted to cry. But, as she kept reminding me, it's her head. I will have to post those pictures later.

Anyhow, so far for me, it's been anything but relaxing. I think all of that is about to change. We are going camping this weekend with two dear families and we are so excited. We'll be camping on the river with swimming, fishing, blueberry picking and some real relaxation. I can't wait.

Until next time,

Take Care,

Elizabeth

There's No Place Like Home

2009-05-17T08:11:00.002-04:00

At my home, where I love to be, there are flowers blooming everywhere. Here one of our many rose bushes is in bloom over a basement window. Shannon took pictures of our flowers and it has been a joy to me to be able to give some of these beautiful blooms to loved ones who have popped in for a minute or two over the last couple of weeks.

The youngun's enjoying a day in the sun. We have had much rain lately, but as you can tell by the dogwood in the back of the picture that the rain has been good.

My dear, handsome, strong and amazing hubby and me. This was the background that my mom painted for a formal dinner and dance that we held in honor of Amanda and her home school graduation.

We have been pretty busy around here lately. We've had two graduations, finished up another year of home school, been serving in our community, planting bits and pieces of our garden and I have been loving being home.

Our garden is well on it's way. We've already been eating the lettuces from it and soon we will be chomping away on the broccoli that has little baby heads out there. Our cabbages are huge, our peas are blooming. We have four kinds of squashes up, two kinds of cucumbers, green beans, potatoes, various herbs. We have planted pumpkin and brussel sprouts, have the tomato and pepper plants ready to go in, turnips going crazy, and we are almost ready to plant our corn and pole beans. The only thing left is the okra. We have been eating very well from our "forest foraging" that we do each spring. The paw-paw trees look like this will be another bumper crop year. I found a book with recipes for the paw-paws and also persimmons which I had to let go last year because I didn't know what to do with them. The peaches are already the size of golf balls here, too.

Inside, the Lord is finally answering my prayers for helping me learn to be diligent and get things in better order. Much of that, I believe, is that I am feeling better due to the supplements I have been taking and I have been running. Not errands, but actually running four miles about three times a week. Who knew that I could love running? Anyhoo, feeling better is helping me do better in other areas. And more and more, I start feeling like Dorothy in Wizard of Oz. She had to go places, do things and meet people before she found the value of home. I find myself happily cleaning the kitchen, clicking my heels together and saying "there's no place like home, there's no place like home!" How I praise the Lord for this home, my hubby, my children and my place in life at this time.
I hope all of you are enjoying spring as much as I am. Oh, by the way, it's good to be back here in the blogging world. I would love to hear from all of you!

Take care,

Elizabeth

Active Love

2009-02-25T06:58:00.004-05:00

Just thought I would share a few of the moments with you that we have had over the past couple of weeks.

We are so busy with life, but one thing that I am very thankful for is a home that is permeated with love.
We share laughter, tears, frustrations, triumphs, prayers and simply time together. But it wasn't always so.
We have cuddle time, work time, school time, dinner time, play time, and it's ALL the time.
We have friends, family, neighbors, and, at times, I believe there have even been "angels unaware".
So, to follow up on my last post. I wanted to share four "A's" that the Lord showed me several years ago. To say you love someone is generally not sufficient. I know with all of these young un's around here, it takes more than that. But, as I pointed out earlier, this did not come naturally to us and our happy peaceful family used to be one of strife and difficulty.

How did we change that? We didn't. God did. He began to show me how much He really loved me. He began to gently heal the scars of my past with His tenderness, gentleness and compassion on me. He used wonderful people in my life, my husband and His Word. He is so good to me.

The foundation for a loving home starts with Him. After that, our active love is as easy as A, B, C. Well, actually, it's A, A, A and A. And you will see that before we can do these A's, we must have that foundation within ourselves.

1) Appreciation: How many times a day do you find some reason to appreciate something about those around you? Is it hard for you? For me, it started with actively looking for something to appreciate. Did your children play nicely together? Thank them. Did your husband go to work today? Thank him. Did your friend call you to check on you? Thank her. Look around. Being able to appreciate others is a wonderful first step in being able to love them.

2) Acceptance: For most of us moms, it is really easy to accept our infant. I mean, they are so cute and cuddly! Who doesn't love a sweet smelling baby? But as they grow up, we tend to grow away. When they are older and they make choices that we don't approve of, it becomes easier and easier to criticize, to condemn, to belittle. O, sisters, this ought not be. Accept your children for who they are! Accept your husband for who he is! Accept your neighbors, acquaintances, extended family, etc. Are you perfect? Are you without fault? No. Does your Creator accept you? Yes. You are accepted in the beloved. So are they. You were created in His image. So were they! How it must grieve the One who accepts us, when we will not show acceptance to those around us. Your job is not to act as the Holy Spirit for those you spend time with. God already has someone to do that job. Your job is be His hands, His arms, His feet and His mouth of love. Don't criticize; accept.

3) Affirmation: The Scripture tells us that every word we say should be used to build the listeners up. ( Note: listeners would include those you may not even be speaking to. But that's another message.) What have you said today to affirm someone around you? Did your words build up or tear down? Every wise woman builds her home but the foolish tears it down. Your words of affirmation are a necessary part of building up your home! Find something, ANYTHING, good to say to those you meet today. Compliment their smile, their eyes, their hair, their sweater, a choice they made, a positive attitude they demonstrated, something. There is always something good that can be said. Start small. As you develop these habits, they will come easier and they will get better. But start.

4) Admiration: Admiration is different from affirmation. Affirmation involves your words. Admiration involves your face. As you find reasons to appreciate, accept and affirm, allow your eyes to sparkle. Let there be a smile on your face. Use your arms to hug, your hands to pat, but train yourself to sit back and admire. Use your face to show how you love. Stop your frowning. Who wants to spend time with someone who frowns all the time? It's depressing! You can make a difference, just with your face.

Maybe you wonder why you should be responsible for all this effort? Did not God give you this ministry? Did He not allow these people to be a part of your life? He sees the beginning from the end. He knows. But, He wants you to be His "messenger in the desert place". People are hungry for love. Christians used to be identified by their love for each other. We are supposed to be set apart, a peculiar people. Let's be "weirdos" by loving.

Take care,

Elizabeth

My God is So Big!

2009-02-21T09:54:00.007-05:00

Good morning,

Just wanted to share this very sweet moment of training that occurred in our home a couple of nights ago. God has entrusted two dear little ones to our care on a part time basis and we are loving it!

I read an interesting article this morning in a recent "In Touch" magazine. The article was written by Gary Chapman and was talking about true, Christian love. We all know the Scripture that says "love your neighbor as yourself", but he re-worded it a bit and said, instead, "love your neighbor as you would your own family". Wow! Just a few changed words and yet, what an impact that had on me.

Do we, as Christians, set ourselves apart from the world by loving those around us as we love our own families? That's quite a challenge in this modern day world. We are told that to be politically correct means to essentially mind our own business. We make a habit of not assuming eye contact with passers-by when on the street, we don't speak to our next door neighbor beyond a polite greeting when out at the same time, and we certainly don't speak to strangers!

Remember in scripture it says that by "this" all men will know that you are my disciples? What was "this"? It was love. Scriptural love. The kind in which we love our neighbor as our own family. I want to be known by that kind of love. I want the love of Christ to pour out over those that I come in contact with.

Of course, that kind of love isn't really in me. WHAT? If it isn't there, then how do I share it? By recognizing God's great love for me. I am accepted in the beloved. I was chosen before the foundations of the world were laid to be called by His name. I am a sister to Jesus Christ and an heir to the throne. All for love. Unless I have His love in me, full and overflowing, I cannot love those around me.

Sisters, would you please take time today to bask in the wonder of His love for you so that you might be able to share it with those you meet, work with, live with, pass on the street? Because only then, will others know that you are a true Christian.

I will return later with some practical ideas for loving others as you would your own family. Until then,

Take care,

Elizabeth

Rip Tide

2009-02-19T09:00:00.003-05:00

There is an ominous activity that occurs in the ocean. It's called a rip tide.

"Rip currents can be recognized by unusually calm waters, caused by the channel of water flowing out. Rip currents can be extremely dangerous, dragging swimmers away from the beach and leading to death by drowning when they attempt to fight the current and become exhausted." (Taken from Wikipedia.org)

These things are devastating! So, why did I choose to blog about them today?

Here's why:

As a woman, my heart's desire is to be pleasing to the Lord in every area of my life. I am daily asking the Lord to grant me His "peace that passes all understanding" and for that "meek and quiet spirit which to Him is of great price". This week, He gave me a wonderful word picture to help me with this peace.

Many times, we can "force" ourselves to appear peaceful. We will put on an outer image of having it all together, of maintaining our composure, of being at peace. But inwardly, we may be stewing, simmering, seething. We are playing and replaying an episode of an argument we may have had with our dear hubby this morning. We are inwardly complaining over our circumstances or the way "she" treated me. Whatever it is, we are not peaceful in our souls. When God tells us women to have a "quiet spirit" this is what we are to fight against, this inner turmoil that robs us of our peace.

Well, we might argue, nobody can really tell what is going on inside of me, so what does it hurt? So long as I appear to be peaceful, I am good. Right?

Wrong. Look again at what Wikipedia says about a rip tide or current. They are found when the waters appear to be calm. An uninformed swimmer shows up at the beach, the water looks great, he jumps in. Before he knows what is happening, he is being dragged out from the beach. Farther and farther he is pulled until he drowns from exhaustion. There is a danger in those calm looking waters.

It's the same thing with us. We may appear to be calm, but under the surface, we have a major rip tide waiting to pull us out to sea. Satan is at work in this inner rip current. He would love to see us destroyed. He would love to see us pulled so far from our Saviour, our husband, our children and our home. He would love to see us give up from the exhaustion. The problem lies with the fact that we deceive ourselves. We believe that so long as we look good, we are going to be okay.

