Thoughts for homemaking...

I don't remember where I found these questions, but I thought they were good. They could be very helpful as a general list for things a homemaker can do when she feels like she's bored or pointless at the moment, and would help her to develop her home into a more special and lovely place. Not only that, but those of us who are done with high school and not yet in homes of our own can take it to heart and apply it to where we are. Who says we can't beautify our homes, bedrooms, etc.? Who says Mother has to do all the little extra things around the house, why can't we? Can't we do things to encourage Daddy when he comes home and bless Mother because she doesn't have enough time in her day? Some of these are simply everyday or weekly tasks that need to be done, but others are just as necessary yet they never seem to be something we get around to. I am challenging all of us young women/homemakers...take these questions and apply what you can to your life and home. Let's see if it isn't helpful and encouraging!

1. Do you have a morning routine in the house?
2. Are your dishes washed and put away?
3. Is your cabinet top clear?
4. Is your table clear, when not dining, and do you have a centerpiece?
5. Have you cleaned your cupboards and storage areas and fridge in the last 3 months?
6. Is your porch clean and the entry way cheerful for visitors or people who see it from the road?
7. Are your carpets clean?
8. Is your floor clean?
9. Is your living room ready for company?
10. Is your laundry washed, folded, ironed and put away? (Keep in mind, I am not saying you have to do this. I am only listing it in case you think you have time to bring in another income!)
11. Is your mending and button replacement caught up?
12. Do you bake bread? (Once again, no one HAS to do it, but if a woman is bored, maybe she should bake her bread. It takes more time. It smells wonderful. It has far greater effects than can be listed here, both emotionally and physically or even involving childhood memory)
13. Is your bathroom shining clean and does it smell nice?
14. Does your house smell nice?
15. Have you re-decorated or re-arranged in the last 3 years? (You need not do it, but if you think you need to go to work or take on extra work earning money at home, why not put the time into re-beautifying your house?)
16. Are your beds made? Are your sheets and bedding fresh?
17. Do you hang your clothes on the line? (You needn’t, but it takes more time, and is good for your health and it actually increases the life of your sheets and clothes, as opposed to the dryer)
18. Do you grow a garden, or even a tomato in a pot?
19. Are your drawers and storage areas organized?
20. Are your photos organized?
21. Are your computer files organized?
22. Is your correspondence caught up?
23. Do you make any of your own clothes?
24. Does your husband/father ever have to ask for an ironed shirt?
25. Are your books organized?
26. Do you go through your things regularly for garage sales?
27. Are your windows clean?
28. Do you cook regular meals from basic ingredients?
29. Have you had anyone over for tea in the last month?
30. Do you read at least one good book or learn something new within the year?

Dying to Self...

To all who may be going through trials at this time. Our prayers are answered by God in His timing; Rejoice, because they have been answered! "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” ~Phil.2:3-4; 4:4-7

Dethrone the King: Dying to Self

When you are forgotten or neglected or purposely set at naught, and don't sting or hurt with the insult or oversight, but your heart is happy; being counted worthy to suffer for Christ-that is dying to self.

When your good is spoken evil of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded or opinion ridiculed, you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even to defend yourself but take it all in patient, loving silence- that is dying to self.

When you lovingly, patiently bear any disorder and irregularity, any unpunctuality or any annoyance; when you come face to face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensitivity, and endure it just as Jesus endured it-that is dying to self.

When you're content with any food, any offering, any raiment, any climate, any society, any solitude, any interruption by the will of God- that is dying to self.

When you never refer to yourself in conversation, or record your own good works, or itch after commendation, when you can truly love to go unknown- that is dying to self.

When you can see your brother or sister have his or her needs met and can honestly rejoice in spirit and can feel no envy nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and in more desperate circumstances- that is dying to self.

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart- that is dying to self.

(once again this is not my work, it came from a friend)

Funny poetry due to indecision on what to write!

