Morning by Morning

Merry CHRISTmas

2008-12-25T09:13:00.000-08:00

Merry CHRISTmas to each and everyone of you. Jesus is truly the, "reason for the season", and for all time. Blessings to everyone.

I will be back to blogging regularly in the new year, just took some time off.

Thank You God for Hot and Cold Running Water.

2008-11-12T06:30:00.000-08:00

I just came in from taking care of my livestock and I was happy to come into a warm house. As I stepped into the nice hot shower I thought, "Thank you God, for this hot water". All I have to do is turn a handle on any one of the spigots in my home and out comes clean hot or cold running water.

I was listening to the radio for the past couple days and they have been talking about living conditions in Haiti. A lot of the people live in lean-to shantys and have to carry their water in buckets from where ever their water comes from. And the worst part about it is it is not clean water, it is full of disease carrying bacteria, but they have to drink it anyway because it's all they have.

Thank you God for hot and cold running water.

After Thoughts

2008-11-07T08:59:00.000-08:00

The election has been over for a few days now and I must admit that I am disappointed. I watched the news showing people crying with joy and proud of this historic moment in our country and I have heard people who are very fearful of the future.

All I can do now is pray for President Elect Obama and ask God to help him lead this great country of ours and that he will be sensative to God's Spirit.

The Bible says in Daniel 5:21, "that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes"

We need to trust in the Lord and take Him at His word. Jesus is coming back. The book of Revelation says,"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." In this time of transition and uncertainy, this is where I put my hope and this is why I have peace. I know that this is not all there is.

To those of you who have fears and doubts about the future, know this, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-8

Thoughts on election day.

2008-11-04T13:39:00.000-08:00

I spent this morning in prayer focused mainly on the election. I did not ask God to put the man in office that I want to see there. Instead I asked God to put the man in office that would be the best man for such a time as this.

I am prayerful that the next president will be the one who protects the unborn, who will be a friend to Israel and recognize God's plan for marriage which is only between a man and a woman. Of course I am concerned about the economy, the war on terrorism, the environment and who will be chosen as our next supreme court justices. But, most of all I pray the God's will be done and He will be glorified no matter who wins the election. God has a plan, it is perfect and it will be carried out.

I have noticed that a lot of people are taking this election personally and there seems to be some tension among them. I pray that people will wake up to the fact that neither one of the two main candidates will be the savior of this country. We all have our reasons why we want "our guy" to win, unfortunately most of the promises they make won't be possible to be carried out without great cost and hidden agendas.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except by me". That is the only truth that I can count on. You can trust your life to Jesus for all of eternity, He died for you AND He rose again. Can you say the same about any man who would want to be president?

Busy Time

2008-10-22T06:35:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy time around our little homestead. We finished the goat shelter the other day but it still needs to be painted.

I yanked all the old vegetation out of my small garden and tilled it up to be ready for next spring. Check out the before and after pics.

Sometime today, after it warms up a bit, I am going to go out and plant my garlic. Did you know that garlic is very good for you? Studies show that it lowers blood pressure so I put garlic in a lot of the food I prepare.

Very Simple Garlic Bread Recipe

1 loaf of french bread
2-3 cloves of garlic
olive oil

Cut the bread into one inch pieces on the diagonal, brush it with olive oil and toast it under the broiler. Take the garlic and rub it onto the toasted bread.

Tiny Woolybear

2008-10-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

My husband and I were cleaning up an old wood pile today and I found this cute little woolybear. I tried to find a regular size one but couldn't at the time so you can tell how small he is by comparing him to my wedding band.

What Does it Look Like When You Pray?

2008-09-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

What do you see when you have your conversations with the creator of the universe? How do you approach the great I Am? When I pray or worship God, this is what I see:

I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. Isaiah 6:1-4.

I love the way this is explained in the Matthew Henry Concise Edition Commentary:

A glimpse of heavenly glory is enough to convince us that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Nor is there a man that would dare to speak to the Lord, if he saw the justice, holiness, and majesty of God, without discerning his glorious mercy and grace in Jesus Christ.

I know that if I came before the Holy God without the blood of Jesus covering my sins, I would be consumed. I am eternally grateful with ever fiber of my being that God loved me enough to give his son to pay for my sin.

WiLd WeEkEnD

2008-09-16T06:38:00.000-07:00

I was really looking forward to this last weekend but nothing happened the way I planned. There was a craft show going on both Saturday and Sunday and a large flea market on Saturday. Due to the rain, I didn't do either one of them.

I could tell I was coming down with a cold because of the burning sensation at the back of my throat, so after church on Sunday I went home and took a nap. At around 2:30pm, I woke up and realized that I could have gone to the craft show but by now it was too late, so I missed that.

Weather wise, Sunday was a nice day but we were expecting some kind of bad weather because what was left of Ike was headed in our direction. I was really looking forward to a Praise and Worship service at church on Sunday evening and we DID make it to that. I don't really know what time it was but after we had sang a few songs the wind started getting stronger outside and the power started flickering on and off which caused our equipment to go down so there was no sound or words on the screen. Finally, the power was beyond coming back up and we continued to worship with a just a guitar and drums. That just goes to show you, you don't need the fancy equipment to sing praises to the Lord. It was nice.

Well, as we expected our power was off when we got home some we pulled out the battery and the inverter and turned on a lamp for light. Don set the alarm on his cell phone so he could get to work on time the next morning and we spent the rest of the evening talking and then went off to bed.

There was still no power on Monday morning and happily we didn't have much wind damage. I kept Mike home from school, and we ventured over to Chardon to get feed for the animals. Everything was closed due to no power except for The Tractor Supply Store which is where I was going in the first place. They had no power but the store was open. When we went in they handed us a flashlight so we could find our way around. It was pretty cool and Mike commented on how quiet everything was. A few other people were standing in line to get checked out and the conversation was all about when the power might be back on and where could you still find generators.