God wants to give us that inner peace that keeps us safe, keeps our family safe, and keeps our homes safe. He doesn't care what we look like! He sees the heart! He knows our thoughts, our motivations, our attitude more than we know ourselves. Shouldn't we yield ourselves to His plan for us and allow Him to be at work in us, producing this peace and quiet spirit? Yes.

Let this be your prayer today:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Don't let your spirit be destroyed by the rip tide of no peace.

Take care,

Elizabeth

Miracle Product!

2009-02-13T09:01:00.002-05:00

Ok, ok. So this is a little off topic, and rarely do I sing the praises of any one particular product, but this one deserves a song and dance.

My parents picked this wonder up for me and yesterday I decided to see what it could do. I have been so absolutely impressed that I spent hours using it, all over my home. It got to the point where four of five of my girls were watching with wonder and amazement as well. Amanda commented that this was "better than tv".

I used this stuff on an old armoire in my room. This armoire had been rescued years ago from the trash by my frugal hubby. It was in bad shape years ago. But I just wiped this stuff on and that old armoire turned into a beautiful piece of furniture in a matter of minutes. Same thing with an old chest o' drawers. I used it on my coffee table, a side table that was covered in scratches, and then the front door. I have pictures of the effects on the front door which I will post later. In the meantime, would I recommend this product to a friend?

That would be a hearty "YES!!!"

Take care,
Elizabeth

Who are You Following?

2009-02-12T08:25:00.004-05:00

I imagine by the time I lay out all that God has put into my heart on this subject, it will have many parts to it. But, this is the beginning. So, I start with a short story.

A man and his wife were attempting to drive their two cars home late one foggy night over a very curvy WV mountain road. The man was leading and he told the wife she would follow. It was incredibly difficult to see where he was going, but the wife simply had to follow the tail lights in front of her. Next thing she knew, to her amazement, she had followed him right over the side of the mountain, off the road. He jumped out of his car and started yelling at her, "why did you drive off the road?" She smiled at him and said very demurely, "Well, you told me to follow you."

Now, before any of you women jump on some sort of band wagon with this, there is no proof in this story as to why you shouldn't follow your husband. So, don't go there. Just don't.

We are all following somebody or something. Many of us follow a particular newscaster. Many follow all the latest trends. Most of us know all the latest details about the galaxy of stars in Hollywood. We follow a sports team, or the government, or our pastor, or a particular denomination. We are always following.

From the time our children are able to walk, we teach them to follow. We teach them to follow us. We teach them to follow their classmates. We tell them if they will stand in line at school and not question the teacher, then they are good and obedient. We instinctively teach a "herding" mentality. Think about it. When we are in school, we are herded from the class room to lunch, to the gym, to the playground, to the library, to the auditorium, and back to the class room again.

As our children grow, we give them the latest gadgets, MP3's, cell phones, hand-held whatever's, and they follow their peers, they follow the latest gossip, they follow, follow, follow. I mean, this is what we have been trained to do all of our lives, right? What else is there?

As Christians in a nation that is quickly losing interest in real Christianity, isn't it time to lead? Shouldn't we follow the Shepherd? Aren't there any better options? There are. I'm tellin' ya.

But how do we find these options? Do we watch the latest news report to find out? Do we ask our friends? Do we write a letter to "Dear Abby"? Nope. All this does is put us right back where we were. Following.

Be quiet.

Yep, you heard me. Be quiet. The scriptures tell us to "Be still and know that I AM GOD." He tells us over and over again to meditate on His Word day and night. He tells us to hide His Word in our hearts. Can you do that over the blare of the tv, the computer, the cell phone, the radio, the cd, the __________?

We can't. So, with all of this cacophony around us, we follow in paths that lead us over the side. The constant noise pollution clouds the vision of our path. The inability to be still and meditate allows us to lose our way. Of course, all of our friends and the friends of our children are also lost, so like this big group of dumb sheep, we are being herded farther and farther from truth, from our Father, from fulfilling all that He has planned for us in advance to do.

I will stop there. For now. But I will be back. In the meantime, ask yourself: Who are you following?

Take care,

Elizabeth

I've Been Tagged!

2009-02-11T07:12:00.002-05:00

Well, here goes. My good friend over at "This Present Valley" has tagged me with this fun little game.

I was supposed to go to my 5th picture file, find the 5th picture and then blog about it. So, if you will look below, you will see the funny ice sculpture.

We have a neighbor who has a waterfall right in their back yard. Last week when it was so cold, the girls were outside playing and found this unique piece of art. They brought it in because it looked like the spine of some crazy ice creature. The brown stuff in the middle are leaves frozen to the the "spine". It was curved, but had all of the features of a spine of an animal or even human.

Now, as a favor to all of you wonderful bloggers out there, I am supposed to "tag" five people. I have no idea who I should tag or who would like to be tagged. So, if you are desiring more people in your direction and you think I could possibly help you in that area, leave a comment and I will publicly tag you. I am so popular, you know. ~sniff~

Seriously, now, may I just quickly say a word about the graciousness of our loving Father? I am still sick. I cannot remember the last time that I was this sick. Sick enough that I am heading off to the doctor this afternoon. But, sometimes when we women get sick and tired and just plain frazzled, we just want to curl up and be catered to. As mothers and busy wives that isn't always feasible. So, do we get selfish? Do we demand that somebody cares for us? Do we get ugly with our children or husband? Do we rant and rave?

OK. Where exactly am I going with this?

Here: My Father knows that I am dust. He knows that I have weaknesses. Yet, He wants me to obey. He wants His love in me to pour out continually on those around me. But, in His great graciousness, He knows that in myself, I cannot do that. So He allows His Spirit to be at work in me, helping me to continue and be steadfast.

I have been so overcome in the recent months to think of God in this way. He expects obedience, but He know I can't obey. So He allows His helper to do the work in me. He expects joy, and helps me to have joy. He expects a quiet spirit, and He teaches me to have a quiet spirit. As a mother loves her child, so does my Father love me. He cradles me and speaks soothingly to me, He caresses me when I need it and He holds me close to Himself in order that I might be comforted, strengthened and taught.

He is so good to me. I want to praise Him for His faithfulness to me. His mercies are new every morning, aren't they?

Have a wonderful day in the Lord.
Elizabeth

A Quick Update

2009-02-08T12:43:00.002-05:00

Just wanted all to know that God was watching out for me in advance with this menu plan. We have completed a full week and are starting on week two. However, Friday night I got sick and have been in bed since. (Except for right now, which is the first time I have been up for two days.) What a blessing to have all those meals planned for in advance. My girls looked at the menu and were able to just keep things rolling. My family doesn't need to suffer just because I am. ~sniff~

Anyhow, wanted to encourage you all to plan ahead. It has been wonderful and well worth the time and effort that we put into it last Saturday morning.

By the way, 5 year old Evie decided to "entertain momma" yesterday. She brought the SORRY game to my bed and we played two games. She beat me. Both times. It was pitiful. My husband thinks she simply took advantage of her poor ole' momma and her weakened condition. (I wish.)

Take care,
Elizabeth

Dear Anonymous,

2009-02-05T13:20:00.002-05:00

I just went through and looked at a few comments that had been left on another posting.

I read a post from Anonymous that I would like to address.

God has really been working on me about His will for my life. Ask my kids. I have been on this kick for quite a while.

When I was young, I wanted desperately to know what God's will was for my life. I was about to graduate from highschool, head off to some college and do something with my life. I was scared. I wanted to do what was right. I wanted to head in the right direction. So, I went to some people that I truly respected and believed knew the answers to life's big questions. And I said, "How will I know what God's will is for my life?" Each adult, without exception, gave me the same answer: "O-o-o-o-o-h-h-h-h! You'll just know!" Now, what kind of answer is that? No kind, that's what.

But, God in is his great compassion for my thick head has been so good over the last twenty years to teach me what His will is. You see, I am married. I answer to my husband. Whatever he says, goes. So, where I live, where I go, how I spend my time is not truly up to me. (Disclaimer: My wonderful husband is not an ogre. He is a godly man, and a very strong man and I treasure his protection over me. Otherwise, I could hurt myself.) And for me, the direction that my husband leads me IS God's will for me. I tell my children that where they live, who their siblings are, who their parents are, how they are educated is God's will for them. As He leads and opens opportunities for them, that is further direction from God towards His plan for them.

I say all of this because sometimes we can look at another person and see their life and long for something different in our own. You have the life that God has allowed at this time. If your children go to school, whether secular or private, and that is what your husband wants, that is God's will for you. Be thankful. Your Jerusalem may be far greater than mine will ever be. You are getting out there, influencing other children and ultimately other families. How you influence them is up to you. I don't necessarily have that opportunity. God gives each one a work to do.

So, you have carpet in your kitchen? Great. Your kids are probably less likely to break dishes than mine are. Your feet don't walk across a cold kitchen floor and catch missed crumbs that are still laying about. What a blessing!

Beyond all that I have shared, what is God's will for your life? "In everything give thanks, for THIS is the will of Christ Jesus concerning you." "I have learned in everything to be content." "Continually offer up that sacrifice of praise" "Do all things without grumbling and complaining" "Do your work as unto the Lord and not unto men for in this you will inherit a blessing."

When you are riding in the car with your children on the way to school, spend time singing together. Point out the beauty and creativity of your Father who loves you. Talk to your children about how good God is. Tell them how He is at work in your life. Travel time is excellent. You have a captive audience to share with. Let you children see you taking delight in life, in your relationship with your Saviour, in your husband and in your children.