KEYS TO THE CUISINART

I saw a chef on television
Make a dish called Wiener Schnitzel
And what he had to tell us
Was a time consuming ritual

Most of the work he’d done before
He ever got on the air
For he pulled out a tray of pork loins
So thin they would almost tear

He told us they come one inch thick
And he’d pounded them down to a quarter
We never got to see him clobber
The loins to make them shorter

I went out and bought the boneless chops
And yes they were one inch thick
By the time I pounded one of them
The violence made me sick

It also took me seven minutes
To make it a quarter inch
And I had five more loins to pound
I was really in a pinch

I put the loins in zip lock bags
I didn’t have to go very far
For I lay them down in the drive-way
And backed over them with the car

To my delight, the meat smashed down
In the time it takes to sneeze
And from that day on I’ve used my car
As a prep-chef if you please

For in a craze of creativity
I thought of other foods
My sturdy Michelin tires
Could turn into processed goods

Graham crackers smash up nicely
Into crumbs for chocolate pies
Nuts can be chopped when needed
And tough meats can be tenderized

The bottom line is simple
And I’ve taken it to heart
God bless my little SUV
It’s replaced my Cusinart

(no, I did not write this one, sorry!)

Worldviews...the difference...

I observed, once again, something very interesting as I went over the cards I received for my graduation. There were a great variety of styles and messages, but the great thing that struck me was the differing worldview of the cards. Those that were clearly a Christian worldview, and those that sadly were not. By that, I mean that when I read them I observed the difference in the messages and the significance placed on different aspects of life, faith, me, success, etc. I was saddened by the influence of the world that came through in the cards I received even from Christians, and of course it was sad to see that in those who are not Christians. I wanted to share what I noticed. My comments are in brackets.

~~~~~
Your talents, imagination, and hard work
are really something to admire... You've
put your gifts to good use and given yourself
and those who love you many reasons
to be proud. Someone so capable and
generous deserves to feel the warm glow
of success that the future is sure to bring.

[I don't deserve anything on my own, honestly. By myself
nothing I have done deserves success.]

~~~~~
"If" for Graduates
If you can value
all the simple joys in each new day,
If you can see the gift
in everything life brings your way,
If you can find your strength
and all your answers deep within,
If you can trust yourself enough
to let your dreams begin,
If you can learn and grow
from every challenge that you face,
If you can know each moment
is the perfect time and place...
If you can recognize yourself
in others' hopes and fears,
If you can feel compassion for your own and others' tears,
If you believe that you can help
to shape the world you see,
If you can sense that you create
your own reality,
If you can comfort someone else
and be a caring friend,
If you can be a person
on who others can depend...
If you can live life fully
and enjoy it heart and soul,
If you can just accept
the twists and turns you can't control,
If you can show integrity
in every choice you make--
Then your journey will be filled with joy,
whichever paths you take.

Whatever your choices, whatever you do,
Hope the years bring success and adventure to you!

[Find answers within me, create my own reality...that
is sadly an autonomous worldview]

~~~~~
Knowledge is the power that gives us wings to soar...
You've learned a lot
and achieved so much...worked hard
and maintained your focus...met challenges
with character and a strong will.
That's how success is won.

[if God is in the picture and the Source of everything]

~~~~~
Success always means
more when it happens
to someone who
has truly earned it...
You should feel so proud.
You set yourself a goal,
and you overcame all obstacles
until you achieved it.

Heather, congratulations on your graduation.
Go to the best college you can afford and study
something that you enjoy and will bring you
fulfillment in your life. Good luck!

[Me? How have I earned success...I have failed
in so many ways and if it wasn't for Christ I would
have no reason to hope life would be any different
I ought not search for something in life, but rather
the Lord as my fulfillment and hope!]

And then comes there were those which came with a totally different focus in the message.

~~~~
Graduation is a wonderful time
to reflect on the many blessings
that God has given you.
You're a very special person...
and as surely as God has blessed your past,
may He also bless your future.

[God has indeed blessed me! Beyond what I deserve]

~~~~~
Follow in God's footsteps
in your Journey through life...
Believe in God and yourself
and you will achieve...
Your passion, hopes
and deepest dreams

May the Lord bless you as you continue to lean on Him!

[it is so refreshing, encouraging to receive notes
like this, knowing people are challenging me
where it really counts]

~~~~~
Wishing you a future filled with limitless opportunities.

May our Heavenly Father guide
and keep you as you begin the next chapter of your life.

~~~~~
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. ~Helen Keller
Live inspired

Congratulations, Heather! To God be the glory for the work you've accomplished thus far! May He lead and guide you always.

