Captured by Sarah Photography ~ August 29, 2012

Thursday, September 1, 2011

cherish the moment

 

Sometimes Bible time with Dad includes a few Sword Drills  : )

 

     015    011

 

    013   017

 

Lots of good discussions. 

These are the church leaders of the future ~ if the Lord tarries that long.

 

    014   016

 

          024         028

 

022

 

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Timothy 3:14-17

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

daybook 8/30/2011

 



FOR TODAY  
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
 
 
 
Outside my window...

clouds and drizzle ~ We need a real drenching shower, but maybe we can accumulate enough with this slow and steady.  Thank you, Lord!


 
I am thinking…

Daybook posts require entirely too much of my time to be called Simple  :-{  [I think it’s just me… Count the pictures, and you’ll have an idea why.]

 

I am thankful to God

for a beautiful crop of hay ~ and extra helpers to get it under cover during Sunday’s attempted rain showers.  And for a neighborly neighbor, Mr. Jensen (whose barn they stowed three loads into)

August 2011 hay 007   August 2011 hay 016

August 2011 hay 023    August 2011 hay 037

Lora & Janell didn’t know what they were getting into when we invited them home for Sunday dinner!

 

I am praying for...
 
Amber & her family ~ her dad passed away recently after his battle with cancer. 

Amber’s friend Kari

… a friend of Conny’s ~ Lilah is a newborn baby with spina bifida

… Hiromi in Japan (near the Fukushima nuclear plant) 

… Ethan and his twin sister.  See Sara’s blog.  Such a sweet testimony of God’s goodness, and such a need for His provision of health.  Recently huge blessings of answers to prayer!  Still looking at a bone marrow transplant.
 
... the Rettigs & the church in Prague

… the sale of my mother-in-law’s home ~ woot woot, someone looked at it recently!  Please let them have it, Lord!

… Grant S.

Cinnamon ~ her Army hubby is HOME from Afghanistan, her Marine son is IN Afghanistan!

… Amy W., a young wife/mom with cancer

… Sarita & Jeff need visas for their return to Israel

… folks in Joplin, MO, and along the Missouri River ~ so hard hit with tornadoes and flooding this year

… the A Family, on furlough from their field of ministry

Gina’s family ~ in their loss of Jason as he rescued his own children from drowning

Lea’s dad ~ in the midst of a serious health crisis

… Kari’s dad ~ had triple by-pass surgery in June 

Rachel ~ Please pray for her, and follow her blog ~ Finding Joy.  The name says it well.  But she's in major pain right now with an aggravated shoulder injury or something ~ The docs prescribed therapy for now.

… for direction for our church, for our family


 
… Laura
 

… and especially marriages ~ meant to last a lifetime

 
 
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
John 15:7
 
 

From the learning rooms...      
 
The Cattleman’s subjects/books:
 
             
 
                 
 
                                   

                              

  …and many more!
 


From the kitchen...

some beef is stewing in the crock pot ~ not sure if I’ll add BBQ sauce or taco seasoning & salsa ~ What other flavor options are there??  [this is meat from Judge, so it requires more than salt and pepper]

other options from the menu idea list ~ taco soup or salad, chicken packets, calzones, Laura’s taco corn fritters, bbq ribs

Last week’s batch of HOT salsa yielded 27 pints!

August 2011 021   August 2011 023

August 2011 027   August 2011 026

August 2011 029    August 2011 041

If you notice the strange first picture ~ those chunks of tomato/pepper sticking up came from the freezer  : )  I run everything (almost) through my beloved food processor without peeling the tomatoes!

The next batch will hopefully be a bit milder : )

 

I am creating...

not much outside the kitchen or laundry room, unless you count lesson plans  ;-)

 

I am going...

to need a grocery list (which means a menu PLAN) …asap!

 

I am {supposed to be} reading...
 
for a summer Sunday school class ~ Choosing Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss ~ Yeah, it’s time to be done with this one!  ;-)
                                         

 
 

 
I am hoping...

our tomato plants keep producing so we can have a third batch of salsa!

 

I am hearing...

“How Great Thou Art” ~ the Cowgirl is plunking away on the piano and the Popper is humming/singing along as she works her math problems ~ Thinking my mom would love it!


  
Around the house...

it’s hay season = a constant need for the vacuum  :p

 

One of my favorite things...

a neat house ~ See next item…

 
Pondering these words...

