Word-Filled Wednesday ~#36~ Who Am I?

PASSAGE: "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand." ~I Chronicles 29:14

LESSON LEARNED: I once heard a story about church giving: A little boy went to church with his Grand-dad & noticed that the old fellow had only put $1.00 in the offering plate as it went by. As the service was over and they were walking out the door, the little boy mentioned that he had seen Grand-dad put the dollar in the plate. Grand-dad smiled as he looked down & said, "Yep. That was a pretty good show for a dollar!" As good as the old man's intentions probably were, he didn't grasp the importance of his offering.

Sure, our giving keeps the church's lights on, pays for heat, a/c, salaries and many other things that we usually don't think about but would miss if they weren't there. But as the Scripture above says, we are blessed by the Lord to be able to give. ALL that we have comes from His loving hand & ALL He requires of us is a mere 10%; He allows us to keep the rest for our living, our families & our own purposes. Every penny is a gift from God. The health that you have to be able to do your job & the job itself is all a gift from the Lord.

He could have required all we have from us, if He wanted to, but in His loving kindness all He asks of us is the small sum of 10% & has even promised to bless us for our faithfulness with His gift. "'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test me in this,' says the LORD Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.'" (Malachi 3:10) [emphasis mine, KW]

My oh my, why do we cheat ourselves out of His blessings? Who are we to argue with His ways? It's all His anyway.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Short Time Away, But Oh So Good!

This past weekend, we went on a much-anticipated, much-needed mini-vacation to one of our favorite places ~ Lakeside, Ohio on Lake Erie. This is one of our family's favorite places in the whole, wide world ~ so many wonderful memories there. We have some dear friends who are the 3rd generation to own their cottage in this historic little town. Lakeside was originally begun in the 1870's as a Christian church camp by the United Methodist church & has remained a sort of Christian community/resort. It has several hundred cottages ~ from mere 1-room shacks to huge places we refer to as "The Kennedy Compound", lol. Only about 1/3 of the homes there are lived in year-round, the rest are vacation cottages & historic hotels.

The weather couldn't have been better ~ even when the lake got a little choppy b/c of Hurricane Irene's outer bands. And DD#2 took her friend, C. This was our 1st family trip up there w/o DD#1, that was a little odd at times & she was thought about, often.

The first stop on your tour is our Home Sweet Home Away from Home ~ our friends' cottage. Always a snug & happy place.
This is the most-often seen sign in all of Lakeside . . . & I LIKE IT. :-)

So, 1st thing's 1st, we HAD to take "C" on a tour of our favorite places in Lakeside. 1st stop is ALWAYS the Pavilion & the dock. The dock stretches many yards into the lake w/benches to sit upon to relax in the sunshine, watch the boats go by, the gulls fly over, & watch grandpa's & dads teaching their little guys how to fish just like they were taught in generations past.

From the Dock, you can look slightly to the right & see Kelly's Island & while you watch the sail boats go by . . .

. . . & to your left, you can see Perry's Monument at Put-In Bay.

Then on the important things . . . our favorite restaurants! :-P

Sloopy's has THE best pizzas . . .

Ahhh . . . decisions, decisions . . .

Mmmm . . . the "Woody Hayes" ~ pesto pizza!

Now, you really must see some of the cottages in Lakeside . . . Here is a "typical" cottage-lined road . . . isn't that pretty?


This sweet little yellow cottage is probably my all-time favorite: Cape Jasmine. Isn't she lovely?

Left, is what we call "The Ship Captain's House" next to my hubby's favorite, "The Farmhouse."

Now . . . remember that I told you that Lakeside has cottages that are everything from 1-room shacks to huge "cottages"? Here's what a person has GOT to wonder: if THIS (below) is your summer vacation "cottage", WHAT does your home look like?! . . .

We call this one "Big Blue".

Welcome to "The White House."

And this lovely "little" number (probably 5,000+ sq. ft.) is the one we refer to as "The Kennedy Compound." I'm sure you can see why. These 3 biggies are our favorites that are on the lake-front.

Well . . . I'm sure you've seen enough for today. I'll have a little more for you tomorrow.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Need a Speaker?

It occurred to me that some of you may not know that I am a speaker. So . . . allow me to toot my own horn for just a moment & remind you that if you, or your group, or your retreat, or your convention needs a speaker on . . .

Homeschooling . . .

Frugal Living . . .

or Christian Women's Issues . . .

