Romans 9, an Introduction

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Mary

Romans 9 is one of those amazing passages that begs for deeper study. The book of Romans is Paul’s gospel message–his unveiling of the great mystery entrusted to him by God: justification by faith and salvation through Jesus Christ for the Gentiles! And where exactly does this leave the Jews, and their status as God’s “chosen people”? He answers that question too.

This is a difficult passage taken by itself. Many people have been led down the road of Calvinism by majoring on certain of its verses. I can’t over-emphasize the importance of studying the whole book of Romans in order to truly grasp the truth of Romans 9. At the very least…read chapters 9-11. Also important is the greater context of the passages referred to in the Old Testament. Paul makes this easy for us, by embellishing Romans 9-11 with many quotes from the Old Testament, that when read in their context, shed a great deal of light on chapter nine’s meaning.

J. Vernon McGee’s Thru The Bible series says this about the theme of Romans chapter 9:

“Israel defined; Israel identified; the choice of Israel in the sovereign purpose of God; the choice of Gentiles in the scriptural prophecies.”

Further, McGee writes of Romans 9-11:

“it deals with the eschatological, that is, the prophetic, section of the Bible that reveals God is not through with Israel. Now as we begin chapter 9, notice that this has to do with God’s past dealings with Israel. In chapter 10 we will see God’s present dealings with Israel and, in chapter 11, God’s future dealings with Israel as a nation…”

This post is intended as a very brief intro to this study…maybe there are others who read here who have often been puzzled at certain verses in this passage, verses that seem to lend credibility to the Calvinist’s claim that God created certain souls for hell and certain souls for heaven.  After all, Romans 9:21 sure seems to indicate as much:

“Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

But let me assure you, that the answers to these riddles are all to be found in God’s word, with just a little cross referencing. I hope you’ll be as blessed by this study as I have been.

Disclaimer: I am a woman, with no theology degree, with only a deep love for God’s word and a sincere desire to understand it. Differing stances on Romans 9, as we get into the series, will be welcome when accompanied by scripture references. Thank you!

Posted in Christianity, KJV Bible and Romans 9 | Leave a comment

The Homemaking Reward

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Mary

Bedtime StoryBeing a stay-at-home wife and mom is the best job ever. Can’t beat the commute! *Smile*

I’m thankful for the gift of time to pursue my own interests and ideals–as well as my husband’s, to enjoy my husband and children, to find joy inMay God Bless This Home making my home into a sanctuary. Every second, minute and hour.

I adore leafing through home-improvement magazines, gleaning simple ideas for making our abode more cozy. Same thing with cookbooks. Collecting great tried-and-trues from friends and loved ones is a must for my recipe box. And for fun crafts, family games and great themed-room ideas, Family Fun is a favorite!

With homemaking, you’re never done learning. So many skills and talents to perfect~fantastic things~all in the name of advancing your “career”. My own interests include cooking and baking, sewing,  homeschooling, frugality, nutrition, canning and kitchen gardens. I look forward to learning more in these areas and also in the areas of homesteading, budgeting, organizing, landscaping, candle making…

Problem solving your own dilemmas is the best reward for your challenge ratio there is! Depending on the size of your dilemma, it’s also a pretty good way to grow in the faith. Relying on God’s provision, dh’s salary and being as creative as I can be when stretching our dollars has made me a better individual, emotionally and spiritually.

I’d much rather be furthering my husband’s career than someone else’s, and thank God my husband feels the same way.

Perhaps most important to my sense of satisfaction is having an appreciative husband. Appreciation. It’s so important. We wives don’t get raises, or incentive plans. We love you, we love our children, but we do sometimes wonder if anyone notices all we do when so much of it all needs done again after a few hours.

Little ways my husband shows his appreciation:

  • He thanks God for me and for the food I’ve prepared, in his mealtime prayers.
  • He rinses the bathtub out after a bath. Consideration is tantamount to appreciation.
  • He almost always thanks me when pulling on a clean white t-shirt, loving the smell of bleached laundry!
  • He makes a great fuss over dessert…it’s no wonder I’m always baking around here…
  • He hangs out with me in the kitchen, or herds the children off to give me quiet time.
  • He tells me he could never do what I do (bless his heart!)

