Thankful Thursdays

God has blessed me with a dish free sink at the end of my day for 3 days now. Waking up to a clear sink is so encouraging.

Learning contentment, in all things. Notice the learning part. I have not arrived.

Christmas movies. Ridiculous. I know. But . . . what can I say. I like sparkle with my cheese.

Snow. Beautiful clean, white snow, with the reminder that He gives me mercy, and washes me clean, every time I turn to Him.

Swiss Family Robinson, read by my husband, aloud to our crew, the unabridged version. Yep, that's how we roll. <wink>

What are you thankful for?

Ladies and Gentlemen Miss Jamie Grace

I just came to know the music of Jamie Grace.
Boy this girl can sing.
Even better is her testimony.
I truly love my hymns. They are the best.
But I also think it is so exciting to see people stepping out for God in whatever
way He has put it on their hearts.
Thought I would share two of my favorite Jamie YouTube clips. The first is a jam and the second makes me feel something deep in my soul.

 

 

Enjoy!

Why I Will Never Be Happy at the Weight I Am At

When will it be enough? The numbers dropping on the scale?
When will the perfect number appear?
When will I feel it is safe for me to be valued?
For me to be worthy of being attractive,
lovely, worthy of my husband.
When will the number on the scale be good enough.
I am 10 pounds lighter than when I was married.
Don't look like it.
but I am.
I should be rejoicing! I have born 5 children, had 3 miscarriages.
I should be thrilled.
But . . .
I still see the number to high, the roll too large, the face two swollen.
I still see junk.
Why do I do this?
Why do WE as women do this?
What heartbreak do we cause ourselves, our family, our God?
To think so lowly of ourselves, to think that if it ain't perfect it ain't worth anything.
And what is perfect anyways!!!!!
Would someone please tell me?
Which number will finally make me happy.
Or you happy?
Or the department store happy?
I should be thankful! Thankful for a body that still actually works!
Thankful for a pantry full of food.
Thankful for a store of conscientiously grown wheat.
Thankful for vitamins in the cupboard.
Thankful for clean water.
But truth be told, I struggle.
I struggle with I shouldn't eat this because the latest fad of eating tells me I shouldn't.
Struggle with the vitamins I have are good but if I just tried this one it might be the perfect fix.
I like water, but coffee, tea, and fresh squeezed juice
is soooo much better.
This is the ugly truth.
I am never satisfied.
My flesh is always striving.
And I do not think it pleases my God one stinking bit.
Am I alone?
I don't think I am.
I read the same blogs as you homeschooling mama's.
I see the same billboards, shop the same stores.
See the trashy magazines at the supermarket.
So how do we fight this?
When will get off the crazy-go-round?

How do we conquer the ungrateful, unsatisfied, unrealized fantasy?
I believe the only way is to live in reality.
To immerse ourselves in TRUTH.
And to really believe it when people compliment us.
Really believe when our husbands look into our eyes and say, "You are wonderful."
Really believe when he says, "I love you just the way you are."
Because it is a picture of His love for us.
Love for the imperfect and the blemished.
And ladies no matter what size we are, or what size that girl is,
we are all imperfect.
So today I pray, I plead, that God would help me take my thoughts captive.
And that I would live in Truth.

Thankful Thursdays

Posted yet again in a very tardy manner . . .

My friend B-girl . . . What wha-at?!!! (Yes, I am so cool I can say that. . . . hee hee hee.) Because she always calls me out and says sin is sin in my life. Does it get any better than a true friend?

Proverbs 27:6

King James Version (KJV)

⁶ Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Birthday love from my family and friends.

Scrapbooking. Does it need anymore description?

And my husband. Because I often forget how much he sacrifices for us.

Thankful Thursdays

So I decided to do this series, and then ofcourse I didn't. However, I am back at it posting it a day late.

Pictures in the park . . .

 

Montana Skies . . .

 



Challah bread baked with my special girl . . .

 

And sharing it with special friends at a special church.

And there you have it folks . . .
It has been a very blessed week.

What are your blessings? What can you give thanks for?

