Jessica's Blog
Monday, April 21, 2008
~*~Beautifully Springy Morning~*~
Due to a very busy and stressful week, I have avoided my blog. My step-dad had surgery on Monday, so the house and children have needed extra attention. We are just now starting to get caught up with, everything.
After getting lots of good sleep last night, Mom and I still managed to get out of bed early enough to go for a walk. The weather has been so pretty this week, very windy... but I don't mind that, I love blustery days. I love it when we are up early enough to enjoy the weather, take a shower and go to the store all before 8:30 in the morning!
We may not have very many trees here, (I'm from the east coast, so no, relatively speaking we do not have a lot of trees here), but we do have lots and lots of birds. We put up a bird house a month or two ago, and the kids have been dropping little handfuls of bird seed in there to see what they could attract. It didn't take long, soon we had what looked to be the bird club on our back fence. Now we have a permanent visitor who has been busy building a nest. I caught this one this morning with the camera~
After getting lots of good sleep last night, Mom and I still managed to get out of bed early enough to go for a walk. The weather has been so pretty this week, very windy... but I don't mind that, I love blustery days. I love it when we are up early enough to enjoy the weather, take a shower and go to the store all before 8:30 in the morning!
We may not have very many trees here, (I'm from the east coast, so no, relatively speaking we do not have a lot of trees here), but we do have lots and lots of birds. We put up a bird house a month or two ago, and the kids have been dropping little handfuls of bird seed in there to see what they could attract. It didn't take long, soon we had what looked to be the bird club on our back fence. Now we have a permanent visitor who has been busy building a nest. I caught this one this morning with the camera~
After my little nature photo shoot, I put the camera to another use, I was making Peanut Butter Granola, so I thought I would put the recipe here, since I haven't been doing much of that here. This is one of our favorite recipes, and if you like peanut butter captain crunch like my Mom and I do (ooo, confessions), then you will find this to be a yummy and healthy alternative!~
The Recipe~*~
~*We have a flaker to flake our own oats, rather then dropping 10 bucks for a box of the stale stuff from the store!
Melt over low heat in a saucepan:
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
3 tsp. vanilla
While that is sitting on the heat, combine in a large bowl
10 cups freshly flaked oats
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
I forgot to to mix the brown sugar into the oats *before* I added the peanut sauce, so there were lumps of sugar in it.. "Oh darn", thought the kids.
Pour the sauce over the oats and stir well to combine. Try and chop it up a little bit with the spoon to get some of the lumps out of it.
Preheat the oven to 350. If your pans are as well-loved as ours.. as in Mother Dear threatened to throw ours out last night.. then I would recommend lining them with parchment paper before dumping the granola onto them.
Bake for 20 minutes stirring every 5 minutes.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
~*Young Kindred Hearts*~
For anyone who received the Spring issue of our magazine, you have already seen that we started a pen pal column called Kindred Hearts. When we started it, we thought that we would leave it open to those ladies aged 19 or older. I wanted it to be for younger ladies as well, and we did have some requests for it! So, the column is now open to girls who are 13-18 years old, as well for those 19 or older!Our goal is to encourage ladies, old and young, to not only correspond, but to encourage each other was well! So few young ladies know how to communicate this way, or want to for that matter. Text messaging has taken over correspondence with the younger half of the population. But for those who would like to sit down and pen a thoughtful letter, please come and join us as we share prayers, encouraging words, letters, cards, and friendship with others across the miles!
Sign up here!
We have had some wonderful submissions so far! Just remember, it is so much easier to pair you up with someone when you really do a good job writing down what your interests are! Don't be afraid, write down everything, even if it seems little... it really tells us something about you! We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Would you like to link us with our graphic? Right click and save these to your computer to put on your blog or website!*
Would you like to link us with our graphic? Right click and save these to your computer to put on your blog or website!*
~*~Jessica~*~
Labels: Announcements
Monday, April 14, 2008
It's Called A Beautiful Letdown ~*~ Only to Someone Else
Friday was shopping day (yes, it's taking me this long to post a happening!). The grocery shopping is sort of my job, sometimes Mom does it, but it's usually me who does the that and any extra errands. I like the job, it's a fun outing, and sometimes I can squeeze in going to the library to get a movie, a Starbucks, or maybe a quick stop at the crafts store! Generally, I take at least a couple of kids with me, if I'm really feeling peppy I'll take all seven! Mike comes of course, he's always my favorite shopping "buddy"!