Little ways to make your home a sanctuary:

  • Leave your Bible out on an end table, or in the middle of the kitchen table. Someplace within easy reach, and be stretched, comforted, and inspired!
  • Books, stacked or on shelves, whisper of leisureclockbooks1.jpg and simplicity, of intelligent pursuits.
  • Every home needs a pendulum clock. The tick-tocking layers a perception of peace with time well spent.
  • Skip the overhead lights. Instead welcome evening by lighting a couple of lamps. This exudes warmth and hospitality, and begs exhausted husbands to kick their feet up and relax.
  • Keep tea and hot chocolate nearby, always ready for an impromptu tea party.
  • On the back of your stove, simmer orange slices with cinnamon sticks and breathe deeply. Later on, add apple cider mix to it, and call the family around!
  • Keep your children’s library books in a basket by the couch and make read-aloud time a priority each day.
  • Create an outdoor living area. It can be on your deck, patio, a corner of your backyard, or in the middle of a small flower garden. Two yard chairs and a table, ta-da!French Doors

Now it’s your turn. What makes you feel appreciated? What does “cozy” look like to you? What home project currently engages you?

And to all my working mom friends, you are amazing! Please don’t be discouraged by my stay-at-home-mom ramblings. Hang in there…I know it’s tough to “do it all” and still feel sane. You’re in my prayers!

(originally posted in July 2007)

Posted in Homemaking | 8 Comments

Our Church Camp Out

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Mary

Camping! We love it–especially when it involves great fellowship, delicious campfire meals, and plenty of educational activities for the family. This past weekend we packed up the essential camping gear…camp chairs, tent, sleeping bags, clothes, flashlights, cookies & poppy seed bread & trail mix, dutch ovens, and the really important stuff–our Bibles (!) and smiles, and headed to meet with our church fellowship for the much anticipated camp-out!

Our pastor picked a great location, as usual. We spent the weekend creek-side, in a fantastic woodsy clearing complete with a gi-normous Zaccheus tree and tree house, and a forest maze adjacent to a pasture for night-time hayrack rides. All our meals were fireside ones…and we had the convenience of a portable outhouse on the premises. What a grand time we had escaping to the woods for this three day getaway!

Upon our arrival Friday night, we were greeted by an impressive firepit that the men put together, including even a stone oven (far left) that required, if I remember right, two hours of preheating to bake the bread we ate with our hobo meals on Saturday night.  When this shot was captured, the guys hadn’t yet covered the stone oven with the huge stone “lid”.

After admiring the set-up, we quickly got our bacon-wrapped, cheesy sausage stuffed peppers on the grill cooking, for it was almost time to roast brats and hot dogs. Two kinds of baked beans were simmering away, and all our friends were milling around greeting one another. It was past time to set up our tent!

Friday night’s after supper activity was perhaps my favorite of the weekend. We went on a night hike. In the dark. With no flashlights. I know…we walk by faith not by sight, but this was a little stretch for yours truly. Pastor did have a high beamed flashlight–for emergencies–but the point was to stay close enough to the person in front of you that we all made it across the creek and through the forest maze to the pasture in one piece. Yes. Through the creek. Imagine walking this skinny semi-squishy path through the creek, IN THE DARK, totally holding your breath and hoping that the personnel in front of you are all faithfully following the man-in-the-know! Then imagine the relief *I* felt to make it through with dry tennies. Whew. :O)

Our night hike was replete with hilarity as we stumbled along, waiting for our night vision to kick in. Did you realize that after about fifteen minutes, you really can see fairly well in the dark? I’m here to tell you it’s true. (Can you tell I’m a big time flashlight wimp?)