After we left there, I stopped at my niece's house because she had power, and filled up a couple five gallon water jugs so I could water my animals when I got home. After that I went to my daughter's house and she still had power, so she made us some lunch and we visited until about 2:30pm. We went home and took care of what we needed to do and after Don got home from work we went down to mom and dad's to have ham sandwiches for dinner. Later in the evening we started a campfire and stayed outside until about 8:30pm. We came in, powered up a lamp and huddled around Don's laptop to watch a movie. We went to bed at 10:10pm and the power came on at 10:30pm.

When Mike got up this morning he was disappointed and he said he was just getting to enjoy having no power,(not counting the inverters, cell phones and laptops!!). I know what he meant. It was nice to have to slow down and live simply and enjoy campfires and conversation. We decided as a family to turn things off more often in the future.

Freedom is Not Free

2008-09-11T05:17:00.000-07:00

This has had over 3,000,000 views but I just saw it today and I wanted to pass it on as a reminder that freedom is not free. Yes it does promote John McCain for president but it is the words of a young man who knows the price of freedom firsthand. (Turn off my playlist before watching this so you can hear it.)

Now That's the Ticket!

2008-09-04T10:50:00.000-07:00

Although I am not one to talk politics except with a few people close to me, I follow it very close.

I was excited to hear that John McCain chose Sarah Palin to be his running mate but after hearing her speech last night I am THRILLED. She is a real person from a small town, a working mom who shoots guns and hunts. I can identify with her. She has a beautiful family and they struggle with some of the things that many other Americans find themselves struggling with. She's smart and experienced in governing, and from what I have been hearing, she's darn good at it. In my opinion, she is a breath of fresh air in the stale, nasty world of American politics. I think our country will do well with her as our Vice President.

As far as John McCain goes, he is a true hero who has served his country in ways that many never will. He spent over five years in a North Vietnamese prison camp because of his love and service to his country and I believe that he will lead the United States with a servant's heart. He has experience, I believe he undertands what's going on both here and abroad. He's not afraid to tell it like it is and I am willing to bet that he will do what is best for the people.

Just my 2 cents, I'll get off my soapbox now.

In the Morning When I Rise.....

2008-08-28T09:07:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite Christian songs is, Give Me Jesus by Fernando Ortega. The first few lyrics go like this:
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus

This song has been such a comfort to me over the years but just recently it has been especially comforting in the wake of all that has been going on. If I get up in the morning with all my troubles on my mind, I sing this song out loud to the Lord and it gives me peace.

When I awoke the other morning I saw this beautiful sunrise and Give Me Jesus came to mind.

For Better For Worse.......

2008-08-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

My previous posts have given you some insight into what life has been like at my house. Troubling, worrysome, aggravating, hectic and a plethora of other colorful adjectives that I don't care to mention. A lot of the things that are normally handled by Don is temporarily my responsibility. Such as.........

The other day we had to fix some rabbit hutches because we have some new rabbits that needed a place to live. The job required tearing out old rusted wire and measuring, cutting and tacking in the new wire. Between Mike and I we were able to fix the hutches quite nicely with Don's supervision and instruction.

Don has a sharpening business and he can't do a lot of the work with only one hand so last night I helped repair two clippers and sharpen a chain saw chain. I had no idea all that was involved when it came to sharpening things. Tonight I have six more chains to sharpen and seven or eight clipper blades. I really had fun learning how to do it and Don is a really good and patient teacher.

Another thing that needs to be dealt with when you have a husband with a splinted and bandaged finger is his cleanliness. I have to help him wash his hands and give him a bath, but who's complaining?

My work load has just about doubled lately but I don't mind. Even though Don wants to do everything on his own, I won't let him. I don't mind helping him cut up his food or get dressed, or getting up in the middle of the night to get him an ice pack because the pain won't allow him so sleep and I don't mind helping him with his business.

When God made Adam he saw that it was not good for the man to be alone so He made him a helper who was Eve. It's my job to help my husband and I do it gladly without giving it a second thought because I love my husband and I love to bring him joy which in turn brings me joy. And through the trials we become closer and stronger and our obedience to honor and love each other brings glory to our God.

When it Rains, It Pours!!!

2008-08-23T15:55:00.000-07:00

Thursday marked two weeks since Don was in an auto accident, and we still don't have our truck back. (Did I mention that the rental car we were given is a 2008 Chrysler Sebring convertable? ho hum) Anyway, it was like any other Thursday so I started supper right around my usual time and Don was late getting home so I waited...and waited...I tried to call his cell phone and didn't get any answer so I waited a little longer. Finally, about three hours later than the time he usually gets home, I got ahold of him and he said he was still at work and was just leaving to come home.

When he came in the house his arms were loaded down with his usual notebooks and stuff he carries to work and I noticed a wrist band around his right arm. Recognizing what it was, I said, "what did you do now'? He slowly pulled out his left hand that was kind of hidden behind his back and it was wrapped up in this enormous bandage. He proceeded to inform me that he had been at the emergency room for the last three hours.

Well, come to find out, he had his left ring finger crushed in a machine at work. He managed to break the bone and sever the tendon and lets not forget the deep cut that exposed the aforementioned finger contents, that required 11 stitches. He went into all the details of how, what, why and when and all I could think was, "When it rains, it pours".

Fast forward to now, Saturday around 7:00 pm. We have spent the last eight hours at the hospital so he could get his tendon put back together and the bone pinned. The surgery went great and he should get most, if not all, of the finger's full range of motion back.

