The Sower's Corner

A True Heart

2012-02-01T20:26:00.001-05:00

"But true discipline is a far cry from legalism -- Thank God! The difference lies in motivation. Legalism is self-centered, discipline is God-centered. The legalistic heart says, "I will do this thing to gain merit with God." The disciplined heart says, "I will do this because I love God and want to please Him." The true heart of discipline is relationship -- a relationship with God."

Barbara Hughes, "Disciplines of a Godly Woman"

Organizing for Sucess and Flexibility: Simple living tips - #1

2012-01-20T20:22:00.000-05:00

Before going out and buying something that you think would be helpful for organizing a room, take a serious look around it and remove everything that you do not want to stay there. Having a cleaner "canvas" to work with will enable you to really see what is needed.

Moments of Awareness

2012-01-17T11:50:00.000-05:00

Bees on a Jerusalem Artichoke flower.

We went to our local library when they were having a book sale and I picked up a few books of Poetry.
Poetry is another special art form that can sometimes give us different eyes to see with...

Moments of Awareness

So much of life

we all pass by

With heedless ear,

and careless eye.

Bent with our cares

we plod along,

Blind to the beauty,

deaf to the song.

But moments there are

when we pause to rest

And turn our eyes

from the goal's far crest.

We become aware

of the wayside flowers,

And sense God's hand

in this world of ours.

We hear a refrain,

see a rainbow's end,

Or we look into

the heart of a friend.

We feel at one

with mankind.

We share

His griefs

and glories,

joy and care.

The sun flecks gold

through the sheltering trees,

And we shoulder our burdens

with twice the ease.

Peace and content

and a world that sings

The moment

of true awareness

brings.

by Helen Lowrie Marshall

KateXpressions

2012-01-10T21:53:00.002-05:00

I have always enjoyed drawing, painting and crafts. It has been my desire to create quality cards that others would be pleased to buy and give to their family and friends.

I have always enjoyed drawing, painting and crafts. It has been my desire to create quality cards that others would be pleased to buy and give to their family and friends. Everyone enjoys receiving a nice card or note in the mail. It means so much more than an email or text message. My hope is that you will enjoy sending one of my cards to those special people in your life. Take the time today to encourage someone you love!

I hope you will also enjoy looking at each small leaf and flower that I have pressed and used in my work. They each have the Lord's wonderful artistic touch...looking at the beautiful strokes of color inside the smallest of flowers, I do wonder what other tiny details I miss throughout the day just because I'm not looking for them!
So may I encourage you to...
"...stop and consider the wondrous works of God."
Job 37:14

To view items in my shop...
http://www.katexpressions.etsy.com/

Gardening: Herbs for salt-free cooking

2012-01-10T21:16:00.000-05:00

It won't be long before we start thinking about starting seeds for our gardens, we might want to consider also including herbs in our gardening plans. Herbs are very easy to grow and many of them are perennials so we don't have to purchase them every year.
We have grown Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Sage, Winter Savory, Rosemary, Fennel, and Chives.
Herbs can be used in so many ways. Here is one way...a simple list of herbs to use in place of salt in your cooking.

Chicken:
Rosemary, Caraway seeds, Coriander,
Curry powder, dill, Marjoram,
Oregano, Thyme, Sage

Beef:
Bay leaf, Cinnamon, Cumin,
Dill, Fennel, Marjoram,
Tarragon

Lamb:
Rosemary, Caraway seeds, Coriander,
Curry powder, Dill, Marjoram,
Oregano, Mint, Fennel

Pork:
Caraway seeds, Cloves, Sage,
Cumin, Coriander, Oregano

Fish:
Clove, Coriander, Dill,
Fennel, Rosemary, Sage,
Tarragon

Vegetables:
Basil, Bay leaf, Cumin,
Curry power, Dill, Marjoram,
Rosemary

Grains:
Bay leaf, Cloves, Rosemary,
Basil, Oregano, Thyme

Have more ideas? let us know what they are!

In the Beginning...

2012-01-06T11:32:00.000-05:00

Seems hard to believe we are starting a new year! Where has the time gone? I hope you enjoyed your holiday, family time and are now enjoying the time to reflect upon this new year. I know that I have lots of thoughts roaming around in my head about what I would like to see change for me and my family. My biggest desire is to be more consistently reading my Bible, journaling my thoughts as I read and meditating on God's words. Think about that!! We can "hear" what God is saying to us through His Word...He is so good to us!

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light."

Genesis 1:1-3

With the beginning of a new year, I have started reading again at the beginning of Genesis. My husband and I try to read through the scriptures each day. Unfortunately, I haven't been as consistent in my reading, so one of my goals for this new year is to read even a few verses each day to think about. If you have a lot of responsibilities, this might be a great way to keep yourself reading and meditating on the words of God. This is also a great way to get things flowing if you haven't been as consistent.

So I was reading this section of scripture and these "bold" words stuck out to me, so I sat back and started thinking about them and what significance they have.

The first thing I did was to think about that word "hovering". My thoughts lead me to motherhood and how a mother might "hover" over her child as they sleep. If you are a mother, I'm sure that you have done this. You have gone into their room and just looked at them. Thinking about how precious they look, musing about how special and awesome it is to have them and maybe even wondering what the future might hold for them. Then praying for their protection and happiness.

This is the picture that I had in my mind as I read..."the Spirit of God"...His holy, merciful, loving Father's heart, all that He is.."hovering" over this dark, formless earth. I can't fully get my mind around this whole picture, but the Lord was hovering...thinking, planning and then He declaring, "Let there be light" and there was light!

I have to say that my next thoughts took me to thinking about Jesus calling Himself the "Light of the world". So I started looking up "light" and here is what I found...

"For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

2 Corinthians 4:6

I love the way the Bible is a series of interwoven threads that connect the old testament and new testament and all point to God's Son, Jesus Christ. Awesome words from an awesome Author!

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds maybe clearly seen, that they have been done in God"

John 3:17-21

God is the light. He gave us Himself. He came in the flesh, through the man Jesus Christ and He suffered and died shedding His blood and giving us His life. Another scripture, says...

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul."

Leviticus 17:11

It is an amazing thought that the Lord would lay down His life for us so that we might know Him...

"This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

1 John 1:5-7

So this is the first of my meditations for this new year. What about you?

"Sponging" bread

2011-11-15T14:19:00.001-05:00

When you make sourdough or whole wheat bread, you will find that the recipe tells you to make a "sponge". When you make a sponge you are adding about half of the flour that is required in the recipe. So it will look like my picture. You add the flour to the starter or yeast mixture and then set it aside to bubble for 45 minutes to 2 hours.

The longer you let your sponge sit, the more active the yeast and the lighter your bread. You will notice in my picture all the little "bubble holes". This sponging time allows the yeast to work and grow. Sourdough starter is not like commercial yeast. It works more slowly.

Sponging for whole wheat bread allows the bran particles in the flour to soften. The more bubbles "the lighter the texture and higher the loaf", according to King Arthur Flour.

This post is linked up with Encourage One Another at my friend Jacque Line's lovely blog,"Deep Roots at Home" please click on the button above to visit her blog and to see the other blogs that have linked up!

The Goodness of God

2011-11-14T21:54:00.002-05:00

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who

fear Him have no lack!"

Psalm 34:8-9

In our current bible study, "Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets them Free", Nancy Leigh DeMoss starts out with the lies that we believe about God. The very first one she covers is the lie that God is not good.

I don't know about you, but I haven't really meditated on the concept of God's goodness before. Sure if you asked me if He was good I would tell you, "of course!" but do I truly believe it? Where do I see His goodness in my life?

I choose the picture above because it exemplifies, to me, that God is good. When He set about to create all that I can see, He chose to make things beautiful. Those Daisy's grew all by themselves. I didn't plant them and yet there they are looking all delicate and finely garbed. He didn't have to make things beautiful. He could very easily have made everything black and white and grey, but He didn't because He isn't black and white and grey. He is beautiful and therefore, created beauty. He is good.

Have you ever looked into the smallest little flower in your yard? If you look really close you will see the tiniest little brush strokes of color. Have you taken the time to inspect some of the amazing bugs that fly, crawl or inch their way around? I have seen neon greens and blues in the form of little insect bodies. I've seen iridescent wings on amazing dragonflies and damselflies...why? For our enjoyment! and to reflect His goodness, because He is good.

I have heard that there are creatures deep within the ocean that have wonderful colors and lights...what about the beautiful gems and precious stones that are deep within the layers of the earth? How about the stars, planets and galaxies? why? For our enjoyment! For our exploring minds...Because He is good.

Just like there are no two snowflakes that are alike, there are no sunrises or sunsets that are alike. It is wonderful to sit even for a short time and watch how the sky moves and changes...it is a "living canvas" of glorious colors. Even when it is gray and foreboding, it becomes an intense backdrop to the colors of the trees and mountains...beauty and goodness reflect God.

How about you? What exemplifies God's goodness to you?

This post is linked up with Encourage One Another at my friend Jacque's lovely blog,"Deep Roots at Home" please click on the button above to visit her blog and to see the other blogs that have linked up!

Preview of one of my new Christmas designs...

2011-11-14T21:00:00.001-05:00

"For God So Loved the World..."

"For unto us a Child is born Unto us a Son is given,
And the government will be upon His shoulder
And His name will be called
Wonderful
Counselor
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6

This design is very different than what I usually pursue, but it is fun to try new things, right!

"Fall" in New York... :)

2011-10-30T20:49:00.000-04:00

Our girls having fun in the yard today...we got about 7 inches yesterday.

How about you? Did you get an early snow?

Sourdough

2011-10-03T21:07:00.000-04:00

Every once in a while I just have to try something new. Is that the way it is with you too? This time it is Sourdough!

My father-in-law, many years ago, gave my husband a cookbook, "The Secrets of Jesuit Bread making: Recipes and traditions from Jesuit bakers around the world by Brother Rick Curry, S.J. You might think it is a rather odd gift to give to him, but it was a special gift because bread making was a sort of relaxing hobby that my husband enjoyed and we all benefited too! :) He got me started making bread too.

As with all seasons, we have had times of consistently making bread and also times of letting it slip out of our schedule.

Anyway, I never really thought much about this book. It was just collecting dust on my shelf until I got thinking about sourdough.
I found a really easy recipe to follow on page 166 (just in case you were wondering) so...

Here it is:
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 cup warm nonfat milk
2 cups flour

Combine the yeast and water in a medium bowl, stirring until dissolved. mix in the milk. Add the flour and beat until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a 2 quart container, preferably pottery or enamel (I had neither so I put it into this measuring bowl)

Cover tightly and let stand at room temperature until the mixture begins to sour - 24 to 48 hours. Stir it every couple of hours. If your not going to use it immediately, stir it down and refrigerate. Yield: Three cups

It is that easy! The starter and even the making of sourdough bread is not complicated, BUT the bread needs to rise three times for at least 2 hours each time. King Arthur Flour says,

"This time period can be very flexible, but allow at least 2 hours and as many as 24. Let it work overnight or all day while you're off at work yourself. The longer it has to work, the more yeast there will be for the second rising period and the more pronounced the sour flavor of the finished bread."

If you choose to make sourdough bread, plan for an all day process and start early. You won't regret doing this. The bread is delicious!

When you make your bread, you only use one cup of the starter and then you "feed" it again. It is sort of like a "friendship bread starter". When you feed it, you just add an equal amount of flour and warm water. I used a cup of flour and a cup of water. You can also use warm milk instead of the water.

Now I must confess that I didn't find a bread recipe that I wanted to make in my husbands cookbook, so I went to my favorite bread baking book: "King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook" and I used this recipe:
Classic Sourdough Bread (on page X-10) :)
Apparently, this bread dough can be used to make pretzels and pizza crust!! Hmmm, some more fun things to try!

So here are my rather pitiful looking loaves, that have risen and are ready for the oven. You can see I have put a generous sprinkling of corn meal on the pan. No need for oil.

The end result...Delicious!

Karen

PS - Do you have something new that you are trying? Share it with us!

Lowly meets a friend..

2011-09-20T16:20:00.000-04:00

We picked some Purple Verbena and brought it in to press. As we looked at each of the blossoms and were getting them ready we noticed that a "little friend" came in with them. So Bethan had to go get her little friend, Richard Scary's "Lowly the worm" to introduce them to one another. :)

Happy Labor Day!

2011-09-05T12:51:00.001-04:00

Work party with friends a few years ago.

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil, for he gives to his beloved in his sleep. (Psalm 127:1-2)

This morning I was reading an email that I received from Desiring God on labor called, "Hard Work or Anxious Toil? - A Christians Understanding of Labor" that I thought was a very good reminder on this Labor Day. So here is the link to that post! Enjoy!

For who has known the mind of the Lord?

2011-08-28T22:33:00.000-04:00

"Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?

Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to Him?

For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Whom be glory forever. Amen."

Romans 11:33-36

Giveaway Winner!

2011-08-22T22:19:00.000-04:00

I would like to announce the winner of the giveaway sponsored by Valerie of "Savories of Life" . Thanks so much, Valerie and all of those who participated!

Congratulations to Sarah!! From "Our Family View From Us Two"
Sarah, if you could send me your address in an email, I will send your cards right out to you!

For your protection, send your information to my shop email: katexpressions(at)gmail(dot)com. (a blogging safety tip: whenever sharing your email on-line, write it like I have to prevent "spammers" from sending things you don't want, to your email address)

Here is what Sarah won in my giveaway:
A 4 card set of my hand-crafted notecards called, "Silo"...

"Silo"

This is a 4 1/2" x 6" print of my original watercolor and is blank inside for you to include a thoughtful message. A photo will also fit nicely tucked inside as well, to send to someone you love.

This watercolor and ink design is printed on acid-free, bright white cardstock and framed in the following colors: Spring Green, Dark Green, Dark Blue and Cranberry.

Each card and envelope is placed in a clear plastic sleeve to keep your card crisp and clean until you are ready to use it. I hope you enjoy using your cards! Please let me know what you think of them. I'm always looking to improve my products and hopefully please my customers with good quality work.

Congratulations, Sarah!!!

Also, as a Thank you to Valerie, she will receive a 4 card set of my Stenciled Recipe Cards! Thanks again, Valerie! Please let me know what you think of your cards too! :)

Blessings!

Karen

A Sign of the Times...

2011-08-22T11:49:00.001-04:00

Here is a sign that was hanging in one of the kitchens at Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. It is a quote from A Treatise on Domestic Economy, by Mrs. Catherine E. Beecher, 1841.

I think today we would add much more to it...something like:
Water, a jet spray bathtub, some expensive bath salts, lotions, shampoo, conditioner, mousse, hair spray, a hair dryer, straightener, curling iron.... :)

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2011-08-12T12:39:00.000-04:00

"Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her...Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised."

Proverbs 31:28, 30

We love you, Mom!

Have a very Happy and Blessed 75th Birthday!

Stress, Uncertainty, Overwhelmed...alone...