So we arrived on the other side of the Big. Scary.Woods. to find a tractor and hay trailer just waiting to give us a long, winding ride out to pasture. When we arrived, our Pastor gave us a tour of the stars, taught us how to navigate by the North Star, showed us the difference between satellites and airplanes, and pointed out a planet rising in the distance. What I learned: that the North Star is not the brightest star in the sky! And that the constellations move around the North Star in such a way that you can tell time by their positions. Sooo…if you are following the “brightest star” thinking it is the North Star, you will be going in circles all night. It’s so important to make sure you are building on the right premise, the right foundation, before you take off!

Back at camp, we settled in our sleeping bags for a chilly night. Soon we heard coondogs tearing up the countryside. That went on for….. hours. Morning arrived, and we all gathered around the campfire to cook breakfast. Scrambled eggs and blueberry pancakes with maple syrup. And hot chocolate too, made with raw milk and cocoa. Mmm. Mm.

Saturday was full of fun, but I especially wanted to share our morning activity devotion. Pastor led our troop back through the woods, to the pasture, and told the kiddos that he’d be hiding something in plain sight, that they’d be able to see, but not find. We watched him trek out about fifty feet, and stick an orange flag in the ground. So far so good. Till he pulled the blindfolds out. Boys against girls. Each competitor got spun around a few times, and pointed in the right direction. Aiming straight for the flag , how could they miss? We soon learned that even when we thought we were walking a straight line, it’s impossible to walk a straight line in a blindfold. Even yours truly almost walked a complete circle back to where I’d started, and I was *sure* I’d walked straight! Needless to say, it made for an excellent lesson on the importance of having a reference point to keep us on track in this life. For Christians, that reference point is the Bible. Without the Bible as our compass, we are doomed to walk in circles, as the Israelites did for forty years in the wilderness after disobeying God. Also key, is that each of the participants just *knew* they were walking as straight as they could. We were all floored to take off our blindfold and see how far off course we’d gone. Proverbs 16:25 sums it up well,

“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

It begs the question, are you following your own ways, or God’s ways? Are you sure?

That wasn’t the end of the navigation lessons. Our group built a compass with the help of a shepherd’s staff, some sticks and the noon-day sun. We learned how to determine “South” with the sun and a wristwatch.

Saturday’s lunch was organic lamb-burger sloppy joes in the dutch oven, potato salad, fresh fruit and chips, with cookies for dessert. Saturday evening we all enjoyed custom made “Hobo meals”–foil wrapped patties made with grass-fed beef, and topped with sliced carrots, potatoes, celery and onion and then dolloped with a splash of cream of celery soup. Alongside these, which baked directly on the campfire coals, were foil wrapped baked apples, stuffed with a cinnamon-butter-brown sugar-raisin mixture, and wow, were they a hit! We also had the stone oven bread, which baked in record time…and we must confess, we had to sliver off the top layer because it was slightly……blackened. HOT oven. Otherwise, the rolls were P.E.R.F.E.C.T!

Saturday evening we had another lesson in keeping our eyes on the Lord and His word to stay on the straight and narrow, plus an excellent talk on consciences and what the Bible says about them. To illustrate, Pastor had a type of gyroscope he’d made from a bicycle tire, with handles in the center of the spokes on each side. A gyroscope is a scientific instrument, that when spinning, stays upright and on course. You can balance a spinning gyroscope on a ballpoint pen, and even when you tilt the pen sideways, the gyroscope will not fall over or change directions. It’s another kind of compass. A few of the men were called up to test the theory. The tire was spun, then the men walked a straight line and as per instruction, tried to suddenly turn and go back the way they’d come. But the gyroscope bucked the change of direction and the guys had their hands full trying to change course. Yet another great reminder that God gave us tools–our consciences and our Bibles–to stay on course. And the cool thing is, that even when blindfolded, the person toting the spinning gyroscope will be able to effortlessly walk a straight line!

