Sunday, September 7, 2008 - Daily Devotion 250
Posted by Sister Lori
September 7
Ask and Believe
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Matthew 21:22
It was a cold, snowy night. I had my Sunday school class over for supper and an evening of fun. Now I was taking them home. At several places the road was nearly drifted shut. I was getting close to one of my student’s homes. The road kept getting worse and worse. Finally, within half a mile of my destination, I got stuck.
After trying my best to get out, I knew I would need help. My brother and two of my students hurried on to enlist the help of a four-wheel drive truck. They were soon back.
We could not find a good place in the front of the car to fasten the strap, so we decided to attach the hitch and use it to pull out the car backwards. I got the hitch out of the trunk and put it on. Slamming the trunk shut I walked forward to start the car.
I was shocked to discover that the keys were no longer in my pocket. We had recently purchased the car and had only one set of keys. After vainly searching for the keys, I concluded that I had locked them in the trunk.
I decided to pray. Almost immediately, the thought popped into my head, “Check the snow around the hitch.”
I grabbed a shovel and dug in. With the first shovel of snow, my friend exclaimed, “There they are!” Sure enough, there they lay. Soon we were out and back on our way.
What a great God we serve! He even cares about a lost set of car keys.
Jamin Yoder, Middlebury, IN
O how praying rests the weary!
Prayer will change the night to day;
So when life seems dark and dreary,
Don’t forget to pray.
—Mary Kidder (1820-1905)
Bible Reading: Matthew 7:1–12
One Year Bible Reading Plan:
1 Corinthians 15:1–32
Proverbs 9, 10
Used by Permission of Vision Publishers
PO Box 190, Harrisonburg, VA 22803
Phone: 877-488-0901
E-Mail: [cs@vision-publishers.com]
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Saturday, September 6, 2008 - Daily Devotion 249
Posted by Sister Lori
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
Used by Permission of Vision Publishers
PO Box 190, Harrisonburg, VA 22803
Phone: 877-488-0901
E-Mail: [cs@vision-publishers.com]
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Friday, September 5, 2008 - Blessings of no TV
Posted by Paula
Not having a TV has become a blessing. The TV is still here, but the electric circuit it is on was one of the ones that was lost when the fuse box quit working properly. I have often teased my Beloved that we needed to get rid of the TV. He loved watching it though and our daughter was quickly growing to be just as eager to watch.
This past week without a TV however has brought changes in attitudes. Beloved has come to realize that he only misses watching TV if he gets bored. Especially first thing in the morning when he is having breakfast before going to work. Friday's have been our "Pizza & a movie" night. Starting tonight, we will instead have pizza and a game/activity night.
Abbie stopped asking to watch her Disney & Veggie Tales DVDs after the 4th day. Since then, she has contented herself with coloring in her coloring book or "reading" her little books. Often, she "reads" to Micah. She is also playing with him more and doesn't miss the TV at all.
With Abbie being 2 yrs old and Micah 5 months old, they are young enough that they won't really miss the TV. It will be much easier than with an older child who has grown up with one. The lack of TV will also promote the idea of playing outdoors instead of sitting in front of a box all morning or afternoon.
I see this as a good thing for our family. Yes, there were shows that I enjoyed also, but I haven't even given the shows any thought. I now have time to read or do other activities that I may not have worked on if the TV was playing. News can be read online. We check the weather and other important information daily on the internet.
We are giving ourselves until after next payday to decide if we are going to stay without the extra electricity, only replacing the circuit box for the areas that are essential, such as the refrigerator & major appliances. If we decide to continue as we are planning, we will be taking all of our DVD collection to Ebay to sell. We will also be having a large electronics yard sale to sell off all the no longer needed electrical items.
As of now, it looks as though we are going to go ahead with our plans. There is so many blessings attached to not having the TV and the other unessential electrical things. We are gaining the opportunity to do more as a family. The childrens' minds will be opened to the idea of finding their entertainment in play or reading instead of vegetating in front of a TV.
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2008-Sep-5 - Taco Soup
Posted by Kim Wolf<><
Believe it or not...IT'S SEPTEMBER!! Those cooler temps are on the way! I LOVE fall...it's my FAVORITE time of year!! Along with those falling temperatures that invite us to pull on our favorite sweaters, collect pumkins, go on hayrides and build bonfires comes my desire to make wonderful, hearty soups and stews! One of our family's favorite cold weather soups is Taco Soup!! Oh...it is yummy, stustaining, it's even attractive to look at in your bowl.  I hope you enjoy it!!
Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><
TACO SOUP
1 lb. ground beef or chuck
1/2 med. onion - finely chopped
1 lg. bunch of fresh cilantro - finely chopped
4-6 jalapeno peppers (depending on your taste buds & stomach lining!) - finely chopped
2 15-16 oz. cans kidney beans (UNdrained)
2 14-15 oz. cans whole kernal corn (UNdrained)
1 15-16 oz. can black beans (optional)
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 pkg (1-1/2 TB) taco seasoning
1 c. water
~ Brown beef, drain; add onion, peppers, 1/2 of the cilantro and cook until onions and peppers start to get tender.
~ Mix everything together in a dutch oven OR crockpot.
~ Heat through in dutch oven for 45 min. - 1 hour OR in crockpot for 2-3 hours on low.
~ Top with shredded cheddar or colby-jack cheese, sour cream and corn tortilla chips crumbled like crackers.
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Thu-4-Sep-2008 - More recent news....
Posted by Ashley
aka the Biggest Photo Blog EVER!!!! Haha!
You ever get so far behind on news that you end up skipping major things, otherwise you'd have to put up like 8 posts in one day?
I do that.
But not today! Here is the whole enchilada. 
We celebrated my brother's 23rd birthday a while back. THAT IS CRAZY! I was married 6mo when I had my 23rd birthday! That mean's I've been married 4 years. Okay, I know, we celebrated our 4th anniversary in June but it's just different to watch a younger sibling hit that kind of milestone....
Happy Birthday, bro!
More pics from the farm....
We stayed late.
Oh, and before I forget, which I have forgot numerous times, here is my new sink:
And here is the $5 dresser after Jonathan finished working on it and moved it to the boy's room. I wonder if it will be my boy's and girl's room before long?
Then, Jonathan's brother and his wife visited from Florida. We went to the Zoo together and hung around for an entire week generally making constant pests of ourselves. The boys really hit it off with their aunt & uncle!
Here is Elijah with his Aunt Clare. Clare is pregnant. A month ahead of me, but I'm the one getting the strangers asking about my pregnancy. I guess by #3 you don't have much left to hold it all in. Oh, well, Jay is thrilled that I'm "showing" this time around sooner. And it is fun telling people that it's our THIRD when they ask, of course, if it's our first. It makes it seem all that more real. Our third child!
Five years ago we had our picture taken "with the bear" and it was just the two of us. I love, love, LOVE having my lovely family doubled!!!
My boys really liked the zoo.
On Friday night, a soon-to-be Air Force .... guy. .... took us up on a Cessna 172. Did I mention he's 3 years younger than me and Jay? And that made me feel old to trust him to fly us up into the sky?
The airplane was ENTIRELY TOO SMALL. It made our car feel huge when I was back on the ground. Every little thing made it dip and buck in the sky. It was like a rollercoaster without anything beneath us. My stomach churned. Samuel freaked out. I had to comfort him by saying things like,
"The airplane is just bouncy! It's fine! Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy! Isn't this fun?"
.... while resisiting my urge to grab the pilot's shoulder and beg him not to kill us all.
Right before he freaked:
A field. Full of round bales. BIG BALES, folks!
My parent's farm. I tried to get Jonathan to take pictures. I really did. He said I would do "fine". Then, after we had circled and I took the camera full of pictures and we headed back, he turns in the seat and says:
"You took all the pictures zoomed in all the way, right?"
Appearantly, he was so confident of my answer he turned back around without waiting for one. It was too noisey and I deemed it the wrong time to tell him . . . NO. I hadn't even thought of such a thing, while trying to take pictures out of the window over my son while bouncing through the sky. My bad. 
I still contend that Jay is partly to blame. He should know I'm no photographer by now!
It was a good flight anyway.
And that is about all, except I wanted to share two pictures of my boys. This old picture of Samuel (he was 7mo):
And this one, of Elijah (he's 11mo but probably close to the same size his older brother was):
My little boys! They are growing up so fast! I'm so ready for a tiny little newborn that wants to snuggle and nurse, this tiny new person that is bumping me from the inside to get to know. A unique, different individual that will be somewhat like the rest of us yet totally different in a whole new way . . . .
Still no washer and dryer. I have some tile to walk on (ungrouted and unsealed) now but it's a big, big project. I probably won't be able to do laundry until Monday or Tuesday or possibly later. My hamper floweth over, but we haven't come close to running out of things to wear. So it's all good! And when it's behind me, I shall have tile!!!
~Ashley~
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Friday, September 5, 2008 - Crafting...
Posted by Chas
 Hello friends. I am so glad you dropped by for a visit today. My pile is growing right? I have been spending most of my alone time in the evening working on different projects for the festival, only 22 more days! I have actually sold 2 sets of pumpkins off my kitchen table, so I am thankful for that. I know I had someone say they were interested in buying but didn't know how, just click here on my Etsy shop or you can look over to your left and click... you can find all my goodies there. :) Thanks!
