November 20

Thankfulness

Giving thanks always for all things unto God the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesian 5:20

November 19

The Realm of Life

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Psalm 8:4

In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth. With awe we look about us at the works of His fingers. We see the spectacular mountains, the green growth that the earth regenerates in spring and summer. As the rays of sunshine slant down on the ground, things that lie still and dormant suddenly spring to life. Birds twitter and tweet. When dusk arrives, the frogs and katydids mingle their songs, giving us sweet natural music. We see the marvelous, tiny insects. In the shadows of the night we lift our faces toward the heavens and see the planets, constellations, and the lesser light that rules the night. These fit together like the internal parts of a clock and are always on time.

This was sent to me by a wonderful and dear Sister. It spoke volumes and I wanted to share it with you all:) I'm sure some of you've already seen this in the past but for those who haven't I pray this will encourage you and for those that have I pray it is a blessed reminder:)

God be with thee!

Sister Lori

THE INVISIBLE MOTHER

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of
response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room
while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store.
Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on
the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on
the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even
standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me
at all.

I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a
pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie
this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of
hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to
ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to
answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm
a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held
books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that
graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared
into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's
going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating
the return of a friend from England .. Janice had just
gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and
on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there,
looking around at the others all put together so well. It
was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was
feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a
beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you
this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe .

I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me
until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with
admiration for the greatness of what you are building when
no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And
I would discover what would become for me, four
life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:
No one can say who built the great cathedrals
we have no record of their names.

These builders gave their whole lives
for a work they would never see finished. They made great
sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their
building was fueled by their faith that the
eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came
to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw
a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He
was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so
much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered
by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman
replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into
place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me,
'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make
every day, even when no one around you does. No act of
kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no
cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and
smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you
can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction But it
is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for
the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote
to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective
when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people
who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to
work on something that their name will never be on.

The writer of the book went so far as to say that no
cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there
are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my child to
tell the friend he's bringing home from college for
Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and
bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for
three hours and presses all the linens for the table.'
That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to
myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if
there is anything more to say to his friend, to add,
'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be
seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very
possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we
have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the
world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Great Job, MOM!

   Haven't we all felt frustrated and discouraged when trying to understand and stand beside our husbands? I know many women, new to the idea of being that helpmeet and a good and submissive wife, will say (often) that we should never speak badly about our husbands, never "tattle" or make others think badly of our husbands, but the truth is, if we don't share our issues during our journey as helpmeet and submissive wife, we can never really feel supported and encouraged by our sisters in Christ.

   It's true we shouldn't use the opportunity to complain or to bring our husbands into that light of being stupid, unworthy, unreasonable etc. We should WANT to build him up but what happens when building him up tears us down? This leaves very little for the relationship to grow on. In fact, it can cause women to feel unworthy, inferior and just plain failures!

   I do often see women talk about what a stupid thing their husband did or does, or how useless he is around the house or as leader of the family. Rarely do I see women sharing a situation with the desire to know how to handle it, and even change it to a positive thing.

   Please do not mistake this with tolerating abuse in any fashion! Abuse is simply wrong and unbiblical. If a woman and her children are being abuse (hit, hated, frightened with her or her childrens lives, screamed and yelled at, put down, made to feel helpless etc) then my personal experience advice is RUN! Take your children and leave immediately! God NEVER intended for a woman or children to be abused in any fashion. If a husband is doing such things IT IS NOT A UNION FROM GOD! God NEVER brings disunion together...NEVER! Now on with my point.

   God encourages us to have like minded women in our lives to share with. It is shown in scripture that even the blessed mother of Christ had a friend to share her fears and worries with. Someone to look to for help in her own journey as a woman in a relationship brought together by God.

