Fruit Crisp

I had loads of apples given to us by our neighbour's friend's apple tree. I didn't want them to go to waste therefore I had to bake something!!! ;-)

Tonight I made a really yummy fruit crisp! This is another really easy recipe...so easy I made it at night :) I even have some pictures!

I got this recipe from the best cool book ever...every house should have one, "Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book"

Let's get started:

Oven- 375•

The guts/fruit:

5 cups sliced, peeled cooking apples, (or pears, peaches, apricots, frozen unsweetened peach slices, cherries, rhubarb or berries) 2 to 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Note: The picture shows my chunky apples (done with an apple slicer). But I sliced them smaller after using the slicer.

The glory, aka- Topping:

1/2 cup regular rolled oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ginger, or cinnamon (I have an apple pie blend I use) 

1/4 cup butter or margarine Optional: 1/4 cup chopped nuts or coconut. 

The nitty gritty:

1. For fruit filling the fruit it frozen. Do not drain. Place fruit and a 2 quart square baking dish. (Or as I did, you can use a pie dish or 11 x 7 dish).

2. For topping, in a separate bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, flour and nutmeg combination; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs and then stir in nuts. Sprinkle topping over the fruit that's in your baking dish.

3. Bake in a 375° oven for 30 to 35 minutes (40 minutes for thawed fruit) until fruit is tender and topping is golden. 

Serve warm with ice cream! Done and done!

This recipe makes enough for one dish, but I had so many apples I simply doubled it and made two! No complaints here :-)

All baked and ready to eat!

Coconut Bars/Yummy Bars/Magic Bars/Hello Dolly Bars

These bars have lots of names to choose from! This is my first try at making them but so far they are SUPER easy so I wanted to share :-)

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1-1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs (Marie biscuits in Ireland)

1 can (14 oz) sweet and condensed milk

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1-1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped nuts (optional...I didn't use them)

Preheat oven to 350• (325• for glass dish)

1. In a 13x9 inch baking pan melt the butter in the oven. Take out and sprinkle cookie crumbs evenly over the butter; Pour sweet an condensed milk evenly over crumbs (or...if you're my Mom, she would drink half and use the other half ;)).

1. Graham crackers and sweet & condensed milk

2.  Top with remaining ingredients (chocolate chips, coconuts and nuts).

2. Other ingredients

3. Press down firmly.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly brown.

Cool and cut into bars. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

They taste yummy and are great for parties!!

Cleaning tips!

By Margaret Briggs & Vivian Head

I just got a book yesterday that is blowing my face off!!!!!  Phil (my husband), bought me a book when he went to Barnes & Noble.  What makes him even sweeter is he bought it with part of his special gift card!  Brownie points for him!  :)  The book is called Green Cleaning; Natural Hints and Tips For the Eco-Friendly Household.  It's on sale right now so you should buy it! :)

Now, the environment isn't really one of my passions.  I mean, I care about the environment...but I care more about Phil's and my future babies not swallowing poisonous chemicals or being around poisonous chemicals, and I like the idea of Phil and me not being around toxic chemicals too.  (It's okay if you think I'm a hippie, I come by that quite honestly (thank you Dad!)).  I just love natural remedies and solutions because they don't harm anyone.

If I could, I would probably re-name this book from something other than Eco-friendly to Human-friendly!  That's all this book is...great ideas, using non-toxic ingredients, to clean your house beautifully and efficiently!  Plus garden tips...laundry tips...and the list goes on.  Seriously, it's fabulous!  I already cleaned my hot water kettle this morning after reading the first HALF of this book yesterday.

Another great thing about this book is it only has about FOUR, yes, 4, chapters!  In these chapters it highlights 5 simple ingredients that can be used to clean practically EVERYTHING!  (Can you tell I'm a fan?)  Vinegar.  Lemon juice.  Baking Soda.  Tea-tree oil.  Borax.  Salt.  Done and done!

Every time I make a new solution or try it out, I will post it on here for you to read and try yourself.    I'll keep back to update them.  This book is definitely the thing I needed to have in order to get me on track for making my own cleaning products because it always sounded like too much to me before.  I hope you enjoy all these tips as much as I am!  Leave comments with feedback if you try any non-toxic homemade cleaners, or if there are any other fun books similar to this that you would like to recommend.

xo
-h-

Ps-  If you're interested in homemade deodorant (using baking soda) that really does work, check out that post here...and the update on how it keeps working, here.

Cleaning tips I've tried and continue to use:

1.  Cleaning your kettle:  Put 2/3 cups of white distilled vinegar (you can get a gallon at a supermarket for like $5; it'll last a good while!) in with the water and boil like normal.  My kettle was really bad with hard water deposits caked on, so I boiled it a few times, rinsed it out, and put in another round of vinegar and water.  It looks like brand new now!

2.  Cleaning work surfaces:  Wipe all kitchen surfaces with full-strength white distilled vinegar to clean them and reduce bacteria (pg34).  Just did this and it works very nicely!  I also just read about lemons being a natural bleach...so I'm planning on getting some lemons and getting some stains out on our white counter tops!

3.  Multi-purpose cleaner:  2 1/2 cups of warm water, 1/2 white vinegar, 2 tablespoons of baking soda. 1 spray bottle.  I would recommend measuring out the baking soda and vinegar and combining those first.  Let it fizz and bubble away, then add the warm water.  Stir, and then transfer into the spray bottle and wa-la!  There you have an all-purpose cleaner.  I use mine for my kitchen and bathroom mostly.  Be VERY CAREFUL if you spray stainless steal...just make sure to wipe it all off so it doesn't erode.  It's a grate cleaner for stainless, but you just want to make sure you buff it off too.  Sometimes I add an essential oil such as Tea Tree or Thieves for some extra kick, and nice spell!

