Encouraging Deep Roots

I love to entertain and have company.  Nothing brings me greater joy than having a houseful of people and enjoying blessing friends with my cooking.  However, it can be costly if you aren't careful.  My biggest problem in entertaining is not to go overboard in my desire to offer enough food, as well as a variety. However, you can entertain and still stay within a budget.   On Saturday we had an open house here for our new church family and ended up with about 30 people.  However, because money is tight, I couldn't afford to spend a fortune.  So the first thing I did was to take stock of what I already had in the house and created a menu around those items.  I knew I was still going to have to purchase items, but I managed to stay under $50 which I thought was pretty good given the amount of people here. Since it was an open house and people were coming and going throughout the afternoon and evening, I kept it to f...

I've been feeling very out of sorts lately and I couldn't really figure why. Is it the weather and lack of sunshine? That's some of it. Lack of consistent exercise and activity    Oh yeah! A sleep cycle that is constantly out of whack?  That throws things off. A bit of disorganization and lack of a consistent schedule?    Definitely! So I'm focusing on disciplining myself and getting back on a schedule. A schedule with my housework, my exercise, my writing and my life! This morning I have been productive, busy and have accomplished quite a bit. Enough that I can actually stop and write a blog post. :-) I slept the entire night through which was huge for me. I can tell you now that waking up for 2-3 hours in the middle of the night and then going back to bed throws my entire day off. It's 11 a.m. and So far I've been able to do the following... ♥ Time in God's word and prayer ♥ 2 loads of laundry ♥ Cleaned up the kitchen from breakfast...

The past week the sun has been shining more often and the temperatures have been warmer.  There is a feeling of spring in the air that lifts my spirits and makes me feel like being more active.   The ice is starting to break up along the edge of the lake. However because we live north central New York, I know that we have quite a few weeks of winter left.  The sun will go back behind the clouds and the snow will fly once more. When those days come and I begin to feel lethargic again, the thing that keeps me going is not only knowing that the sun is  shining up there behind the clouds but I have the SON to shine in my heart.  His love lifts my spirits and gives me a joy even in the midst of drab days. He puts a spring in my step, a song on my lips and love in my heart for Him and those He has put in my life.  And that SONshine is better than any sunshine I could soak up any day! This week I'm thankful for blessings #1936-1...

Psalm 28:6-8 ~ Praise the Lord!    For he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and shield.    I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.    I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. Rip .   I frantically tried to stop the pouring out of rice all over the floor.  I had been making a heat pack when one of the seams broke.  Apparently, the fragile seam could only take so much before there was nothing it could do but burst open.  The rice poured out every where and even though I cleaned it up, I wasstill finding grains of rice in the strangest places days later. Rip.   Are you bursting at the seams?  Are you so full of thanksigiving that it bursts out of you without thinking?  Is your response to praise or pout?  Do you speak joy or jealousy at another's blessing?  Do you sing thanksgiving or spout complaints? Be bursting at the seams.  Let j...

We celebrated Valentine's Day in our usual way this year and included the kids in the celebration.  Personally, I just feel like it's one of those man made holidays and we've been coerced into thinking that we have to have flowers, candy, or gifts in order to feel loved.  To me that's just silly and it causes so many sad feelings in people.  I know I'm loved all the time and don't need Hallmark to tell me otherwise. :-) So a few years ago, we decided to make it a family celebration.  We generally forgo the gifts, though Dan did get me another Willow Tree figurine this year.  But I always make it a special day of food and fun. This year was no different. Pink & red was the theme. Hearts prevailed. Pretty decorations. And a special dinner.  Our menu this year consisted of the folowing: Garlic crusted pork loin Garlic mashed potatoes Homemade biscuits Steamed green beans Brandied pears Bread & butter pickes Sparkling cid...

On Valentine's Day our hearts and minds turn to love.  Today, as we show our love to our family and friends, let's remember the one who gave the ultimate Valentine! John 3:16 ~   For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.   I John 4:19 ~  We love because he first loved us.   John 13:34-35 ~  A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. I John 4:11 ~  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. I Thessalonians 4:9 ~ Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.   And the best news of all, for those who may be feeling down today and unloved.   Rom...

Psalm 139 ~ 1 You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being; ...

My middle son turns 21 today!  It's his birthday and one that is a milestone and he's not here to enjoy it with us.  However, he is coming home for the weekend and we will definitely be having a celebration then! Stephen is my deep thinker.  He is a perfectionist and way too hard on himself in every aspect of his life. He is compassionate and merciful to the point where we have to make sure he's not overextending himself.  He would give someone the shirt off his back. He is the first to deliberately tease his sister. But he's the first to play a board game with her too.   He is the most like his father. He loves all things nature. He loves to read and learn new things. He values education and has made the Dean's List for the past three semesters at college. We are so proud of the man he has become.  He recently called us to let us know he feels God is calling him into the ministry and that thrilled us to hear.  ...

Shrieks of laughter.  Endless hours of guitar playing and singing.  Aggressive games of Phase 10 and Skip-bo.  Challenging words.  "Not so healthy" food.  No sleep. That describes my weekend away at Teen Chill 2014.  Emily and another girl from our church went, along with teens from all around our district - 100 in all this weekend and there will be another group going next weekend.  Both myself and Emily were reunited with teens from our last church and that was wonderful! I loved every, single second of it and even survived the lack of sleep.  Teenagers are invigorating, challenging, energetic and encouraging.  Yet, not everyone sees them that way. Many look at the exterior and make judgements about them based on their speech, their activities, and their behavior.  They view them as an annoyance or as troublemakers.  They avoid them at all costs.   Yet, if we would look past the behaviors, the words, and the atti...