When they wheeled him up from recovery he was sitting up, alert and feeling great. We ordered something to eat at the hospital and came home. Right now he's napping and back on the road to recovery. I just have to praise the Lord that he is doing fine, the injury wasn't any worse and he can go back to work on Monday if he promises not to use his hand. Even though the last two weeks have been tough, our joy is in the Lord. We will praise our God who is good, who sustains us and gives us peace when times get tough. I can't imagine life not knowing God.

Wow - What a Week

2008-08-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

One day old English Spot Rabbits.

Well the fair is over for another year and we had a great time renewing old friendships and making new ones. One of the high points of going to the fair is we have friends that we only see during that one week out if the year but it is always such a joy to see them again. Some other highlights were:

One of our English Spot rabbits had babies the night before the fair started.

Mike took First Place in Showmanship, Fourth in Superstar Showmanship, and his rabbits took best of breed and best opposite.

We bought a hog and a pen of rabbits at the 4-H livestock auction and are looking forward with great anticipation to picking up our locally raised pork. It's so much better than the meat you buy in a supermarket.

On the last night one of the livestock committee people came up and asked us if we were going to take the live rabbits home and process them ourselves. I had no intention of doing so when we bought them as I was hoping to have them delivered in neat little vacuum sealed bags as usual. Evidently the guy who normally does the processing went out of business so we agreed to taking the live rabbits home. It's not a problem for us, just one of those, 'you gotta do what you gotta do moments".

We also experienced a few trying times as well. My hubby had an accident just four days before fair so we didn't have our truck, (it's still at the repair shop as I type) and my van broke down the night before the last day so we had to find a way to get there the next morning and had to figure out how to get all the chickens, rabbits, tack boxes and misc. things home on Sunday night. As usual, the Lord provided and we were offered more than what we needed. Our cup truly does runneth over.

So now, all the insurance companies, repair shops, car rental places and meat processors have been called and it looks like things are slowly getting back to normal around here. Just another week in the lives of "us", but Morning by Morning new mercies I see.

Hard Work Pays Off

2008-08-15T05:06:00.000-07:00

Mike has done well at the fair again this year. He took Best of Breed and Best Opposite Sex in the English Spot Rabbit Catagory in both the Open Show and the 4-H Show. He took First place in the Showmanship competition in is intermediate class which gave him a spot in the Superstar Showmanship competition.

Superstar Showmanship gives the kids a chance to show an animal in all catagories. Mike had to show a goat, dog, alpaca, steer, horse, sheep, and a hog. He took 4th place in Superstar!! His father and I are very proud of him for working towards these goals and doing such a good job.

Please pray for Matthew.

2008-08-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

Please join us in prayer for a little boy in my church who's little body is being attacked by some kind of auto-immune problem. I don't understand fully what it's all about, but it is serious.....all I know is that he and his family needs us to pray for them.

Please ask the Lord for wisdom for the doctors, that they will figure out what to do for Matthew and please pray for his mom and dad and family for comfort and peace and strength. Please pray for God's will and that He will be glorified.

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
James 5:16

It's Fair Time

2008-08-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

Gold English Spot named Nathan.

The county fair has always been a big deal for my family as long as I can remember. My dad has been involved with fair since he was a young man and it has just carried on for the last three generations.

My youngest son, Mike, has been in 4-H since he was five so this will be his eighth year. Since we are a family who has always had chickens, that has been his project until this year. Due to the way I was feeling these past months, I told him it would be too much for me to re-arrange the barn like we do every year to accomodate growing chickens and turkeys, that and the fact that the price of corn has gone sky high. So this year he is only showing rabbits.

This is a very busy time for us and can be quite hectic. Mike must be prepared for the Skillathon, Showmanship and his rabbits must be in top condition. There is also the matter of setting up the barn and decorating our area so it looks nice for the fair-goers who come to see the exhibits. The set-up involves everyone from all the clubs and it's a nice time to meet people and for the kids to make new friends.

Unfortunately we also have to deal with the dark side of human nature and there are times when 4-H is the not so nice. I have been around enough years to see all kinds of bickering and backstabbing among parents, advisors and the kids. And this involves people from all the different kinds of clubs, not just the animal groups. The reason I mention this is because I have heard it already and the fair doesn't begin until next week!

I know that I could easily get caught up in some situations but I have to restrain myself and ask God for strength. As a Christian I must remember that I am called to be "salt and light". Jesus said, "let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven."

For the most part, 4-H and the fair is full of fun, friends, food, and good learning experiences for the kids, but when things get ugly, it is my prayer that God will help me be a light in a dark place and hopefully bring peace to the situation.

Light Show

2008-08-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

My husband and I went to a baseball game a week ago Friday and after the game they put on a really nice fireworks display. It was loud and very colorful and of course entertaining but it didn't hold a candle to the light show we got this last Friday night. WOW, what a show it was. We could see the sky lighting up to the north over the lake (Erie) and we knew from the amount of time between the flashes and the thunder that the storm would be on top of us within 45 minutes. It was great, you could see the lightning getting closer and closer and thunder was getting louder and louder until it was right on top of us. You know the kind where the lightning strikes and the thunder clap is simultaneous.

Once the storm was here it lasted maybe 20 minutes and then just moved on. I remember thinking ,"My goodness it's quiet". It was "hair raising" to say the least. But it was quite beautiful at the same time.

The power and the energy was awsome and I was thinking about the magnificent power behind the Power of this storm. The power of the One who spoke the universe into existence. The One who is spoken of in Job 37:3, which says,

"He unleashes his lightening beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth. After that comes the sound of his roar, he thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back. God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding".

It also makes me think of what Jesus said in Matthew 24:27 about himself. He said, "For as lightning that comes from the east and is visable even in the west so will be the coming of the Son of Man". And my heart says, "Amen, Come Lord Jesus."

