Blessings

i beg you to watch the video.

i often say i live between a rock and a hard place. and i mean it. nothing comes easy for me. or to me. others live out the dream that i have had for years and it comes so easily for them. i question God constantly it seems.

it hurts. it makes me cry. it makes me angry. it makes me feel like God's stepchild instead of his beloved child.


Psa 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

my father has had a type of cancer that affects only 9 people a year. he has survived 4 years since diagnosed.

my daughter had a heart infection that they feared would kill her. she sailed thru surgery like a breeze.

my son was feared to die before his birth. we had no idea what our future would hold for him. he is perfect.

my husband and son survived an accident that all said should have killed them.

yes i have lost 6 children while pregnant. i have lost my home and it's contents. i have had much more happen that i won't bother you with.

BUT

i need to see the blessings.

if it weren't for the darkness i wouldn't see the light.

Leaving FB

this is the link i used to delete, not deactivate, my facebook acct. i am sharing it because i was asked to- not because i am trying to force you to do what i did lol

delete facebook

i discovered that fb tracks people even after they log out or deactivate! they know everything we do! i realize that we are not "safe" if we are on the web at all but this , among other things, is just too much. once my husband deleted some pics of the kids from his account. totally deleted them. they were not there! then when i signed on to my dd's name to check things out lo and behold those pics were being shown in the sidebar as pics he had put up. i went back to his name and they were deleted. BUT everyone saw them except my husband. So he thought they were deleted and they were, but only from his viewing- not the entire world's!! if you read the fine print- fb owns everything you ever write or put on your fb page. not cool!

this is a violation of my privacy and i felt it was time to leave.

i have tried- a rerun

i posted this a few days ago and then took it down becuz i didn't want to offend anyone but it did get emailed to subbers. i have had some come to my blog and want to comment but can't so i am putting it back up so that they can :)


i have tried to "change things up a bit" here on my blog. i have tried to make myself known and cull more readers . i have tried to "get noticed".

and i have been.

but noticed by whom?

strangers who follow my blog but never read it.

people who vote for my blog and ask for me to vote for theirs but i still can't figure out what we are voting on.

people who comment on the giveaway i offered but never come back after they didn't win.

it is all so fake!

i tweeted a comment today on why i followed so many people. it was so i could win a kindle!

i enter a lot of giveaways and sometimes i earn another entry into the giveaway by following that blog on fb or twitter.

sad isn't it? how i am just as fake as others? i mean i know women who follow over a thousand blogs- do they really read them?

i thought if i made money from my blog i could be more like the Proverbs 31 woman. i don't sew well, or do any other kind of handicraft so that was out.

i don't write well enough to really get noticed and "be someone" in blogland while still maintaining my integrity. others do and do it well but that is not me.

i have been told , and am finding out, that it is almost a fulltime job to blog and get paid well. unless you already have a "fanbase" of, say a thousand and i sure don't!

but i don't have that time! i homeschool 5 children and take care of 7 total and have 4 dogs, 3 cats and 7 chickens. plus a husband who likes to eat and see the rug vacuumed!
i enter giveaways because for some reason God has blessed me there and i win a lot of them. and they are helpful to win. like dvds, books , t-shirts and such for gift giving occasions. and food products for my family to eat.

and so i tweet.

facebook now is only a place to escape and play games. especially now that i can't understand it!

i wanted to make friends and socialize on it but how can you? you don't really know those people and just saying hi isn't enough for me.there are benefits to it but i still wonder. i mean - how can you be "friends" with 5000 people? do you really visit their profiles and read up on each one?


i have started discussion groups on both facebook and blogfrog and getting people to respond is like pulling teeth! i honestly don't have the time to keep starting topics that no one replies to.

i will be taking both the fb group and the blogfrog down.


i will still tweet and facebook on my own name cuz i get coupons and giveaways that way.

i will still blog because i want to encourage keepers at home.

but that's all. i hate the fakeness. i am not going to tweet and facebook unless i really am sincere in showing you what others have to offer, no more tweeting just to win. no more liking a page because i gain another entry. no more following if i don't plan to come back.

i am still open to affliates if anyone ever so chooses me! but i won't keep working so hard at it!

please don't think i am downing bloggers who do work at it and make money- i am not! it's just not the right path for me.


UPDATE- i deleted my whole fb account. not deactivated, but deleted it permanently.
--

Links I'm Into These Days

My Parker when he was little!



