But God is Faithful.....

Have you ever felt your world shift upside down?  Like everything you ever thought you knew was just your own imagination?

Ok, I'm not doubting God in any of this, just so no one has a heart attack.  He hasn't failed us yet.  And I know he's not about to now.

Here's what's happening.  In the months since I last posted, we have gone down to the barest of bare minimums trying to keep up with the bills.  We have been off line for a while now, and I'm only on now through the generosity of my parents and my neighbor.  Doug's job is 45 miles away, and the money he makes there barely covers gas and utilities.  My job is paying the bulk bills, but now...

Well, yesterday morning, Doug had a seizure.  When we went to the doctor this morning, he said it doesn't sound like the epileptic kind.  It sounds like a Psychogenic nonepileptic seizure.  It has something to do with stress, and when he passes out, he has a seizure.  It shouldn't be anything serious.  However, for the next two weeks, Doug will not be able to go to work, since he is not supposed to drive or operate heavy machinery until he has an MRI and an EKG done. 

Trusting God through all of this is getting harder.  If I didn't have Him, though, I would probably be stressed out right now.  There are things that are going on that make it feel as though he is a million miles away.  I'm so glad to know that the God on the mountain is still God in the valley.  When things go wrong, He'll make us strong.  And the God in the good times, is still God in the bad times.  The God of the day is still God in the night.

"But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able."

Canning Project

What do you do if you only own a freezer over your fridge?  You use shelves in the freezer, and you can EVERYTHING!!

So, I've been using shelves in my freezer for a long time.  It seems odd to me now to see people's freezers without them.  At one point, I had 3 whole chickens, 2 whole hams, 4 different frozen meals, 8-10 frozen vegetable packets, 2-3 (1 lb) tubes of hamburger, a bag of onion cubes, a bag of lemon juice cubes, a bag of garlic, 4 boxes of butter, a couple pounds of bacon, a gallon of milk, plus 4 trays of ice and a few other things I know I'm forgetting.  It didn't cost but about $10 for the wire shelves from W-mart.  You know, those white plastic covered wire ones?  They've served me well for the last 6 years at least!  

Well, even with all that, I had started to run out of enough room in my freezer, so (after getting tired of using masking tape to hold my freezer door closed) I took to canning.  I learned how to can stew, so that is where I started.  Chicken stew.  I know, weird first canning project.  But chicken was on sale for $.59/ lb, and potatoes were buy five pounds get five free, and carrots were going bad in my fridge.  It seemed quite logical at the time.

The steps were fairly simple.  Peel and slice the potatoes and carrots, put them in.  Chop the chicken and put that on top.  Add the seasoning, add water to 1/2 way up the chicken since the chicken also makes its own juice.  Wipe off the top of the jar, add the pre-boiled lid and screw it down.  Then, I just turned the jar upside down, and sideways, while I shook it to be sure the seasoning was mixed in well.

Then, put the jars in cold water in the pot since they were cold and I didn't want to break them.  Boiled them in the pressure cooker until there was a good stream of steam, added the weight, and left it at pressure (mine is 15 pounds here on the coast) for 90 minutes before turning off the stove and allowing everything to cool.

And, VIOLA!!  Beautiful chicken stew.  

When I use it, I will probably add a little more water and let it boil before adding thickener, but most of the work is done, and my freezer space can be used for other sales.

Since that first experience, I have also canned beef stew, chicken breasts, beans, and spaghetti sauce.  Beef stew is the same as this.  Chicken breasts, one pint is one pound (I am currently looking for half pint jars since we go easy on the meat here), add no water, and very little seasoning.  The chicken makes it's own juice.  For spaghetti sauce, I made my mother-in-law's recipe and canned it for a half hour in a water bath.  Beans, I learned what to do and what not to do.  Fill a 1 quart jar 1/3 full of dry beans.  Fill the rest of the way with water.  Let the beans soak overnight, drain and rinse before adding water, salt, and ham if you desire.  Pressure cooker, under pressure for 45 minutes.

It's been fun, and my husband says my bookshelf which serves as my "Pantry" now looks like a science lab.  I say that's fine as long as we have food for the winter!!!!  (and room in my freezer!)

So Much to Share.......

I have gotten SO busy, that I have forgotten to keep a written record of my life, and share with those who follow me.

