Word-Filled Wednesday ~#96~ Our Eyes are Upon You, Lord

"'We do not know what to do but our eyes are upon You.'

"All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD . . . This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged . . . For the battle is not yours, but God's.'" ~selected verses from 2 Chronicles 20:12-15 

"The he [an angel] continued, 'Do no be afraid Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen . . ." ~Daniel 10:14(a)

Have you ever been in a situation where you have just simply been . . . stuck? Praying, praying praying, doing all that you know to do, a need to fill, encouragement all around that what you are praying for is needed and beneficial . . . but nothing happens? Frustrating.

Well, before you give up, consider that two of the most faithful men of God experienced the same sort of problem. Both experienced a great need for the Lord's intervention and for guidance as to what to do. Daniel fasted and prayed for three weeks (21 days) over an issue and yet, even though the need was great, no answer came. Jehoshaphat knew that a great army was coming to destroy the people of Judah; recognizing that there was no place to run and that ONLY the Lord could save them, "all" they could do was to look to the Lord for His answer, for His deliverance.

And you know what? BOTH were answered! Both were reminded that the battle ~ and the victory ~ are the Lord's. Daniel, in particular, found out that the Lord had answered his prayer the very moment it was prayed, but one of the devil's minions was sent to stop the answer from coming to pass. God then sent Michael, the Archangel, to fight the demon "prince" and make sure that Daniel's answer came through. Can you imagine? God will make sure that our prayers are answered, even if He has to send mighty angels to deliver that answer!

But I have a feeling that most of us are more like Jehoshaphat; we pray and still we come to our whit's end, we gather praying friends and family around us and then "all" we can do is stand there before the Lord and look up. When the reality is: simply standing before the Lord is the best place to be. That's the seat of honor. 

That's the front row seat to watch the Lord fight our battles and work out all things for our good.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

To All of My Writer-Friends . . .

From one writer to another . . . uh . . . to another . . . 

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Ideas, Plans and Prayers

Gathering ideas . . . making plans . . . sending up many prayers . . . 

 For plans like . . . 

A sweet little kitchenette that's a
good place for demonstrations

 And something like this 
for sales and product displays

Let's hope so :-)

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Homemade Herbal Eye Wash and Poultice

From time-to-time, everyone needs a good eye wash. Whether it's simply for tired eyes, to wash out dust particles or an eyelash or for conjunctivitis ~ a.k.a. ~ the dreaded pink eye.

This herbal eye wash is great for all of that, including pink eye.

You will need:

~EITHER an eye cup, a well sealing bottle w/an eye dropper, a well cleaned and sanitized used eye dropper bottle or a new essential oil bottle
~1 TB powdered comfrey root
~1 ts powdered organic goldenseal
~1 c boiling water

Directions:

1) Mix together the herbs and the boiling water.
2) Strain through a VERY FINE strainer, coffee filter, or 2-3 layers of muslin or cheese cloth

• BE SURE to stain the liquid as well as possible, you do not want any herb particles washing into your eye

3) Allow the wash to cool to room temperature
4) Using your eye cup or dropper, wash your eye(s) several times per day; as often as needed

My favorite type of eye dropper bottle is the type used by Similasan ~ a homeopathic company. Their products are great, but there's nothing like making your own. 

Their bottles have a dropper-top ~ all you have to do is tip the bottle & squeeze the top. Love it. The dropper/lids screw right off, so they are easily washed and re-used. You can also use a new or well cleaned essential oil bottle, as they have a built-in dropper top as well. 

Another way to use this mix:

For really severe pink eye, you can use this same mix as an eye poultice by~

1) mixing the herbs w/a little bit of warm water
2) mix into a paste
3) cut a piece of gauze large enough to cover the infected eye
4) spread some of the paste onto the gauze and lay the poultice over the eye
5) use as often as needed

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><  

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#95~ The Sweet Aroma of Christ

"But thanks be to God, Who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life." ~2 Corinthians 2:14-16

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." ~John 8:32

Were you raised in a Christian family? Have you gone to church all your life? Did you accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord at an early age? Praise the Lord ~ what a blessing. Everyone has sin to repent of and the need to be forgiven, but some of us had the blessing of getting there before some of the rest of us.


