The Dearest & the Best

I am a person who is truly blessed with wonderful friends. And this weekend, I had the joy of being reunited with my dearest & best friend, Robin. I often think of her as the sister that I never had.

She now lives in the deep south & time together is next to nothing. This weekend was our 35th class reunion & it was the 1st time we have been together in 10 long years.

The afternoon of our reunion, Robin & I met for lunch at a local outdoor mall, walked around & shopped (like old times) & talked & laughed & talked & laughed some more. We then went to an authentic Irish Pub for a snack before parting to get ready for the reunion. It was BEAUTIFUL! Lots of dark wood, antique fabric patterns & stained glass. We felt like we were a world away ~ literally. We had a nice quiet little area to talk & munch on goat cheese dip with hot pita bread. 

I miss my sweet friend. She is truly the dearest & the best. I hope it won't be another 10 years before we can see each other again. <3

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Shining Like Stars ~ At Work or at Home

"Slaves [employees], obey your earthly masters [employers] with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly as if you were serving the Lord, not men . . . And masters, treat you slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him." ~Eph. 6:5-7, 9 [emphasis, mine]

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you will shine like stars in the universe." ~Phil. 3:14,15

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." ~Luke 6:31

 
We have all been at the bottom of the totem pole, haven't we? I have been a person who has been an employee and a leader. I am an employee now with hopes of being an employer one day soon.

What sets us apart from the rest of our talented, competent co-workers or as a just and appreciated employer? I would say that other than talent, would be a willingness to work and learn, and ~ as in a customer service industry ~ a willingness to serve.

I think service is becoming a lost art. How many times have we gone into a store and it seems that the "service" employees are ignoring you?  Or as you are paying for your groceries, the only thing the person checking you out says to you is "That's $10.95." What has happened to service? 

This lost art of service is one of the things that will set us apart from the "norm" of our culture. In a world where more and more business is happening on-line or over the phone, service can be where we ~ as Christians ~ can shine. This is where we can "[s]erve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men . . . " 

When performing a service for your church, do it with a smile and a positive attitude; your smile may be the only kindness that the person you are serving has seen all day. When attending a training or meeting for work, do it with the attitude that you will take something useful away and use it for the Lord's glory. If you are in a customer service business, be the person who offers help willingly and cheerfully ~ "as if you were serving the Lord." 


If you are an employer or head of your household, remember that you serve the same Master as your employees and family. Jesus is the ultimate Servant-Leader. He is our ultimate example.


No matter where we serve ~ at home or at work ~ everything we do reflects upon the character of Christ. And when we serve in His name, He makes us shine.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#161~ 7/23/12

For Today . . . 


Outside my window . . . going from a partly sunny morning to an over-cast day. I "hear" thunder in the radio, a storm must be coming in.


I am thinking . . . the my homeschool assessment appointment should be here by now.


I am thankful . . . to still be involved with the homeschool community. Wonderful people.


From the kitchen . . . yellow cake with chocolate icing. :-P


I am wearing . . . jeans, brown shirt.


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


I am going . . . to work later today. Monday's late hours.


I am wondering . . . where the person coming for our assessment appointment is. Hope everything is OK.


I am hoping . . . to see dear old friends this weekend.


I am reading . . . the new, BEAUTIFUL issue of Christian Women's Voice magazine.


I am looking forward to . . . my 35th class reunion this weekend. Wow! Can it really be that long?


I am learning . . . more & more each day, what extraordinary young women our daughters are. <3


Around the house . . . I have to weed my little front garden ~ it looks like Jumanji. :-/


One of my favorite things . . . fresh tomatoes & cucumbers out of the garden.


A few plans for the rest of the week . . . family time, work, doing a few homeschool assessments, hopefully some weeding, reading, blogging, class reunion, Sunday worship with the saints.


A favorite quote for the day . . ."Can't never did anything." ~my Daddy.


Scripture thought . . ."Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them though they are a rebellious house. You must speak My words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious . . . But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself." ~Ezekiel 2:6(b)-7; 3:19 . . . The Biblical version of "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." I'm not meaning to make light of such a serious subject, but the truth of the matter is that we are responsible to tell others about salvation through repentance and faith in the death, burial & resurrection of Jesus Christ, but sadly, we can't MAKE someone accept it.


A picture thought for you . . . 

Another wonderful, homey, quaint, "The Quiet Man"-ish Irish cottage window. I just love that sweet little movie . . . can you tell?

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

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Homemade Wound Powder

We all know that when we get a minor burn from grabbing a hot pan, popping grease or some other cooking mishap, that we head straight for the healing comfort of aloe. One thing you may not be aware of is how you can heal minor (& sometimes, not so minor) cuts at home.


If you've ever had a pet who has had a cut from a tussle with another animal or from trying to go through a barbed-wire fence or walking over broken glass, your veterinarian may have given you a little bottle or jar of wound powder. This is along that same line, but for humans.

