Home Is Where My Heart Is

Menu Plan Monday

The weather is beautiful here at the moment so the week's menu is going to be easy.......BBQ, BBQ, BBQ and guess what MORE BBQ!

So it's salads and meat all week!

Catherine

Daily Devotion 132

May 11

A Porcupine Lesson

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Colossians 3:13

Today our family went to our local church as usual. Beside us and all around us were fellow church members. We know them very well. We see them at almost every church service. We see them at work projects and ball games. We labor together to support our school. We get together summer evenings and make ice cream. Our children catch lightning bugs together. We’ve laughed together and cried together. We know them very well.

Needless to say, they also know us very well. They have seen us at our best and worst. They know our faults and idiosyncrasies. But they love us and accept us anyway. Surely this is evidence of the grace of God!

Several porcupines faced a fierce storm together in the far north. As the temperatures plummeted, their only hope of survival was to band closely together. During that long, frigid night they may have needled each other occasionally. But they also realized they needed each other for their own survival. Today let us learn from

the humble porcupine! Have you been dwelling on things that “needle” you about a brother or sister? We all have some sharp edges that God needs to further sanctify. Rather than focusing on the needles, let us appreciate the contribution that our brothers and sisters have made to our lives. We really do need each

other!

Have you shared a word of appreciation with any of them lately? Do it today!

Jim Yoder, Clarkson, KY

Love your neighbor as yourself.

Bible Reading: Hebrews 3:1–13

One Year Bible Reading Plan:

John 3:22-–36

2 Kings 1—3

Used by Permission of Vision Publishers

PO Box 190, Harrisonburg, VA  22803

Phone:  877-488-0901

E-Mail:  [cs@vision-publishers.com]

Easy & Delicious Bread Recipe

I thought I'd post this recipe since it's just SO easy!  I was always afraid to try baking bread until I tried this recipe - it's SO easy and delicious!  Do try it - believe me, if I can do it, anybody can!    SERIOUSLY!

Here is also a wonderful and easy BUN (called "Bonnie's Buns") recipe.  Again, it's VERY easy - yes, I was scared to try it, but it turned out WONDERFULLY!!!  Give it a go! 

DISCLAIMER:  These are NOT photos of MY baking!  I was in a hurry when I posted this, so I borrowed them from where I got the recipes.  Someone posted a comment about my good job baking, but I cannot take the credit here, unfortunately.  I will, however, be sure to take photos next time I bake! 

Blessings. 

~ Audrey ~

A Blessed Mother's Day to You All!

Good afternoon!  I pray that all of you moms out there are having a wonderful day with your familes!!!  I wish I could say the same......I am very saddened in how my oldest 2 children have acted today, or shoudl I say how they "have not" acted.  My oldest daughter has not even called me, nor has my oldest son.  I called him to ask him a question and he didn't even wish me a Happy Mother's Day before I said something.  Oh well..............

I will just continue to get ready for my new goats coming here in the next couple of days.

Love,

Carrie

Mothers' Day Reflections

Happy Mother's Day

Why are you crying, Mom?
  
  "Why are you crying?" he asked his Mom.  "Because I'm a
  woman" she told him.  "I don't understand," he said.  His
  Mom just hugged him and said, "And you never will"..........

  Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does mother
  seem to cry for no reason?  "All women cry for no reason"
  was all his dad could say........

  The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering
  why women cry...

  Finally he put in a call to GOD; when GOD got on the phone
  the man said, "GOD, why do women cry so easily?"
  and GOD said.......

  When I made woman, she had to be special. I made her
  shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the World;
  yet, gentle enough to give comfort....

  I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the
  rejection that many times comes from her children......

  I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when
  everyone else gives up and take care of her family through
  sickness and fatigue without complaining......

  I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and
  all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very
  badly...

  This same sensitivity helps her to make a child's boo-boo
  feel better and shares in their teenagers anxieties and
  fears.......

  I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults
  and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.....

  I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts
  his wife, but, sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve
  to stand beside him unfalteringly.....

  I gave her tears to shed. They are hers to use whenever she
  needs them.  They are her secret strength.  They make her
  more like ME.....
                                                        Author Unknown
                     ___________________________

Happy Mother's Day!