Others of us had the mixed blessing of having come to the Lord later in life. I was 23 years old when accepted the Lord and had lived a life of great sin, of which I had no excuse except for my own sin nature. To the world, I was "normal" ~ I had great parents who loved me, taught me morals and some of the things of the Lord; I had great friends (and thankfully, many have come to the Lord in the years since I did) but many of those friends were living the life I was living ~ well intentioned, but we were "the blind leading the blind." (Luke 6:39) 

Since the time I became a Christian, I have noticed that there are occasions when I am not "welcome" among some company ~ unsaved family, old friends . . . If any conversation lends itself to the mention of Jesus or what He is doing in my life, it's as though I just set off a stink bomb in the middle of the room ~ noses turn up, feathers get ruffled, snide "jokes" are made, and some even walk away cursing. Just at the mention of Jesus' name. Have you noticed that about yourselves? 

But it's not us, it's the fragrance of Jesus that we carry into our fallen world. Spiritual warfare rages all around us, even among some of the people we love the most, and that warfare causes our godly "aroma" to waft through the air like the stink of a fresh skunk on a country road.

And then to others ~ those who already know Jesus as their Savior OR those who are beginning to listen to the wooing of the Holy Spirit ~ we are the sweet aroma of the earth after a sweet, spring rain. We are the aroma of One Who loves them with an everlasting love and wants every living soul to fall in love with Him. We are the aroma of the One Who holds the keys to their eternity ~ Who can forgive them and wash away the stench of their sin. 

If you know Jesus as your Savior, you carry around the precious aroma of salvation, of forgiveness, of light in the darkness, of real truth ~ you carry around the sweet "offense" of the presence of Jesus wherever you go (Is. 8:14). What a privilege.  

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#198~ 7/22/13

For Today . . . 

Outside my window . . . dark and cool; heavy rains all day, bringing in a cool front. I usually write my Daybook in the morning before I go to work, but today was a crazy day ~ from the beginning ~ so I'm writing it before I go to bed.

I am thankful . . . for the rain.

I am thinking . . . that I am happy for the Brits and their new prince, who was born today to Prince William and Dutchess Kate.

From the kitchen . . . stir-fried garden fresh zucchini, long grain and wild rice w/sun-dried tomatoes, my version of fried chicken: boneless/skinless chicken breasts fried in olive oil w/Spike seasoning and my favorite herb mix sprinkled on both sides. YUM.

I am wearing . . . jean skirt, bittersweet top, black drapey.

I am creating . . . a peaceful, Christ-centered home.

I am going . . . to talk to someone very important on Wednesday!

I am wondering . . . how the Lord will bless the out-come.

I am hoping . . . for answered prayer.

I am looking forward to . . . getting it done.

I am learning . . . that ONLY GOD can do this.

About the house . . . supper dishes washed, doing a little blogging, answering e-mails, checking Facebook, reading a little news before bedtime.

I am pondering . . . daydreams.

I am reading . . . some favorite news sites.

One of my favorite things . . . when an old favorite song that I haven't heard for years pops up on the radio; happened at work today and took me back to a wonderful time.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . family time, work, an important appointment, doing several homeschool assessments, writing an article, blogging, Sunday worship.

A favorite thought for the day . . . remembering what God has done for me in the past assures me of what He will do for me in the future. ~Me :-)

Scripture thought . . . "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.'" ~2 Chronicles 20:17 [emphasis mine]

A picture thought for you . . . 

 Congratulations to William and Kate and all of Britain, 

on the birth of your new prince. May he ever draw

closer to the Lord Jesus Christ and lead his 

country for the glory of God.

Read 100's of other Daybooks and register to start your own at Peggy's Simple Woman's Daybook!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Kentucky Wilted Salad

As far as our American family tree blooms, both sides of my family hale from the beautiful hills and hollers of Eastern Kentucky. In my humble opinion, Kentucky is one of the most beautiful states in our Union. Lush greenery, mineral-rich fields and water sources, and some of the kindest, funniest, most pleasant people you could ever meet.