Keeping a neat house is like threading beads on a string with no knot on it.

an Amish proverb from Amish Values for Your Family by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Carrie is giving away a copy!

 

 


A few plans for the rest of the week: 
 
Kate is working each day at the carousel ~ the Cattleman is her ‘bodyguard’ this week  : )
Today ~ groceries and another appointment for the Popper with the chiropractor
Wednesday eve ~ church
   
Turn the calendar to September?!
 
 
 
Here is are a few pictures for thought... 


Especially for Felicity ~ our restored 1913 Herschell-Spillman Carousel in Story City, Iowa

 
 

© Pete Tekippe Photography
Date of picture: 1982

 

Photos of Dogs and Jumping Pigs © John Egenes
Date of picture: 2001

 

See more at http://nationalcarousel.org/psp/StoryCity/

 



  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
 
Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord,
that thou fulfil it.
Colossians 4:17
  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
 


 

Monday, August 22, 2011

daybook (8/22) part 2

 



FOR TODAY  
Monday, August 22, 2011
 
 

Wee Willie Winkie
Runs through the town,
Upstairs and downstairs
In his nightgown.
Rapping at the windows,
Crying through the lock,
"Are the children all in bed?
For it's now eight o'clock.”

 
 
Only now it’s 10:30pm, so I found this lullaby
 

Sleep my child and peace attend thee,
All through the night.
Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night;
Soft and drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,
I my loved one's watch am keeping,
All through the night.

Angels watching, all around thee,
All through the night.
Midnight slumber close surround thee,
All through the night.
Soft and drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,
I my loved one's watch am keeping,
All through the night.

While the moon, her watch is keeping,
All through the night,
While the weary world is sleeping,
All through the night.
O'er thy spirit gently stealing,
Visions of delight revealing,
Breathes a pure and holy feeling,
All through the night.

by Sir Harold Boulton

 

And this verse also comes to mind from yesterday’s sermon:

At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

Psalm 119:62

 

{Yeah, and I’m getting rambly already… Moving right along!  so I’m not still at the computer at midnight…}

 

From the kitchen...

oatmeal/zucchini cake for tomorrow’s breakfast

tonight - chicken salad

tomorrow night - Italian pasta bake (already in the freezer! :D) 

Oh, and tonight’s elderberry “syrup” which I ran through the Vitamix instead of a sieve  (not the best idea, but I gave my sieve away…)

 

DSC03962

     DSC03959      DSC03964

DSC03953

 

I am creating...

Well, I worked on my ironing pile twice in the last few days, sooo let’s say

a closet full of clean, pressed clothes  8-)

 

I am going... 

to sleep… soon!

 

I am reading...
 
for a summer Sunday school class ~ Choosing Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
                                         

 
 

It’s time to finish the book!


 
I am hoping...

to come up with some good ideas for using the rest of the elderberries which are now in my freezer


 
I am hearing...

Tim and Kayleb discussing projects for this week

 

Around the house...

I also cleaned our ceiling fans!  If I get around to the overdue dusting, I’ll be patting myself on the back really hard…

 

One  Several of my favorite things...

  • Homemade salsa. 

              

That is what I want to do this week instead of attempting ‘creative’ non-alcoholic tinctures with elderberries…

 

(I couldn’t even find pictures of my own salsa  :p  Thank you, Google Images…)

 

  • A day at the Iowa State Fair with my hubby

 

  • Good friends who travel across the country for a visit  : )

DSC03945

 

Pondering these words...

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.  John 15:11

 


A few plans for the rest of the week: 
Tuesday ~ kids to orthodontist and chiropractor, groceries
Kate is working a few days this week and next at the carousel.
 
 
 

Here is a picture for thought... 

 

2011Brazil- football
 
Yah, I enjoy some Packer football  :D
 
 


  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
 
Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord,
that thou fulfil it.
Colossians 4:17
  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
 


 

daybook 8/22/2011

 



FOR TODAY  
Monday, August 22, 2011
 
 

Wee Willie Winkie
Runs through the town,
Upstairs and downstairs
In his nightgown.
Rapping at the windows,
Crying through the lock,
"Are the children all in bed?
For it's now eight o'clock.”

 
 
Outside my window...

Sunset at 8:05 PM means it’s rather dusky out there.  The Popper just got caught inside by Mama (and instructed to get ready for bed – see above), but most of the others are out helping Dad with something… or picking more elderberries?