After this Saturday evening devotional, we sang hymns and visited around the campfire. And all was quiet in our tents Saturday night. Well, in most of our tents. *Smile*

Sunday morning we did scrambled duck eggs and homemade lamb-burger sausage with campfire toast smothered in homemade blueberry jam. See all the happy campers?

Sunday morning we all enjoyed finding a solitary spot of beauty for a 45 minute personal time with God…then we met and shared what we’d been reading…for church, Pastor taught on the “Wilderness Church”, referencing Acts 7:38, 1 Corinthians 10:1-11, and Hebrews 11:32-40. Pretty appropriate, as we’d been having “church” all weekend in our own beautiful wilderness. As we do every Sunday during summer, as the weather permits. The church is not a building, it is not *where* you meet, it is the body of believers themselves. And having “church” outdoors, is about as New Testament as it gets!

One last meal together, and it was almost time to wrap things up. But first, we had some more fire building techniques to learn. One of our pastor’s burdens and practical ministries is his training of missionaries, and folks like us, on how to survive primitive conditions. Water purification tips, wild edible identifications, fire building, etc. So he showed off some handy portable camp stoves that operate on twigs and leaves, and taught us how to build a Dakota fire hole. I want one! A Dakota firehole (pictured left) is a bell shaped hole in the ground, about 12 inches deep, with an angled “tunnel” to another smaller hole, dug on whichever side it will catch the prevailing wind. Into the bigger hole go sticks and leaves, and thus your fire is well insulated, the flames barely visible, and wow, aren’t you impressed? I know I was! Of course, our prevailing wind was David there in the pic…he did a good job, we got flames!

Lastly, a pic of the giant treehouse, taken from the ground…

We already can’t wait till next year! One of our little campers said it well: “I think we should do this every month!”

Big thank you’s to all of you that worked so hard to make this such a memorable weekend! Our family has been so blessed by your faithful witness, example and adherence to the straight teaching of God’s word. Thanks to you, 2011 has been a “closer walk with Thee” for this family!

 

Posted in Christianity and Life | 4 Comments

Labor Day Pizza

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Mary

Labor Day is here, and with it, wide open windows and highs in the 70′s! And we’re LOVING it. After all, July’s never-ending line up of 105+ degree scorchers is still very much alive in my memory! Whew. Dare I hope fall is really arriving? Happy dance!

My little girls celebrated by digging out their jackets, and raking up a huge leaf pile. After about a hundred leaf-splattering dives they came inside for hot cocoa and marshmallows! Ahh…the rosy cheeks of fall!

There is something about billowing curtains and chill temps that fires up my creativity. That and my oldest daughter telling me that home-made bread was a must on this day. So out came the grain mill and the prairie gold wheat berries and my favorite pizza dough recipe, which doubles up nicely for rolls or buns, and we got to work. Pretty soon my younger girls were rolling out individual pizzas and adding their favorite toppings, and in the end, we had a delicious pizza lunch and since I doubled the dough recipe, we’ve also got buns for supper. We’ll cut them open, butter the insides and grill them on the griddle, then serve them with bacon and cheesy fried eggs! Mmm! Mine will have fresh basil leaves on it as well…are you hungry yet? *wink*

Here is our favorite pizza dough recipe, it’s easy, FAST, and a real joy to mold around in your hands…just add a little olive oil to your hands first, and fall in love!

Pizza Dough

  • 2 packages of yeast
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 5 cups flour (I use 100% whole wheat home ground flour, you can also use half whole wheat and white flours)
  • 4 TB olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  1. Dissolve yeast in warm water with 2 tsp sugar.
  2. Pour into a mixing bowl with remaining ingredients.
  3. Knead (I have a dough hook attachment to my mixer, that’s what I use, and it doesn’t take but 4-6 minutes of kneading for this recipe)
  4. Let rise in a greased bowl, in a warm place for 20-30 minutes.
  5. Punch down, and use for pizza crust, or let rise again another 20 minutes and make into rolls or buns.

