A little refreshing encouragement just for Mama!

May 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I spend more time on Facebook than I should, I admit it.
It’s a great way to keep in touch. And, hey, I like to stretch my brain with a few rounds of Words With Friends too. ;)

But, my absolute favorite part of Facebook is the parties!
It’s nice to read blogs and read status updates, but a party is different. It’s more interactive. You get to know the folks behind the Facebook page. They, in turn, get to know you, their readers better. Plus, you get to chat with like-minded Mamas around the country, all in real time. And, if you’re really blessed, they throw in some free gifts as well.

No dressing up to go out. No worries about what your family will do without you for an evening. No cost in gas, meals, etc. Just sit down to your computer with your beverage of choice (mine will be sweet tea with lemon, thank you very much!), log in and have fun.

So, mark your calendars for Eternal Encouragement’s Facebook Party next week, Monday, May 14th from 3-5pm eastern time. Clear those two hours to be online and join Lorrie Flem and so many like-minded ladies for a time of refreshing. And, hey, it’s the day after Mother’s Day, shouldn’t be too hard to ask for those two hours of computer time as part of your gift. ;)

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Time keeps on ticking….

April 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Where does the time go???

It feels like a vapor sometimes….
Time in the sky by - MattW -

Blink, there’s another day.

Blink, blink, there’s another week.

Blink, blink, blink, there’s another month.

I just want to ssssllloooowwww it down.

There’s so much to be done each day. So much crying out for attention. So much gets passed over in favor of the squeakier wheel.

Wouldn’t it be nice to take a day or a week to just un-plug and relax? Relax. I really don’t even know what that word means. I find enjoyment in doing things. But not relaxation. The weekend comes with a hopeful promise of slowing down. But, Monday arrives and I look back and realize no slowing down happened. For either of us. Honey begins a new work week not rested. I begin my week not rested.
And the cycle continues and seems to drone on week after week, month after month.

That’s when we really get to talking about making big changes. BIG changes. Like moving changes.

Course, a little time spent up top in the pastures there, and we never want to leave. It’s beautiful up there. We have such dreams and visions for that area, and down here around our home and barns.

But, there’s that money thing. And time. Both of which are not in abundant supply.

"Time Is Money" by nyweb2001

 

We shouldn’t be scared of this change, after all, we’ve already done it once. A huge move from SW Florida here to Tennessee. The problem is, we had hoped and planned that this would be our one and only move. I wanted to have “the” home that my children were raised in, and have them bring their children to this home one day.

But, we really get the feeling and urging that this is not that home.  And, so it begins again. The questioning, the wondering, the planning, the dreaming, the hoping. I will admit that it’s exciting to do this. But, also one of those time-takers. If I’m thinking of this stuff, I’m not focusing on the immediate present.

Wouldn’t it be nice if God used a GPS to show us exactly where He wants us? If we could just follow a carefully-laid out plan, life would be oh so much easier. I don’t want to make decisions. No, I do. No, I don’t. Ugh.
And through all of this, my children are growing ever older. 

When we moved to Tennessee, Rebecca was 11, Thomas  was 8, Natalie was 4, and Mary was 1. They are now 19, 16, 12, and 9. Wow! What a difference a few years make! Rebecca has graduated from both our homeschool high school and cosmetology school. Thomas is now in the “what do I want to do with my life” phase. Natalie is making plans and will begin high school with the new school year. And Mary is quickly approaching the double digit age!

I think my heart, mind, and body just want to be settled. To know “this is it”. We live HERE.  I find myself a bit envious of those who were born in an area and still live there. Their family all lives there. Their whole world is right there. Their heart is not spread among 3 different states. Their memories are not strewn here and there. While I say that, I am also thankful for the opportunities I have had due to the moves I’ve made. I would not have met my Honey had my folks not moved us to Florida when I was 14. I would not have had the amazing experiences that I’ve enjoyed had we not made the move here to Tennessee. I count them all as what has formed me into the person I am today. 

It’s hard to settle your heart when it wants to go. It’s hard to reign in thoughts that want to wander. To focus on the here and now. To tackle that ever-growing to-do list.  And relax. How do you do that again????

 

 

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Eternal Encouragement Magazine- A Gabby Moms review

March 29, 2012 By 9 Comments

No Mail On Sunday by Sean Loyless

Once a day, Mary makes the trek to the mailbox. She loves running up the driveway to gather the mail, hoping for something fun. Maybe a letter from her friend. Maybe a card from a grandparent. Maybe an ad for something we just “have” to do.

Once she brings it in, I mostly sort through it with a sigh. Bills, ads, blah.

But, every so often a bright spot appears in the mail.   