2011-08-08T11:54:00.000-04:00

Sailboat off the coast of Maine

"When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path..." Psalm 142:3a

With all of the tough news that we have been hearing it is easy to feel stressed and overwhelmed. Do you feel alone like the sailboat in my picture? Maybe there has been sickness too or an appliance (or two) have broken down. Maybe car expenses and maybe the finances are getting tighter and to make things seem worse...I had plans, dreams and desires...what are we to do?

The Psalmist knew what to do!

"I cry out to the Lord with my voice; with my voice to the Lord I make my supplication. I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble." Psalm 142:1-2

This is the first thing to do. "Lord! I'm in deep trouble! Save me!!!!!" That is usually the time that He reminds us of what verse 3a states..."then You knew my path..." How in the world is this going to help me with the multitudes of responsibility I have and feeling so stressed and overwhelmed?!?

The Lord knows our path. He is the one that has ordered our steps (Psalm 37:23), He is the one who sees where we are and where we are going. In fact, He is waiting for us to entrust all of our cares and weights into His loving hands and to stop trying to figure out how we are going to do it all and to acknowledge Him (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Then:

"He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake." Psalm 23:3

Now there is another thing that He is after. Do you know what it is?

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalm 46:10

He wants you to see that HE is God. Why of course, you say. But is that a reality to you? For if He is truly God in your life...

"The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace." Psalm 29:11

Glory to God! He will give us strength and He will bless us with His peace.

If you are feeling this way, join me in taking some time today to cry out to Him. Pour your heart out to Him and then praise and thank Him for being God and for hearing our prayers. Think about, or meditate, on that! The God that created all things is willing to hear my prayers...He is awesome and He is wonderful!

You might want to consider reading Psalm 29 today! I hope you know that you are not alone and that the Lord is near and looking out for you.

Have a blessed day in the Lord!

Karen

Gardening: "Lungwort"

2011-07-27T15:21:00.001-04:00

Pulmonaria

Lungwort, a perennial, blooms in early spring with brilliant blue, pink, or white flowers. The variety that I have has a combination of blue and pink flowers. Depending on the variety, the rough basal leaves can be spotted or plain.

Once the flowers are spent, the leaves continue to stand in a roundish mound through the Summer, Fall and into the Winter.

Lungwort makes a very nice addition to a border or edging. It is easy to grow, deer resistant, drought tolerant and has a rather exotic looking leaf making it quite attractive.

Lungwort grows well in Zones 2-8 from what I have read. It grows to the height of 6-12 inches depending on the variety and can be planted in Sun, Partial Sun or Shade. A nice hardy plant to consider for landscaping.

"Flowers of blue and pink,
Happy little flowers, I think..."

A bonus bit of information...
The flowers can be pressed to use on cards, pictures or bookmarks like I have done here!

Personalized Pressed Flower Bookmark

Snapshots of Beauty...Asiatic Lily

2011-07-21T10:54:00.000-04:00

Orange Asiatic Lily

"So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Matthew 6:28-29

"He keeps all His bones; not one of them is broken..."

2011-07-08T12:33:00.000-04:00

I hope you don't mind, I thought I would "ponder" or "meditate" a little on here concerning the scriptures. This morning I was reading Psalm 34 and came to these verses:

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all His bones; not one of them is broken. Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate righteousness will be condemned. The Lord redeems the life of His servants; none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned."

Verses 19-22

I thought it was interesting that the verse about Jesus' bones not being broken would be placed in these verses. As I was thinking about bones and the part of which the bones play, a couple of thoughts came to mind..

First, Adam was put to sleep and the Lord took one of his ribs and made Eve. That rib is a bone. When he awoke and saw Eve...

"Then the man said, 'This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."

Genesis 2:23

The second thought that I had was that within the marrow of our bones, our blood is made. There is another scripture in Leviticus 17, that says:

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. (vs. 11)...Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off." (13-14)

More connections...
Jesus is called the second Adam. He gave up His life to "birth" the Church...when He was pierced in the side, out came water and blood. When a baby is born, out comes the water or amniotic fluid and blood. Interestingly, Eve was taken from Adams side, from his rib..a bone. Essentially, Eve was "born".

So Jesus' bones were not broken. He laid down His life and His flesh was broken but the His bones, the ability to "produce" life was not broken, not hindered.

Through the shedding of His blood, He has given us His life.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

John 10:10

There is so much more to these thoughts, but what an awesome God we serve...that He would lay down His very life for us. Not just to have a better life here, but for all eternity! That is abundant indeed!

My thoughts here are choppy, but I hope that you can see the scriptures are like a wonderful tapestry of color. Each thread weaves into one another and produces an awesome piece of beauty...

Blessings,
Karen

Quote: William Howard Taft

2011-07-07T09:48:00.000-04:00

"No man can study the movement of modern civilization from an impartial standpoint, and not realize that Christianity and the spread of Christianity are the basis of hope of modern civilization in the growth of popular self-government. The spirit of Christianity is pure democracy. It is equality of man before God the equality of man before the law, which is, as I understand it, the most God-like manifestation that man has been able to make."

William Howard Taft, 27th President of the United States

Happy Graduation, Dear Elle...

2011-07-06T22:45:00.000-04:00

Happy Graduation, Dear Noelle!

We are very proud of you and We love you, lots and lots!!!

The Lord has good things planned for you so go forward in His grace and loving kindness knowing that He is faithful who has brought you to this place and He will never leave you or forsake you.

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T00:25:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July!

Battle Hymn of the Republic

by Julia Ward Howe

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.

I have seen him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read his righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery gospel, writ in burnished rows of steel:
"As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,
Since God is marching on."

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before his judgment-seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me:
As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.

...one Nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Happy Summer Giveaway, Winner!

2011-07-03T19:33:00.000-04:00

The "Happy Summer Giveaway" is finished and we have a winner!

First let me say "Thank You!" to Sarah for hosting this fun giveaway.
Sarah's favorite flower is Gardenia.Be sure to let me know what you would like, from my shop, Sarah! A gift from me to you!

I want to also thank all the ladies that participated and told us what their favorite flower(s) is/are: I'm including a link to each of their blogs or Etsy shops. Please be sure to go visit them!

Thank you, Sharon! Sharon's favorite flower is Bleeding Hearts.

Thank you, Daisy! Daisy's favorite flower is Lily of the Valley.

Thank you, Dolly! Dolly had a few choices, Apple blossoms, Roses and Lilacs.

Thank you, Faith! Faith enjoys Tulips and Lilacs.

Thank you, Jen! Jen's favorite is Sunflowers.

Thank you, Sherrin! Sherrin's is Daffodils.

Thank you, Ann! Ann likes Chicory.

Thank you, Andrea! Andrea chose Lavender.

And the Winner is Jacqueline!!!...she chose Bluebells and woods Violets! Congratulations Jacqueline! I will come and leave my email address in a comment on your blog and you can email me your contact information so I can send you your set of cards! Thanks so much for participating! I hope you enjoying using your cards.

My favorite flower is Violets. They are small and dainty with heart shaped leaves and they faithfully come up every Spring. For this reason, in Victorian times, the Violet was a symbol of "Faithfulness" which is what I desire most for myself..that I would be found faithful in all that I do.

God Bless each of you with His loving kindness and abundant grace!
Karen

Oh, by the way, if you visit my shop and use the coupon code: THANKYOU20 you will receive 20% off your purchase, as a special gift for participating! :) (code will be active from July 3rd - July 10th!)

Happy Summer Giveaway!

2011-06-30T23:36:00.012-04:00

My friend Sarah from "forgiven. love much" is sponsoring a "Happy Summer Giveaway!" When you go to her blog, she will have links to all who are participating in the giveaway for you! Since I'm one of the participants...I will be giving away a set of my hand-crafted notecards, "Lobelia and Birch"...

This is a 4 1/2" x 6" print of the original and is blank inside. This makes it a great size for including a picture to send to someone you love. It is a nice choice for any occasion. This design is printed on acid-free bright white cardstock and comes with it's own Green envelope.

To the original watercolor, I attached pressed Lobelia and other bits of leaves and plants to complete the picture.

This design took me about 6 months to complete. After working on the watercolor, it took a bit of time to select the different bits of flora that would work well in this piece.

The winner of my giveaway will receive a 4 card set of "Lobelia and Birch" cards.

So here is what you need to do:
1. Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite flower is and why.
2. If one of you chooses my favorite flower, you will be my winner! :)
3. If you share about this giveaway on twitter, facebook or your own blog, link back here and you will get an extra entry for each. With each extra entry, be sure to tell me where you shared it.

The giveaway ends on July 3rd and the winner will be announced here on my blog! If you are the winner, I will ask you to send me your email so I can contact you and send you your gift!

Blessings,
Karen

PS - If you are interested in other cards that I make, visit my shop at KateXpressions!

Hospitality Moments

2011-06-15T17:53:00.000-04:00

Our dear friend, a single elderly woman that attends our church and holds a woman's

Bible study during the day in her home.

We loving call her "Grandma Ruth" :)

Hospitality is our topic this month for our Ladies Bible Study. I have a few excellent books on hospitality...

The Hospitality Commands by Alexander Strauch

Open Heart, Open Home by Karen Mains

The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer

I'd like to share a small excerpt from one:

"An elderly single woman, who now attends our church, related an experience to me that dramatically illustrates why we need fresh teaching on the subject of Christian hospitality. At one time in her life, she had to travel more than an hour by bus every Sunday to attend a small suburban church. Each week after the Sunday morning service, she would eat alone in a restaurant and then spend the entire afternoon in a part or library so that she could attend the evening service. She did this for four years. What left her with sour memories of this church was the fact that in four years no one invited her home to eat a Sunday afternoon meal or to rest. It wasn't until she announced she was leaving that an elderly woman in the church invited her home for a meal on her final Sunday." - "The Hospitality Commands" by Alexander Strauch

I have the feeling that there are many people...elderly, single men or women, students, even families that have not been invited to someone's home for a meal after church or during the holidays or during a particularly stressful time in their lives.

When I looked up the definition for Hospitality, here is what I found:

Hospitality - 1. The friendly reception and treatment of guests and strangers.

2. The quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.

3. Kindness in welcoming strangers or guests.

4. Receptiveness

I hope you will think deeply about this, with me. Alexander Strauch talks about how important hospitality is for building community within our churches and with our family, friends and neighbors. How much more important in these days of less contact with others.

I have been hearing more and more of people feeling lonely or isolated...
So here is our challenge, what will we do to change this for ourselves? We can't make anyone open their home to others, but we can certainly open our hearts, pray, and plan.

So what do you think is important for truly being hospitable?

A small glimpse...

2011-06-08T15:49:00.001-04:00

Lindsay, Johanna and Karen

If you are like me, you just love to pour over pictures and "ooo" and "ahh". So I thought I would share a small glimpse from our daughter's wedding!

If you have been a reader of my blog for a while, you will recall that we have six children. Johanna is the second oldest.

We always called Johanna, "Gracie". Her full name was Johanna Grace...Johanna means "God is gracious" and Grace...she has a double portion of "Grace" or favor on her life.

At about 12 weeks pregnant with her, I was sound asleep in bed. It was 2:00 am and my husband was on the campus of RPI working late on his Master's studies. I woke with a start and threw back the covers to find a pool of blood and water. As you can imagine, I thought I miscarried. This would be the second miscarriage for me.

I called Lindsay and told him what happened. He came right home and we traveled to the hospital. We were both exhausted and convinced that we lost this precious life.

When we got there and explained what had happened, the technician told us that they were going to do an ultrasound to see if this pregnancy was going to be viable or not. Lindsay and I just looked at each other and thought, gee, either he is as tired as we are or maybe he didn't understand that we miscarried.

To our amazement and joy, there was our little "Gracie" floating around in the placenta as alive as can be!! Apparently, it was a blood vessel in the pelvic floor or close to it, that burst. The Lord was very good to us.

Here is our Gracie with her new husband, Nate and her littlest sister, Bethan. Bethan was the flower girl. :)

It is hard to believe how very fast the time flies.

Karen

A Going Home...

2011-04-28T12:41:00.000-04:00

A dear friend sent me an email today with the news that David Wilkerson was killed in a car accident yesterday. His wife, Gwen is in critical condition. May I encourage you to pray for her and for family and friends that are grieving this loss.
I personally haven't been following his blog or his ministry, but he had an excellent post on his blog that I think is worth sharing with you. It is called, "When All Means Fail". Here is the link: David Wilkerson

A Blessed Resurrection Day!

2011-04-23T22:49:00.001-04:00

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
According to his great mercy,
he has caused us to be born again
to a living hope
through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance
that is imperishable,
undefiled,
and unfading,
kept in heaven for you,
who by God's power
are being guarded through faith
for a salvation
ready to be revealed in the the last time.
In this you rejoice,
though now for a little while,
if necessary,
you have been grieved by various trials,
so that
the tested genuineness of your faith -
more precious than gold that perishes
though it is tested by fire -
may be found to result
in praise
and glory
and honor
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Though you do not now see him,
you believe in him
and rejoice
with joy
that is inexpressible
and filled with glory,
obtaining the outcome of your faith,
the salvation of your souls."

1 Peter 1:3-9

A Very Blessed Resurrection Day to You!

Karen

Beauty is in the details..

2011-04-19T13:31:00.001-04:00

While my children were outside they found these small flowers in my garden beds. I have seen the leaves of this wild ground cover but never saw the flowers. Aren't they pretty? Look at the delicate detail on each petal.

I thought it would be fun to press them and see how they would do. You will notice below, they did quite well! I use the Microfleur flower press. This is a flower press that goes right into your microwave. If you are interested in pressing flowers or small leaves, Spring and Fall are the perfect time to find them.

Recipes and Spring!

2011-04-17T21:19:00.000-04:00

Spring is finally here! The birds are beautiful, and all the little green grass-spikes are poking through the ground! There are tiny flowers popping up in my garden, and I'm getting all kinds of nifty new ideas for my cards!

Spring is a beautiful time of year, a time of new life and joy, especially after a long, cold winter. One of the ways I like to celebrate the beginning of spring is by trying out exciting new recipes!

Here's one I'm really enjoying right now: Oreo Balls!

Oreo Balls:

1 package of cream-filled, chocolate cookies (Oreos)
16 oz. cream cheese
12 oz. chocolate chips

Separate cookies with a knife and scrape off filling into a bowl. Put cookies aside. Thoroughly mix filling with package of cream cheese. Put cookies into plastic bag, and crunch up, using rolling-pin. Add to cream cheese and filling mixture and combine completely. Roll into small 1-inch balls and place on waxed-paper-covered cookie sheet. Freeze for an hour. Melt chocolate chips and coat Oreo balls. Let harden, and enjoy!

So, what new recipes do YOU have for spring?

Disclaimer: I didn't write this. In fact, I'm calmly chopping up papers into tiny pieces for my cards while my children steal my computer and keyboard and produce a post, attempting to replicate my style, grammar, and enthusiasm. Were they successful? :)

Happy Spring!