   I don't necessarily think that every situation is a public forum type of situation so keep a watchful eye for that wonderful friend that God will put in your path to help you over those intimate bumps in the road. The much smaller things like scheduling time for him because he feels neglected. Helpful ideas on how to make home more peaceful and a place that he wants to come home to. Encouragment when all seems likely to fail simply because we fight submission rather than embrace it. It is imperatively important to have the counsel of Sisters that know and understand submission and know what an helpmeet is. Anyone outside of that heartset will not understand and, in fact, DIScourage us from what we know is our calling as wives, mothers and daughters.

   I've been in all these places in my life. Yes I still have my moments when I know that if I could just find the right way of doing something, it would make a world of difference in my husbands disposition. And therefore in mine as well:)

   I encourage each of you to embrace your womanhood, embrace your station in life with your husband by your side. I encourage you to seek the counsel of friends to help you over those hills and valleys so you'll feel the success and awesome power that God has given you as a woman. He created YOU to be a helpmeet. He created YOU to be your husbands helper, partner, companion till He calls you home. What an awesome thing to be entrusted with a husband AND children! God must really think highly of us to give us such responsibility.

  Embrace it! And when you feel like shouting...Oh That Man! remember God entrusted him to YOU:)

God be with thee!

Sister Lori

Blessings!

   Well, she's here! Our first granddaughter!

~Shea Lynn Eilene~

Oct. 28, 2008

10:48pm

7lb. 4oz

20 1/2 inches

   Reflecting on the past few days has led me to a new season in my life. Having raised 8 children, giving one back to our Lord and Savior, and now having 3 grandchilren brings one to realize that life is precious, life is short and love is eternal.

   Being a part of our Matthew and his sweet Kristina's most precious moment was an amazing blessing. Surrounded by her family and his, loved from all sides, no differences, no barriers, just a togetherness that surpasses all else.

   I look on our son and realize that he has become the man we raised him to be. We have nurtured him, loved him, taught him right from wrong, admonished him in the Lord and praised him. All of our efforts were rewarded beyond measure when our eyes fell upon a scene that cannot be erased.

      Our Matthew, in awe of the tiny life he held in his arms. Seeing the wonder in his eyes and watching him as he tenderly positioned her as best he could in his long and cumbersome arms. Her wee self looking up at him with that undeniable, unconditional trust and love.

   As I watched him admire his wee daughter, I noticed a look of maturity that hadn't been there just hours before. I wondered the thoughts that must be going through his mind. What would he do now? How would he be as a father? Will he make a mistake? Will he always be there to protect her? Will he live up to her expectations of him? Will he live up to his expections of himself? And then that soft look of complete and selfless love washed over him and all was right with the world.

   Seeing the two of them, complete joy and expectation of what was to come, gave me a reminiscent moment of complete peace.

   Pappy and Shea

   Watching the effect that this one little being had over each of us was beyond expectations. Realizing that each of us would walk away knowing complete and unselfish love.

Me & Pappy bargaining for a momentary cuddle:P

Sharing a love beyond ourselves. Washed in His tender Mercies as we realize the blessing He has bestowed upon us all.

I watched and wondered if they will realize the wonders that await them in their new journey together. A journey that will be filled with laughter and tears, joys and sadness. A journey, shared between them that can never be changed. The hands of time are ever forward.

Thank you my sweet and wonderful son for bringing us a beautiful daughter-in-love and together blessing our lives with your wee one who will forever be a treasure beyond measure.

God is with thee!

Love always and forever,

Mom

Blessings!
   This subject of a "sharp tongue" has been heavy on my heart lately. It seems to me that there is nothing sharper than a womans tongue. I say woman because I AM one and since I'm not a man I don't feel that it is my place to admonish a man:)

   Do you ever feel that you are trying to live up to expectations? Expectations that aren't necessarily expectations of another but your own expectations? What are those expectations? Are they reasonable? Are they easily attained? Or are they simply expectations placed upon yourselve because of your perception of what you should be rather than what you are?

   Blogging is a wonderful and fun thing to do. I certainly enjoy reading other folks goings on. Seeing what they are up to, gleaning information, learning new skills and seeing into a small window of their lives. Like most, I often tend to think I'm not doing enough because I'm not doing all that someone else does.

