We are officially homeschoolers!

I am so happy to now be able to become full-time mom and also full-time teacher to my three kids starting next week! God has been with us and has led my husband and myself into agreement on this issue after being faced with no transportation to our school of choice and facing the only option of our neighborhood public school.

Of course we face a lot of work and juggling of responsibilities to make this happen, but I am humbled and thankful that God has answered my prayers and desires to invest the bulk of my time and energy in teaching and loving my kids!

Keep us in prayer!

National Infertility Awareness Week.

Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for my three children.

This song really touches my heart because I have walked the journey of infertility.

Please pray for those who desire to be parents and never forget to take the time to hug and love on the children God has given you.

Please pray for Tricia

(The picture is from her blog: http://65roses4pattysue.com/)

~

Her story, with updates and pictures posted by her husband, is found here:

http://cfhusband.blogspot.com/

~

I have been following their story for many months.

~

I have rejoiced in their miracle birth of their daughter,

prayed during her lung transplant,

and followed their story as it continues to unfold.

~

Please pray . . . .

In honor of Wesley Randall - our baby in heaven

My husband and I were married on November 3rd. of 2001, and by early December (5th) we were shocked to be looking at a BFP on a pregnancy test!

We were elated and looking forward to the pregnancy, birth, and our first baby that was scheduled to come three days before my sweet hubby's birthday (EDD: August 12th.).

I spotted some the beginning of January, but the doctor wasn't too concerned. He ordered an ultrasound if I felt the need to go. Hubby went to work that morning and I went alone to the ultrasound to check up on Peanut- - - - but Peanut wasn't there anymore. The sac was empty.

I literally felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach and had their hand around my throat as the male ultrasound tech kept looking and looking for our precious baby - who should have been 9 weeks at that time.

All we saw was an empty sack - just like my heart felt and I left that place of "joy" with a broken heart and no special picture to share with family and friends. . . . There are no words. . . . I ended up having a D/C only two days later. . . .

I post this in honor of my child in heaven whose hand will forever hold a heartstring attached to my heart.

I am feeling God calling me back to fulfill my ministries to my family

Blessing our husbands challenge: http://www.reviveourhearts.com/pdf/30DayChallenge.pdf

My husband is a treasure from God - but I know that I can take him for granted in so many ways. I want to take the time to invest my love in him this month and allow God to bless him through me. . . . I pray that in these small ways I can enable him to know just how much I love and cherish him.

~

I also want to make a more concerted effort to spend time every day investing the WORD into my children's hearts by having a scheduled devotional time with my children. I have always desired to have this time together worshipping and learning about the LORD, but I will now set aside a specific time everyday to make it happen. I am thinking that the time when we come home from school and have a snack together can become our time to feast on His Word also.

~

Last but not least, I want to stay true to my commitment to set aside time to spend with God in prayer and reading my Bible. I can't serve with an empty tank! I have finished reading the great and inspiring book Passionate Housewives, Desperate for God, and I am not in bondage anymore to thinking that my special time has to work a certain way/or be for a certain length of time. . . . but I hunger for more time in the Word and in prayer. I need to redeem the moments I let slip through my fingers as time spent pursuing God. . . .

~

These three things are vital, and if I am not striving towards the mark, I will not accomplish God's will in these areas. May God enable me to be found faithful.

Keep me in prayer!

Browsing some blogs and finding yummy fall recipes!

My chocolate chip cookies: found at Sheila's Blog: http://a-homemakers-meditations.blogspot.com/2008/06/my-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

(After making these, my kids told me that that are the best cookies ever!)

3/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour (2 1/2 if you like a bit thicker and chewier- I do :)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 of an 11.5 oz bag of semi sweet

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine butter, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in bowl- beat until creamy. Beat in egg. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a seperate bowl. Mix dry ingredients into the creamy mixture until just blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes on middle rack in oven. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet until set up, about 5 minutes. If you like you're cookies crispy, bake for 9-10 minutes. I like mine chewy, gooey and warm...with cold milk- YUM!!!

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The next two recipes were found at: http://allyouhavetogive.blogspot.com/

Apple Oatmeal Honey Cake

1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup hot water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup chunky applesauce
1/3 cup honey
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Frosting:

1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 350. To prepare cake, combine oats and 1 cup hot water in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Combine 1 1/3 cups sugar, applesauce, 1/3 cup honey, and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed 1 minute. Add oat mixture; beat at low speed until well blended. Add half of flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat well. Add remaining flour mixture; beat well. Spoon batter into an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake for 48 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Place dish on a wire rack.

