A few Household Hints and tips

~Place a apple in the potato bag to help keep the potatoes from budding.

~A easy mess free way to mix meat loaf, use a potato masher.

~If your brown sugar is hardened, put in a slice of bread it will soften it back up.

~To prevent red tomato stains in plastic mixing bowls first spray the bowl with nonstick cooking spray.

~You can substitute half applesauce for the vegetable oil in your baking recipes.

~Accidentally over-salt a dish? Drop a peeled potato into it while it is still cooking, it will help absorb excess salt.

~To get yeast dough to rise faster turn the oven on just long enough to warm it up, then place the bowl of rising dough in the oven.

A Morning Walk= Random Photos

A few day's ago I took a morning walk around our property. We have recently been making trails though the back woods so I enjoyed walking on them. It was a beautiful morning with many different birds filling the air with lovely song. I took along our camera and was able to capture a few photos along the way. :)

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

Red berries covering a tree in our yard.

Beautiful colored leaves.

Florida Pines.

This cactus grows by our greenhouse,

the fruit is edible.

Fallen oak leaves and acorns.

The Victor: Jesus Christ

The Victor: Jesus Christ

His be the Victor's name,
Who fought the fight alone!
Triumphant saints no honor claim-
His conquest was their own.

By weakness and defeat
He won the meed and crown;
Trod all our foes beneath His feet
By being trodden down.

Bless, bless the Conqueror slain-
Slain in His victory.
He lived; He died: he lives again,
For thee, His Church, for thee.

-Author Unknown

Uber Amazing Blog Award

Thank you so very much Stepheny for giving this award to me!!! :)

I now pass on the award to:


Mrs. Wilwerding from: eHomebody
Lydia from: Pearls Gleanings
Sarah from: As Lilies Sewing
Sara from: Simply Sanctified
A Heart 4 My Home
Anna from Ever, Only all for Thee


The Rules for this award are:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate Blogs that you think are super.
3. Let them know that you have given them this Uber Amazing Blog Award by commenting on their blog.
4. Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from.

Delicious Vegetable-Sausage Soup

We have made this soup many times and everyone loves it. :) It is very simple to put together and the ingredients are pretty basic, which is a A+ with me! I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

Vegetable-Sausage Soup

3 cups beef broth
1 14 1/2-ounce can stewed tomatoes, cut up
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon parsley
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced zucchini or yellow summer squash
1 1/2 cups uncooked rotini

In a large saucepan combine the beef broth, un-drained cut stewed tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, basil and parsley.

In skillet, cook the Italian sausage until no longer pink. Drain off fat.

Cook the sliced carrots, garlic and onion in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover bottom of pan. Cook until carrots are tender. Do not drain.

Cook rotini or Macaroni, until tender, drain. Also cook the summer squash or zucchini. Add everything to the beef broth mixture.

Heat soup through. Serve hot. Enjoy!!! :)

Bug Parade

Every Winter, (usually in December) we have a flower bush in our yard that blooms. Several days ago while enjoying the lovely white flowers, I was struck by the many insects that there were buzzing around. :) I attempted to capture a few photos but because our camera is relatively new, (the camera I used to use gave out a few months back) some of the photos turned out a little blurry since I have not figured out all of the settings yet. But I had fun anyway, and here are the results.

A yellow jacket and honey bee.

A black and white wasp.

I found this bug to be interesting, apparently it preys upon the bees, wasps etc. that come to the flowers. Here it is eating a honey bee.

Yet another wasp.

A black, brown and yellow striped wasp.

Two flowers, two bees. :)

THIS IS MY FATHER'S WORLD

This is my Father's world,
and to my listening ears
all nature sings, and round me rings
the music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world:
I rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world,
the birds their carols raise,
the morning light, the lily white,
declare their Maker's praise.
This is my Father's world:
He shines in all that's fair;
in the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father's world.
O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father's world:
why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!

