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Archive for the ‘Life Happens!’ Category

Life Happens (Again!)!

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

I’m sorry I’ve been MIA–we had the tummy bug hit our house!  :p

 

 

So my “announcement” will have to wait until next week–between most of us getting sick and me trying to get the business end of things set up, I’ve had to put some things on the back burner.

 

I also have a few comments that I’ll be responding to–so if you posted a comment, please know I’m not ignoring you–just been too crazy around here!

 

 

Thanks for your patience!  I promise it will be worth the wait and there will be giveaways!  Yes, more than one!  ;)

Creative Giving, Life Happens, and a Story!

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

First, an advertisement!

 

 

Cassia has put together an e-book, Creative Giving with Little Money, about how she was able to give 10 Christmas and birthday gifts last year for $17!   And that amount was actually spent on two of the gifts–the rest she got very creative with!   The book is available through the girls’ Etsy shop, Farmgirl Treasures.   If you’re stumped and need some inspiration, I think it would be just the thing.  Sometimes when we read of others’ creativity, it sparks some of our own!

 

 

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

 

 

You can tell when bloggers get quite busy–they don’t have time to update their blogs!  My girls have been busy, too, with some Christmas sewing–for others, not just their own!

 

 

Then add extra craziness of flooding basements, snowstorms, having some special visitors here for over a week (which we loved much more than having no electric and flooding basements!) and getting sick last week (that’s me)….well, life happening!

 

 

On top of all that I had decided to write this Advent Study.  I’m convinced it’s more for me than anyone else!  It’s been challenging and yet a deep joy to study the names of God during this time.  It has consumed me more than I thought it would, taken longer (and grown larger!) than I originally planned, yet, I have learned so much in the research and writing!   Interesting tidbits on Christmas hymn stories, how certain character qualities and even spices all go together with one of the names of Jesus…..just like homeschooling, the teacher often learns more!

 

 

Due to getting sick over the end of last week and the weekend, I am behind…again!

 

But I’ve learned with the Lord, there is never really “behind”, whether it’s your Bible reading or working on a project. Sometimes things beyond your control happen, and it’s better to enjoy the detour and the journey than to fuss about the timetable!

 

 

As my gift to you, my blog readers (if you’re still out there!), I wanted to share a few stories from the Advent book, His Name Shall Be Called.   I’m sharing one today, and I will probably share one or two more over the next week before Christmas.

 

 

I hope you enjoy the stories, and hopefully in a few weeks I can get back to a “regular” schedule–whatever that is! ;)

 

 

A Special Baby

 

 

Talia tried to keep busy about her work. Her mind was definitely not on her sweeping and mopping! Today would be the day, her mother had assured her. She could hardly wait! And yet, there was a hint of danger, too. She knew that they must keep the young woman’s identity a secret, for there were those who would want to harm her and her soon-to-be born baby.

 

 

She looked up at the sun climbing in the sky. It was a beautiful but brisk fall day, with a crisp coolness in the air. The leaves had turned their bounty of colors, standing against the sky like guards with colorful uniforms. She loved to breathe in the fresh, tangy air—she loved days like this!

 

 

Suddenly her mother was calling her name—it was time!

 

 

Quickly she ran to make sure the water buckets were full, in case they needed to heat extra water. Then she washed her own hands thoroughly before getting all the cloths together for her mother. She put a small cloth into the cool water and wrung it out, then gently laid it on the young woman’s forehead, just as her mother had done for so many years for the local women. Her mother had said to just pretend this was one of the peasant ladies, so that Talia wouldn’t be nervous and forget what to do.

 

 

She was still too young to have a big part, but she could run and fetch things for her mother, get more cool clothes or run to get the other midwife if needed. Thankfully, it was not needed and it wasn’t long before the sweet cry of a newborn baby boy broke the calm afternoon silence.

 

 

Talia could do more now, getting broth for the young mother to help strengthen her, get the herbs for her mother as she made a tea for the young woman. She helped clean up and was even privileged to hold the baby for a bit! Ah, life! Whether rich or poor, a newborn baby is such a wondrous thing!

 

 

They would keep the young woman and her sweet son there as their guests until it was safe again. Hopefully that would be soon, when the King returned victoriously. Until then, they would keep his son safe and healthy.

