A Lovely Snowy Morning
Good morning! We’re having a lovely snowy morning here in Southwest Missouri. I was planning to go to my Quilting Circle today, but the snow has made other plans for me. ~smile~ I do love a snowy day, but wish I were with my quilting friends.
So, what shall I do?
~ Sort and organize books for homeschooling next year
~ Sew a bit
~ Some read aloud
~ Soup for supper
Oh there are so many possibilites on a snow day!
One thing’s for sure, it will be a day to keep the old wood stove going!
Laura
Happy at Home
Have You Heard of Life Verses?
Have you heard of life verses? Basically, it is a verse (or verses) that the Lord has given to you, that has quickened your spirit, that you hold onto for life. Many verses minister to us for a season. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16 A life verse differs in that it stays with you. It guides your thinking and actions for a long, extended time, presumably life. Pastor Dan Wermuth of Joplin Family Worship Center shared his with our congregation.
“So he answered me and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6 This verse filters how he looks at the world and influences his actions. It’s been quite a powerful verse as he leads our church and volunteers from across the country in the Joplin tornado relief efforts.
“So he answered me and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6 This verse filters how he looks at the world and influences his actions. It’s been quite a powerful verse as he leads our church and volunteers from across the country in the Joplin tornado relief efforts.
I thank God for my life verse. He gave it to me years ago. I am given to anxiety if I don’t ask the Holy Spirt to guard my thoughts. Bills, extended illness, pain, homeschooling, family tension, all can add to anxiety. I have to remind myself to be anxious for NO THING. You can read about my experience with this verse here.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Now that’s a verse to mark in your Bible! For that matter, the whole fourth chapter of Philippians is a great place to camp out until you have its truths deep in your heart and mind. With the holidays* and all the extra ministry activities coming up, I think I’m going to camp there this week. Care to join me?
Think about it, search the Lord and His Word. Ask your Father what your life verse is. He loves it when we seek Him. “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart.” Psalm 119:1-3
Just something to think about….
Laura
*For me, the holidays are Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. With that in mind, I don’t mind Happy Holidays.
I thank God for my life verse. He gave it to me years ago. I am given to anxiety if I don’t ask the Holy Spirt to guard my thoughts. Bills, extended illness, pain, homeschooling, family tension, all can add to anxiety. I have to remind myself to be anxious for NO THING. You can read about my experience with this verse here.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Now that’s a verse to mark in your Bible! For that matter, the whole fourth chapter of Philippians is a great place to camp out until you have its truths deep in your heart and mind. Care to join me?
Think about it, search the Lord and His Word. Ask your Father what your life verse is. He loves it when we seek Him. “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart.” Psalm 119:1-3
Just something to think about….
Laura
Hello Again,
Hello Again,
If you’ve found me after hunting me down, I thank you. Blogger has a glitch of some kind and has removed my blog. My husband has been working on it; but, nothing’s working.
I’m here for now.
Laura
Planting Seeds… J.R. Miller
All our thoughts, words, and acts are seeds. They have in them a quality which makes them grow where they fall, reproducing themselves. This is true of the good we do. The mother’s teachings enter the mind and heart of her child as mere germs; but they reappear in the life of the son or daughter, in later years, in strength and beauty, in nobleness of character, and in usefulness of life. Not only is this strange power in the mother’s words; her acts, her habits, her tones of voice, the influences that go forth from her life, are also seeds, having in them a vital principle. Where they lodge, they grow.
You never can lose your mother. She may die, and her body may be borne out of your sight, and laid away in God’s acre. You will see her face and hear her voice no more; no more will her hand scatter the good seeds of truth and love upon your life’s garden. But you have not lost her. Your mind and heart are full of the seeds which fell from her hand along the years. These you never can lose. No hand of death can root them out of your life. They have grown into the very tissues of your character. They reappear in your habits, your dispositions, your feelings and opinions, your modes of thought, your very phrases and forms of speech. You never can lose your mother; the threads of her life are woven inextricably into your life.