My Birthday Cake :-)

2008-08-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the birthday cake my daughter Shanny made me. I loved it!!!! She also had a surprise Birthday Party for me on Sunday afternoon. She told me to come and get her promptly at 2:00 pm because she had made reservations for us. When I arrived at her house, my whole family was there to surprise me. I am truly blessed with a wonderful family.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

2008-08-01T04:52:00.000-07:00

The other day my friend Jodi and I were visiting at my picnic table after our boys 4-H meeting and my dad walked up to me and said, "I got the mail and you have only one letter, it's from AARP."

I looked at Jodi, Jodi looked at me and we both started cracking up at the same time and had quite a good laugh. You see, I am 50 today. Yes, a half a century has passed since the day I was born and the nice folks down at the AARP sent me an invitation to become a member.

I have heard that this can be a very traumatic time for some women, as if aging is a tragedy. How many times a day do you see or hear advertisements for anti-aging products? Pills and gadgets that help us have a slimmer trimmer figure, creams and lotions that transform our skin from rough as an alligator's into soft as a baby's butt. Or the one that really baffles me is the procedure of injecting botulinum toxin, (the stuff that causes food poisoning) under the skin to remove wrinkles. NO thank you, I'll take me chances with the wrinkles.

It's obvious that our society puts an enormous emphasis on youth and physical beauty, but in the big picture these things are very short lived. Scripture comes to mind which sums it all up quit nicely, "Charm is deceptive, and beauty in fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30.

Of course I want to look my best and take care of my body, I want to do that for my husband, but God is more interested in my character. He wants me develop grace, kindness and compassion, to love the unlovely and to be a friend to the lonely.

God's word says, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." When it's all said and done, I will come to the end of this earthly life and no matter how good I looked, God will only be interested in whether or not I trusted Jesus to be my savior and did I love others as I love myself.

This is a very Happy Birthday because I know, "Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

The Majesty of God

2008-07-31T04:54:00.000-07:00

When I looked up into the sky last evening and noticed this awsome cloud I just had to run and get my camera before it faded away.

As I stood taking pictures and watching the colors change as the sun set lower in the sky, this Psalm came to mind....

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.

From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.

You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:

all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,

the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

I Will Be Content

2008-07-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

Last Monday my sister and I went to tour the YMCA dream house in Concord. All I can say is WOW, what a beautiful place. It was done in all the colors that I love, it was built "green" which is also right up my alley, the basement was out of this world and it had a very cozy library/sitting room that I could easily see myself relaxing in.

After we left I went home and confronted the reality that I live in the upstairs of a two family house. We have two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, a kitchen with no dining room and a small room that we made into our office/computer room. There is no place to go to get away unless you want to shut yourself in the bedroom, you can hear what's on TV from any room, its hard to have guests come to dinner unless they don't mind eating in the living room, and you have to wait your turn to use the bathroom and shower.

After feeling sorry for myself for a good part of the day, my misery was interrupted when I heard God tell me that I am richer than most of the people in the whole world. I have a warm safe place to live in, I have food and clean water at all times, I have clothing for all seasons of the year. I have several pairs of shoes and boots. We can drive where we need to go and not have to walk for days to get there, I have a phone and a computer to communicate instantly with family and friends, and I have all kinds of appliances available to make my life easy and so on and so on. He reminded my of how we raised three kids in this place and even had one of my son's friends living here for awhile after he had been kicked out of his home. But more importantly He reminded me that it was in this place where I met Jesus and was saved. It was in this place that I found a church right down the road and brought my entire family who all came to know Jesus. To this I say, "Thank you Lord."

God's word tells us,..."we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction." So God says I should be content with, "food and clothing" but he has given me so much more, and with that I say, "Thank You Lord".

Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never go thirsty."

It was a good day!

2008-07-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

My sister and I went to the sale and auction in Middlefield like we usually do on Mondays and I happened to see some tea cups and saucers in the "junk auction' row. Since I like tea cups I decided to bid on them. Long story short, I got the winning bid of $8.00. I got three sets of cups and saucers and a few other pieces. When I checked the underneath I found that one if the sets was made in Occupied Japan. So that was a pretty good find.

Later I went to pick up my son and went past the corner gas station and gas was selling for $3.75 a gallon. I waited for about 15 to 20 minutes and filled her up. I left and picked up my son and on the way back through, about 15 minutes later, the price had increased to $3.85 a gallon. So I guess my timing was right on that too.

So, I would say it was a pretty good day.

All God's Children.....

2008-07-02T19:43:00.000-07:00

When I go to church each Sunday I think about my brothers and sisters in Christ and wonder what it looks like to worship where they are. I think of Christians I know in Africa, China, Israel, Cuba, Mexico, The Phillipines, Indonesia and the Navajo Reservation. Then I think of what it's going to be like when the church is all together and Jesus reigns as King. Can you imagine what that will look like? What a glorious day that will be........

Now That's a Salad!

2008-07-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

This beautiful example of using locally grown salad fixin's, herbs and edible flowers comes from my sister who also has a passion for a healthy lifestyle.

A short update.....

2008-07-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

Just an update on how I'm feeling since last week. I feel fantastic! Praise be to God. The weekend was full of family fun. We celebrated my youngest son's birthday with a sleepover. My daughter and her family and my daughter-in-law and her kids were here for a picnic. My oldest son passed the firearms portion of his police training, my husband didn't have to work on Saturday and my parents were in good spirits. The message on Sunday at church was really good and I was able to share with my good friend Patty how our conversation on Monday had helped me so much. Which brings me to my health issues....I still feel great. No palpitations, no sleepless nights, no jittery feeling and no more fear of anything, Oh...and no high blood pressure.