 

 

As Talia held him, she thought of how this tiny baby would grow up and rule over her someday. She prayed for him, that he would be strong and true as his father, as well as a gentle and caring ruler. Their kingdom had such hope in their present King. They had longed for a just ruler for so long! Now to have his infant son in their care gave her a sense of responsibility along with wonder and awe.

 

 

You were born to be a king, little one! I will follow you with all my heart, for I know that you will rule in love and graciousness as your father!”

 

 

 

Technical Difficulties….

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

Not with HomeschoolBlogger, but with another website I was working on, then my ISP quit sending e-mails through, so I’ll have to call them tomorrow….all that to say I’ll be posting “Workout Wednesday” tomorrow!

 

Sorry if you were on the edge of your seat waiting for today’s post….. ;)

 

Thanks for understanding!

 

 

Where ARE those Dull Moments, Anyway?!

Saturday, June 18th, 2011

My apologies to my T-Tapp Tuesday gals.  To say the rest of this week has been crazy would be an understatement! I thought for sure today I’d be able to at least pick a winner out of all you hardworking mamas!

My mother-in-law is now on hospice. She has infection in her bowel and around her heart, with no immune system now nor antibiotics that can fight it (she is allergic to so many). 

Another daughter is not feeling well.  At least we know to get her to the doctor first thing in the morning.  We’d appreciate prayers!

I will try my best to at least announce a winner tomorrow.  My apologies for not getting this done sooner.  Life has hit in the extreme this week, it seems!

But, along with Habbakuk, “yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”   (Hab. 3:18)  It is a choice.  I choose to rejoice!

Thank you for your patience and your prayers!

“T-Tapp Tuesday?”

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

Sorry to be late…it will actually be later today when I post Workout Wednesday!

It’s been a rough few days.

Sunday we visited my step-mother-in-law.  She has AML (acute myeloid leukemia) and isn’t doing well. In fact now they found she has infection both in her bowels and her heart.  She is saved, but please pray for her to have peace and for the doctors to have wisdom.

Then Monday,  I ended up taking Susannah to the doctor, since she had been sick since Friday night and it wasn’t getting any better.  Turned out she was dehydrated!   So we spent all afternoon at the hospital getting IV fluids.

And then today…..just as I started teaching my first student (today is the last day of music lessons for the summer!) Jessica comes in the living room to tell me Bekah hurt her food badly.  I’m thinking broken bones!  But instead I find out she stepped on a nail in the barn–yeah, rusty, dirty, and no, she’s not supposed to be barefoot in the barn!  It went in about an inch, Dallas said.  OUCH!

So today has been turned topsy turvy, too!

We’d appreciate prayers for healing, for wisdom, for my SANITY! and for some “dull moments” to come! ;)

Hopefully I will be posting later today about workout gear–Lord willin’ an’ the creek don’t rise! :p

Change of Plans…Again *sigh*

Friday, May 27th, 2011

Another daughter is running a fever and coughing.    I am praying she doesn’t also get pneumonia!

So my Fabulous Family Friday post will have to wait a bit.

Maybe I should make it about all the herbal medicine I’m learning about?! :)

Thank you for your patience—and prayers for Jessica and Leah (who is recovering s-l-o-w-l-y from pneumonia) would be greatly appreciated.   And that the rest of us wouldn’t get it, either!

If you want to see some beautiful pictures of our church camping trip last month, head on over to the girls’ blog post–Camping at Turkey Run.

Thank you to all who are entering the giveaway!  And it’s not too late if others want to enter–it goes until midnight Monday, May 30th! 

Have a blessed weekend, dear friends, and please remember those who have sacrificed for the freedoms we now enjoy!

What Happened to Friday?!

Monday, February 28th, 2011

Sometimes things fall through the cracks when you delegate.

I had asked some certain daughters to post that I was gone Friday and not able to get a post together before I left last Wednesday.

And they forgot.

Of course, it might have had something to do with being busy running the house and taking care of the little guys and Daddy…..and posting funny pictures!!!! ;) Like this one…..and then this one…..and we can’t forget about these….and it gets even better here–or is that worse?!

Very creative! :D

I will be posting about where I was tomorrow. Yes, it has to do with T-Tapp!

