Gratitude

I don't have a lot of time to visit other blogs today, but I wanted to do a quick post for Thankful Thursday.

As I look at all the pictures that have come out of Haiti, I cannot help but feel complete and utter gratitude for:

my Bible
a beautiful, caring family
warm, clean clothes
a wonderful house
friends
my church
fun plans for the evening (that's for another post)

I hope that if you've visited here today, you will leave a comment and tell me a few things you are thankful for. Have a great Thursday!

Joy

Ahhh! The joy of having a sparkling clean bathroom! :)

Happy Wednesday!

From a 4th grade reading book

Of all the subjects to be held during the school day, Oldest Daughter absolutely loves reading class! In her spare time, if she has a book, she is one happy gal! Books are friends, and she can go anywhere in the world! From where does she get her love of reading?!?! Hmmm...I wonder. :) Sweet Hubbie calls both of us (lovingly) bookworms.

This little poem is in one of her readers, and I thought I would share it with you.

Little Words of Kindness

Anonymous

A little word in kindness spoken,

A motion or a tear,

Has often healed the heart that's broken,

And made a friend sincere.

A word, a look, has crushed to earth

Full many a budding flower,

Which, had a smile but owned its birth,

Would bless life's darkest hour.

Then think it not an idle thing

A pleasant word to speak:

The face you wear, the thoughts you bring,

A heart may heal or break.

Dear Lord, help me today to speak kind, helpful words!

For Today

~For today, January 25, 2010~

Outside my window~

a beautiful, sunny day and 63 degrees!

I am thinking about~

about my oldest daughter who is out with a sweet friend

I am thankful for~

Christian parents

time with my sweet Hubbie

I am wearing~

a tan skirt and a short sleeve navy blue sweater

From the learning rooms~

my oldest daughter is learning about geology and working hard on her state notebook

my son is doing well with his short vowel words, and starts reading sentences tomorrow

my youngest daughter is learning to sort and loves it

From the kitchen~

mozzarella chicken for supper

I am creating~

a clean, organized closet for one of the children

I am praying~

for a sweet friend who had a very tough time last week

I am going~

to the grocery store

I am hearing~

the dryer running

all else is quiet...it's naptime!

I am hoping~

my brother has a great birthday on Sunday

Around the house~

are some little piles that I need to take care of

some coupons that need to be clipped before I head to the store later

I am pondering these words~

"Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important."

(something I need to work on...)

Have a wonderful Monday!

If you would like to read more daybooks, please hop on over to The Simple Woman's Daybook.

I'm going...

to have a night out with the family! I'm so excited and have been looking forward to this all week! We're going out to dinner here, and then a little shopping, and a little ride...Hope you all have a great weekend!

Draw Me Nearer...

We recently sang this beautiful hymn in church and it is my prayer today...

Draw Me Nearer

written by Fanny Crosby

I am Thine, O Lord,

I have heard Thy voice,

And it told Thy love to me;

But I long to rise in the arms of faith

And be closer drawn to Thee.

Refrain:

Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,

to the Cross where Thou hast died.

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,

To Thy precious, bleeding side.

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,

By the pow'r of grace divine;

Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,

And my will be lost in Thine.

Refrain

Oh, the pure delight of a single hour

That before Thy throne I spend,

When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God

I commune as friend with friend!

Refrain

There are depths of love that I cannot know

Till I cross the narrow sea;

There are heights of joy that I may not reach

Till I rest in peace with Thee.

Refrain

Simple Woman's Daybook~1/19/2010

For today, Tuesday, January 19, 2010~

Outside my window~

sunny, 45 degrees

I am thinking~
about my grandparents (they are all in Heaven)

I am thankful for~
my Bible

From the learning rooms~
oldest daughter is working on a state notebook, son is learning the c/k blend ladder and doing really well at reading one vowel words

From the kitchen~
pizza noodle casserole and salad

I am creating~
a new look for the laundry room

I am going~
to get off the computer very soon :)

I am reading~
from the book of Isaiah today

I am hoping~
the Beginner Choir does a great job tomorrow night

I am hearing~
a pencil scratching on paper
Legos being played with

the furnace

Around the house~
I need to wash up some dishes

I'm trying to get a household chore list organized

Two of my favorite things~
spending time with my Hubbie and children

looking at old pictures

A few plans for the rest of the week~
school
church on Wednesday
out to eat Friday night (I think)

basketball game and a baby shower for a friend on Saturday

Here some pictures for thought that I am sharing~

Some beautiful horses...I wonder where they are now...they were being auctioned off this past summer.