I write this today because I feel like I had wasted four months of my life with worry and doubt. Patty and my other friends were there for me, praying for me and reminding me of God's power and I finally realized I had to go to the cross and lay it all down before Jesus. Now I KNOW God doesn't want me to be afraid and I Know He knows all things and I Know that He could heal me if it be His will. But what I failed to do was trust Him and surrender to Him. I believe He wanted to help me but I was getting in the way. "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey'.

God Speaks Through People (A continuation from yesterday's post)

2008-06-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had told you how bad things have been due to the drugs I was given for high blood pressure. Up until last Monday I was still having palpitations and a hard time sleeping. Today I want to share how I'm doing and how I got better.

As you know, I was really struggling with a decision on whether or not to have a second heart monitor done mainly because insurance won't pay for it. I have been praying and asking God to give me direction on what to do ever since last Thursday.

On Friday a good friend of mine, Debbie, called to ask about buying some soap. During the conversation I mentioned that I was struggling on what to do about the drugs and tests. She told me to look up a web-site called Hallelujah Acres and that she agreed with a lot of what they had to say about health and so on. She mentioned a few other things that made me think that I have alternatives besides what the doctor had in mind.

Then Sunday in church I was stopped by another good friend, Tina, who asked me how my health was doing, again I told her what was going on and she told me what she thought, which were along the same lines as what my friend Debbie had told me last Friday. Anyway, I told her I was looking for clear direction from God so she prayed for me right then and there and I began to feel less helpless about my situation.

On Monday morning my dear friend Patty called me and wanted to know how I was doing, (I had not talked to her for about a couple of weeks). I told her the same stuff I told Debbie and Tina. Then out of the blue she states, "Kathy, you have to quit being so self absorbed with this. You have to start doing other things and living the way God wants you to. God did not give us a spirit of fear." I was shocked that she has so much insight with so little information that I had given her.

She then asked me the question, "What are you afraid of"? I stammered a little and the she asked, "Are you afraid of dying?" As a believer in Jesus as my Lord and Savior, no, I am not afraid of dying, just leaving my family and this is what I told her. She asked me again what was I most afraid of and I told her, I wasn't sure what I was most afaid of and she asked, "Are you afraid of messing up"? And I said, "Yes, that is exactly what I'm afraid of".

I realized that I was more afraid of making the wrong decisions and somehow being responsible for something and I wasn't really sure of what!!! Anyway, how did she know that, and where did her knowledge come from?

Patty then made the statement that made all the difference, she said, "Kathy, God is not going to take you one second before your time". I knew she was right and I could see the hand of God intervening with my situation. I had prayed for and asked for prayer for clear direction and God sent me three people within four days to help me.

After I hung up with Patty, I began to feel better. The palpitations went away within a couple of hours and the fear and nervousness went away. I asked God to forgive me, that I know he is in control and that I have nothing to fear, my life is in His hands.

So you think that this is a case of, "it was all in her mind, that God had nothing to do with it? Well here is the clincher.....

On Wednesday morning a lady and her children were to drop off some baby chicks that they had hatched during a homeschool project. She had gotten our name from the extension agency and she called us so we supplied the eggs. After the eggs were hatched she brought back the chicks. Long story short, as she was getting ready to leave, she was putting some hand sanitizer on her boy's hands and I mentioned it was a good idea since there is a lot of bacteria around a farm. She agreed and said, "Yes, but God isn't going to take us before our time"!!!!!!!

I was amazed and praised God for sending me clear direction using four different people, one of whom I had just met. To God be the Glory

So....how did this help me? First I was reminded that God is in control and He loves us. "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Second, there is nothing wrong with letting people know you need help, especially those in your church family. They can offer comfort and most importantly prayer on your behalf. "...so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Third, there are alternatives to conventional medicine but I believe that God has provided many good doctors and procedures to help people. Don't get me wrong and don't make the mistake of thinking that God will heal so you don't have to see a doctor. God heals many people because of the knowledge and skilled hands He has given to doctors. In my case, I am still on Norvasc but I am working toward getting off drugs by nurishing and exercising my body the way God intended.

The Last Four Months.........have been horrible.

2008-06-25T08:10:00.000-07:00

I usually don't have much trouble thinking of something to blog about but as you can see, I have not been doing a whole lot over the past few months. It all started back in February when I had a bout of bronchitis and went to my doctor to get some antibiotics. While I was there I was told that I have high blood pressure and needed to take medication to get it under control. It was 160/90. At first I said no, went home with my antibiotics and then proceeded to start worrying about bad things happening like having a stroke or something along those lines. So....the following week I went back to the doctor and was given a months supply of blood pressure medicine that they got out of their "sample closet". (My words) Thus began a four month ordeal of some of the worst feelings I have ever had in my life, not to mention expensive.

Within the first couple days I started to get heart palpitations, not fast but beating hard enough for me to feel it and it was aggravating. I called the doctor and he said to give it a week or so because it takes awhile for the body to get used to new medication. Still having the feeling like my heart was beating me up from the inside, I went back to my doctor and he said he would give me something else to "quiet my heart". I was given a prescription for a drug called Metoprolol, which I found out later is a beta-blocker. This particular drug slows down your heart and is also given for high blood pressure.

If you ever heard anyone say they ever had a "feeling of doom", I can say that I know what that feels like. After about a week of taking Metoprolol I was having a terrible time trying to sleep, I would finally just start to nod off around 3:30 am and would be jolted awake by a feeling that I was going to die. I would lay there with my eyes open so I wouldn't have to feel like that again until I would drift off to sleep for 2 or 3 hours and then it would happen again.