This month’s Gabby Mom review was for Eternal Encouragement magazine.
And what an encouragement it is!

It’s filled with articles reminding me of the vital role I play in our family, in the family of God, and to others. I only wish there were more magazines that did this. Think of the change in tide back to women at home if the magazine covers blaring their message in the checkout line were like this. Encouraging women in their roles of wife and motherhood instead of covers filled with scantily-clad women and headlines of anything but how wonderful those roles truly are.  Oh, dare to dream!

I won’t hold my breath for that to happen. This is why I’m so thankful that there is a magazine encouraging women in their God-given roles as wives and Mamas.

Just to give you a glimpse, this Spring 2012 issue included articles by some fabulous writers with some of these topics:

  • 10 Reasons to Think About Hospitality
  • The Chaos in Our Homes
  • Hospitality: It’s Not About Me
  • The Loveliness of the Bride
  • The Science of Housework
  • Two-Legged Eeyores

I was refreshed and encouraged by this issue. It reminded me of the call to show hospitality to others. But, it went beyond getting my home ready or deciding to invite others into my home. I came away from reading with a renewed sense of the importance of what I do AND how I do it. It’s not enough to just “get through the day”, what matters most is the heart with which I perform those duties.

An article that really has stuck with me is about Whole Health for the Whole Family. It addressed the adrenal glands and how they  impact our life. I also learned how to take care of these important glands…by getting adequate sleep (something I am remiss in doing), eating right, taking care of myself, and, most importantly, putting God first. This was just one of the gems included in this issue.

If you’d like to receive this bright spot in your mailbox 4 times per year, head over to Eternal Encouragement to sign up!  With prices beginning at $19.97 per year, you won’t be disappointed. There are some fun extras added to your subscription like the Web magazine that is published 8 times per year and available only to subscribers!

I pray that you are encouraged by my blog and hope you’ll check out Eternal Encouragement for more! 

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19 Things About Rebecca

March 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Today is my eldest’s birthday….she is 19….my, how the years have flown by!

baby, newborn

3 months old

 

 

In honor of her special day, here are…

19 Things About Rebecca

1. She loves her family.

2. She loves her God.

3. She loves her Ellie dog.

4. She is level-headed.

5. She is beautiful.

6. She is smart.

7. She dreams big dreams.

8. She goes after those big dreams.

9. She is respectful.

10. She is helpful.

11. She likes strange movies, just like her Daddy. ;)

12. She loves to do hair, makeup, and nails….good thing she went to cosmetology school!

13. She is not “done” with school….she’s pursuing more!

14. She likes to bake, but not cook….that’s okay….I know she won’t move too far away so I can help feed her family. :)

15. She is a great teacher, and will be an awesome homeschool Mama one day!

16. She is not afraid to stand up for herself.

17. She is not too “big” to apologize.

18. She is a joy to be around.

19. She is funny.

What can  I say? Rebecca is an all-around wonderful daughter. She has been a joy from the day she was born, though she does continue to defy me and keep getting older. ;)

Last day of Paul Mitchell School

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Banana Cake with Yummy Cream Cheese Icing

March 5, 2012 By 2 Comments
Bananas, banana, banana cake, cake, recipe, baking

Banana Cake with Yummy Cream Cheese Icing

 

You know those couple of bananas that always seem to get overlooked in the fruit bowl?

We’ve turned those bananas into bread and muffins….the other day, I wanted something different. A cake. With cream cheese icing. (cause, you see, I had a little mishap with the last cake with cream cheese icing and wanted some more of that yummy goodness!)

Here goes…

Banana Cake with Yummy Cream Cheese Icing 

Print
Banana Cake with Yummy Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups very ripe bananas (about 2)
  • 2 ts lemon juice
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 ½ ts baking soda
  • ¼ ts salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 ts vanilla
  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350*
  2. Mash bananas and combine with lemon juice. Set aside.
  3. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  4. Cream butter (if you're like me and did not have soft butter, grate it into the bowl). Add sugar and cream. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Mix well, batter should be nice and fluffy. Gradually add buttermilk, alternating with flour mixture.
  5. Stir in bananas. Pour into greased 9X13 pan. Bake for 45 minutes or so.
  6. Allow to cool completely.
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Yummy Cream Cheese Icing:

Print
Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

  • 1/2 block cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 3+ cups powdered sugar
  • 3 TB cream (milk if you do not have cream)
  • 2 ts vanilla

Instructions

  1. Begin by creaming together cream cheese and butter.
  2. Gradually add in powdered sugar, alternating with cream.
  3. Mix slowly until you reach a spreadable consistency.
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Begin by creaming together cream cheese and butter. cream cheese, butter, icing, baking, recipe

Gradually add in powdered sugar, alternating with cream. vanilla, powdered sugar, banana cake, recipe, cream cheese, icing

Mix slowly until to spreadable consistency.

