Pumpkin Patch 2005
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Friendship Bags
A fellow blogger recently reminded me of something we had done about a year ago. We often see people at the intersections of the highways near us asking for money, etc. I don't like to just give out money but I came across this idea in an email newletter I receive. The information is now posted here. When we first did the bags, we followed most of what was listed at that site.
I decided we needed to make more bags to have on hand to give out as we are driving around. So, today the kids and I worked on getting 12 bags ready to hand out. Below is the list of what we included this time around.
Card about Forgiveness found in Christ
Card with info on contacting our church
fruit cup (peel top)
raisin pack
2 pks of cheese crackers
granola bar
bottle of water
beef jerky/beef stick
hand wipes
tooth towels
pack of gum
chapstick
tooth flossers
spoon
napkin
(gallon size ziploc bags)
We assembled all the items in each gallon size ziploc bag. I think these bags will hold up better than the paper bags we used last time.
Below are some pictures of what we included and of the kids working on assembling them.
The boys wanted to build with the items before packing them into the bags!
I decided we needed to make more bags to have on hand to give out as we are driving around. So, today the kids and I worked on getting 12 bags ready to hand out. Below is the list of what we included this time around.
Card about Forgiveness found in Christ
Card with info on contacting our church
fruit cup (peel top)
raisin pack
2 pks of cheese crackers
granola bar
bottle of water
beef jerky/beef stick
hand wipes
tooth towels
pack of gum
chapstick
tooth flossers
spoon
napkin
(gallon size ziploc bags)
We assembled all the items in each gallon size ziploc bag. I think these bags will hold up better than the paper bags we used last time.
Below are some pictures of what we included and of the kids working on assembling them.
The boys wanted to build with the items before packing them into the bags!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Sweet Kids
I just have to share that my two youngest children have been playing so well together for almost the last week! Not that they don't usually, but they have been preferring to play with each other exclusively.
They have had a lot of fun with Barbie's and Barbie cars, making up and acting out stories, playing in creative ways with their stuffed animals, etc. It is so awesome to see their imaginations at work!
I have just been very thankful that the youngest has been happily occupied with fun play, rather than wanting to watch TV. He tends to really get "attached" to certain things if we let him! That is something we are working on in a big way!
I will post some pictures when I can "catch" them at play again! I forgot to do it earlier!
Have a blessed day!
They have had a lot of fun with Barbie's and Barbie cars, making up and acting out stories, playing in creative ways with their stuffed animals, etc. It is so awesome to see their imaginations at work!
I have just been very thankful that the youngest has been happily occupied with fun play, rather than wanting to watch TV. He tends to really get "attached" to certain things if we let him! That is something we are working on in a big way!
I will post some pictures when I can "catch" them at play again! I forgot to do it earlier!
Have a blessed day!
This is my youngest son. His sister didn't want to be in the picture for some reason!
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Helpful Devotions
I had previously mentioned that I would share about several devotions the Lord had brought before me over the past month.
Just as I was getting prepared to start my new exercise and eating plan, I read this devotion . (go to the site, click on previous devotions, then choose "Just Do It".)
A friend of mine had shared about the Above Rubies Ministry and I happened to be checking out the website when I found the above mentioned devotion. You can sign up to receive their weekly devotion by email.
This first devotion I read "Just Do It" was great inspiration to go ahead and get started with my plan, not to delay any further. I even used this devotion with my kids that day after I read it.
More recently they sent out a two part devotion titled, "Resolute". You can find it by visiting the website, then clicking on Weekly Devotions for Mothers. They only have Part 1 posted but they did email out part 2 also.
She goes over 10 affirmations for you and your children to help you stand resolute for God and His truth. Each affirmation is supported by scriptures you can use to teach and affirm each point to yourself and your family.
One thing that really struck me from Part 1 of "Resolute" is the Affirmation at the end (she always includes a prayer and an affirmation for you to focus on at the end). It is a quote:
Just as I was getting prepared to start my new exercise and eating plan, I read this devotion . (go to the site, click on previous devotions, then choose "Just Do It".)