Like I said, Shannon has been on an out of town job and so I have had quite a bit of time to myself after the children have gone to sleep... so my hands have been busy.
We have been schooling wherever I have been crafting... it is nice to spread books all over the floor and let the children work, a change of scenery is good for them sometimes. :)
I again want to thank you all for your kind comments and prayers for us during this time of uncertainty. We are so blessed to have so many care for us and pray for us. We appreciate you guys more than you know!!!
***Hey, is the Autumn Cottage too big for you ya'lls screen, it fits on mine, but I don't want it to be wonky on others. Please let me know.***
xoxo
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Thursday, September 4, 2008 - Summer's last days...
Posted by blessed mom
The weather has been blustery and rainy here the past few days on the homestead. It hasn't been this cold since April! We have had temps in the high 50's and low 60's...... so unusual for NW Missouri in early September. I am ever so thankful for the moisture, as we needed it. The grass was beginning to become brown up and the last few days of rain has "greened up" everything again.
No doubt about it.... fall is on the way! Did I mention that fall is my favorite season of the year? The colors are spectacular here in October ~~ our homestead has a good 25 acres or so of Oaks, Maples & Walnuts.... so the colors are something to behold. I am looking foward to that.
On the home front we are busy, busy renovating our "parlor"...... it's not too big of a room ~~ about 15 x 16 or so..... but it faces south and gets lots of sun, and overlooks the woods and fields. This is a favorite place to sit and read on a cold winter day. We have stained the new wood windows, and have painted the cieling and installed a new light/fan. We are almost done with the wallcoverings..... I chose a very "old fashioned pattern"..... it actually looks like the original pattern that we discovered under the sheetrock! It makes things look very "old" and I am excited about that!
I apologize that I have been remiss at posting photos of our recent renovations. Life is so full with schooling, renovating, and all the other "stuff" that this mama has to do each day. I am finding I am only able to blog a few times each week as life is simply filled to the brim. ( No complaints here)
In the kitchen we have been busy baking some fall treats...... the weather put me in the mood for pumpkin pies! So, this afternoon my eldest daughter and I were busy making some for desert. I am so happy to share that my 13 yr old daughter has truly mastered the knack of making homemade pie crusts and does a superb job! She is going to be such a blessing to her future husband and family! She loves to help me in my homemaking endeavors and she is a precious helper to have around!
The pumpkin candle is burning........and the air does have a nip to it in the evenings now.
Supper is in the oven ready to serve....... a hot pan full of swedish meatballs.
It's that time of year...... when smells fill the home........
Well I am off to spend the evening serving my beloved family.
May God bless each and everyone of you!
~ gloria ~
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September 4, 2008 - Freezing My Easter Eggs
Posted by Karen
All my hens are laying now. I just love all the different colors I get each day. I knew I'd be getting pastel blue, green and pink, and of course brown and white, but I'm loving the deep olive green eggs. Those were a surprise to me. Look at that tiny brown egg in the basket! I put it in the pot when I was boiling eggs for potato salad and egg salad today and snapped a picture of it in a teaspoon right before it got salted and peppered and popped in my mouth! Mmmm-good!
I was beginning to get quite a number of eggs in the refrigerator so I knew it was time to freeze some. Recently I have cracked bunches of eggs into a big bowl and scrambled them, added a little salt and poured them into a freezer bag to keep until I needed them for a scrambled egg breakfast. (or supper!)
Today I wanted to freeze them individually to use in recipes like cakes, cookies, pies, so I emptied out my ice trays and cracked an egg into each section and this time added a pinch of sugar and broke the yolk of each egg. {Always remember to add a bit of salt or sugar before freezing.} Once they're good and frozen solid I'll just pop them out and put them into a freezer bag. This will keep me in good supply of farm fresh eggs even if my hens stop laying for a time. Just eggcellent!
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About Me
Tales of life with my many arrows. This is a place for me to share, in the spirit of Titus 2, what it is like for this mom of many arrows to raise my arrows. It is also a place for my children to come to for when they get older and have children of their own.
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Summer, she is expected to be in the hospital on into next week we know. They are trying to reach her Urologist but haven't been successful due to the phone systems being down in the city where he is. They have found that one of her kidneys is not emptying like it should. It's emptying at about half the speed her other one is and there is a blockage. That's probably why she's been swelling so much. All along it's been kidney stones and infections but now kidney function? That worries me a lot. Poor thing. Thank you for remembering her in your prayers. God bless you for that!