~J.R. Miller
The Seeds We Scatter
A True Mother… J.R. Miller
“A true mother is one of the holiest secrets of home happiness. God sends many beautiful things to this world, many noble gifts; but no blessing is richer than that which He bestows in a mother who has learned love’s lessons well, and has realized something of the meaning of her sacred calling.
~J.R. Miller
Secrets of a Happy Home
Hug Your Husband!
It’s been quite awhile since I’ve written on this blog. I’ve been posting regularly over at Harvest Lane Cottage. I posted last here about giving love lavishly. Much has happened since then. My husband took a position in another city and comes home only on weekends. It seems harder than ever now that we are so far apart. Nevertheless, we are persevering and looking forward to the time when our family can be reunited again.
This isn’t the first time we’ve been apart. In fact, being apart began while we were in our dating days. We grew up in Topeka, Kansas. I met Lowell my last year of high school. After I graduated, I went to school in Oklahoma. Lowell was still in Topeka. Our love grew through letters, occasional trips home, and lots of late night phone calls. That was back when it was cheaper to call after 11:00 p.m. I know…ancient history! I ended up returning to Topeka after one semester because I was too love sick to concentrate on my studies!
Later, after we were married, Lowell had to work out of town for sales jobs. We both hated it; but, it couldn’t be helped. He missed much of our first two children’s babyhoods. When he found I was expecting the third baby, he decided that he would change positions. It was great to have him home when we had the last two babies.
Now, he’s on the road again. We have been separated for three months now. We had hoped to be able to move by now; but, there’s no date in sight. Right now there are some obstacles that we don’t know how to overcome. If you are reading this, and you are a Believer in Jesus Christ, I ask that you pray for us. We want God’s will. We are just weary in waiting for clear directions from Him.
I thank God that I know that I can trust my husband. I know he will be faithful to me, to our vows and to our children. He knows the same about me. That is very comforting. He’s a good Godly man. I thank God for him.
Have a wonderful week and hug your husband!
Laura
Happy at Home
Give Lavishly….
I had to shorten my list quite a bit. That is, I had to shorten the list of things that will be finished before Christmas. Who says gifts can only be given at Christmas or on birthdays? This week, I’ll finish knitting mittens for two of my kittens. I’m going to order some yellow yarn from Knit Picks for my other little kitten. She knows her mittens will be coming.
Don’t despair if you haven’t met your handmade goals. As Teddy Roosevelt said, “Do what you can with what you’ve got where you are.” What our family and friends really want is our acceptance, our companionship, our time, and our love. Give these lavishly and all will be well. That’s giving heartmade.
I’m Making a List…
I’m busy busy knitting, sewing, and painting gifts already. It’s going to be a homemade handmade heartmade Christmas at Harvest Lane Cottage. I’m even helping my children to plan homemade gifts.
Here are some of the things to come from my needles, my sewing machine, craft table and kitchen…
Fuzzy Feet Slippers
Knitted Christmas Stockings
Dresses for my girls’ Vision Forum 18″ dolls
Dishcloths
A skirt for my older daughter
A dress for my younger daughter
Pillowcases
Painted blocks with winter and family sayings
An apron for my son
Drawstring Bags
Tribbles
Scrapbook pages for the kids’ books
Candy Cane Cocoa
Simple Fingerless Gloves
Wool Mittens
Wool Hats
Wool slippers
Polar Fleece sleep sacks
Crocheted Soap Bags
and homemade cookies,
breads,
and gift mixes.
Oh my, I’d better get busy! Links to some of these patterns are on my Harvest Lane Cottage blog if you’d like to share the link.
Laura
Happily Preparing for the Most Blessed Season
Fired!
Honey, I got Fired — Nathaniel Hawthorne went home to tell his wife that he had just been fired from his job. “Good,” she said. “Now you can write your book.” “What do we live on meanwhile?” Hawthorne asked. His wife opened a drawer filled with money. “I have always known that you are a man of genius,” she said. “So I saved a little each week, and now I have enough to last for a year.” Hawthorne used the time to write “The Scarlet Letter,” one of the great masterpieces of American literature.
~From a newsletter from Dan Miller.