A friend of mine had shared about the Above Rubies Ministry and I happened to be checking out the website when I found the above mentioned devotion. You can sign up to receive their weekly devotion by email.
This first devotion I read "Just Do It" was great inspiration to go ahead and get started with my plan, not to delay any further. I even used this devotion with my kids that day after I read it.
More recently they sent out a two part devotion titled, "Resolute". You can find it by visiting the website, then clicking on Weekly Devotions for Mothers. They only have Part 1 posted but they did email out part 2 also.
She goes over 10 affirmations for you and your children to help you stand resolute for God and His truth. Each affirmation is supported by scriptures you can use to teach and affirm each point to yourself and your family.
One thing that really struck me from Part 1 of "Resolute" is the Affirmation at the end (she always includes a prayer and an affirmation for you to focus on at the end). It is a quote:
"The braces within me shall be greater than the pressures upon me."
E. Stanley Jones
It is a really great passage.
Anyway, I hope to share more of what the Lord is teaching me over the coming days. I will also do another post soon about what we are using for our Bible time (in addition to our school related studies) right now.
May God bless you as you make seeking Him a priority in your life!
E. Stanley Jones
It just makes me stop and think....am I building up those "braces" within me so that I can withstand the pressures put upon me from the outside?
What is/are the braces within us? As a Christian, your "brace" is God, the Holy Spirit in you! Are you building up your spirit inside by reading, studying and applying God's Word? Are you taking time to pray--not just to ask for things, but to really pour your heart out and then listen for the Lord to speak to you? The Lord longs for us to come to Him open and ready to fellowship with Him alone. This takes time... it is something we need to make a priority in our lives. Just as we would not neglect our earthly husbands, how much more should we be putting forth effort to love on our Heavenly Father!?
It is so easy to get "washed along" by the day-to-day to-do list, emergencies, etc. The time spent with the Father can supply us with so much more than we can ever supply for ourselves. The Lord will accomplish all that needs to be done each day through us, if we will let Him instead of us trying to do it in our own strength. I know this to be true and often wonder how I can get so off track and carried away by all I need to do without stopping to get filled up and ask for direction from the One who knows best!
Even little things we do throughout the day to acknowledge where the Lord is already working will build up our Spirit. It helps us to keep our hearts focused on who is actually in control of all things! It isn't us, but the Lord! We can walk in joy and peace that comes only from the Lord despite whatever is around us if we will just keep our "heart, soul and mind" focused on the Lord instead of ourselves.
The last few days the kids and I have been studying about loving and obeying our Lord with wholehearted devotion. The verse we worked on today was:
Matthew 22:37-38
Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment.
We also read from 1 Chronicles 28:8-10 which relates David's instructions to Solomon as he is passing the torch of leadership to his son. He admonishes Solomon to seek and serve
the Lord wholheartedly.
What is/are the braces within us? As a Christian, your "brace" is God, the Holy Spirit in you! Are you building up your spirit inside by reading, studying and applying God's Word? Are you taking time to pray--not just to ask for things, but to really pour your heart out and then listen for the Lord to speak to you? The Lord longs for us to come to Him open and ready to fellowship with Him alone. This takes time... it is something we need to make a priority in our lives. Just as we would not neglect our earthly husbands, how much more should we be putting forth effort to love on our Heavenly Father!?
It is so easy to get "washed along" by the day-to-day to-do list, emergencies, etc. The time spent with the Father can supply us with so much more than we can ever supply for ourselves. The Lord will accomplish all that needs to be done each day through us, if we will let Him instead of us trying to do it in our own strength. I know this to be true and often wonder how I can get so off track and carried away by all I need to do without stopping to get filled up and ask for direction from the One who knows best!
Even little things we do throughout the day to acknowledge where the Lord is already working will build up our Spirit. It helps us to keep our hearts focused on who is actually in control of all things! It isn't us, but the Lord! We can walk in joy and peace that comes only from the Lord despite whatever is around us if we will just keep our "heart, soul and mind" focused on the Lord instead of ourselves.