On the way home, we stopped at Target for something extra. Another fun stop anyway, Mike and I like to go there to look for movies. We got our stuff and got in line. There were two girls in front of us. I couldn't help but listen to their conversation...
The one girl was relating her "guy" problems to the other. She had quite a few, probably from juggling too many guys. The other girl listened intently, related her similar problems right back. I started observing little comparisons, between those two girls and me. Both of them looked as though they had been to the tanning salon several times already, their nails were perfectly Frenched, hair looked as though the wind wasn't blowing at all that day. Tons of gaudy make-up, I think half of their lip mass was painted on. From everything else, I figured that they were on their way to a party. Both of them reeked of cigarette smoke. Which was sad in itself, neither of them looked older then 18-19 years old. Their whole appearance, everything from the way that they dressed, to what they had on their face, conveyed everything that was self-centered... it was clear that they only had them to worry about.
I smiled when I looked down at my nails, hacked off the day before so I could do my embroidery work and bread baking without the pain of long nails. Did I envy those girls? No, not one little bit. I was thinking on the way home of all of the things I noticed, and I thought out loud when I told my brother that I was glad I wasn't like either of them.
Of course I'm a girly-girl, I do my hair everyday, and wear make-up, and paint my nails, toe nails included. I do everything that makes me just look like, well a girl! But there are distinct differences in just making your self look like a girl, and trying to make yourself into something like that.
I know sometimes people look at me and wonder why I am still here. Occasionally even talk to me as if I can't stand being in the house with so many children, regardless of how much they know I love them. They know all of that, but when am I going to get out and take care of me? Well, never.
I was thankful that God never gave me the opportunity to become that way. I'm glad that I'm not a "party girl". I like my short nails and the fact that I can go outside and get my hands dirty. I love taking all of my brothers and sisters with me to the grocery store and the library.
I love being here, and like looking like a "worked" girl. I don't want my hands to look as if they had never seen a dish brush, or had never been stabbed a few times with a sewing needle, or burned taking dinner out of the oven. I don't care if my hair isn't sprayed perfectly into place because I have been chasing kids all over creation.
I'm thankful that I don't have "guy" problems. The only guy I will ever have is going to be a "Mr." and I am going to be the "Mrs.". If girls looked at dating and guys that way, they wouldn't have to stand in line and consult on what do do with harry, moe and mac all at one time.
My idea of a wild night is to stay home and drink my chamomile tea and watch my corny British comedies! In the end, thank you God for making me what I am.
~*~Jessica~*~
On the way home, we stopped at Target for something extra. Another fun stop anyway, Mike and I like to go there to look for movies. We got our stuff and got in line. There were two girls in front of us. I couldn't help but listen to their conversation...
The one girl was relating her "guy" problems to the other. She had quite a few, probably from juggling too many guys. The other girl listened intently, related her similar problems right back. I started observing little comparisons, between those two girls and me. Both of them looked as though they had been to the tanning salon several times already, their nails were perfectly Frenched, hair looked as though the wind wasn't blowing at all that day. Tons of gaudy make-up, I think half of their lip mass was painted on. From everything else, I figured that they were on their way to a party. Both of them reeked of cigarette smoke. Which was sad in itself, neither of them looked older then 18-19 years old. Their whole appearance, everything from the way that they dressed, to what they had on their face, conveyed everything that was self-centered... it was clear that they only had them to worry about.
I smiled when I looked down at my nails, hacked off the day before so I could do my embroidery work and bread baking without the pain of long nails. Did I envy those girls? No, not one little bit. I was thinking on the way home of all of the things I noticed, and I thought out loud when I told my brother that I was glad I wasn't like either of them.