Well, it's Mother's Day again!  I'd like to wish ALL of the mothers out there a very wonderful Mother's Day!  Mothers come in a lot of different forms ... There are mothers whose babies are in Heaven waiting for us, those whose babies are very much alive and very active every day, those whose babies are all grown up and moved away, and those who never had babies - for whatever reason.  Moms also can be moms to furry and feathered creatures great and small - they all require our nurturing, love, patience and guidance.

You are all special on this day.  I wish a special blessing for all of you!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

This is what I awoke to this morning ...

Chrysanthemums are one of my MOST favourite flowers!  I always love to see fresh flowers on the counter or the table - aren't these beautiful????!  And so bright and cheery!!  I am also being taken out for breakfast!  YUMMY!  Another of my favourite things (I have lots!!)!  DH and I used to go for breakfast once or twice a month before we had kids - I really miss it sometimes. 

It's raining her for our Mother's Day, but that doesn't matter.  What matters is that my two kids are healthy and happy and all my furry and feathered ones are an absolute joy.  I am blessed beyond measure .... I hope that you are too!

Thinking of all you Moms out there today - you are loved and you are blessed! 

~ Audrey ~

A Fun Day!

Well, last Saturday was certainly a very fun day!  Sorry it's taken me SO long to get on here and write about it!  As you know from my previous post, it was my dear friend Connie's birthday!  She's 29 AGAIN - we're not sure just HOW LONG she's going to be that age, but she does look ageless, so I guess as long as it works..... 

As I said, we had a great day.  Connie, her niece, Grace and myself went out shopping, eating, laughing and more shopping and more laughing!  It was so fun!  So glad that Grace joined us - she is a lovely , Godly lady and it was a priviledge to have her along and to get to know her a little better!

Here's a pic of Connie & Grace outside of our favourite store in Abbotsford, which was our first stop ...

Aren't they gorgeous???!!  And speaking of gorgeous, just LOOK at these beautiful flowers!  Of course, Connie is more beautiful than all of them, isn't she?  No doubt!

After a few stops, we enjoyed a lovely lunch in Fort Langley.  The food was excellent and the company was beyond measure!  Here's a photo of the three of us - I thought about not posting this photo as I really dislike having my photo taken, but I figured I'd be leaving out a large chunk of our day if I didn't.  As my mother always said, "cameras don't lie".  I certainly don't hold a candle to Connie or Grace, but I guess I'm the way God wants me, so I have to be content with that.    Notice the grey hair and the need for a dye job? 

As I said, we had SO much fun!  Connie's DH had prepared a wonderful spaghetti dinner for us for when we got home and it was SO yummy!  He also looked after my dd, as my DH and ds were away in Edmonton at a hockey tournament.  So, it was a great day and so nice to enjoy the fellowship and love of these two lovely ladies and then be treated to a wonderful dinner.

It was a great day and I was blessed beyond measure to be a part of it!

Grace & Connie - thank you for such a wonderful day! 

I almost forgot - THIS was a wonderful find I made on this special day.  I got this Mixmaster for $35!!!!  It's in brand-new condition!!!  It doesn't have dough hooks, but I've ordered some online for $15, so should have them soon!  I'm not too fussy on the colour, but it doesn't matter - it's what it does that's important, not the colour, right?  Besides, I've wanted one for a long time!

Blessings to all!

~ Audrey ~

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Stand in Awe of God

2  Do not be quick with your mouth,
       do not be hasty in your heart
       to utter anything before God.
       God is in heaven
       and you are on earth,
       so let your words be few.

3  As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words.

4  When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.

6  Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, "My vow was a mistake." Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?

7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God.

Immodest Apparel is Lasciviousness

I've had this in my "bookmarks" for ages. 

I found it very interesting and gave me some  
"food for thought". 

I found it to be a terrific 
"springboard" for further Biblical study
on the issue of Christian modesty.

I pray this outline does the same for you.

May we always strive to put God's expectations 
of us ahead of our own preferences and desires.
Let us never be a stumblingblock to others, and 
always be pure of heart.

 

  I. INTRODUCTION:

     1. One of the definitions that we learned about lasciviousness
        was: "Wanton, lewd, lustful, tending to produce lewd
        emotions."
            This brings us to another specific sin of LASCIVIOUSNESS.
            It concerns the apparel which is often worn, or better,
        the lack of apparel; or IMMODEST APPAREL.
            Perhaps, there is nothing that produces more lewd emotions
        than scanty attire on women (and men). At least, as to wide-
        spread abuse of scanty clothing.