When you are vacuuming your carpet in the kitchen, sing. Use it as a time to worship. Use it as a time for prayer, just you and Messiah.

I cannot stress enough, you don't wake up each morning ready to praise God in every circumstance. You train yourself by doing it. It is a habit that you can create in yourself.

I will be praying for you. My heart is filled with compassion for you and your family. May your heart be filled with joy and with a quiet spirit. May you be blessed with that wonderful, amazing peace that passes all earthly understanding.

God bless,
Elizabeth

Mid-Week Update

2009-02-05T13:04:00.002-05:00

Well, today is Thursday and I am pleased with how this whole menu thing is working. I mean, it is really working.

Doing all of that prep work last Saturday helps quite a bit. When we are ready to start dinner, we just put the fixin's all together and we have a wonderful meal. Even my dear hubby has enjoyed it.

I made my bean bread yesterday. Amanda didn't realize that this same bread that she has been eating and enjoying actually had pinto beans in it. HAHA.

Now, really, the base for this bread is pinto beans that I put through the blender with a bit of water. Then I add regular stuff, like yeast, sugar, salt, flour and I do actually put in whole wheat gluten, but I use white flour. This makes the bread light and fluffy, but because of the beans, it is still high in nutrients and definitely high in protein. And no, it doesn't give you gas.

Now, tonights dinner is General Tso's Chicken with stir-fried rice. This happens to be one of my very favorite meals. I got the recipe from the internet some time ago. And since it was free to me, I will share it with you.

Keep in mind, that my chicken is already cooked and cubed, which will save much time and trouble in the preparation of dinner tonight.

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken, cut into chunks
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 egg, beaten
1 cup cornstarch
2 cups green onions, sliced
8 small dried chilies, seeds removed

Sauce:
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sherry or white wine
14 1/2 ounces chicken broth

1. Place sauce ingredients in a quart jar with a lid and shake to mix. (They mean for you to shake the jar, not yourself. Just in case.) Refrigerate until needed shaking (it) again when are ready to use it.

2. Mix soy sauce, egg and cornstarch well and add chicken, tossing to coat.

3. Deep fry 7 or 8 chicken pieces at a time in hot (350 degree) oil until chicken is crispy.

4. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all chicken is fried.

5. Place a small amount of oil in wok or large skillet and heat to 400 degrees.

6. Add green onions and hot peppers and stir fry about 30 seconds.

7. Stir sauce mixture, and then add to pan with onions and peppers, cook until thick. If it gets too thick, add a little water.

8. Add chicken pieces to sauce and cook until all is hot and bubbly.

9. Serve over rice.

Now, just fyi, I have not used the white vinegar and sherry wine mix. I have simply substituted 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar for the two. Also, in the past, I haven't had green onions, I just use white and if I don't have cornstarch, I just use flour. And once, I didn't have dried peppers, so I just used pepper flakes like you buy in the spice section of your grocery.

So, it really is quite simple. And it is excellent. And when I told dear hubby that we were having it tonight, he was decidely looking forward to it.

So, I hope your day is going well.

Take care,
Elizabeth

Sunday Chicken and Dumplings

2009-02-02T08:43:00.002-05:00

Ok, I meant to take a picture of our delicious dinner, but when you are busy feeding a hungry group, you tend to forget silly things like that.

Anyhow, dinner was a success....to a degree, but I will get to that.

Here is the recipe for our Chicken and Dumplings

1 whole fryer chicken
1 10.5 oz can of cream of mushroom soup
1 10.5 oz can of cream of chicken soup
1 14 oz can of chicken broth
handful of diced onion
handful of chopped celery
salt and pepper to taste
6 lg tortillas, cut into 1 1/2 inch squares

I put the chicken into a large baking dish with a lid. I put both soups and the broth into a mixing bowl, stirred well and then poured over the chicken. I tossed in the veggies and the cut tortillas.

I put the lid on the pan and baked it all morning in my oven at 250 degrees. When we came home, we heated up canned green beans, sliced some bread and enjoyed our dinner. We could have added a salad, but we were especially late getting home from church and I was too tired (ie lazy).

Now, the comment above regarding to a degree...the girls and I didn't mind the funny little dumplings. However, my husband thought they tasted like the consistency of "chicken fat", so we may change this a little the next time we make it.

After dinner, I deboned the rest of the chicken, added a few more veggies, the left over green beans and two pints of my already cooked rice. I added one more can of chicken broth and rinsed it with water, also adding that to the pot. I put the lid back on, put it back in the oven and we had a ready made supper later in the evening.

Today's menu is beans, cornbread, fried taters and pork chops. I am currently cooking 8 cups of pinto beans. We will eat all we want tonight, have refried beans for tomorrows taco salad and I will still have enough to make bread with.

Hope you are being inspired to be a prudent keeper at home.

Take care,
Elizabeth

A Saturday Well Spent

2009-01-31T11:52:00.003-05:00

This photo (which is admittedly, very poor quality) is photo of the list of things we needed to do today. In my ongoing effort to be a good and prudent wife, I am implementing more ideas for staying on top of healthy meals for my family, without breaking the bank or my back. We girls worked this morning to do much of the "prep" work ahead of time so that putting together dinner will be a much smoother and efficient process.

This is a picture of all that needed to be done. You will see vegetables that needed diced, chopped or grated. You see large packages of meats that needed to be separated, cooked and frozen.

We grated the carrots, enough for five meals this coming week.

We chopped celery, enough for four meals this week. Notice my fancy and expensive "tupperware" that I am storing my chopped veggies in. I even splurged and got the matching lids! ~smile~

We don't want to waste the precious resources that the Lord has blessed us with. So, all my vegetable "scraps" go into a pot. I later added water and some salt and these are now simmering on my stovetop to make a vegetable broth for soup this week. Once I have finished simmering these, I will strain the broth and these will go into our compost pile for the garden beds this spring.

When I am able, I try to buy in bulk. This is usually the less expensive way to go. Then we just separate the meat into portions for later.

We made hamburger patties, enough for tonight's dinner and enough for next Saturday's dinner. The ones for the freezer were stored in a plastic container with freezer paper between each pattie. When we are ready to use them, we can just thaw them out and toss them on the grill.

Here is my beautiful daughter, Shannon, helping make the patties. She later browned the rest of the roll you see on the left side of the picture to be divided for four other meals, two this week, two next week.

We had five happy girls when we served macaroni and cheese with hotdogs in it for a quick lunch. Most of us also had a pickle. Ok. I know. This is an unusual combination, but we are an unusual group of girls.

We cooked up boneless, skinless chicken breast and then dice it and divide it for two meals this week and two meals next week. This saves a lot of hassle and time later. Especially when we use the meat for our General Tso's Chicken.

So, what will we do with all of this food? Well, here is a copy of our menu for the week. We will use the same menu next week, as well.

All breakfasts will be boiled eggs with either toast or biscuits. The exception is Sunday breakfast when we will have cereal.

Saturday lunch: Mac & Cheese with hotdogs and pickles

Saturday dinner: Hamburgers on the grill, baked beans, salad

Sunday lunch: Baked Chicken and dumplings, green beans, salad

Sunday dinner: Chicken and rice veggie soup

Monday lunch: Mustgoes ( in other words, odd things in the fridge must go)

Monday dinner: Pinto Beans, Pork Chops, Fried taters, cornbread

Tuesday lunch: Baked potatoes with the works

Tuesday dinner: Taco Salad

Wednesday lunch: Mustgoes

Wednesday dinner: Spaghetti, garlic bread, salad

Thursday lunch: Veggie soup and biscuits

Thursday dinner: General Tso's Chicken over fried rice, salad

Friday lunch: Cheesy Chicken and rice casserole

Friday dinner: Black beans and rice, salad

I hope this inspires you to start planning ahead and doing what you can to make your home run more smoothly.

Remember: We do all things to please the Lord, not men, because from the Lord we will receive a blessing.

If I am able, I will post pictures of the finished products. I will even be happy to include recipes for those who are interested.

Thanks for sharing my Saturday morning with me.

Take care,

Elizabeth

The Pursuit of Purpose

2009-01-29T07:33:00.002-05:00

I want to share with you all a little of what God is teaching me. This past week, God has brought me to the point of brokenness. What a wonderful place to be. Maybe you don't really think so, but when we finally reach the point of being broken by God, then He is able to do a new work in us. I found myself on my knees, scrubbing the kitchen floor. Now, I have a wonderful large kitchen and a very weak body. It took me two days to scrub the entire kitchen floor. So, I had a lot of time on my knees. And while I was there, I have to admit, I was feeling a little sorry for myself.

Frankly, I don't enjoy scrubbing anything, much less the kitchen floor. However, God in His great love and mercy is re-training me, but I am getting a little ahead of myself. My prayers were going something like this: "Why does he (my hubby) think my whole purpose in life is to clean his house? Doesn't he realize that I have "ministry" opportunities? Doesn't he know that God desires to use me for some great work?" Ever thought like that? I feel rather confident in assuming that you have. For these thoughts come from the very heart of pride, which we all struggle with.

But God, in His great mercy for me, said: "What if I created you for the purpose of scrubbing floors? What if I have nothing more for you than to scrub the kitchen floor? Is this not good enough for you? Do you have a better idea than mine?"

Whoa.

Ever had the breath of God rush over you and you knew, you KNEW, you had better get your thinking back in line with Him or else?

Ok, so what if God created me for the sole purpose of scrubbing floors? Could I not find complete joy and satisfaction in doing that? Could I possibly find myself enjoying scrubbing floors?

I was quickly brought back from my pride and arrogance to the point of wanting what God has planned for me, not what I hope to accomplish. To continue believing that I knew better than God, that I should be used in some great ministry, was to bring discipline to myself, my husband, my family, my home.