If you liked this daybook, hop on over to The Simple Woman's Daybook to read more!

Making Home A Priority

This Thankful Thursday, I wanted to share a new blog that I found. Perhaps you've already visited Rachel. She has some really great ideas to help with housekeeping.

I know that everyone is busy! Some of you may work outside the home. Others may be a SAHM. Whatever the calling, I know that we probably all desire to make our homes feel welcoming to our families and to our guests.

Another one of my personal goals this year is to make my home a priority. It's relatively clean, but I sure could use some help in keeping myself on some sort of schedule without feeling overwhelmed. I hope you have a few minutes to visit Rachel's blog. If you need some housekeeping hints or helps, you'll be glad you did!

Do you follow a schedule for your housekeeping?

Have a beautiful Thankful Thursday!

Faithfulness

"May all your troubles be as short as your New Year's resolutions."

as seen on a local church sign

While at first glance, that quote is "cute", it made me start thinking.

How often has God spoken to me and pricked my conscience about something?

Of course, I quickly vowed to do better, and then just as quickly failed at it! I want to be a faithful Christian woman~not one that is swept from one thing to another. I want to be faithful in all things!

I've said several times that I don't like making resolutions...setting goals is more beneficial for me. One goal I am thinking about and working on this year is FAITHFULNESS.

• I want to continue being faithful in God's house.
• I want to be faithful in reading His Word~not just when it's convenient, but every. single. day!
• I want to be faithful in my ministries. Not just doing them in my own strength, but covering those ministries in prayer and seeking God's help and wisdom.
• I want to be a faithful friend and spouse to my sweet Hubbie~faithful to meal plan, clean, cook, clip coupons, etc. (I think you get the picture.)
• I want to be a faithful daughter, sister, and friend.
  

The more I think about the word faithfulness, the more ways I want to perfect this character trait in my life. With God's help, I know I can be more like Christ!

Here are just a few verses that are helping me:

Psalm 36:5~Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.

Lamentations 3:22-23~It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

I Thessalonians 5:24~ Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

And one last passage~this is one of my favorites. Although the word faithfulness is not mentioned in these verses, the thought is there...

Philippians 3:13-14~Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

May I be found faithful this year!

My First Award

Wow! I was very pleasantly surprised yesterday...I received my very first blog award! Thank you, Karen! I hope you have some time to go visit her today.

I am supposed to tell you seven things about me and then give this award to seven other bloggers. So, here goes~

1. I am the third child, the second daughter, and the baby of the family.
2. I am having more fun with this blog than I thought I would. I have "met" so many wonderful Christian ladies through the blog world!
3. I love coffee~with lots of creamer! Hubbie says I like my creamer with a little bit of coffee...hmmm.
4. I am not very good at keeping New Year resolutions. I enjoy setting goals more.
5. I really enjoy making handmade cards. (I used to be a Stampin'Up! demonstrator, so I have lots of supplies...)
6. I like to sew, but don't do it very often. My mom is so much better at this than I am. :)
7. I have never attended a public school or university. I'm so thankful for my Christian education!

Now, for my nominations~So many women have been a blessing to me...I hope you can visit these ladies soon:

1. Ruth at Daily Divine
2. Katie at Katie's Keepers
3. Giggles at Life in My Lane
4. Jennifer at Trading Ashes for Beauty
5. Sarah at Nesting in Pleasant View
6. Christy at Between Here and Home
7. Amy at Raising Arrows (this is a wonderful blog that I've recently learned about)

Have a great day!

Simple Woman's Daybook~1/11/2010

For today, Monday, January 11, 2010~

Outside my window~

it is frigid and cold...27 degrees

I am thinking~

about Preacher's sermon series on temptation

I am thankful for~

a loving, forgiving Savior

From the learning rooms~

oldest daughter is working on equivalent fractions, son has learned "j" and the blend ladder

From the kitchen~

pork chops, noodles, gravy, lima beans for dinner

I am creating~

nothing right now, but planning for Valentine's Day

I am going~

to the craft store later today (hopefully)

I am reading~

through the Bible by categories with my church

I am hoping~

that with all this cold weather we will get some more snow!

