Random Thoughts

Thank you so much for your sweet comments on my last post! I love reading your thoughts...And today, I have some random thoughts~no specific order, no rhyme or reason...please bear with me.  :)

• I have the "perfect spouse" for me, and I have a great relationship with him...
• I am thankful for the ability to "blog" and have met many new friends!
• Do you receive any devotionals on your computer? I receive three of them. One is Girlfriends in God, another is from Proverbs 31 Ministries, and the last one is from a preacher out in California. Today he wrote the following devotional about divine appointments, and it really spoke to my heart:

Many times God works in our hearts and lives before He uses us in a great way. Have you ever had God take you through a trial, prepare your life for a future event, then use you to His glory? Before God brings others to us, He often deals with us first.

When God does bring along someone, recognize it as His divine appointment rather than a temporary inconvenience. We've all got work to do, a schedule to keep, a family to lead, and a life to live. Yet, remember that life isn't about our work. It's about God's work. It's about reaching out to others who are hurting, helping those who are struggling, listening to those who are mourning, and witnessing to those who are lost. Our lives are about helping others see Christ.

• WOW! It was a great reminder to me...to not get so focused on "my life", but to see others' needs.
• I am meeting my brother one last time for lunch before he heads back to Europe to the mission field...my parents, brother, Hubbie, kids, and I are going to Famous Dave's...I am excited about the delicious food, but even more excited to spend time with everyone. On Wednesday, I was able to see William (my brother), and had a really nice visit. He is leaving around 5 PM Eastern time...please pray for safety. He should arrive at his local airport around 2:45 tomorrow afternoon.
• Our fall revival is now finished, but I am praying that the Holy Spirit keeps working on me. Such great, encouraging messages.
• Candy give-away was last night after the service. We do not celebrate Halloween, but we love to give our kids candy...so the adults all bring a big bag of candy, and line up (sit) around the perimeter of our gym. The kids (through the 5th grade) file past us with their bags, and get tons of candy! Suffice it to say that there were lots of kids "bouncing off the walls" last night. Oh, such excitement!!! And all for some candy! :)
• Did you know that October 31st is also Reformation Day? It was the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Thesis to the church door.
• Although I am not a huge fan of Wally World, I do shop there occasionally. Yesterday, I found the cutest black wire basket for $5! I love black wire items! They also have some beautiful dishes and glasses for $3 each from the Better Homes & Gardens collection that would love fabulous in my kitchen...I may have to go back...

I told you I was totally random today...just wanted to get a couple of thoughts written down. Thanks for sticking with me! I hope you have a great Thursday!

A Taste of Fall

For Monday, October 25, 2010~

Outside my window~

the sun is shining brightly and the leaves are gorgeous!

I am hearing~

my kids singing "America"

I am thinking~

about my Sweetheart

I am thankful~

for the conviction of the Holy Spirit

I am remembering~

the sermon yesterday that encouraged me to be still and obey the Lord

I am reading~

my Bible, Answers in Genesis magazine, cooking magazines

I am hoping~

that we have a good visit with my brother before he heads back to Europe on Thursday

On my mind~

are my grandparents

Noticing that~

I need to clean the family room

Wondering~

who will be in the majority in about 8 days

I am creating~

nothing at the moment

Food for thought~

"Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven."

Psalm 119:89

From the kitchen~

Sunday~grilled steak, seasoned potatoes, limas

Monday~steak fajitas

Tuesday~poppy seed chicken casserole

Wednesday~swiss steak (crock-pot)

Thursday~tba

Friday~tba

Saturday~tba

*tba does not mean we'll be eating out all those days...   :)

Around the house~

the mammal poster is done and it looks really nice

One of my favorite things~

is the time I get to spend with my family, laughing, sharing,

making memories, and just enjoying each other

A few plans for the rest of the week~

church revival M, T, W evening

visit with my brother

Bible Builders on Saturday

From my picture journal~

a few pictures from our recent trip through the Appalachian Mountains

Thank you for stopping by today! Have a blessed day, my friends!

I'll be linking up to The Simple Woman's Daybook, so hop on over there if you'd like to read other daybooks. Thank you, Peggy, for hosting this every week! :)

Will You Tell Us a Story?

One night after church a few weeks ago, Hubbie had to run into Lowe's for something, and the kids and I were sitting in the car together. Sometimes, waiting can be hard...but when one of the children asked me, "Will you tell us a story?" I began to think back to some stories that I knew had been told~over and over and over...and couldn't really come up with a great story. Imagine my surprise and my delight when "R" said, "Will you tell us about when you got saved?" So, I said...

