A Good Poem

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

(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...

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

(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

(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...

(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...

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

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.

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!

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

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

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!

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

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!

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?

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!

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

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,

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

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