I would be honored if you would consider me.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Garlic & Rosemary Potatoes

I've made this dish ~ & slightly tweaked versions ~ 3 ways: 1) baked in the oven in a roasting pan, 2) on a cookie sheet & 3) stove-top in a cast iron skillet. My family's personal favorite is from the skillet. Take your pick & let me know which way you like it best.

You will need:

~8-12 red potatoes (3-4 lbs, depending upon the size of your family), washed & cubed
~1/4 c. olive oil (PLUS 2 TB to coat the bottom of your skillet)
~1 ts sea salt or Real Salt
~1 to 1-1/2 ts dried rosemary leaves (depending upon you taste)
~2 cloves of garlic, minced OR 1/4 ts garlic powder
~1 heaping TB dried onion flakes
~freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400* ~ IF you are baking the potatoes . . . OR . . . preheat skillet on med-low heat w/2 TB olive oil in it.

2) Combine potatoes w/olive oil, salt, rosemary, garlic, dried onion flakes & black pepper. Stir thoroughly so that all the potatoes are coated.

3)a) For baking: spread potatoes onto cookie sheet . . . OR . . . into roasting pan. Roast the potatoes for 45 minutes, until the potatoes are slightly crisp around the edges, soft in the middle. Stir half-way through baking process.

3)b) For stove-top: put potatoes in skillet, turn heat up to med-to-med-high & heat potatoes through, stirring often; about 20 minutes.

Serves 4-6

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Preserving Summer Herbs

Gail, at Faithfulness Farm, has an especially great blog post today. She has advice on preserving your summer herbs. A MUST read.

Some of my lavender, echinacea, a little sprig of rosemary & fresh sage.

I like to hang mine ~ some, I like to enjoy all year so I leave them up just to look at. :-) But most, I hang just until they're dry & then I package some & break others up & put into glass bottles to use for cooking & to make my spice mixes, soaps & salves.

Be sure to tell Gail that you heard about her at Marmee's Pantry.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#35~ Waiting Expectantly on Answered Prayer

PASSAGE: "I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry . . . Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders You have done. The things You planned for us no one can recount to You; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare." ~Psalm 40:1, 5.

LESSON LEARNED: When you pray, do you expect it to be answered? Yes? No? Sorta-kinda-in-a-way-maybe?

If you pray without the expectation of your prayers being answered, then WHY do you pray? Is it the cherry on top of a sundae of grand wishes?

God calls us to be people of faith, to take Him at His word: "According to your faith it will be done to you . . . " (Matt. 9:29), "He [Jesus] replied, '. . . I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, "Move from here to there" and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.'" (Matt. 17:20)

I pray with great expectation!

I serve a mighty, mighty God ~ THE ONLY GOD ~ and whether His answer to me is "Yes" or "No," I wait with great expectation upon His clear answer. Even when His time frame does not fit with the urgency I may think is best, God is my loving Father and He knows the best time and the best way for my prayers to be answered.

Let's pray. And let's pray EXPECTANTLY ~ knowing that God is working in our behalf simply because, as our precious Father ~ our mighty God ~ He loves us and wants His answer to our prayers to benefit His kingdom.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Agnus Dei ~ Sung by a Child

Amazing! See if you can watch this w/o crying.

WORTHY IS THE LAMB !! AMEN !!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#133~ 8/23/11

For Today . . .

Outside my window . . . lovely, sun-shiny day. Blue skies, gentle breezes, low humidity, high 70's-low 80's expected for today, singing little birds & cicada everywhere.

I am thinking . . . of all I need to do when I get off of here.

I am thankful for . . . my family & the wedding we'll be celebrating next year.

In the kitchen . . . Tuesday bread baking day; I'm considering making Sausage & Tortellini Soup ~ mmmm ~ haven't had that for a while.

I am wearing . . . jeans, sage Lakeside t-shirt.

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

I am going . . . to take DD#2 to work, I will go to work in the late afternoon.

I am wondering . . . how much longer, Lord?

I am reading . . . Bible; the new issue of Country Sampler. :-)

I am hoping . . . that Maggie's (our little black dog) bladder stone is healed SOON.

I am looking forward to . . . family fun this weekend!

I am hearing . . . radio, DD#2 getting ready for work, typing fingers.

Around the house . . . more of my sunflowers are coming out! I'm so excited, especially about the deep red Moulin Rouge sunflowers.

One of my favorite things . . . singing praises to my Lord.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . family time, work, preparing for a weekend event. :-D

Pondering these words . . . "Accountability = shared discipleship." ~from Sunday's sermon.