2 Peter

The part in this weeks reading that really stuck out to me was in Chapter 3.  Verse 9 says, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient..."

I know it might be taking it a bit out of context because Peter is talking about the day the Lord returns and His promise to come back, but this part of this verse is really encouraging to me and reminds me that the things God has promised me, happen in His perfect timing.  It may seem slow in the natural, like He's just taking His sweet time, but in the supernatural it is happening right when God chooses as the perfect moment.  He is patient and doesn't get distracted or rushed.  I just love that.  He is patient.

It's a short and sweet Thought this week, but be encouraged that God's timing is perfect, and He is simply being patient to bring things to pass in your life.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is probably one of the most challenging, if not the most challenging things to do in life.  Forgiveness needs to come from our heads and our hearts.  Sometimes we can forgive in our head, but not in our heart.  I think when we forgive in our hearts, that is when freedom comes into our lives.

That is what my journey has been these last few months.  Back in February the Lord showed me I had a lot of unforgiveness in my heart towards people and how they treated or didn't treat me after my Dad died.  Before February, I had no idea that I even struggled with unforgiveness.  I would call myself a very self-aware person.  When things come up, I think I do a pretty good job in addressing them in a timely matter and figuring out what the issue is and how it can be remedied.  So when God brought this unforgiveness to my attention, I was honestly quite shocked!  I don't think I had ever really had to deal with this before.  Where do I start?  How does one forgive?  Do I actually have to forgive if I was the one wronged?

From that moment, God started me on a journey of forgiveness.  It has been one of the hardest things I've ever walked through because forgiveness means you lay down and surrender the fact that you are completely justified in being angry and hurt.  It means that you actually have to trust God to have vengeance...not you.  It means you have to let go of the hurt that has been caused to you that you now wear as a cloak around you for security.  It means you trade that cloak in for one you don't see yet, but one that Christ has offered you.

Anyone who says these things are easy is a liar.  Laying these things down is completely opposite to our human nature.  And if anyone has a justice heart like myself, laying these things down seem to go again almost everything you thought was just and fair!  Fight for the weak and victimized...even if that's you!  The person harming you should be punished and brought to justice!  Laying these things down is probably the hardest thing our heart has to do in our whole life, especially in cases that you were the one severely wronged.

That is the place I have once again found myself in.  God knew that the journey He started me on  back in February would be a warm-up for what I face now.

One night this week, God tenderly ask me, once again, to forgive...this time, in a situation which feels like there's more hurt, pain and anger.  Full of justification for those feelings.  I told the Lord this person did not deserve forgiveness because they probably didn't even know how wrong and awful they had been.  They need to know!  They need to pay for that and answer for what they did!  I mean this person broke my heart!  They need to be punished before I can forgive and let this go.  I need justice.  I am worth more than how they treated me!  It's not fair that I forgive when they think that they are in the right, where's the justice in that, God?!  I am so angry.  They don't deserve forgiveness! 

In the Lord's mercy and grace, He sweetly spoke to my heart and said, "These things are true, Hannah.  You are right.  They have been awful to you and they don't even know the extent of it all.  You do deserve to be treated better.  And they don't deserve forgiveness.  You are correct.

"However, my Hannah-girl, you did not deserve to have my Son die for your sins...but He did it anyway.  This, my girl, is why you need to forgive.  Because of what my Son did for you, not because of whether or not someone deserves your forgiveness.  You need not hold that anymore.  Allow me to protect you, watch over you and comfort you.  Let this go and forgive.  I desire freedom for you and that is found in forgiveness.  Allow Me to hold your heart and protect it.  I will do a far better job at that than you ever can, my girl.  Choose to forgive.  I want you to walk in freedom, but you must choose to forgive."

"Oh Father," I cried, "You love me more than I will ever know."

So...after struggling a lot with my anger, hurt and pain, I chose to forgive with my heart and not just my head.  The thing is, nothing has changed; my circumstances are the exact same today as they were yesterday--but I know that I am experiencing more of God's love today than I did yesterday.  Not because He has changed, but because I am now allowing His love to flow in the back corner of my heart where I so tightly held the hurt and pain.

Forgiveness takes trust.  Trust that God is all He says He is.  I want to trust Him with all my heart...and sometimes, often times actually, that means I must let go of what I think is just and fair and instead hold on to His promises and will for my life.  I want to love God more than I hate what has been done to me.

I don't write all this to have you think I'm awesome and a super-Christian.  I actually write this to maybe encourage you that you're not the only one holding on to things that are justifiable; you are not the only one who needs to let things go and forgive with your heart and not just your head.

Maybe forgiving with you heart is what Jesus meant when He told us to forgive 70 x 7 times (Matthew 18:22).  Not specifically that the same person or situation harms you 70 x 7 times and for each time we must forgive (which I'm sure He meant as well), but that everytime the memory of that harm comes back, we need to choose to forgive each time.

I think forgiveness from the heart is the most difficult thing we will ever do as a Believer.  Because it means letting of the justice we see to be most fitting and instead allow and trust that God's justice is actually the most fitting.  He's better at being Judge than you or me.