Sometimes we make pizza pockets instead of pizza…those are fun. Roll out chunks of dough into circles, and fill half the circle with  your favorite pizza toppings: hamburger, onions, black olives, cheese, etc. NOTE: NO SAUCE! It will leak out the edges. Fold your circle of dough over and crimp edges to seal. Make a slit in the top for steam to escape and bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, and serve with sauce for dipping. We love these.

Happy Labor Day!

Posted in Cooking and Food and Family Ties | 9 Comments

First Day of School Treasure Hunt Clues

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Mary

On Thursday of this week, we’ll embark on our 9th annual Treasure Hunt to kick off the first day of school! Normally I come up with around 10-15 clues that rhyme…but that felt quite daunting with three girls, each having their own tailor made hunt to conquer…which would be a total of 30-45 little ditties. Whew. I love to write, but you’ve gotta draw the line somewhere!

This year I decided to utilize the greatest treasure of all as the trove of clues for my students…the KJV Bible. Each girl will get 12 of their own clues, which involve looking up a scripture reference, and zeroing in on something in the verse that has to do with the next clue’s hiding place. And the treasure at the very end? Why, this year’s new school books, readers, and supplies, of course! For weeks now, we’ve had mysterious packages arriving in the mail only to be whisked away by “mommy”, contents unknown…so many surprises, the girls can’t WAIT for the great “reveal”! Sometimes along the clue route, I’ll leave surprises. Could be a stick of gum, an eraser, a fun pencil…once it was an alarm clock!

So here’s what this year’s clues look like for my 11 year old…I put some clarifying notes in parentheses for your benefit, not hers!, kind of a teacher’s edition, if you will! *wink*

One last tip, each girls’ clues are color coded, so if they trip across someone else’s clue, they know to ignore it if it’s not “their” color. I try to do a mix of clues both indoors and out. One year we had all outdoor clues, and did it in the pouring rain! (Soggy clues lend a bit of difficulty to a treasure hunt!)

Treasure Hunt Clues 2011, for 11 year old daughter

First Clue: Matthew 7:17. What is this verse about? (trees) Go out the back door, and take a right. Follow the driveway to the first one in sight. (on ground by tree at bottom of driveway)

Second Clue: Zechariah 14:21, third word. Where do we keep ours? (Pots)

Third Clue: Acts 19:19, the eighth word in this verse rhymes with darts. Find the word, and find our stash of supplies. Remember, they are not where they used to be! (Arts drawer, we reorganized!)

Fourth Clue: Genesis 3:12. You want words number 13 and 16. Put them together and think small, dark red and sweet—what a treat! Go look here quick as a wink! (Bing Cherry Tree)

Fifth clue: Look up Exodus 37:17: Count the words, count 22, where these things are stacked, you’ll find your next clue! (Bowls)

Sixth clue: Psalm 18:28. Hm, we have several of these in the living room! Happy hunting! Hint!! It’s under and out of sight! (Under a living room candle)

Seventh clue:  Judges 5:14, fourth word from the end of the verse. We have some in a drawer. (“pens” in phone book drawer)

Eighth clue:  Genesis 2:8, seventh word. Go there. Look everywhere. You’ll find a clue by something red. (In garden, by tomato plant)

Ninth clue:  Leviticus 14:6. 5th word.  Where do we sometimes feed these pretties? (taped to hummingbird feeder)

Tenth clue:  Daniel 4:15, 4th word. We don’t have too many of these, but one big one for sure! (by big stump near hammock)

Eleventh clue: You are so close. Time for a cloozy.  Isaiah 10:14. “Gathereth”what, exactly? Hope the one you find is not oozy! (near an egg in chicken nesting box)

Twelfth clue: Ding! Ding! Ding! FINAL clue!!!  Three different verses contain three different words, put the three words together, in order, and go a-hunting for your treasure!  1. Proverbs 26:11, 3rd word. 2. Job 39:12, last word. 3. Psalm 118:22, last word. Put them together and follow the clue! (dog barn corner)

Well, that’s it folks. Hope your first day of school is a blast like ours!