I don't believe my only purpose on earth is to scrub floors. I am a wife, mother, teacher, home manager, helper, private nurse, chef, baker, discipler, taxi-driver, lover, enabler, nurturer, etc. But, at this moment, if God wants me to scrub the floor, then I will do so with great joy and peace in my heart. He has already equipped me with every good thing I need to accomplish the task set before me. I can have joy and contentment in doing what God is purposing me to do. I can go about my duties with singing and laughter.

Why? Because, it is a delight to God to be joyful in my work. Because I am to give thanks in everything. Can't find a reason to be thankful? Do you have a kitchen? Do you have floors? Do you have a home? Do you have children who are observing you and learning from you how to have a servant's heart? Do you have a husband who appreciates clean floors? Do you have the strength and the ability to clean those floors?

Still need help? How about offering up that sacrifice of praise to the Lord? Think about that. A sacrifice of praise. Not an easy task. But as you go about your work, start singing. Start thanking Him for His Helper who is enabling you to do the task at hand. We don't acquire a joyful spirit and then start the task, we practice our way into a joyful spirit. We aren't automatically content in every situation, but we practice being content.

In scrubbing my kitchen floor, I found that God has not purposed me to scrub the floor but to be able to praise Him, thank Him, worship Him, be content in Him, find my joy in Him, and be blessed by Him.

How I am enjoying this pursuit of purpose.

Take care,
Elizabeth

PS By the way, I found myself truly enjoying scrubbing the kitchen floor. In fact, I hope to do it again today!

In Christ Alone

2009-01-22T07:38:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to share with you today:
Romans 15:13 (niv)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God bless you on this beautiful day that the Lord has made,

Elizabeth

Dressing Your Girls Modestly and Inexpensively

2009-01-16T07:02:00.003-05:00

My five year old has been growing like a weed. She had gotten so tall that many of her dresses were shamefully short. Through a series of events, I remembered how years ago, I had made t-shirt dresses for my other girls. They were long, comfortable and inexpensive. So, I decided to make long sleeved t-shirts dresses again for Evie. The only problem was, she didn't really have any long sleeved t-shirts, either.

I headed out to do some shopping, wanting to spend as little as possible. Now, I don't typically shop at Wal-mart, but here in WV your choices are limited. So, to Wal-mart I went. I happened to find 3 long-sleeved shirts for $3.50 and one turtleneck shirt for $3.00. So, I picked those up and headed over to the fabric section. I went through and chose three coordinating fabrics for each shirt. I tried to stick with fabrics that were $2.00 a yard or less. With my 12 bolts of fabric, I went to the cutting counter and got 1/4 yard of each.

These dresses are for winter, so I picked up a spool of black thread to use with all four dresses. At the check out, my total purchase was right at $20. I came home, eager to get started. I made the skirt to each dress first, and then attached it to the t-shirt. I first stitched the skirt on with the right sides together but with the bottom of the skirt up toward the neckline of the shirt. Then, I pulled the skirt down so that I had a completed looking dress, but on the outside of the skirt, I stitched the skirt down again.

I did this, because years ago, when I made the first t-shirt dresses, the fabric was often too heavy for the t-shirt and would eventually start pulling away, ripping the t-shirt and not looking very nice at all. With the skirt stitched on twice, it is very secure and I didn't have to worry about finishing the top edge of the skirt as it is now hidden under the second row of stitching.

As you can tell, these were some pretty colorful dresses, but they fit the personality of my youngun'. There was probably a cheaper way to do these dresses, but when you are the youngest of six girls to have "brand new" dresses can be pretty exciting. And I didn't feel that $20 for 4 dresses was a bad deal.

Hope this inspires you to give the idea a try. Let me know how it turns out for you and have fun!

Take care,

Elizabeth

PS There really is a fourth dress. It's in the laundry.

Grace for Today

2009-01-15T08:35:00.003-05:00

Well, okay. Not one of my better pictures, but we had a very beautiful full moon here a few nights ago. It was gleaming brightly through the clouds that were rolling in, bringing in this latest winter storm.

I have been enjoying a brand new experience on this brand new year of 2009. Once a week, I am calling my dearest friend in the world at 6:30 am and we are spending about 45 minutes together in prayer. What might we be praying about? Well, we pray for our homes, our hubbies, our children and ourselves. We pray for strength to be the women that God intended for us to be.

This morning, my dear friend prayed that I would start a remembrance book of all the things that the Lord has taught me and continues to teach me; of all the victories he has granted and strength and grace to get through the lessons he is teaching me. What a great idea! A remembrance book.

Now, this may seem a little off topic, but stay with me for a minute. Tomorrow evening, we are hosting a simple pot-luck party at our home. I made out invitations and titled them "By God's Grace". Tomorrow, January 16, 2009 will be the ten year anniversary of when the Lord granted my girls and me safe passage to return home. BUT...when I returned, I felt my life was over. I felt that there was no hope for me. I felt that God had picked me up and laid me right on his spiritual garbage heap. My life had been for nothing.

But, ten years later, I look back and see how good and loving and gracious my Abba, Father has truly been to me. Yes, we struggled. Yes, I wanted to quit life entirely, throw in the towel and walk away. But, God in his Great Grace was leading me through the "valley of the shadow of death" and brought me out in "green pastures, beside still waters". Does this mean my life is all hunky-dorey? Nope. Not even close. But, reaching this ten year milestone in my life and being able to look back, I see with more clarity how God was using the trials in my life for his own purposes. He said in 1 Cor 2:9 that "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has purposed for those that love him." His purpose. Not mine. His plan. Not mine.

Would I really want my own plan? Nah. Look back and see what God has done for you. Compare that to where you thought you would be. Would you really want your plans for your life over God's? Seeking my plan, I probably would not be married to the awesome man that I am, would not live in this beautiful home, would not be ministering in the special ways that God intended, would not have the blessed children that I have.

I have struggled. I have wept, been in pain, in agony over the trials that I have endured. But with all that God has blessed me with, I would go through it all again to come out in the same place, with the same perspective.

A little tune that the Holy Spirit has given me for today:

"Something beautiful, something good. All my confusion, He understood.

All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife,

but He made something beautiful of my life."

Keep your eyes on Christ, the author and FINISHER of your race. Let His plan be your goal. Yeah, it's scary at times, but so very well worth it. It's worth remembering. Maybe I will start my remembrance book with that.

Take care,

Elizabeth

January Lights

2009-01-10T10:01:00.003-05:00

This year, after Christmas, I was taking down all of our beautiful Christmas decorations and thinking about how bleak and dreary January can sometimes be. Longing for a way to brighten the month in my own home, I decided not to take down the tree but instead I re-did the lights and left them on the tree. As I was thinking and praying about what else I could do, and ever desiring to be a prudent wife and use what the Lord has given me, I decided to cut out paper snowflakes.
I started by cutting a sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" paper in half, then folded and cut. But those were awfully large. So, I cut the paper into fourths and went from there. Well, that was nicer, but then I decided to try 8ths of the paper. Before I knew it, I had beautiful little snowflakes that were an inch square.

I did manage to make a few snowflakes that measured 1/2" by 1/2", but I felt I was becoming slightly ocd, so I quit after four of those.

Anyhow, the effect has been delightful. I left a few little snowmen on the tree and the evenings are still graced by the lovely lights and green tree.

You know, speaking of lights, we live in a dark time. There are days when sin seems to be gaining ground all around us. Or maybe we suffer from darkness within our hearts and minds. I know how to dispel that darkness, do you? Jesus is the light. He didn't just come for Christmas and Easter, He came to be a light that would shine in darkness for the whole year. Somebody onced posed the question: "have you ever attempted to turn off the darkness?" You cannot turn off darkness, you can only turn on the light. You reach for the switch, give it a click and Voila! light.

We have a responsibility as his children, loved and chosen before the foundations of the world by our Creator and Savior, to share that light. Can you ask the Lord to help during this dark time of year to be a light, to share the light and allow Jesus to dispel the darkness in your life and those around you? I hope you will.

Just one more quick picture of one little corner of my living room. I left my "believe" stars out and added them to some warm, homey feeling items to keep the life in my home.

Ladies, I want to encourage you to do all you can to bring light, warmth and coziness into your home. This makes you feel better, makes your family enjoy home just a little more and will cause others who come by to feel welcome. May your home be a place of grace this coming year. May it and you glorify the Lord.

Take care,

Elizabeth

I'M BACK!

2009-01-08T10:59:00.002-05:00

Just in case you have been wondering what was keeping me so busy....

We had puppies!

Well, okay, we didn't have puppies, our dog did. But, they still are getting me up at night so they might as well be my puppies.

Our dearest friends are visiting us this weekend and will get to make the first choice and after that, I am looking for other poor suckers..I mean, wonderful people who would love to have a puppy to love, to cuddle, to feed, to clean up after, to stay up with at night... you know, all that fun puppy stuff.

I totally missed out on all of the blogging stuff for Christmas. Instead, I was napping, eating bon-bons, being lazy. Not really, we had concerts and performances and company and parties and all of the usual hub bub of Christmas.

New Year's was a much quieter affair unless you count my girls and their cousins running through the house screaming at the top of their lungs. But that was only for a few hours.

Okay, my seventeen year old would like for everyone to know that she did not run through the house screaming. She went through the house saying "please, make them stop!"

Anyhow, my wonderful husband has finally gotten me hooked up to speedy internet workings again and I hope to get back into the swing of things here.

Thanks for bearing with me.

Elizabeth

Prettier Than A Cow!

2008-11-21T15:36:00.003-05:00

Ok. So, here's the deal. This is a recent picture of myself and my adorable hubby. Now, I admit, it isn't really the most flattering picture of me, but hey, I am with the man I love and I am happy. What more do you need?