Scripture thought . . . "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him Who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light . . . Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds & glorify God on the day He visits us . . . For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men." ~I Peter 2:9, 12, 15

Here is a picture thought I'm sharing with you . . .

More of my Moulin Rouge & yellow sunflowers are opening up; wish the picture was better.

Read 100's of other Daybooks at Peggy's Simple Womans Daybook!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Marmee-isms #6 ~ Be It Ever So Humble . . .

Meg was too tired for gossip, and went to bed, feeling as if she had been to a masquerade, and hadn't enjoyed herself as much as she expected. She was sick all the next day, and on Saturday went home, quite used up with her fortnight's fun [in the the wealthy home of Sally Moffit], and feeling that she had "sat in the lap of luxury" long enough.

"It doesn't seem pleasant to be quiet, and not have company manners on all the time. Home is a nice place, though it isn't splendid, "said Meg, looking about her with a restful expression, as she sat with her mother & Jo on the Sunday evening.

"I'm glad to hear you say so, dear, for I was afraid home would seem dull and poor to you, after your fine quarters," replied her Marmee, who had given her many anxious looks that day; for motherly eyes are quick to see any change in children's eyes."

Little Women ~ Chapter 9

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Pioneer Johnny Cakes

Feeling in that camping/outdoorsey-kinda-feeling today. Thought I'd share an old, old recipe made all the better with my homemade butter.

You will need:

1 c. yellow cornmeal
1 ts. sugar (raw preferred)
1 TB salt (I use sea salt or Real Salt)
1/2 c. cup water
bacon grease ~ for a treat, fry some maple flavored bacon & then fry the Johnny Cakes in the flavored grease. Mmmmm :-P

Directions:

~In a cast iron skillet, warm bacon grease while making the Johnny Cake mix
~In a medium bowl, w/a whisk, mix cornmeal, sugar & salt
~Add water & stir w/large spoon or spatula until it forms a paste
~Form paste into pattie & fry in melted bacon grease until they are golden brown
~Top w/butter & enjoy!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Finding THE Dress

Another mile-stone was met in our house-hold yesterday . . . wedding gown shopping w/DD#1. Oh my!

The rest of the dress MUST remain a mystery '-)

She showed DD#2 & I the gown she chose ~ lovely. She said, "I can't believe you're not crying your eyes out!" And even though I was a little misty, I was surprised as well.

But I was also surprised that I didn't cry at my own wedding. I came prepared w/tissue stuffed up my sleeve but I didn't use them. I was walking toward that handsome young man who was SINGING to me as I came down the isle!! (A closely kept secret that everyone knew but me.) The closest I came to crying was when my Daddy gave me away. Otherwise, I was excited & happy.

And I hope that's how our daughters will be on their special days.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Rosemary's Rules for Living Long & Healthy

Rosemary Gladstar is a wise, wise women when it comes to using herbs for healing & everyday health. In her book, "Herbal Recipe for Vibrant Health," she has some great recommendations for "living well in our elder years." I think this is great advice at any stage in life, so I thought I'd share them with you . . .

1) Eat sagely. Several small meals are better than 1 or w large ones. Eat foods as close to their natural state as possible; the fewer preservatives, the better.

2) Exercise wisely. Every day, move that body as thought you're a dancer moving to the smooth rhythm of time.

3) Sleep serenely. Nothing restores the body & the brain like a night of good sleep. Although the body is usually ready to go after only 4 to 5 hours of sleep, the brain requires at least 8 hours of sleep to be restored & revitalized.

4) Drink deeply. American are a nation of "underdrinkers" ~ at least when it comes to water. Drink at least a quart of clean, pure water every day. Remember, 80% of the human body is water; we need it inside & outside to survive. So drink up!

5) Breathe fully. It seems to work ~ breathing in slowly, filling my [Rosemary's] lungs, expanding down into my stomach, out to my arms & legs, holding the breath all the while, holding until I can feel my blood being oxygenated, then breathing out slowly, slowly ~ helps me feel both relaxed & energized.

Simple & effective. Sounds like great advice to me.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#132~ 8/16/11

For Today . . .

Outside my window . . . lovely blue skies & sunshine. Cicadas coming out in scads, every morning there are so many more exo-skeletons hanging on the trees; I saw 2 in the process of hatching while taking Maggie on our morning stroll through the back yard. Love their sound.

I am thinking . . . that summer is winding down, fall is almost here. :-)

I am thankful . . . for Vanilla Biscotti coffee in the mornings!