A Perfect Blend of Friendship Award

"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24

I was so honored to receive this award from A Heart 4 My Home Thank you so very very much! :) Well, I'm supposed to answer a few questions before I pass on the award.....:)

1. Do you have the same friends since childhood?

Yes, I've grown up with my best friends, my family. [smile] Outside my family I do have some friends that I have had since I was really young. :)

2. What do you value most about your friends?

Their love, honesty, patience, understanding, & thoughtfulness.

3. Are your friends your sounding boards?

Umm, sometimes, but not often.

4. What is your favorite activity to share with your friends?

Writing them, either through snail mail or emails, playing games, talking..etc.

And now passing this award on to three friends:

Lydia from: Pearls Gleanings
Sarah from: As Lilies Sewing
Ruth Ann, I know you don't have a blog but I wanted to give this award to you anyway. :)

I could pass this award to many more, but I'm only supposed to give it to five people. :( I have been so happy to meet many new friends through blogging, Thank you for the friendship you have shown me! May the Lord bless you all!

Day by Day

Grand Canyon, stock photo.

Day by Day

Charge not thyself with the weight of a year,
Child of the Master, faithful and dear:
Choose not the cross for the coming week,
For that is more than He bids thee seek.

Bend not thine arms for tomorrow's load;
Thou mayest leave that to they gracious God.
"Daily," only He saith to thee,
"Take up thy cross and follow Me."

-Author Unknown

Happy Thanksgiving!

May you and your family have a blessed Thanksgiving!

"Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?"

~Psalm 106:1-2

African Violets

Of all the many different kinds of house plants that there are to be had, I think that the African Violet is definitely my favorite. :) I recently bought a new plant, and was delighted that it has kept blooming after it's initial blooms from when I first bought it.

When I was younger, I had several violet plants but though they always seemed healthy enough, I never could get them to bloom very often, if any. So with this new plant I decided to look up more about the African Violets to find out what I had done wrong in the past. I’ve found a lot of great information from a book called “African Violets & Flowering Houseplants”, Published by Ortho Books. And after following some of the instructions, I have been successful as I mentioned above to keep the new plant blooming. :)

Leaf cuttings in water. I still need to cut the stems.

A Leaf cutting started in soil.
(Used yogurt cups make great starting containers.)

Some Information on How to Start New African Violet Plants:

To start new African violet plant from a leaf cutting, cut off a mature leaf from the middle of the plant. African Violets can be rooted in either water or soil. If you rooting the plant in water, first shorten the stem until it is between 1/2 and 1 inch in length, place the stem in a small jar and filled with water up to the base of the leaf. Plant in soil when the roots reach a little less then an inch long.

To root in soil set the stem in as shallow as possible on an angle (about 1/2 inch deep.) Cover with a clear plastic bag for the first week or so. The little plantlets grow at the base of the leaf and are ready to divide and pot in two or more months.

When the new plants are about 1 to 2 inches high, remove them from the pot. The mother leaf can be thrown away. Make sure that each plantlet gets it’s own pot and also that they are separated when small, otherwise the new plant will not grow well.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

Praise to the Lord,

The Almighty, the King of creation!

O my soul, praise Him,

For He is thy health and salvation!

All ye who hear,

Now to His temple draw near;

Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord,

Who over all things so wondrously reigneth,

Shelters thee under His wings,

Yea, so gently sustaineth!

Hast thou not seen

How all your longings have been

Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord,
Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness
And mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew
What the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord,

O let all that is in me adore Him!

All that hath life and breath,

Come now with praises before Him.

Let the AmenSound from His people again,

Gladly for aye we adore Him.

~Faith~

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
~Hebrews 11:1

"Faith expects from God what is beyond all expectation."

~ Andrew Murray

New England Style Clam Chowder

One of my personal favorite soups is clam chowder, I recently found this recipe which was a little different then ones that I have tried before. It turned out really well, so I thought I would share the recipe. Hope you all enjoy! :)

New England Style Clam Chowder

2 6.5 oz. cans chopped clams
6 slices bacon, minced
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons flour
5 med potatoes, peeled and diced
4 1/2 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 tsp. dill
1 1/2 tsp. parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender. Cook bacon and onion until done, drain most of the grease. Add the butter, clams, oregano, dill and parsley, flour and milk to the drained potatoes, then add the bacon and onion mixture as well. Heat through. Serve hot with oyster crackers.