Priceless Woman

Testimonies of
Women Leaving The Workplace


My Blogfrog Community

How to Delete Facebook Forever

How to Make Pumpkin Pie Spice

Christian Unschoolers

How to Make a Peasant Skirt

That Little Word At

What Does It Mean To Be A Keeper At Home?

In Strong's Concordance, keeper at (#3626) was defined as being a stayer at home; domestically inclined; a good housekeeper. It comes from the Greek word ouros that means a guard, or to be ware.

Note that tiny little word at. It plays an important part in defining a woman's role. Webster's Dictionary says that it is used as a function word. The two that best fit the phrase "keeper at home" are the following: a function word used to indicate presence or occurrence in, on, or near; used as a function word to indicate that with which one is employed or occupied. Now, if that doesn't open your eyes I don't know what will! According to God's word, a woman's presence is in the home and that she ought to be occupied by her home! If indeed she is occupied with her home, she will not have time for a career outside the home. That is our Father's will for women. Not a career outside the home for our career is our in our home, husband, and children.


for more go HERE

For All Your Hair Needs

yes i have found another wonderful Lilla Rose giveaway!

go HERE to enter

Denying Myself No More

i have long been denying myself. i have been seeking the Lord so hard that i almost missed finding Him.

i have done, ok copied, what others have done, thinking that since they have a good relationship with God that maybe i could too.

what am i talking about? the holidays.

i have been denying myself and my family the joy of seeking Him and celebrating His birth and resurrection all while seeking Him! all while focusing on the cannots rather than the cans.

i have studied and studied and studied this subject. i am sick of studying!

everything we do today, and i mean everything, is pagan in origin! i am surprised actually. but it's true. the word cloth means clothing to you and mean but it is actually a pagan goddess named Clotha. do i stop wearing clothes now?

cereal is a breakfast food to us but long ago was a pagan goddess of agriculture, Ceres!

the word hymn comes from the god of marriage, Hymen, and in ancient times meant any song offered in praise or honor of a god or gods. so what do we sing in church now?

the list goes on and on! wedding rings, days of the week, and so many more!

a wise friend told me we are allowing the pagans to steal a day from the Lord when we allow ourselves to deny celebrating a holiday for God. why can't a christian take a totally pagan holiday like halloween and make it into something that directs others to Him? why not give candy and speak of His love while doing so? why be known as the scooge down the street who won't pass out a snickers bar to a little kid?

now i'm not talking dress up like a witch and threaten to trick people! that isn't God's way! but candy corn and a smile might make a neighbor more willing to listen to you testify to God's love.

at Christmas a tree doesn't have to be worshipped ! it can be a symbol of God;s ever lasting love for us. and what better way to have our neighbors see our witness than to see us celebrate our Savior's birth?! they will notice the lack of santa and the gimme gimme gifts if we let them. invite them over so they can see the difference God makes.

so this year we will be celebrating both holidays and not be joyless or left out.

i am only saying what my family has come to after much prayer and studying. may God lead you to what is right for you and yours. ~

Wordless Wednesday

Garden = Nuisance

Since when is having a garden a "nuisance." ? since the government said it was that's when!

Michigan woman plants a vegetable garden in front yard and is fined and thrown in jail

Adam Guerrero, a high school math teacher and Memphis resident, transformed his front and backyard into a thriving, urban garden. He grows tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant; produces biodiesel; and keeps bees. He even takes local students to the garden and teaches them. Now he must destroy this "nuisance." read more HERE

Julie's case has been resolved but Adam's has not. PLease take a moment and sign the petition on the sidebar.
Next time- it might be your garden!

I Loved This Book!

Short , to the point chapters that cause you to see God's goodness thru all the mess that happens to all of us.
Do you see God's wisdom, His love , His forethought, His almighty power thru every single instance in your life?

With personal stories and prayers in each chapter author Randy Alcorn leads us to the place where we can see the hand of God no matter what else our circumstances.

An excellent book that I recommend to everyone.

I was provided a free copy of this book by Waterbrook Multnomah'S program Blogging For Books. This is my honest opinion.

Adventures in Booga Booga Land DVD Review

Marty the Monkey and Gerard the Giraffe take us on a journey thru the parables found in Matthew five, seven, and twenty. The idea is to bring humor into the stories do a child will be interested and learn. However my children- aged 10, 8,7 and 5 were bored even before the first parable was finished being explained. I am sure some children would like this but mine didn't.

I received this dvd free of charge thru Thomas Nelson Book Sneeze and I am free to give my honest opinion.