When I was in Kindergarten, a first grade friend told me that I needed to be saved. She promptly raised her hand and told the teacher. :) I can remember going into another room and the teacher talking to me. I can remember praying a prayer, but not because I understood why or because I did not want to go to hell when I died, or even because I understood that Jesus took my punishment for me. I just prayed the prayer because that is what the teacher said to do.

I even remember talking to my Mom when I got home from school that day, and her joy upon hearing my news. I acted like a Christian. I went to church. I said the right things. I even got baptized! But there was never a real change in my heart.

When I was a sophomore in college, an evangelist came to preach and I realized how desperately I needed to trust Christ as my personal Savior. I know for sure that on September 10, 1992, I got saved!

When I got finished, "R" and "D" both related their testimony to me.

"R" asked Jesus to be her Savior when she was 4. She remembers that she was sitting on our blue and white couch when it was in the family room and she even remembers what she was wearing ~ some kind of polar bear pajamas. :)

"D" asked Jesus into his heart when he was 4. He remembers that he talked to Hubbie and I after church one night, and that we were in his bedroom.

What precious words for me to hear...and they both want to be baptized soon...and "R" has shared with her dad and I a very special blessing~she believes God wants her to be a missionary! Hubbie and I are thrilled and excited to see how God is going to use her life for His glory! I'm so very thankful for the opportunity to teach my children about Jesus.

Do you know for sure where you would spend eternity if you died today? Will you share in the comments section where you were when you asked Jesus to be your Savior?

Autumn Banner

Happy Harvest!

Daybook~10/19

For Tuesday, October 19, 2010~

Outside my window~

cool, dark, chance of rain today

I am hearing~

the fan on our A/C unit is circulating air

but other than that, I hear nothing

I am thinking~
about my Hubbie, and

about doing some baking today after school is finished  :)

I am thankful~

for a loving family,

and for the responsibility of voting in just two weeks

I am remembering~

what a fun time our family had at

our church's Fall Festival this past Saturday

I am reading~

nothing extra...just the essentials

(Bible, cooking magazines)

I am hoping~

that our newest nephew did well last night

since it was his first night home!

On my mind~

are some of my friends

From the learning rooms~

"R" recently learned how to check addition,

multiplication, and division by "casting out 9's"...pretty neat stuff!

"D" told me the other day,

"Mom, can we just do first grade? I remember all this stuff from K4!"

"S" learns new words every day. My most recent favorite was "hudder". Any

ideas on what word was being said?

Noticing that~

after our church revival next week, the calendar is

going to be changed fairly soon...so hard to believe that November

is right around the corner!

Wondering~

if I really should start the exercise DVD? I definitely

don't want to, but I definitely ought to...

I am praying~

for the elections coming November 2nd...

I am creating~

actually, I am helping "R" get her mammal poster finished. It is

looking really nice so far. She is very pleased.

Pondering these words~

"America has never been an empire. We may be the only great power in history

that had the chance, and refused - preferring greatness to power

and justice to glory."

43rd President of the United States

George W. Bush

November 19, 1999

From the kitchen this week~

french toast and sausage

pork BBQ

mozzarella chicken

steak fajitas

poppy seed chicken casserole

baked mostaccioli (new recipe)

swiss steak

chicken tenders

Around the house~

little projects are slowly getting finished:

kids' clothes that they have outgrown, getting passed on

autumn decorations finished

school project is nearing completion

yard work is basically done for the season

driveway resealed

One of my favorite things~

I probably say this often, but I so enjoy

spending time with my sweetheart and my family!

A few plans for the rest of the week~

library run

church on Wednesday

quiet week (so far)  :)

From my picture journal~

a few autumn decorations

~our front entry~

welcome!

~cornicopia came from a "Buckwheat Festival" that one

of my students went to years ago...she is now a Junior in

High School...Monogrammed plate

is from Kirkland's~

~care for some candy corn?~

 ~just a few of my pumpkins~

 ~looks like someone has enjoyed those harvest colored M&M's~

 One day I caught our youngest on the couch, leaning

over the pillows, and enjoying these candies! ~

 ~simple, but pretty pumpkin candleholder. It now has an

orange/brown candle in it~

 ~a recent find from Yankee Candle~

Have you seen all the beautiful sunflower dishes at Cracker Barrel?

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you have a great Tuesday!

If you'd like to read other Daybooks, please visit here.

I'm also linking up to Friday with Friends, even though I am really late!



God's Paintbrush

Recently, while driving on I-70 and I-68, through Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia (again), Maryland, and West Virginia (yet again!), I was amazed at all the beautiful colors on the trees. It was like God had taken out His paintbrush, and had created a masterpiece...all around us! It was absolutely beautiful!