The last few days the kids and I have been studying about loving and obeying our Lord with wholehearted devotion. The verse we worked on today was:
Matthew 22:37-38
Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment.
We also read from 1 Chronicles 28:8-10 which relates David's instructions to Solomon as he is passing the torch of leadership to his son. He admonishes Solomon to seek and serve
the Lord wholheartedly.
It is a really great passage.
Anyway, I hope to share more of what the Lord is teaching me over the coming days. I will also do another post soon about what we are using for our Bible time (in addition to our school related studies) right now.
May God bless you as you make seeking Him a priority in your life!
Help with Healthy Eating/Lifestyle
I wanted to share about a book I received. I had put it aside a couple of months ago, but came across it again a few weeks ago as I started my new eating/exercise plan.
It is a book by Joyce Meyers, called Look Great Feel Great -- 12 Keys to Enjoying a Healthy Life Now.
It is focused on helping you to understand who you are in Christ, helping you to gain a God-given self image, and giving you little steps to move towards having a healthy attitude as well as a healthy body.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone who has struggled at times with not liking themselves, their body or the way they look (whether you at overweight or underweight).
The keys discussed include:
Let God Do the Heavy Lifting
Learning to Love Your Body
Mastering Metabolism
Exercise
Balanced Eating
Water Your Life
Mindful Eating
Curb Your Spiritual Hunger
De-Stress
Right Vision
Make It Easy
Take Responsibility
*Practice What You Preach: Modeling Self-Respect for the Next Generation
I am about half way through the book and it has been helpful so far. I will share more of what I am learning as I go through it.
This was just one of the things God put in my path as I was starting out on this new adventure. I will be sharing some of the other words of wisdom and encouragement the Lord has put before me the past few weeks later today.
God truly is our Father and knows exactly what we need when we need it.
It is a book by Joyce Meyers, called Look Great Feel Great -- 12 Keys to Enjoying a Healthy Life Now.
It is focused on helping you to understand who you are in Christ, helping you to gain a God-given self image, and giving you little steps to move towards having a healthy attitude as well as a healthy body.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone who has struggled at times with not liking themselves, their body or the way they look (whether you at overweight or underweight).
The keys discussed include:
Let God Do the Heavy Lifting
Learning to Love Your Body
Mastering Metabolism
Exercise
Balanced Eating
Water Your Life
Mindful Eating
Curb Your Spiritual Hunger
De-Stress
Right Vision
Make It Easy
Take Responsibility
*Practice What You Preach: Modeling Self-Respect for the Next Generation
I am about half way through the book and it has been helpful so far. I will share more of what I am learning as I go through it.
This was just one of the things God put in my path as I was starting out on this new adventure. I will be sharing some of the other words of wisdom and encouragement the Lord has put before me the past few weeks later today.
God truly is our Father and knows exactly what we need when we need it.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Christian Family Holiday Planner!
I can across this great Holiday Planner designed for Christian families. It is designed to help you start preparing for the upcoming holidays in October, so that the actual holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's) can be stress-free and Jesus focused!
The ebook that you can purchase includes all the directions and pages to print out to make your planning notebook. It also includes instructions, devotions and pictures for making a Jesse tree to keep your heart focused on the Lord through the busy holiday time.
I highly recommend spending the small amount to purchase this planner and devotional. You will be able to use it year after year.
I am working on setting up my notebook right now.
I have used a combination of two other planners in the past and I like certain things about each one. I am looking forward to trying out this new system for this year!
I have found that even if you aren't able to keep up with every suggestion of pre-planning, any pre-planning you do will get you that much closer to having a stress-free holiday season!
I know I will be needing that this year as we will be hosting over 20 people at our home for Christmas dinner this year!
You can find the planner here:
The 12-Week Holiday Planner for the Christian Family
You can view a few sample pages from the planner prior to purchasing here.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Have a blessed Christmas season!
The ebook that you can purchase includes all the directions and pages to print out to make your planning notebook. It also includes instructions, devotions and pictures for making a Jesse tree to keep your heart focused on the Lord through the busy holiday time.