   Now, add that one blog onto about a dozen other blogs, all of which are doing something different, and the expectation of self becomes insurmountably impossible. It sets me up for failure.

   Once I've fallen for this perceived view of what a failure I am, I try harder to do what all those others are doing and wear myself out, make myself feel less than adequate, less of a homesteader, mother, wife, sister, daughter, person. Before I know it, I hate my life, my surroundings and want to run away and hide because I have nothing worth while to share of my own life because I simply don't measure up.

   I'm here to tell you that if you do and think all these things...YOU ARE NORMAL!!! It's not just the blogs it's the books we read, the things we talk about, our dreams and aspirations all rolled up into one mondo ego trip. A trip that has only one destination...failure!

   I learned long ago that there were certain things I wanted for my life. Certain things that I was certain God was calling me to do. Bringing those two things together I realized that God was in it all.

   After I got my priorities straight and left behind all those wannabe blogs and books etc, I figured out who I was and what I truly expected of myself. I needed to line my desires up with God's and weed out the chaff. Easier said than done:P However, I finally managed to really see what direction I wanted and needed in my life.

   I delight in being able to do many things for myself. I enjoy being able to sew, knit, crochet, quilt, bake, cook, can, make dolls, ornaments, wooden toys and furnitures and other things too numerous to mention. Those things are handy but they aren't who I really am.

   I never wanted others to feel like less of a success because of what I share. I try to teach others to do some things through lots of pictures and precise explanation. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I seek to learn what others know. Receipts that I've never tried, skills I want to learn but have to take longer than most to learn it because I either don't have the facilities, time, equipment or know-how. And sometimes all of the above:P

   I want to encourage you all to just love the stories and enjoy the encouragement through others blogs. Don't be discouraged if you can't do a thing or aren't good at thus and such. Know that you are right where you are supposed to be right at this very moment, where God has placed you and wants you to be.

   I am not a good swimmer. I love synchronized swimming. It's beautiful, graceful, lovely to watch. I'll never do it. Not because I don't want to but because it's really not my strength. So instead I will enjoy watching it:) Just like riding in a rodeo, I could but why? It's not really my strength. I don't like being bruised, I don't like to be thrown, I'm not anxious to break and arm or leg or bust my head:P I just like to watch it:) Enjoying that someone else is able:)

   If there's something you want to learn to do just do it! It's my best advice. I didn't learn everything from my mother or grandmother. I didn't learn all that I now know because I was raised with this or that. Most of it I learned the hard way. Diligence, perseverence, reverence for the Lord and a desire to succeed. There are many things that I still desire to be able to do and I'm terrible at them. I've been trying for years and I still can't do it. I dont' give up and I don't place others on a pedestal who DO know how to do it (like my brother). I just know that if I never ever, ever learn how, I will die saying I tried...I wonder if juggling is easier in heaven?:P

Have a very blessed weekend!

God be with thee!

Sister Lori

Blessings!

   As I said...Fall is in the air!

   For the last few days we've had...well...what you would call, gully washers! It has poured for three days now and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. Lord willing we'll have a little reprieve in the next couple days as our landlords are intending to be here to fix the pump and pumphouse.

   The weather tells us that this probably won't happen. It says that we are to have heavy rains for the next week before it clears up for about a week and then our fall begins and those rains will be with us day in and day out for the next several months:)

   I love the rain but not when I have to be out in it for hours at a time several days in a row. Although it does make coming inside for some hot cocoa and cider that much more appreciated:)

   I have been praying that we get a little break from it while the landlords are here so that the job can be done quickly and easily. I have emailed them to let them know that our weather is not cooperating at this time so we'll see what they decide to do. I would just hate to see them come all this way (they live out of state) to be slowed down by all this icky weather. If they DO come anyway, we'll do our best to help as efficiently as possible and get it done and out of the way:)

   I must say that I am very ready for fall and winter to be here. The girls and I have been talking about Christmas already:) We love the decorations and lights, the wonderful foods and family time:) I am looking forward to the inside projects like sewing, mending, crafting and general family time that seems to come with being sequestered for the cold months:) And, as always, we are hoping for a white Christmas:)

