Our Little Cottage

Daily Devotion 250

Daily Devotion 249

September 6

A Lesson From the Nail

He must increase, but I must decrease.

John 3:30

Philip could have felt that his ministry was being elbowed aside and eclipsed when Peter and John came to the mission he had developed. They just seemed to brush aside recognition of his excellent beginning in planting the church. But he accepted it graciously and moved on to the next assignment the Spirit had for him! He did not seem to care who got the credit for what he did. Because of his faithfulness, his work was effective.

The nail may hold a few lessons for us. After the torturous manufacturing processes, it is driven into its place of service by blow after cruel blow of the hammer. Nothing is left to sight except the head.

The poor finish nail is not only driven to its niche in life like other nails, but the nail set comes along and drives its head well below the surface. As if that were not insult enough, putty fills the hole on top of the head, and paint permanently conceals the place where the nail does its work quietly and faithfully, unnoticed for its importance.

How important is the nail? Suppose all the nails in your house would suddenly go on strike and stop doing their jobs. That would bring chaos.

We, too, are called to silently and faithfully do our work, even if we are not noticed. We tend to think we should receive recognition for the “head-pounding” we endure to hold things together. But God notices all that pertains to His children’s lives.

Our emotions are not made of steel like a nail, but of feelings and sensitivities. So we do need audible and tangible encouragement and compliments frequently. Today, your sincere compliment may be just what someone needs to encourage him to stick with it! Will you give one?

Elmer Schrock, Stuarts Draft, VA

It is amazing what God can do if we don’t care who gets the credit.

Bible Reading: Acts 8:5–8, 14, 27–40

One Year Bible Reading Plan:

1 Corinthians 14:21–40

Proverbs 7, 8

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Phone:  877-488-0901

E-Mail:  [cs@vision-publishers.com]

Painful Palin Ponderings

My Weekend Plans

Autumn is well and truly here. This is my favourite season. It has a "smell" all of its own and I love crisp, dry days. Now I have to stress that this not what it is like today.....very wet and very windy....but I love it anyway! It's a time when we can cosy up around the fire, drink coffee, read books and generally just enjoy each other's company. So that is what we are doing tonight!

Tomorrow if the weather does not dictate otherwise hubby will play golf. Whilst he is doing this I am going to clean my house from top to toe and get all the laundry washed and ironed. It has kind of fallen behind this week due to my running around doing other things and this makes me twitchy!! LOL!! I can feel myself getting agitated with everything being topsy turvy so to enjoy the rest of my weekend the house is going to be scrubbed from top to toe!

I also have to cook up some meals for my inlaws for next week. The hospital had organised meals for them after my MIL's operation but this service has now come to an end. My MIL is not really up to standing to make meals yet so I am making  their meals ahead of time so they can frozen and used when needed.

Some cooking also has to be done for hubby and the kids for next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as I will not be home. I absolutely cannot wait to next week as my mum, my SIL and myself are going to Edinburgh for our annual trip. It is really good fun. We spend a few days shopping, sightseeing and stopping for cups of coffee and lots of yummies to eat!!

So, a busy few days ahead but days that I am really looking forward to!

Have a lovely weekend!

Catherine

Friday already?????????

Wow I can't hardly believe it is Friday already.. :) I get out of classes at noon today... WOOHOO I have some laundry to do then I am going home to clean and finish putting away all my groceries I got yesterday.. I need to get the kids stuff packed up to go with their dad although he would not acall us back last night to let us know when he would be there to get the kids..

I am also going to get my hair cut and my eye brows waxed today.. I called my sister in law last night and was like HELP I need my hair cut.. LOL so I am supposed to go there this afternoon or evening and get it done.. I am so excited...

Well it is about time for my first class to start so better run for now.. Have a great morning and a blessed weekend..

God Bless,

Mars

Checking in today......

I love this picture !! If I could, my kitchen would look like this..........Maybe one day....

Things have been different around here. Some days we are so busy and some days we do nothing at all. We have not yet got our school year going completely on track as it should be but that will soon be taken care of.

Our weather has been very different this summer and I am looking forward to seeing what type of fall weather we will be having. It would be fine by me if we have a cold Fall and a colder Winter !!

I need to get back into the kitchen like I am use to, baking and making things during the day. Cooler weather will bring that on soon I know. I am ready for soups and stews for supper again. I am tried of what I call my "Summer Menu". I am needing a change here soon.

I see that some are looking toward the holidays already and I must admit, I have given it some thought already also. I read somewhere this week, where someone said to just start the "Christmas" thing on Nov 1st and that way you will always have the same amount of time till Christmas then waiting till Thanksgiving. See, some years Thanksgiving comes 4 weeks before Christmas and some years it comes only 3 weeks before. But what I have been doing for the past several years, is just call it "The Hollidays" and enjoy them both together, getting things ready no matter what the date is. I do not forget the meaning of Christmas and why we have it, I just celebrate the holidays all during Nov. and Dec. If is fun that way.

Okay, I need to get back to work and I hope to start posting some recipes that I have ready for the Fall. So look back here soon for something new to try for your family.

Weekly Menu

My husband gets paid on Wednesdays, so I generally try to do my errands including my grocery shopping on Thursdays. So here is my menu for the remainder of this week, and the whole of next week. I am doing some extra cooking for the freezer a little every week, at least one meal a week, and perhaps one desert as well. I will post my menu, along with a breakdown of my daily kitchen to do's.