God Hears and Answers Prayer

"Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee" (Job 22:27).

"But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him" (Psalm 4:3).

"This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles" (Psalm 34:6, 15, 17).

"Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me" (Psalm 50:15).

"O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come" (Psalm 65:2).

"He shall call upon me, and I will answer him" (Psalm 91:15).

"He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them" (Psalm 145:19).

"The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous" (Proverbs 15:29).

"He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee" (Isaiah 30:19).

"Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am" (Isaiah 58:9).

"And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24).

"Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you" (Jeremiah 29:12).

"They shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God" (Zechariah 13:9).

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:7, 8, 11).

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive" (Matthew 21:22).

"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7).

"And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:23, 24).

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (John 14:13, 14).

"And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:15, 16).

"And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight" (1John 3:22).

"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death" (1John 5:14-16).

I've been tagged!

Awhile back I was tagged by Stepheny to write six random things about myself:

1. My middle name is Joy. :)

2. I love Chinese food!

3. I collect tea cups, teapots, and books.

4. I have naturally curly hair.

5. Thrift stores are my favorite places to shop. (Hobby Lobby and Michael's are other favorites.)

6. The strangest thing I've ever eaten is rattlesnake and alligator. We found the rattlesnake in our driveway a few weeks ago. The alligator came pre-packaged. lol!

Here are the Rules:

Link the Person that tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Write six random things about yourself.
Tag six more people. Let them know you tagged them.

I now tag:

Pearls Gleanings
Ever Only All for Thee
Simply Sanctified
Every Joyful

The Cooks Encyclopedia of Baking

The Cooks Encyclopedia of Baking by Carole Clements is one of my absolute favorite cookbook!! I have checked it out of the library numerous times and was so excited when I received it as a gift from a dear friend. (thank you so much Ruth Ann!!. :)

It has simple instructions and step by step photos as well as pictures of the finished food. Almost all the recipes use very basic ingredients that most people have on hand, which is a big plus with me. :) One thing that I don't like is looking though a recipe book only to find that the recipe I want to make requires one or more items that we normally don't have in the cabinet and would mean a trip to the store.

There is plenty of great recipes to choose from cookies & bars to muffins & yeast breads, cakes, pies and more. It includes such favorites as Shoo fly Pie, and Shortbread. Some of the recipes that I have posted in the past have come from this cookbook including: Chocolate Chip Walnut Loaf, and Chocolate Frosted Butter Cake :) There are still plenty of recipes that I'm looking forward to making! This season of the year just puts me in a mood for baking! :)

The Great I Am

God reveals Himself as the great "I Am", and the Lord Jesus, again and again, during the time of His ministry on earth, spake of Himself as "I Am". Now, people almost always tell us what they are and how they feel. Some say, "I am so ignorant!"; some. "I am so sinful"; some," I am so stupid"; or "I am so timid." But when the Holy Spirit takes possession of us, He shuts up all the "I am" of our nature, and turns us to the one great "I Am", and in which we take our place by the side of Paul, and say, "I am nothing"; or go down even lower to Him Who was "meek and lowly in heart", and say, "I can of mine own self do nothing" (John 5:30).

Yield yourself unreservedly to Him. You say, " I am weak"; and you are; but the true "I Am" joins on to that name of His, "the Almighty God". Where is He Almighty? Where He dwells. Just let the Holy Spirit come into you and dwell within you, then His Almightiness walks about with you wherever you go. If Satan tempts you to the old sin, there is Almightiness dwelling in Him Who dwells in you, and surely you need not doubt whether the temptation shall be overcome or not. God is equal to it, though you are not. Shall the "I am" or our self-life be that of Paul, "I am crucified with Christ"? There is an end of me, and end of all my complaining of myself, an end of that old song of what I am-"I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live.".