Without realizing it, I apparently needed my five year old to have the following conversation with me.

"Momma?"
"Mmm??"
"Aren't cows pretty?"
"Oh, yes. Cows are definitely pretty." (please note, this statement was made by me, but I wasn't really thinking of the true beauty of a cow, I was simply agreeing. But, back to the conversation...)
"They sure are. But, momma, you know what?"
"What, squirt?"
"You are prettier than a cow."
(now, to a five year old, I am sure that cows may seem pretty, but to a mother being compared to a cow, this statement comes as quite a shocker.)
"I am what?"
"Momma, you are prettier than a cow. Cows are really pretty, but you are prettier."
"Oh, thank you, honey." (now, in my head, I am not truly thankful. I am still shocked that my appearance has just been compared to a cow by my own flesh and blood. Still, I try to smile at her.)
When I told my dear husband about this conversation later, I expected that same shock, the same abhorrence at being compared to a cow. Instead, I got this:
"Well, you are prettier than a cow."

Thanks for your support, dear.

Have a great weekend,
Elizabeth

So What Have We Been Doing?

2008-11-11T14:28:00.005-05:00

This fall has been a really busy one for us. The busiest one by far. We have been working with some friends of ours at their little country store and got to participate in an old-fashioned apple butter stir. Amanda particularly seemed to enjoy the wood smoke, the beautiful fall day and the tantalizing aroma of cooking apple butter.

Sometimes, we have absolutely worn ourselves out, so we have found that the occasional cat nap is the best way to refresh ourselves before the next task. Cari and her best friend, Rebecca, enjoyed a nap on the front porch of the store on this warm, fall afternoon.

We've also made many new friends along the way. Here is Shannon with her friend, Brianna, doing the unthinkable (at least to us "old" adults!) We had an "Anne of Green Gables" all-nighter a few weeks ago and during the movie breaks, the girls found that they could double or triple up in a sleeping bag and "sled" down the stairs. Just look at the faces on these girls below:

That was Trisha, Heidi and Mary full of exhilaration on their way down! Of course, once Heidi hit the front door at top down hill speed, she was rethinking the whole "sled" down the stairs behavior. But it didn't last long.

There was a total of 14 girls in our home that night. Here is most of them at breakfast, all still in one piece, though some were decidedly bruised.

After church one Sunday, Mark took all of us girls to Fayette Station. This happens to be under the famous New River Gorge Bridge. Laura was in for a few days and so we took advantage of the opportunity to get pictures of the six girls all together.

Oh, yeah, then this past weekend, we had seven puppies. Well, we didn't. Our dog, Fiona, did. But we were right there with her. What a crazy last three months it has been, but it has been good. God is growing us, teaching us and bringing us closer together as a family. We are loving being where He has brought us and look forward to whatever the future may hold with eager anticipation.

Well, thanks for being patient with me. And thanks for being a part of our lives.

Take care,

Elizabeth

Long Time No Been Around!

2008-10-21T17:04:00.002-04:00

Hello, dear ones,

I apologize for my lack of anything new around here lately. We have been so busy with school, apple butter making, and managing our home that we haven't had much time for anything else.

I am hoping to get back into the swing of things very soon, so please hang in there with me.

Take care,

Elizabeth

It's Fall, Ya'll!

2008-09-03T15:08:00.004-04:00

Happy Back to School Time!

Aren't you excited? We started back to school this week and we are

LOVING IT!

How about ya'll?

More proof of fall! These beautiful marigolds line the sidewalk at my home thanks to Amanda!

They smell as good as they look. Of course, not everyone enjoys the smell of marigolds,

but I do and that's what counts.

My dad got this shot right out of his kitchen window. These birds were

having a great time splashing in mom's fountain before

they realized that they were being filmed while bathing!
Oh, the shock of it all!

I mean, who wants to have their picture taken while bathing?

They obviously flew away after that, quite perturbed.

Here's hoping your fall is going well and that the colors,

the smells and the quiet days of schooling are

keeping you focused on our Great Creator and

all that He has done for you.

Take care,

Elizabeth

New River Youth Symphony and Choir

2008-08-25T10:01:00.003-04:00

The girls participated in the New River Youth Symphony and Choir concert over the weekend. It was a terrific experience and very well done. The youth in this symphony and choir are ages 8 - 24. Some of the kids are homeschooled and some attend public school.

The program was started by a few moms who wanted the youth of Southern West Virginia to have opportunities to be in such an organization and learn to play together as a group. Our directors have volunteered their time over the past two years. There is no parent organization that is supporting us. This is just a group of young people who are dedicated to bettering themselves and their skills and parents who are dedicated to bringing the children on a weekly basis for practice. The youth come from as many as 5 counties in Southern WV.

Below is a video of my girls (being the proud momma that I am) doing a trio after a week of laryngitis.

If you would like to hear the entire concert, a CD is available for $7. The concert was approximately 2 hours long. We will ask for $3 to help cover the shipping cost, but the $7 will go directly to the NRYSC. A receipt can be provided upon request.

Enjoy the trio and take care,

Elizabeth

Hey, Hey, Janet Faye!

2008-08-25T09:36:00.003-04:00

Here is Evie pulling your name, Janet Faye, out of the cup. You're the winner! Please contact me with your mailing address and we will ship your coiled basket full of goodies to your door (or post office box).

Thanks to all of you who entered to win. I had a lot of fun with this and will be doing a drawing approximately once a month. To answer some of your questions, this basket is a coiled basket. I used a stripped fabric, wrapped around a cotton clothesline type of rope and stitched it on my 30+ year old sewing machine. The braided rug idea might work, but it would probably be a much more time consuming, finger puncturing process. If it works, let me know.

Take care,

Elizabeth

For The Beauty of The Earth

2008-08-22T12:53:00.009-04:00

Do ya'll remember this old hymn? Many people no longer sing the old hymns, but this one has been on my heart this morning, so I thought I would share with you.

For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth, Over and around us lies;

Christ our God, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the wonder of each hour Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale and tree and flower, Sun and moon and stars of light;

Christ our God, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.

May you glorify and praise the Lord with a heart full of gratefulness this weekend. Enjoy the beauty of the earth. He gave it to us to remind us of His love for us. Who wouldn't be grateful for that?

Elizabeth

Beautiful Bella

2008-08-21T12:00:00.005-04:00

What a delight it has been to have Beautiful Bella with us recently. She is such a happy baby and it is a blessing to all of us to have a baby in the house again. Thought I would share a few of our favorite pictures with you all and let her daddy see how fun she is.

"So where did that Cheerio go?"

"I am so happy!"

"and you are too funny!"

We love little Bella and hope to have back really soon!

Take care,

Elizabeth

Back to School Give-A-Way

2008-08-20T10:28:00.003-04:00

This week Money Saving Mom is holding her weekly link to free give-a-ways. I decided to participate and see what happens. So, what I am giving away is this basket pictured above. (doily not included)

The basket was handcrafted by this Mountain Momma and is full of all sorts of goodies. There is more included than what you can see in the picture, but it would be a great gift for a back to school college student or anyone, really.

If you would like to enter the drawing for this basket full of blessings, all you need to do is leave a comment at the end of the post. Your name will be entered once into the drawing. But, if you leave a link to this website on your blog, and leave me notice of having done so, your name will entered 5 times! Isn't that fun?

I will allow my five year old helper, Evie, draw a name from the hat on Monday, August 25, at 10:00 am. Leave enough information for me to be able to contact you that you have won. Or keep checking back on Monday.

Thanks for entering and have fun,
Elizabeth

Window Mistreatment Time

2008-08-18T09:55:00.006-04:00

The Nester is hosting a window mistreatment party today and so I thought that I would show off my own creative mistreatment of my dining room windows.

If you notice, these mistreatments are not even on a rod. I didn't use a glue gun, I didn't sew anything, I just stripped the fabric and hung them up. Can you tell what I used?

<
Yep, those are tea cup hooks that I screwed into the window frame, evenly spaced. Then to apply the fabric to the hooks, I used little tiny safety pins, also evenly spaced across the top of the fabric.

I like the over all effect, the off centered look and the ease with which I can take these down and put them back. Hope you enjoyed my idea of a good window mistreatment!

Take care,

Elizabeth

My Living Room

2008-08-14T11:14:00.002-04:00

I have so many dear friends who have not gotten to visit me in my new home, yet. So, I decided to show a few pictures now and then of what you could expect to find here. Above is a dry sink that years ago my mother rescued from somebody's trash. She refinished it and eventually, I got it. I added the stencilling on the doors and the back splash. I love this piece of furniture. One thing you will notice in my home is that nothing really matches. It's all been given to us or rescued.

The dry sink sits in my living room and we use the inside for storing our cookbooks and some of our crafting supplies.

Below is the corner of our living room with the entertainment center. It was given to us by some very dear friends. They wanted a new one. Good for me.

The picture on the left side wall was left here in the house when we moved in. The candle sticks were bought at the Goodwill for $1.98 for the set. The wall art was made by moi and the Masai woman was purchased to sell in one of our booths but somebody knocked her over and broke her arm off. My mother glued it back. Then Amanda knocked her over again. Her arm broke off again. It was glued again. But I don't care, she's still pretty.

Now, in other news, be watching this blog, folks. On Monday, I will be participating in the "window mistreatment partay" that's going on over at The Nesting Place.

It promises to be a lot of fun. Later in the week, I will be giving away one of those "Baskets Full of Blessings" I have previously talked about. This will be also linked to from the Money Saving Mom website. It's going to be a great week.

Well, guess that's all for now. Thanks for your continued reading of the bits and pieces of my life.