In the kitchen . . . bread baking day; thinking of making Dirty Rice.

I am wearing . . . jeans, work t-shirt.

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

I am going . . . to take DD#2 to work, pick up the house a little, do a homeschool assessment, call my mom, go to work . . . & such is life.

I am wondering . . . what's next?

I am reading . . . Bible: Joel.

I am hoping . . . that our little Maggie (the dog) feels better soon. She has a bladder stone & will be on special food & meds for a month.

I am looking forward to . . . a weekend away.

I am hearing . . . radio, coffee-maker, DD#2 getting ready for work, Maggie barking.

Around the house . . . general pick up, laundry . . .

One of my favorite things . . . that my sweet hubby kisses me good-bye early every morning before he leaves for work.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . family time, wedding gown shopping w/DD#1, work, doing some more homeschool assessments . . .

Pondering these words . . . "Faith is taking Jesus Christ seriously." ~From Sunday's Sermon.

Scripture thought . . . "'Even now,' declares the LORD, 'return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing . . . " ~Joel 2:12-14.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you . . .

Closer than brothers.

Enjoy 100's of other Daybooks at Peggy's Simple Woman's Daybook!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Marmee-isms #5 ~ Keepers of Hearts & Souls

"To outsiders, the 5 energetic women seemed to rule the house, & so they did in many things; but the quiet scholar, sitting among his books was still the head of the family, the household conscience, anchor, & comforter; for to him the busy, anxious women always turned in troublous times, finding him, in the truest sense of those sacred words, husband & father.

"The girls gave their hearts into their mother's keeping, their souls into their father's; & to both parents, who lived & labored so faithfully for them, they gave a love that grew with their growth, & bound them tenderly together by the sweetest tie which blesses life & outlives death."

Chapter 24

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Moulin Rouge Sunflowers

This year, I added sunflowers to my little front yard herb/kitchen garden. And I'm so glad b/c this was a terrible year for my little garden. :-/

1st of all, the chipmonks & shrews ate all of my garden seeds! Even the jalapeno pepper seeds! I can't help but hope that they had MASSIVE indigestion after that. But at least I still had my herbs ~ even my transplants of oregano & rosemary took a while to latch on this year & I was a little worried, but they are looking pretty good right now. Not huge, but doing well.

Then, since I had to go back to work last year & my mom's dementia is so much worse this summer, I have sadly let the weeds & wild grasses take over far more than I ever have before ~ to my shame. But the Lord is so good & He made sure that herbs can grow in the worst of conditions :-) so they have been successful regardless of what I have & haven't done this summer.

BUT . . . the real crown of my little garden is just now beginning to take bloom . . . literally. This year, I plant a whole row of sunflowers in front of our downstairs bedroom window row. I planted every-other-one yellow~red~yellow~red~yellow~red~yellow. YES! RED!

They're called Moulin Rouge & they bloom a red that is so deep it's almost black. They are gorgeous & my 1st one opened up yesterday!

There are several buds on all of the stems so I'm excited to see what the whole row will look like once they've all come out. I'll show you when it happens.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Holy Basil a.k.a. Tulsi

I love herbs. I enjoy & benefit from homemade, natural health care. I try to learn something useful about my own health care everyday &, as I am in my post-child-baring years (WOW! How did that happen?!), I am determined to get through it w/o medical intervention as much as possible.

Something that nearly anyone ~ woman or man ~ young or old ~ can benefit from is Holy Basil, also know as Tulsi. I'm sure many of you have heard of Tulsi teas, did you know that it was actually Holy Basil? I didn't, until I started studying herbs.

You can take Holy Basil in a capsule w/the crushed &/or freeze-dried herb inside or by making a tea.

Here are some of the great benefits of Holy Basil:

~reduces stress, depression & anxiety
~good for relaxation
~has been used in the treatment of cancer
~has been known to increase strength & endurance
~helps oxygen to be used more effectively by the body
~aids digestion
~helps the immune system
~helps w/blood circulation in the brain
~helps w/memory retention, focus & clarity of thought
~helps w/ADD & ADHD
~reduces pain
~helps wounds to heal faster
~may lower cholesterol
~lessens headaches
~widely known for balancing hormones
~treats inflammation
~treats colds, sore throats & coughs
~reduces fevers
~can be used by those suffering w/allergies & asthma
~helps arthritis pain
~relieves gas & stomach cramps
~is a powerful antioxidant
~is good for eye health
~use the tea as a gargle for dental health & to reduce bad breath
~use the tea on a clean cloth for insect bites & stings

So much from such a little plant. The Lord is so good to us.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#34~ The Difference

PASSAGE: "Then Peter said [to a crippled man], 'Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.' Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, & instantly the man's feet & ankles became strong. He JUMPED to his feet & began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, WALKING & JUMPING, & PRAISING GOD.'" ~Acts 3:6-8 [emphasis, mine]

"Yet I [Jesus] hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent & do the things you did at first . . . " ~Revelation 2:4

LESSON LEARNED: How long have you been a Christian? What was the difference in your life after your salvation?