~E. Baxter

God Moves in Mysterious Ways

God moves in mysterious ways:
His wonders to perform:
he plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs,
And works His Sovereign will.

Ye fearful Saint, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purpose will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And see His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter
And He will make it plain.

-Willliam Crowper

Bible Quiz

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Tim. 2:15

Some time ago at our Wednesday night Bible study, we did this Bible quiz, which was fun and interesting. You are not supposed to use your Bible while taking the quiz, just do it from memory. Of course some the questions are very simple while others are a little more difficult. I thought I would share it on here since we had a good time with it. :) If you print it out it would make a nice Sunday afternoon or evening activity. :) I will try to post the answers in a couple of weeks. :)

1. What is the longest book in the Bible?
2. Who wrote the Acts of the Apostles?
3. Which book says, “The wages of sin is death”
4. How many people were on Noah’s Ark?
5. What is the Golden Rule?
6. Put in chronological order: Daniel, Noah, Paul, Moses and David.
7. How many books are there in the Bible?
9. Who were the first two people?
10. Name the Ten Commandments.
11. Who was the brother of Jacob?
12. Who wrote Psalm 23?
13. Name three of Jesus’ Parables.
14. How many epistles were written by John?
15. Was Luke: a fisherman , an apostle, a doctor or a shepherd?
16. Which tribe did Moses belong to?
17. Is Daniel in the Old or the New Testament?
18. In what language was the New Testament written?
19. Who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”?
20. True or false: James and John were brothers.
21. Who were the three patriarchs?
22. Put in chronological order: Temple, Church, Tower of Babel, Tabernacle.
23. What did Jesus say were the two greatest commandments?
24. Name the first three kings of Israel.
25. Give the name of at least one angel.
26. Who wrote the Book of Deuteronomy?
27. Did Jesus feed 4,000 or 5,000 people with loaves and fishes?
28. How many Minor Prophets are there?
29. Which book says, “I am the resurrection and the life”?
30. Was Matthew: a carpenter, a centurion, a tax collector, or a priest?
31. Which Gospel records Jesus turning the water into wine?
32. Is the Book Hezekiah in the Old or the New Testament?
33. Was David: a prophet, a shepherd, a soldier, a musician, or a king?
34. What are the three divisions of the Old Testament?
35. Put in chronological order: Jeremiah, Elijah, Samuel, Peter, Isaiah.
36. Which is the greatest: hope, love or faith?
37. Which Gospel has the Parable of the Good Samaritan?
38. Put in chronological order: Sarah, Lydia, Ruth, Mary, Eve, and Esther.
39. Which book says, “I am the Good Shepherd”?
40. Who could enter the Holy of Holies: Moses, a priest, an apostle, the High Priest.
41. We are saved by faith, good works, or faith and good works?
42. What is the Pentateuch?
43. Which Gospel records the Parable of the Prodigal Son?
44. Which book says, “Wives, submit to your husbands. Husband, love your wives”?
45. Who was Jesus’ mother?
46. Which book says: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved”?
47. Who was the strongest man to ever live: Hercules, Samson, or Goliath?
48. Who baptized Jesus?
49. Give a verse that teaches the doctrine of the Trinity.
50. Name the twelve tribes of Israel.
51. Who was the oldest person in the Bible?
52. What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
53. Name the five Books of Moses.
54. Who wrote the Book of Revelation?
55. Give three names or titles for Satan.
56. What kind of meat was eaten at the Passover?
57. Which book tells us the life of Samson?
58. What was the first language the Bible was translated into?
59. What is the shortest verse in the Bible?
60. Name the twelve apostles.
61. Put in chronological order: the Dispersion, the Crucifixion, the Flood the Babylonian
Captivity, and the Exodus.
62. Name someone who went to Heaven without dying.
63. Who will be raised from the dead: all men, Christians only or angels?
64. True or false: We are saved by being baptized in water.
65. Name the Books of the New Testament.
66. Name three of Christ’s miracles.
67. Which book says, “Spare the rod and spoil the child”?
68. In what language was the Old Testament written?
69. Is the Book of Hebrews in the Old or the New Testament?
70. Put in chronological order the nations that held Israel captive: Greece, Egypt, Babylon,
Rome, Assyria, and Persia.
71. Christ means: Master, High Priest, Anointed, Savior, Lord, or Redeemer?
72. Where are the 10 Commandments located in the Bible?
73. Who wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes?
74. Which book says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth”?
75. Which tribe of Israel did Jesus belong to?
76. Name 3 of Israel’s feasts or festivals.
77. Who was the greatest man before Jesus: David, Abraham, Solomon, John the Baptist,
Moses or Adam?
78. Which book mentions the handwriting on the wall?
79. Who was Caesar when Jesus was born: Herod, Caesar Augustus, Pilate, Nero, or Julius
Caesar?
80. True or false: Moses led Israel into the Promised Land.
81. Give a Bible verse that explicitly says that Jesus is God.
82. Which Gospel mentions the Star of Bethlehem?
83. Name the four Gospels.