Elizabeth

A Momma's Heart

2008-08-12T11:32:00.012-04:00

Isn't she sweet? This is my oldest at her birthday celebration. She's 17 now, but still wanted to go to the park. I just love her!

At the park, there was plenty of visiting with friends...

...hanging around....

...fast movin' merry-go-rounds...

...three-legged rollerblading...

...pretty princesses on their scooters....

...the ups and downs of teeter-totters...

...more fast moving...

...oh, yeah, plenty of eating...

AND THEN....

There was

*drum roll please*

SUPER EVIE

This momma's heart is happy to watch all her family and friends having a good time.

Take care,

Elizabeth

TRUTH

2008-08-08T17:16:00.006-04:00

We watched a movie this past week and both the beginning and the end had this quote:
"Truth is in the mind of the teller." We thought it was rather funny at the time. But through the course of this week, as I have really thought about this phrase, I realized the great fallacy in the statement. It plays right into the modern thinking that says "truth is all relative."

I will grant, that in some cases, the perspective and the views of many individuals watching a singular event may vary in degrees of accuracy. But, in life as a whole, truth is not relative. Let me repeat myself. Truth is not relative. Only perspective can be relative.

I guess my concern with this statement comes from my experience of the week. See, as the Lord has been allowing difficulties into my life, I have gotten to see how "relative truth" can be so destructive. "Relative truth" can destroy people. "Relative truth" can tear apart families. "Relative truth" is no truth at all.

In the midst of my deep sorrow this week, I was reading my Bible and happened upon these verses:

I have chosen the way of truth;

I have set my heart on your laws.

I hold fast to your statutes, O LORD;

do not let me be put to shame.

I run in the path of your commands,

for you have set my heart free.

(Psalm 119:30-32)

There is absolute truth. It is found in the Word of God. There is absolute truth and God knows what it is. You can deny the truth. You can pretend the truth doesn't exist. You can say that the truth isn't really a part of your life. Ultimately, you're wrong. Whether you deny Truth or accept Truth, it exists. It's not a matter of your feelings, your perspective or your knowledge. It makes no difference how many degrees you hold or your position and title that you bear. Truth is truth.

In another movie, Mary Poppins, Mr Banks is quoted as saying: "Madam, kindly do not attempt to cloud the issue with facts!" I experienced that this week. And for the time, evil and lies seem to have gained the upper hand. But, look at verse 32 again, that last phrase:

"For you have set my heart free."

Where there is truth, real truth, there is freedom. No matter how you perceive life, no matter what your perspective may be, when there is Truth, you are free.

"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

(John 8:31-32)

There is nothing so sweet in this world as having this freedom, freedom from a guilty conscience, freedom from judgement, freedom from having to remember who you told what to, freedom to live and serve and love in complete joy and peace.

Jesus Christ is the author of this Truth. Without Him, there is no truth. And if you follow His truth, you can experience the same benefits. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Elizabeth

*all pictures were taken at Cathedral Falls, WV.

Funny Faces!

2008-08-05T10:02:00.006-04:00

So, this past weekend was Cari's 14th birthday. Next weekend is Amanda's 17th birthday. We took the girls up to an old football field and played frisbee and later basketball a little further down the road. What a day it was. We got sunburned, worn out, scabby knees and bloody noses. Well, okay, there was no bloody nose, but Mary did get hit in the nose. It could have bled.

This is Laura's idea of how fun frisbee is! It made her a little crazy. The whole concept of throwing a round disc and trying to get it to go in the direction she was looking just didn't fly with her, no pun intended.

Of course, Evie thought the concept of family members standing around the edge of a field throwing a frisbee was too boring. She decided this was a great way to play "monkey-in-the-middle". She, of course, was the monkey.

I am so thankful for the opportunities we have to be able to play together as a family. You know, today so many people get bogged down with "important" things to do, families end up going in 8 different directions on any given day. God is so good to me, that we can take our 6 girls, ages 5 - 17, and go play and have fun together. Cari stated that this day "was a lot of fun!" What a blessing.

Please continue to be in prayer for our family as the road we are travelling gets mighty bumpy at times. There are events going on this week that need to be covered in much prayer for His strength, power and truth. Thank you.

Speaking of travelling, how about this shot?

As you travel your road this week, keep your focus on the end, the prize, that goal that we are aiming for, "well done, you good and faithful servant."

Take care,

Elizabeth

The Three Little Kittens and then some

2008-08-01T08:54:00.005-04:00

So, when I got home this morning from taking my handsome husband to work, I came up the steps to the house and found our three little kittens asleep on the table on the front porch. Not only were they sleeping there, but they had somehow managed to move the table to the middle of the porch away from the wall where it had been.

Then, this little guy decided to follow me around to the kitchen door and I noticed how colorful he was. Again. I was starting to think that he likes sidewalk chalk like most cats like catnip, but then.....

I happened upon Fiona. She had absolutely rolled in it. She was a lovely shade of blue-green on her usually shiny black coat. One front leg is completely green.

Poor, poor Fiona. Somebody drew pictures on the back porch in her favorite sleeping area. I am just glad to know there is nothing mentally wrong with the cat.

In other news, I read this amazing poem this morning in my devotional book, Streams in the Desert. I just thought I would share it with you. Something to think about over the weekend.

Be Strong!

We are not here to play, to dream, to drift;

We have hard work to do, and loads to lift.

Shun not the struggle; face it.

'Tis God's gift.

Be strong!

Say not the days are evil - who's to blame?

And fold the hands and acquiesce - O shame!

Stand up, speak out, and bravely,

In God's name.

Be strong!

It matters not how deep entrenched the wrong,

How hard the battle goes, the day how long,

Faint not, fight on!

Tomorrow comes the song.

---Maltbie D. Babcock.

Interior Designs Extraordinaire

2008-07-31T16:32:00.004-04:00

This first picture is my idea of what a kitchen window should look like. Simple, tastefully done. Enough decor to draw your eye to the window, but not too much so you can look out of the window to see the beauty beyond it. Not too much to allow the sunlight to come through. Not too much that you have to clean or worry about. Just really, not too much.

On the other hand, there are other "eyes" for decor in my home. Like, for instance, Evie's eyes. You know the world through the eyes of a five year old is very different than the world through a momma's eyes who is not five. So, to Evie, this is a great example of how a kitchen window should look.

All done up in fuzzy scarves, littlest pet shop animals and chalk stencils. Not to mention the colored pictures and plenty of all of it.

Evie loves to decorate. In fact, this fine example took her the better part of an afternoon to complete. It just had to be so. Don't move anything. It's just right.

If you think this is fun, you should see my living room. But that's another post.

Take care,

Elizabeth

Just Wanted You to Know

2008-07-30T10:14:00.002-04:00

Isn't this little guy a cutie? I mean, have you ever seen a cuter wooden pull ducky?

This little guy is currently available at our Etsy shop. Now, I am not trying to be a cheesy over-the-top sales gal, but who wouldn't want one of these little fella's for that special little one in their life? Did you know that Christmas is just around the corner and there are only a limited number of these duckies? Once they are gone, they are gone. So, just to let you know, you can link directly to our Etsy shop on the right side of this blog, or better yet, here is the link for you:

www.sewelizabethplumley.etsy.com

Now, I know his picture is already on the side bar, but today is "Little Yellow Ducky Day". Sure it is. It is. I just know it is.

So, in that ongoing effort to not be the cheesy-over-the-top-sales-gal, I'll not beg you to go check it out. Oh, and that price you see over there? It includes shipping. Yes, I am serious. It really does. You couldn't do that well at Wally-World. No, you couldn't.

So, whatchyagonnadonow? *subliminalmessage....gototheetsyshop....gototheetsyshop....gototheestsyshop*

Have a great day,

Elizabeth

In Case You Didn't Know...

2008-07-29T12:38:00.002-04:00

Have I mentioned how beautiful WV is? I mean, this morning, my husband stopped at a local gas station to pump gas. I, of course, had to jump out and start snapping a few pictures. How many people get a view like this while pumping gas? Am I the most blessed girl you know, or what?

Yep. That's three crosses out there on that little island. In our family, when we drive along and see three crosses put up together we yell "pilgrims"! Of course, I am not sure why we yell about the pilgrims, because these crosses aren't that old, but we yell it anyhow. We try to see who can spot them first. This particular set of crosses has been called out of bounds, however, because we pass by here many times a week. (It gets a little mundane yelling "pilgrims" over the same three crosses again and again.)

I expect the girls and I will have a great time on our trip to North Carolina this weekend, though. I know there are multiple sets out there between where we are and where we are going.

I am thankful that we live in a nation that still believes in the cross and still recognizes our Saviour. Maybe we can't publish the Ten Commandments in our schools anymore, but there are still enough believers out there, donating a chunk of land to stand up and say "we believe".

If you are some of those people who have crosses on your land, thank you from our family.

Happy Pilgrim hunting,

Elizabeth

Baskets Full Part Two

2008-07-25T14:42:00.006-04:00

After my last post on baskets and the blessings they are/bestow, I just had to show you all what came out of ONE ROW of green beans from our garden. Now, in all fairness, there were about 5 little wax peppers in the bottom of this basket. But there were enough beans from ONE ROW to feed the whole family twice. We put them in the sink to clean....

and then my big-helper-five-year-old, Evie, helped me to snap them and get them ready to cook.

I really couldn't have done it without her. She is mean green bean snapping machine!

I must, at this time, pay tribute to my dear father-in-law. He spent four decades working the soil here, turning it over by hand, composting and caring for it. I don't think we would have had so many beans and other good things, if it hadn't been for his years of hard work and good stewardship. My father-in-law is one of the most prudent and intelligent people I know. I mean it when I say, I am truly honored to be a part of this family.

