I'm So Excited...

When was the last time you were this excited?

I really just got a kick out of this sweet little girls' enthusiasm.

She is a great example of what it might look like!

I am learning to take joy and pleasure in life moments!

Really each day has so many opportunities to be excited...

Sometimes we can feel so worn out it is hard to show enthusiasm 

for much of anything.

But this is where we need to give ourselves a good talking to!

It is a very good practice to choose joy!

Like can seem very unpredictable, yet we all know that

God alone is in control...

What are some of the moments in your life that bring a smile?

Or maybe a squeal of delight.

I am so excited; I get to go and meet our newest

Grand Daughter!

What a blessing Motherhood is!

Did you ever think that the Motherhood stage in your life would of gone so fast?

I think I blinked...

Being excited will set the atmosphere and tone for your marriage.

It sets the tone for the family.

We can feel that time is marching on, so why not

get your boots on, and start beating the pan!

And singing at the tops of your lungs!

At first we might feel a bit undignified,

But really, your children or grandchildren will think

You're something special!!

We have so much to be thankful for and to be filled with

Joy that is described in the Word is not due to

Favorable circumstances;

But rather a hope and love for Him and those He has given us!

Sure, my joy bucket feels dry once in a while;

But then and there I must stop and patch that hole,

that allowed my joy to leak out!

Sometimes it may be un-forgiveness

It may even be just not getting enough rest.

It can even be what we might call being a stick in the mud!

Do something special!

Make this moment magical!

Give out hugs like they were real!

Pray for special God assignments to bless others!

Have you blessed someone today?

Dear Ones we are all accountable for this day;

What a difference a day makes;

So make it count for His Glory...

I'm so excited I just can't hide it....

I got sunshine on a cloudy day...

Never ever let the song in your heart die!

Sing to the cows come home!

I believe we can encourage ourselves by singing with melody in

Our Hearts...

Or on my case a joyful noise unto the Lord!

There Is Work To Be Done...

There is work to be done;

Today is a day that we have been given to Labor;

To work while it is yet day!

It does not matter if you are building a nation.

Or building an army!

Planting a vineyard or planting a cotton field!

We are to Labor;

Guiding and guarding what is dear to us!

Loving and helping our children and families!

Nurturing all those we have been given to us...

They become a part of us, we need them as much as they need us!

In all our Labors it can become mind-boggling to all the

Needs that need attending to!

Our duties are pretty much 24/7

Whether you are a daughter, sister, aunt,wife,

Mother or Grandmother!

There is work to be done...

Pray for a renewed vision for your family!

Start this new day and chapter with this;

A Prayer

A devotion to Him and a plan that is in His hand!

We are not of a fairy tale material;

Like" Once Upon A Time"

We are rather of the book,

"In The Beginning"

Be not AWOL

Report for duty, set your hand to the task!

Do not look behind you, but look ahead to the lovely sunset,

When the day is done!

And you hear well done good and faithful servant!

It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

(Psalms 18:32)

Zote Soap

Have you ever used this soap?

It is so good to get out stains from clothes!

I had such a ball this last spring doing a little photo shoot!

Thought I might share a few of the pics with you!

Please feel free to PIN them on Pinterest if they might

Interest you!

I use these cloths pins really all the time!

Do you ever hang your clothes out on the line?

I still like to hang my towels, then I still pop them in the dryer

To fluff them up soft :o)

Lovely Memories...

Lake Michigan in all her glory;

No Salt

No Sharks 

No Worries

Truly the handy work of a mighty God!

Dew in the morning

Fresh fruit to fill our bowls to overflowing!

Taste and see that the Lord is good!

May the wind blow;

And the waves of His Love cover you!

May you live and move and have your

being in Him!

Every step I take I take in YOU...

A game of shuffleboard anyone?

Fun and games in the sun...

I am saying goodbye to another summer season...

I have had so may changes in my own life,

And I believe this is a season for many changes in your

own lives!

We must always be flexible so we will not break when a new

and wonderful change does come about.

When we stop to realize God is the potter and

we are the clay...

Girls were going to be so beautiful!

We had a lovely vacation this summer!

We had our 8th grandchild born!

We left our old church, after 12 years with them!

We have joined a new very small independent Baptist Church!

We saw so many rainbows this year!

We had a few hard trials.

I have noticed I am getting older and a bit slower.