     2. Nakedness has always been a symbol of shame, ever since Adam
        and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit and tried to hide
        themselves. God was not satisfied with the covering Adam and
        Eve made, so Jehovah God made for Adam and his wife coats of
        skins, and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21).
            God uses symbolic nakedness as the shame of Israel.
        (Isaiah 47:3).
            Revelation 3:18 -- Symbol of shame in Laodicea, "I counsel
        thee to buy of me....white garments that thou mayest clothe
        thyself, and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made
        manifest."

 II. MODERN PROBLEM:
        San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 3, 1963: (Jean Wilson, AP):
            "Nudity at the beach has barely gotten started, California
        designer Rudi Gernreich says -- just as everyone has assumed
        the bikini had gone about as far as scantiness could go.
        Within five years, Gernreich says, ladies will not wear tops
        to bathing suits....The tendency is already here. In Europe it
        has been moving in that direction all along....A lot of women
        in this country who would never have dreamed of it three years
        ago are owning and enjoying their bikinis today, argues
        Gernreich. As always, he expects certain areas, such as
        Western beaches, to pioneer in topless suits...."

III. PAUL SAYS (1 Timothy 2:9-10) WOMEN ARE TO ADORN THEMSELVES IN
     MODEST APPAREL, WITH:

     1. SHAMEFASTNESS -- a "sense of shame, modesty, reverence, the
        ability to blush."
            Remember, Barclay defined lasciviousness as "the loss of
        shame."
            When clothing is worn that produces embarrassment or
        shame, it is IMMODEST.
            Girls (young or older) would you be embarrassed for a man
        to walk into your room and view you in your undergarments? If
        you have any "bashfulness" at all, you must answer "yes." But,
        what about swim suits or shorts and halters in public? Is
        there any difference? Does the fact that the name of one is
        swimwear and the other is underwear make you modest in one and
        immodest in the other?
            When boys' (and/or men's) wandering eyes make you feel
        like you want to pull your neckline up and your skirt down,
        then you might give some thought as to whether or not your
        clothing is lascivious; that is, encouraging lewd of lustful
        thoughts or emotions.

     2. SOBRIETY -- "Sound judgment." "Good judgment, moderation....
        especially as a feminine virtue, decency" (Arndt and
        Gingrich).
            "It is that habitual inner self-government, with its
        constant rein on all the passions and desires" (Vines
        Expository Dictionary).
            This word shows the importance of dressing in such a
        manner as to glorify God and not to cause anyone to lust.

     3. The wearing of less and less clothing is often justified with
        the glib remark, "Well, it's the fashion." Sin has always been
        fashionable with the world, for Satan is the god of this
        world.

 IV. AN ILLUSTRATION: An incident that happened on the hi-jacked
     pleasure ship Santa Maria, in 1961. The women on board ship
     expressed fear that the rebels might have designs on them, so
     they left off wearing "enticing clothing," i.e., they stopped
     appearing in shorts and halters, and quit swimming in the ship's
     pool.

  V. IMMODEST CLOTHING CAUSES OTHERS TO SIN:

     1. We are all familiar with the sin of David in regard to
        Bathsheba. Certainly, her immodesty contributed to the whole
        sordid mess. Her motives may been pure and white, but look at
        the evil that came from her lack of modesty -- ADULTERY,
        MURDER, DECEIT, DEATH OF AN INNOCENT CHILD, etc.


     2. Ladies (girls) you may be unaware of the effect you may have
        on others, but you cannot excuse yourself if by your
        appearance you cause someone to look and to lust. You say,
        "Well, they just should not lust." And that is true, but you
        cannot be innocent if you had a part in causing their lust.

 VI. IN THE ASSEMBLY:

     1. Attention needs to be given here to our manner of dress when
        we come into the assembly of God's people. Let us be sure that
        our attire is within the bounds of that which tends toward
        godliness; that we are adorned in "Shamefastness," and
        "Sobriety."

     2. My persuasion is that the Child of God should not set the
        customs, nor be among the first to break the ice in new
        fashions.  Especially, when it comes to the matter of Modesty.

Conclusion:

     1. What a tremendous responsibility each one of us has toward
        those around us. We are the "light of the world," the "salt of
        the earth." May we ever remember our influence on others.

     2. May we never be guilty of causing someone else to stumble.