Lots of wonderful memories.

As a first generation Buckeye (Ohioan), I cook more like a Kentuckian. One of my favorite dishes to eat is also one of the simplest: Wilted Salad. 

You will need:

~a large head of Romaine and/or Bib lettuce (Red Leaf Romaine makes a lovely presentation)
~1-2 c dandelion greens
~1/2-1 c chopped green onions (scallions) 
~1 c bacon grease, warmed
~2-3 ts sugar (I use Turbinado sugar [Sugar in the Raw])
~salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1) tear or shred all lettuce and greens
2) mix all lettuce, greens and onions together in a large salad bowl
3) stir sugar into bacon grease until it dissolves
4) pour over salad and toss
5) serve; salt and pepper to taste

Now . . . you know me . . . sometimes I just can't leave well-enough alone O:-) so from time-to-time I do a little "improving" upon my dear wilted salad.

If you wish, add sliced mushrooms, spinach, bean sprouts, boiled egg slices and/or seasoned croutons to your wilted salad.

Enjoy this simple staple.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<>< 

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#94~ The Least of These

"Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death." ~Ex. 21:16

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' . . . He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'" ~Matt. 25:40 & 45 

Our church is wrapping up a three-week series on hard topics: racism, homosexuality and, this week, human/slave trafficking. We are blessed to attend a church led by pastors who lovingly, passionately handle the hard things with grace and Biblical truth. 

As Christians, we see that slavery can come in many different forms. We probably know and love someone who is caught in some sort of slavery, whether it be one of the ones listed above or drugs, alcoholism, gambling, porn, an obsessive quest for popularity, rage, the need to control, the need to be perfect . . . all of which are games that the devil plays.  

What can we do to help? First and foremost: pray. Pray that their chains, real or imagined, would be broken. Pray that if they are involved with someone who is leading them into a life of sin, that all ties will be cut and that they will be separated from them and pray that they would invite Jesus to be their Savior and Lord and that the Holy Spirit would fill the emptiness with Himself. Scripture tells us that if the Holy Spirit doesn't fill the emptiness, then things can get even worse. "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order . . . And the final condition of that man is worse than the first." ~Matt. 12:43-45

Yes, slavery takes many forms ~ we may even be slave to something ourselves. Pray that chains will be broken and that true freedom will be found in the loving arms of Jesus Christ ~ the One Who destroyed the chains of death, hell and the grave ~ the One Who loves you and wants you to experience real freedom in Him.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Blessed . . .

What a perfect mid-summer day . . .

• 
  

   

  
  

  
  

  low humidity, temps hovering just below 80*, turquoise blue sky w/dots of fluffy clouds, sweet breeze . . . .

  
  

  
  

  

  I hope you are enjoying yours, too. Happy weekend!

  Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Help for Chronic Ear Infections

Whether one is a child or an adult, ear problems can plague anyone. Children are more susceptible, but adults can get them, too, especially if water has gotten into the ear after swimming, or a shower, and left to fester or after a cold or flu.

I very best way, in my humble opinion, for quick relief is to use an herbal anti-biotic ear oil. 

You will need:

~4-6 cloves of garlic
~5 oz of olive oil
~20-25 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
~15 drops of grapefruit seed extract
~small baking dish
~measuring cup with pour-spout
~small funnel
~1 oz-size amber dropper bottle

Directions:

1) chop up the garlic cloves as fine as you can
2) place the chopped garlic in your small baking dish and cover with the olive oil
3) set your oven at it's lowest temperature and place the mixture in it over-night
4) the next morning, strain the oil, pressing well to get ALL of the garlic oil out as you can, into a liquid measuring cup w/a pour-spout
5) add the eucalyptus oil and grapefruit seed extract to the oil; mix well. Using one of those "baby" whisks works best
6) using the small funnel, carefully pour the blended oil into into the amber dropper bottle

To Use:

Drop 2 drops into ear as much as needed, a minimum of 4 times per day during the height of the infection. Keep using for a week after you think the infection is gone. Just like taking all of your meds after an illness has passed, use for a while after your ear feels better to keep the anti-biotic of the garlic fighting any lingering infection.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><