Then I started thinking~

• None of those trees were exactly the same, just like we are not all "the same".
• Each tree had a special color, just like we all have special gifts. What is/are your special gift(s)?
• Each tree points to God, just as we should point others to Christ.
• Every tree declared God's glory, just as we ought to praise Him for all He has done!

I am so thankful that I have been given the opportunity to see God's paintbrush this fall...and I am also thankful that He reminded me of these simple truths.

Have you seen some of His paintings?

Jesus Calls Us

Every once in a while, I like to share a hymn that is a blessing to me. The following hymn is not one that we normally sing in our church, but it is beautiful! You can download the music here. The poetess also wrote All Things Bright and Beautiful and the Christmas hymn, Once in Royal David's City.

Jesus Calls Us

by Cecil Frances Alexander

Jesus calls us o’er the tumult

Of our life’s wild, restless, sea;

Day by day His sweet voice soundeth,

Saying, “Christian, follow Me!”

Jesus calls us from the worship

Of the vain world’s golden store,

From each idol that would keep us,

Saying, “Christian, love Me more!”

In our joys and in our sorrows,

Days of toil and hours of ease,

Still He calls, in cares and pleasures,

“Christian, love Me more than these!”

Jesus calls us! By Thy mercies,

Savior, may we hear Thy call,

Give our hearts to Thine obedience,

Serve and love Thee best of all.

Matthew 4:19~And he saith unto them,

Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Thank you for stopping by today. Have a wonderful Thursday!  :)

Simple Woman's Daybook

For Monday, September 27, 2010~

Outside my window~

rain and pleasant temperatures in the 60's

I am hearing~

pages being turned in a book

I am thinking~

about some autumn plans

I am thankful~

for a great marriage to my sweet Hubbie

I am remembering~

the wonderful church services yesterday

I am reminded~

that because of God's tremendous love for me,

I have some tremendous responsibilities:

of telling others of His great love for them,

of showing His love to others, and

of purifying my heart and life

I am reading~

my Bible and I'm still reading

Do You Mind if Your Kids Don't?

I am hoping~

that you have a great day!

On my mind~

is a list of things I'd like to do today

From the learning rooms~

still reviewing some things from last year

Noticing that~

time seems to fly by more quickly now than

when I was a kid  :)

Praying~

for my brother who is in the US for a few months, and

for his wife and boys who are in Europe

I am creating~

an autumn banner for our home

Pondering these words~

"If God brings you to it,

He will lead you through it."

From the kitchen~

bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches on low-carb bread

cheeseburgers

meatloaf

Around the house~

it looks like autumn has arrived

Have I mentioned before that I love to decorate for the seasons?  :)

One of my favorite things~

is my Hubbie's love...and his kisses!

A few plans for the rest of the week~

swim lessons

church on Wednesday

church visitation on Saturday

From my picture journal~

~a horse made from flowers~

~the farm was getting ready to open for the summer~

~some of the most beautiful creatures~

Thank you for stopping by today!

If you'd like to read other daybooks, please visit Peggy at

The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Welcome, Autumn!

My favorite season has arrived!

Yippee!!

I love autumn and all the

beautiful colors that

the Lord paints in our world...

Happy Wednesday!

I just wanted to share a few pictures of some favorite fall things...

~beautiful sunflowers~

~in the colonial city of Williamsburg~

~pumpkin roll~

For my Sister-in-Law

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEV!

Just wanted to let you know how special you are to our family...

we love you and hope that you have had a great birthday today!

Autumn Favorites

Since Autumn is right around the corner, I thought I would share some of my favorite things...and some pictures from last fall. :)

~ the leaves changing color (and there are some that are turning already!
~ cooler temperatures
~ lower humidity (YES!!!)
~ lightweight jackets
~ sitting on the deck with my Hubbie

~ my autumn decorations

~ pumpkins

~ birthday of our youngest

~ hayrides

~ field trips to the farm

~ mums on my porch

~ watching our older kids play in the leaves that they just raked into a big pile :)

~ the color brown

~ our missions conference at church

~ autumn tablecloth on the kitchen table

~ some fun autumn paper products I found at Costco the other day

~ sunflowers (but if you know me very well, I like these any time of year!)

~ candy corn

~ "Harvest" candle from Yankee Candle~have you tried that one?

~ walking around a historic town nearby

~our cutie pies~

~the view from our deck~

~pretty pansies~

~pumpkin chocolate bars~

~fall birthday girl~

Have a great Wednesday!

Summer Flowers

These plants are in our front flower beds. I was first introduced to "Vinca" a few years ago. They are hardy and withstand the summer heat (so much better than impatiens). In fact, we rarely purchase any other kind of plant for our flower beds...These flowers are pretty right now, but they will soon be gone...

and the flower beds will be ready for fall planting.

