Thankful Thursday

I got my new tooth started this morning!

Empowered
Obedient
With basket removed from me.
I will shine.
I exhale.
Budgets met gifts for the children V day purchased within budget.
Plenty left over to get the little factory made cards they desire in order to fit in.
This is important to them.
One day I will teach them to rebel against the pressures of peers.
To be true to who they are no matter the pressure of acceptance/rejection.
For now I will help them through this maze.

The cabbage has sprouted, the rows glow with tiny green promises.
While the appearance of the radishes proclaim themselves much more boisterously.
There was a flower teasing me on the strawberry plant.Dash and I enjoyed our harvesting of the peas last night in our pasta (covered in diced beef gravy).
Wow let them grow it and they just can't wait to eat it.
No problems here with him eating his veggies.

Dove amazed me with a wonderful typed paper she did.
As I walked into her class room to serve.
It was the class writing project.
The goals of her year to come.
Doing her homework every day.
Eating the meals her mother makes for her and the family.
Graduating to the nest grade with high scores.
You know she has been keeping those goals well.

The gentleness and easy forgiveness that comes to Dash.
He reminded me that this is a New Day.
Just be who you are this day.
My afternoon yesterday ended with another terrible migraine.
Light triggered while at my girlfriends home.
Her and I had , had a wonderful time of intercession.
We both do Moms In Touch" an international prayer ministry for the local schools our children attend.

The last container of soy mushroom soup base was awaiting me at the store.
Sweet Mr. U. desires a meal that is one of my old time specialties.

I'll post a recipe later
My husband loves my cooking.
How blessed and thankful I am for these skills to gift my family with good food.
You can not even buy these foods out unless you paid a high price for them.

I appreciate how God prepares us before the very foundation of time into the life of freedom, once we are his.
Trials yes , but the abundance of favor and his Love.
I feast on this every day!

I am so glad you were born

Happy Birthday
To you
My Love

You are an
Awesome man!

I am so glad you were born

Happy Birthday
To you
My Love

Wordless Wednesday

Update

I have to run to serve at the elementary.
The news is mixed. Mostly good. It is not something like thyroid, b12 or heavy metal.
Good news is that it was not a seizure on the EEG, it was a migraine response.
The mri's show slight growth in the white spots.
Awaiting the tests to be done ,so all is on hold until up to two weeks after that.
I may be sent to stay is hospital to have further testing done, if those results are inconclusive. He could not rue out the Early onset, the dna has not returned yet yet we cant say it is either.
There is a chance it is the damage from the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder causing a chemical damage.
I am encouraged. He was so kind. He told me not to just give it up and assume it is just the PTSD, he needs to be sure we are not missing a cause. He thinks it is a duel of the white spots migrains and a secondary cause.
We just have to make sure the other cause is not needed to be attended too.

Faith

Lash us both
with your love
to the mast

life boats gone we pitched and reeled

but the captain stayed behind the wheel

In a few minutes I go to the Neurologist to find out a few of the test results.

Now it wasn't by faith that the storm was stilled
that I saw Him there in the rising sun.
I prayed the captain that the storm be stilled.
Lash us both
with your love
to the mast....

menu plan monday

Click on any image to enlarge

Cooking from scratch = dishes
a lot of dishes!

Reducing our expenses and utilizing our resource has been a wonderful opportunity to mature.
It is really wonderful to see that just by reducing, planning better our lives have so improved.

After shopping in my deep freezer the menu plan begins.
By buying in bulk when "lead in" items meet your normal purchasing practices, a bulk surplus is crated.
Keep track of this through inventory.

In my home we are reducing our paper products greatly.
I love it!
It is so wonderful to me to follow my heart.
I have longed to live more simply and respectfully toward our planet.
Each child is now responsible to "pack" their own lunch.
I over see this by packaging some of the items.
By having them responcible there has been a great reduction of waist at the end of the day.
This week they will begin the habit of emptying and placing the ice pack in freezer.
This is needful for them to begin independence.

Every day now for 2 weeks they have eaten their lunches.
I have thrown nothing away from them.
I place a towel on the counter for each kid to have a place to do their work.

Within the last month I have learned to bake bread
this will be a savings of $500. (if purchased at Costco)
$1000, a year (if purchased at grocery store).
I am talking about comparing apples to apples.
I do not purchase bread with High Fructose Corn syrup in it, nor have I in years.
Now our bread is baked in our own oven.
Each time I do it the bread is improving.