2011-04-01T22:35:00.001-04:00

Well, it snowed again...
Just yesterday, I was in the yard and I saw "Star of David" leaves poking up through the dirt. I was so thrilled to see something starting to grow outside!

I'm sure you are like me, wanting winter to already say it's "good-bye's" and have Spring waltz in and take over the dance floor.

So, while I've been waiting, here are some pictures of things I have growing indoors!

Here you see a nice Zucchini plant that is getting some little buds! Next to it is a couple of Broccoli plants that I will have to separate...

If you were surprised about my indoor Zucchini, how about these lovely pea blossoms!

Last but not least, my lovely peas are bearing fruit...tiny pea pod, complete with tiny peas...as you can see the snow is still covering the ground outside...

I have a few more pictures of seedlings that have been growing under my grow lights which I will post later.

I won't deceive you and let you think that everything that I planted looks as wonderful as these do. Unfortunately, I planted a whole tray of seed that did absolutely nothing...why? because of old seed.

So be sure that the seeds you plant are not older than a year or two. Even then, the recommendation is to follow the expiration dates on the seed package. If you feel a little adventurous, though, plant some of those old seeds. You may have some interesting surprises!

Last year, I planted some old (really old!) sunflower seeds as an experiment and to my surprise I had 5 or 6 plants. Unfortunately, a woodchuck thought that they would make a nice snack and polished them off for me...sigh...the "wildlife tax" can be discouraging at times...But...we still had other plants that did quite well.

Earlier today, I was looking at Johnny's Selected Seeds and they like to put together a calendar for each month and give recommendations for what to plant and when. For this month, they are recommending:

Indoors: Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Onions, Leeks, and Kale to be started indoors.

Outdoors: Carrots, Lettuce, Spinach, Fava Beans, Swiss Chard, Radishes, Turnips and Beets!

Here are some of my favorite places to buy seed:

Johnny's Selected Seeds

Territorial Seed Company

Landreth Seeds

Gardening: Seed Starting - Watch them grow!

2011-03-02T17:19:00.002-05:00

For those of you who are following my seed starting posts, here are the latest pictures of my seedlings!

Here you see on the left: San Marzano (Paste) Tomatoes and on the right: Sweet peas! It has been 16 days from when I planted the seeds! Isn't that fast?

In this picture, you can see the peas and in the front (center) is a Waltham Butternut squash, to the right of it is a Zucchini.

In this picture you see, Broccoli in the forefront, the background includes some Nasturtiums, a Blueberry Pansy and some flower seeds that a friend gave to me. I don't know what they are. I guess it will be a nice surprise!

Here you see the two flats side-by-side on the heating mat, underneath the light. you will also notice that I had to transplant the seedlings into little pots. This next picture shows the reason....

Look at those nice roots! Once you start to see the roots popping through, it is time to transplant them into pots. I was unprepared and so some of the leaves started to turn yellow because the roots were drying out and not getting any nutrients.

Just look at those roots. To think it only took 16 days to get what you are seeing in this picture!

I hope that you are encouraged to go ahead and give seed starting a try. It is well worth it.

If you missed my other posts that come before this go here: Post 1 and Post 2

Happy planting!
Karen

What have I been up to...?

2011-02-28T18:05:00.001-05:00

A study in pine cones, baskets and doilies...this arrangement has been on my kitchen table for a little bit now and I finally sat down and watercolored it while my husband was reading a story to our children. :)

My daughter was moving into an apartment and a dear friend gave her a picture frame that had four small openings in it. I told her to give me the frame and I would see about filling it. I ended up drawing 4 little colored pencil drawings with the theme of "apples". I decided the design might work nicely for a bookmark...

A while ago, I painted this little silo picture and thought it too, would make a good bookmark design.

In this picture, you can see my "Nasturtium Bouquet design framed a little differently. If you look at the second bookmark (to your right) this is the back side of the "apples". Can you see what it says?

Here is the front side of that bookmark. :)

So these are a few things that I have been working on in between managing my home and school!

Gardening: Seed Starting - Planting!

2011-02-18T17:51:00.000-05:00

In my last post on gardening, I showed you our seed starting set-up. If you missed that post and you are interested in the equipment that we found helpful, go here!
One of the things that I mentioned was Jiffy seed starting disks. I really like these.

Jiffy Tomato Greenhouse - 36 count

These seed starting disks come in different sizes. Last year, we used the 72 count. The disks were smaller but you could start a lot of seeds in the tray. What I'm trying this time around is a 36 count seed starter. You will notice that it comes with every thing you need...except the water! The package for the 72 count said you would need about 10 cups of water to "hydrate" the disks. I found this to be true. The water soaked up from the bottom and the disks puffed right up. Very easy to use.

The picture above is the 36 count, after 26 cups of water! Yes the disks are larger and so you need more water. See how nicely they pop up! Now today is Friday and I started this whole process on Tuesday. This is important for you to note...

Here is my tray of 36, popped up, planted seeds. I put them right on the heating mat with the clear top on it and left it. Yesterday, I took the top off and peered in to find two surprises!

The first and most pleasant surprise was these little bits of green popping up! The one closest to me is a pea and the group in the back are broccoli! Now isn't that fast?!?!

The second and not so pleasant surprise was I saw a small amount of mold starting to grow on a "pea" disk toward the back. So what I did was take the tray and put it back on the mat without the plastic greenhouse lid and I turned the light on it.

The light will work at stopping the mold from spreading, give some light to the little green sprouts and not having the lid on will keep the plants from being too moist. That will mean that I will have to check this tray a little more often for dryness. You don't want them to dry out or drown.

One other thing about these seed starting disks...you pour the water into the tray, not on the disks. This keeps the seeds from floating away to the bottom of your tray and it causes the water to soak up from the bottom getting the moisture to where you want it..the roots. This also helps with keeping the mold from forming as well.

I really wanted to share my excitement with you about seeing the seeds popping through the dirt and showing themselves to the world!

Thanks for reading!

Happy and Blessed Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T19:13:00.000-05:00

Red Pressed Woodland Leaves

Happy and Blessed

Valentine's Day!

My Friends!

"For God so loved the world

that He gave

His only begotten Son,

that whoever

believes

in Him

should not perish

but have everlasting life.

For God

did not send

His Son

into the world

to condemn the world,

but that the world

through

Him

might be saved."

John 3:16-17

Looking Forward

2011-02-07T14:47:00.001-05:00

"...forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3:13b-14

Over the past few days, I have had a few different people and situations filtering through my mind. I was finding that I would feel weighed down thinking about them. I wasn't even sure how to pray so I spent time trying to figure out how to help them, how to change their circumstances. Have you ever felt that way? When I "gave up" trying to work all of these things out in my head, the Lord gently reminded me, "Look up!"

A number of years ago I experienced a trauma of sorts. I was left numb and feeling like if I moved too quickly that my whole body would just fall apart. I took a week off from work and spent everyday pouring over the Psalms and praying and crying out to the Lord for His help. Around the end of the week, I decided to take a walk up our dirt road. We had a Shetland Sheep dog at the time and he liked to take walks, so we started up the road. I plodded along, watching our dog weave back and forth from one side and then the other, sniffing and poking his nose into the grass. It was a glorious, crisp November day. The sky was a deep blue and the trees were ablaze with color.

As I was walking, I happen to look down at my feet and all of sudden felt quite dizzy, Stopping to think about this, I sensed the Lord speak to my heart, "Look down, what do you see?" In my mind, I replied, "Dirt, Lord!" Then I sensed Him say, "Look up! What do you see?" and immediately what went through my mind was, "The heavens declare the glory of God". This is part of verse 1 of Psalm 19.

The Lord showed me that as we gaze intently on the things of this world, we will be drawn downward by the troubles, the issues, the problems...but if we gaze intently upward, we will see His glory.

"The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."

Philippians 4:5b-9

So as we are "straining forward" this year, we need to set our minds on the things that declare God's glory. His awesome beauty, His majesty, His holiness, His loveliness, His enduring mercy, His life-giving truth...

One last thought, is concerning that word "straining". Can you picture in your mind straining forward? It takes every ounce of energy, you are pulling or pushing with all that you have. That is what it takes to reach that goal. There are forces that are working hard to pull us back. Let's be sure to put on the armor of God mentioned in Ephesians 6..."Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might (His, not yours!)...therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."
Look forward and catch a glimpse of what lies before you!

From the top of Mt. Greylock, Massachusetts

Look up!

Happy Birthday, Annie!

2011-02-07T10:44:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe that 10 years ago today, I was in the hospital giving birth to a beautiful little girl. How lovely she has grown like a slender little flower. It is so nice to see how she is blossoming.

A very Happy, Happy Birthday to You, Annie!

We all love you lots and lots!

Mum, Dad, Geek, Jo, Elle, Clevard and Munch

(oh and KeyKey!) :D

Making Yogurt!

2011-02-06T18:52:00.001-05:00

This post is for my dear friend, Lillian who has been extremely patient, waiting for me to write this post on making yogurt! Thanks Lill!

The ingredients are simple! One container of plain yogurt with active cultures. It can be Greek yogurt that is very thick or you can use a Swiss style yogurt or you can even use a dried yogurt culture. Whatever you choose, be sure that it has "live active cultures". The next ingredient is milk! We like to make 2 quarts of yogurt at one time so I have to be sure to have at least that much milk. In the picture I have a "huge" bottle of Vanilla extract...you will only need a Tablespoon. There are other ways to make your yogurt thick and I will mention those at the end of this post.

In the above picture you see a container with a lid. This container actually fits inside that brown insulated container behind it. This is called the "non-electric Yogotherm". It works great and you can make 2 quarts at a time. Don't stop reading if you don't have one of these, though. Because if you have a thermos, one of those nice big ones that you make lemonade in and take on a picnic (one with a wide top) you can make yogurt! The important aspect here is that the cultures need to stay warm for many hours for it to ferment the milk. This process takes about 4-5 hours. Once you remove it from the thermos or insulated container you will put it into the refrigerator. This will cause the fermentation to stop and your yogurt will start to thicken.

Here is a better look at that non-electric insulated container. As you can see it is a plastic bucket with a layer of styrofoam lining the inside of it. There is a top that fits nicely over the top and it is also lined with styrofoam.

For making a quart of yogurt, you will need 4 cups of milk (1 quart).

Pour this milk into a sauce pan and add a Candy thermometer. You want to heat your milk to the temperature of 100-110 degrees. If it is hotter than this, it will kill your live cultures. So it is important to stir your milk and watch the temperature.

Here are two types of thermometer. The one at the top is a Candy Thermometer. The one below is a yogurt thermometer that we have had for years and unfortunately, I haven't been able to find it sold anywhere. This lower one has a measure on the yellow plastic that says, "add yogurt starter" and shows when to add it to the milk mixture.

While your milk is heating, take 1/2 cup to a cup, of your plain yogurt out to add to your glass, liquid measuring cup.

Place the yogurt into the measuring cup and mix it around. To this yogurt, you will mix in your flavoring, sweetener or thickener (I will explain at the end).

Once your milk is up to the right temperature, you will scoop out a cup and mix it with the other ingredients. I was adding honey to the mixture in this picture to sweeten it. You can use honey, jam, jelly, maple syrup, or even sweetened condensed milk! This last sweetener also works well as a thickener. You will find that your yogurt is not as thick as the "store bought yogurt" nor is it as sweet. So you will have to experiment with getting it to the consistency you like.

After mixing your milk, flavoring, sweetener and thickener in your cup, you will then pour that back into the sauce pan. You will want to mix it into the rest of the heated milk so that it is mixed well.

Now pour that heated milk mixture into the plastic bucket (or your thermos bottle) and put the lid on. In my case, I will put this plastic bucket into the insulated container and put the lid on top.

Here it is! Now it will sit for 4-5 hours. At the end of this time, I will put the white bucket into the refrigerator and let it set overnight. In the morning, we will eat delicious homemade yogurt on some equally delicious homemade granola! :)

As for the thickener...

I have tried a few things, Knox unflavored gelatin will thicken the yogurt but it comes out like a creamy jello. :) I liked it, my family didn't...

The best results we got was from using Sweetened Condensed Milk. This is not a bad alternative because it will sweeten and well as thicken your yogurt. Just keep in mind that whatever you use, homemade yogurt is usually not as thick as store bought yogurt.

If you are interested in making Yogurt Cheese, take some of the yogurt (or all of it) and spoon it into cheese cloth or a sieve and allow the whey (liquid) to drain off.

Finding Time....

2011-02-06T17:15:00.000-05:00

Nasturtium Bouquet -embossed

With the rush of the holidays past, I'm finding that I still have little post-it-notes to myself that say: "Thank You's, for...." and a list of names of those people who were so thoughtful and kind to blessed us with wonderful gifts. Are you experiencing the same thing? Is it hard to find the time to sit down and write out your Thank You cards?

Having lots to do, I can give myself excuses for why I haven't completed that task.....my husband works two jobs, I homeschool three of our six children, I help my aging parents with keeping track of things, I have a small notecard business, one of my daughters is getting married this Summer and I have wedding prep things to do, oh and did I mention my other daughter who is graduating and is looking at college applications...then there is....

As I have been pondering my schedule lately, I'm starting to realize that I need to pro-actively schedule the things that are important to me. Letting my family and friends know how much I appreciated their gifts and love toward me is important.

And then there are Birthdays, Anniversaries, Graduations, Celebrations, Deaths....I need to make the time.

Would I ignore an appointment that I've made for the Doctor or Dentist? No! I would not schedule anything else during that time. I would make sure that I am all set to go and I would go. Nothing would stand in the way (except an emergency or bad weather!).

So I have concluded that I need to "make an appointment for myself" , write it on the calendar and not schedule anything else in that place.

What day works for you? For me, I was thinking Sunday afternoon might make a good time slot. I'm planning on setting aside an hour or so appointment, so that I will no longer be kicking myself for not getting it done.

You know, getting rid of that mental weight feels good! What is more important than "building" up the people I love and care about?

Do you have a plan? Why not share your thoughts in the comment section! I would love to hear what is working for you!

Warmly,

Karen

Interested in the embossed Nasturtium Bouquet cards? Let me know and I will list some just for you!

Gardening: Seed Starting - The Set-up!

2011-01-29T20:25:00.001-05:00

I am not a professional gardener and have learned what I know through trial and error. When I first started trying to grow plants from seed, I got the basic tray with multiple cells, filled them with "seed starting dirt", made markers for each little row of seeds and had them on a shelf near a southern window.

It seem to take a long time for my seeds to grow. I began to wonder if my seed was viable. Then I wondered if my dirt wasn't the right kind. But eventually, I started to see little bits of green poking little points through the dirt. I was so excited when my seeds started to grow!

As those little bits of green started to grow, they started leaning toward the light coming through the windows. I had a long fixed "grow light" over the shelf, but they seemed to be more inclined toward the window. My plants grew long and spindly and before they really got a great start I started to notice mold growing on the dirt...

As you can imagine, I was a bit discouraged and wondered if it was just easier to go to the local Walmart or plant nursery and buy plants.