I'm still on this journey of forgiveness.  It's hard.  I have to daily say, "I forgive..." out loud.  I do know that one day this situation will become a little further away and that Christ's love will flow a little more freely in that corner of my heart.  I think He just wants us to just start somewhere.  His grace will be very evident once we take a step.  This won't be the last time you or I will be wronged, but maybe next time it won't take us as long to choose to forgive.

------

Thank you God for forgiving my sin and calling me your own.  I am seeing more and more, that I did not deserve that act of kindness from You, but still You did it for me.  Thank you.  Thank you that I am Yours.  Thank you that you love me with an everlasting love.  Thank you that I am a blessing to you.  I love you Papa.  Amen.

You are loved.

This song I wanted to share with you is written by JJ Heller.  She is one of my favourite singer-songwriters.  She has a gift of capturing thoughts, moments, ideas and perspectives in her songs.  This song really spoke to me and reminded me that I am loved.

I think we all need to spend more time thinking and remembering the fact that we are loved...because too often we walk around as though we are not.  I think it's easy to forget that the Creator of the Universe is madly in love with us...even while we were/are yet sinners.

Head up, shoulders back.

Remember.  You. Are. Loved.

Loved by JJ Heller.

Loved

Words and Music by Dave and JJ Heller

Do you dream of a home you never had
An innocence that you cannot get back
The pain is real
You can’t erase it
Sooner or later you have to face it down
Down
You have to face it down

You are loved

Do you keep your thoughts inside your head
Will you regret the things you never said You have a voice
You have to use it
You have a choice
Don’t let them shut you down
Down
Don’t let them shut you down

You are loved

Do you feel the ache inside your soul
You know you’ll never make it on your own
Sorrow is too great for you to hold it 
You're gonna break
Why don't you lay it down

Freedom comes in letting go
Open up the window to your heart
Freedom comes in letting go
Open up your heart

You are loved 

1 Peter

Foundations are so important. God has been speaking to me a lot lately about what are the foundations in my own life. It is often said that you build something from the bottom up, not from the top down. This is why a foundation is so important because everything else is put on top of it and it has to be solid and strong.

Foundations aren't glamorous or cool. When you think of a huge house with large rooms, cool windows, big screen TVs etc you wouldn't walk up to that house and say "Whoa! Check out that sweet foundation!!" We would more likely say "Check out that huge swimming pool" or "Did you see that sweet TV?" A foundation is that unseen thing that make those other things possible.

In 1 Peter he talks about Jesus being the cornerstone of our faith:

4You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.

Traditionally a cornerstone was the first stone placed in a building and all other stones where placed in reference to this cornerstone. Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith and everything that we bring into our lives and everything we do must be done in the context of him being our cornerstone. Sometimes we get distracted by the stuff that we do, good or bad and we forget the thing that's holding it all together. Don't neglect the cornerstone that is in your life. Don't let it become old or cracked but continually return to it so that it goes from strength to strength so that you too can go from strength to strength.

Written by Philip Day

2 Kings 18-21

If you haven't had a chance to read the last Thought, jump back and read that real quick...this Thought will be a continuation from that one.

I love reading about King Hezekiah.  We are told that Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, just as his father David had done.  Get this, he even removed ALL the high places and sacred stones and poles that the people had been worshiping.  He broke pagan sacred things into pieces!  We are also told that Hezekiah trusted in Yahweh and that he held onto Yahweh in all times, keeping His commands that were given to the Israelites so many years ago.

I don't know about you, but this is a GREAT breath of fresh air after reading about all the kings that were being so wicked.  And it gives us great encouragement and instruction that all the sin in our lives needs to be removed...not just the bad stuff.  That's not saying we are to be perfect, because that's impossible.  It tells us though, that we need to be actively surrendering what holds us in bondage.

This chapter really encourages me that in the midst of darkness, God can bring light.  Hezekiah had loads of wicked kings that preceded him and followed after him.  He could have easily followed the may examples of being disobedient and worshiping idols and not tearing down all the idols...but he didn't.  And he is the one that stands out so much in this book.

What made Hezekiah different from all the other kings, even some that did right in Yahweh's eyes was this---he tore down everything that didn't reflect God and he trusted Him in all circumstances.  In later chapters of this week's readings we read about how he fervently sought Yahweh for deliverance from the king of Egypt and for healing of his own body.  Hezekiah's life is as different from his predecessors as night and day.  This is the kind of leader and Believer that I want to be.  Tearing down the high places and everything that doesn't reflect God in my life, and trusting God no matter the circumstances.

Be encouraged that God is faithful and answers us when we call Him, just as he did to King Hezekiah.  He will help you tear down and crush all the idols in your life, if you would only ask for His help.

Update on "Making Deodorant" post

Here is my update on how my homemade deodorant is working out:

It's been over a month, and I am STILL smelling fresh!  I am really impressed because usually my deodorants all work the first while I use it, but then stop.  Not this stuff though!  Coconut oil is seriously a secret weapon for making all sorts of things!  (I just found another recipe I want to try for non-toxic bug spray.  Stay tuned for all the details) :-)

Two thumbs up for this Deodorant recipe!  A HUGE thanks to riddlelove.com!

My only heads-up for you, if you are going to try this, would be this...be sure to have a short jar to store it in (like Katie suggests)!  I didn't have one, so I used an old honey jar.  Since it hardens, I have to scrape it out each day to apply with my finger tips.  In a short jar, you could probably just use your finger tips to loosen it up in order to apply.  I'm not sure how it would work in a reused deodorant container since it hardens, but if you try it, leave comments and let me know!