Our Meal Plan This Week

for more menus click HERE

Mon- chili, salads,and biscuits
Tues- tacos
Wed-tuna casserole and homemade bread
THur-chicken noodle soup
Fri-lentil stew, salads and bread

in other notes:

last night lightning hit our house so we lost our air conditioning! the insurance man will be here sometime and then the air guy will come in so hopefully soon we will have cool again. praise God it isn't too bad right now!
we also lost a huge 100 year old pecan tree in our yard. sad to see that!
But at least we will eat!!

6 Minutes

"Can someone please clean up the dog vomit?"

"Sarah will you please try to put a diaper on the baby? he is naked again and running outside !"

"Wait Bekah! I have the pot for you to throw up in"

"Ben, the phone is ringing and I can't find it! It might be the insurance guy about your dad's car accident! "Hurry!"

My friend is coming over in 30 minutes- help me clean up! Now! No not you Bekah!"

"Ben, the dog ran outside and down the road again. See if you can catch her"

"Did you just hang up on your father? I needed to talk to him!"

What! Did I forget to take the meat out to thaw?! Great! Oatmeal tonight kids. Stop whining!


Yep that was my voice over a span of 6 minutes in my home one day last week. How are you doing?

Win a Beautiful Marie Madeline Skirt

Go HERE to enter to win a beautiful Marie Madeline skirt or $50 gift certificate

Homemade Chicken Broth

well money is tight again (isn't it always? ) but i still have done some prepping :)

i have been freezing soups and bone broths. both chicken and beef. i love the sight of the freezer when i open the door and see all those zip lock bags filled with frozen liquids ! i wish i had a camera so you could see also!
here's my how -to for chicken stock.( i took it from HERE)

How to Make Real Chicken Stock or Broth:

* Ask your butcher for chicken bones that he is planning to throw away, or keep the carcass of your roast chicken. Use kitchen scissors to break the bones into smaller pieces; this increases the surface area of bone exposed to the stock, and thus increases the quality and nutrient value of your stock.
* Place the bones in your stockpot, and cover with cold water. If you have chicken gizzards then add these to your stockpot. Add a half tablespoon of white wine or cider vinegar per litre or quart if you have it. You may also add coarsely chopped pieces of celery or carrot for added flavour.
* Bring your stock to the boil very slowly, it is this slow heating which helps to extract all the goodness and flavour.
* Bring the stock to the boil, and simmer slowly for at least six hours, and up to 24 hours. If you cannot do this in one session then it is possible to remove the stockpot from the heat and leave it in a very cool place for a few hours before bringing it back to the boil and simmering again for at least an hour.
* Strain the stock from the bones, discard the bones and allow to cool. Remove the fat from the surface. The stock should cool to a firm jelly, thanks to its high gelatine content.

Storing Chicken Stock

You can deep freeze small portions of stock; this is convenient for use in sauces and soups. Pour or spoon your strained, cooled stock into freezer bags or plastic storage containers suitable for freezing.





for more preppers ans what they are up to go HERE

Your Child Vaccinated Without Your Knowledge?

The state of California has just passed bill AB499, which will permit minor children as young as 12 years old to be vaccinated with sexually transmitted disease vaccines like Gardasil without parental knowledge or parental consent. This means that if you live in California, school or medical personnel would be allowed to vaccinate your child against an STD without your ever knowing it.

At issue, of course, is whether 12-year-olds are mature enough to fully analyze the benefits versus risks of vaccination (or any medical treatment for that matter), or recognize the alternatives to STD prevention, such as abstinence. Meanwhile, a child could suffer a vaccine reaction and the parent, not knowing the child had been vaccinated, could mistake it for the flu or another condition, delaying getting help until it is too late.

But, perhaps the greatest issue of all is whether this law violates your basic right to be involved in important decisions regarding your child's health.

for more go HERE

Bible Love Notes: Would $1000 an Hour Be Enough?

Bible Love Notes: Would $1000 an Hour Be Enough?

Tempted to Work?

Jam 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

Jam 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Jam 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Have you ever been tempted to get a job? Just to "help out"? Just to earn enough for that special something?

Well according to the verses in James if we give in to that temptation then we "steal God's thunder" in providing for us and we never see our faith grow.

The temptations that come our way provide a way for us to develop patience which is a fruit of the Spirit. so if we give in then we are hampering that!

Let God provide! Remember that His plan may be different than yours but He says we will want for nothing.

Can I Ever Work Outside the Home?

In regards to women ever working outside the home- I leave that to people who do a much better job than I do!