If you have had the same experience, or you are just starting out and wondering if you can really pull it off, don't give up! YOU CAN DO IT!

First of all, I found out that those little plants will grow up quickly and lean toward the light, if they aren't getting enough light...

The fixed "grow lights" that we bought in our local hardware store covered just the middle of our growing cells. So this past year, we bought these lights. The Hydrofarm T5 2FT 4 Tube High Output Fluorescent Grow Light (bulbs included) from Amazon. (currently $105 at Amazon). These lights worked great! We bought some lengths of chain at Home Depot and used a "S" hook to raise and lower the light. It is a little bit on the "clumsy" side, but it works. (I'm open to other ideas!!)

As you can see from the above picture, we are using a black, wire shelf that has adjustable shelves. We found this size and set up to be optimal for what we wanted to grow. We can plant 4 trays of seed. We couldn't afford the ready made, seed starting units with the adjustable lights so this is the next best thing!

Notice where we have our shelves set up...there are no windows! Having the lights placed directly over your trays, causes the seedlings to "bush" rather than get long and spindly. We also put the clear, "greenhouse" tops over the trays to keep things moist. Also, the light keeps the surface of the dirt a little drier so there was little to no molding. When the plants are tiny you keep the light just about an inch or two above them. As they grow, you raise it up.

One other thing about the molding, my most successful growing happened without mold when I used the Jiffy compacted peat disks. If you follow the directions on the package you won't over-water the disks. They expand and are moist. When you do water them you water into the tray and not on the surface of the dirt. You put the water where it is needed, at the root level. The peat disks become a porous "pot" and you can plant the whole thing into a larger pot or into your garden.

I bet you can't guess what is pictured above! :) Yes, a seedling heat mat! This Hydrofarm 20" x 20" Seedling Heat Mat 45 Watts, (currently $46.60 at Amazon) holds two trays side-by-side. This is a great piece of equipment! What it does is give a constant temperature of about 70 degrees at the base of your tray, causing the dirt to stay warm. This helps the seeds germinate quicker. I was amazed at how fast the seeds came up. I actually left these heat mats under my plants until they were about 4 inches or so to keep their root system warm.

In the above picture you can see how we set the light just above the heat mat. Another thing that we like about this set up is that the light fixture is wide and reflects the light all across the shelf. So putting two trays side-by-side is not a problem.

We bought a small surge protector strip that can attach to the shelving unit with some simple twist-ties or you could use some cable wraps.

Here you have it all set up! You can see how the light illumines the area underneath it. So this is what I have learned...
To be successful with starting seeds, you need a good light source, a good watering system and a way to keep your roots warm.

I hope this is helpful! If you have other ideas that you want to share, leave it in a comment! I will add your suggestions to the bottom of this post for others to benefit from as well!

Happy Seed Planting!
PS - I have included the products that we use, but be sure to research for yourself to find what will work best for you!

Karen

Gardening: Seed Starting Time...Yes, already!

2011-01-24T20:42:00.003-05:00

If you are like me, you have probably started getting seed catalogs in the mail. It might seem like it is too early to start thinking about planting and gardening when you look out and see two feet of snow, but now is the perfect time!

The first thing you want to do is start thinking about what you would like to grow. If you have some good seed catalogs, start pouring over them and making a list of things that look especially appealing.

The next thing you will want to do is make a small sketch of your garden area. Will you have enough space? Can you grow as much as you would like in that space? Do you have a small yard? How about growing some plants in containers?

There are many fine books, which you can first borrow from the Library, if you don't have them on your own bookshelves already. There are books about growing in decorative containers, growing in small spaces, in raised beds, even in among your perennials and shrubs! Let your imagination extend itself and see what unique and beautiful growing spots you can make this year!

So now you have your seed list, you have planned out your garden area (where you will put what), what is next?

I'm so glad that you asked! The next step is your seed starting supplies. You will need:

a few growing trays

domes for the growing trays

seed starting soil

a shelf or two

a heating mat or two

adjustable, reflective lights

markers

and last but not least, seeds!

As I am able, I will share with you a little bit of my gardening journey and why this list is what I think is necessary for getting your garden off to a good start!

Happy garden planning!

Karen

Slow Start!

2011-01-12T18:25:00.001-05:00

Looks like I have a slow start! My plan for this new year was to post everyday!! Well, I guess I will post "more often" at least...

Isn't the snow just beautiful! So clean and smooth and how it sparkles in the sun!

"Come now,

and

let us

reason together,"

Says the LORD,

"Though your sins

are

like scarlet,

they shall be

white as snow;

Though they

are

red like crimson,

they shall be

as wool."

Isaiah 1:18

I can't help thinking about this verse when I see that pure white snow...

What a blessing! - "Stylish Blogger Award!"

2011-01-04T21:21:00.001-05:00

When I pulled up my emails today, I received this award, from my very kind, blogging friend and business mentor, Elizabeth from "Elizabeth's Flowers"! Thanks so much, Elizabeth!

Elizabeth sells beautiful pressed flower framed art, pressed flower cards, handmade paper kits and she even sells the Microfleur - a microwave flower press! Be sure to check out her blog!

She is so kind and helpful to each person that comes to her blog asking questions about pressing flowers, starting businesses (like myself!), and sharing her newest creative ideas. She is a woman that loves the Lord and uses her art to glorify Him.

In order to accept this award, I am supposed to reveal 7 things about myself. Hmmm, I will try...

1. I'm a Mom to 6 wonderful children, ages 4 to 22. I had my last child at 47 and I would do it again! :)

2. I homeschool my children and 2 have graduated and gone on to earn degrees.

3. I love realistic art, music, sewing, organizing, and gardening.

4. My parents live next door to us and have been a great blessing to us.

5. We have been involved at our church for 26 years, so far! I sang on our worship team, danced on our dance team, worked with puppets, did some mime, sewed banners, used flags, participated in street parades, led a Craft night, taught in Children's church, disciple young women, on a prayer team for one of our outreaches, and currently co-leading our Ladies Bible Study...I'm glad that I had 26 years to do all of that!! :)

6. I love the Word of God. It amazes me how the old and new testaments are woven together...every last word points to Jesus, the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us.

7. I have always lived in the same area. I have never been out of the country but I have opened my home to people from China, Russia, Mexico, India, Belgium, and Canada. (I can't think if there were any others - maybe!)

How's that? :)

I would love to pass this award on to:

Deb at Mountain Musings - as soon as you enter her blog you feel like you've stepped into her kitchen. She is warm and welcoming and always has something new and creative to share. Stop by and say "Hello!"

First "real" New York Snow...

2010-12-14T04:04:00.001-05:00

God thunders marvelously with His voice,
He does great things which we cannot comprehend.
(verse 5)

For He says to the snow,
'Fall on the earth'
(verse 6a)

The beasts go into dens, and remain in their lairs.
(verse 8)

From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind,
And cold from the scattering winds of the north.

By the breath of God ice is given,
And the broad waters are frozen.

Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds,
He scatters His bright clouds.
And they swirl about,
being turned by His guidance,
That they may do whatever
He commands them
On the face of the whole earth.

He causes it to come,
whether for correction,
Or for His land,
Or for mercy.

Listen to this, O Job;
Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.
(verse 9-14)
Job 37

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2010-11-21T16:44:00.000-05:00

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
and comes down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."
James 1:17

May we all be thankful for God's good provision
during this Thanksgiving season...
A very happy Thanksgiving Day to You and Your family!

May God's abundant gifts be yours,
Karen

Thanksgiving...

2010-11-02T15:30:00.000-04:00

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits;
Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.
Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Psalm 103:1-5

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy...He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our
iniquities. Psalm 103:8; 10

Cinnamon Ornaments

2010-11-02T15:00:00.000-04:00

About 16 years ago, we had a monthly craft night at our church, which I lead. I had a couple of very faithful, creative woman who shared all sorts of simple crafts that we could make for our homes or as presents for others. One of the easiest (and long lasting!) crafts that we did, was Cinnamon Ornaments.

It was just a couple of years ago that I decided that our old cinnamon ornaments needed to go and some fresh "stock" of ornaments were warranted.

Out of three batches of dough I made 100 - 3 inch hearts. This picture is from an open house at our church two years ago. I wrapped them and include a card with John 3:16-17 on one side and information about our church on the other side. It was our way of wishing those who came, a blessed Christmas.

Here is the recipe that I used:

For 30 - 3 inch Ornaments
2 cups Ground Cinnamon
2 cups Applesauce
1/4 cup White School Glue (Elmer's or a generic brand)

In a mixing bowl, pour in the cinnamon. Add the applesauce and then add the glue on top of the applesauce. This will allow the glue to get mixed up more thoroughly and keep it from just clinging to the sides of the bowl.
Mix slowly, as to keep the "cinnamon dust" from making a cloud in your face.
After mixing the dough, sprinkle some more cinnamon on your working surface and onto your hands. Grab portions of dough and roll out on top of the cinnamon then cut out the ornaments.

To dry the ornaments, lay some waxed paper on a table or surface where they will not be moved. Everyday, turn them over to get a more uniform dryness. It will take 5-7 days for them to dry, depending on the thickness.

If you are in a hurry, you can bake them in a 200 degree oven for about 2 hours. Be sure to flip them over halfway through. When they are dry, decorate them with the acrylic paint of your choice.

I also used some of these hearts as "gift tags" for my Christmas presents that year...I'm sure you can think of other uses. Why not leave me a comment and I will share them on here!

This is a good year to make hand-crafted presents for those we love and care about. If you are making hand-crafted presents, let us know what you are making!

What is a Homemaker?

2010-09-30T18:16:00.001-04:00

Have you ever wondered what the word "Homemaker" means? I hope you are greatly encouraged by what Elizabeth George says about how important our role is. This is taken from the chapter called, "Ten Disciplines for Managing Your Mind" in her book "Life Management for Busy Women" (pp. 191-192)

"More or less, you as a home manager...
...oversee the most valuable family asset, the house,
...oversee the family finances (another of the family's larger assets),
...oversee the education of the children (talk about a responsibility!),
...oversee the heath care for the entire family,
...oversee the social calendar, and (as if that's not enough) you also
...oversee the transportation of your darlings as the head chauffeur.

(What a woman! Who said managing a home is easy?!)
So how does all this management take place? The answer - with your mind!"

That is a pretty impressive list! I'd like to make a few comments. First of all, you can see how much the Lord trusts us to be our husbands helpers. We come along side them in so many ways.

Overseeing the house...
Take the house for instance, if we neglect our responsibilities for keeping up our homes, in the long run we are not only setting ourselves up for major irritations and disagreements, but we are wasting money on having to replace things.

Here is an example: If we are disciplined in vacuuming out the bottom of our dryer and cleaning out the lint trap after each load, we are saving money on the cost of energy, because the dryer will run much better and dry the clothes quicker if the vents are clean and the screens allow good air circulation.

If we chose not to bother, we are not only spending more money for the energy usage but we risk having a fire, which will cost money to replace the dryer and possibly other things that might be damaged as well.

Overseeing the finances...
I am not the complete overseer of our finances. We work together on our purchases and discuss any major purchases before making them. When I am considering a purchase I always look for the best buys. I also try to listen to my husband's thoughts about our finances. If he is feeling like things are tight, then I don't just make a purchase without talking to him even if it is a smaller purchase price. A few small purchases add up to larger costs.

There are things that I would love to purchase, but I know that if I do, it will hinder another more important goal or purchase that I have in mind.

When it comes to groceries, I always look for good buys. It is necessary for a family of 8. My husband knows that I work hard at keeping our costs down with groceries and with clothing. Clothing costs can add up quickly and push us over budget.

Overseeing our children's education...
When Elizabeth talks about overseeing the education of our children, I don't think she was specifically thinking of formal education. Although, those of us that homeschool our children do have a more direct oversight even there. It is important to maintain a good structure and environment for them to learn. We also train them to be diligent and productive.

I think that Elizabeth was referring to the basics of teaching and training our children. Showing them how to get dressed, wash their hands and faces, take care of their dirty laundry, pick up their rooms, make their beds. These are all ways that we are educating them to be responsible people. We also train them in the area of Character. Teaching them good manners, to be considerate of others, be humble and kind toward their siblings and teaching them to respect us and other authorities that God has placed in their lives for their good.

Overseeing our families health...
I have often thought about how much I influence my families health...teaching good hygiene, structuring their bed times, making sure that everyone gets some exercise (including me!) planning good nutritious meals. We also take vitamins. It is when I am slack in this area, that I have noticed we are more apt to get a cold or flu.

Overseeing our social calendar...
My husband works as a computer programmer, full time and then also has a part-time teaching position. He is a Pastor and so he also preaches on a rotation with the other Pastors. So it is very important that I'm aware of his scheduling needs. I love him and want him to have down time. There is nothing worse than being stretched to our very limits and then have other unexpected things steal our time.

As I already mentioned, I'm homeschooling on top of my responsibilities for keeping the house flowing in an orderly manner. Sometimes, I have to choose not to do the vacuuming or ironing so something more important can get done. So I need wisdom in how I will go about my day. One more challenge for me at the moment, is with launching a small home business.

As with any new venture, you have to devote a certain amount of time to investing into it. So, I spend a couple of hours a day on the computer, either researching things that I need to purchase, or to research trends and products that are already in the market. My business is in hand-crafting notecards. (you can see them here!)

All of this to say that it is vitally important that we don't over-schedule our families. This also plays into keeping good health.

Overseeing transportation...
It may be for our "darlings" or it may be for our elderly parents or neighbors. I like to combine my trips and also ask for help from others on this. Dispersing the load is also part of management!

I use to think that as a "good homemaker", I had to do it all. That is one of the worst lies there is! God made us with limitations, so we aren't all going around being "super women" who don't need any thing or anyone! So to be a good homemaker....you should be giving some of the work to others...

My husband can pick up milk, on his way home. My children can take out the garbage, sweep, set the table, vacuum, fold laundry, pile wood, help bring in outdoor equipment, mow, water the garden...even cook! (that's how they learn) :D

See how important you are "homemaker"? The Lord has given us an awesome job...full and rewarding...

"An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life."
Proverbs 31:10-11

The Heavens Declare...

2010-09-13T23:22:00.003-04:00

"The heaven's declare the glory of God
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge."
Psalm 19:1-2

September 11, 2001

2010-09-11T17:55:00.002-04:00

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for His names sake."
Psalm 23:1-3

Lord,
Please bring comfort and hope to those who mourn today as they remember September 11, 2001...lead many to the green pastures of your word and beside the still waters of the peace you give and restore each soul and may they follow you in the path of righteousness...

Garlic!!

2010-09-11T17:52:00.000-04:00

Did you grow garlic in your garden this Summer? I had two different types that I planted. The smaller, whitish bulbs in the picture above were grown from some garlic that I bought at the grocery store. Those with a purplish hue are German Hard neck, a variety that I bought from Johnny's Selective Seeds.