Colors of the Season

Inspired by my good friend Lydia and her advice on: "Beautifying Our Homes With Flowers," I decided to give her suggestion a try and bring some color indoors! :) Since we have plenty of wild flowers growing behind the house right now I had no problem with getting enough for all my arrangements with some left over to dry. I have never done very much with flower arranging, so these efforts were more of an experiment, but it was fun trying out different ways of putting the flowers together. :) Thanks for the inspiration Lydia! :)

All the flowers :)

Various Containers for arrangements.

The pitcher arrangement.

Purple and Green

Nothing fancy, but at least it's nice and bright it's now on

my desk helping to make my room more colorful. :)

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." Psalm 68:19

Savory Ham

This recipe, which I found it in an old cookbook from the 1940's, has become a great favorite of mine. It's simple to prepare and the lemon juice and seasonings lend a wonderful flavor to the ham. Although the recipe says to marinate it for two hours, there have been times when I put it together right before supper with out letting it sit, and it still turned out well. The recipe below only serves 4, so I usually double or triple it so we can have leftovers.

The ham marinating.

Savory Ham

8 slices cold cooked ham
Juice of 2 lemons
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. natural unrefined sugar
1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. minced parsley

Blend all ingredients except the ham. Place ham in deep dish or bowl and pour lemon mixture over all, coating well. Set aside in the refrigerator for two hours to marinate, basting the ham occasionally with the liquid in the dish. In a skillet saute the ham in a little hot butter, heat liquid in what butter remains and pour over ham. Serve hot.

Romans 11:33-36

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor? Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

My favorite Bread Cookbook

Bread, The Breads of the World and How to Bake them at Home by Christine Ingram and Jennie Shapter

I received this cookbook as a gift several years ago. As the title suggests it has many wonderful bread recipes from around the world. The first half of the book gives fascinating history and information about the bread, including topics such as: the history of bread, grains and milling, ingredients for bread making, techniques, and bread making equipment. Full of color photos and many step-by-step instructions. :)

Some of the different country breads that are included:

-British
-French
-Mediterranean
-North European and Scandinavian
-America
-India and the Middle East

The book also has a resource listing in the back for various flour mills, bakeries and food stores for shopping for bread and flour in several different countries.

I have used this cookbook often and have enjoyed trying out new recipes. In fact I just tried a new one yesterday called "Grant Loaves" What was neat about it is that it required no kneading and only thirty minutes to rise. :) I may share the recipe sometime.

