When Cares are Pressing You Down a Bit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.


Life is queer with its twists and its turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When they might have won, had they stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.


Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit!

So, life has been kicking us around, and we've failed some, but God has been faithful. I refuse to give up or let myself go.
So far, Doug has been promised a permanent job that was taken back two days before he was to start. But God provided a job for him again. We've gotten a check at just the right time to pay for our rent. Now our tags have been taken back, but God has provided a car for the month anyway.  God has been faithful.
There's no way we're quitting on God, since he has yet to give up on us. It's just trusting in the storm. that's the part that's proving a little hard.

Can I Get an AMEN??

God is STILL, STILL faithful!!!

So, since I last posted, we had to be out of our home by March 18th.  Two weeks before, Plan A fell through.  Four DAYS before, Plan B fell through.  TWO DAYS before we had to be out, God provided a larger place than we had expected, for less than 1/3 of Plan A's cost (three times the size), and $25 less than Plan B (twice the size).
God has blessed us and blessed us again.  On top of that, now that Doug is cleared for work, he has a temporary job until the end of April, and my job ends at the beginning of May.  I have no earthly clue where God will put us after that.  My sister's lease is up in the beginning of May, so it is possible that she will be able to take over our lease if we need to move somewhere else for what God had for us.  However, God may have us here for the whole of the lease (Oh, which He gave us a 6 month lease with no extra penalties, in stead of a whole year's lease). There is someone who may be willing to take our muttly for us, since we've had her for 3 years and are not supposed to have her here at the new place.
So, now things are pretty well settled in, and to do "Exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think..." God put us near the park, and the library, and my parent's home.  I am able to walk there on the days I have no vehicle while Doug is at work. God has also provided a way every Monday and Wednesday so far for me to get to work while Doug is also on his way in the opposite direction!!!!  He is SO good to me!!!!!!
And when I think about the fact that he has taken care of so many things, What a FOOL I would be to complain about the little things that I could be prone to complain about.  God is SO GOOD to me!!!

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!)

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.

An Expected End

Never before have the words "an expected end" brought such comfort.

One of my absolute favorite Bible verses is Jeremiah 29:11, which says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to bring you to an expected end." 

There have been many times throughout my life, since I found that verse in college, that it has brought me comfort.  When I was unmarried and waiting for a spouse, it was comforting to know that God had a man all picked out, and was directing our ways toward one another step by step.  Then, after I was married, and no longer wanting to teach, it was comforting to know that God had a plan through the chaos of teaching.  Then as I REALY wanted to have a baby, it was comforting to know that God had events lined up to give me the perfect children at the perfect time.  (well, maybe they're not PERFECT, but perfect for us).  As I've taught and trained our sons, it's been comforting to know that God has a path all laid out for their lives, and that He knows every pitfall they will face along the way.

Yet, as I sit today, and mull over the events of the past two weeks, that verse has been a comfort as much through these weeks as it has in my entire past put together.  Doug had lost his job officially a couple of months ago.  Then he lost his second job.  The money we're living on is slowly dwindling, and soon it will be time for him to work again.  The business we are building is not going as quickly as we would like.  BUT, just yesterday, we found out that Doug's dad has- on the outside- a year to live.  Doug only has a short while left with his Daddy, and I am SO  thankful for all the time he has been able to spend with him in the last six months.  Looking back, I can see God has had it planned since the beginning of time that this is the way it would be.  I am so very thankful that Doug has been able to spend so much of his dad's last days with him.  As hard as the knowing that the end is near.... the comfort of knowing Doug has something special to remember is so much better.

Soon, it will be time to build a business and work like crazy.  Now, it is time to rest in God's care, knowing that HE has "an expected end" planned out for us.

How does God Do It??

Do you ever marvel at the goodness of God?  Marvel at what He does in your life, and how he pieces everything together?

I have marveled again and again over the last month at the way God has pieced together our lives to bring glory to Himself, and to work things for our good.  There has been food provided when it was needed, money that came from goodness knows where, beautiful weather to open windows and turn off the heat, customers that were never contacted by us.  There are so many things that have happened in the last month that only GOD could have put together.

I know that He has a plan for us, and that He is bringing it about in His time and way, but right now, I'm enjoying marveling at the little things along the way.  Watching God work is enough to keep me singing all day long.  It's not by my might or power, it's through His Spirit!!

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord: thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to bring you to AN EXPECTED END." Jeremiah 29:11

My "New" Stand Mixer

Isn't God good??  He always comes through right on time, with the perfect solution.

I have just now started making bread more often, and it is hard to do with kneading so much.  It takes much of my time to do it, and it makes such a huge mess!!!

Well, yesterday morning, my sister-in-law called to tell me that she had just gotten a larger mixer, and that I was welcome to her old one if I would like it.  I told her I would try it, and tonight I did.

Here is a couple of pictures of it:

I made bread with the dough mixers, and they are WONDERFUL!!!!!  I have never seen making bread so easy!!  Because it is an older blender, one of the mixers does fall out, but what is that to the workout of kneading from scratch???

One of the loaves I made was apple, raisin, cinnamon bread.  It was VERY yummy!!!

Now, I get to make more bread for my wonderful family, and be an even bigger blessing to them!!!!  God is SO good!!!!!

God is SO GOOD!!

Isn't it amazing that, just when you need Him most, God comes through in a greater, more unbelievable way than you could possibly imagine??

Today, I needed to run by the store for two things that we needed: oil and honey.  I had exactly $5.93 to make the food fit into.  I prayed about it, and off we went.  I got inside, and went for the oil.  There was a smaller container there (half the size I normally buy) for $2.49.  Great!  That was almost half of the money that I had to spend.  And that was without tax.  And honey was sure to be more expensive. 

So, I sent a quick prayer heavenward, and started glancing around to see if there was anything on sale (that was the store brand, so I wasn't holding out much hope).  I looked down at the size of oil that I usually buy, and it was only $2.39!!!  WHAT???  I was really confused, so I looked around to be sure that I was right.  Sure enough, twice the oil, $.10 cheaper.  Ok, Thank you LORD!!  And off we went to buy the honey.

After walking in circles a few minutes, I found the honey.  The cheapest of which was $3.49.  Added together with the oil, it was $5.90.  It only left me $.03 for tax.  That wouldn't be enough.  So I looked again, and prayed.  There, right beside the cheapest one, was a bottle of Sue Bee honey.  It was $4.25.  More expensive.  I was about to look away, when it was almost as if God took my head inbetween his hands and said "LOOK!!"  On the front, was a coupon for $1.00 off.  Instant savings!!  WOOHOO!!!

All that to say, God answers prayer.  I have $.15 left over from my grocery store trip.  Also, while we were outside, I met up with a friend who gave me some strawberries, some grapes, some apples, and a cheesecake. 

What's that verse???  "Now unto him that is able to do EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE all that we could ask or think......"  AMEN