As the garlic from the grocery store matured in the bed, it grew a stalk that was about 24" tall. I noticed that toward the bottom of the stalk (above ground) there developed a "bulge". Having never grown garlic before, I wasn't too sure what is was. Within a few weeks, you could see that there were "cloves" being formed in that bulge. Sure enough, the bulge split open and there were 3-4 cloves that popped out.

The German Hard neck garlic matured differently from the store-bought variety.
As the German Hard neck matured, a 3-4 ft. stalk shot up and there was a "bulge" toward the top and the very top actually curled around and made for a very interesting picture! (I didn't get a picture)...

The above "flowers" came from this variety. They look very much like the flowers of onions or chives...

Interestingly, I took those flowers apart and this is what I got...a whole bowl full of very tiny "cloves" of garlic! From what I have read, these can be planted like the cloves from the garlic bulb but it will take a bit for a good yield.

So if you want a good, fast yield, buy some garlic bulbs from your favorite seed company. When I bought mine from Johnny's I received 3 bulbs. You might think that that was a small amount, but I had at least 5 cloves from each bulb making for about 15 garlic plants!

So why should I talk about planting and harvesting garlic? Because next month it will be time to plant your garlic for a late Summer harvest!

You plant in October and then the cloves get established before it gets too cold and remains in a more dormant state through the winter and then does all of it's top growing through the Spring, into the Summer.

For the biggest garlic yield, harvest before the flowers set in. I'm going to try planting those little bitty cloves and see just what happens...then I'll let you know!

Reflections...on Reflections...

2010-09-09T22:42:00.000-04:00

Below is something I wrote in 2006 when my oldest daughter was launching out into college.

"For those of you who don't know, we have been going through the process of closing out our school year with college tours, filling out applications, and getting all sorts of information together to send to the college that our daughter will be attending.

We made it! The Lord brought us through homeschooling all the way through 12th grade!
To think that we made it...made me weep...

The Lord is so good. He lead us through to the end and now it is time to send out our first "arrow".

I have been thinking about what this means. The Lord trusted us to love, teach, train, and discipline our daughter so that she would become an adult able to stand in her faith, loving, teaching, training and disciplining whoever the Lord entrusts into her hands. Generation to generation, bringing glory to the Lord.

When she was little, I didn't want her to grow up. I wanted to keep her small for as long as possible so that I could enjoy hearing her funny little thoughts and see how she expressed them is such "grown-up" ways."

It is fun to reflect on reflections...
Having finished college and moved on into the work force, there are new challenges for her now, but also for us! We have always known that the time would come when we have done all the teaching and training and each one of our little "birds" would leave the nest and do what they were meant to do.

We are looking at that beautiful young woman now and listening to her (sometimes funny - still!) thoughts and we are seeing her (truly) grown-up ways and we are so glad...glad to let her go to grow and blossom into the woman God made her to be...

Busy, Busy first half of the year...

2010-06-23T15:29:00.003-04:00

I don't even know if anyone is stopping by here any more...it has been way too long since I've posted.

This first half of the year has been so jam-packed full with "LIFE" that my spare moments haven't been here. I would like to change that a bit!

We have had a number of milestones that I want to share with you...
In April, the day after Easter, my Father-in-law, passed away. We spent a few weeks traveling and working through details but of course, we miss him and think of him often.

In May, our oldest daughter graduated from RPI (Rensselaer) with her Bachelors degree in Aeronautical/Mechanical Engineering. She was granted an interview with a large company and then offered a position, so she will be moving out of the area in just a week from now!

My second oldest daughter just became engaged the day before Father's Day! She will be finishing up her Bachelors degree and graduating next May and getting married to a good and godly young man that has already become part of the family.

In the midst of all these happy and sad events, both of my folks have been dealing with ill health, winding down from a very busy and fruitful pace...it is feeling overwhelming at times for me...all of these good and sad things...but the Lord showed me something:

"No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor LIFE, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39

Do you see that "LIFE" in there! Even in the midst of all these LIFE moments, non of them can separate us from His Amazing Love! Isn't the Lord so awesome!!! In this, we find strength to press forward and continue to be fruitful to His glory and honor and praise!

Oh, by the way, what do you think of this template? I was playing with it and decided I wasn't ready for something so colorful, but it wouldn't go away! So maybe I am ready for something colorful!

So how are you? I hope you are doing well...

In God's Abundant Grace,
Karen

Here Are the Cards I Won!

2010-04-25T16:38:00.005-04:00

As you can see, I was blessed with some very beautiful cards!
Each Photo card comes in its own clear plastic envelope.
All of these were packaged in a white cardboard
envelope.
Very nice quality cards!

Here is my absolute favorite card! A close-up shot of one of
God's beautiful and delicate flowers...

I hope to order more of Hannah's beautiful cards!
Check out her website: Graceful Designs
Thanks Hannah!

Organizational Tips: The Tub!

2010-02-20T17:24:00.003-05:00

Those of you who have visited here before, will remember that we have a good sized family..8 in all! So in order to function well, I had to make a cleaning schedule for myself and my family.

We have been blessed with two full bathrooms which also means we have two tubs to keep clean! Saturdays are our "major" cleaning day. That means the bathrooms get a thorough cleaning, the beds all get stripped and the kitchen, utility and small bathroom floor gets a good scrubbing. We also vacuum the bedrooms and hallway.

To make this day less stressful, I have been experimenting with a few things. First, I have been using a disinfectant wipe to clean my sinks and counters, each day. It only takes a few minutes. Secondly, when I'm finished with my shower, I wipe down the walls of the shower with a clean, dry cloth, to remove most of the soap scum that clings to the sides of the tub. By doing this, I'm taking away the "food" that the molds, bacteria and mildew like to thrive on. I do this every day. It only takes a minute! This saves me a lot of time on my Saturday schedule. I can spray the tub and shower walls with my cleanser and let it work on what is still left, while I wipe down the mirror, sink and toilet. The clean up is fast and easy!

If you have a large build-up of soap scum, try "showers-n-stuff", the cleanser I use. First, open a window or turn on your bathroom fan, the cleanser has a very strong almond smell that is not good to breath in. Spray the cleanser on the shower walls and all around the tub. Spray a little extra in the heavier areas. Let this chemical sit and do it's work. You can leave it for 10-15 minutes. When you come back, wipe away with a sponge. Don't worry if you need to retreat the shower or tub if is really bad. Once you get it all cleaned up, then take the time each day to wipe down the walls and tub and you will never dread the tub cleaning again!

If you have other useful tips for the tub, why not leave it in the comments!

Happy Cleaning!

Karen

*********************************
My friend, Faith left this in the comments: Thanks Faith! I have never heard of the "daily shower cleaner"...I'm glad I decided to post on this! :D

"I have discovered the daily shower cleaner....I actually like the Target brand and buy that unless I have a coupon for the name brand. It makes the weekly cleanup so easy. I use Comet spray for soap scum, once a week, on our tub BUT...there is hardly ANY soap scum because I have trained my family to use the daily shower spray after each shower (altho the husband often forgets!!).....The name brand one I like is Tilex Shower Spray but the Target brand one works just as well...the scent is mild. I also have tried the Hannaford brand but the smell is not as pleasant and it often leaves a streaky look...we have ceramic tile from floor to ceiling and the shower spray works very well on the part of the wall that is just above the tub unit. For our tile floor I just vacuum every couple of days and once a week I either use wet swiffer or mr clean eraser mop which is great for a white tiled floor!"

Jumping for Joy!

2010-02-17T17:41:00.007-05:00

We recently received a package from my in-laws with belated Christmas presents inside. They sent earrings for all of the girls, $10 for our Son and a nice, hand-made pom-pom hat for B, the "engergizer bunny". :D

As soon as she took it out, she squealed and ran to the front closet to get her snowpants. She promptly put them on and added the hat...this is what we saw...

The simple joys of life!

More thoughts for "sowing"...

2010-02-01T17:38:00.001-05:00

After reading Eliot Coleman's book, "Four-Season Harvest", we decided to try our hand at an inexpensive cold-frame/greenhouse. We chose this 8' x 4' bed of herbs for our experiment. As you can see, we built our structure out of PVC pipe. We used 1/2 inch pipe and sheets of plastic. The total cost of this structure was about $70.00.

Here is a different angle of the same bed with a few more supporting poles.

After constructing the basic structure with pipes and joints (45 degree and 90 degree) we worked at strengthening the structure with a pole going the length of the structure and attached at each joint with string and duct tape...did I mention we were trying to make it inexpensive! One other thing that we added was a piece of rebar in each of the four corners that the PVC pipe fit over.

This was our finished structure except for some 4 inch PVC clips that held the plastic in place. In my next post I will share the conclusion of our experiment!

January...time for "sowing" thoughts

2010-01-23T19:51:00.000-05:00

It seems hard to believe that it is January already...but here we are. I seem to be averaging a post a month! I hope that this year I will be able to change that.

As I'm looking at this new year, I'm realizing that it will soon be time for getting my seeds started. February is the time, here in the Northeast, that we start pouring over all the seed catalogs that have come in the mail.

Here are some of links if you are looking for some good places to buy your seeds:

Johnny's Selective Seeds: An employee-owned company from Winslow, Maine. - "Offering Vegetable, Flower, Herb, Fruit, and Cover Crop Seeds, as well as Innovative Tools and Supplies since 1973." I have bought vegetable seeds, garlic and Jerusalem Artichokes from here. I have been pleased with what I have received.

D. Landreth Seed Company from New Freedom, PA - We have also bought vegetable seeds, Asparagus roots, Horseradish roots and Rhubarb roots from them. We have found their seed to be very good and their roots to be very healthy. We were introduced to them last year at a Flower and Garden show in our area.

W. Atlee Burpee & Co. from Warminster, PA - I think everyone has bought Burpee seeds at one time or another.

Jung Seeds & Plants from Randolph, WI - They offer Seeds, Plants, Bulbs, Supplies and Gifts.

Miller Nurseries from Canandaigua, NY - Is a family owned and operated business since 1936. They offer fruit, root vegetables, nut trees, bulbs and ornamental shrubs and trees.

Stark Bro's from Louisiana, Missouri - A nursery that offers fruit, nuts, berries, and ornamentals.

Abundant Life Seeds from Cottage Grove, OR - This seed company has been "protecting the genetic diversity of rare and endangered seeds since 1975", as per their catalog. This is a "sister" company to Territorial Seeds Company and London Spring Farms. Personally, we haven't bought seed from Abundant Life, but we have bought some seed and supplies from Territorial Seed. We were happy with what we purchased from them.

R. H. Shumway's from Randolph, WI - Offers vegetables, herbs, flowers and supplies.

The Cook's Garden from Warminster, PA - Offers Vegetables, herbs, vegetable plants, fruit, kitchen supplies, and garden supplies.

So now you have a bunch of sites to check out and pour over as you plan what you will be planting this spring. Be sure to share with me what good things you find!

Enjoy!

Karen

A Blessed Christmas to You!

2009-12-24T10:28:00.004-05:00

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called
Wonderful,
Counselor,
The Mighty God,
The Everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom,
to order it, and to establish it
with
judgment and with justice,
from henceforth even for ever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this
Isaiah 9:6,7

To those who come by here, we wish you a blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
May the truth and light that is found in our Savior
Jesus Christ the Lord,
be yours today and forevermore.
Merry Christmas!

Karen

"The Sweet Potato Cookbook..."

2009-11-02T13:53:00.005-05:00

Sweet Potato leaves from last years garden...

Recently, my Mom passed one of her many cookbooks to me so that I could
look through it and pass it along to a friend...I found so many delicious looking
recipes in this cookbook that I just ordered myself a copy!
"The Sweet Potato Cookbook" by Lyniece North Talmadge

Lyniece's Dinner Party Soup

4 medium sweet potatoes, baked
Nonstick vegetable spray
8 cups chicken stock
Kosher salt
1 tsp. orange zest
Nutmeg, freshly grated
3 tart apples, washed and cubed
1 red pepper, cubed
1 yellow pepper, cubed
2 green peppers, cubed
3 cups apple juice
2 Tbsp orange juice concentrate
Medium dry sherry
1 red and 1 green bell pepper, cut in strips
Creme Fraiche

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash the sweet potatoes and spray with vegetable spray. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour until tender.
Cool, peel, puree the sweet potatoes and place in a stock pot along with the chicken stock, Kosher salt to taste, orange zest, nutmeg, apple pieces, and cubed red, yellow and green peppers. Bring to a boil and quickly reduce the heat. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add apple juice and orange juice concentrate, and cook 5 minutes more. Strain. If needed, add a splash of dry sherry to taste. Garnish with red and green pepper strips with a teaspoon of Creme Fraiche.

Creme Fraiche
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sour cream

In a saucepan combine the cream and sour cream. Mix well and heat over low heat until warm. Put into a covered jar and let sit at room temperature for 6-8 hours. Refrigerate overnight before using. Keeps 2-3 weeks.

Doesn't this sound like a delicious fall soup!
I hope you enjoy it!

Karen

Storage Vegetables

2009-10-27T11:11:00.000-04:00

I just got an e-newsletter from Johnny's Selective Seeds. If you are just starting to plan a garden or plant, like my friend Sherrin who lives in Australia, or you are doing some "winter stocking"...look at this article about Storage Vegetables. I found it very helpful.

Three weeks ago, I wrote a catch-up post...it is now week 10 in our school year. That means that we close out our first quarter and submit our quarterly reports. So this will be something that I will have to put my attention to this week.

I'm having some troubles with importing my pictures from my camera at the moment, but when I get that resolved, I hope to show you our simple greenhouse/cold-frame made from 1/2" PVC pipe. As our first "experiment", it actually turned out better than we expected! We are attempting to keep some plants over the winter in one of our raised beds. I will keep you posted on our progress. At the moment we have herbs...parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives, french tarragon, winter savory, tri-colored sage, common sage and some older chard and lettuce from this past summer. I'm also trying to over-winter some onions, garlic and Jerusalem Artichokes. They will not be in the cold frame though.

Many of our ideas for this "experiment" have come from Eliot Coleman's book "Four-Season Harvest" which he has successfully grown many cool weather plants (such as lettuces, carrots and other greens) during the winter as well as get a "jump start" on his Spring planting. He lives in Maine so his area is colder than our area in New York.

So what are you currently focused on? If you have a minute, why not share in the comments! I'd love to hear from others!

Thanks! and have a blessed day!
Karen

"Come weary saints..hide away.."

2009-10-23T15:39:00.001-04:00

Needing some strength for the journey today? I know I am. Take a look at these scriptures...
Have you felt weary? Here is what Jesus says...

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Matthew 11:28-30

Have you felt overwhelmed? King David did too...

"Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah (stop and consider)."

Psalm 61:1-4

Look at what Paul encouraged the Colossians to do...

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."