Topping ideas:

Chopped nuts
Sprinkles
Candied fruit
Lemon zest

cream cheese, icing, banana cake, recipe, baking, bake

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Heavenly High Angel Food Cake

March 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Angel food cake, heavenly high, recipe, recipes, angel food cake recipe

Heavenly High Angel Food Cake

 

One of my favorite cakes to make is an angel food cake. I used to be intimidated by this particular cake. No more! After a little tweaking here and there, I have finally settled on the recipe. I make this cake on the days that I make ice cream, since I have a dozen egg whites left over to use. :)

 

Heavenly High Angel Food Cake Recipe

1-1/4 cups 10X sugar
1 cup flour
12 egg whites, room temperature
1-1/2 ts cream of tartar
1-1/2 ts vanilla
1/2 ts lemon extract
1/4 ts salt
1 cup sugar

Sift together flour and 10X sugar three times.

Be sure the mixing bowl and beaters are completely clean and free of any oil. Place  egg whites in mixing bowl. Beat whites, once starting to pull together, sprinkle cream of tartar, extracts, and salt in. Continue beating. Gradually add 1 cup sugar. Beat to stiff peaks.

Once egg whites are stiff, fold in flour mixture, 1/4 at a time. Be gentle and fold in the flour. Keeping those egg whites from deflating is your goal. Be sure to blend in the flour that falls to the bottom of the bowl.
angel food cake, recipe, bake, baking
Gently spoon into a 10″ ungreased tube pan. Cut through the batter gently with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake at 350* for 40 minutes. Immediately invert pan, cool completely before removing from pan.

Enjoy!

angel food cake, angel food, recipe, recipes, bake, baking

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It’s National Peanut Day!

March 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment
42-17931354Photo Credit

Thursday,  March 1st is Peanut Butter Lover’s Day! First, let’s talk about peanut butter…which, obviously begins with peanuts. A visit to the National Peanut Board will reveal fun games, information and recipes. For a brief history of the peanut, here is a direct link to that page on the National Peanut Board site. The most famous person associated with peanuts is Dr. George Washington Carver.

Moving onto peanut butter, here is a great site that covers the history of peanut butter, the health benefits of peanut butter, and even some peanut butter trivia!  This site has some great peanut butter recipes!

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Daily Treasures- A Gabby Mom review

February 24, 2012 By 10 Comments

Treasure- Wealth accumulated; particularly, a stock or store of money in reserve. A great quantity of any thing collected for future use. Something very much valued.
-From Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

I have another great resource to share this month through the Gabby Moms review program! As you know, the Gabby Moms program is from Eternal Encouragement.  This month, we reviewed mp3′s. I was blessed to receive the Daily Treasures. Admittedly, the first few minutes are a bit confusing as this was recorded at a speaking event. But, once you get past that, Lorrie delves right in to the “meat” of this topic.

Is this your idea of treasure? Treasure by zakwitnij

Or, how about this? treasures 2 by Idhren.

Or, maybe it’s this? Pearl_Madness by The Daring Librarian

Those are certainly things to enjoy. But to treasure? Nah. The “things” we should treasure are “the people that live in your house and loved ones that you encounter in your life.” I couldn’t have said it any better than Lorrie did. :)

In our married life, money has sometimes been an issue. We’ve had our share of financial struggles, that the above “treasures” would have helped to pay. But, even in using those “treasures”, it would have only been to benefit our true treasures.

I was already convinced that the people in that photo above are my true treasures. Lorrie was “preaching to the choir’ on that note.

BUT!

She also shared some ideas that I hadn’t thought of…and now wish I had heard these ideas back when Rebecca was this size:

But, alas, she is not 2 months old any longer…she’s fast approaching 19.  19???

I plan to implement some of her suggestions now, even though we are past the tiny little people stage of parenting. If you have tiny little people, get this recording and listen to it several times. Really take in the message.

Lorrie’s suggestions ranged from a treasure box to candid photos to journaling to using a “you are special plate”. These suggestions were scattered among funny and poignant personal stories. Lorrie is a real treat to hear speak. I’d love to hear her speak in person one day, but for now, I’ll listen all I can to her recordings and glean much wisdom from her that way.

You won’t spend much (only $6.97 as an mp3 download or $9.97 for a CD) to get this recording, but you will gain much…a new appreciation for your treasures!

*As a member of the Gabby Moms, I received this mp3 free in exchange for my honest review*

 
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