After telling my doctor about how I felt, I had to get an echocardiagram and several weeks later was on a heart monitor for 24 hours. What they found was that I have a slightly leaky valve that is not unusual and nothing to worry about, AND I was told I would have to see a cardiologist because I had some risk factors for heart disease. Which come to find out was high blood pressure and the drug induced palpitations!!!

I went back to the doctor and told him how bad I felt on the Metoprolol and this time I was given another drug called Mycardis to take along WITH the Metoprolol. I forgot to mention that I still had high blood pressure every time I saw the doctor. Now with the Mycardis I had extreme dizziness and every time I bent over I would feel like I was going to pass out when I stood up. I went a few more weeks on these drugs still feeling really bad, still having palpitations, still dizzy and not being able to sleep so I decided to quit taking the drugs on my own.

Now I do a lot of research over the Internet and I read that one should not just stop taking a beta blocker so I weaned myself off over a period of a week. I waited another week and went off the Mycardis. A few days later I started feeling weird again (probably withdrawal) so I decided I had better go back to the doctor and try something else. I still had high blood pressure so I took the remainder of the Mycardis until I could see my doctor because if you remember, I worry a lot and thought I would end up having a stroke before I got to see him. When I finally did see him a week later, which was about a week and half ago, he put me on Norvasc, (which seems to be better than the other drugs so far).

Last Thursday I saw the cardiologist and the only thing he was concerned with was the fact that the heart monitor I was wearing way back in March showed that I had a heart beat of 28 beats per minute for a period of about 42 seconds or something like that. He would like me to do the monitor again but I was on Metoprolol at the time and that stuff slows your heart rate plus, my insurance won't pay for it!!!! I decided not to re-do the monitor.

So....this is where I am at this point in time. For the last four months I felt like I was going to lose my mind. The drugs were wreaking havoc on my body, I couldn't sleep, I was irritable and not able to function normally, I tried to do my best at my gardening and livestock and it's been difficult to say the least, I did the minimum around my house to try to take care of my family, and worst of all, I haven't been serving the Lord as I should....that is until a few days ago. Check back tomorrow and see what happened in my life these past few days, God is Good and Faithful.

Baby Chickens are Here!

2008-05-16T05:09:00.001-07:00

Every spring our extension agency picks up eggs from us to take to local elementary schools to show the classes how chicks hatch. After they hatch I get the chicks back. This year I sent them 18 eggs of mixed breed chickens who will replace some of my older egg layers. They will lay green and brown eggs.

Putting in New Herb Gardens and Enjoying the old Ones.

2008-05-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

It's a good time to plant the herbs when the day temperatures are around 60 degrees and the night temperatures are around 40 degrees. Here in NE Ohio the time is right. Tender herbs like Basil need to wait a little while longer. The picture to the left shows my new babies ready to plant. There is flat parsley, horehound for making throat losenges, stevia which is a great sweetener, lemon verbena, salad burnett that taste just like cucumber, dill, rosemary (which I already planted), catnip for the three cats that live here and pineapple sage one of my most favorite herbs for taste and the beautiful edible red flowers it produces.

Here is a photo of my "old" herb garden, it is doing beautifully this year. You can see how much the thyme has spread, the oregano is huge, the lovage that tastes like celery and a neat additions for salads, lavender, my new rosemary in the upper left corner, the lemon balm makes a wonderful calming tea, chives, pineapple mint and spearmint. Oh, there is "regular" sage there too in the front.

Calendula: Herb of the Year.

2008-05-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I had my yearly fix of herbal inspiration by attending the annual herb festival at my favorite herb shop, (The Village Herb Shop in Chagrin Falls). I sat in on a great program featuring the herb of the year, Calendula. I was amazed at all the things calendula is good for. I knew it was good for skin care as I make calendula soap and salve. What I didn't know was that is is really good to eat and tasty in recipes but it also has medicinal properties that have been shown to kill MRSA bacteria and it can help the body fight cancer. After the program was over I had the herbal lunch which is the highlight of the festival in my opinion. There was this fantastic chicken salad with an herbal vinegarette, a refreshing cold herb soup as well as sweet bread with calendula butter and a delicate little cake with calendula petals in it. After I finished my lunch I went out to the gardens and chose my plants which I will plant in my own herb garden.

Can't Wait to Get Started

2008-03-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

So according to the weatherman it is supposed to be in the forties tomorrow and sunny. Considering the fact that we have been cooped up all winter, that is good enough for me.

I have a long list of things that need to get done starting with cleaning up all th fallen limbs and brush from some strong winds we had during the winter. All of that will be going into the wood pile for next winter.

My garden is a disaster because it still has the skeletons of last year's tomato plants and squash vines all over it. I am hoping to get all that raked up and into the compost pile, which is another story in itself.

The hoop house has some work that needs to be done because of some heavy snow we had recently but shouldn't be too bad to fix and be ready for the seeds to be started soon.

I think it would be wise to put in as big a garden as I can this year due to the rising food costs and uncertain future of things. It would be a good idea for everyone to grow some of their own food and be prepared for the coming months.

On Being Prepared

2008-03-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

Has anyone taken notice of the food prices lately? I know we are all painfully aware of the gas prices and how having to pay more at the pumps are putting a damper on life as we know it. But along with the price of gas we also have an increase in what we pay at the grocery store.

Now it only makes sense that prices would be higher BECAUSE of gas prices, after all it costs more to transport food from farm to store but have you noticed the price of things like cooking oil or bread or eggs?

We have our own hens for eggs and I never buy store eggs so when I bought a carton of eighteen white eggs for Easter I just about fainted. And I was dumb founded at the price of a bottle of corn oil, it had just about doubled in price since the last time I bought some. I am also feeling the high price of grain for my chickens but its worth it because my fresh eggs will beat those store eggs any day.