[amen, how exciting to realize the work the
Lord has done through such a flawed being
as myself and used it to His glory!]

~~~~~
Just continue to be the Christian that you are and the Lord will see to ALL your needs.

[He doesn't promises answers to desires,
wishes, dreams...but He does to needs...]

~~~~~
God created you...
every little detail about you.
He knows you better
and loves you more
than anyone ever could.
He is your wise Father
and faithful friend,
who takes great joy in you.
Celebrating you today
and hoping you remember
that God celebrates you every day!

[what joy it gives me to know that my
Lord, Sovereign and Creator REJOICES
in me!!!]

~~~~~
Trust in the Lord with
with all thine Heart...
in all thy ways
Acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct
thy Paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6

God bless you
on your special day.
May He be your STRENGTH
and guiding LIGHT
as you venture
into the future,
and may He keep you
in His LOVE and CARE
always.

[How different indeed were the notes on these cards...some nice, but saddening (though I'm sure the desire when they were chosen was for encouragement) and then those that really uplift, challenge, encourage, and excite me...those that place the glory and praise where they are due and remind me of the attributes of my Father, how glorious He is and that He sees every detail of my life! There is indeed a difference between those who see God as their source and life and those who have no true source and life...how marked...how sad...how challenging that should be.]

Of books and reading...

I picked this up off someone’s blog and thought it would be cool to fill out. I decided to post it here, since reading is one of my passions (hmm...I think I now want to go do a word study on that and see what it deep down really means...), and I would love to read how others fill this out!

(several of mine aren't necessarily "in order" in the categories)

Top 3 authors:

1. C.S. Lewis

2. Albert Marrin

3. G.A. Henty

(Why do I have to stop there? I can't really pick three...L.M. Montgomery, George MacDonald, Marguerite Henry, Kate Seredy, R.C. Sproul, etc.)

Top 3 male characters:

1. Randal Baltimore from The Reb and the Redcoats by Constance Savery

2. Nat from The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth Speare

3. Ian & Alister from The Highlander's Last Song by George MacDonald

Top 3 female characters:

1.Ester Reid from Ester Reid by Isabella MacDonald Alden

2. Anne Shirley from the Anne of Green Gables series by L. M. Montgomery

3.Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Top 30 fiction books in no particular order:

1. The Highlander's Last Song by George MacDonald

2. Lad of Sunnybank by Albert Payson Terhune

3. The Reb and the Redcoats by Constance Savery

4. The Pansy Collection by Isabella MacDonald Alden

5. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

6. No Promises in the Wind by Irene Hunt

7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

8. Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

9. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth Speare

10. Mara by Isabella MacDonald Alden

11. In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon

12. Gaudenzia, Pride of the Palio by Marguerite Henry

13. The Chestry Oak by Kate Seredy

14. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

15. Jack and Jill by Louisa May Alcott.

16. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.

17. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth Speare

18. The Crown and Covenant Series by Douglas Bond.

19. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen.

20. G.A. Henty books (he has bunches of them)

21. Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

22. Sir Gibbie by George MacDonald

23. Smoky the Cowhorse by James

24. Rebekah of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin

25. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

26. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

27. King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry

28. The Good Master by Kate Seredy

29. Millions of Cats by Wanda Ga'g

30. The Story about Ping by Marjorie Flack

Top 3 books most recently read:

1. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

2. Redskin and Cowboy by G.A. Henty

3. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Worst 3 books ever read:

1. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

2. Twelve Caesars by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus

3. When No One Was Looking by Rosemary Wells

Top 5 scenes from any book:

1. Discovering how the Reb escaped, The Reb and the Redcoats

2. Ian and Alister's deep conversations, The Highlander's Last Song

3. When Clint finds Smoky again, Smoky the Cowhorse

4. Kit's trial, The Witch of Blackbird Pond

5. Midnight and Michael at the end, The Chestry Oak

The book(s) that made me cry the most:

1. Paula, the Waldensian by Eva Lecomte

2. Mara by Isabella MacDonald Alden

3. No Promises in the Wind Irene Hunt

4. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

5. Treasure in an Oatmeal Box by Ken Gire

The book(s) that made me laugh the most:

1. The Good Master by Kate Seredy

2. The Reb and the Redcoats by Constance Savery

3. The World of Pooh by A. A. Milne

The book(s) that made me feel the best at the end:

1. The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis

2. Smoky the Cowhorse by Will James

3. The Chestry Oak by Kate Seredy

4. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

5. Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Contemporary or Historical?

1. Almost always historical...but sometimes there are good contemporary books

Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror?

1. No horror, I don't know if I've actually read any science fiction... maybe only some fantasy

Hardback or Trade Paperback or Mass Market Paperback?

1. I like hardback best 'cause they last better, but I'm happy with a good deal on a paperback

Barnes & Noble or Amazon?

Amazon, I buy a lot from there.

Bookmark or Dog-ear?

Bookmark, never dog-ear! (That is the few times when I don't just look at the page number...and go back to it the next time I read)

Alphabetize by author, alphabetize by title, or organize not at all?

Well right now sort of categorized by group, but I don't have enough books of my own to really do that well

Star Wars or Star Trek?

Umm...never read any...

Keep, Throw Away, or Sell?

Keep ALL the good ones, throw away bad ones (why give junk to someone else?) and sell duplicates, etc.

Keep dust-jacket or toss it?

Keep it.

Read with dustjacket or remove it?

1. Depends on the book!

Little Women or Anne of Green Gables?

Anne of Green Gables...that wonderful imagination I can so relate to!

Short story or novel?

1. Both, but the short story has to be worthwhile, it has to be well written since there's not much to it. But I generally like longer books.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?

When I'm tired or have to go do something else. Chapter breaks only when that happens to be where I stop. (Btw, who reads chapter titles? I almost never do)

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?

Both...depends on the book

Tear Jerker or Belly Laugh?

Actually I like to get a good book that makes me cry because it's pretty hard to get me to do that in a book. I really like ones that are written in such a way as to draw me into the story that much. I do love a good laugh though.

Charlotte, Emily, or Anne Brontë?

Well...since I have only read Jane Eyre, and didn't like it, and I don't know which it was by, I haven't wanted to read more so I would say none.

Buy or Borrow?

Borrow if I’m checking it out, but I always want to buy books (anybody want to give me the money?)

Buying choice: Book Reviews, Recommendation, or Browse?

Recommendations and browsing, mostly.

Collection (short stories by the same author) or Anthology (short stories by different authors)?

Umm...I don't know, both?

Crane or Conrad?

The only Crane that I have read is The Red Badge of Courage, which was good, and I don't know Conrad.

Standalone or Series?

1. Both if they are good

Tidy ending or Cliffhanger?

Depends again on the book, sometimes both are good...then again sometimes both stink

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?

Anytime! Duh!

Favorite genre series?

Umm... well I like the Crown and Covenant series, Elsie Dinsmore, The Kingdom Series, (how are you defining genre?)

New or used?

1. There is nothing like an old, worn cover…leaving you to wonder, who read this book before, the writing on the inside cover…timeless! I love a beautiful, new book too, but most books I like can't necessarily be found

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?

The Highlander's Last Song by George MacDonald, The Reb and the Redcoats by Constance Savery, Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis (I have lots of favorites...but the "of which nobody else has heard" part makes it easier...a little bit...or maybe not really at all? I decided to stop at three)

Question God's wisdom?

To question why the non-righteous is not punished by God is to question His wisdom. After all, this life is the only heaven they will ever experience.

"Surely, God will not act wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice. Who gave Him authority over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world? Shall He recompense on your terms, because you have rejected it? For you must choose, and not I: therefore declare what you know..." Job 34:12-13, 33

To remember a beautiful and special dog...

We met him one day as we were headed to swim in the creek...he was pretty, but he was dirty and covered in ticks and fleas, but of course we still wanted to pet him. Well, he was laying in the front yard when we got back home, and Daddy told us that if we were going to play with him then he needed a flea/tick bath. As we had been sitting out front petting him I commented that his coat looked like crushed up Oreos so we should name him...

Oreo

We put ads in the paper, but nobody came to claim him, so with us he stayed. He was the sweetest, gentlest dog. He would let my little sister hang on his collar when she crossed the yard after she had just learned to walk, and he'd stop when she fell down. We taught him to jump up with his front legs on a person's chest, but no matter how hard you tried you could never get him to jump up on a small child. Just a month ago some friends visited...and as sweet as ever he knew that he had to be gentle with the baby...he just knew