No sign of those ‘scattered thunderstorms’ in our neck of the woods  :-\  Tim says there is still moisture down deep, so the field crops are okay… but it sure is crusty and hard on top.  And the gardens and lawns are thirsty.  But I’ll not complain too loudly because we’re not in Texas or Oklahoma where they haven’t seen a decent rain this year.  Nor are we flooded by the Missouri or destroyed by baseball-sized hail.  The consensus at last week’s picnic was that Tim should cut down his hay… then it would rain  (Murphy’s Law)  ;-)

 

I am thinking…

about how many gallons of elderberries my kids have picked just today  :o  Yikes!

DSC03955

 

I am thankful to God

that I shouldn’t need to order more E-berry this year.

that Kayleb just arrived!  (I’ll have to come back to this later)
 
 
 
I am praying for...

Amber’s friend Kari ~ please read!
 
… same
Amber & her family ~ her dad passed away recently after his battle with cancer. 

… Hiromi in Japan (near the Fukushima nuclear plant) lost her beloved boyfriend recently.  He died in his sleep.  Thankfully he is with his Savior.  Praying his family will see their own need of Jesus Christ.  Hiromi’s family runs a Christian campground, so they are busy in the midst of grief.  Tomo’s family is not saved and not very receptive to Hiromi.

… Ethan and his twin sister.  See Sara’s blog.  Such a sweet testimony of God’s goodness, and such a need for His provision of health.  Recently huge blessings of answers to prayer!  Still looking at a bone marrow transplant.

… another friend of Conny’s ~ Lilah is a newborn baby with spina bifida

… Angela & Jared and family ~ one of their newborn twins was called to heaven on July 2.  Such heartache, but God is faithful.  The family has known much of God’s grace amidst their tears.   Read more here.

… 6mo Ruby (friends of friends in Wisc) ~ suffered a very serious head injury in June

... the Rettigs & the growing church in Prague

the sale of my mother-in-law’s home ~ woot woot, someone looked at it recently!  Please let them have it, Lord!   : )

Grant S.

… people who live and work in Japan

Cinnamon ~ her Army hubby is HOME from Afghanistan, her Marine son is IN Afghanistan!

Amy W., a young wife/mom with cancer

… Sarita & Jeff need visas for their return to Israel- Praise that Jeff got accepted at the University!

… folks in Joplin, MO, and along the Missouri River ~ so hard hit with tornadoes and flooding this year

… the A Family, on furlough from their field of ministry

Gina’s family ~ in their loss of Jason as he rescued his own children from drowning

Lea’s dad ~ in the midst of a serious health crisis

… Kari’s dad ~ had triple by-pass surgery in June 

Rachel ~ Please pray for her, and follow her blog ~ Finding Joy.  The name says it well.  But she's in major pain right now with an aggravated shoulder injury or something ~ The docs prescribed therapy for now.


 
… Laura
 

… and especially marriages ~ meant to last a lifetime

 
~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Lest you think that I spend all day on my knees in intercession, I’m telling you here that I don’t!  At some point I guess I’ve learned to pray “on the hoof” ~ so as God brings to mind any of these people during the day or night, I usually ask Him to provide their need… But I am not a Prayer Warrior.  Those are a special group of people that I am incredibly thankful for – and I stand in awe of their faithfulness!
 


From the learning rooms 

Here’s a sample of the Cowgirl’s list of subjects since I saw her doing a science experiment today  : )  [the one with baking soda added to red cabbage juice with vinegar… capturing the carbon dioxide in a balloon… learning the meaning of a chemical reaction.  Do you know that one?]   She was also very absorbed in her literature book… I believe I also saw her reading the story “Miss Hinch” which happens to be near the end of the book…  ahem

 

          

   
 

And, btw, we have older editions of both the General Science and literature books ~  the Cowgirl is child #4 here, ya know  ;-)

 

From the kitchen...

I am creating...

I am going... 

I am reading...
 
for a summer Sunday school class ~ Choosing Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
                                         

 
 

     


 
I am hoping...
 
I am hearing...

Around the house...

One of my favorite things...

Pondering these words...
A few plans for the rest of the week: 
 

Here is a picture for thought... 

 
 
 
 


  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
 
Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord,
that thou fulfil it.
Colossians 4:17
  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~