I prefer my home and a few close friends over crowds.

My Hubby is my dearest friend...

My two closest friends are moving away soon.

My heart is heavy and glad all at the same time!

His mercies are new every morning...

Tell me about a new change in your own lives...

Where may this next season be taking you?

I pray each and every one of you who visit this humble blog;

Be blessed and filled to overflowing with His Word!

A Path to No Where...

Why would someone take a path that leads nowhere?

Why would someone take all the time and cost,

to build a path that leads nowhere?

This walkway really had me stumped!

For the life of me, I was just thinking,

What was this person thinking??

This brick path just stopped!

And it was leading nowhere...

As we all know we have seen or experienced this very thing.

Some, pathways have no profitable destinations.

So, I ask you this;

How can becoming a Godly woman be worthy and profitable?

A woman who will choose the right path can change a life,

and turn a country around!

Daily she can take steps that lead to a known destination.

A woman who keeps the home fires burning.
Keeps the home alive...

Our world needs women who will choose this path!

 Homemakers who love God! 

 Who will lead the next generation of Young Ladies?

Who, will desire to take the path that will keep our homes set apart!

 and for bringing Glory to the Lord!

May becoming a Homemaker never be looked at, as a path

that leads to nowhere!

 I have noticed a trend on how married couples, have put off having children!
 They have made the decision to save enough money till they can afford children.
Others do not ever want to have children!

Or;
They are just waiting...


I do not want to be judgmental or critical in any way;
But I can't help but wonder if being a Mother or Father has
lost it's appeal for this generation?


I have purposed in my heart not to be a Christian woman who does not
 Just blend and fit into a culture of friends or family.
 In other words, to not just rock the boat!

Being a light, sometimes can annoy others!
We are called to be set apart!

I have always admired the pioneer spirit of women and men who
would be willing to travel the path less traveled!
Do you think we should be more willing to not just go along
with the crowd?
The Lord has said that His path is narrow...
But Lord help us to discern those paths that lead to
KNOW WHERE!

We are all looking for more freedom and self expression!
At what cost may I ask this generation?

The Lord said to multiply;
We are not even replacing ourselves!

I do understand the problem with most the worlds problems
Come from a three letter word!!
Sin...

May we ask the Lord to show us His path of righteousness and holiness
Living and looking for that narrow road in life's situations!

Living From Glory to Glory...

Invest In Things With Eternal Value...

When I woke up this morning I felt such a sweet sense of memories!

Feeling the expectation of what a day might bring.

Seasons will come and go...

But we are all looking for bedrock relationships.

Some things require more of us;

Are you willing to invest in things with eternal value?

Let's face it ladies, we all live in a world with more distractions,

Then Carters got pills!

(My Mom always said that, I had no idea what it meant)

But it must of meant way too much!

Well, here goes;

Do you want to be right?

Or keep the peace?

Are you so Bossy even your dog runs away?

Who fears you?

When you get a phone call if they say something like this;

I was bored so I thought I would call you.

(Sure sign something wrong with that relationship)

When was the last time you got a sweet card in the mail from a friend?

Okay, here is the other side of this thought,

When do you stop investing in relationships with friends,

That seem to use and abuse it?

We all have a few cracked pots for friends

But lets face it, we all have a few quirks about us!

I am in a place right now that two very dear friends will be moving.

We just left a church we had been at for a dozen years.

We are going to celebrate another wedding anniversary.

The dog ran away!

Now I just realize summer is almost over!

What....

Okay, back to what I was getting at!

Be wise in who you invest in!

All the time you spend reading the Bible will bring profit!

Every smile you share brings hope!

Every cup of cold water offered in His name,

He says you shall surely not lose your reward!

Invest in your man...

Love him and feed him and be there for him!

Be the cutest, sweetest secretary in the world!

I always liked that song;

~Your not women enough to take my man~

If you have girlfriends that challenge you in the right way;

To grow in Christ, to be a better homemaker,

And makes you laugh, she is probably a keeper!

God has put all things in His timetable,

We all have the same amount of minutes per hour.

May we inquire of the Lord for all we set our hand to...

Notice that picture at the top?

Well, it was an anniversary gift many years ago, and the very

first time I used it for a pot of tea;

To my shock it cracked, I cried!

Yet I still display it in my china curio cabinet!

She is a treasure and a keeper even if she is cracked!

