Choosing Life...

Hello All!

How was your weekend?

Ours was wonderful.

We had a lovely church service

and then we came home and had a great big lunch.

I thought I was going to get to rest 

through the afternoon,

but then my hubby noticed my 

cabinets were coming off the wall

in the kitchen, so... my rest became work...

(Smiles)

After taking everything out of my cabinets,

and wiping things down,

my hubby was able to fix and 

make my cabinets stronger!

So, this morning after the glue was dry

I put things back into the cabinets.

And rearranged my decor on top of the cabinets.

I have all ready accomplished a lot 

since I got up this morning!

I LOVE productive days, don't you?

Any who....moving right along...

*********

I'd like to share a little thought

 I have been pondering on today,

if you wouldn't mind...

Today I choose life!

As Jesus died for you and me,

He chose a life for a life.

Amazing, huh?

So, why not choose Life!

Life is a blessing...

You only have one life

better make it count!

I choose to live and work and have

 my being in You- Lord!

Instead of looking at all that I don't have, 

I choose to look at all that You have blessed me with-

an amazing husband and best friend, 

children that I cherish,

a warm and cozy home,

a wonderful family, great friends,

clothes on my back, food in our bellies

Oh...the list is endless....

Thank you so much for being in and of my life, 

today and every day!

I cling to you Lord, 

each and every moment.

Live through me!!

I hope you have a great and delightful week!

Thank you so much for stopping by...

HUGS & BLESSINGS,

It's Canning Time...

Can you guess what I have been up too?

I've been canning...

Above, I made up 3 batches of Strawberry Freezer Jam

This is the recipe we used:

strawberry freezer jam recipe

We made up a couple batches of Plum Jelly

This is our most favorite flavor!

Then I made up a batch of Pear Butter.

This is very tasty and it's even good just by the spoonful!

Pear Jelly...

Finally we canned several batches of tomatoes!

We still need to make and can salsa,

so hopefully we can get that done before the end of the month.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

News from the homestead:

We are getting things cleaned and ready for our 

Home School Harvest Party.

Been cleaning out drawers in the kitchen

Got our wood stove cleaned 

and lit first fire...

it's been getting rather chilly at night here!

Cleaned and rearranged living room 

with help from my youngest son.

Harvesting whats left in our greenhouse.

Studying David with my oldest for his Bible time

My two younger boys got baptized this past Sunday!!

God is Good!

What are you plans this week?

Thank you so much for stopping by...

Prayer in Hard Times...

Good Day to you all!

 Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by.

I am so grateful you are here!

(Smiles)

Have you all noticed that hard times are here

and it seems as though they don't ever leave?

I have been doing a lot of praying for a lot of

 people including for myself and my family.

A lot of people are hurting and/or

 going through yet another trial.

I have close friends that are not well in their health,

some are fighting cancer, some have unknown illnesses

and some are struggling with depression.

We are all being hit with one thing or another.

So, I have been going through 

a study on hard times and trials.

I have found quite a few scriptures that

 I would like to share with you today.

Sometimes, just seeing the words written down 

just helps and reassures you that 

God is with you through it all.

Don't give up... Hope is there!

God is there!

So, grab your bible and follow along if you'd like.

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles; 

they shall run and not be weary

 and shall walk  and not faint.

Lamentations 3:22-23

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed,

because his compassion's fail not.

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Ephesians 2:10

For we are his workmanship, 

created in Christ Jesus unto good works,

which God hath before ordained 

that we should walk in them.

Matthew 19:26

But Jesus beheld them,

and said unto them,

with men this is impossible,

but with God all things are POSSIBLE.

Romans 12:12

Rejoicing in hope;

patient in tribulation;

continuing instant in prayer.

Romans 5:3-4

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:

knowing that tribulation worketh patience.

And patience, experience;

and experience, hope.

2 Timothy 4:17

Not worth standing the Lord stood with me,

and strengthened me; that by me

the preaching might be fully known

and that all the Gentiles might hear:

and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion.

Don't let the enemy try to rob you 

of what God has all ready given you!

When life gets to tough to stand...KNEEL!!

I found this song on You Tube and I thought

 it was perfect to go with this post.

Click HERE to listen!

I'm Praying for each and everyone of you!

HUGS AND BLESSINGS,

The Blessing of Sharing...

The Blessings of Sharing

Only what we give away 

Enriches us from day to day

For not in getting but in giving

Is found the lasting joy of living,

For no one ever had a part

In sharing treasures of the heart

Who did not feel the impact of

The magic mystery of God's Love.

Love alone can make us kind

And give us joy and peace of mind,

So live with joy unselfishly,

And you'll be blessed abundantly.