3. To prepare frosting, melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup honey; cook 2 minutes or until bubbly, stirring constantly. Stir in almonds. Quickly pour frosting over cake; spread evenly using a rubber spatula.

4. Preheat broiler. Broil cake 1 minute or until frosting is bubbly and golden. Cool completely on a wire baking rack. Serve with whipped topping; sprinkle whip topping with ground cinnamon, if desired.


Apple Butter in the Crock Pot!

I found this recipe for Apple Butter in the crockpot...It was FABULOUS!(easy too!)

5 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped

4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

Place apples in a slow cooker. Combine sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt; pour over apples and mix well. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook for 9-11 hours or until thickened and dark brown, stirring occasionally (stir more frequently as it thickens to prevent sticking). Uncover and cook on low 1 hour longer. If desired, stir with a wire whisk until smooth.Cover and refrigerate or freeze.

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Homemade Bread: http://www.marilynmoll.com/

1/3 C honey
1/3 C oil
2 1/2 C Warm Water
1 1/2 TB Saf Instant Yeast
2 1/2 tsp Real Salt
6-7 C Fresh whole wheat flour
1 1/2 TB Dough Enhancer


Combine the warm water, yeast, and 2 Cups of fresh whole wheat flour in a large mixing bowl. Allow to sponge for 15 minutes. Add the honey, oil, dough enhancer, salt and 4-5 C (12-16 C if using the Mix N Blend or (Bosch) additional flour until the dough begins to clean the sides of the mixing bowl. Do not allow the dough to get too stiff (too dry). Dough should be smooth and elastic. It is a common mistake for the beginning bakers to add too much flour.

Knead the bread by hand 7-10 minutes or until it is very smooth, elastic, and small bubbles or blisters appear beneath the surface of the dough. Six to ten minutes of kneading by electric mixer (Use speed 1 on the Bosch Universal, and use speed 4 on the Mix n Blend - or use the Auto-Knead function) should be sufficient to develop the gluten if you are using fresh flour. If you are kneading by hand, be sure to add the minimum amount of flour to keep the dough soft and pliable by using a tsp of oil on your hands and kneading surface.

Form the dough into 2 loaves if using the hand method or 5-6 loaves if using the Mix N Blend or Bosch Universal, method. Place the dough into greased loaf pans. Allow to rise in a slightly warmed oven or other warm place until doubled in size (about 30-60 minutes).

Bake loaves for 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Bread is cooked through when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, and when the top and sides are a golden brown color.

~Marilyn's Famous Bread Recipe is VERSATILE! Use it to make cinnamon rolls, pizza, bread sticks, and more. Click this link for Whole Wheat Bread Dough Variations.

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Applesauce Cake: http://myheartisalwayshome.blogspot.com/


1 cup butter or shortening
2 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
2 tbs cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs baking soda
2 1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

*She suggests that you add corn syrup - but I omitted it.*

Cream butter, gradually add sugar. Add eggs (unbeaten) one at a time. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Gradually add to butter mixture. Add applesauce, corn syrup and vanilla. Pour into greased bundt pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chip on top of cake. Bake for 1 1/2 hour.

Once cool sift powdered sugar on top. Enjoy!

Watch this with tissues. . . .

May God bless this couple!

Her website is: http://www.laurastorymusic.com/

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By the way- go and see Fireproof!

We definitely plan to go and see it ASAP. We just need to get childcare figured out first. :-)

A great devotion

All the days of my life

by Nancy Campbell, http://www.aboverubies.org/

Psalm 27:4, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple."



David longed for the "House of the Lord." It was his favorite place to be. But David could not be in the house of the Lord continually, as much as he longed to. He was king of a nation. He had battles to fight; administration to attend to. But dear mother, we have the opportunity to live David's longing. Let me explain.



The house of the Lord is no longer one temple as it was in David's day. It is not even a church building where we attend on Sundays or Saturdays today. The house of the Lord speaks of His presence. God wants your home to be His house where His presence dwells; a place where you abide in Him and He abides in you. The house of the Lord is abiding fellowship with Christ. The house of the Lord is your kitchen where you prepare the meals; the house of the Lord is your dining table where you feed your family and make every meal a love affair; the house of the Lord is any room in the home where you are working or interacting with your children.