Not perfect, but beautiful to me...

How To Make Mississippi Mud Cake...

 

Mississippi Mud Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Also Grease a cookie sheet pan

In a saucepan, add these ingredients;

2 sticks butter

1 cup water

4 tablespoons baking cocoa powder

Whisk together and bring to a quick boil

Remove from heat;

Add;

Add 2 cups sugar

½ tsp. Salt

2 eggs

½ tsp. Soda

2 cups flour

Mix well and then pour into a greased cookie sheet

Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees

Take out the cake and wait for 1 minute to frost it!



Frosting; Place these ingredients listed below in another saucepan and bring them to a quick boil

1 stick butter

4 tablespoons of baking cocoa powder

4 tablespoons of milk

Remove from heat and now add;

2 cups powder sugar

2tsp. Vanilla

Stir well and frost your cake quickly

Now who here has not ever tasted the classic Mississippi Mud Cake?

This cake has many alias names;

Texas sheet cake ...

Call it what you want, but please lets just

Eat Cake...

This sheet cake is the best company cake you can make,
 as it feeds a large crowd!

 It is moist yet not too sweet. It always looks very elegant and decadent.

It tastes very buttery and so chocolaty rich.

You can hardly eat just one piece of it.

This cake always brings me very sweet memories;
As my Mother-in-law made this often!
And I made this so many times when the children were younger!

What is a dessert that you make that just floods you,
With sweet memories?

When we bake and prepare something filled with love and history.
We are investing in things that make and bring;
Happy Memories...

Disrespecting Your Husband...

He looks upon his wife as his most trusted confidants!

Or do you repeat every confidence he speaks to you?

I have heard too many things over the years that I believe were meant

To be private, and unreported.

We must make allowances for some of these things that are spoken;

They may be spoken while tired or angry!

We can all attest to saying something we did not mean to say!

So we must remember that when our Husbands speak in confidence to us,

We are not given the liberty to repeat it!

If you are not sure if it is something you should repeat;

Ask Your Husband if you should mention it to anyone?

I would rather ask him if I should repeat something, then to feel

Very bad that I broke confidence!

He needs to know that He can trust you with his sorrow or frustration!

We all need a safe place to speak about such things!

By keeping confidence you are showing respect for your Husbands name!

We do not want to be the ones bringing reproach upon our own Husbands

And families!

A good name is very valuable...

An older woman many years ago told me this very statement!

She said:

Are you guilty?

We have even done this all in the name of fun!

BIG mistake...

A man needs to be shown honor and integrity!

And if you make light or fun of his sharing his heart he will stop!

Then you whine and complain He never tells me anything.

If you are guilty of this type of behavior ask him to forgive you!

Ask the Lord to forgive you!

We need to learn to ZIP it...

Just because they said it; does not give us permission to repeat it!

And if you are in the habit of speaking badly about your Husband to yourself

(self-talk)

Or to any of the others listed below

Parents, or children, or girlfriends, you are sinning!

As an older woman I beseech you to stop this disrespecting

Of Your Husband...

Ask the Lord to set a guard over your mouth!

Strawberry Fields...

This lovely Old Bread bowl is just filled to overflowing!

We picked these lovely sweet and juicy strawberries, while

We were back East visiting family!

Strawberries...

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Bread

Strawberry Jam

Strawberry Smoothies

John 15: 1-9 speaks of only three amounts of fruit being produced

Fruit

More Fruit

Much Fruit

In our lives, these are the only levels we are producing at!

Does your life have Fruit?

How about More Fruit?

We are looking for MUCH FRUIT...

Have you been experiencing pruning in your life?

If we are not being pruned you will not be able to bear more fruit.

Strawberries grow in the fields and they can bring a good harvest,

If many conditions are available.

Sun and rain and mulch!

Fruit from the Lord in our lives will be sometimes visible,
And other times it may take a while to see it!

Do we always have to have the biggest strawberries?

Actually the smaller ones can be very sweet!

I was wondering if size has any meaning at all when it comes to Biblical fruit,

But rather as to how MUCH...

After a lovely morning of picking fresh sweet strawberries we,

Then we washed them and smashed them and poured them

Over shortcakes and topped it with ice cream and whipped cream!

May each and every one of you bear MUCH Fruit!

It does not require labor and work;

But rather abiding in the vine...