Wordless Wednesdays

(Sorry about the poor quality)
One of the many things that I love about living in the country, at least 'round these parts, is the white tail deer that I get to see almost daily!

Deal of the Day

I just wanted to make a quick post about a good deal. I just ordered the Couponizer
this morning and saved a few dollars on it using the code- STARTNOW. If you coupon, you will love this great way of organizing you coupons. It makes saving money at the grocery store and lots of other places so much easier! And fun!

Finally Friday!

2 Timothy 4:1-5
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at[a] His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

I watched Niteline last night. They are doing a series on the ten commandments. Last nights show was about Adultery. The question- Are we born to cheat?
They had Pastor Ed Young of the Fellowship Church in Dallas, a recovering sex addict, Ashley Madison.com founder and CEO Noel Biderman, and author Jenny Block. Don't know what Ashley Madison.com? Its a dating website of sorts, like E Harmony, but serves those who are searching exclusively to cheat on there spouse. Openly on the website, perhaps not so openly in their marriages though. And Jenny Block is an advocate for open marriages. She herself has been married for 13 years I believe she said and now has a ten year old daughter and a girlfriend on the side, that her husband knows about. She not only has a lover on the side but is also engaging in a same sex relationship.
Obviously the Pastor had the proper view on these things and defended the sanctity of Marriage, the biblical definition of Marriage, another words God's definition.
The two panelists that were defending redefining marriage just made me so frustrated. Some of the things they said, were so, offensive to everything that God has created for us. The Author, Jenny Block was so blasphemous it was almost laughable. She said she had a wonderful relationship with God, yet rebuked anything in the Bible that didn't agree with her own selfish wants as not really being the word of God. Both the "pro Adultery" panelists repeatedly showed their ignorance of what the bible says. But really these two are just a couple of the examples of the moral decline in America. There is no two ways about it. Marriage was created by God. Therefor Marriage is defined by God. God also made grass green, we can't just (because we want) redefine grass and say its purple when its really green no matter what we say it is. I suppose science could some how produce a seed that made a purple grass but...oh just never mind. My point is that the Word of God says that marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman and that adultery is wrong. Period.
People have got to start living a better life, leading a better life. Americans are rejecting Christianity, and even those who still practice Christianity don't even understand the basics of the Christian faith anymore. As the above examples so clearly show. These people really believe they are Christians, yet they say adultery is okay, what?! Am I the only one who sees the disconnect there?

New Again

Once a lady went to visit her friend. During the visit the children of the friend entered the room and began to play with each other. As the lady and her friend visited, the lady turned to her friend and said eagerly and yet with evidently no thought of the meaning of her words: “Oh, I’d give my life to have such children.” The mother replied with a subdued earnestness whose quiet told of the depth of experience out of which her words came: “That’s exactly what it costs.”
Simply the BEST article Iv read about Motherhood.

Thankful Thursday

" For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Last night I laid in bed and just had to Thank God over and over for the life HE has given me. Through my life I use to think that I was the one in control, the one who was making all these big decisions. When in fact HE was in total control at all times. When the things that were happening didn't make sense.
Im not saying the I didn't make some choices, some very poor choices, because I did. But even then God used those sins to change me, to lead me down his path further.

Who knew! God had a plan all along for a lonely little girl who was born from irresponsibility and rejected from the very beginning of life.

Through out my childhood I sought acceptance and unconditional love and never received it. From a very early age I realized that the love that was in my family was conditional. I felt it at such a young age, maybe around 4-5 years old. I thought that if I did something wrong or something that my Mother didn't approve of, I would be shunned. I wouldn't be worthy of love anymore. And even when I was walking on the thin straight line my family expected of me, I still felt unloved. I needed to do something special to be loved. So I started lying, telling stories. Anything that would shine a light on me. So I could be noticed and they would realize how special I was and that I deserved love.
Even as I grew older it didn't stop, even when I knew that there was nothing I could do to receive that unconditional love from them. I still seeked it out. But then it was from others. Men, friends, employers. I got married at a young age. I also got divorced at a young age. Life was so crazy back then. Little did I know God had a plan to get me out of that place and give me all the love that I so craved in life.