By: Helen Steiner Rice

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This is the season to give to others that are struggling.

Pay it Forward and just be a blessing to someone if you can!

We are all so blessed...

I have shown you in every way,

 by laboring like this,

that you must support the weak.  

And to remember the

words of the Lord Jesus, that he said,

It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Acts 20:35

Have a delightful week!

Prayer Training...

Good Morning All!

Has was your week?

It's been a busy week here, but then again it appears as we are all the time.

I personally would like the busyness to settle down

 and that I can enjoy being at home more.

Yes, being a Keeper of my Home, does still keep me busy 

and I still have things to do outside of my 4 walls.

I have been doing a lot of praying lately and it seems 

to be something I need often.

Do you have a specific prayer time?

Or do you pray through out the day?

I have been training my children on the importance of Prayer.

To start our mornings we have

Prayer time and we dig into scriptures.

We are studying the Fruits of the Spirit this month.  

The boys love it and it teaches them to where they can understand it.

Reading your Bibles is a must!

Another way I have taught them to pray is by using Nature.

When we are in the mountains, we pray as we walk and hike.

Thanking God for His amazing creation.

Another thing with boys I noticed is

I need to keep the prayers short.

Pray specifically for something, 

but don't draw it out into this long prayer.

They tend to get a bit antsy!

In the past, I have had my boys make prayer lists.

Anybody they want to pray for.

It can be a few people or a few simple things that need prayer.

We remember to pray for others, friends, family, people on the street.

Anyone my kids see that needs lifted up.

My youngest son, always finds 

that special someone to pray for!

I've taught them to Praise Jesus often!

Don't just ask God for something, 

Thank Him for what we all ready have!

This is a huge one!  We are all so Blessed!

Pray out loud, separate and as a family!

The devil hates it when we pray aloud!

Sing your prayers and speak them loudly!

Start a Prayer Chain with your kids

Get them motivated to write!

Use this as part of their school.

I do and my boys like to have a prayer list!

Sometimes they need a visual...

Teaching your kids to Pray is HUGE!

Grow their Faith!

And watch them grow in leaps and bounds...

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach 

and admonish one another with all wisdom, 

and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs

 with gratitude in your hearts to God. 

And whatever you do, do it all in the name 

of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father through him.

-The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Colossians

Is there something you have taught your kids on Prayer?

Please Share...

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Hugs and Blessings,

Trusting...

What does it mean to put your trust in someone or something?

Well, if you look up the word Trust it means:

To Have Confidence In

To Be Bold

To Be Secure

To Feel Safe

To confide in one another

to set one's hope and confidence upon anyone.

Do you have trust issues with someone?

I love this scripture:

TRUST in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5

WOW!

Do you put all of your trust into God?

Sometimes it's hard to fully put trust in someone

 and for all the unseens out there.

I love it that I don't have to worry about what tomorrow brings 

or to the unknown future.  

God all ready knows the outcome

and we should lean on Him and Trust Him no matter

what our worry is.

God's all ready there and he is protecting us and

keeping us safe from whatever lies ahead.

You just have to TRUST in Him fully!

Are you being Bold?

Take a step in Faith and Trust in Him

and step outside of your Comfort Zone!

God doesn't want you to stay confined to a small box!

There is a great big world out there, 

waiting for you to take that step!

Do you feel secure?

Do you feel safe?

Well, with God you should!

He is not here to harm us, but to love us unconditionally!

Just put all of your Trust into Him

and He will do the rest!

I hope you all take the time to really press in 

and see what God is doing within your lives!

He's Moving.... Are You?

In His Grace,

Don't Forget...

Wither means to forget, to cease of care, 

to leave something, lack of water.

Do you ever forget or ignore 

God's benefits he has for you?

What do you let wither away in your heart?

What are you neglecting to water?

Praise the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all His benefits.

Psalm 103:2

The Lord told me that day I was

 standing on the mountain top 

searching for my son to

 "Never doubt for I Am with you".

That day changed my life.

We should never forget the blessings and the benefits

 the Lord has for each one of us.

He shows me daily of all the 

love and grace I have in my life.

We need to be drenched in His Word daily.

Or we too will wither and die.

May the Lord's Word fill you up

 until you are overflowing!

Hugs and Blessings,

On My Knees...

Praise the Lord, Oh my soul;

all my inmost being,

Praise his holy name.

Psalm 103:1

Did you know that this scripture means

 we should kneel down before the Lord?

Praise the Lord, O my soul

and all that is within me.

Adore Him, 

Kneel before Him, 

Don't complain,

 Don't question,

Never doubt, 

Don't resist,

Don't ignore

But, Worship and Adore Him!