As I look at these beauties, I'm reminded of the following verse:

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth:

but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Have a great Wednesday!

First Day of School~2010

For Monday, August 30, 2010~

Outside my window~

the temperatures are climbing back into the 90's today

I am hearing~

"D" sweeping under the kitchen table

I am thinking~

about my sweet Hubbie

I am thankful~

for the Bible and for good preaching

I am remembering~

some of my first days of school...

as a student and as a teacher

I am reading~

Do You Mind if Your Kids Don't

by Dr. Bill Rice, III

I am hoping~

our school year continues well...

we started great today! :)

On my mind~

is Amanda

From the learning rooms~

"R" has started 5th grade

"D" has started K5

"S" is having fun playing

Noticing that~

the house is slowly getting more organized

(I love that!)

I am praying~

for my niece, Anna, who started college this past Thursday

I am creating~

some sweet memories with my children

Pondering these words~

(emphasis mine)

Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in

him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy

 and without blame before him in love:

From the kitchen~

Monday~spaghetti and salad

Tuesday~chicken enchiladas

Wednesday~ham sandwiches

Thursday~baked mostaccioli (new recipe)

Friday~out to eat

Saturday~tba

Around the house~

school is getting "done" for today

laundry is getting washed

One of my favorite things~

is seeing my children make good choices

A few plans for the rest of the week~

church, school, grocery shopping, ironing,

preparing for a Bible study

From my picture journal~

~"R" getting started on her day~

~"D" working on phonics~

~can you find "S"?~

Pineapple Boat

Last week, I shared some pictures of this yummy fruit salad. Thank you for your sweet comments about the presentation. It really did taste yummy, although I wasn't a huge fan of the sauce. Personally, I think it needed to be just a little sweeter.

FYI~in case you don't know (like me!) see how green my pineapple was? It was pretty easy to cut right around the edges, but the closer I got to the middle, it was hard! I had to enlist the help of my Sweetie to get the pineapple out of the shell. So, Hubbie and I figured out that a ripe pineapple looks golden on the outside...NOT GREEN!  :)

If you want to try this recipe from Taste of Home, it really is easy. It is perfect for your last summer gathering...

Fruit Salad in a Pineapple Boat

1 fresh pineapple

2 cups cubed cantaloupe

1 cup halved fresh strawberries

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 Tablespoon lime juice (I used two fresh limes for the juice since I needed lime peel for the sauce)

Sauce:

1 cup fresh strawberries, mashed

1 cup (8 ounces) reduced-fat plain yogurt

2 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Stand pineapple upright; vertically cut about a third from one side, leaving the top attached. Remove fruit and discard outer peel from the smaller section. Remove fruit from the large section, leaving a 1/2 inch shell.

Chop pineapple (or use a melon baller); place in a large bowl. Add the cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries and lime juice; toss to coat. Place in pineapple shell.

In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients. Serve with fruit.

Daybook~8/23

~for Monday, August 23, 2010~

Outside my window...

the sun is shining brightly, and currently, it is 81 degrees

I am hearing...

the A/C, the washing machine, and the kids

I am thinking...

about the blessing of having a family

I am thankful...

for a great Hubbie, and

for a great church and a pastor who

preaches the Word. He has been preaching some

very inspiring and challenging messages lately.

I am remembering...

times spent at my grandparent's farm in West Virginia...

good times, good memories, and always good food

I am reading...

Do You Mind if Your Kids Don't by Dr. Bill Rice, III

I am hoping...

that the beginning of school goes smoothly

On my mind...

is a sweet friend who is returning to the classroom

this year, and her in-service started today

From the learning rooms...

school plans are coming along

I am creating...

school schedules

Noticing that...

the calmer I am, the calmer the household  :)

From the kitchen...

bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches this morning

BBQ for lunch

spaghetti, cheeseburgers, and steak planned for dinner this week

Around the house...

some organization is underway

(boy, do I love an organized house!)

One of my favorite things...

is spending time with my Hubbie

(I probably say that often, but he is my best friend

and we enjoy each other's company!)

A few plans for the rest of the week...

family time, ladies meeting, lunch out, shopping, :)

swim lessons through Thursday

Hubbie has a day off this week

Bible Bee

I am praying...

for my friend, Amanda, and her twins who were born last Monday

one baby was 3 pounds 4 ounces

one baby was 1 pound 12 ounces

From my picture journal...

~some recent church family fun~

~the track~

all computerized...pretty cool

~"R's" ark floating on the water~

~"D's" tow truck~

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you have a great Monday!