From Jennie Chauncey- ask yourself these questions-

1. Will it require me to leave my children in the care of someone else? If so, you can be 99% sure this isn't something you ought to be doing. God calls mothers to train their own children (yes, they can delegate to others at times, but they are primarily responsible to make sure their children are taught in a godly manner -- see Proverbs 31:1, for instance; King Lemuel's mother was the one who taught him about the ideal woman!).

2. Will it require me to neglect my role as helper to my husband? Not every husband literally needs his wife by his side (as his secretary or accountant, for instance). In fact, most husbands go away to a job all day. But this does not make the wife any less a helper! We have such a narrow view of work today that we fail to understand that the woman's work at home is a help to her husband! Proverbs 31:11-12 says, "the heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life." Because she is so faithful in her own role, her husband is able to be "in the gates" and not worry about how his wife is ruling the household. He knows she is going to "look well to the ways of her household" in his absence and honor him in his presence. What a gift!

3. Will it place me under the direct authority of or require me to work in close contact with a man who is not my husband? St. Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:22-24 that women are to "be subject to their own husbands in everything" (emphasis mine). No other man has direct authority over anyone else's wife. And we surely don't even have to go into the sheer common sense issue of not placing men and women in close, all-day contact with helpers who are not their spouses. The rash of work-related affairs and even of Christian husbands running off with young secretaries is sobering and should give us all pause. No one is free from temptation, and it is not wise to court it.

4. Will it cause me to neglect my duties to my local church body and my own neighbors? The answer to this question is perhaps a bit trickier. Today we have such a strange idea of "ministry" that we tend to think of all "important" work for the Lord being done elsewhere. We imagine going off to a foreign country and influencing another culture for the gospel before we picture showing hospitality to our neighbors next door. And, yes, some people are definitely called to the mission field. But the point is that every Christian is called to live the gospel daily. This is our most important "ministry." St. Paul writes in Galatians 6:10, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." It is very tempting to view far-away ministries as more important than our families and local bodies, but the truth is that if we are not faithful to serve and bless those closest to us, God will not trust us to be faithful to serve those far away (Luke 19:17).

see the article in it's entirety HERE

another great resource- is the video listed on my sidebar entitled stay at home dads?

hope these help someone!

How I Make my Homemade Detergent

I simply shred a bar of soap- i like Ivory-, add a cup of borax and a cup of baking soda. i throw a Downy ball filled with vinegar in when i do a load (which is every 15 minutes 7 days a week at my house!!) in to use as a fabric softener.




for more barn hoppers go HERE

Proud to be an American

Inspiring Book Choice

Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make A Difference by Max Lucado


Again and easy book to read , with Lucado's words flowing with his down home wisdom shining thru.
What will you leave behind? What will others remember you for? What do we remember others for ?
That is the crux of this book- a legacy that we leave behind, that the church leaves behind and that Christ left behind.
An excellent read that fits well into our busy lives and reminds us to slow down.


click here to order!

4 Years Ago Today

THIS IS A RERUN OF A POST I WROTE EXACTLY 4 YEARS AGO TO THE DAY.


sadly i lost the baby yesterday. i now have one more in heaven. 6 with Jesus and 6 here on earth.
psalm 46:1 is one of my favorite verses. "GOD is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.

why didn't GOD help me sooner? this is a question that is often asked, but it is not HIS will to act on your schedule. HE desires to change you thru the trouble and cause you to learn a lesson from it. HE has promised "i will be with him in trouble all day and thru the night, i will deliver him and honor him. HE will be with you in trouble all day and thru the night. afterward, He will take you out of it, but not until you have stopped being restless and worried over it and have become calm and quiet. then HE will say "it is enough"
GOD uses trouble to teach His children precious lessons. difficulties are intended to educate us,and when their good work is done, a glorious reward will become ours thru them. there is a sweet joy and a real value in difficulties, for HE regards them not as difficulties but as opportunities.
Annie Johnson flint

Cookie Giveaway

UPDATE Jennie@What the 4h? won the giveaway!!!!






Yes you can win the great molasses cookie package above just by entering!!


I admit I usually bake from scratch. What a treat to just add a few ingredients and be done! Th dough comes out perfectly!! Makes it so easy to shape the cookies. It makes 3 dozen, 2 inch cookies.

What a great taste!! I really can't believe it but I thought they tasted better than my homemade =)

Oh and the cookie sheet- I am in love with it! It was soooo easy to clean!

OKAY HOW DO I WIN?

Here are the ways to enter. The first one is mandatory.