Proverbs 2: 1-5,

1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

Remember, if you desire to tweak these for your homeschoolers, the words and their sequence found within the verses is tailored straight from the KJV Bible.

And MUMS the word, folks, till sometime Thursday! My 11 yo must not catch wind of this blog post!

Posted in Family Ties and Home Schooling | Leave a comment

The Word of God Personified

Posted on August 7, 2011 by Mary

Our family’s understanding of God’s word has grown exponentially as we familiarize ourselves with the dispensational approach to Bible study. Dispensationalism is a way of “rightly dividing” the Bible into time frames that help us see how God’s plan has progressed from day 1 of Creation to now, and beyond. There is a lot more to it than that, but this blog post is not about explaining dispensationalism, it’s about the Bible, the word of God being Jesus Himself. I bring dispensationalism into it only because this blog post will reference Dr. Douglas Stauffer’s resources, the dvd series, Changed by the Book, and his corresponding book, titled, One Book Rightly Divided. Dr. Stauffer has taught us much about dispensational study, and came highly recommended by our pastor.

I was so struck by Dr. Stauffer’s comments about the “personification” of the word of God, that I jotted the scripture references down in my special Bible notebook. So here we go!

Perhaps the first one we all think of, is John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Doesn’t get much more equitable than that, or so I thought.

But it just gets better and better.

Check out Proverbs 30:4-5, noticing the questions raised, that I’ve bolded:

“Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?”

(and verse 5 gives us the answer to the six questions in verse 4)

“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.”

Incredible! Do you see that? The answer to “what is his name and what is his son’s name” is “every word of God is pure”! Do you see how the very next word after “pure” is “he”, referring back to the word of God? I love it.

Another good one,

John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Notice that the “Word” dwelt among us. Another reference to Jesus being the word of God.

Another awesome one, in Romans 9:17,

“For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.”

This passage in Romans 9, is referring back to Exodus 9:13-16, noting specifically the first few words of verse 13, and how verse 16 directly corresponds to Romans 9:17. Here we see that the “scripture saith” of Romans 9, is what “the Lord said” back in Exodus 9! A classic example of how the word of God is personified.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that [there is] none like me in all the earth.

For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.

And in very deed for this [cause] have I raised thee up, for to shew [in] thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.”

Galatians 3:8 mentions the “scripture” as “seeing”:

“And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed.”

Lastly, for this blog post, is the wonderful passage of Hebrews 4:12-13,

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

So we see the scripture, both the written and spoken word of God, coming alive…ascending into heaven and descending, gathering the wind in his fists, binding the waters in a garment, establishing all the ends of the earth, shielding those that trust in him, becoming flesh and dwelling among us, as a quick and powerful sword of the spirit, seeing all things and speaking both as the Lord, and as Scripture to his people.

Is it any wonder, that He would promise to perfectly preserve His words forever according to Psalms 12:6-7? And that we’re warned several times of the grievousness of adding to or changing His words? (Deut. 4:2, Prov. 30:6, Rev. 22:18-19)

When we all get to heaven, do you think He’ll say, “Hey, listen, you took my words just a little too seriously there on earth. Lighten up, will you?”

Rather, this is what He tells us is at stake:

John 12:48,

“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”

May God lead us all to a knowledge of the life-changing truth of His words before it’s too late.

Posted in Christianity and KJV Bible | 4 Comments

Thoughts from my Garden

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Mary

There’s no better time or place for pondering than the garden in the morning. Before the heat starts bearing down, while the cool damp air wafts the scent of fresh cilantro my way as I’m watering the herbs…ahhh, nothing compares! This morning I spent an hour or more just watering and cooing to my lush green tomato plants, and ridding the pathways of stray weeds. They love me! (the tomatoes, not the weeds!)

I saw the telltale signs of hornworm action on two of the tomato plants. Grrr. The hunt began. It always scares me how well those large green worms blend in on a tomato vine. The damage they do is very obvious–they eat the end leaves off of the tomato plants, leaving an empty nub–but the worm itself is good at “making like a vine” and camouflaging itself till your nose is inches away and you suddenly see the thing. Ugh.