I am hearing~

the washing machine

Around the house~

Christmas decorations are put away, and Valentine's Day decorations are out~

I love to decorate for the seasons!

One of my favorite things~

snuggling under the warm blankets with my Hubbie

A few plans for the rest of the week~

school

church on Wednesday

Hubbie off work on Friday

Here is a picture for thought that I am sharing~

these are at Canyon Lake, AZ a few years ago...just some warmer temps to think about!

I am joining Peggy over at The Simple Woman's Daybook. If you'd like to read more daybooks, just hop on over there...Have a great Monday!

Bass Pro Shops

Have you been to a Bass Pro Shop? Not being a real "outdoorswoman", I wasn't sure what to expect... On several occasions, Hubbie, kiddos, and I had passed by one of the stores, and one fine December day, we knew we would be close by, so we planned for a visit!

Boy, was I ever surprised! Totally~and I hate using this word, but~cool! I was really amazed, and I think my family was, too! There were two huge indoor aquariums, one freshwater and one saltwater. The freshwater aquarium had local types of fish in it. Beautiful! The saltwater aquarium was located inside a restaurant (which was inside the store). We enjoyed some surf and turf for lunch and then continued on our journey. We probably spent about three hours in that store~just looking at everything!

If you ever get a chance to visit, by all means, please do so! You'll be glad you did~unless, of course, you don't like to see stuffed bear, deer, raccoon, squirrel, etc......Here are a few pictures from our visit.

Beautiful fireplace and mantle

Freshwater aquarium and waterfall

Beautiful! I think most of God's creatures are amazing!

My parents have had a few of these visit their back porch~in fact, one black bear even tore their screen on the back door~too close for comfort for me!



I thought this sign was too funny!

I hope you enjoyed your visit today. Have a great Wednesday!

One of the Best...

Here is a yummy recipe for one of the best cookies I've ever made!

Double Tree Hotel Cookies

1 1/2 c. butter~softened
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon juice
3 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. old-fashioned oatmeal -- uncooked
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 c. Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.


• Place the butter in a large bowl and cream lightly with an electric mixer.


• Add the sugars and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes.


• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.


• Add the vanilla and lemon juice and mix well.


• In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, oatmeal, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to the creamed butter mixture and stir well to blend.


• Add chocolate chips and walnuts and stir to combine.


• Using a 1/4 cup measure or a 2-oz ice cream scoop, drop the batter on the parchment-lined pans, leaving 2 -3 inches between each cookie.


• Bake for 13 - 15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from parchment and cool on wire racks.

Enjoy with a tall glass of milk, or a cup of coffee...Have a great day!

Here is a picture of these beauties! They are huge!

Simple Woman's Daybook~1/4/10

For today, Monday, January 4, 2010~

Outside my window~

sunny, 27 degrees

I am thinking~

about my personal goals for this year

I am thankful for~

new beginnings

From the learning rooms~

school is back in session with A Beka DVD's for our oldest daughter

traditional school for our son

From the kitchen~

bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits this morning

I am creating~

my grocery list (actually, I have a standard list printed out, so I am just highlighting what I need to get from the store)

I am going~

to the grocery store later today

I am reading~

The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond

Going Rogue by Sarah Palin

both of which were Christmas gifts from my sweet Hubbie :)

I am hoping~

to get back on my diet tomorrow

I am hearing~

our furnace :)

Around the house~

are still the Christmas decorations~I love this time of year!

One of my favorite things~

spending time with my wonderful Hubbie and my kids

BBQ sandwiches (see picture below) :)

A few plans for the rest of the week~

take down and put away the Christmas decorations

homeschool group on Friday

basketball league for our church kids starts Saturday

Here are a couple of pictures for thought that I am sharing~

notice the horseshoes~this house was decorated in everything to do with horses...of course our oldest daughter was "in love"

Talk about some serious BBQ!!! It really was quite tasty!

Happy New Year!

I am linking up to The Simple Woman's Daybook. Hop on over there to read some more daybooks!