   Our cleaning projects are coming together finally. The last two projects we really have now are the kitchen and the mudroom. With canning and other such activities, the kitchen sure takes a beating around this time of year. We pull in boxes of jars, containers of other items necessary for this project. Counters never seem to be cleared off, the table seems to be forever buried and the floor is a constant issue with all the spills and drips that happen. We wipe quickly with a sponge or paper towel but never really get it all up until your feet begin to feel a little sticky:P The mop gets pulled out, floor gets a lick and a promise and on we go with the project. Once we are finished with our putting up of all our harvest, we'll clear the room out and get on our hands and knees and scrub, scrub, scrub:)

   The mudroom always seems to need cleaning and mopping. With that being the outside door to the farmyard, the floor is forever dirty. Sweeping, usually does the trick until it begins to rain, then there's mud. Mud needs mopping and by the time the mop is barely dry it needs it again. The mudroom also tends to become the catch-all during harvest time. We place excess boxes on the drying and freezer tops, the shelves become messy, any flat surface seems to be used up with clutter.

   I can rest in the fact that once we are finished, all of it will be cleaned up. Spit and polished for winter. Back to normal and easy access once again. The larder will be full, the house kempt, and slower days to enjoy together:)

   I pray that you too are experiencing the coming Fall season with eagerness and joy.

God be with thee!

Sister Lori

Blessings!

   Well, it took us two days but we finally finished this batch! I love pearbutter. It's a lot like applebutter but I think tastier:) To me, applebutter just tastes like thick applesauce. Pearbutter, on the otherhand, has a unique taste all it's own:)

   I forgot to get pictures of before we started the pears:( But here's the picturpedia of the event:)

   First thing was to cut the slightly yellowed pears in half and carefully core them. Putting them into a tall pot on the stove. Approximately 10lbs of them for each batch. We added two coffee cupfuls of water and set the heat to medium high until it began to bubble.

Once it begins to bubble we turn it down to low and cover it. It simmers for about 20 minutes. Stirring it occasionally until it looks like lumpy soup.

It is then ladeled into the fruit sieve. Make sure the plunger is at the bottom before adding the fruit or it will cause an icky plug at the bottom and it's harder to clean that out after you are done.

 The bowl catches the fruit pulp while you "churn" the plunger around in circles inside the sieve until it squishes all the pulp into the bowl and leaves you with just the pear skins stuck to it. Once it's full you'll want to scrape that off and start again.Once you are done with the fruit, you'll want to scrape the outside of the sieve to clean off the rest of the pulp before proceeding to the next step.Pour the pulp into your crockpot slowly so as to not splash and burn yourself.

now it's time to measure out your spices...You can add a little sugar if you like. I do to soften the spices a little...Don't forget to add a cup of real orange juice! Unlike apples, pears don't have as much natural ascorbic acid. You can add the orange juice (which I prefer because it adds to the flavor) or you can add a couple teaspoons of ascorbic acid which you can find in your pharmacy section in your local drug store.Mix it all in with your wooden paddle...or spoon whichever you prefer:)Turn your crockpot on low and let it cook overnight. The next day...Your sauce should be cooked down to about half. You can cover it for awhile but be sure that you cock the lid so it's not a real seal to allow the steam to escape. The top one, as you can see, wasn't cooked down to half so I uncovered it and let it cook another two hours.

   Load up the canner with the jars to heat them up.I heat them to boiling before removing them for filling.Place the seals over them.Place the rings on them and tighten them down.Once they are sealed, place them back into the hotbath for another 10-15 minutes before removing. Place them in a cool place where they can sit undisturbed for 24 hours and listen for that pingpingping as they let you know you've succeeded:)Pearbutter is one of our favorites. This year we'll have a larger supply because this year...we have a pear tree! There are still more on the tree and so we'll be repeating this again this week.

Have a very blessed weekend!

God be with thee!

Sister Lori