He Would Have Been One

His due date was for today one year ago.
A day before my birthday.
I always wanted a baby for my birthday.
But he was to be early.
Early born, early developed, and early taken.
My dear sweet John.
Precious son.

I miss him.
Every. Single. Day.
But Peace is passing my understanding,
and I am accepting.
Accepting his short life,
accepting his embrace by the Father,
accepting of a life without him,
and an eternity with him.
Thinking of you my dear sweet boy . . .
John Jacob Ephraim.

Homemade Toothpaste

In an effort to be healthier, (ahem, save money) we tried our hand at making toothpaste today.
This is not the first time we have done this. It is not the second time either. The first two times though the toothpaste was so disgusting we threw it out. BUT . . . I realized that we were constantly comparing it to store bought tubed toothpaste. New philosophy . . .

Make a powdered toothpaste thus no comparison.

So we found a recipe at Bulk Herb Store.
(No I am do not receive a kick back for this. <wink>)

I was excited and so were my children! We each had stations and set up to make our own baggies of toothpaste.

Everyone loved that they got to make their own.

 

 

 

Everyone was feeling pretty excited and hopeful. We mixed baking soda, bentonite clay, peppermint oil and stevia. Then we rushed to our brushes.

(PS You shouldn't use metal with bentonite clay but that was all I had and well there you have it.)

 

They started to brush. The faces were priceless. Can you tell the response?





 

 

 

Their Daddy felt much the same. Okay his was worse. No picture permitted. Lol!

 

However . . .

Norma had a small sore in her mouth when she used it. It was really bothering her. The next morning it was gone. Bentonite clay is a wonder! Isn't God good?!

 

Also, Daddy said we were going to use it! He said we have it. God has provided it and it is good for us.

 

We will see how long it lasts. <smile>

 

I for one love it. My teeth feel cleaner than when I go to the dentist!

I love that my 2 year old isn't swallowing fluoride. I love that I made it. Well worth the time, if only for the memories.

 

What have you made this week?

 

Home Blessings

It is crisp here. The air smells like snow but I know it is just frost freckles teasing us.
The sun has made its escape past the horizon but hasn't come into fullness yet.
Morning.

I am smiling for today I get to clean my house.
Who knew that Home Blessing day could be so exciting!
The floors will be scrubbed shiny, crumbs catered out of my carpet,
dust discovered and vanquished, and bathrooms, well you can imagine.
We have a home blessing day once a week and I look forward to it more and more.
We do it in anticipation for Daddy have two days off.
We prepare ourselves for his weekend, wanting to bless him with peace and order.
We scrub, and we sing, we pick up and we pray.
See, it is not enough to just clean our house,
we must invite God into it.
What a better time than when we are perfecting our home?
We can clean out a cobweb, and pray for that room,
that the Lord would bless all who enter it.
We can put dear daughters clothes away,
and pray for her future.
We can scrub our kitchen cupboards and thank Him for filling them.

 

 

Yes, we are truly blessed.

Every week I look forward to the time that I get to reflect on His goodness,
be reminded of His provision.
And see the love that surrounds me.

All while the vacuum hums vivaciously catching dust bunnies.

How do you celebrate cleaning your home?

I Am Waking Up

It happened recently.
The fear of having another baby,
the fear of not having another baby.
It boiled to a point that I couldn't purpose myself into living.
My eyes lived looking at fear.
And I was becoming paralyzed.
Have you ever felt like your feet were lead?
And that you were walking, talking, moving,
breathing intoxication?
See, I have learned that you don't have to drink,
use pharma, smoke or sneak to be intoxicated.
Fear can make you walk more crooked than 14 shots of Tequila.
Fear can cloud you , crowd you, and drown you in despair.
It impairs your mind, muscles, and motives.
And it has chased me fervently my whole life.
But . . .
God.
Just whisper His name.
God.
Jehovah.
The Great I AM.
Can you feel it?
Did you say it out loud?
Trust me.
Open your lips to love and say. His. name.
Freedom.
And the more I call out to Him, the less fear entangles.
The more I speak His Words,
the less I hear my own.
And my eyes show clear,
my heart beats steady,
I am waking up.