Also, since it needs to be applied with finger tips, sometimes you'll just need to give yourself a little more time to apply.  The nice thing is that you don't have to let it dry!

-----------

August 2013 (that's right, I didn't need to make more for 5 MONTHS!)

For my second round of deodorant-making, I used what Katie Riddle suggested, an old, cleaned out deodorant container.  The kind that I think works best is from a hard deodorant stick because it has the twisty wheel at the bottom to push up the deodorant stick. Here is what is looks like-

Home made deodorant in an old deodorant container

It was quite messy when I was putting the deodorant mixture into this container.  Once it was in, or at least most of it, I put the container in the fridge because we don't run our air conditioning constantly at our house.  The fridge helps it apply a little easier.  Whenever you need to raise the level on the top, just leave it out of the fridge over night and push it up in the morning, then apply, and put back in the fridge.

Happy Birthday Mom!

My Mom just left my house today (March 4th) and before she left, she anointed me with oil.  This is the thought that came to mind---My own Mom sees me as a daughter of the Most High and treats me as such.  What humility it takes to own the fact that you're own kid is not actually yours, but God's first.  She does not take credit for my intimate relationship with Christ...which she has absolutely had an influence over.

Having a parent look at me and treat me as a Child of God, and not just their own child, is something that blesses me the older I get.  Maybe it's because I am feeling less like a kid, or maybe it's because I am feeling more like a kid with age.  Whatever the case may be, that is something I am realizing is rare...when Mom and Dad see you as God's kid and not just their own kid.

I have learned so much from my Mom through my life.  It was from my Mom I learned about how the Bible can be used to be relevant in our everyday lives.  One memory that always comes to mind is when I was in high school in California.  It was the furlough that we stayed for 2 years so that I could finish my last two years and so that my Mom could finish her Masters Degree.  In this time I was having a hard time with some of the students on my bus; they were so different from my friends in Ireland who respected me and my life (being a Christian).  I told my Mom about it all, and the next day she came back with a little piece of paper with scriptures on it...and a note reminding me that being naive towards evil and behaving in a wise manner towards those outside the Christian circle was what we as Believers were called to do.  This lesson I still hold on to and live by even all these years later.

I still have that little piece of paper.  It reminds me that my Mom is one of my biggest fans.  That's the kind of Mom I want to be.  For my kids to always know that I am cheering them on; in good times and hard times.  And as most of you know, we've had both.

Today is my Mom's birthday and I wanted to take this time to honour her.  Something that I have often thought about since my Dad died is how grateful I am that I didn't lose both of my parents that day.  Since Dad died, I have reminded myself to be intentional about being grateful for my Mom as well.  I don't want to lose sight of the fact that I still have her even through the loss experienced of losing my Dad was and is so great.

As I have grown older, my Mom has become one of my best friends.  We went through a few years when I was younger when my Mom was the LAST person I ever wanted to see or talk too.  It all changed, literally in a moment.  And ever since that moment, my heart towards my Mom has been different.  God did a work in my life and I chose to embrace His softening of my heart and allow my Mom to be a part of my life.  It hasn't been easy.  I was the one that changed and took steps towards building our relationship.  Mom was gracious enough to wait for me.  We have had to really fight for our relationship.  After everything we have experienced in these last almost 2 years, I know God was forging our relationship to be able to withstand the pain we've gone through recently. 

I am blessed to have a Mom that wants the best for me...and that she is willing to let me go and grown and have adventures of my own when I'm sure there were times she didn't want to.  She has taught me how to be a beautiful woman.  Not just on the outside, which let's all admit, she's GORGEOUS! :-)  But she has taught me how to embrace Christ's love as a woman of God and to not be ashamed to walk in that beauty.  I am honoured to have a Mom like Ann Dimond.  I know I am blessed and never want to take that for granted.

My prayer is that I love and treat my daughter how my Mom has loved and treated me.

Lastly, I'll leave you with some stunning pictures of some special memories of my Mom and me.

A few of my favourite pics of mostly Mom and me :-)

Dear Mom,

Thanks for being my best friend.  Thank you for being my Mom too.  I know we have been through a lot that has helped mold our relationship and I am just so overwhelmed at times of how you have embraced all that through the years.  Thank you for showing me what a beautiful Daughter of the Most High looks and acts like.  Thank you for being honourable.  Thank you for showing me what an incredible wife looks like and mother.  I know you think you didn't get it "right" all the time...but I had and have the privilege of seeing you as you walk that journey.  Thanks for showing me what a strong and humble woman looks like.  That is very rare to see strength and humility, so thank you for that.  I love you.  I'm excited for the years to come that we get to share together :)

Love,

Hannahkie

2 Kings 15-17

What catches me is this week's reading is an accumulation of what we have been reading the last several weeks--Israel's sin again God.

Time and time again, Israel didn't turn away from ALL their sin.  Whether it was worshiping at high places, participating in rituals of other nations that God had driven out before them, or secretly doing things against God, they kept on sinning.  They continued to do just as they did before God saved them and continued to do things that God continued to tell them to stop doing.  I see over and over again in these chapters how the people didn't fully turn back to God.  The people may have thought "but I've stopped doing the really bad things against God, I'm sure these small things aren't a big deal."  We see that God wanted all of them, not just parts of them; He wanted their hearts along with their actions.  Because they did not give Him all of themselves, or turn from their wickedness, the scripture tells us God was very angry with them and removed them from his presence (17:18)...they were then taken into exile.  Even when they were in exile, they tried to do what God had commanded, but still, they worshiped other Gods as well.