Part of the big problem here is the fact that everyone is growing corn for ethanol.
Farmers are growing more corn, China and India are demanding more grain, now the world is experiencing a shortage of wheat and other grains, and on and on and on......so here we are.

So I ask, "What's a mother to do?" What I am doing is making sure my pantry is full of the necessities like extra flour, whole grains, beans, rice, powdered milk, sugar, canned goods, peanut butter and so on.

As a matter of fact, I just went through all my cupboards and threw away some things that were out of date or partially used and long forgotten way back in a corner. I did an inventory and wrote a list of things that I will have to replace. Now the next step is to study the store ads and find the best prices and use coupons for the things that are on sale.

Saying Goodbye to a Good Friend

2008-03-01T19:22:00.000-08:00

The last few days have been pretty rough. My good friend GiGi has passed away. I had her for around 12 years, I can't remember exactly when I got her but it seemed like a long time ago. I was at an auction in Rogers, OH and saw this cute little white goat and I just had to have her. I took her home and she was so sweet. She would follow me and my family all around the yard. After a few months I noticed she was getting wider and wouldn't you know it, she had a baby. My daughter named the baby Princess and she took the goats to the fair that year. She entered them in the doe and daughter competition and won first place,(they were the only entry)!

Over the years we took GiGi to the fair and entered her in the fun show called the Goat Olympics. The kids and their goats would do a series of events from obstacle courses to a game called Best Friend. In Best Friend the kids would stand at one end of the arena and the goats would stand at the other end. The judge would say go and the kids had to call their goats to come to them, the goat who came back to their owner first was the winner. GiGi never won because she would always find another goat to pick a fight with and of course that made people laugh.

GiGi had a boy several years ago and twin daughters two years ago and we still have the twins. They are friendly but we never bred them and I don't know if I ever will. I will probably find them a good home, I think I'm done with goats.

A few days ago when I went out to feed the goats, GiGi didn't look so good. I put her in a stall by herself and fed and watered her and gave her some treats. the next day she was down and couldn't get up. I had the vet come and she said GiGi may have had liver failure because she looked a little yellow. We decided that the best thing to do would to just let her go to sleep.

GiGi was such a great goat, that's what G and G stood for, Great Goat! I will miss her......Good Bye Great Friend.

Handmade Soap

2008-02-22T05:35:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of the soap I made recently. This soap was just taken out of the molds, it needs to be cut, trimmed and cured. There is Lavender, Peppermint/Lemongrass, West Indian Bay, Rosemary, Rose Geranium, Oats and Honey with Goatmilk.

Moonset

2008-02-21T20:12:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of the moon in the western sky the morning after the eclipse. I love the soft pink glow from the sunrise surrounding the setting moon. This was taken around 7:10 am.

Fill Your Home with the Aroma of Well-being.

2008-02-19T05:45:00.000-08:00

Essential oils are a volatile oil usually having the characteristic odor and flavor of the plant from which it came. The chemical compounds in the oils interact with human chemistry to produce a sensory experience. Who hasn’t experienced the “feel good” moments when you get a whiff of a fresh cut pine tree or baked cinnamon apples right out of the oven?

Try these essential oils in a diffuser or simmer in a potpourri pot. (Add 3-4 drops in warm water to simmering pot).

Lavender—Relaxing
Cedar wood—Harmony
Cinnamon—Peace
Patchouli—Calming
Sweet Orange—Uplifting/Joy
Peppermint/Eucalyptus—Decongestant

Natural Facial Ingredients Found in Your Cupboard

2008-02-15T13:13:00.000-08:00

You don’t have to spend lots of money on facial products. You may be surprised what you can find in your kitchen.

Brown sugar and dried flower petals make a lovely scented scrub. Mix 1 cup of sugar with 1/4 cup of dried flower petals such as rose or lavender. Pour a small amount into your hand and mix with a little water. Massage your face gently with the mixture and rinse well with warm water.

Steam your face to clean the pores using a large bowl of hot water. Adding dried herbs or essential oils (1-2 drops) give the added benefit of aromatherapy. Try lavender for normal skin, rosemary for dry skin and peppermint for oily skin. Use Eucalyptus and Peppermint essential oils for a great decongestant. Lean over the steaming bowl with a towel draped over you head and bowl for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

Instead of expensive chemical peels, try fresh mashed papaya or pineapple blended with grapeseed oil. Spread over your face and neck, wait 10 minutes and rinse well with warm water. Apply moisturizer.

In the Name of Science

2008-01-23T08:39:00.000-08:00

So my 12 year old son informs me around six o'clock last night that he has to make an edible human cell for science class, and its, "due tomorrow". Now I need to tell you that we just got through a four day weekend without even a hint about any human cell.

Considering it was too late to run to the store, finish making supper and constructing said cell, I told him to think about what we had on hand to accomplish this task.

He suggested we make a cake and decorate it. Not having instant cakes around, we proceeded to bake a mini version of the white cake I had made for my daughter's wedding. I figured this cake would be the best bet because it is a nice firm cake and it would have to survive the trip to school in the company of a backpack and trumpet. After the cake came out of the oven, we commenced to whipping up frosting in assorted colors to make the nucleus, cell membrane, vacuoles and of course the endoplasmic reticulum with ribosomes, just to name a few.

We finished the project right around ten o'clock and I think the cake turned out pretty good. Mike made the cake, I made the frosting, he colored the frosting and drew on the cell parts. We really had a lot of fun together but next time I hope he gives me a warning in advance.

Beautiful Winter Morning

2008-01-20T08:24:00.001-08:00

Snow Covered Mail Boxes

Helping Our Feathered Friends Find Food

Crabapple Tree

A Cozy Nook by the Garden Shed

The Pathway to the Barn

The Seed Catalogs are Starting to Arrive!!!!