I highly recommend spending the small amount to purchase this planner and devotional. You will be able to use it year after year.
I am working on setting up my notebook right now.
I have used a combination of two other planners in the past and I like certain things about each one. I am looking forward to trying out this new system for this year!
I have found that even if you aren't able to keep up with every suggestion of pre-planning, any pre-planning you do will get you that much closer to having a stress-free holiday season!
I know I will be needing that this year as we will be hosting over 20 people at our home for Christmas dinner this year!
You can find the planner here:
The 12-Week Holiday Planner for the Christian Family
You can view a few sample pages from the planner prior to purchasing here.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Have a blessed Christmas season!
New Way of Eating....
It has been almost a month since I began my journey towards losing the many pounds I have accumulated over the past 12 years! I never had a problem with my weight until I started having kids. After the first two, my body chemistry really seemed to change. Though the gain has been slow over all the years, it has really added up now!
I am happy to say that I have lost 6 1/2 pounds over the past three weeks. Although I took a break for a couple of days because of husband's birthday, I am back on my new eating and exercise plan!
I realized after this weekend how much of a difference it makes to my sleep patterns, among other things, when I eat "bad" versus when I eat more healthy. I had two nights of horrible sleep both days that I didn't watch what I ate. I slept much better last night after eating better yesterday. Hopefully tonight will be even better!
I have a long way to go, but I know that if I keep at it so that the weight slowly but surely continues to drop, I will reach my ultimate goal! I long for the day that I no longer looked "puffed up".
I grew up very active and all through middle and high school never thought of myself as "skinny". It wasn't until I got married and had my first child (and especially now), that I looked back at my pictures and realized how thin I really was--so different from the picture I had in my head of myself all those years!
The Lord has really shown me that in order to succeed, I can't just depend on my own will and self control. I know that I need His help every minute to keep focused on the benefits of "denying myself" now so that I will be around to serve Him and my family for many years!
In the past weeks as I have started this adventure, He has put in my path several books and devotions that were just what I needed to help me get going and stay focused. Just like anything in life, it is much easier to give up and be "comfortable" than to push forward, leaning on the Lord to get you to your goal. Knowing that what I am working towards is in accordance to God's will also gives me more focus than I have had in the past.
The Lord is faithful and I know that I can do all things through Him who gives me strength!
The more I focus on my relationship with Him, the easier all the "stuff" around me becomes--whether it is getting school done each day, doing daily chores, or sticking to the eating plan I want to follow.
The Lord is mighty and greatly to be praised!
I am happy to say that I have lost 6 1/2 pounds over the past three weeks. Although I took a break for a couple of days because of husband's birthday, I am back on my new eating and exercise plan!
I realized after this weekend how much of a difference it makes to my sleep patterns, among other things, when I eat "bad" versus when I eat more healthy. I had two nights of horrible sleep both days that I didn't watch what I ate. I slept much better last night after eating better yesterday. Hopefully tonight will be even better!
I have a long way to go, but I know that if I keep at it so that the weight slowly but surely continues to drop, I will reach my ultimate goal! I long for the day that I no longer looked "puffed up".
I grew up very active and all through middle and high school never thought of myself as "skinny". It wasn't until I got married and had my first child (and especially now), that I looked back at my pictures and realized how thin I really was--so different from the picture I had in my head of myself all those years!
The Lord has really shown me that in order to succeed, I can't just depend on my own will and self control. I know that I need His help every minute to keep focused on the benefits of "denying myself" now so that I will be around to serve Him and my family for many years!
In the past weeks as I have started this adventure, He has put in my path several books and devotions that were just what I needed to help me get going and stay focused. Just like anything in life, it is much easier to give up and be "comfortable" than to push forward, leaning on the Lord to get you to your goal. Knowing that what I am working towards is in accordance to God's will also gives me more focus than I have had in the past.
The Lord is faithful and I know that I can do all things through Him who gives me strength!