Outside my window...The sun is shining and the chickens are quiet. The yard is still . The dogs are outside
I am thinking...Wow what a start to my day...While walking around the block I came across the cluster mail boxes...they had been broken into and all the mail for myself and all of my neighbors had been stolen. Calling the police, the bank more than once, the credit card company, the credit reporting companies , the phone service, the Utilities and my husband a few times. I have used up all of my time. It was so difficult to locate secure phone numbers that I walked to the post a third time. A note that the police had been called and then a second note left for my neighbors to tell them the phone numbers.
All that was left were two small papers in the boxes, one had my name on it and one was an advertisement with beloveds name on it. That advertisement had a poem on it about PERSEVERANCE! ha!
I am thankful for...Not having any other credit cards. All these many years I have torn up every scrap that had our name and address. We have been kept safe. The person who stole my mail left a medical notice in the box. That seemed a bit caring
From the learning rooms...(if this applies) I need to review the art masters to give the presentation (4) tomorrow. I want to study making tamales. Research the information on baking bread from my new sour dough starter.
From the kitchen...Dishes howl at me to come and tend them
I am wearing...Jeans and a sweat shirt of my husbands. Shoes with out sox. This is first I have stopped from taking the kids to the buss stop at 8 a.m.
I am creating...A garden, need to do the nxt 4x4 patch for cucumbers and lettuces.
I am going...to stay at home, tend to my home and chores.
I am reading...Nothing in particular, yet constant references searches and gardening tips.
I am hoping...Nothing more comes of the mail theft. We were the main ones that had mail in our box.
I am hearing...A moment of silence again as the chickens had begun to fuss a lot. now they stopped.
Around the house...Laundry to fold in the living room, more boxes to unpack and pictures to hang.
One of my favorite things...homed cooked meals for my family, picking those foods from my own garden.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Tomorrow I go to the neuroligst to review the findings so far on the mir's and the EEG's and blood work.
Lots of foods to be prepared and time with the elementary kids on Wen. to assist those kids who have a struggle.
Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Join us over at the Simple Woman

Marriage Monday :The Surprise of Christian Marriage

The Surprise of Christian Marriage

You might find it surprising to hear that I think in many way a "Christian" Marriage is not that different than a secular marriage.
That is until you might come to understand my perspective.
I see great difference between "Christian"religion and Relationship (friendship) with God through Christ.
It is one thing to be a born again Christian
and another to be so and to intimately walk with God.

I have watched that, each group will have those opportunities; every day of whether or not to let the hardships of life, or the offenses/sins/crimes of a mate bring about a hard hearten bitterness. Even if/when it seams perfectly understandable and just to be bitter.
I have witnessed it in the pews as well as the pulpit.
I have watched those who may not even know about Christ treat their wives better than many "Christian" men do.
I am surprised when wives are started at the unkindness of a new mate who proclaimed the "Christian" title yet be no different than any other broken soul.

Every day all marriages face these things.
I find it surprising how many well intended "Christians" work within there own power to achieve a standard, as do those in the secular realm.

In any union it is a question of Love.

In the power of our own love whether Christian or Secular our own love is never enough.
When we try to Love within our own power we falter whether "Christian" or not.

There are instructions, in the Manuel of Life, (the Bible ) that address us with knowledge.

questions...

Do you love your wife?
For her and for your children are you laying down your life?
Wives respect the husbands
honor one another
live honorably
To do good and not evil all the days of your life.

I find that in my marriage this the most surprising thing.

I am Loved.
Beyond his own ability as an act of His Will,
Through his friendship with his Creator, our God.
I am loved.

I am made able to Love him beyond my ability as well.
We are Made able to be patient, kind, forbearing, forgiving, long suffering,holding no wrong of an account.
Love is not a feeling it is an act of the will.

I love God
God loves Him
I long to show him how much I love his very creator, by deferring to him.
God loves my mate more than I can ever hope to be able to, yet that makes me try all the harder.
For I too love his God.

Wounds can harden a soul,
Friendship with God will heal them.
My Friendship with God will help heal him, as he helps heal me through his friendship with God.
We become whole and that is sweet.
There are ways to avoid many additional wounds.
That flapping thing between our teeth is the biggest.
Another is the mind, for in it is the battle.
Guarding the heart is paramount!
Both his and my own.

Choices to be made every day.
Forgiveness to be given and received.
In Relationship with God,
these things are possible.
Without God we can do nothing.