That's the same today.  God wants all of us...not just some of us.  He wants us to tear down all our high places, not just some of them, or the "really" bad ones.  And this could look different for all of us.  Our high places all look different from one another, but God still wants all of them destroyed in our lives so He can have all of us, not just parts.  We see that when God gave them His commandments, it was to keep the people safe, not just to be a stickler for the rules.

Ask the Lord what high places you may be preserving in your life.  Ask Him to help you tear them down.  He wants all of you, and loves ALL of you enough to give you the strength, encouragement and the gusto to tear them all down.  He wants all of you.

2 Kings 11-14

Chapter 13

I have another short Thought for this week. What struck me in this section of our reading was the Mercy of God. The author tells us that Jehoahaz did evil in the eyes of Yahweh... "So Yahweh's anger burned against Israerl, and for a long time he kept them under the power of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad his son. Then Jehoahaz sought Yahweh's favour and Yahweh listened to him, for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Isreal" (vs 3-4). The author goes on to tell us how God provided a deliverer for Israel and freed them from Aram's oppression. They were able to live in their own cities.

Even though Jehoahaz did evil in God's eyes, God had mercy and delivered him and his people when he sought the Lord. How encouraging is it to know, that God's love for us is so deep that He will come to our rescue when we call...even if we've been doing evil in His sight. Now that is not to say we can do whatever we want and then just apologize or ask for God to help us later. No, it means that whenever we truly seek Him...we find Him. I love that He is the God we serve!

2 Kings 8-10

I want to discuss obedience again as the opening section of chapter 8 highlights a great example. We read of the Woman in chapter 8 previously in chapter 4 where Elisha had healed her son. Elisha gives her a word from the Lord telling her to leave:

1Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the Lord has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.” 2The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years.

So the Woman spent 7 years in a foreign land and returned. The Lord was faithful to her as all her property was returned to her that she had abandoned 7 years earlier:

6The king asked the woman about it, and she told him.
Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, “Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.”

This woman chose to obey the voice of the Lord and left to a foreign place. Famine was widespread in her homeland and she left for an unknown land. Her story has some similarities to a lot of our own stories. We may not have left our home because of famine but most of us left for somewhere foreign because our family obeyed the voice of the Lord. What's great about this story is what the Lord restored to the woman. Not only did she receive the land she left behind but also all the money/income she would have made from her crops.

Obedience is so important in our relationship with God. Often our obedience means we sacrifice something. The woman sacrificed her home and her livelihood. We often have sacrificed friendships or material things when we've followed the voice of the Lord. More importantly was that we chose to listen and act on what the Lord spoke to us. By putting God first the woman sacrificed but the Lord restored what was lost more abundantly. If you're concerned about things you've missed out on don't dwell on whats gone before but focus on the opportunities that are ahead in the knowledge that the Lord is with you. 

Written by Philip Day

Farther Along...

I was introduced to this Artist a few months ago by my Mom.  His name is Josh Garrels.  My Mom shared this song with me regarding everything we've gone through in losing my Dad.  Somehow this song crossed my path again this week and I am so blessed every time I listen to it.  I hope it touches you and reminds you that presently, we only see through the glass dimly...one day, all will be clear.  I'm looking forward to that day.  But for now, I know that God is faithful and always in control.

I like this version the best because it has lyrics and gorgeous pictures from nature;  

I always feel closer to God and my Dad when I'm outside.

Farther Along by Josh Garrels

lyrics

Farther Along

Farther along we’ll know all about it
Farther along we’ll understand why
Cheer up my brothers, live in the sunshine
We’ll understand this, all by and by

Tempted and tried, I wondered why
The good man died, the bad man thrives
And Jesus cries because he loves em’ both
We’re all cast-aways in need of ropes
Hangin’ on by the last threads of our hope
In a house of mirrors full of smoke
Confusing illusions I’ve seen

Where did I go wrong, I sang along
To every chorus of the song
That the devil wrote like a piper at the gates
Leading mice and men down to their fates
But some will courageously escape
The seductive voice with a heart of faith
While walkin’ that line back home

So much more to life than we’ve been told
It’s full of beauty that will unfold
And shine like you struck gold my wayward son
That deadweight burden weighs a ton
Go down into the river and let it run
And wash away all the things you’ve done
Forgiveness alright

Chorus

Still I get hard pressed on every side
Between the rock and a compromise
Like the truth and pack of lies fightin’ for my soul
And I’ve got no place left go
Cause I got changed by what I’ve been shown
More glory than the world has known
Keeps me ramblin’ on

Skipping like a calf loosed from its stall
I’m free to love once and for all
And even when I fall I’ll get back up
For the joy that overflows my cup
Heaven filled me with more than enough
Broke down my levee and my bluff
Let the flood wash me

And one day when the sky rolls back on us
Some rejoice and the others fuss
Cause every knee must bow and tongue confess
That the son of god is forever blessed
His is the kingdom, we’re the guests
So put your voice up to the test
Sing Lord, come soon

Chorus

credits

from Love & War & The Sea In Between, released 15 June 2011
Vocals, Guitar, Organ, Piano, Dobro, Electric Guitar, and Drum Sequencing by Josh Garrels
BGV by Annalisa Nutt
Accordion and Bass by Jay Kirkpatrick
Electric Guitar 2 by Scott Frantz

2 Kings 5-7

It's fun reading these chapters because Dan & Louie tell so many stories from these pages.  Dan and Louie tell Bible stories to kids.  I've been listening to them since I was about 5 years old...and STILL love them (and listen to them, lol)!