The more I focus on my relationship with Him, the easier all the "stuff" around me becomes--whether it is getting school done each day, doing daily chores, or sticking to the eating plan I want to follow.
The Lord is mighty and greatly to be praised!
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Fun Leader Test!
What Famous Leader are you most like? Try it and post your results in the comments section or leave a link to your site!
What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com
Friday, October 13, 2006
Too Much Information???
I am posting this in response to a post by a friend that you can find here. My response was a bit long to leave as a comment, so I thought I would post it here instead!
***
I tend to agree with what Sarah has said. Even if you don’t use these words in “normal conversation”, you should have an understanding of what they mean. It will help you to understand where people are coming from when they are talking to you about Biblical things.
All these terms were “made up” by man to help explain/describe different ways of looking at the Bible, the events in the Bible and people’s thoughts about “religion” and “doctrine”. So, although using those words are not necessary for studying God’s Word or telling others about it, it will help you personally to understand various ways of looking at scripture and various beliefs. It will also help you not to feel “lost” when people bring up those words.
I do hear people using these words in ways that aren’t correct—or that don’t explain well what they are saying. They put a different meaning or more meaning into the word than it actually has. To me, that is really annoying and tells me they don’t really understand what they are talking about!
Take for example—hermeneutics—which simply put means a method of interpreting the Bible. But if you look it up here. You will see that that there are many, many different ways of looking at scriptures “hermeneutically”. So you would have to ask a person what they mean by that! Once again, it is man’s way of trying to understand and study scripture in a way they can make sense of it.
You can look up further info on eschatology and orthopraxy .
I enjoy taking the time to look these things up to understand more about where people are coming from. I am not saying that all the ideas listed on these links are “correct” but it does help you to understand what people are talking about!
God desires for us to understand and evaluate His Word from beginning to end. He always “backs himself up”. Our only “interpreter” is supposed to be the Holy Spirit. He will teach and guide us to understand God’s Word. We are to be taught by the Spirit and not by man. John 14:26 & 1 John 2:27
We should always be evaluating what any “person” tells us regarding scripture with God’s Word. It will help you to learn to discern whether people are giving you their opinion or actually sharing what God’s Word says.
Thanks for the great discussion!
***
I tend to agree with what Sarah has said. Even if you don’t use these words in “normal conversation”, you should have an understanding of what they mean. It will help you to understand where people are coming from when they are talking to you about Biblical things.
All these terms were “made up” by man to help explain/describe different ways of looking at the Bible, the events in the Bible and people’s thoughts about “religion” and “doctrine”. So, although using those words are not necessary for studying God’s Word or telling others about it, it will help you personally to understand various ways of looking at scripture and various beliefs. It will also help you not to feel “lost” when people bring up those words.
I do hear people using these words in ways that aren’t correct—or that don’t explain well what they are saying. They put a different meaning or more meaning into the word than it actually has. To me, that is really annoying and tells me they don’t really understand what they are talking about!
Take for example—hermeneutics—which simply put means a method of interpreting the Bible. But if you look it up here. You will see that that there are many, many different ways of looking at scriptures “hermeneutically”. So you would have to ask a person what they mean by that! Once again, it is man’s way of trying to understand and study scripture in a way they can make sense of it.
You can look up further info on eschatology and orthopraxy .
I enjoy taking the time to look these things up to understand more about where people are coming from. I am not saying that all the ideas listed on these links are “correct” but it does help you to understand what people are talking about!
God desires for us to understand and evaluate His Word from beginning to end. He always “backs himself up”. Our only “interpreter” is supposed to be the Holy Spirit. He will teach and guide us to understand God’s Word. We are to be taught by the Spirit and not by man. John 14:26 & 1 John 2:27
We should always be evaluating what any “person” tells us regarding scripture with God’s Word. It will help you to learn to discern whether people are giving you their opinion or actually sharing what God’s Word says.
Thanks for the great discussion!
Sunday, October 08, 2006
First Recital!
