Garden of your heart

A sanctuary from the world

" The family meal table is a sanctuary.  It is a secret place from the daily word of strife.  On of the Hebrew words for "secret" is sod which comes from the word "yasad".  It means to "sit down together , a talk session, an intimate friendly convesation or a serious consultation, a company of persons in close secret talks. "  Families can enjoy this special time together at each evening meal.

  Psalm 23:5   " You prepare a table before me in the presense of mine enemies."  

Mothers we can prepare a table that is a sanctuary from the filthiness of the world.  Our husband and grown children may spend their day out in the work place. More often than not they are surrounded by filthy talk, jesting, immodesty an humanistic reasoning.  If they come home and turn on the TV, this conatimination of the world will only sink deeper into their spirits. But if they arrive home to a waiting table  -- a table  that welcomes them with good food, love, and fellowship, the filth of the day washes away.  As you communicate and talk about the things of the Lord, their souls and spirits are washed clean. "       ~ Nancy Campbell, The Family Meal Table & Hospitatlity Study guide, pg. 20

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I was blessed to grow up in a home where the family gathered each day for dinner together. It was not just a " Sunday meal" that we enjoyed once a week, but each night we would set the table and sit around as a family and share our day. I remember when I got old enough to have friends and eat at the homes of other families, I took notice that many did not eat together as a family. Kids grabbed something on their own, or families would sit in front of the TV.   I didn't appreciate the family meal table when I was a child in my family home, but now years later I look back upon that time as a treasured time in my life.

In talking to my 88 yr old father about the meal table he shared that he felt very strongly that it was so important for mother & father to sit down with the children and share a meal each day. He told me that is where values are passed down and where parents can get a feel for what their children are thinking and feeling.  I am grateful to my parents who in wisdom, chose to follow the "old paths" and held family dinner each day of the week.

Today, statistics show that families eat only a few days a week together. 

What has happened to the family meal table?

I am currently leading a study of Nancy's book on the Family Meal table and I have been blessed to read her thoughts on this special time of day. 

I have chosen to follow the tradition my parents gave me and we do eat together each night.  I too agree with Nancy and my dad that it is a wonderful time .  It is a sanctuary for us! It is a time to share our hearts and thoughts, and to put aside the world.

I do hope many of you are blessed with special moments around the meal table.

~ gloria ~

A nice walk around our yard...

We had to get up early this morning so we finished school early Yeah! When we finished school I went out to put some bird seed and decided to take a nice walk around the yard. I love the winter monthes! We have finally put our garden to bed. We did have lettuce, brocolli and cabbages a few weeks ago, but now everything that is left is for the compost bin.

You are going to think I am strange but one reason that I enjoy the winter monthes is the leaves are now gone and I can actually see what is around me. I knew our one neighbor had chickens and a rooster and now I can finally see them. They have a small back yard but keep alot in it...a few chickens, a rooster or two, and  two miniture horses/ponies. I love it when people actually use their yards. You can tell they like their yard.

We are hoping to add to our gardenbeds this coming year. We might add to the greenhouse to? We have thought about moving to a few more acres but then we see we can barely manage what we have. We also don't want to add any debt at all and lots of times when you move you can add debt. Unless we come into some big money we will be in this home for a while:) We want to honor God. I am not sure it would be honoring God by adding more debt?

As I walked around our yard I could see us adding more garden space and maybe some animals someday. (a small hobbie farm?) We only have about an acre and I hope we are using it wisely. We are hoping to plant extra this coming year. I would like to be able to go to the farmersmarket a few times.

Now that it is cold outside it is time to work on a few home improvement projects. If we don't get them done soon spring will be here and then it will be planting season:)

We are working on a place to put our shoes in our kitchen. There was a set of drawers that we removed and we are going to wall that place in to make a cubbie of sorts. We also would like to paint this spring but we will have to wait and see about that. I would like to paint my kitchen cabinets but again that might be a mess so we are just putting that on our to do list:) We are also working in our garage we are adding some cabinets to put somethings away for storage. I would like to add some cabinets in there for some stock-piling:) We have been going to a new grocery store and they always have 10 for $10.00 If I had a place to store some can goods and such I wouldn't have to go to the store as often:)

Well I have written to much and my tea is about to get cold.

Many Blessings to you and yours,

Ma

Pheasants forever...

The men went pheasant hunting over the weekend. A good time was had by all (except maybe for the pheasants )

Two of the puppies went to their new homes over the weekend. Only 3 to go.

We also had a surprise visit from my best friend & her boyfriend. They were vacationing in the area & came over Sunday after church. We had a really nice visit & went out for Mexican.  (Hey, JD!  the shop teacher with the yogurt was Mr. Lampman )

Visiting old friends & remembering Jr High & High school always makes me so glad I homeschool

Blessings.

To my "anonymous" reader

Dear "anonymous" reader who left a comment on my blog about women & working out of the home......

I want to thank you for taking time to read my blog and I also wanted to let you know I left a comment in response to your comment..... please take a moment and read.

Friends, this is my personal blog.... I share here what is on my heart..... I realize not everyone is going to agree with what I share here...... that is certainly a freedom we have in this wonderful country of ours....but I do ask friends that you leave your name when you post...... I am not sure why folks post "anonymous" comments...... what not share your name? It's ironic to me that when people leave unkind comments or comments that disagree with the writer's opinions they do not have the courage to share "who" they are... why is that so?