Breakfast-                 Lunch-                       Snacks-              

-oatmeal                    -leftovers                  -animal crackers  

-granola                     -ramen noodles           -muffins            

-eggs/toast                -sandwiches               -fruit

-yogurt                      -corn dogs

-french toast sticks          

Dinner-

Thursday-lasagna, salad

Friday-salmon patties*, mac-n-cheese, carrots

Saturday-homemade pizza, salad

Sunday-meatball subs, salad

Monday-roast chicken, mashed potatoes, salad

Tuesday-meatloaf*, mac-n-cheese, green beans

Wednesday-leftovers

Thursday-chicken pot pie

Friday-lentils and rice burritos, salad

Saturday-homemade pizza, salad

Weekly Dessert-peanut butter cookies*

Weekly preserving-jalapeno pepper jelly

All the asterisks(*) mark a freezer meal.

Thursday-Make salad dressing. Make granola. Make oatmeal mixes. Lasagna is frozen, so start it early enough.

Friday-Start salmon patties early, leave out enough for dinner, freeze the rest. Thaw sausage for homemade pizza. Thaw 2 pounds of ground turkey for meatballs.

Saturday-Baking Day-Make bread for the week. Make peanut butter cookies, leave out 1-2 dozen, freeze the rest. Make several pint jars of jalapeno jelly. Make 2 crusts for pizza. Make meatballs and cook for Sunday.

Sunday-Start meatballs in crockpot before church, we will usually have a late lunch or early supper. Thaw 2 whole chickens for Monday.

Monday-Start chickens early. Save rest of chicken for pot pie. Thaw 6lbs of ground turkey for Tuesday.

Tuesday-Make 4 meatloafs, eat 1 for dinner, freeze the rest.

Wednesday-leftover night, clean out the fridge

Thursday-Make crust and assemble chicken pot pie

Friday-Start lentils early

Saturday-Baking day-make bread, deserts, and granola as needed. Make 2 pizza crusts. Do preserving if needed.

I'm going to be doing as much baking and freezing, and preserving as I can. We usually give food as gifts for the holidays and the baby will be arriving at around that time, so I want to be a little more prepared.

We're off to the store! Have a blessed day!

sara

Grocery Shopping and Menu Plans..

Today is grocery day.. WOOHOO.. I am so excited.. I am finally getting back on my menu plan and have my grocery list all made out.. I am so excited.. You just don't know how excited.. So I want to ask you to all who read this send me your fave reciepe for fall.... The kids and I love to make things together and so we are looking for new things to try out as well...

I am headed to the grocery when I get out of class at noon thirty so I can be done with our Once a Month BIG shopping trip and get home so the kids can help unload when they get off the bus right before homeowork......

Well anyway I am going to try to make one of the kids fave meals tonight for supper and I am sure that they are going to be really really happy and we are going to make a snack together after school as well..

Ok gotta run again..

Have a great day..

God Bless,

Mars

I have a What Would You Do Question..

My ex husband called me the other day and we were talking about kids and etc and all of a sudden he says well I have a question to ask of you and your not going to like it. My first response was is it for you or for her???

You see first let me say this. My kids stepmom I don't feel like is very nice to them alot of the time.. She says my 13 year daughter needs to be in special ed and she made her write the alphabet because she wasn't sure she knew it.. What.. I am sorry, but all of MY kids are A or B honor roll kids and if their teachers do not have a problem then what is yours?? She has never had kids of her own and I understand that, but you knew that he had 5 when you married him...

She tends to get upset with Rodney if he has the kids any extra time except his weekends.. Now our parenting plan states that he gets them every other weekend and then every Wednesday for a few hours plus anyother time he might want them that is agreable between the two of us, plue every other week during the summer.. Now Rodney has been getting them his weekends, but he only had them 2 full weeks in the summer because of the situation with her.

Anyway the kids are looking forward to their weekend this weekend and she tells Rodney that he needs to change weekends because she only has 2 days off this week and etc and that if he doesn't change then he and the kids have to stay somewehere else...

Now I normally am very easy going and would trade him in a heartbeat, but I am sick and tired of her trying to keep him from having his time with the kids.. My kids welcome the time with their dad when she is not around and want to go ahead and go with him this weekend..

So long story short.. I told him that the kids wanted to come with him this weekend and that I was not going to trade.. If it was something that he needed becasue of work or something then we would work it out, but hello she knew he had kids and that he needs to spend time with them.. My older kids are upset because they know that their relationship with dad is going down hill because of her and they want to go to their dad's this weekend..

So should I switch or let them go with their dad?? I know that she or my ex MIL will read this and make comments, but really this is about the kids and their relationship with their dad..

God Bless you for reading this far....

God Bless,

Mars

Rain Rain Quizes and other fun stuff...

It has been raining most of the week now and so once again everything in North Missouri is wet and soggy again.. :) I am not complaining I am just stating a fact.. LOL Jordin's ballgame was called Tuesday due to the rain and it looks as if tonighs game will also be called off due to the rain... That is too bad, but we will make them up....

Well this morning in microbiology we had a quiz.. It was a practice test and it went ok.. I am telling you this class is tough.. We were talking before the class and the teacher is like a genius and we are all normal so when he talks sometimes we are like hello please speak in english.. LOL

I spoke with my ex husband last night and he said his dad will not get out of the hospital now till Saturday. The kids are worried about him and can't wait for him to get home so they can see him...

Jeremiah had a dream last night about his uncle that died last week. He got up this morning talking about it saying how he had a dream about uncle Robery and that he had gotten shot, but it was just his arm that got it and so he was in a cast, but he got to come back home and so did Lizzy.. We talked about it and he understands and is ok with things, but please keep the little guy in your prayers.. I know it has to be hard to know that your uncle is gone and not coming back..

Well I better get going for now.. I have some labs to do on the computer and some videos to watch as well..

Take care have a wonderful day..

God Bless,

Mars