Blessings, dear friends!

If God Can Do This, Can’t He Also Do That?!

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

Well, it was the fuel pump.  A rare fuel pump.  Do you know what the word rare means, in connection to anything costing money?

It means it’s more expensive!  *sigh*

Tomorrow we can pick up the van, with its new yet rare fuel pump!

So, if God can get us to just the right spot to “break down”, can He not also provide for the broken part to be fixed?!

I think He can!   To be honest, to me, financial provision pales in comparison to all He did to get us to that “just right spot” for a breakdown!

God is good and what He does is good–ALL of the time!  (Whether we see it or not!  After all, at least the part wasn’t so rare that it isn’t made anymore!!!!  :D )

What is going on in your life, that viewed through the “normal” lens, doesn’t seem so good–yet seen through the “Goodness of God” lens, you can see Him in or through it?

Please comment and share!   And hugs to you on this journey called Faith!!!

The Goodness of God

Monday, November 8th, 2010

Yesterday started out to be a great day!  We actually got around and out the door early, on our way to being at church early!

 

It was a good thing we had that extra half hour….

Our church is a little over an hour away, meeting in a nursing home.  We have a fellowship meal and informal afternoon service about twice a month in a building that is a quarter of a mile away from the nursing home.  Yesterday was a “meal” Sunday.

We usually drop our food off first, then head to the nursing home.  Just as we drove into the drive where the building for the afternoon service is, the van engine died!

Dallas was able to get it pulled into another drive, out of the way.  He tried to get it started again.  No go!

Thankfully, many other families drop their food off, too, so we were able to get our food transported to the building and then get us transported to the nursing home via a few vehicles! 

After church, three families ferried us back over, and several men helped Dallas try to figure out what was wrong.

Just a short while later, he came in and said it wouldn’t even offer to start.   There is concern it could be the fuel pump.   One of the men knew of a mechanic nearby, so they called over there and one of the men happened to be there.  They were able to get a towing strap and truck and tow the van over there, and they will look at it today.

We finished having dinner and the afternoon service, and then another of the men graciously offered to take us home.  Remember, there are eleven of us!  That meant this gentleman had to take his family home first (half an hour the other way), come back to get us, then take us all the way home, then go all the way back to his home!

We are so very grateful for God’s goodness!   Haven’t heard yet what they think the problem is, but there are some very wonderful blessings I can think of, that it happened when and where it did!

~It was a “meal” Sunday.  Otherwise, only two of the 20 or so families in our church would have been going that way, and may or may not have seen us.

~It didn’t happen somewhere else along the 75 miles to church!

~It didn’t happen Friday night when I was on my way home from that city after dark!

~It didn’t happen somewhere on our 5,200 mile trip out East!!!

As Dallas shared in our afternoon “praise and prayer” time, “I’m grateful we broke down in a convenient place!”  ;)

Of course, we’re praying it’s not an expensive fix!   But God has already shown His great goodness to us!   I can just imagine Him dispatching a few angels to keep the van running and…

“Okay, guys, they’re in a good place now!  You can let go!”   :D

May you look for and find His blessings today!

Birthdays, Storms and Busyness!

Monday, June 21st, 2010

First of all, THANK YOU everyone for wishing me a Happy Birthday!  And for my dear daughters “hijacking” my blog! ;)

I apologize to my Fabulous Family Friday readers–of course Thursday was a busy day (tea in the morning, groceries in the afternoon, and out to eat with my wonderful husband in the evening!), then Friday I thought I could post late, but we had some nasty storms go through!  Just south of us they had 100 mph straight line winds and parts of that county are still without electricity!

Just north of us friends were without power for a few hours, but when we came home, our electric hadn’t even gone off! We hardly had any limbs down (which is amazing–we have 30+ trees, many older ones that usually “shed” limbs in high winds!)!  We are grateful that everything was okay!

Then Saturday was another busy day, and here it is Monday already!  (Yet another busy day!  LOL!)

But I wanted to thank my birthday wishers and to tell my Friday readers that I’ll have a nice post this Friday, weather permitting!  ;)

I’ll post about my “Birthday Tea” tomorrow–again, weather permitting!

Blessings on your day!