Anyway, I want to focus on how strategic God is.  We really get to see this in chapters 6 and 7.  I want to mainly talk about Chapter 6.  Starting in vs 8 we read about the King of Aram's contempt towards the Kind of Israel and the Prophet Elisha.  The King of Aram sends a portion of his army to capture Elisha.  What does God do?  He sends a portion of His fiery army to protect Elisha!  I get so excited reading vs 16-19 because after the Arameans tried capturing Elisha, they were struck with blindness and Elisha led them right into the middle of Samaria where the King of Israel and his army were!  But instead of killing them all, God told the King to feed them.

Because the King obeyed and fed the Arameans, it says the army of Aram stopped raiding Israel's territory (vs 23.).

How cool!  This reminds me of what Jesus instructed in the New Testament--to love your enemies and do good to those that curse you (Luke 6:27).  The King wanted to kill the Arameans, but God knew it would be better to show this mercy to them instead.  As a result of this mercy, the raiding stopped for a time.  God knows the best strategy for living our lives, even if it seems like His way doesn't make sense...which I'm sure for the King of Israel, feasting with his enemies didn't make sense. But the outcome from this was far better I'm sure than if he were to have killed them all...which would have made more sense.  Having a strategy means also that God is intentional about being involved in our lives.

God has a strategy, a plan, for your life.  Sometimes it doesn't make sense but trust that He always knows best and knows what will happen.  He is intentionally investing into your life.  Hold on to His word and direction even if you, or others, don't understand or see the point of it.  He will bring you through and it will be the best outcome because He has your back and desires good things for you (Psalm 84:11)!

Easter

I love Easter.  Growing up, I always got a new dress to wear and it was always (mostly) sunny!  As I've become older, Easter's meaning of course has deepened in my heart.  I still would love to get a new Easter dress, but my thoughts usually get caught up in the last week of Jesus' life.

In college, I had the privilege of studying the Bible.  And in one course particularly, I learned more about the timeline of Christ's last week.  Since then, I have been more intentional about spending more time thinking about it the week leading up to Easter; Holy Week.  I don't want to take His sacrifice for us for granted...and I don't want to forget how He suffered for our freedom from sin.

This year, I'm struck with the thought that Jesus was human, like us.  He had friends and family, like us.  What was His time like, day-to-day, leading up to the Cross?  What were conversations He had with His mother and disciples?  How did He remain present when He knew what was coming?

These are just some things I ask when I picture Jesus' last week before His death.  I challenge myself to make this Holy Week more personal.  To even day-dream about what could have happened in Jesus' life in this last week before His death.  This is how I want to spend my Easter...remembering His death, and celebrating His victory!

MorningStar WW3- He's Alive- Suzy Yaraei

1 Kings 20-22

1 Kings 20-22

These chapters continue about Judah and Israel's Kings and their stories.  The part I want to focus on is in Chapter 21.  It is about King Ahab and his wife Jezebel.

Jezebel just killed a man because Ahab wanted his vineyard.  The word of Yahweh came against both Ahab and Jezebel that they were both going to die awful deaths because of their sin and disregard for God and His laws.

The part that really stuck out to me is how Ahab responded to his death sentence.  Now remember, in verses 25-26 it reiterates how wicked Ahab was (vs25-There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. vs26-He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.))

...keep this in mind as we read how he responded: Vs 27- When Ahab heard these words (Yahweh's word), he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.

WHAT?!  That does not seem to make any sense!  This wicked man was full of remorse?  Wow.  Because this was how Ahab responded, in verses 28 and 29, God promised not to destroy Ahab's house in his own day.

This tells me how important our response to God's discipline and correction is.  Of course we aren't as wicked as King Ahab, but since we're human, we all have sinful tendencies that try to get the best of us.  When God's loving rebuke comes, which it will because He loves us (He disciplines those He loves-Proverbs 3:11-12), our response is so important!  We see in the book of Kings so many responses other than repentance...but in this story, we see God have some mercy in His judgement when Ahab responded with meekness and sorrow for his sin.

This also encourages me when I pray for friends who don't know Christ.  If Ahab, the most wicked King of his time humbled himself before God...my unsaved friends can too.  It gives me hope.

Be encouraged.  Keep humbling yourself before God and surrendering yourself to Him daily.  He loves you very much :)

Making Deodorant

That's right...I'm making my own deodorant!  For a few years I've been using natural deodorants, but they don't work for long on me.  This last kind I bought has worked out a bit better but I always keep my eyes peeled for a new non-toxic deodorant I can try.  When I saw this homemade deodorant recipe on a blog I got really excited because she seems to have the same problem as me, and says this one works!

So I am embarking on making this SUPER EASY deodorant that I got from Katie Riddle's blog at Riddlelove.com-- 3-Minute Homemade Deodorant Recipe.

It only takes 4 ingredients and I am really keen to see if it works for my difficult underarms :)  I'll keep you posted!

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Okay, so I have made it.  Just waiting for it to solidify.  I'll start using it once it does and check back in.

it melted funny, so I was nervous if I did it right...I just kept going with the recipe.

Here it is!  Warm and melted and mixed up real good.