Here goes.  Since I last posted a month ago, we have:

• Had another revival, this one about the home.  The one single statement that sticks with me overall is, "Ladies, being a wife is like riding on the back seat of a motorcycle.  You have no control over it, you're in complete subjection to whatever the driver desires.  If you are only subject to them, you may reach over and try to control the bike yourself, but you know how well that goes.  However, if you submit by getting really close to the driver, and praying hard, you can actually enjoy the experience."  Gave me a brand new perspective on my life.
• Gone to Florida for my cousin's wedding.  It was a grand old time!  My boys got to meet my aunt and uncles and grandmother.  We were able to spend more time with them, and the boys REALLY had a blast.  They were spoiled to death!!!  
• They had the opportunity to sit on Uncle Dave's Harley,

•  Dress up like a biker gang

• And swim to their heart's content.

• While they were swimming one day, Aaron got out of the pool and took off his water wings while he played on the patio.  Forgetting he didn't have them on, he walked right down into the pool, and the water was over his head.  My Uncle Britt was watching them at the time, and said he was getting ready to get him out (having given him just enough time to be scared senseless so he wouldn't forget again), and as he went to get Aaron, Nate reached out, grabbed Aaron, and drug him over to the steps, placing his hand on the bar so Aaron could pull himself out of the water.   When Uncle Britt told Nate that he had saved his brother's life and he was a hero, Nate simply shrugged his shoulders and said, "He grabbed me first."   Well, if that wasn't funny enough, later on when my Mom was watching the boys, she called them out of said pool to get a drink.  Nate comes over, takes a HUGE drink and says, "Whew, Lifesaving is hard work!!!!"
• Lets see, I also have experienced a LOT of canning lately!!  I'll put up a different post on that.  It is it's own story.
• I'm trying to think if I forgot anything, but I think that catches us pretty much up to date.  Now to post about the Canning project.

For the Love of All Things Holy

Ever heard the statement used in a derogatory manner?  Or as a frustrated cry when things don't go correctly?

Well, this week, it has taken on a whole new meaning for me.  We are having revival meetings with Evangelist Mike Peletier and his family this week.  The messages have been a wonderful blessing to me.  I've interpreted for the deaf twice, and I had nursery last night, but God has done a pretty amazing thing in my life over the last few days.  That's sure.

Tuesday night's message was about making God "My GOD".   He started with Moses, in Exodus 3 when God calls him.  In there, God says, "I am the God of thy father Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob..." However, He never says "The God of Moses" until later when Moses had CHOSEN God for himself.  Bro Mike then went back into Genesis, and showed the same true at the calling of Abraham, the calling of Isaac, and the calling of Jacob.  He talked of how God will never be your personal God until you chose him for yourself.  And that you can choose him in salvation, but there's so much more to it.  He then turned over to Psalm 18:1-3, "I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.  I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies."


He then continued on with an explanation about a time in college, that that became more than just another verse to him.  He was looking for a particular need to be met, and God had answered him with these verses....  He also said that in his Bible, all the personal pronouns were circled, showing emphasis... here, read it again: 
 Psalm 18:1-3, "I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.  I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies."


It was just a good reminder for me, that he has to be MY God.  I have done that many times, but as of Wednesday, I needed that reminder I had gotten on Monday.  Then tonight, Thursday, Bro Mike preached about things that hinder a Christians life.  They were usual things, but what he said ABOUT them was exactly what I needed tonight, because of Wednesday.


Here's what he was talking about.... Sins that hinder....  Bitterness, Worry, and Hypocrisy.  


Bitterness:  when that person's name enter's your mind, there is an immediate feeling of dislike, almost like a bad taste you remember when you remember a certain food.  


Worry:  It tells your children that God is dead, or that he is a lie..... BECAUSE, if you really believed the things you claimed to believe when you were at church, then you wouldn't worry.... "your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of these things".  


Hypocrisy: can be the outward manifestation of saying one thing and doing another, but it starts out as an attitude of thinking that you're better than someone else.  That didn't convict me until he said, "have you ever looked at someone and thought, ' they think they're too good for everyone', then you are thinking you're better than they are because you're looking down on them for looking down on others.  You are now the hypocrite."  WOW!  Needed to hear that.


So, the love of things holy?  Holiness has taken a whole new meaning for me.  I may not be out in the world doing "all that bad stuff" but I am doing bad.... all by myself......... and that could keep someone else from stopping the "bad stuff" to follow the Saviour I claim to believe so strongly in.  Holiness is keeping my focus on my Heavenly Father, and allowing him to take care of others problems, and take care of me and my family and our needs.


Hope that makes some sense.  I wanted to write it down somewhere before I lost it from mind and couldn't go back and recover it.

Fess Up: Mount Washmore

So, my dirty little secret is I can't keep up with the laundry!