You will need:

1 oz. goldenseal root
1 oz. usnea (optional)
1 oz. echinacea root OR seed
1 oz. eucalyptus leaf
1 oz. juniper leaf

Directions:

1) Combine all ingredients & grind them down as fine as possible. A coffee grinder works well.


2) Store in amber bottles or jars in a cool dark place; I know that some people will even freeze theirs.


3) TO USE: Clean the wound as well as possible. Sprinkle the powder LIBERALLY on the fresh, clean wound. This will stop bleeding, prevent infection & start the healing process. Re-apply as needed. This is also good for athlete's foot.

4) Replace after about 6 months.


Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

A Good Rule to Remember . . .

Busy, busy week, so I'll leave you with something short, sweet, humorous, healthy and a good rule to remember . . . 

 Have a great day!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

The Simple Women's Daybook ~#160~ 7/16/12

For Today . . . 

Outside my window . . . beautiful sunny day. Had a little rain last night & it is truly amazing how the Lord causes the smallest amount of water to green-up the lawns & the surrounding corn & bean fields. Thank You, Lord.

I am thinking . . . about how much fun I had with our DDs last night. Went to DD#1's apt where she made-up DD#2 & then took outdoor photos of her. Listening to them laugh while "playing" in the make-up was music to my ears.

I am thankful . . . that my family loves me so much. For a church where our pastors lovingly preach on the hard subjects.

From the kitchen . . . Faccacia bread with Asiago cheese. :-P

I am wearing . . . brown capris, brown/white/green shirt.

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

I am going . . . to work later this afternoon.

I am wondering . . . why an extended family member insists on burning bridge after bridge & then deludes themselves into thinking that the reason no one wants to be around them is everyone else's fault.

I am hoping . . . for the salvation of that extended family member.

I am reading . . . Bible: 1 Peter.

I am looking forward to . . . being off work on Wednesday! Ha!

I am learning . . . more & more that CHOOSING not to ruin one's life & CHOOSING to accept Jesus as your Savior is just that ~ a CHOICE. Watching someone destroy him/herself is heart-breaking.

Around the house . . . general pick-up around the house.

One of my favorite things . . . watching my children's lives blossom. And having music on my blog again. Woohoo!

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . family time, work, worship practice, doing a few homeschool assessments, working on an article for The Christian Women's Voice magazine & a devotion for the church newsletter, Sunday worship with the saints.

A favorite quote for the day . . . "Jesus Christ is telling the world who He is through our marriages" ~from Sunday's sermon . . . . . . .

Scripture thought . . . "'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be untied with his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a profound mystery ~ but I am talking about Christ and the church." ~Ephesians 5:31-32


A picture thought for you . . . 

 Irish cottage window. So Homey. I think it's very "The Quiet Man"-ish.

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

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#66~ Our Places on the Team (Repost)

I originally wrote this post for a blog I kept years ago; and then I re-posted it here about 2-1/2 years ago. So, since this coming week, our sermon will be on Eph. 5:21-33, & new people read this blog every year, I thought I would re-post it. (With a few tweaks here & there.) I hope you are blessed. K~

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

 I Cor. 14:33 – “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.”

James 3:16 – “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder…"

"Feminism is mixed up with the muddled idea that women are free when they serve their employers but slaves when they help their husbands." ~G. K. Chesterson

Ever have one of those days when things are so loud and disorderly that if the roof caved in it wouldn’t be a surprise? When the kids are constantly nit-picking each other and the pitch and volume of your voice just keeps getting higher and louder? And then, dear Dad comes home to his loving family only to be bombarded with all the problems. But never fear . . .  SU-permom is here! She’ll just take over Dad’s role as Head of the House and he can exercise his “authority” by gladly giving it all over to her. But . . . does that really bring peace to the situation? Does that foster love and respect in the wife’s (and children’s) heart when the family leadership roles are reversed?

There will be no peace in our homes until we find contentment by accepting our role in God’s plan for the family. Not accepting our roles is an expression of envy and discontentment and that destroys the peace of our home.

As SAHM/homeschool mothers/teachers it can be hard to “give up” our leadership role when our husband walks through the door. All day long we’ve been giving the instructions, making the plans; being nurse, taxi driver, peace-maker, cook, teacher and Supreme Court judge. It’s hard to lay that mantle of authority aside when Hubby comes home.

In his Advanced Home Schooling Workshop tape entitled Establishing an Orderly Home, Gregg Harris says, “All order is an outgrowth of purpose.” He goes on to explain that a coach has a goal in mind and therefore decides what places on the team (what roles) each player plays. “Take away the goal post and the play has no purpose.” When we have a goal, or a vision, our various roles will then make sense. When everyone is doing their own “thing” then there is great disorder; disorder brings no glory to God. If we see and participate in our place on the team, we have order; order does bring glory to God. God’s glory is our goal!
 