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It's been 4 days and I am SUPER impressed this stuff is working great!  It even stood like a rock against the "leading-worship-test." aka--nervous sweat!  I'll let you know how it works after a few more weeks but so far so good!  Totally recommend!

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Click here for an Update on "Making Deodorant" post

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August 2013 (that's right, I didn't need to make more for 5 MONTHS!)
For my second round of deodorant-making, I used what Katie Riddle suggested, an old, cleaned out deodorant container.  The kind that I think works best is from a hard deodorant stick because it has the twisty wheel at the bottom to push up the deodorant stick. Here is what is looks like-

Home made deodorant in an old deodorant container

It was quite messy when I was putting the deodorant mixture into this container.  Once it was in, or at least most of it, I put the container in the fridge because we don't run our air conditioning constantly at our house.  The fridge helps it apply a little easier.  Whenever you need to raise the level on the top, just leave it out of the fridge over night and push it up in the morning, then apply, and put back in the fridge.

Cookies!

In the beginning of February, I got back into my cookie baking.  I hadn't made chocolate chip cookies in a really long time, and from the first batch...I knew they were going to become a regular in the Day household!  In 1 week, I made 4 batches!!!  No, they weren't for us.  There were events that called for "bring something to share".  I never remembered them being so yummy, but soon realized why.

On my 3rd batch, I realized I misread the recipe.  Thank you dyslexia!  You serve me well :)  Instead of 3/4 cup of butter, I added 1 cup.  You may not think that would be a great difference, but when you're using the world's best butter, you can taste every piece of deliciousness!  What is this butter you ask?  Kerry Gold Butter.  It's the only butter we use because we're butter snobs and think Irish butter is clearly superior to all other butters :)  And...it keeps a little part of home in our kitchen!  We buy ours at Trader Joe's because it's all we can find...usually $2.99 each.

The next thing I realized that made these cookies so delectable is my homemade vanilla extract!  It takes 6 months to make.  A friend of mine made it and gave them as her Christmas gifts.  Genius!  So with the best butter and homemade vanilla, these cookies are melt-in-you-mouth-goodness.

This recipe was passed down to me by my Mom so I call these Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies!  Try this simple recipe and see what you think.  I've also included pictures :)

Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup shortening (or 3/4 cup butter/marg)  (Note---this is where my awesome mistake occurred)

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet choc chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional (I do not use this option))

Preheat oven at 375 degree (American setting) 

Cream shortening or butter, brown sugar, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and beat well.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture.

Stir in choc chips and nuts.  (Place dough in fridge for about 13-30 mins, which helps make chewy cookies).

Drop by tsp onto un-greased cookie sheet (I use the butter wrapping to grease the sheet for more buttery goodness).  

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light brown.  Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.  Place on foil to keep cookie chewy.  Let completely cool on sheets of foil.

For fat and chewy cookies, take butter out of fridge to get room temp (about 2-3 hrs) and chill dough before baking.

YUM!

Enjoy and if you try this recipe, come back and let us know how it turned out :)

the supplies

stir in chocolate chips

Enjoy!

March 13- Jesus Calling

Today's reading in the book, Jesus Calling, really spoke to me, and I wanted to share it on here with you.


March 13th

LEARN TO LIVE about your circumstances.  This requires focused time with Me, the One who overcame the world. Trouble and distress are woven into the very fabric of this perishing world.  Only My Life in you can empower you to face this endless flow of problems with good cheer.

As you sit quietly in My Presence, I shine Peace into your troubled mind and heart.  Little by little, you are freed from earthly shackles and lifted up above your circumstances.  You gain My perspective on your life, enabling you to distinguish between what is important and what is not.  Rest in My Presence, receiving Joy that no one can take away from you.
 
        “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
                                                                                    John 15:33 (NKJV)         So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
                                                                                    John 16:22

1 Kings 17-19

This portion of scripture was one of the first I read in my children's bible story book all those years ago. I just remember the picture in the book of the fire raining down from heaven as Elijah prays over the alter. I was always amazed at the many miracles God performed through Elijah in these three chapters from raising the widow's son from the dead to creating rain after years of drought. Instead of focusing on the works God did I want to focus on Elijah and the confidence he displayed in this passage.

Elijah was the last of the Lord's prophets left (18:22) and he came up against a nation who were following false Gods and had 950 prophets. Elijah was alone, that last voice who was standing for the truth. What struck me about Elijah throughout this passage was his complete confidence in what he was doing. He spoke and acted with authority without complaint and without fear. Looking at the situation it seemed desperate but Elijah know something bigger was going on behind the scenes. Elijah had a promise. The Lord had spoken to Elijah about exactly what was going to happen. Elijah was not alone by any means because God was leading and directing him every step of the way. (18:36)

At times in our lives we are the last ones standing. We are that last voice willing to stand for the truth. Should we fear? Should we feel alone? I don't think we should but instead we should have hope and confidence in the Lord. The Lord has given each one of us a promise. The promise of salvation and everlasting life. God has also given each one of us promises specific to our own lives. Hold on to those promises and have confidence in what the Lord has spoken to you.


Written by Philip Day

1 Kings 14-16

The Thought for this week is pretty short and sweet.  It is actually something that I've had to remember a lot in the past 6 months.  This week's reading reiterated the point that you can be any age to choose to serve the Lord or to turn away from Him. Faith isn't contingent on your physical age. You can start waking in His ways at 40, or decide to turn away. The same holds true if you're 10.