And to all of you who are reading this and praying for us and encouraging us, I want to honor you as well. Be assured that God is hearing on our prayers and they are being answered even as I type this. Thank you.

God bless you,

Elizabeth

O Those Hills!

2008-07-24T11:00:00.005-04:00

Have you heard this?

Oh, those hills! Those beautiful hills!

How I love those West Virginia hills.

If by sea or land I roam, still I'll love that happy home

And my loved ones in those West Virginia hills.

That's the chorus of West Virginia's state song. And it says completely how I feel.

Yesterday, after a good soaking rain, I was heading up the mountain when I came upon this beautiful sight. Of course, I had to stop the truck, climb out and snap a few pictures. Here's another one:

Is it any wonder why I love it here? I was born in another state, whose name I will not mention for fear of offending, but I moved here to WV when I was 15. After only a little while, I claimed West Virginia as my home and I have never changed my mind. I have lived all over, travelled all over, seen so much of the world. Yet, here is where my heart lies.

Thankfully, I married a true mountain man. His heart is here as well, so I have no fear of ever leaving again.

God is so good to me. I can't even begin to comprehend all of the blessings that He daily pours over me, but every once in a while I get a glimpse in moments like these.

God is so creative and beautiful and that is what you find here in West Virginia.

Come on by for a visit sometime. Stay awhile. You'll fall in love.

Elizabeth

For The Love of COLOR!!!

2008-07-18T11:47:00.002-04:00

I have two more shawls ready and as you can see they are full of color and texture. This one in reds, yellows and oranges measures approximately 76" long by 15" wide. It is sooooo soft. I can provide you with a close up of the different yarns, if you would like to see it. This one will sell for $26.

This slip on closed shawl is full of vibrant colors, amazing textures and is also so soft. With the fringe running down the front, this one is suited for the young woman in your life. This one is available for $22. This one measures approximately 17" from top to bottom. At the neck it is approximately 8". At the base, it is 24".

I will leave these here on my website for a couple of days, then if no one buys them, I will be adding them to my Etsy store.

By the way, did I mention how cozy and fun these are? They are great for cuddling up at home or looking great as an accessory. Have you ever gone to church on Sunday morning in your pretty summer dress only to find the air conditioning is on so high you freeze? Well, these will solve that dilemma.

I hope you have a great day in the Lord,

Elizabeth

Basketfuls of Blessing

2008-07-16T09:38:00.003-04:00

Aren't baskets great? I love baskets. I love to have every shape, color and design. Not only are they beautiful pieces of art, they are functional. Like this coiled basket here. I made this basket. Can you believe it? I love the shiny fabric and the bead work on the front. I love that it is decorative in my downstairs bathroom, but functional while it holds our washcloths.

I use baskets in my kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, dining room and living room. I use them to hold cloth napkins, pens and pencils, school supplies, books, sewing supplies, salt and pepper shakers, odds and ends, jewelry, you name it, I use them for that. I even have some big ones that hold everybody's Bibles in. With a family of 8 who each have at least two Bibles apiece, you can imagine how many Bibles there are and how big my basket is.

I keep some baskets empty to head out into the garden with. They are great for gathering fruit, veggies or even cut flowers. They almost have a romantic quality to them at times.

I love finding very unique baskets to fill my home with. I love serving my family fresh bread in a cozy basket with my freshly ironed bread cloths. It is a very satisfying experience to know that something so simple as a basket can bring delight to a home.

What do you use to add to the function and beauty of your home?

Take care,
Elizabeth

WE WON!!!

2008-07-11T11:16:00.003-04:00

You might be wondering "who won?" or "what did they win?" Well, I am about to tell you. You see, this amazing victory was not brought about by cheating, or by compromise. It wasn't "handed over" to me. Nobody just "let" me win. I didn't even have to take steroids to gain this victory. No, this was a battle that was hard fought. I went into it all armored up and ready to do whatever was needed to gain ground. I intended to win beyond a shadow of doubt. No need for instant replays around here. No need for the judges to sit back and watch the video to make a determination. No, just blood, sweat and tears for me.

So, what did I win? A spiritual victory. You see, about a month ago, I asked my Father to really teach me about faith. You know, the Hebrews 11 Hall of Faith kind of faith. I wanted my faith to grow. I wanted to be able to trust no matter what the circumstances appeared to be. Over this past week, the struggle was apparent as I was asked by God to give up those things that I was holding so close to my heart. Those sorts of things that years ago I had promised to let Him have control over. He called me on it. He cashed in, so to speak. So, I let go. I knew that He loved me and that He would do the very best for me. I happened upon James 2 and found out that my deeds combined with my faith, made my faith complete. Complete. That was the victory. My faith, tried by fire and purgings, was made complete. You can't argue with that.

Does that mean that all of my earthly struggles are over? Definitely not. Does that mean I will have to face no more personal heart ache? Again, not. But did I gain something eternal? Something that has more value than anything else this world can offer.

OH, YEAH!

Elizabeth

Things You Find In West Virginia!

2008-07-05T12:47:00.005-04:00

These, my friends, are paw-paws. I mean, you've heard the children's song, "pickin' up paw-paws, put 'em in a basket, pickin' up paw-paws, put 'em in a basket" right? Well, here they are growing fine and dandy right in my front yard. Neat, huh?

This, on the other hand is an approximately 42" rattlesnake which my brave neighbor, Jack, got up very early in the morning to come and kill for us scaredy-cat girls. It was attempting to eat my rabbits, until it met Amanda, then it decided she would make a fine lunch, and dinner. And dessert. And probably breakfast. But it didn't bite her or the rabbits. It just got shot. Twice. My daughter, Laura, who is deathly afraid of toads, wanted to keep the rattle for a souvenir. How weird is that?

So, almost heaven, West Virginia. Except for the snakes.

Take care,

Elizabeth

PS Don't forget to sign up for the photograph giveaway. See below for details and be sure to visit my Etsy shop as I have a variety of other photos for sale there.

Thanks!

It's The Mid Summer Give Away!!

2008-07-02T11:08:00.002-04:00

This art-photograph could be yours if the price is right! Oops! Not this time. We are giving away this photo in an 8x10 print complete with a complementary mat to someone, though. Wouldn't you like to win? All you need to do is leave a comment on this blog site, complete with your name and how I may contact you. (your personal information will not be published.) On July 15, we will hold a random drawing to decide who will win this colorful photo. I hope it will be you. Or you. Or even you. Just remember to leave a comment at the end of this post. And pass the word along to your friends. If you really love it, maybe they will win it for you! You never know!

Take care and have fun,
Elizabeth

PS

2008-07-01T10:29:00.003-04:00

See my daughter, Mary? See how much make up this ten year old looks like she has on? See our kitty, Sawyer? See how much make up this little guy looks like he has on?

It's sidewalk chalk, Mary. Not make up.

GIRLS!

Beautiful Promises

2008-07-01T10:17:00.002-04:00

Remember the Old Testament story of Noah and the flood? Remember how when the flood waters had subsided and Noah and his family finally stepped off that old ark, remember that rainbow that was in the sky? The first one. Ever. And not only was it beautiful, it was God's signature to a promise that He would never again flood the entire earth at one time.

Here I am, in the midst of personal struggles and difficulties, with a lovely view of God's personal signature right in front of me. And in the moments that ensued, a realization that it is a reminder that God will never pour more over me than what I can handle. His burden is light. Doesn't always seem so, but then trials are never any fun anyhow, are they? But, when His personal signature is right there, right in my own back yard, I remember. And I can trust. I trust that He has brought me through the trials in the past, that He is faithful to complete what He has started in me until the very end. And that one day, I will come forth as gold for the refining of these trials.

Oh, how great is the mercy and love of the Creator of rainbows and beauty! He will never leave me, nor forsake me. He will never give us anything more than we can bear without providing a means of escape. For Noah, it was the ark. For me, it is the protection and love which hems me in on every side.

Thank you, Abba.

Elizabeth

We Made it!!

2008-06-29T12:24:00.006-04:00

This is a picture of our booth at the festival this weekend. Did you see us there?

This is what Grammy and Evie did for a little while. The pictures were beautiful, of course!

Momma and Evie got to go for a ride on the train. Can you see us in the back? We're waving at you all!

All tuckered out. In spite of all the noise, the train and the people coming through, she couldn't resist a little afternoon siesta.

The Last Day!

2008-06-27T13:19:00.006-04:00

Amanda's Hand Embroidered Dolls

Our Wooden Toys

We have been busy, busy, busy. So busy, in fact, that I can hardly sit up straight. While Dad has cut out all the wooden toys, the girls have sanded and my mom and I have painted. Amanda has been embroidering faces, making clothes and designing hair.

On the side, I have also been working on these garlands.

I know they are hard to see, but there are five in this picture. If I don't sell them all at the show tomorrow, I will list them on Ebay next week and you'll get your chance at them. Or you can just come to the show! That way you'll get first pick!

Well, tiredness rules and there's still much to do.

Elizabeth

New Every Morning

2008-06-26T09:34:00.002-04:00

From the reading this morning in Streams in the Desert:

"For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?" (Romans 3:3)

" I think I can trace every scrap of sorrow in my life to simple unbelief. How could I be anything but quite happy if I believed always that all the past is forgiven, and all the present furnished with power, and all the future bright with hope because of the same abiding facts which do not change with my mood, do not stumble because I totter and stagger at the promise through unbelief, but stand firm and clear with their peaks of pearl cleaving the air of Eternity, and the bases of their hills rooted unfathomably in the Rock of God. Mont Blanc does not become a phantom or a mist because a climber grows dizzy on its side." James Smetham.