Isn’t that the way it is with life? Sometimes you see the effects of sin in your life…perhaps cutting you off from bearing fruit for Christ, or having fruitful relationships with others. Sometimes you have to trace that sin down and deal with it. Maybe it’s plainer to others than it is to you. Whatever the case, if you let it go, it will destroy you and the consequences will spread to those around you…if it’s a hornworm, pluck it off and smash it; if it is a weed, uproot it and throw it in the burn pile before it takes over your life.

Gardening with children is a great way to teach discernment. Last week we were weeding the onions. We have a long row and a half of onions, and it is a wide row, so there are three onions across, then four, then three, alternating in a foot wide raised bed. Lots of training opportunities while weeding with kiddos. Onion tops are green, so are most weed tops. The good and the bad grow side by side, close comparison helps one to discern what to leave and what to pull.

Side by side comparison in real life is helpful as well. Whether it be in the garden, or when choosing the best Bible translation, there is no better way to gain discernment than comparing the good and the bad side by side for their differences.

In creation and in spiritual things, discernment is critical. Take wild edibles for instance. With wild edibles, poisonous plants and medicinal plants often look alike. Do you know how many campers have dined on what they thought was wild carrots, when in fact it was a poisonous look-alike, poison hemlock? Deadly mistake. Sometimes close inspection is necessary for survival. Whether it be physical or spiritual.

Another parallel to this consideration would be Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the tares. A tare in the field looks exactly like the wheat, but at harvest time, the wheat produces fruit, and tares do not. 2 Timothy 2:19 tells us that “the Lord knoweth them that are his”…We’re also told a few verses earlier, in 2 Timothy 2:15, that we’re to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Discernment is key if you are Christian living in today’s world. It’s easy to be confused by counterfeits.

Just some thoughts from my garden.

1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.”

Posted in Christianity and Gardening | 5 Comments

Essential Oils in the Home

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Mary

Essential oils are a homemaker’s best friend! And cleaning is always more enjoyable when your cleaning products smell good! Adding a few drops of lemon essential oil to my mop water makes scrubbing the kitchen floor almost as big a treat as enjoying that clean floor for as long as it lasts in our busy household. *wink* 

And don’t forget to breathe deeply!  Aromatherapy while you work!

So where are some places you can use essential oils in your house?

  • In the washing machine–Tea Tree oil is an antiseptic that kills germs, add several drops to your load of whites to disinfect them.
  • In your toothpaste–we love Wintergreen essential oil for this. My husband, youngest daughter and I all use baking soda for brushing (my other daughters prefer “real” toothpaste), and adding a single drop (more will sting your tongue!) to the baking soda leaves your mouth tingling fresh, and it tastes sooo good!
  • In your footsoak or hot bath–Lavendar essential oil is great for a calm, soothing, refreshing soak after a long day. Combined with Epsom salts, you can almost feel the toxins leaving your body! Simply add 8-10 drops to a bathfull or basin of hot water…
  • On your kitchen sponge–a drop of Rosemary essential oil on your Dobie scrubber (my sponge of choice for dishwashing!) makes washing dishes a heavenly chore!
  • In the air–as air freshener. Just fill a small spray bottle with water, and add 8-10 drops of your favorite essential oil and spritz the house. Again, my favorite oil for this is lemon!
  • On your wrist–all natural perfume! Try blending two scents. One of my friends loves to combine peppermint with lemon…

So there are just a few ideas to get you going…I’d love to hear how you use and enjoy essential oils in comments!

Posted in Homemaking | 6 Comments

Homemade Ice Cream, Anyone?