God has specific roles for each member of the family. When women are willing to take their proper place in God’s order they get more of the man they wish they had! We can’t keep going to God in prayer asking Him to make our husbands the godly leader we wish they were if we don’t honor our husbands by letting him assume his role as leader of our home. This is NOT about superiority vs. inferiority, but about places on the team, about restoring the household to its proper place. My friend, Jami S., is one of the most godly women I know. I once heard her say something that I have kept written in my day-timer: “My humbleness will get me further than my pride.” God is a loving God and wants us to understand true submission and my Bible says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Eph. 5:21) That’s reason enough for me!

Moreover, what is our example teaching our children? Oh dear, I hear that old saying running through my head again, “Children learn more from what is caught than taught.” What are my children “catching” from me? Just as viruses have a tendency to work their way through a household, attitudes also work their way through. What attitude about places on the team work their way (for good or bad) to my children?

As we practice submission to our husbands we ought always hold them up in prayer. Remember, the man carries the heavier burden. He is responsible before God to put his very life on the line, to give his life for us! “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her . . . ” (Eph. 5:25)

I certainly realize that we SAHM/homeschool moms have a lot on our plates already . . . but when we live out our roles, peace will begin to reign and those loads might just become lighter. Our attitudes will be turned to respect and a deeper love for our husbands (Eph. 5:33) that our children will “catch” and take with them into their own homes in years to come.

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#159~ 7/9/12

For Today . . . 


Outside my window . . . lovely sunshine. It's "cooled down" to the mid-80's.


I am thinking . . . of how grateful I am for my church home.


I am thankful . . . for relief from the heat. And that I finally have a Blog Button that I think will work. I hope you grab it!!!


From the kitchen . . . roasted, salted almonds.


I am wearing . . . jeans, mint-green shirt.


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


I am going . . . to work.


I am wondering . . . when a certain break-through will happen.


I am hoping . . . that it will be soon. :-)


I am reading . . . Cowards, but Glenn Beck. Not much reading time lately, but I'm enjoying it when I can.



I am looking forward to . . . coming home from work, tonight. lol. I like my job, but I LOVE coming home.


I am learning . . . to not be afraid.


Around the house . . . general pick up.


One of my favorite things . . . singing worship.


A few plans for the rest of the week . . . family time, work, article planning.


A favorite quote for the day . . . "Our culture has lost the dignity of life; we have lost the meaning of how God wants us to live. We are NOT simply 'smart animals.' We are made in God's image & set apart for His holy use."


Scripture thought . . . "Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy." ~Lev. 19:2


A picture thought for you . . . 

Grab my Blog Button! (on the side bar)

Read 100's of other Daybooks by visiting Peggy's Simple Woman's Daybook!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Homemade Grease Cutting Cleaner

This is a great cleaner for cutting nasty grease & dirt. This is the cleaner recipe that will make you say, "I'm never buying store-bought cleaners again."

You will need:

~a large bucket, at least 1 gallon
~mop or hand-held scrub brush
~at least 1 gallon of HOT water in the bucket
~2-3 TB UNscented liquid Castile soap
~1/4 c. Arm & Hammer washing soda (NOT baking soda)
~1 c. white vinegar
~20 drops of tea tree essential oil
~10 drops of eucalyptus essential oil

Directions:

1) Mix all of the ingredients in your large bucket
2) Use either a mop or scrub brush to dip into cleaner & scrub
3) No need to rinse :-)


Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Like Losing an Old Friend . . .

We lost another icon of our childhood on July 3rd, 2012. I grew up laughing at dear befuddled Barney & admiring the good-natured, common-sensical Sheriff Andy Taylor. I think one of the reason I loved the character of Andy Taylor was because he reminded me so much of my Daddy. 


Well, I pray that they are both resting in God's peace & singing those old hymns & new heavenly praise songs in their humble harmonies. I'll be even Barney is in choir. :-)

Farewell, Andy. Thanks for the memories.

I can almost hear the whistle.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#158~ 7/2/12

For Today . . .


Outside my window . . . Hot. Sunshine. No storms.


I am thinking . . . about stuff. :-)


I am thankful . . . that our neighbor's tree didn't hurt our house. It just grazed it & then landed in the front & another part of it landed across the road.


From the kitchen . . . chili dogs.


I am wearing . . . dark olive capris, rust top, brown drapey.


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



I am going . . . to work.


I am wondering . . . about a plan.


I am hoping . . . about a plan.


I am reading . . . "Cowards" by Glenn Beck. Very good read.


I am looking forward to . . . election day.


I am learning . . . that most people hear only what they want to hear.


Around the house . . . daily pick up. My little herb garden is in sad need of weeding.


One of my favorite things . . . dates w/THE Man.


A few plans for the rest of the week . . . family, work, celebrating our freedom!


A favorite quote for the day . . ."Being a follower of Jesus Christ puts me in a very exclusive club; it's exclusivity is a scandal to the world." ~from Sunday's sermon (went to hear our dear friend guest preach at his church).


Scripture thought . . . ". . . that at the Name of Jesus EVERY knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and EVERY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." ~Phil. 2:10-11


A picture thought for you . . . 

Scottish Heather

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


Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><