Colossians 3:1-4

"Hide Away in the Love of Jesus"
by Steve and Vikki Cook

Come weary saints, though tired and weak
Hide away in the love of Jesus
Your strength will return by His quiet streams
Hide away in the love of Jesus

Come wand’ring souls, and find your home
Hide away in the love of Jesus
He offers the rest that you yearn to know
Hide away in the love of Jesus

Hear Him calling your name
See the depths of His love
in the wounds of His grace
Hide away

Come guilty ones, weighed down with sin
Hide away in the love of Jesus
The freedom you long for is found in Him
Hide away in the love of Jesus

Hear Him calling your name
See the depths of His love
in the wounds of His grace
Hide away

Come hopeless hearts, do not despair
Hide away in the love of Jesus
For ten thousand joys await you there
Hide away in the love of Jesus

The Lord is calling us to come away with Him. Don't wait until everything else is done. Go now! You won't regret it.

Happy Fall!

2009-10-06T16:35:00.002-04:00

My goodness! the last time I posted was in August! If you are like me, you tried to squeeze in as many projects and activities as your schedule would allow..which didn't include blogging! So here it is October...
Here are some of the highlights from the Summer:
Spent many days working in and around our yard and garden. We increased our growing space from two raised beds to six and as with most of the country, the weather was not what we expected and therefore, our garden didn't yield what we had hoped. I did learn a lot though!

Our college students found it difficult to find employment. Our oldest, K , ended up getting a job at Target and was able to save up some money toward living in her apartment through this school year. We were very thankful to the Lord for providing for her. I think it was a good break away from studying too!

Our second daughter, J didn't find employment, but she was a great help here and at my folks house. She did some of their yard work and also enjoyed visiting with them on a weekly basis. Both girls are back to college now working through their first semester of their Senior and Junior years. Where did the time go!?!

I have talked about starting a home-based business for some time now and it was starting to look like I would need to help out with expenses! So my husband helped me work through the process of getting a DBA (Doing Business As). It wasn't quite as hard as I thought it was going to be! So as of July, I became a sole proprietor of my business - "KateXpressions!" I have a link on my sidebar if you would like to check it out...be sure to leave comments, thoughts and suggestions!

One of the bigger "milestones" was just accomplished this week...B no longer has diapers!! It took all Summer, but we are finally free of diapers, wipes and diaper cream! Yay! This will help the budget. :D

We started School the end of August. Actually, the kids started without me! Where was I? I was away in Maine, staying at a very nice Bed and Breakfast with my wonderful husband. It was our 25th Anniversary and we were given money for Christmases and Birthdays over a few years, that we set aside just for going away for our Anniversary. The kids did a great job on their own. All they had to do was follow the plan! Yay!

So we are starting our 7th week (already!!!) of school..in 3 weeks it will be quarterly time...which signals that the first quarter is done. So how about you? How was your Summer?

An August Garden in New York...

2009-08-13T19:10:00.000-04:00

It has been a bit since I have posted anything. I wanted to share a little bit about what has kept me busy...we were trying a number of things to keep our garden growing..hoping to get something for our efforts! This picture shows our lettuce and herb plants...Oregano, Chives, Basil, French Tarragon, Common Sage, Tricolored Sage, Purple Basil, Thyme, Rosemary and Parsley. (and a couple of Marigolds!)

This raised bed contains some pole beans (they were eaten by a woodchuck but are coming back and going up the trellis now!) We have two yellow squash plants, a zucchini and three (very small) heirloom Cherokee Purple Tomato plants.

In this bed, we have two "woodchuck eaten" pickling cucumbers, a Marketmore 76 green cucumber and a White wonder, white cucumber...one intact purple cabbage, one without a head (woodchuck!) some red onion sets, 4 very scraggly looking pepper plants and a few different flowers planted around (Hollyhock, marigolds, Lupine, Nasturtium, painted daisies, shasta daisies, foxgloves and cosmos!) all dwarfed by lots of rain and less sunlight than we would have liked. Woodchuck, apparently didn't care for the flowers, just the vegetables!

In this last picture you can see two (late planted) butternut squash (the smaller plants) a pumpkin and an acorn squash plant. In the background, poking out of the black landscaping fabric we planted another pumpkin, Acorn squash and a butternut squash. The Lord blessed us with a week of sunshine and so our plants are looking much more robust and are finally starting to spread out some. We even saw an acorn squash on that plant in the back! How about you? Share pictures of your garden this year. Even though our garden looks rather pitiful, we have learned alot and so it hasn't been for naught! :D

What is on your heart?

2009-07-15T10:18:00.003-04:00

Have you ever had anyone ask you, "What is on your heart?" Sometimes it is hard to express all that has been swirling around in there. Generally, I spout off something about goals that I have or projects that I'm working on. Sometimes I will share how I'm feeling about my life at the time. What is the correct response? Maybe there isn't just "one" correct response, but as a Christian, I think it should be saturated in thoughts of the Lord.
How does my goals line up with the word of God? How is the project that I'm currently working on glorify the Lord and edify my family? Are my "feelings" ruling how I'm viewing my life or am I keeping them in perspective? Am I trusting the Lord?
So, what is on your heart today?

Our recent trip

2009-06-11T00:13:00.002-04:00

This past weekend, my husband and I had the opportunity to go to our annual Home schooling conference held, this year, in Rochester, NY. This is NY state's 25th anniversary year. It was an excellent conference with Paul David Tripp, as the Keynote Speaker. If you are not familiar with Paul David Tripp, he is the Author of "Age of Opportunity", a book on parenting teenagers. He has written other very helpful books as well. I highly encourage you to look at his books and materials. I was both encouraged and challenged to parent my children at the "heart" level instead of the "behavior" level.

Here's a quote from a book I bought at the conference, "the Pray! Prayer Journal: Daily steps toward praying God's heart" by Dean Ridings...

"The greatest privilege of prayer is that of coming into the actual presence of God to enjoy loving conversation and communion with Him. We are to pray frequently (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and openly (Revelation 3:20) and even 'with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need' (Hebrews 4:16). What an invitation! There is none other like it."

- Paul Cedar, "A Life of Prayer"

How very true! We have been invited to spend time with the King of kings and Lord of lords..none other like it..where we can ask the Lord for wisdom and guidance as we parent our children so that they will bring glory to His name.

To everything there is a season...

2009-05-27T15:01:00.001-04:00

"To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted;..."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

I was looking at the date on my last post and was surprised that it has been so long since I've written anything!

Much of my time over the past month or so has been spent working toward our garden. Planning what we want to grow, planting seeds, ordering materials...it is more time consuming at the moment because we are still laying the ground work (no pun intended!) for establishing a permanent garden. It always seems the beginning stages take much longer than we were anticipating.

So far, we have planted Raspberry and Blueberry bushes around the edges of our fence, keeping in mind that they will grow and block sunlight. So we had to think about placement. For me, this can be almost as daunting as the rest of the project! Being sure that I want a certain plant in a certain area...perfectionism will slow you down! :)

Last year, we had two (8'x4') raised beds and we expanded this year, to six raised beds of the same size.

It is fun to plan out our garden and think about different plants and what they need to grow well. I feel like I'm back in school taking classes as I read and re-read sections from my gardening books, take notes and then work at implementing the knowledge.

In the background, we are finishing up our home schooling year and keeping our daily pursuits going in a good direction.

Raised Bed Gardening: In Pictures...

2009-05-19T21:51:00.011-04:00

A "new-to-me" Blog

2009-05-07T11:28:00.004-04:00

Good Morning!
I was just checking my emails, blog, twitter...and came across a link to a "new-to-me" blog! It is called "Teaching Good Things". While looking around on this blog, I came across some ideas for storing beans, which also included recipes. So I include this for my friend Sherrin. We had just been talking about bean recipes. I hadn't realized what you can do with beans! There are some unusual recipes to look at...like "Blueberry Bean Muffins"..:)
There are many other categories: Gardening, Sewing, Canning, Food Storage...worth a look!

Gardening: Where do I begin?

2009-05-06T10:00:00.004-04:00

Here are two seed catalogs. Johnny's Selected Seeds and Territorial Seed Company that I have looked at. I have purchased seeds and gardening supplies from them and have been pleased.

Here are some of the gardening books that I have been looking through for ideas. Again there are many fine books on the market for gardening. These are the ones that I have found helpful, at this time.

Once you have bought your seeds, your trays and soil to start your seeds in, you will need to consider a warm, light place for them to germinate.

One bit of advice that I think is important to the success of your seeds, is making sure that your seeds and soil are moist, but not overly so. I have had problems with mold growing on the surface of my dirt and on some of my seeds as well (especially the beans and peas).

So I would suggest that you plant your seeds in moist soil, but make sure that the seed container has drainage holes that will allow the water to seep down to the roots and not "pool" on the surface. This is vital to your seeds growing and producing good healthy plants.

Are you starting seeds? Have you found some good tips on growing successful plants? Why not leave a comment sharing what you are doing.

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Note:
Melanie left this important and helpful tip: "Making sure the seedlings get enough (and natural) sunlight can curtail the mold." Thank you, Melanie!

Show case: Watercolored cards

2009-04-25T13:16:00.008-04:00

Yesterday, I showcased Elizabeth's Flowers and today I would like to show case "Graceful Designs". Hannah has a variety of fine cards that she has created...watercolors, photographs, stamped cards...why not check out her site!

I'm promoting businesses that I have found to create beautiful work and that glorify the Lord with their gifts. It is good to promote these businesses to see them succeed.
Enjoy!

Show case: Pressed Flowers!

2009-04-24T11:57:00.002-04:00

Springtime is the perfect time to think about pressing flowers. As you walk about your yard or along the road, you will see little plants and possibly flowers just starting to poke their heads out from their ground covers, rubbing their little eyes and looking for the sunshine that stretches their stems and branches upward. This is the perfect time for selecting the tiny leaves and lacy ferns to press for cards, bookmarks or even for smaller framed pictures.

I have included a picture of a couple of cards that I made for a friend. I used the old fashioned flower presses to press these. If you want a real treat, however, check out Elizabeth's Flowers. Her creations are bright and vibrant with color. She uses (and sells) microwave presses.
Enjoy!

Raised Beds and Container Gardening

2009-04-20T15:35:00.003-04:00

Raised Beds

As my husband and I have been talking about our food costs, we have also been considering a garden. If you don't have much space for a garden, or the land you have isn't the best for a great garden, why not try what we are doing!

We went to Lowe's and bought ourselves 6 - 8' cedar boards. We had two of them cut into 4' lengths for the ends. We also bought 8 corner supports, some galvanized screws, and a roll of landscaping fabric. We brought these home and constructed 2 - 8' x 4' , bottomless "boxes". The nice thing about a raised bed like this, is you can build your box whatever size you need or desire.

After finding a somewhat flat area to place them, we lined each one with landscaping fabric, like you see in the "box" in the foreground.

We filled the box in the background with a good 10-12 wheelbarrow loads of topsoil and then we worked in a bag and a half of Miracle Grow Sphagnum Peat Moss.

You will notice that we made a "grid" in our box. We got this idea from Mel Bartholomew's book, "Square Foot Gardening". With this method, you divide your box into 1' x 1' squares. In each square you plant a different plant or grouping of plants. There are many advantages to gardening in this manner...

First, the bed is not so large that you can't reach each of the plants in your box. Secondly, you can water just the plant and conserve on your water usage. When your earlier crops like radishes and lettuce are finished you can "replant" in that square. Enabling you to grow something altogether different. The grid also helps to delineate your different sections, making it easy to see what is in each square, especially when the plants have grown into maturity.

Another good reason for trying out a raised bed, is that you can construct a simple PVC frame and cover it with plastic to make a quick cold frame in the spring and extend your growing season in the fall.

Container Gardening

In these pots we have the leftmost filled with two pepper plants, the middle and rightmost contain tomato plants. One Beefsteak and the other a Cherry tomato (I do not remember the variety).

As you can see, we had no problems growing nice big plants in these pots. In fact, we enjoyed the cherry tomatoes well into the fall. The biggest need with a container garden is consistent watering and fertilizing.

In this pot, we have red onions. We have another with yellow onions. You can buy onion sets at your local garden supply store.

This is a tomato plant also. We also grew strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries in 5 gallon buckets.

The only other crop we tried in a pot was peas. This too worked very well in our pots. We bought some long thin poles and some twine and worked a lattice of string up between two poles. The peas climbed up them just fine. As you can see we had nice healthy plants.

I hope this encourages you to pursue a garden this Summer. There is nothing so delicious as fresh vegetables from your own garden and there is is still time to plant something!

If you have any other suggestions or ideas, leave me a comment!

"Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine."

Psalm 33:18-19

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While we are working toward this years garden, I thought I would repost last years pictures and thoughts. (May 2008)...Enjoy!

Organizing: Stacks of Papers

2009-04-17T10:00:00.002-04:00

Are you feeling overwhelmed by stacks of papers? Here is one quick tip for taking care of your desk area...something that I have started to do and has helped me tremendously.

Here is what you will need:

One wooden, plastic or cardboard box that can hold Manilla folders. One package of Manilla folders.

This is the minimum that you will need. You can improve the system and embellish it later if you have the resources to.

After gathering your box and folders, think about the different categories that most of your "stacks" around your desk fall into. What kinds of paperwork pass through your fingers almost daily or weekly. Now determine whether you want quick access to those papers or are they needing long-term storage...

Here is an example of something that you might want quick access to:

Blogging Ideas
Store Ads or Coupons like Bed, Bath and Beyond
Addresses and/or Directions to friends houses
A helpful article
A new recipe

You will always want a "processing" folder. This is akin to an in-box. The things that you need to take care of and process through, this day, or this week.

Then there is long-term storage. Here is an example of some things that make sense stored long-term:

Insurance Statements
Paid Bills
Tax Info
Charitable giving

After making a list of your different categories, start labeling your folders in alphabetical order for fast access. Once you have done this, you can easily file your papers in their proper places. This also helps when sorting through the mail and keeping all the bills in the same place for processing through.

I know that you probably have other ideas that would be helpful to this basic system. Please feel free to leave your thoughts or suggestions in the comments and I will add them to this post. If you would prefer to do your own post, please leave me a note letting me know and I will link to it here.

Happy Organizing!

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Faith shared:
As bills come in the mail, I write the "due date" on my calendar which is on the wall next to my bedroom desk. I then place it in the little desk drawer I have reserved for just bills, stamps and mortage, car and violin payment books.
About one week before the bill is due, I simply pay it, mail it and voila...done!
For blogging ideas or Scriptures I want to include in posts, I have a special notebook that I use in my kitchen as it is also where I write our weekly menu. It has a pretty cover that my MIL sewed for me!
Thanks Faith!

Renae shared:
I am just getting ready to start some kind of file system for my kids' art and school work. I bought some clear filing boxes. I'm thinking it might be nice to have another box for the stuff that needs to be filed. Yikes! Too many boxes and probably too many papers. ;)
I keep blogging ideas in a notebook. Bills in the drawer.
Thanks Renae!