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Mary

Finally.  After almost 18 years of marriage, we have become the happy consumers of our very own homemade ice cream! We were so excited about a month ago, to stumble upon a used-maybe-once White Mountain 6 quart ice cream maker–hand crank, even! JUST the machine we have always wanted, but could never afford! God is good, He must have realized how much we LOVE ice cream! *wink*

I don’t know what we love more. The fact that we’ve got such a terrific way to use up our raw organic milk, cream, and farm fresh eggs, or the satisfaction of yet another family pastime…sitting in the shade of a warm almost-summer evening taking turns at the crank. Or, the awe on my children’s faces after 23 minutes of cranking…as we all hold our breath and lift the cannister’s lid, can it be…YES, WOW, thick, perfect ice cream!

Oh boy.

My mouth is watering.

It’s sure hot in here.

I’m so glad we picked up more ice at the grocery store the other day!

HUBBY???????!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are our two favorite recipes, so far. ;O) Care to share yours in comments? I’m looking for a fresh peach ice cream recipe if you have one!

Strawberry Ice Cream (one bowl of this is NOT enough)

  • (2) 3 oz strawberry jello dissolved in 2 c boiling water–cool
  • 4 eggs beaten**
  • 2 c. sugar
  • 2 c. cream
  • 1 qt milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • (2) 12 oz strawberries (or 3 cups chopped berries), thawed (add last)
  • milk to fill cannister to 3/4 full

Vanilla Ice Cream  

  • 4 eggs well beaten**
  • 2 1/2 c. sugar
  • Vanilla extract (may also add a little lemon juice or extract if desired)
  • 1 qt cream
  • 2 qt milk
  • May add 1 large box instant vanilla pudding for flavor

Again, add milk till your cannister is 3/4 full, crank and enjoy!

My only other tip, is that it is a lot cheaper to go to your local feedstore and pick up a 50 lb sack of livestock salt, rather than “rock salt” from the grocery store. Works just great!

I think ice cream is a must on these 96 degree days, don’t you?

Thanks to my wonderful friend, Bonnie, for sharing her recipes with me!

**Special note, we don’t cook our eggs…since they are fresh as can be from our own chicken gals, and no danger of salmonella…if you are using store eggs, you might need to find a recipe with cooked eggs…fair warning!

Posted in Cooking and Food and Family Ties | 2 Comments

Love your family with Baked Oatmeal!

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Mary

Joy fills my heart every morning, knowing my days have purpose. There is no more fulfilling job in this world, than that of wife and mother. God has been so gracious to allow us to raise our family 100% ourselves. What a blessing!

I love waking up before the kiddos, our open bedroom window carrying in a fresh breeze and birdsongs, the nanny goat’s merrily tingling bell, the happy neighing of baby colts–all beckoning me outside while it is still blessedly cool!  I check the indoor/outdoor temp, making sure it’s still cooler outside than it is inside, and leave the house with its billowing curtains, preferring instead, my great big tree-shaded hillside with its billowing leafy branches and the white rope hammock that has found its two tree stands for the summer.

But first things first…the laying hens need me to fling their barn door open so these gals can scritch-scratch and forage the day away, and hubby and I must amble down the driveway and beyond the grain bin to move the two field pens full of young chickens to fresh green pasture. Once fed and watered, the Cornish-cross broilers and little layer chicks release me to some quiet time in the hammock with God’s word and my handy Bible pen. I can rest easy for a while, knowing that one of my family’s favorite breakfasts is in the oven.

Baked Oatmeal w/dried Cherries

  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 c. melted butter
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 3/4 c. dried cranberries (we love dried cherries in this!)
  1. Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C)
  2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in dried cranberries (or cherries). Spread in an ungreased 9×13″ pan.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Serve with milk in bowls.

We are a family of five, and can easily demolish three-fourths of this filling dish. But we have country life appetites going for us as well!

Do you love the life God has given you? He can fill your cup to the brim and over with love for your husband and children, and joy as you live for their well-being. Just ask Him.

According to Titus 2, we women are to be teachers of *good things*, keepers at home, loving our husbands and loving our children…obedience in these things m’dears, brings lasting joy!

Posted in Cooking and Food and Family Ties | 2 Comments