He almost never barks, and he is so friendly that Daddy said he would walk right up to a bad guy. But whenever we were out in the pasture with the cows and he thought they were too close then he would take off barking and chase them farther away. We joke about how Oreo would wag his back end off someday. When excited not only his docked tail wagged, it was literally his whole body. He was always happy to see us...he literally reveled in our attention. And he was just like a puppy. In the past few years he's slowed down a bit, but not much, and he always wanted to romp with us. But he was the most expressive dog I have ever known, he seemed to have emotions too. He always knew when we were going on a long trip. He would lay on the porch and mope. I am serious, you can see it in his face, he would walk around with his head down, and only half wag his tail when we talked to him. He sometimes looked so pathetic when it was rainy, cold or during a thunderstorm.

Oreo was always around when we were outside (unless we were shooting the guns) he would lay on the ground with us, play in the yard, let us drag him around in our games, chase him around for fun, go running or go on long rambles...always the companion, always the friend. He was always there, guarding his flock. There was almost never a time that I stepped out the door that he wasn't there to greet me...
He was a little sneaky too though. Oreo was the perfect gentleman...as long as a person was watching. If he was given scraps he would always wait very politely while the cats ate, but whenever he thought you were gone he would push them out of the way and eat the rest of it! As soon as you appeared again he sat down and waited.
Cute, sweet, gentle, goofy, pathetic, beautiful, happy, loving, faithful, special...that hardly even begins to describe our dog.

For almost the past ten years he's been with our family. He would let the cats curl up around his feet, he would catch a chicken for us with his paw or mouth but never hurt them, he'd try to do tricks for food. Though unfixed, he thought the whole world was his friend and he didn't act like he had any property rights. He never really wandered anywhere, he always stayed close to us. But I guess the fact that we lived half a mile off the road helped.
A lady once came to our house who used to breed and raise Australian Shepherds. She told us that she didn't know why somebody ever dumped him...Oreo was a perfect specimen of the Australian Shepherd breed except that his eyes were brown instead of blue. But then, I always liked brown-eyed dogs better... He really was beautiful. I would look at magazines about Aussies, and most of them were not nearly as pretty as he was. I was proud of him...he has been a part of our family for so long...and I love him.

Well we moved about a year ago...and we live right on the highway. We worried about Oreo, because he wasn't afraid of cars. This last Tuesday I was sitting at the computer as Mom and my siblings put dinner on the table. Dad came in, gathered us all and said he had some sad news. "Oreo was just out on the highway...he was run over by a truck...and he's gone." Everything that happened that evening is a blur, a dream, surreal...yet it is all crystal clear at the same time...and I'll never forget it.

We ran to him, we sat beside him, cried, and stroked him. He couldn't be gone...it wasn't real...it seemed he had always been there. Oh, it hurt...a lot. I didn't want to let him go. Greg, Jess and I, we sat for a long time, struggling with the reality of it. Jessica later said, "Heather and I cried while we petted him, and Greg rubbed his belly like he always did. Heather, Greg and I were the ones who took it hardest when Ruth died, and probably this time too. We waited 'til Monica got home to bury him, and by that time it was dark. But seeing Oreo on the ground was the hardest. You can't know what it's like until you have experienced it. It's awful!!!" I couldn't leave him, I couldn't let him lay there on the grass all alone. I stayed there...two hours I think, mourning, struggling, and waiting 'til Monica got home. We put him beside Ruth, just inside the grove, and we told him goodbye...

Every time I drive into the driveway, or step out the door, or even if I'm sitting in my room I get a lump in my throat realizing he's not there. Part of me can't believe it really happened. Part of me says it had to be a dream, but yet I know it was true...because there is a pile of dirt, his collar on the table......and he doesn't come to the door every time I go outside...

I guess Jessica said it well when she said, "God brought Oreo to us as a stray, to love and care for. When He did this He gave us a piece of His creation that was wonderful. It was a blessing having Oreo with us and there can never be another dog that will replace him. I just have to remember him as he was, not as he is, and thank God for this wonderful blessing, and for the time that we had him."

Reasons to not send children to Government schools...

This is from an article by Dr. Voddie Baucham. I have read it, and it is excellently written!

Top five reasons not to send your children to Government schools:

5. You don't have to.

4. America's schools are among the worst in the industrialized world.

3. America's schools are morally repugnant.

2. Government education is anti-Christian.

1. The Bible commands Christ-centered education.

to read the full article go here.