It doesn't matter how often I wash it.  In fact, I usually wash a load each day, very rarely skipping days (other than Sunday, and I make up for it Monday).  It's not the amount of loads that I wash that is the problem.  The problem is that I can't keep it folded and put away.  I try and try to fold it imediately after it comes out of the dryer, but it never seems to get done!!!  Why do we have to have so many clothes anyway??  I mean, couldn't I just keep one or two sets of Sunday clothes, a set of Wednesday clothes, and a couple of shorts outfits, and a couple of long pants outfits for each of the boys?? Then there wouldn't be so much laundry piling up!!

Now that our dryer is out, I need to hang every load as well.  And with homeschool starting up again, it is going to be interesting to get it all done.  Have to get the boys involved in folding and putting it away.  If I don't let it pile up so long, I may not feel so badly about getting them involved.  As it is, it might take them an entire day to help me fold what I have.

The entire couch, chair, and a couple of baskets are what I need to fold tonight.... should be fun!!!

Family Update

So, Here's a MAJOR answer to prayer!!

Doug got a call yesterday for a job, and he went today to fill out paperwork, and he goes tomorrow for orientation, and his first day!!  God is SO good!!  He provided more than we thought, better than he thought..... BECAUSE........... Here goes, Doug got a second job too..... Actually, I'll probably go to that one.

See, Doug's main job is from 3-12 in the evening, making it where he's home with our boys during the day.  Since they're homeschooled, it doesn't matter that he's gone in the evening.  We get to spend more of the awake hours with him!!

Because the second job is interpreting for Nancy (a deaf friend) at college, and it is only 10 hours a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I'll do that job to ensure that my husband doesn't miss an entire day with the boys twice a week.  I'll do school with them in the evening while Doug is gone to finish up whatever is left after whatever I can do in the mornings before I go to interpret.

God has been VERY good to us, and provided each of our needs up until he gave us jobs again!!  He has not let us go hungry, or without.  How do you thank a God that good????

Family Update

It's been a while since I logged in here to type, so here goes...

We've been working on moving my Mother-in-law into a smaller, more suitable apartment for her now that Dad's gone.  We've gone through all the things in her home, and are selling things at the Flea Mall on Saturday.  She's only been out of her house for a day, and I already miss having her nearby.  I'm thinking of moving into her apartment building.... Not really, since I have a house and all, but I really, REALLY miss her.

Next, Because Mom is selling Dad's tools on Saturday, I've been working on making the boys toddler beds into bunk beds.  I know, crazy, but they turned out pretty nice, if I say so myself!!

I also am working on putting up shelves in the boys room, so I can put up the important stuffed animals, and trophies they earned in tee-ball.  I moved Andrew into the same room with the two little guys so that I could make Andrew's old room into a play/ school room.  As of now, all that is in the "Bed Room" are beds, dressers, and shoes.  The toys are all in the "Play Room".  I like it this way.  Leaves only one room to try to clean up at lunch and bed time.

Homeschool?  Well, I ordered all my books as of yesterday.  I really liked the way that the BJU Math was last year for Aaron and Nate, so I ordered K-5 for Aaron this year, 1st for Nate, and 2nd for Andrew.  I didn't order the tests, or the curriculum, because I noticed last year that they had a "Chapter Checkup" every section that I could use for a test, and I could get the speed drills that I want from online or make them myself.  It was less money that I had to spend, and more that my boys could do with me.   For Phonics/ Language, I went with A Beka.  I think it is the best Phonics curriculums out there!!  And since reading and addition/ subtraction/ multiplication/ division are the base for all else that you learn in school, I want the best!!  I did have to buy the test book for 2nd grade Phonics, but I already had the one for 1st grade, and it can really be taken very easily on paper.   For Reading, I have the A Beka readers that were given to me, and I can't wait for the boys to get into them.  Nate should be reading really well by the end of the school year, and I'm looking forward to seeing him go! 

For Science/ History/ and Health, we are going to be looking up subjects on the internet.  Should prove to be fun.  Gonna try to do some experiments as we go along.

Business, I'm slowly but surely working on my courage.  I really LOVE this business.  I've never in my life been so pushed, stretched and pulled into the shape that would please my Heavenly Father.  I've become a better me, and can't wait to see what else God has for me (although I am a little scared as well).

Lets see, I also have been rearranging the house as I go along, and folding a mound of laundry that is the size of the couch. It's quite depressing, actually.  But, I'm fixing to watch a sweet romantic movie while I fold late into the night.

Oh, and I dyed my hair for the very first time in my life.  It is a light auburn, and it looks pretty nice.  I'm still not used to it, but I like it, and Doug does too, so we'll see.

There's the update.  Busy as always, and tomorrow will be more-so.