Hearts in Service Blog

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today; And give us not to think so far away As the uncertain harvest; keep us here All simply in the springing of the year. Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white, Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night; And make us happy in the happy bees, The swarm dilating round the perfect trees. And make us happy in the darting bird That suddenly above the bees is heard, The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill, And off a blossom in mid air stands still. For this is love and nothing else is love, To which it is reserved for God above To sanctify to what far ends he will, But which it only needs that we fulfill.

This fun quiz was at 50's Housewife's blog and I decided to participate. This is what it said about me which I think is pretty accurate. You Are Bare Feet You are a true free spirit, and you can't be tied down. Even wearing shoes can be a little too constraining for you at times! You are very comfortable in your own skin. You are one of the most real people around. You don't have anything to hide. Open and accepting, you are willing to discuss or entertain almost any topic. You are a very tolerant person. You are accepting and not judgmental. You should live: Somewhere warm You should work: At your own business, where you can set the rules What Kind of Shoe Are You?

I went to my friend Stephanie's house tonight to craft with her for an hour or so and being there reminded me of why hospitality is so important. I love going to her house. Whenever I go, she always makes me feel special. She had candles lit around the house. She made tea and served it in pretty tea cups. She had gorgeous napkins laid out. She didn't spend hours in the kitchen either to do this. She served oreos but had them on a pretty little plate. The best part is that I can take off my shoes and curl up on one of her chairs and just be myself. We talk about all sorts of things and I always come away with a sense of contentment and peace. It is so easy to fall into the trap of having to "entertain" people. How often have I run around trying to make the perfect meal? I've often spent hours cleaning the house from top to bottom and generally making my family miserable in the process. There have been so many times that I feel I have to get up an...

We had our bi-annual song fest at church last night and it was a wonderful time of praise and worship! An older lady in our church started putting this together twice a year and it's a time when old and new friends get together to share a song, poem, or testimony. We have a mixture of contemporary and traditional music. I took some pictures to share with you. First of all, I got a picture of Emily in a dress. She hates wearing dresses but she looks beautiful when she does. Actually, she has been sick which is why she looks so unhappy. Dan talking with the guys before the service. Waiting to sing. Mike playing and his daughters and Emily singing. Dan, the rock star. ;-) The men's chorus. The women's chorus. Singing Grace Like Rain . Peace, Peace, God's Peace. Singing a song he wrote. We have so many talented people in our church and it's neat to see how God is using each of them in His own way.

Nathan had to work yesterday and when I dropped him off, Lisa (the caretaker's wife) invited us to come for dinner. Emily was in heaven because her only goal in life at this point is to live on a farm. Of course, I remind her that she is allergic to every last animal on a farm but that doesn't deter her! She is one determined child :-). First of all, look at this view. The farm is owned by a wealthy gentleman from Norway who works in New York City and comes up on the weekend. Brian and Lisa go to our church and are the caretakers. Lisa drove Emily & I around on the gator to see the property. By the way, that's not Lisa in the background. That's Brian. Just in case you were wondering - LOL! First, we stopped to look at the horses. Then we drove down into the woods about a mile to a huge, man-made pond. What a peaceful place! Isn't this the cutest little house? It was shipped, piece by piece from Norway and reassembled here by the pond. Then we went to ...

I thought I'd share some tips on how to make your fresh produce last longer. There is nothing worse than bringing home fruits and vegetables, just to have them go bad on you before you can use them. Lettuce When you get it home, fill your sink with cold water. Separate the leaves (don't cut them; pull them off the stem) and soak them in the water for about 10 minutes. Drain the lettuce (I use a spinner) and lay out a line of paper towels. I place the lettuce leaves on the paper towel and roll them up in the towels. Put it in a gallon freezer bag and squeeze the air out as you seal it. They should last at least 7 days or more, depending on the type of lettuce. Celery Take the celery out of the bag it comes in and wrap it up in aluminum foil. It will last for a very long time this way without getting limp. I've had mine last about month this way. Fresh Herbs If I'm going to use them in a day or two I just throw them in the drawer in the fridge. However, if it...

Wandering along a forgotten path today signs of Spring were all around. The willow tree arranging her skirts to hide her bare branches. Green splashed on every bush, as if by a careless painter. Tufts of grass stood at attention amidst the dead leaves. Turning a corner, I came upon a hidden retreat, A rippling stream running merrily down into an unknown valley. Beside it, a bed of soft green leaves and snuggling down in the midst of it, flowers of pale yellow and purple, unnoticed by all except the most watchful eye. Reminding me of summer fields, warm sun, sweet scents, and peace.

The mud and the dirt. Wet pants, socks and shoes. Scrapes and cuts. Dirty hands, hair and clothes. And...... The slithering creatures! First garter snake of the season. They also found a couple of black rat snakes as well. However, they couldn't get them out from under the rocks. Welcome to my world!

Well, I had this up and messed something up, had to delete it and now I'm posting it again! Okay, some "in real life - 3D" friends as well as some blogging friends, such as Tina have asked me why I blog. I thought I'd share my reasons here. 1. It allows Nathan to use his camera and learn some technology skills. I take a lot of the pictures but he also takes many. 2. It originally was a way to keep in touch with family members who we only see once or twice a year. However, I think the only family member who reads it is my mother because she is the only one who comments. 3. It allows me to keep up with news on our church and family with friends who keep us in prayer. 4. It gives me an outlet. 5. I can keep in touch with other women who are also stay at home moms and/or homeschoolers. 6. It gives me a chance to be creative with my photographs and poems. 7. I can share things that the Lord is showing me. 8. Lastly, it's fun! There you have it; the many rea...

Finally. Finally. Finally. In the space of one week there are signs of spring everywhere. I see green and flowers and birds. Whoo Hoo!!! It's about time. I brought the camera today when we went for a walk to show you some of the sights. First of all, does anyone have any idea what type of bird this is? I know it's a hawk of some kind. It was huge. It was flying in circles around the bald eagle that was up above at the same time. There were flowers. And green, rolling hills. Bubbling brooks and singing birds. And children! Aaaaahhhh, can you hear that sigh of contentment? :-)