Recipe: Rich Bean Stew

2009-04-16T10:28:00.000-04:00

I realized that I hadn't posted a recipe in such a long time! So here is one I think you will enjoy,(I know we did!) Want more than just stew, why not add a salad and some Stir and Roll Biscuits on the side! Finish off with a fruit salad of fruit dessert for a tasty and nutritious meal.

Rich Bean Stew (serves 6-7)

1 - 16 oz bag of Mixed Beans (soak overnight in lightly salted water, drain off the cloudy water, add fresh unsalted water and rinse the beans. Rinse a couple of times. This process softens the beans and releases some of the enzymes that cause disgestive problems)

In a large soup pot, combine your beans with the following canned items:

2 Cans (16 oz) of Chicken Broth (low fat/low salt)
4 Cans of water (use chicken broth can)
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
2 TBSP Olive Oil

While this is cooking on medium heat, prepare:

4 medium carrots, washed and cut into rounds
1/4 cup, chopped onions
2 cloves of Garlic, sliced
1 - 14 oz Turkey Kielbasa - sliced (1/4" thick slices)
1 TBSP Dried Basil
1 TBSP Dried Parsley

After bringing this all to a boil, turn the heat down to low and let simmer throughout the day. The beans need the longest time to cook. Cooking them well, insures better digestion. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking to bottom of pot. Enjoy!

Note: 8 slices of the Turkey Kielbasa is equivalent to about 2 oz. and according to the package I used, is only 90 calories making this a lower fat meal.

Happy Resurrection Day!

2009-04-12T21:50:00.002-04:00

"Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations." Psalm 100: 3-5

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." Romans 5:5-9

We hope that your Resurrection Day Celebration has been filled with the knowledge of Jesus' love and mercy toward you.

A Blessed and Joyous Resurrection Day to you!

Karen

My Meditations for Today...What is capturing my heart?

2009-03-25T11:51:00.001-04:00

I'm looking at how busy I have been and thinking about how tired I have felt. I'm realizing that it is time to stop and reflect. The big question today is: What is capturing my attention? What has my heart? We were reminded yesterday, during worship, that anything that has captured our hearts, other than the Lord, is idolatry!

Have you really thought about this? I have, some. What is it that you spend the most time thinking about, gazing at, working for? Are you content with your life's direction or are you running away? Are you throwing yourself into lots of things in order to drown out that "still small voice"? Maybe you didn't think of your busy-ness in that way.

We need to take time to ask ourselves these questions when we are finding ourselves busy and tired. Don't we want the Lord Jesus to be central and all encompassing? Dear friends, please spend some time today (with me!) to reflect. Make time in your busy day to sit with your Bible, your notebook and an attitude of quiet and allow the Lord to examine your heart. Don't be afraid. Be totally honest before Him. Let His peace engulf you. Let His joy bring you strength. Take time to be refreshed, renewed and maybe redirected. The examination might be a little painful, the diagnosis might be scary but the heart of the "Physician" is one of care, loving kindness and gentleness....think about 1 Corinthians 13, Galatians 5:22, how about Psalm 23 or 139. All of these describe our Precious Lord. His character...

"And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." John 17:3

10 Tips for taking control of your time

2009-03-23T17:06:00.001-04:00

One of my goals for this new year is to be more in control of my time. This is a big goal! If you are like me, we wear many hats and each area needs time and energy to organize and keep flowing smoothly.

As I was working through a file folder, I came across this list from Day-Timer:(I will add some comments after each one...

1. List everything you need to do today - in order of priority.
It is good to get things down on paper. Making a list takes all those multitudes of thoughts that are swirling and dancing around in our heads and causes them to flow out and settle somewhere. If it is on paper you don't have to "try not to forget that".

2. Make time for important things, not just urgent ones.
There is a difference between the things that are important and those that are urgent. The important ones might include spending time reading to your child on the couch, preparing a special meal for someone who is discouraged or having a hard week. It could be that there is a deadline for getting a certain task accomplished. Whatever is important to you and your family, that should take priority over outside expectations or pressures.

3. Write your goals. Then write the steps to your goals.
Writing down our goals helps us determine what is really important, what is something urgent and also gives us a direction to take. Will taking on that task at church or in the community, help reach my goals for getting my garden started this month?

4. Set a starting time as well as a deadline for all projects.
This is an important one. One that I need to implement more in my projects. If you are like me, you need some "reason" for doing a project. Again, does it meet my goals and priorities. Maybe it is a project that I started a while back but never finished and it doesn't really meet the goals that I have now. Will they in the future? Maybe or maybe not. If not, am I willing to let go of it?

5. Slice up big projects into bite-size pieces.
This is especially helpful when you need to purchase materials toward your project. Making a list of materials and coordinating your shopping trips to pick up the needed things, saves time.

6. If you run out of steam on one project, switch to another.
This can relate back to number 5. You might not have all the materials that you need for that project, but you could work on another in the meantime. This enables you to keep moving forward in the goals you set for yourself. No idle time.

7. Say no to new projects when you're already overloaded.
Ouch! I can't be the only one who has over extended myself...yes, the ability to say no to others or to yourself is a very valuable discipline.

8. Trim low-payoff activities from your schedule.
Again, does it help me to move forward in my goals? If not, toss it.

9. For each paper that crosses your desk: act on it, file it, or toss it.
Paperwork can be the worst. Having a system in place with easy access to file folders, a file cabinet or box and a well thought out file system, makes this a more manageable task.

10. Use a Day-Timer system to manage your busy life.
I enjoyed using my Day-Timer system for a number of years. There are also other systems out there that might have what you need. Whatever system you go with, be sure to have a system. A master binder with different categories and a calendar is the simplest way to keep it all together.

If you have other suggestions, why not leave them in a comment and I will post them here! or if you would like to expand my thoughts here with more detail, let me know and I will post a link to your site.

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I wanted to include what my friend Renae left in the comments. She shares the heart of taking control of our time...Thanks Renae!
"I have a tendency to get the to do lists down before taking the time to reflect and pray."
Be sure to implement Renae's thoughts for taking control of your time, you will be so very glad that you did.

Shadows - What shadow are you under?

2009-03-13T14:36:00.002-04:00

As I was reading the scriptures a certain word kept standing out to me. It was the word "shadow". We all know what a shadow is. It is not the real thing, it is perhaps a representation, a vague indication of the real thing...but there is a real thing behind it.

There are three catagories that I found this word "shadow" relates to. The first is:
Protection

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1

"How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures." Psalm 36:7-8

"Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me." Psalm 8-9

"Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by." Psalm 57:1

Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me." Psalm 63:7-8

Look at the "active" words that are applied to being in the shadow of the Lord..."abide, trust, hide, make a refuge, rejoice". These are words of comfort and peace. So being under the shadow of God is a wonderful thing! He has provided protection for those who are His. Those who trust in Him. So are you under the shadow of the Almighty's wings?

Now category two, pertains to:
Our Life Span

"For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow and there is no abiding." 1 Chronicles 29:15

"Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not." Job 14:1-2

"For we are but of yesterday and know nothing, for our days on earth are a shadow." Job 8:9

"My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass." Psalm 102:11

"I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust." Psalm 109:23

"O Lord, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow." Psalm 144:4

"For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?"

Ecclesiastes 6:12

These verses seem to indicate that our life is short, a vapor, like a "shadow". It makes me think of a "day". The sun rises in the morning and follows its course and in the evening it sets. In fact, you really get the sense that we are born, live a few short years and die! So our life span is like a shadow. Makes me think that I should think hard about what I'm doing with my life. I want my life to mean something, do you?

"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12

"O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!"

Psalm 39:4

Here is the third category:
The Shadow of death
This "shadow" speaks of experiencing or living in way leading to spiritual death. The "shadow" represents all the cruel, hard and evil things that happen in this life, all due to sin.
We get a glimpse of what death is really like for those who refuse to follow God and accept His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ's death and resurrection...

"Even thought I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."

Psalm 23:4

"Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High."

Psalm 107:10-11

"..who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for My direction, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame, and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation."

Isaiah 30:2,3 (shadow of Egypt is referring to trusting in those who would oppress you)

"..the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned."

Matthew 4:16

"And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Luke 1:76-79 With Spring dawning and everything gearing up for a "new" burst of "life", let's take time to ask ourselves, "What shadow am I under?"

Sunny, Winter Day!

2009-03-04T10:52:00.004-05:00

This is what I see, looking out my windows today...long purply-gray shadows stretching out over the snow, as rough faced, rocks peek from under their wintery white blankets looking forward to Spring.

Transfiguring Prayer

2009-02-27T21:23:00.001-05:00

I have been thinking about prayer a lot more lately and came across an article by Leonard Ravenhill. Leonard Ravenhill was one of Britain's foremost evangelists of the 20th century. Here is an excerpt:

"People often ask, "Why do you insist on prayer so much?" The answer is very simple - because Jesus did.

You could change the title of the Gospel according to St. Luke to the Gospel of Prayer. It's the prayer life of Jesus. Luke says it was while He was praying that the Spirit descended on Him. Luke says it was after Jesus spent a night in prayer that He chose 12 disciples. Luke says that even when He was dying Jesus was praying for those who persecuted Him. Luke says Jesus went on a mount and He was transfigured while He was praying. There's nothing more transfiguring than prayer.

The Scriptures say that the disciples went to bed, but Jesus went to pray - as was His custom. It was His custom to pray. Now Jesus was the Son of God. He was definitely anointed for His ministry. If Jesus needed all that time in prayer, don't you and I need time in prayer? If Jesus needed it in every crisis, don't you and I need it in every crisis?"

Organizing: Kitchen Counter Pictures

2009-02-26T16:51:00.001-05:00

I told Faith at Gold in the Clouds that I would post a couple pictures of my kitchen counters. Uncluttered counters clean up much easier than cluttered ones. Also, using cutting boards, protects your countertop from scratches and digs and they wash up nicely in the sink. Before moving into our new home, 10 years ago, we lived in an apartment with a "work-in" kitchen. We had a small section of counter next to our sink and that was it. So as you can see, we went for LOTS of counter space. Even with this much counter space, we still get in each others way! (eight people trying to move around in the same area isn't easy!) The square glass containers have proven to be a great way to keep things like raisins, nuts, sugars, beans, rice, chocolate chips (for snitching) and popcorn! Their ability to stack on top of each other helps keep things neat and orderly. (a side note for the frugally minded: Each month I would go to Sam's and pick up a two-pack of biscotti's. We enjoyed (and shared with guests) the biscotti's and I got a collection of nice, usuable containers!)
There is a table on the other side of the "L" and our family room is behind those french doors.

Here is the other part of the counter area. My daughter is working on dinner. This is always the "tight" part of the kitchen. Only one person can effectively use this area at one time. Right above the coffee pot we have our mugs. In this corner we have a few more square, glass containers for tea, our set of knives, and our toaster. We have a smaller cutting board in this area as well. There really isn't space for much more!

Lent

2009-02-26T12:17:00.002-05:00

As I have been thinking about Lent and reading different articles and listening to what other people are "giving up" for Lent, I found myself praying, "Lord, what should I do?" and it occurred to me that instead of denying myself something, I want to "give" to the Lord for His awesome sacrifice. So for Lent, I'm adding a half-hour of prayer to my day.
If you are participating in Lent, how are you responding to what the Lord has done for you?

"Savoring Jesus Christ is the response to this second kind of seeing. When you see something as true and beautiful and valuable, you savor it. That is, you treasure it. You cherish and admire and prize it. Spiritual seeing and spiritual savoring are so closely connected that it would be fair to say: If you don't savor Christ, you haven't seen Christ for who He is. If you don't prize Him above all things, you haven't apprehended His true worth."

"Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ" by John Piper (p. 10)

Organizing Tips: The Kitchen Counter

2009-02-19T14:41:00.001-05:00

Have you ever wondered how you can maximize your counter space? I have always tried to keep it neat and organized but I didn't really think about how I actually use my counter space...until just the other day!

If you are like me, I want to reduce the amount of cleaning I have without making my home look and feel sterile. I want my home to be warm and hospitable, a comfortable place for my family and guests. It needs to look and feel inviting.

So there are actually two areas for us to consider, if we have an eat-in kitchen:

1. The work area. This is where you prepare your meals. You will want this area as easy to clean as possible. You want to utilize all of your counter space. If you only have a small counter area, this is even more important to think about. Take off all the knick-knacky items that get in the way of a quick and easy clean. When everything is completely off the counter, stop and think about what is truly necessary. Put only those items back. As you do this, think about how you use them. Do they work better by the sink or stove? Do you find they are more useful away from these areas?
What about the rest of the things that you have removed? Separate these items into different categories: Bedrooms, Office, Pantry, closet...Give away, or maybe garbage. Now that you have these sorted out, distribute them to where they need to be. You can delegate this chore to your children as well!
If you are finding that this area is not as appealing to work in, why not put up some fresh wall decorations, curtains for a window or maybe a new kitchen rug or some new kitchen towels. Be sure not to put any decorations in your now cleaned and organized counters!

2. The eating area. This area is where you want to enjoy that delicious meal you just prepared! So set this area up as a nice inviting space. One that you can relax in and enjoy the good food and conversations with family and friends. You can make this area comfortable with a small centerpiece (again in keeping with easy-to-clean), a fresh wall hanging or shelf...be creative! If you have a telephone area or bill area in your kitchen, use a nice basket for keeping a pad of paper and a pen or phone book in. Do the same for your bills. Maybe one with two compartments, an "in" and and an "out". Simple, warm and easy to keep clean!

If you have any other suggestions, why not leave a comment or let me know that you have an article on your blog and I will add a pointer to it.
I'm ready for Spring, aren't you? Let's help each other get off to a good start!

A Triple Happy Birthday!!!

2009-02-13T15:31:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to our 21 year old! Seems hard to believe that you are finally an official adult, but there you are! We are so very thankful for you, Kirsten. You have blessed us with much joy. We pray that your new year is joyful and full of the Presence of the Lord. We love you!!!

Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday, Dear Annie! Happy Birthday to You! We are so glad that the Lord decided to bless us with our "Mercy" drop 8 years ago! We love you!!!

Happy Birthday to my Dear Sister! We hope you have a wonderful new year serving the Lord. We love you, Patti!!!

Sleep...

2009-02-13T11:34:00.000-05:00

Do you stay up late and get up early? Here is a blurp about sleep from a page that came with one our prescriptions:

"Sleep is an important part of your health and energy - it ranks right up there with diet and exercise. Sleep gives you the energy to play, work and study.

While you sleep, your body stores memories. And not sleeping enough can make you clumsy - that's not good! While you sleep, your brain releases the hormones that control your growth. If you don't sleep enough, you may be tired, cranky, klutzy, and forgetful.

While scientists are baffled about why all this recharging can happen only when we sleep, they all agree that we do need to get enough sleep."

Now look at what the Bible says about sleep:

"It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest,eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives to his beloved sleep."