Do you have a favorite bread cookbook? I would love to hear about it! :)

five things I love

A while back I got tagged to list "five things I love, excluding family" from Mrs. Wilwerding from eHomebody and also Lydia from Pearls Gleanings. Thank you both! :) Sorry I have not done it sooner. :) That said, here is my list:)

1. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and His Holy Word, "We love him, because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19 As the song by John Westley says: "Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?" Amazing grace!! "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 Praise His Holy Name! "I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1

2. Baking and cooking, especially trying out new recipes. My favorites are the simple yet delicious ones that use common ingredients that we normally have on hand. Hopefully I can share some of my favorite cookbooks soon.

3. Creation Science and learning more about God's awe-inspiring creation. I am always excited learning new things about the different amazing animals, plants, insects, birds, sea life, stars, planets etc. etc. :) I also enjoy spending time outdoors. Going on picnics, hiking, boating, gardening, etc.

4. Reading and collecting good edifying books on a wide variety of subjects.

5. Watching all the beautiful butterflies that land on the flower bushes outside our kitchen widow while doing dishes. They help make a not-so-fun chore more pleasant. :) Most of the photos on my header were taken of the butterflies outside the window.

I now tag:

Steph's Blog

Beautiful Grace
Under Southern Skies

Jerushanna's Blog

Little Dino, or random photo :)

Little Dino :)

I took this random photo awhile back, these lizards are very common in this part of the country. :)

~Direction from the Lord~

~ "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way" Psalm 37:23.

~"He will be our guide even unto death" Psalm 48:14.

~"In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" Proverbs 3:6.

~"The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way" Proverbs 11:5.

~"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps" Proverbs 16:9.

~"And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them" Isaiah 42:16.

Go to the Master

"Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD He is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else." Deuteronomy 4:39

We need in our daily life walk to be influenced directly by the Truth Himself, not by what someone thinks about it. Get your marching orders, strength and comfort from the Master Himself!

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5

No parking zone

A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter. So he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: "I have circled the block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES." When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note. "I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket, I'll lose my job. LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION."

Oh! To Be Like Thee

....To be conformed to the image of His Son. Rom 8:29

OH! TO BE LIKE THEE

Oh! to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,Jesus,
Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Refrain:
Oh! to be like Thee, oh! to be like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

Oh! to be like Thee, full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wand’ring sinner to find.

Oh! to be like Thee, lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer, others to save.

Oh! to be like Thee, Lord, I am coming,
Now to receive th’ anointing divine;
All that I am and have I am bringing,Lord,
from this moment all shall be Thine.

Oh! to be like Thee, while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love,
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

-Thomas O. Chisholm

We sang this beautiful hymn a few Sunday's ago, and I thought I would share it. :) By the way, does anyone have a favorite Song/Hymn Book that you use? My favorite is probably Hymns of Faith published by Tabernacle Publishing Company. :)

Changed By Beholding Him

by Newton C. Conant

Great prominence is given in the Word of God to the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ. The four Gospels, which are the record of His earthly life, contain eighty-nine chapters out of two hundred and sixty chapters in the New Testament. The fact that His life is set forth so prominently in the Scriptures is sufficient reason to believe that God would have every believer meditate upon the matchless life of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will teach us much needed truth by a prayerful consideration of the life our Lord.

In the book, Changed by Beholding Him, the writer encourages us to focus our attention on Christ, to meditate on Him, and to continually behold His glory in the Word of God. By doing, we will be transformed into His image, changed into His likeness.

–From the back cover and inside review

Chocolate Chip Walnut Loaf

I'm sorry that it's been awhile since I last posted! Things have been so busy lately that I've been having a hard time keeping up. Well, anyway, :) I thought I would share this recipe that I made a while back and will certainly be making again, since we all enjoyed it, plus it was easy to mix up. :)

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
9 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
grated rind of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and cornstarch, set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the butter until soft. Add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the eggs 1 at a time, beat thoroughly. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Fold in the walnuts, lemon rind, and chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the a greased 81/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy! :)

The Significance of God's Word

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

We simply must recognize the utter Significance
and bearing that God's Holy Word and truth has on our daily
lives! It is in every way relevant to our everyday practical
lives, showing us therein the blessed paths of
righteousness. In this blessed Word,
God our Teacher must be!