Praise the Lord, O my soul

and all that is within me.

Worship the Lord...

Not my children, 

Not my husband,

Not my stuff,

Not myself,

Not my lifestyle,

Worship the Lord Only!

Praise the Lord, O my soul

and all that is within me.

I was apart of an amazing bible study for the month 

of November and this is what I learned

 just from this very first verse.

Our God is a truly Amazing God,

He love us and Adores us.

We should do the same for Him.

May your week be truly blessed!

Hugs and Blessings,

Color Time...

I love to color!  I mean who doesn't, right?

My boys will still set down at the table and 

color a new picture for the fridge.

It brings color and a memory to our Home!

I save almost all of my boys Art work.  

We have a lot of Art work from over the years, 

so I pick out the best ones and keep them in a file.  

I love to be able to look back at their Art and see how

 they have improved with each year they get older.

Each page colored or created brings 

a special memory to me.

One day when my boys are grown,

 these special pictures

 will hold a special place in my heart.  

They were made with Love!  

I have a picture of my boys hand prints 

we made when they were younger

and we put this poem inside the frame:

Every day I am exploring

Touching everything I've found

I leave behind my little marks

and hand prints all around

You clean up those hand prints

But someday when I'm grown

You'll wish you had just one

hand print to keep for your own

I made this hand print for you

so that one day when I am tall

You'll remember what my hand looks like

Long ago when I was small.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's how I feel even now about

 all the pages they have colored,

because one day those too will become few.

Cherish those moments!

Remember the little things!

And don't ever forget the memories made!

Happy Days!

Happy Fourth of July...

These are my son's boots...

Aren't they so Patriotic? 

We are so proud to be Americans

In this place of Freedom!

We need to continue to pray for our Country

before everything we have known is lost and forgotten.

One nation under God!

Always and Forever!

Remember who fought for our freedom

Say thank you to our soldiers, 

continue to pray for their safety!

Please be safe on this Holiday weekend!

And have a Happy Fourth of July!

In God We Trust!

Blessings,

Amy

Fun in the Mountains...

So, I promised I would get these pictures posted of our camping trip.

So, here you go!  Enjoy!

We all had a blast and we have lots of stories to tell.

I didn't take any pictures of our "Follow the Leader" hike, 

because I don't think the camera would have made it out alive!

Ha! Ha!

There were several deer right next to our camp

 and we were lucky enough to set and watch them graze each night.

Such amazing animals they are!

I took lots of pictures of the wildflowers!

I was trying out new settings on my camera.

I love this one, it's such a vibrant yellow!

It shouts Joy!

Isn't God's landscape just beautiful?!

My oldest son is trying his hand at gold panning.

He didn't strike it rich,

 but he found some really pretty rocks!

My middle son showing off the rock he climbed.

On one of the rock hikes, he slipped off and his 

big brother caught him with one hand before 

falling several feet down the mountain. 

Whew... that was intense for the moment!

 Thank God for big strong brothers!

And quick answered prayers!

My hubby, trying to catch some stream fish.

No luck... all the fish just disappeared!

Imagine that... Hee Hee!

And here's my youngest son showing off his rock climbing abilities.

He got smart and asked if he could tie a rope to the top

and use that as a safety guide to help him down!

He gets that from his mama! :)

And, that is our little mini vacation to the mountains.

And, still praising God for no BEARS!

I hope you enjoyed your visit

Come again....soon!

Blessings and Hugs,

Amy

A Special Tea Party...

Won't you join us for a cup of Tea?

This is a very special kind of tea party

To where you are all invited or maybe 

just your favorite stuffed animals!

My youngest son, 

Marshall LOVES tea parties!

He tells me the other day

"Mom I want to have a tea party 

for all my best friends"

So, he planned the day

with food and tea

And of course mom's best china!

He set the table to his liking

and the party began...

 He made sure each of his guests

 had a special spot at the table.

And he made them all his favorite sandwich

Plum Jelly!

 We of course had to have a candle burning...

His special guests love lunch by candlelight!

He made sure his best ever friend, 

Clifford sat right next to him!

Soooo Precious!

Tiny and Teeny are patiently 

waiting for their tea!

It's time to pour the tea,

He had to do it all by himself...

Clifford is all happy,

can't you tell...

Ruff, Ruff!

Now, to taste it, to see if it's just right!

He loves his tea cup that I bought 

just for his special tea parties!

And of course tea with me!

I think he had a wonderful tea party,

wouldn't you say?!

I hope you join us again soon!

What a fun day...

Now, time to do all the dishes...

A mother's work is never done

but oh my, the memories that were made 

were and are just PRICELESS!

See you later Alligators!

After while crocodiles!