Psalm 127:2

I needed these reminders and so as I was reading through "Humility: True Greatness" by CJ Mahaney, I found this:

"Another significant end-of-the-day entry to put into practice before you doze off: Receive the gift of sleep from God and acknowledge His purpose for sleep...A Christian, informed and inspired by Scripture, views the cessation of work each day, the limitation God places upon work each day, and the laying down to sleep each night, as altogether a gift from God. A gift so graciously provided in His lavish generosity. And those who neglect this gift will inevitably suffer consequences.
The benefits of sleep are obvious. As we sleep, strength is restored, the mind is cleared, and we're prepared to serve God another day - to rise and experience His mercies that are new every morning. What a wonderful gift to be given on a daily basis!"

Isn't it a blessing that the Lord loves us so much that He give us what we need when we need it!

Scripture Memorization for Children

2009-02-12T14:21:00.002-05:00

"How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You."

Psalm 119:9-11

I want to thank "Anonymous" for asking if I used Scripture Memorization as a means of discipline. Discipline has a few different meanings here, so to clarify, I use Scripture Memorization as a tool for building. I do not use it as a punishment. I wasn't thinking about that while writing my last post. The whole point of disciplining or correcting our children is so that they will do what is right, and pleasing to the Lord. We want them to love God with all of their being and love others as they love themselves.

Here is what Paul told Timothy concerning the scriptures:

"But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

2 Timothy 3:14-17

From "childhood" he knew the Holy Scriptures. Paul says that the scriptures are for correction and instruction in righteousness. It is fair to say that we should be sharing the scriptures with our children. In doing so, we are building a foundation in their hearts of truth and righteousness. When we are bringing correction to them, we can then refer back to what the scriptures teach and more fully establish those truths in their hearts.(and ours!)

The Psalmist says, "Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." He knows that he needs God's commandments fresh in his mind so that he doesn't sin against God. When we work at memorizing the scriptures, we have to think intently about each word to get them just right in our minds for reciting them.

Once I know a certain passage, I can pause and consider what is being said as I recite it. As I meditate on each scripture verse, it leads me into prayer and praise. We can do this with our children as well. As they are reciting a passage, you can stop them and discuss what the scripture is conveying. That will help them to think about the passages they read, too. Our children need to be trained to think as they read.

The Psalmist "hid" the scriptures in his heart. When something is "hidden" it is not out in the open, it is something tucked away. It also might speak of something precious, something treasured.

"Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day." Psalm 119:97

"Your word is very pure; Therefore Your servant loves it." Psalm 119:140

Having the word in our hearts, enables us to think about it or meditate on it throughout the day and in the evening. We don't have to have our bible with us, in order to have the word of God filtering through our minds.

Having this ability to draw upon the scriptures, also enable us to make decisions throughout the day based on the scriptures that we have tucked away. Look at these verses:

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105

"The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple." Psalm 119:130

"Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me." Psalm 119:133

The directing of his steps by the word, keeps the psalmist consciously aware of sinful attitudes in his heart. The scriptures convict us of sin and discern our thoughts and intents or motives...

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Hebrews 4:12

I must confess that I haven't been as diligent in the scriptures myself lately and needed this most important reminder. I want my children to know that the word is precious to me. I am so very glad that "Anonymous" decided to ask the question!
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Note: I went back and clarified a very important point. My friend Faith pointed out a danger that we have seen with being over-zealous for our children to be obedient. Our Heavenly Father is patient and kind with us and we must do the same with our children.

Psalm 23: "He makes me to lie down in green pastures..."

2009-02-10T09:19:00.003-05:00

I was talking with one of my daughters, yesterday, about the 23rd Psalm. This is the Psalm I assigned to her for memorizing. She was not having a good "heart" day so we were working through why I discipline her when she is being stubborn and rebellious. Of course, it is because I love her!
During the discussion, the Lord reminded me of two older books that I have on my shelf. "A Shepherd Looks at the Good Shepherd and His Sheep" by Phillip Keller. The second, by the same author, "A shepherd looks at Psalm 23".
As I was skimming through this latter book, I came across this section. I hope it causes you to look up at the Good Shepherd and know..."The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."(like it did for me!)

"The strange thing about sheep is that because of their very make-up it is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met. Owing to their timidity they refuse to lie down unless they are free of all fear. Because of the social behavior within a flock sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with other of their kind. If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free of these pests can they relax. Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger.
It is significant that to be at rest there must be a definite sense of freedom from fear, tension, aggravations and hunger. The unique aspect of the picture is that it is only the sheepman himself who can provide release from these anxieties. It all depends upon the diligence of the owner whether or not his flock is free of disturbing influences.
When we examine each of these four factors that affect sheep so severely we will understand why the part the owner plays in their management is so tremendously important. It is actually he who makes it possible for them to lie down, to rest, to relax, to be content and quiet and flourishing.
A flock that is restless, discontented, always agitated and disturbed never does well. And the same is true of people."

With many anxieties and conflicts in our lives, it is so important to take the time to bring all of our concerns to the Lord. To lay our burdens at our Shepherd's feet. Besides Psalm 23, my other favorite portion of scripture is found in Philippians 4:4-9:

"Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, Rejoice.
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."

Our good Shepherd knows our frailties and weaknesses and waits to comfort and assure our souls in His love.
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Note:
I wanted to clarify my introduction to this post. I love details and would fill my front page with them if I didn't consciously limit myself, but sometimes I cut out the important details!! (I hope that I'm not the only one that does that). So here is a little more about my conversation with my daughter... :-)
My daughter was having a difficult "heart" day and so I prayed about how to draw out some conversation about why our attitudes are important. I started by asking if she had been working on her memory verses (the 23rd Psalm). As she was reciting it to me, I had her stop at the section "Your rod and Your staff they comfort me". We talked about discipline and how through the use of the rod and the staff the Shepherd protects the sheep from danger and keeps them on the right path. It was after discussing these things that I read further and decided to post this section about rest.

The Recipe Box Swap: Fun Foods

2009-02-06T14:15:00.001-05:00

As I was looking at my most recent recipe finds, I was trying to decide what would be a "fun" food...the topic of Randi's Recipe Box Swap. So here is a fun food and healthy too! Be creative...

Breakfast Bagel
Serves 4

2 whole wheat bagels
4 chicken eggs
1 large tomato, sliced
1 bunch of your favorite greens (spinach, romaine, arugula, parsley, cress...)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 medium cloves of garlic, pressed
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Slice the bagels in half and toast.
2. While bagel is cooking, cook the egg (lightly fried in canola oil, or *poached).
3. Take the garlic and press it into the olive oil. Pressing is akin to mashing. You want to be able to spread the Olive oil and garlic on each bagel half. As soon as your bagels are toasted, spread your garlic/oil mixture over the bagels.
4. Garnish the bagel with your choice of greens and the sliced tomato.
5. Place egg on top of bagel and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve open faced.

This can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

* Healthy Cooking Tip: Poaching Eggs

"Make sure you do not add any salt to the poaching water for the eggs. The salt has a tendency to dissolve the egg whites. By making sure there is enough water in the poaching pan to cover eggs, you avoid the eggs sticking to the bottom of the pan. You want the eggs to float while they cook. This also avoids breaking the eggs when you remove them with the slotted spoon. You may want to lay the spoon with the egg on a towel briefly after removing egg from water. This allows the towel to absorb some of the poaching water, and it won't end up on your bagel."
(taken from "The World's Healthiest Foods")

Note: I have made a few modifications to the original recipe.

Reflections on Time...

2009-02-04T10:35:00.002-05:00

"Time is a valuable commodity, at the least. How we use our time shows what we value. As we begin this study on the spiritual disciplines, it is good to take a look at how we spend our days. It's so easy to feel productive as we rush around doing...working on projects, shuttling the kids to activities, serving on committees, going to church...that we can lose our sense of being. That's when we need to slow down, remember our priorities, and make time for God."

"Spiritual Disciplines: The Tasks of a Joyful Life" by Larry Sibley ("Waiting: Time for God", p.3)

Time is valuable. Yes, this is so true! "How we use our time shows what we value." Oh dear! what am I valuing? How do I spend my days, and how do I use the time that the Lord has given to me? Am I using it wisely? I think it is important to ask this question of myself, possibly, daily.
I'm reminded of this scripture:

"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12

If you are like me, I encourage my children to use their time wisely. I try to make useful suggestions for things that they can do that will bring a sense of accomplishment or well being...something satisfying. Have I been teaching them, though, "to number" their days so they will gain a heart of wisdom? I'm not so sure that I have been. I'm not so sure that I have it down for myself, for that matter! I'm feeling challenged to think about this area and to meditate on what the scriptures say about it and then ask the Lord to "teach me" to number my days, so that I may get a heart of wisdom.
How about you, how are you doing in this most vital area? Why not leave me a comment and share what wisdom the Lord has given to you.

A grace-filled day, to You!
Karen

Snowy, Gardeny Thoughts

2009-01-29T18:25:00.000-05:00

There is a lot of snow on the ground outside my window. Beautiful snow! Clean white and sparkly snow...So what have I been thinking about as I gaze at all of that snow, you may ask?
"Gardening!!" would be my answer because now is the perfect time to be thinking and planning out the garden.

We had a small garden this past year and we want to expand it this year, so I'm thinking about what I want to plant, harvest and eat.

We are definitely settled on having herbs in our garden. Herbs are a great way to season our food. We get to enjoy some nice subtle flavors as well as nutrients that are helpful to our bodies.

How about you? Are you planning a garden? What will you include?

A Sample of Homeschooling Humor

2009-01-26T17:03:00.004-05:00

I want to share a post that my daughter wrote after reading about red and white blood cells in her Biology book...it is called, "The Tragedy of Tiffany Red". Enjoy!

And Can it Be That I Should Gain?

2009-01-23T17:44:00.002-05:00

I have had this song written by Charles Wesley, playing in my heart and mind throughout today, so I thought I would share the words with you...what an amazing love we've been shown...

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Children's Books

2009-01-21T16:21:00.006-05:00

If you are like me, I want my children to have good, doctrinally sound Christian Books. Here are two books that we have purchased and I can recommend to you:

The Big Picture Story Bible - by David Helm
King Without a Shadow - by R.C. Sproul
As I find others that we enjoy, I will be sure to post about them.

****************
PS - I just realized my mistake! the picture shows The Priest with Dirty Clothes, also by R.C. Sproul, instead of A King Without a Shadow. I will try to fix that, sorry! Both books are excellent!
***************
Fixed!

"...because it is right"

2009-01-20T18:04:00.002-05:00

Here is a quote worth remembering:

"There comes a time
when one must take a position
that is neither safe,
popular,
or political;
but because it is right."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Straining forward...

2009-01-15T12:58:00.003-05:00

"...forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3:13b-14

Over the past few days, I have had a few different people and situations filtering through my mind. I was finding that I would feel weighed down thinking about them. I wasn't even sure how to pray so I spent time trying to figure out how to help them, how to change their circumstances. Have you ever felt that way? When I "gave up" trying to work all of these things out in my head, the Lord gently reminded me, "Look up!"

A number of years ago I experienced a trauma of sorts. I was left numb and feeling like if I moved too quickly that my whole body would just fall apart. I took a week off from work and spent everyday pouring over the Psalms and praying and crying out to the Lord for His help. Around the end of the week, I decided to take a walk up our dirt road. We had a Shetland Sheep dog at the time and he liked to take walks, so we started up the road. I plodded along, watching our dog weave back and forth from one side and then the other, sniffing and poking his nose into the grass. It was a glorious, crisp November day. The sky was a deep blue and the trees were ablaze with color. (like my picture!)

As I was walking, I happen to look down at my feet and all of sudden felt quite dizzy, Stopping to think about this, I sensed the Lord speak to my heart, "Look down, what do you see?" In my mind, I replied, "Dirt, Lord!" Then I sensed Him say, "Look up! What do you see?" and immediately what went through my mind was, "The heavens declare the glory of God". This is part of verse 1 of Psalm 19.

The Lord showed me that as we gaze intently on the things of this world, we will be drawn downward by the troubles, the issues, the problems...but if we gaze intently upward, we will see His glory.

"The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."

Philippians 4:5b-9

A New Year and a New Perspective

2009-01-13T14:44:00.003-05:00

During the Christmas break, my husband switched me from a Windows system to a Linux system. It isn't all that different to use and it comes in much faster, even with a satellite dish! (Thank you, Best Beloved!) I'm so glad that my husband understands how everything works together because I haven't a clue! He also bought me a new flat screen computer monitor. It is so much nicer to look at and I have more room on my desk now!

So I have been learning how to navigate in and out of my files, use some other bookmarking program and use another tool to move my pictures around and into my posts! (The picture I have included was my first "experiment")

Just like my little one, looking a book about "flight" (one of her siblings college textbooks), I have been feeling that with this new year, I need to be challenged to grow. I need to be looking at and working toward more challenging things.

I have started this process by organizing things in my home. It is amazing how much better the house and the work feels with things scaled down and organized. It brings new energy and motivation for pressing forward with things that I want to accomplish.

So what do I want to accomplish? I want to grow in this new year. I want to grow to be more disciplined and to be flexible for what the Lord has for me to do. Here is a list of some of my goals:

I'm going to work through a Bible reading plan with the goal of reading through the Bible in a year.

I'm going to work on memorizing scripture so that my mind will be filled with the good things of God and so I can walk according to His Spirit and not according to my flesh. Pastor John Piper has an excellent post on memorizing and meditating on scripture.

I'm going to work on reading (at least) one good Christian book a month.

I'm going to work on reading, researching and studying materials on gardening. Hopefully I will have some things to share with you as I learn.

I'm going to work on some of the projects that I have let sit for a long time. Hopefully one a month with take me the distance.

Did you notice a common thread throughout my list? It is the word, "work"! I believe it is going to take work. Nehemiah had prayed that the workers who were rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem (Nehemiah 4) would have a "mind to work". It is a "mind" thing.

We need to have our minds set on the goal, in order to reach the goal. So everything that we do in this new year, needs to be done with the goal in mind, in our thinking, in our planning, in our prayers.

"She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness."

Proverbs 31:27

How about you? What are you working on or toward in this new year?

Update...

2009-01-04T23:44:00.001-05:00

Thanks to those of you who have faithfully checked in at Sower's Corner through the holidays. I hope that your holiday gatherings were as restful and joyous as ours have been.

I haven't posted in a bit for a few reasons...
First, my two oldest daughters have been home from college. It has been wonderful to have them home and my husband was also able to take some vacation time. This has been the best Christmas present we could ask for!

My husband works at a local college as a systems programmer. On the side, he teaches a beginning C course, which requires him to prepare before each semester. One of my daughters is working on an Aeronautical/Mechanical Engineering degree and the other one is taking courses for an Information Technology degree. My oldest is in her junior year and her sister is a sophomore.

The three children next in line, are homeschooled. They are in 10th, 6th and 3rd grades and then there is the baby. At 2, she is learning daily and enjoys keeping us laughing at her antics. So I appreciate your patience as we get back into our routine...

I hope to post again during this next week.

A Happy New Year!
God's Richest Blessings,
Karen

The Sower's Corner

A True Heart

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Happy Resurrection Day!

...one Nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.