In any case, I wanted my anonymous reader to please take a moment and read my response to their comment.  For those of you who wish to read my reply left in response to a comment left in regards to my post titled: The Old Fashioned Parlor.

May God bles you & keep you,

gloria

Real or Fake--undecided

We have put up an artificial tree for years, but am thinking this year we might do a real one with homemade ornaments--I think it would just be something different and fun--I have not even begun to decorate for Christmas this year--I am going to keep it very simple--simplicity seems to be in the air at our home and in our life this season--so as with the rest of life our Christmas will also be a no fuss, focus on Christ, keep it simple kinda holiday--I am actually enjoying this season much more this year than in previous years and I liken that to the fact we are not getting all caught up in the 'commercialism' of it all--we are just enjoying the season for what it means--such blessing in that!

~Kris

What did the first day of December bring?

It's White Outside

It's only FROST ... no snow.  Still beautiful, though.

I did get to start on the projects yesterday while Little A was napping and then again last night.  I hope to work on them some more today during nap time.

Yesterday, I was going to call about my Nutrimill...But instead, I got an email from the company telling me it was shipped.       There was a problem with the switch, so they replaced the motor section, and the cup.  It should be here by the end of the week.

Oh...I got a phone call on Sunday telling to be on the lookout for a BLESSING.  That should be here by the end of the week, also.

WOW!  God is so good!

I've had some requests, so, I will be posting a recipe / recipes this week.

Little A will be here soon, so I'd best get going.

Hope ya'll have a great day.

In Him,  Jill (the big sister)

In everything give thanks.

Evolution of Dance

Oh my! This guy is GOOD!!!

Here is  his website. What a fun video to watch!!

A God Thing

A God Thing.

I am seeing more and more of his hand work and ways.  Last night we discovered that our one female golden Gracie is pregnant!!!  We are so happy.  She was breed to our new golden male Alex.   We want this so bad.  You see both dogs are service dogs.  We have 2 families we want to help out with their puppies.  The both have children with special needs, where a service dog can help out.   My daughters and I train service dogs. 

Last night Tammy and her hubby one of the parents prayed that Gracie was going to have puppies.  That was night we discovered she was.  See a God thing.

Another was they were looking for a new place to have the children with special needs to ride horse.  Another God thing, because we have been praying about that for over a year.  See another God thing.

God sure is a great.  He puts us together to help one another.

God Bless, mj

Things I did today....

I really didn't do too much today. I did go through my file card system and made some changes. I got my Christmas cards ready and took them to the post office which was rather busy, but I did get them mailed out today. That is one thing checked off my list of things to do this week.

We are still waiting to hear when our new stove will be arriving. Right now I have a microwave, a crock pot and an electric griddle. If I get real desperate there is a side burner on the BBQ.

Oh I did finally remember to take a picture of the Christmas tree after I had gotten it all decorated.

Here is what it looks like with the lights on,it's not that great of a picture but it will have to do~

As you may notice there are no presents under it yet, that's because I haven't wrapped any yet, don't have all of them bought yet but the ones I do have are just sitting here waiting to be wrapped.

It's been getting really foggy here the past few days, some nights down to less than a quarter mile. I really don't like Roger having to drive to Livermore in the morning. If it is too bad he will have to go later, or maybe just stay home all together.

I have a few more quotes from my Bible Study (A woman's walk with God)

This one really hit me, I am certainly guilty of not doing what this says you should do

"Love means that no matter what a man may do to us by way of insult or injury or humiliation we will never seek anything else but his highest good....never...seek anything but the best even for those who seek the worst for us."

"Our life then bears the mark of God because only He can enable us to serve the very person who insults, snubs or hurts us. In fact, such injury makes us far more dependant on God as we seek to obey His command and love the unlovely."

Both of these statements remind me of what I have been going through with a person I met through a message board online. I have known her for over 2 years and even went and visited with her while we were on our summer vacation. We were going to Missouri and she lives in the Southern part of Illinois. She met me in Cape Girardeau where we had a hotel room for the night and we went out to eat and had lots of fun. Now for some reason she won't tell me because she has decided to stop all contact with me we are no longer friends. She has accused me of things I have not done, she has even gotten another person on the message board to ignore me too. For these reasons I have stopped posting. At first I wasn't going to let them steal my joy but then I realized that it wasn't joyful to go there and post anymore. It was very hurtful and made me sad. I know everyone has told me to just let it go and get on with my life. So far I am still dealing with it. Maybe if it were someone else on the board someone I didn't consider my good friend then it would be easier. This is the same person who used to call me daily just to see what I was doing, she would call when she had a bad day, we were there for each other... With God's help I will eventually work this out, but right now I am just so hurt by it...and to top it off this is what she has as her signature for her posts

  Treat people in a way that should someone speak badly of you others won't believe it.

This is a very fine and dandy statement but strange when she is the one who had treated me badly and I guess she thinks others won't believe it. Well they don't know the real person~I DO and I don't care how Christian you want to make yourself seem on a message board, nobody really knows you.

I have some work to do in these areas as you can see but at least I admit that I don't do everything right and that I have things to work on . This Bible study will be a blessings in so many ways..

Blessings,Joann