If we are or are not "Christians"
It can makes a surprising little difference.
It is God who molds the will into the ability.
God does not force His will on us and as surprising as it may be...nor can we be allowed to enforce our wills on another.
This is a horrible abuse both in Christian and secular homes.

That is the most surprising thing I think.
Like just because of a title that does not signify the willingness.
Hardness of heart can happen to everyone.
It is an act of the will a choice to run into Gods shelter to avoid it to change our choice.
So many have been forced into hardness , by "Christian" mates.
For this he made a way of escape.
A writ of divorce.
We were told though...do not harden your hearts as in the day of provocation.
Even if your pushed to this...or handed it, do not harden your heart.
It can then heal in the aftermath, if it is pliable.

Everything with us as Friends of God will sway us to do what is right for we long to please Him.

My marriage is a union centered on a triad covenant to become in union with My mate through the Intimacy of Friendship With God through Christ.
I long to LOVE for God Loved me first.
I long to Love for God loves my husband more than I can of myself.
I want the best for Him.
He wants the best for me, for the same reason.

Dear Blogging Sister,

You're invited to join us for Marriage Monday on February 2, 2009.

The Surprise of Christian Marriage

Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage will be our guest hostess. Our topic is, "The Surprise of Christian Marriage."

Fire up your keyboard and tell us something that really rocked your world after you got married. Was it a blessing? Or a disappointment? Was it something you were completely unprepared for? Tell us how you handle the unexpected in your relationship.

Then, be sure to stop by Lynn's blog and leave your permalink in Mister Linky. Afterward, take some time to sprinkle your comments around the Marriage Monday blogosphere.

Invite Your Bloggy Friends

Feel free to copy any part of this announcement and post it on your blog. I think you'll agree, the more participants we have, the better.

Hugs & Blessings,

e-Mom @ Chrysalis

http://chrysaliscom.blogspot.com

What Kind of Soul Are You?

You Are a Visionary Soul

You are a curious person, always in a state of awareness. Connected to all things spiritual, you are very connected to your soul. You are wise and bright: able to reason and be reasonable. Occasionally, you get quite depressed and have dark feelings. You have great vision and can be very insightful. In fact, you are often profound in a way that surprises yourself. Visionary souls like you can be the best type of friend. You are intuitive, understanding, sympathetic, and a good healer. Souls you are most compatible with: Old Soul and Peacemaker Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

IQ game

Your IQ Is 90

Your Logical Intelligence is Above Average Your Verbal Intelligence is Exceptional Your Mathematical Intelligence is Average Your General Knowledge is Below Average

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

Tea Pot Cozy

My tea kept getting cold before I finished the pot.
Bren gave me this cool fabric.
Thought it would make a fun cozy.

gotta run, company is coming I'll write more later.

Lemon Curd

Measure and set aside ingredients
This way your ready when you start.
This is a hands on recipe.

3 cups sugar
6 tbsp cornstarch
6 tbsp all purpose flour
dash or two salt
(see the green measure its all in there)
3 cups HOT water
(use a glass and heat in micro)

6 slightly beaten egg yolks (free range=yellow curd) in a separate bowel
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp lemon grated lemon peel
2/3 cup lemon juice

Ready all and set aside

By having everything ready and your containers put away when your done your done.
Your ingredient are at your finger tips where and when needed.
You do these things first, this is a fast process.

The"green measure" into the BIG sauce pan
whisk

While the water heats in the micro...

While water heats heat your burner and be ready.

Whisking constantly. Cook and stir over high heat till mixture comes to a boiling. Reduce heat; cook and stir 4 minutes. Remove from heat.

Mix a small amount of the hot mixture into egg yolks, then return to hot mixture.

stir briskly and constantly
cook and stir for 2 minutes.

add butter

add rind

then slowly very slowly add lemon juice.

Hot water rinse the jars.
This is just refrigerated.
Would never last long enough to put it up (can it).

The family unanimously approved!

This is also the base for my Lemon meringue pie.
When I share my curd I use a recycled jar as opposed to my canning jars. Canning jars are a long term investment.
However save your jars that are able to be reused.

Rhonda over at "Down to Earth uses a different recipe. she calls hers Lemon Butter. Two different continents.

A life Restored

I posted on the other blog

Aloha Friday

Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday.

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog

Tell us about what you have heard or seen or experienced that just stopped your world. What have you known that reminded you of Gods presence in your life?