In your home you can behold the beauty of the Lord. As you abide in Him and look to Him, He will impart His grace to you in your time of need. He will show you that He is the God who is Enough for every challenge and every situation. He is with you, in your home, and will never leave you or forsake you. No, not even when everything seems overwhelming and you feel like tearing your hair out! You are still in the house of the Lord at this moment. Instead of despairing about the situation, stop for a moment and realize that God is with you. He has promised that He will not fail you. Thank Him that He is with you. Thank Him that He cannot fail you.



In your home you can inquire in His temple. David had to go God's temple to inquire of the Lord. He faced battles, enemies and challenges; He needed God's discernment, wisdom and strength. You also long for God's wisdom. You are desperate to know what to do. You cannot go on without His strength. Praise the Lord, you don't have to get into your car and rush off to a church building. You are in the house of the Lord right now. You can inquire in His temple right now. He will give you His wisdom. He has promised, remember.



All you have to do is abide--that literally means to live in His presence. It means to acknowledge that Christ is living within you and that you are in Him. You are inseparable. You are one. He is your life source. You can't live without Him (well, I can't anyway!). Your own strength wanes; you need His. Your wisdom is human; you need His divine wisdom. Your love runs out the door; you need His agape love. You are depressed and down in the dumps; His joy does not depend on how you feel. You feel your life is worthless; you can only bear fruit to bless your family and touch other lives as you abide.



John 15:4-5 says, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me can do nothing." There it is. The secret to living in the house of the Lord all the days of your life.



How I love those words... "all the days of my life." It doesn't matter what my day is like, God is with me. It doesn't matter whether I think God has left me; He is bigger than my thoughts. My thoughts deceive but God doesn't change.



See your home in a new light. It is the house of the Lord. You can live in it all the days of your life.



Love from NANCY CAMPBELL



PRAYER:



"Thank you, Lord, for showing me that my home is the house of the Lord. Help me to enjoy my home in a new way. Thank you that I don't have to visit the house of the Lord. I live in it! Amen."



AFFIRMATION:



I am not a visitor but a dweller in the house of the Lord.



SCRIPTURES REFERRED TO IN THIS DEVOTION:

Look up Isaiah 41: 10, 13; Hebrews 13:5-6; James 1:5-8.

http://www.aboverubies.org/

My praise report - Saved from death

(My son Joshua, our "miracle" conception,

and one of his first pictures.)

No, this isn't a post expressing the news that I am expecting again, although I would love to be. . . . I have had something happen this past week that I can't ignore and I feel that must be shared.

~~~~~

I really don't even know where to start, actually, but the verse at the top of this post is really starting to become my life verse in so many ways. As a young girl, I couldn't wait for the time that God would lead me to the man He planned for me to marry. I wanted nothing more than to become a wife, housewife (complete with an apron on;-), and eventually, a mother of many children. I was encouraged as a young woman to "not waste my mind" and go to college to "fulfill my potential" - but I would have been content to have married young and spent my youth pursuing domestic paths. (God has used my education to help our family though, and for that, I am grateful and humbled.)

~~~~~

Throughout my life, I have come to know in a personal way that our God is an awesome God and always wants to bless us. . . . I can say this with certainty since I have been a woman who has lived thorough the horrors of domestic violence and the subsequent unfaithfulness and desertion from my first husband. As a result, I became a single mom, working 12 hours a day as a preschool teacher, so that I could still be full-time mom to my young daughter during that time. I have experienced the joy of restoration when God brought me a loving man to be my husband and the father to my daughter. We suffered a miscarriage together of our first child, conceived on our honeymoon, but then rejoiced in the birth of our first daughter together 16 months later. We have weathered the storms of my PCOS diagnosis and the fears of never conceiving anymore children. Imagine our surprise to learn that we had a child, a son, on the way that following year. Two weeks to the day before our son was born, we lost our business and all financial certainty. . . .