I remember the very night I became a Christian ~ I was with a new group of Christian friends {one of those new friends, seated in front of me, would later become my husband} who had taken me to an Imperials concert. The 1st thing to strike me was that, having grown up in music & listening to rock/contemporary music, I learned that Christian music wasn't JUST hymns. (Don't throw stones at me, here, I love most of the older hymns but that is NOT the music that the Lord used to make Himself attractive to me. He used what He knew would work in my life. He's a big God.) Then, as He used that music to draw me in, He completely & utterly revived my soul as they sang "All my life ~ never knowing what I was reaching for . . . always feeling somehow there must be more . . . Looking back ~ Jesus through my life You were everywhere, picking up the pieces I'd scattered there, holding them for me 'til my heart could care . . . " Oh my! THAT was ME!

I prayed the prayer of salvation that night (May 20th, 1982) & I walked out of that concert hall a brand new creature in Christ (II Cor. 5:17). Clean. New. FORGIVEN. I felt like I must glow in the dark. All my filth & sin & shame were gone! I was squeaky clean. I went home & I DANCED!!!

But . . . like so many things in this earthly life, we can take even the best & dearest in our lives for granted; whether the things of Christ or family members or friends. Let's NOT do that any more. We are living in a dying world, let's let our joy & our light shine before men. And when we fail (&, being human, we surely will), let's ask for forgiveness from God & whomever we have offended ~ which will set us apart from many, in itself ~ dust ourselves off & REJOICE once again in being clean, new & FORGIVEN.

THAT's the difference.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#131~ 8/9/11

For Today . . .

Outside my window . . . the sun is trying to shine after a night of loud, booming thunderstorm.

I am thinking . . . for the encouragement & creativity of bloggy friends.

I am thankful . . . for dreams. ~~“The longings of your heart are not incidental, they are critical messages. The desires of your heart are not to be ignored, they are to be consulted. As the wind turns the weather vane, so God uses your passions to turn your life. God is too gracious to ask you to do something you hate.” ~Max Lucado/Just like Jesus

In the kitchen . . . bread baking day, making another batch of laundry detergent.

I am wearing . . . jeans, pink shirt.

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

I am going . . . to take DD#2 to work & I will be going to work, later. One of those days when Hubby gets home as I am leaving. :-/

I am wondering . . . why 3 steps forward so often becomes 2 steps back?

I am reading . . . Bible: Esther; Mother Earth News articles about canning & dehydrating.

I am hoping . . . to be able to help DD#1 pay for as much of her wedding as we can. (We're still recovering from DH's lay-off & former low-paying job.)

I am looking forward to . . . wedding dress shopping w/DD#1. :-)

I am hearing . . . radio, typing fingers, DD#2 moving around as she gets ready for work, Maggie barking at birds outside the window.

Around the house . . . general pick up, would like to pull some weeds from my front herb garden (I'm so ashamed at what I've let it become lately . . . having to go back to work has not been good for my little garden), more homeschool assessments today.

One of the favorite things . . . the deep belly-laugh of a baby.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . family time, work, homeschool assessments, worship practice, Sunday worship w/the saints, homemade ice cream on Sunday!

Pondering these words . . . {From Sunday's sermon} Do people see REAL CHANGE in me ~ from my B.C. life to now? Do people see a real difference ~ between me & the world ~ that will attract them to Jesus Christ?

Scripture thought . . . "Then Peter said [to the cripple], 'Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. Int he name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk' . . . He JUMPED to his feet & began to walk. Then he went w/them into the temple courts, WALKING & JUMPING & PRAISING GOD." ~Acts 3:6,8. "He JUMPED . . . Walking & jumping & praising God" ~ I LOVE that!!!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you . . .

One of my favorite pictures of Jesus.

Enjoy 100's of other Daybooks at Peggy's Simple Woman's Daybook!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><