Guard your heart. None of us are beyond temptation...no matter what our age.  Reading about all these kings that could have followed God and kept His laws, it reminds me over and over again that we must always keep humbling ourselves before God and surrendering to His will daily. I'm sure many of us have seen what can happen if we don't do these things...regardless of our age. 

Coming up to Easter helps us remember surrendering and humbling!  Matthew 26:36-46 is the story about Jesus surrendering himself to the Father...3 times.  Even in the midst of his darkest moment and most lonely one, Jesus asked to for a way out, but if there wasn't one..."Not my will but your will," was his prayer.  Let us remember to surrender our will to the Father, daily, and humble ourselves before Him constantly.

Update on the Cold---Remedies that work!

I just wanted to update you quickly on how my cold and ears have been since starting my remedies on Monday.  I am really encouraged because today, only 3 days after starting on a consistent regimen of what I suggested in my Previous Post,  I officially have NO runny nose!  YAY!  Thank you Jesus.  The only cold symptom I have left is plugged ears and low energy.  My ears will take a bit of time so I'll just keep adjusting them and drinking lots of water and they will keep draining.

I was excited to see such quick results and so I wanted to share.  For other Healthy Living resources, check out that new page :)

Cold Remedies

This year I have managed to ward off all sickness!  Who needs a flu shot when you eat nutritious food, get a good amount of exercise, and keep your cabinet loaded with some D3, C and Silver Water??  Obviously, I don't eat good things all the time, but I have been doing really good for the most part.  I've also made it to the gym 4-5 days a week in the last month.  It's actually become my new hobby!  I also keep a well supplied stock of these great vitamins/minerals.

The last few days however, my body has been fighting some cold symptoms and I wanted to be sure to share some helpful remedies!  You don't need to rush to the Dr for every little sniffle...especially when you can take care of it yourself.  Leave your Dr more time for emergency patients and you stay home and manage the smaller stuff :)  You and your Dr will appreciate it in the long run!

If you are like me and suffer from ear troubles sometimes, this part is for you.  My right ear is shaped funny inside and so I have to take a little extra care of it in general.  If you feel an ear infection coming on, manually adjusting your ears is a great way to help them drain.  You can ask your Chiropractor how to do this (or ask me next time you see me).  It's easy and doesn't hurt...it's just uncomfortable sometimes.  Next, you'll want to get some garlic and mullein ear drops.  This is the kind I use but there are other brands out there.  (heads up, this kind smells of garlic!)  The main ingredients are garlic and mullein, but if you don't want to buy anything extra, you can smash up some garlic from your kitchen and mix with pure olive oil and drop it into your ear.  Sounds crazy, but it works just as well.  Garlic is a natural antibiotic.  These drops along with manually adjusting your ears help fend off infection that might try and take hold.

Other supplements that are good for colds and congestion are good 'ol Silver Water, Vitamin C, and D3!  In my fantastic book, Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing (highly recommend) it has some extra tips for success like only taking one form of medication at a time (page 344).  You can get garlic pills if you don't like eating garlic.  That's what I usually do.  I have a friend that smears some raw garlic on a piece of toast at first signs of a cold and this helps kick out any virus.  I don't do this because the thought of it is gross to me, but hey, if you don't mind that much garlic, it will sure work! :)

For stuffy noses, you can use some nice Eucalyptus Essential oil to help your sinuses.

The thing about homeopathic solutions is they help you build up your immune system, not just relieve you from icky symptoms.  These ideas won't be a quick fix...it'll help support your body's genius function to protect itself which sometimes takes a bit longer than medications.  Sometimes homeopathic solutions may feel like they are just fluffy ideas that don't work, but in the long run, natural remedies will equip your body to fend off a cold or ear ache.  This cold has been really hard on my nose so along with all the vitamins, I have also taken a nasal decongestant; but with the advise from my book, I've only taken a "single-ingredient product" because sometimes multi-ingredient products end up working against each other (page 344).    

If you're suffering from a cold or ear ache, try these remedies and see what you think.  It's not a quick fix, but for me, I've found these to be beneficial and a great alternative for my body in the long run.  And as always, when buying vitamins, the brand is VERY important.  Be sure it's been inspected for purity and is potency and quality guaranteed :)

1 Kings 12-13

The decisions we make effect the direction our life takes. God always has our backs but God also blesses wisdom and maturity. A wise person seeks the counsel of others and I want to just emphasize the importance of taking advice from those older than us.

1 Kings 12 really spoke to me this week about the importance of older people in my life and the wisdom they have to offer. We read in the chapter that Rehoboam the new King of Israel rejects the advice of his older counselors:

3So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: 4“Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
5Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then come back to me.” So the people went away.
6Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.
7They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”
8But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.

Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older counselors which led to the division of the nation of Israel. Our decisions don't make an impact on such a big scale but I can't emphasize enough the importance of advice from older generations. Our parents have been around a lot longer than we have and know a lot more than us (even though we oftentimes think we know more.) I've faced many decisions in my life when I've sought the advice of my parents and other older friends. Oftentimes they confirmed and encouraged the decisions I was making but sometimes they gave me a word of caution or showed me a perspective I hadn't already thought about.

I cannot emphasize the importance that input from other people has in my life. Sometimes we are blind to certain things but another person can see what we haven't seen. Those older than us have probably been through whatever it is you're going through right now and they've come out the other side. Seek out wise counsel and let it impact your life.

Written by Philip Day