My three oldest children had their first music rectial this weekend. It was an informal event as most of the kids have only been taking lessons with this teacher for 6-12 months. She wanted them to get used to playing in front of people before making it a formal event! They will have their formal recital in April 2007.
All the kids were a bit nervous with this new adventure. My oldest was first in the line up, so she was extra nervous! They all did well! It was a small crowd of mainly immediate and extended family--everyone was encouraging of course!
The actual playing time for all 8 children was only about 15 minutes! We had a nice time visiting afterward with the other families.
The Lord has truly blessed us to be able to take lessons from this teacher who happens to be in my homeschool support group. She has been wonderful with the kids and they are loving their lessons.
We look forward to all the wonderful music the children will be learning for the next recital!
Mee-Maw (my mom) gave the kids flowers as they each finished their songs. She had my youngest son hand them out. She also got one flower for him!
This is our entertainer! (He just has to pull his socks up all the way....)
All the kids were a bit nervous with this new adventure. My oldest was first in the line up, so she was extra nervous! They all did well! It was a small crowd of mainly immediate and extended family--everyone was encouraging of course!
The actual playing time for all 8 children was only about 15 minutes! We had a nice time visiting afterward with the other families.
The Lord has truly blessed us to be able to take lessons from this teacher who happens to be in my homeschool support group. She has been wonderful with the kids and they are loving their lessons.
We look forward to all the wonderful music the children will be learning for the next recital!
Mee-Maw (my mom) gave the kids flowers as they each finished their songs. She had my youngest son hand them out. She also got one flower for him!
This is our entertainer! (He just has to pull his socks up all the way....)Saturday, October 07, 2006
Mystery Dinner Fun!
My oldest daughter attended her first Mystery Dinner this past Friday hosted by our local homeschool group. Last year, she and I both helped as servers, but this year she was able to "attend" and be part of the fun as a 7th grader.
This is an event that our group hosts each year for our 7th-12th grade children. The parents and graduated teens (of our families) are the ones who put on the event. It is always a blast!
This year the theme was Pirates of the Caribbean. We decorated with "pirate" chests with "jewels, gold and silver", "gold" coins on the tables, etc. Many of the kids and parents dressed up in a pirate theme. Prizes were given for the best costumes (voted on by the kids). They all had a wonderful time!
In case you are wondering what a Mystery Dinner is.... it is a dinner where there is a menu written using names related to your theme (pirates). The kids fill out an order card for 4 items from the menu for each of the 3 courses. They don't know what they are ordering! Utensils are included in the choices, so there is always the chance that you may receive messy food without anything to eat it with! It is always great fun to see how they react when they get their food. The food this year was Mexican themed with additional items like salad, fruit, pudding and brownies.
Here are a few pictures of the event!
This is an event that our group hosts each year for our 7th-12th grade children. The parents and graduated teens (of our families) are the ones who put on the event. It is always a blast!
This year the theme was Pirates of the Caribbean. We decorated with "pirate" chests with "jewels, gold and silver", "gold" coins on the tables, etc. Many of the kids and parents dressed up in a pirate theme. Prizes were given for the best costumes (voted on by the kids). They all had a wonderful time!
In case you are wondering what a Mystery Dinner is.... it is a dinner where there is a menu written using names related to your theme (pirates). The kids fill out an order card for 4 items from the menu for each of the 3 courses. They don't know what they are ordering! Utensils are included in the choices, so there is always the chance that you may receive messy food without anything to eat it with! It is always great fun to see how they react when they get their food. The food this year was Mexican themed with additional items like salad, fruit, pudding and brownies.
Here are a few pictures of the event!
My daughter in her "pirate" outfit--not too piratey but she looked cute anyway!
The whole gang!
My daughter and her friend filling out their menus!
Friday, October 06, 2006
"One Word Game"
My friend posted this on her blog and now I am doing the same. Here's what I want you to do. Describe me in ONE WORD... just one word! Reply in comments section. Then you can email it to your friends or post on your blog to see what your friends say about you. I tag anyone who happens to read this blog!
Try to be nice though! :)
Try to be nice though! :)
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