Do you struggle with unbelief? I know I do. I wonder if He really hears me, if He is going to answer my prayer. The problem is not with God but with me. My own unbelief. Oh, God that you would teach me to believe!

Elizabeth

The Last Leg of the Journey

2008-06-25T09:26:00.004-04:00

Well, here I am in all of my morning glory. My hair tied up in a knot, no makeup and I haven't brushed my teeth yet. Of course, you probably couldn't tell that. About my teeth, I mean.

At any rate, I am putting the final base coat of paint on our elephants. Those are navy blue wheels that will go on the elephants once they are finished. My mom will put the ears, eyes and tails on them later.

There used to be dining room here somewhere. The turtles in the back are only waiting for their wheels and pull strings. The ducks and cars in the box in the foreground are done. Only a few more days. I am hoping to work on a few more garlands today. I will try to post pictures of those for you as well.

Just wanted you to know where I am today.

Elizabeth

Kissin' Cousins!

2008-06-24T19:48:00.003-04:00

My sister-in-law came by today with the two children and my little nephew here found the idea fascinating that Laura could be on one side of the glass and he on the other but he couldn't touch her. He was trying to kiss her but to no avail! Isn't it cute?

We have been incredibly busy trying to get ready for our show on Saturday. We have toy cars, toy wagons, toy ducks, toy turtles and toy elephants all made from wood then we also have all the fabric frou-frou's as well. We are still painting, tying, tagging, touching up and applying. It is taking all hands available to be ready. But we are excited and we are hopeful. Don't you wish you could be there?

I never know what a day will hold. Do you? Sometimes, you expect great things and you lay down at night exhausted from all the unpleasant surprises you weren't expecting. Then on days you expect to be difficult, God has some hidden blessing just waiting there to be discovered. I imagine that all days have those hidden blessings. I wonder how many I have missed today.

I tend to be self-centered. (I heard that *gasp*!!) But it is true, none-the-less. I tend to keep my eyes on myself, my feelings, my needs, my desires, my expectations. I imagine that if I would keep my eyes more on my Saviour, the less bumpy my life's road would be. In fact, a beloved friend said that to me today. She was reminding me that when we focus on the love Christ has for us, the blessings he intends for us, and the work he has already done for us, we get too busy to notice ourselves.

My prayer for myself (no pun intended) and for you this evening would be that we would become blinded to ourselves and that our eyes would be opened instead to that blessed Redeemer who gave His ALL for people like me.

Rejoicing in my King,

Elizabeth

Tightwad Tip

2008-06-23T14:20:00.008-04:00

Okay, call me crazy. My kids did. Anyhow, at my youngun's birthday party this weekend, people with more money than me bought her gifts and put them into adorable, reusable gift bags. Not only that, they bought the tissue paper to match! Now, in the past, I have saved said tissue paper to reuse with the gift bag but have tended to be slightly annoyed at its "less than new" look. Today, I was contemplating that as I was carefully folding all that tissue paper into neat little squares when it occurred to me that I could possibly iron the tissue paper. I used low heat and no steam (for obvious reasons) and voila! Nearly new looking tissue paper.

I will warn you that people will think you are crazy. It is probably one of those things you should do in secret. I only say that because my daughters, who are young tightwads in training, came down this morning and looked at me as if they were slightly concerned about my mental health.

I will even admit that there are a few who are a little more than concerned, but that's another post. Suffice it to say, I was quite pleased with the outcome. I don't recommend that you devote an entire morning to ironing tissue paper, but it's a good idea in a pinch, don't you agree?

As promised, here are a few photos from our fun weekend.

The Whole Crew

Our Oldest Son and Our Oldest Daughter

Aren't they sweet? The gift was an UNO game.

A Lady Bug Party deserves a Lady Bug Cake!

And by the way, for all of you who got a certain email stating that "momma hasn't put my picture on the website yet", HERE SHE IS:

Isn't she great? And she SO enjoys having her picture taken, too.

Well, hope you enjoyed your weekend.

Elizabeth

No Time For Bloggin'!

2008-06-21T09:19:00.003-04:00

Our boys have come in for the weekend and brought along our 5 yr old granddaughter! What fun it is to have TWO five year old girly girls in the house. I am hoping to get in some new pictures for you by the beginning of next week.

Meanwhile, we are still plugging away at our "work" to get ready for this next Craft Show. We are excited about the possibilities there. We will be in Fayetteville, WV which is purportedly one of the top ten Coolest Small Towns in the nation. What an honor for our little bitty West Virginia home.

Until next week, I leave you with this:

What girls I have!!

Elizabeth

Yes, Sir! That's My Baby!

2008-06-19T11:05:00.003-04:00

Evie's 5th birthday was so much fun! It's a rite of passage, you know. She's ready to start school, ready to learn to read, why, she can even butter her own bread now! (Or, so she says!)

Having my youngest be such a lady now is hard! It wasn't too long ago that I was the mother of "all those little girls". Now, I am the mother of one little girl and five young women. Time flies.

I don't even know where all that time has gone. Maybe in the living, washing, feeding and caring. Maybe in the hours of "no sleep for momma". I don't know. I do know that my encouragement to other young momma's out there is to not wish them all grown up too quickly. Very soon they are. Then, you will sit and ponder about all that time you wish you could re-live.

By the way, Evie may be five, but she's "not too old for momma to still hold me!"

Aahh, how sweet that sounds.

Elizabeth

Sew Beautiful!

2008-06-17T09:28:00.003-04:00

Here are my two daughters, oldest and youngest enjoying my mother's flower beds. My mom has the prettiest flower beds around and they are a joy to see.

So, I guess you're wondering why I posted this as "sew" beautiful? I wanted to show off one of my latest endeavors.

I have posted these adorable Fourth of July Hair Accessories in my Etsy Shop. You can see them at this link www.sewelizabethplumley.etsy.com I'll even make you a deal! If you buy all ten that I have listed there and let me know that you found them here at this webblog, I'll ship them to you for free. WOW! What a deal! You can't really refuse that, can you?

I hope you all have a wonderful day, keep your eyes on your Savior and Lord and continue in His grace,

Elizabeth

2008-06-16T18:02:00.002-04:00

Well, after a few days, I am finally getting back to my mom's birthday. Here we all are right after our dinner of homemade pizza, just before cake and presents. Well, okay, obviously we are not all here. I am not in the picture since I am taking the picture and my dear handsome hubby was working. Oh, and my three oldest girls were still at camp. But you get the idea.

Well, I have been working on getting ready for a Fourth of July craft event that my dad and I are doing together. That's him on the far right. He is doing wood work and I am doing sewing, crafting, painting, crotcheting, etc. I am hoping to have pictures for you very soon of some of our work. I

Well, have you noticed as I have that the three paragraphs in this post all start with well? Well, did you? Well, I guess that is because I am doing well. You know, six months ago my life was so completely different, and yet God in His great mercy has changed me, moved me, and is re-arranging most everything for me. I had mentioned to my dad that my world had turned upside down. He noted that really, it is now down side up.

So, I close with that new perspective on things. My world is now down side up.

Elizabeth

Are you smarter than...?

2008-06-13T12:08:00.002-04:00

My friends tell me that there is a show out there called "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" While I have never watched the show, I can only imagine what happens.

Speaking of which, I am expecting family over today to get ready for my mom's "39th" birthday. Again. Anyhow, I decided a good cleaning of the coffee pot was in order. So, I took off the handle. I mean one little screw there, how hard can it be? When the screw finally let loose, there was this strange little "ping" sound. Ominous, almost. The handle came right off, as well as the decorative little metal band around the bottom. Thinking how clean my coffee pot will be, I went right to work scrubbing it. Got it clean, dry and now it is sitting on my counter waiting to be put back together. Because I can't. Not that I won't. No, I truly can't. No matter how many ways I turn the crazy thing, I cannot figure out how to put it back together.

So, the question of the day, am I smarter than the coffee pot? Apparently not....

Elizabeth

Errands Galore

2008-06-12T06:50:00.002-04:00

So, this morning I will be off and running with thanks and the help of my dad. He decided to take me on these errands today so that I wouldn't have to drive handsome hubby to work to keep the truck.

Yes, we are a one-vehicle family. When our last car died, we decided that it was much more economical to have only the truck with one payment, one insurance, and one tank to fill. So, where do we put all of those girls? In the back. Yep, I said in the back. I mean, why live on curvey mountain roads if you can't ride in the back?

We hope to save up for a better family vehicle, but right now we don't want to rush into something and add to our list of bills. We are waiting for the Lord to provide just the right vehicle at just the right time.

One of my stops today will be to turn in the girls test scores and my letter of intent to homeschool again this fall. I realize that we just finished school, but I am already looking forward with eager anticipation to this next year. My oldest beautiful daughter will be finishing up school and my youngest will be starting. Isn't that a hoot?

I hope you all have a wonderful day and that you see the many blessings that surround you as you live for Him today!

Elizabeth

New Beginnings

2008-06-11T21:10:00.003-04:00

It's been a long hot week already around here. We struggled for the first few days until we could get our air conditioning up and running again. It took calling a local company to get it started, but we were so thankful to feel that cool air.

My older girls are at camp this week. I am praying that this will be a time of renewal and dedication to Jesus Christ. My desire for this home is to be a "Place of Grace". The Lord has certainly given me a vision for that and I am waiting for Him to work in each heart around here in His own way and His own time.

I was finally able to post a few things on etsy today. You can see my newest items by checking out http://www.sewelizabethplumley.etsy.com/. I hope you will see something there that you like. I hope to be adding a few more things over the next few weeks.

The Lord is really teaching me about faith, about trusting in Him no matter how the circumstances may appear. So, before I rest my weary body this evening, I intend to offer up that sacrifice of praise for all that He is doing in my life. Will you join me?

Elizabeth