Of course I'm a girly-girl, I do my hair everyday, and wear make-up, and paint my nails, toe nails included. I do everything that makes me just look like, well a girl! But there are distinct differences in just making your self look like a girl, and trying to make yourself into something like that.
I know sometimes people look at me and wonder why I am still here. Occasionally even talk to me as if I can't stand being in the house with so many children, regardless of how much they know I love them. They know all of that, but when am I going to get out and take care of me? Well, never.
I was thankful that God never gave me the opportunity to become that way. I'm glad that I'm not a "party girl". I like my short nails and the fact that I can go outside and get my hands dirty. I love taking all of my brothers and sisters with me to the grocery store and the library.
I love being here, and like looking like a "worked" girl. I don't want my hands to look as if they had never seen a dish brush, or had never been stabbed a few times with a sewing needle, or burned taking dinner out of the oven. I don't care if my hair isn't sprayed perfectly into place because I have been chasing kids all over creation.
I'm thankful that I don't have "guy" problems. The only guy I will ever have is going to be a "Mr." and I am going to be the "Mrs.". If girls looked at dating and guys that way, they wouldn't have to stand in line and consult on what do do with harry, moe and mac all at one time.
My idea of a wild night is to stay home and drink my chamomile tea and watch my corny British comedies! In the end, thank you God for making me what I am.
~*~Jessica~*~
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Never, never, never, never, never...
I get the Elisabeth Elliot newsletters in my email every morning, when I find a really good one I always save it for later reading. I was digging through some of my saved newsletters the other night, and found this:Forsaken? Impossible
Twice in my life I have heard Christians claim, in all seriousness, that God had forsaken them. This is an impossibility. Does Christ live in us? He does. The living Christ dwells in the heart of every true believer--He in them and they in Him. There are no words which adequately describe the intimacy of this relationship. Jesus, in his last recorded prayer for those whom the Father had given Him, asked "that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and thou in me...that the love thou hadst for me may be in them, and I may be in them" (Jn 17:23, 26 NEB).
Twice in my life I have heard Christians claim, in all seriousness, that God had forsaken them. This is an impossibility. Does Christ live in us? He does. The living Christ dwells in the heart of every true believer--He in them and they in Him. There are no words which adequately describe the intimacy of this relationship. Jesus, in his last recorded prayer for those whom the Father had given Him, asked "that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and thou in me...that the love thou hadst for me may be in them, and I may be in them" (Jn 17:23, 26 NEB).
Jesus Christ, in the extremity of his agony on the cross, asked why God had forsaken Him. In becoming sin for us He experienced a terrible alienation from his Father, a sense of total dereliction. God did not and could not forsake the Son who was one with Him. He cannot and will not forsake us who are not only his sons and daughters, but also the dwelling-places of his only begotten Son. "I will never, never, never, never, never (the Greek has five negatives) leave you or forsake you," is his promise. At times we may be overcome with a feeling of helpless forsakenness. This is surely not from the loving Father, but from the father of lies. The best way to answer that "father" is the way Jesus answered when tempted by Satan: "It is written." Take God's own promise with its five negatives and hold on.
I loved reading this, that bit of scripture is one of my very favorites. It is a never swaying reminder that no matter what, we are never going to be alone. Even when things are so low, you just can't see the light at the end of the tunnel; when people who say they're you friends, still up run the other way; when you feel like there is no one else there... He says "I will never, never, never, never, never forsake you". No matter what the deciever trys to tell us, we have that wonderful promise to hold on to.
~*~Jessica~*~
I loved reading this, that bit of scripture is one of my very favorites. It is a never swaying reminder that no matter what, we are never going to be alone. Even when things are so low, you just can't see the light at the end of the tunnel; when people who say they're you friends, still up run the other way; when you feel like there is no one else there... He says "I will never, never, never, never, never forsake you". No matter what the deciever trys to tell us, we have that wonderful promise to hold on to.
~*~Jessica~*~