1-Tell me of a special cookie baking experience you had.

2- “Like” the Betty Crocker Facebook page
and leave me a comment here stating you did.

3-Like my A Godly Homemaker Facebook page and leave a comment both here and on my wall. :)

4-Follow me on twitter and comment here.

5-Follow Betty Crocker on twitter and leave me a comment here stating that you did.

There you are- 5 ways to enter!! Oh and if you want to get started early go HERE and get a coupon for savings on this great molasses cookie mix!

Giveaway ends Friday September 23rd.


"The product, information and prize pack has been provided by Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark."

Philandering or Loving our Husbands

Titus 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children....

Did you ever wonder why women have to teach other women "to love their husbands"? I mean - it's a given, right.


Or do they? Do we love our husbands?

the Greek word for love their husbands- yes it is one word to them but 3 to us- is philandros. And it is an adjective. Well that started my head spinning! Isn't philandering a bad thing?

According to free dictionary
philos means loving ; used as a name for a lover in literary works.
a philander means- To engage in many love affairs, especially with a frivolous or casual attitude.
According to Reverso Dictionary to philander means to coquet, court, dally, flirt, fool around toy, trifle, womanize .

so I believe that wives are to cultivate an atmosphere of fun flirtatious loving with their husbands.
Does this need to be taught? Well I don't know about you but I am not much good at flirting when I have 7 children watching me! Or if I have collapsed in bed after a day of homeschooling, mopping , cooking 32 meals, and more. So maybe I do need to be taught how to trifle with my husband !!

Natural Air Fresheners

did you know that air fresheners can cause cancer? that they can damage the nervous system? or cause lung damage? well they can, with ingredients like camphor, formaldehyde, and paradichlorobenzene. lemon and pine scented products are the worst because they react with ozone in the air, forming formaldehyde and ultra-fine particles that can collect in your lungs.
.taken from HERE

now for the good news! you can still freshen your home!!

Here are some simple, homemade air fresheners to try:

* White vinegar removes odors naturally on surfaces and in the air
* Baking soda absorbs odors, so place a few open boxes throughout the home
* Boiling spices like cinnamon in a little bit of water releases its fragrance
* Essential oils diluted in water can be used as a spray freshener—try a combination of your favorite essential oils like lemon (an especially effective air deodorizer) and cedar
o Or you can simply add oils to a bowl of water, which adds moisture to dry, inside air during winter months
o Burning essential oils in an aromatherapy diffuser is safer than burning paraffin candles, which offgas VOCs
o Soy or beeswax candles also offer natural waxes that can be burned to release pleasant fragrances.

Method makes plug-in air fresheners, sprays, candles, incense sticks, and solid fragrances that are non-toxic.
taken from HERE

Blogging Preferences

ok ladies! Here's your chance to speak out! What subjects do you want me to blog about? I placed a poll on my sidebar to make it easy. If you have a different subject than what is listed please leave it in comments.

Please know- I am quirky and I might post about anything! lol

isn't the weather great I can finally feel fall!! My hens are enjoying a reprieve from the sun! We got 9 eggs from 7 hens yesterday! I was so excited- it is a rare thing I have heard for that to happen but it does and we were blessed to have it happen to us!

Please continue in prayer for those affected by the wildfires in central Texas and those affected by the hurricane.

A BIG Announcement! "A Year on a Homestead" Video Series and 6 Month Free Subscription!

A BIG Announcement! "A Year on a Homestead" Video Series and 6 Month Free Subscription!

Preparing

for more go HERE





purchased HERE



purchased HERE


yes, we purchase a grain mill and several pails of wheat. we chose hard white because we learned that this is the flavor most people prefer.
With the eggs we have from our chickens we can make noodles . we can make bread and all bread type foods. we can enable ourselves to survive. and that's what all this is about!

i forgot to add why we chose the family grain mill. first - it is german made and has all steel parts. the nutrimill etc have some plastic parts.
secondly- the noise level is far below the levels of other mills.
and lastly-you have the ability to use the hand crank or the electric motor. so i use the electric motor now while i can but have the option of using it by hand if need be.

another verse of women being keepers at home.

i found another verse that showed that women were keepers at home and thought i'd share.


Psalm 68:12 Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.

tarried-
dwelling, abiding


at home- 1) to beautify

a) (Hiphil) to beautify, adorn

2) to dwell

a) (Qal) to dwell, abide, keep at home

3) (Hophal) rest

the only times these words are used in the bible they mean — keep at home- used 1x , prepare an habitation used 1x