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As you can see, it has taken many years and prayers to get to the place where I am today, and please know that I am not claiming to have arrived at some level of perfection. I know that it is God's blessings that I am married to a man after God's heart who loves me unconditionally, and I am a mother of three children. I have also been able to find a job to work at home, and I am able to do my best to be a homemaker, even in the midst of the daily life of making a living as an online teacher. I love being able to be a keeper of my home. I don't claim perfection, far from it actually, but I desire to serve the LORD by being faithful to serve Him by serving my family. I know how blessed I am and I wouldn't trade where I am today, surrounded by these precious ones, for all that the world could offer me.

~~~~~

There are things that happen in our lives, however, that wake us up to the tendency we have as human beings to take for granted the things that we don't think we are. . . . Who of us is guaranteed our next breath, meal/paycheck, or heartbeat except for the grace of God? If you had asked me a week ago if I took my loving husband and precious children for granted, I would have sad NO without hesitation. I went through an experience this week, however, that has taught me that even as a dedicated mother and wife, I was not living in the moment and allowing the stresses of life to distract me sometimes.

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So many people don't know just how many hours I have to work based on the reality of losing our family business two years ago and now the inability to sell our small home. (We have been renting a home for ourselves and renting out the other home until we can sell it.) Things have been rough to say the least and I have caught myself thinking, "When I can stop working so much I can do_____________", or "I need to do__________ and can't _________ with the kids right now". I was basically living for the future date of "being in a financial situation to where I can stop working" to have enough free time and energy to start investing more of myself in my husband and children. I have been dealing with the working mom's stress of balancing two full-time jobs - my "paying job" and the wife/mom/homemaker duties. I feel like I never have enough time to do it all - and guess what - I can't!

~~~~~

I have really been thinking about these issues this past week because everything changed last Sunday night when my two year old son fell down 10 stairs in our home in front of my very eyes. He opened the baby gate and fell head over heels down the stairs - - - and I was powerless to reach or catch him and prevent the terrible accident that could have taken his life here on earth. When it happened we were in the midst of getting the three kids prepared and off to bed for the evening and I was absorbed in my thoughts of how much work still awaited me on the computer after getting them to bed. I saw and experienced first hand how quickly life can change. . . . and I was powerless to protect my son because he was faster than I was and too far away to catch. Let me repeat - I was powerless to save my son - and I couldn't believe how quickly he could have been gone from us forever. (He is OK, by the way, by the grace of God, and as his mom, I realize that there was nothing I could have done to keep him from doing what he did. He was right behind me following me, and the next he was falling down the stairs

a little farther than one arm's length away.

~~~~~

I have never been one to feel the need to climb the ladder of success and make a name for myself at my job, but I do feel like God calls us to do our best at whatever we do. I humbly admit to you that I have never tried to neglect my marriage, children, or home for the sake of wowing my boss - - - but I have allowed the stress and obligations of this world to distract me from being as mindful of the many times and opportunities He gives me to invest pockets of time and teaching into my children. By default, life takes everything out of us, and we have to FIGHT to be the ones He has called us to be. Being the mom and wife I want to be doesn't happen by accident. . . . I must not let one moment pass me by. Redeeming the TIME because the days are evil!

~~~~~

My son, my only son, could have died last Sunday night. Did it matter at that moment if I had all of my work done, that the house was needing work to be "company" ready, or that we had various obligations needing attention. . . . ? NO! Everything else faded into the background when I saw my son almost die an arm's reach away from me.

~~~~~

It brought to mind what happened with Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter, Maria Sue. My heart goes out to that family, and now I feel like God has given me a glimpse into the feelings and thoughts they must be experiencing right now, albeit on a small scale. God saw to take Maria and leave Joshua, and I don't know why, but I trust Him in this and I am reminded again to be eternally grateful for each moment that He gifts me with each of the ones I love for the rest of my life. I was before, but now, that truth really hits home in a personal way.

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I am not exactly sure how to end this post. . . . This week has been so stressful and very emotional for me and the rest of our family. There are so many more things that have happened that I didn't take the time to touch on in this post. Praise God for his strength and mercies. I do want to leave you all with encouragement to remember that Every Day is a Precious Gift, and to not waste a moment dwelling on those things that we can't change or control and that our enemy wants to use to distract us from truly living life. Because He Lives, I can face tomorrrow - Amen? One thing I can say as a result of this experience is that every time I hug my son closer to me and give Him back to the Lord again as His son, my heart will be saying a prayer of thanks that God has seen fit to lend him to me for one more moment. I could have been planning a funeral this week rather than reading him stories, giving him baths, and hugging him one more time.

~~~~~

May God bless you and keep you.

Love,

Gina