2008-01-15T11:54:00.000-08:00

January is NOT my favorite month. It is the time when we try to organize our lives, be it cleaning up and putting away all the stuff from the holidays or trying to hone our organizational skills for the new year. For a lot of people its the time when the Christmas bills start rolling in and I happy to say I am not among those poor folks. But mainly its just down right COLD.

Anyway one of the best things that happen in January is the new seed catalogs start arriving. I wait with anticipation for the mail carrier to come so I can run out and see if there is a new catalog in the box...its as good as getting your tax refund check... no, really...I know there are a few of you out there that feel the same way I do, its OK. So far I have gotten only two, but now I can start planning my garden and that always makes me happy.

A Confimation From God

2008-01-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

It is so cool to witness the hand of God moving right in front of your eyes. Today was one of those days when you just sit there and say, "Thank You Lord, You are great and Awsome!". We had one of those "God Things" happen in church today. There was a guest pastor from Chicago who used to be the pastor of our church years ago.

His message was all about community and living intentionally. He told us how he had lived the last 19 years of his life keeping people "at arms length". He explained that when he left our church to pastor his new church, it was so painful because he loved the people here so much and did not want to let go and he was afraid of feeling that pain again someday. He went on to say how God changed his heart when he took a trip to Nigeria not long ago. In the two weeks that he was there he lived among people who showed him that this life is not meant to go it alone and its OK to love others deeply . Have you noticed that its nice to have people to help make our work load lighter, our spiritual life more meaningful, to laugh with to cry with, and to help us be accountable? We are not supposed to try to live life independently as our culture would have us think.

What's amazing was.. that is exactly what I had committed myself to this year. To live intentionally and not let the rest of my days here on Earth be wasted. My sister and I had this very conversation on the phone yesterday! And then God sends this man from Chicago, with that message, who's life had been changed in Africa, to be invited to speak to our church, to confirm what we had agreed to commit ourselves to doing. God is Awsome!

Lavender Sugar

2008-01-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

Afternoon tea with a good friend or two is a special time. Lavender Sugar is very pretty and smells wonderful and it has just a hint of lavender flavor. To make it yourself all you need is a cup of granulated sugar and a teaspoon of organic lavender buds. You might be tempted to add more buds but if there is too much it will taste bitter. Pour your ingredients into a cup and mix with a spoon. Pour the sugar into a pretty jar and tie it up in a bow. Now you have a pretty and flavorful addition to make your tea time elegant.

My Girls Are Back in Business

2008-01-06T18:21:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of having hens for fresh eggs is the fact that they pretty much quit laying in the winter. I was lucky to get one or two every other day out of the Buckeye Bantams but I was thrilled when I checked the nesting boxes this morning. As you can see, six of my girls where very generous.

I love the variety of sizes and colors, two are Buckeye Bantams, one Buckeye large fowl, one Barred Rock and the green ones are from the Ameraucana mix breed, ( yes that is the color as they are layed). If you have never had a fresh egg, I am sorry. The eggs bought in a store are nowhere near as flavorful as these "homegrown" beauties.

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T17:18:00.000-08:00

The New Year blew in blustery cold with lots of snow and we are under a winter storm warning until tomorrow. We decided not to go anywhere and just stayed in for a nice quiet day. I made a pork roast rubbed with herbs and spices, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and apple sauce. Ummm...comfort food. For dessert we nibbled on what was left of Christmas cookies and treats.

We didn't turn on the tv today so we enjoyed the peace and listened to the wind blowing the snow around outside. In the evening we snuggled up with a hot cup of tea and discussed our plans for the new year and it was one of the best days I have had in weeks.

Sometimes you just need to be still and enjoy the peace. May you have a happy and joyful New Year and may it be full of peace.

My recipe for pork rub: 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, ground sage, and marjoram. Rub the seasoning all over the pork and roast in a 325 degree oven for 2.5 to 3 hours. (This was for a 5.5 pound boneless roast.)

Mopping the Floor and Loving Every Minute of It!

2007-12-30T20:44:00.000-08:00

Are you one of those people who look forward to a great round of floor mopping? I am! (Since I started using a floor cleaner that I make myself.)

Now I know it's hard to resist pouring a hardy splash of pine smelling stuff into your mop bucket... but don't do it. I have something much better.

Take a half a bucket of warm water and add about an eighth of a cup of natural oil soap. Add five drops of thyme essential oil and five drops of lemon essential oil. It smells so good that you just can't wait to dive right in and mop. Seriously!!! OK, maybe I'm over exaggerating but that's how I feel.

What's important here is you are using a cleaner that is natural and doesn't contain hazardous chemicals. Those pine cleaners contain things that are harmful to breath or get in your mouth. (I'm thinking of small children crawling around on the floor.) The essential oils on the other hand, are healthier to use and they have anti-viral, and anti-septic properties.

Mopping your floor with stuff that's healthy to use and smells earthy and fresh. Now that's what I call a good time.

The beginning.........

2007-12-27T05:44:00.000-08:00

This blogging stuff is new to me but the way of life that I will write about is not.

We live in a day when anything we want is as close as the mega-mart where you can get lettuce for your salad, chicken for your soup and tires for your car all at the same time. Convenience is nice but I have no idea what might be on that lettuce or how that chicken was raised. So for the good of my family and my little corner of the world, I have chosen to live differently than what is considered "mainstream". To me that means getting back to the land, using God's provisions as naturally as possible and being a good steward of the Earth.

If you feel the same way I do, I invite you to have a cup of tea at my "kitchen table" where we can share and learn from one another and hopefully make our world better for ourselves, our families and our fellow Earthlings.