Once I met my husband I had been down in a pit so long that I didn't believe it was possible to be pulled out of it.
But I took a leap of faith and followed God's plan instead of my own. It took me to Texas. So far away from all I knew and thought I wanted. It took me to Motherhood, something I thought for sure I never wanted. God's plan gave me love like I never thought was possible.

When I had Cheyenne I finally realized that there was nothing she could do to earn my love and there was nothing she could do to make me stop loving her either.
I realized all that time I spend trying to please my Mother and family was pointless. It wasn't anything to do with me. It was all them. I was always worthy of love and acceptance. And the fact is I had always had it, I just was looking in the wrong places.
I tried my Mother's way for raising my child for a short while, but was left feeling so empty and torn from my actions. I finally asked God to use me, to use my brokenness to make me a better mother. And HE did!
I tried those same mistakes with my husband and again it didn't work out very well. And again I prayed asking the Lord to forgive me and heal me and my relationship. And HE did! My marriage has never been stronger! Of coarse these things took lots of work, but the Lord gave me the ability to change!

Through out all the hard times God always had a plan. A plan to pluck a lonely little girl out of her circumstances and put her in a place where she would have more love and acceptance then she knows what to do with!

GOD is Good!

"Circumstances aren’t the barometer of God’s love and goodness—the cross is."

Wordless Wednesdays

So sad about Patrick Swayze. Seems like so many have passed away recently. I feel especially sad about this one though. He was one of my favorite actors, really all my life. He was (is) a unique and caring soul. Im sure he is with the Lord now. I just feel so bad for his wife, my prayers and thoughts are with her. He died so young. I know he was 57 (I think), but he had such a youthful spirit about him. But the Lord calls his children home when he see fit.

The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.
Isaiah 57:1-2

Patrick and Lisa were married for 34 years! Long time by hollywood's standards.


The role that made his career, Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing;-)


He gave it one heck of a fight!

Thankful Thursday

Although I am thankful everyday, today I wanted to share a picture of two of the ones Im most Thankful to God for giving me.
With chocolate on their faces or mud on their hands, man do I love these kids!

Yummy Recipe

Cranberry Nut Muffins


1 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 eggs, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a muffin pan, or use paper liners.
In a small bowl, mix together applesauce, oil and egg. In a large bowl, combine flours, sugars, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in egg mixture. Stir until just moistened. Fold in cranberries and nuts. Spoon into muffin cups, 2/3 full.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 2 minutes before removing.

Tuesday

I am taking a break from the social networks and blogs today. Life is so much more important then the internet is:-) It might be just for today or it might be for the rest of the week. We will be doing some more fulfilling things today, making bread, granola, sewing some and reading. And we also will be enjoying the beautiful September weather mother nature has given us today.
I leave you with some of Gods Word.

Ecclesiastes 3


Everything Has Its Time

Everything on earth

has its own time

and its own season.

There is a time

for birth and death,

planting and reaping,

for killing and healing,

destroying and building,

for crying and laughing,

weeping and dancing,

for throwing stones

and gathering stones,

embracing and parting.

There is a time

for finding and losing,

keeping and giving,

for tearing and sewing,

listening and speaking.

There is also a time

for love and hate,

for war and peace.

What do we gain by all of our hard work? I have seen what difficult things God demands of us. God makes everything happen at the right time. Yet none of us can ever fully understand all he has done, and he puts questions in our minds about the past and the future. I know the best thing we can do is to always enjoy life, because God's gift to us is the happiness we get from our food and drink and from the work we do. Everything God has done will last forever; nothing he does can ever be changed. God has done all this, so that we will worship him.

Everything that happens

has happened before,

and all that will be

has already been--

God does everything

over and over again.