wise lyrics i heard today

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

SLOW FADE ~Casting Crowns

pride makes me clumsy

listening to Otto Koning AGAIN! i need to listen to this guy at least once a month. he reminds me in every message to give it ALL to God!

interested?
http://www.thoughtsonchristianliving.org/audio-index.html

i was reflecting on my life, my job and my position as "mom" and how they all work together. sometimes i look at how healthy my kids are and i think to myself "see, i was right," but what i often forget is that i wasn't right, i was just in the right place, even when i didn't know it. God has always been the RIGHT one. he's the one that told me to do this job. He's the one who gives me the resources to care for my family and offer advice on health, herbs and nutrition. He's the one who made my children healthy. He's the one who brings wisdom and healing to those i touch through my job. He did all of these things, only because i was obedient.

i'm not tooting my horn here, because obedience is not my strong point. often i obey, not just because "He said so" but because of the gift of intelligence that God "blessed" me with. i see the problem. i use my talents and my intelligence to weigh the research and the available information and THEN i act. WOW! how great of a mom am "i"? aren't i just "big stuff" in the natural health world.

i just THANK JESUS, that He knows that my heart is in the right place, even when my head is not. He gives me enough grace, that when i choose to obey conditionally, He STILL, even then, gives me the blessings in spite of my arrogance and pride.

my kids still get sick occasionally and sometimes the advice i share doesn't work and i wonder what i did wrong. why aren't they healthy now? why aren't "my" treatments working this time, when they always worked before? well, even though i often forget, this week i was reminded. they weren't healed before because i gave them garlic or good advice. they were healed because i obeyed. the times they are not healed, i'm sure is because i forgot to give God the glory for my obedience.

man, this is a hard lesson to learn and even after learning, hard to make it stick.

it's all in His hands. it's all in His GLORY. i am only a keeper of His children, the vessel of His wisdom and if i obey, He will use me to serve others to His glory.

i love you all, not because i'm good, but because He made me good!

~blessings

bday stands for birthdays and baptisms

i had the privilege of witnessing the baptism of my 2nd daughter and two of her cousins tonite. it was also my father's and my husband's birthday. what a delight to have so many blessings in one day. to celebrate, we did up the girlie's hair in a do that would be "dunk proof" and look nice to and we made the most wonderful 3-layer "death-by-chocolate" cake.










this style was called Elizabethan hair taping by the lady who gave the tutorial. we tried her version of the dutch crown which turned out lovely, but her hair wasn't quite thick enough at the bottom to make it look even on both sides. the taping is also much easier and there are no pesky pins to poke you in the head or fall out. my daughter has been wearing this "do" all week and has little loss of hair from the braids (a few fuzzies here and there).







Elizabethan hair taping video:


Dutch crown videos:





now, this lucious piece of art came from a recipe i found online at a site called Mom's Who Think
the frosting recipe is actually the ganache recipe that i used for my donut birthday cake.




Triple Layer Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

1 cup cocoa powder
2 cups boiling water
1 cup (2 sticks) butter softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
2 3/4 cups all purpose (unbleached) flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. preheat oven to 350°F. grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans.

2. in a medium bowl, stir the boiling water into the cocoa until smooth, and set aside.

3. in a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, and set aside.

4. at medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 4 to 5 minutes.

5. add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

6. turn mixer down to low speed. add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

7. stir in the vanilla, and do not over-beat.

8. pour an equal amount of batter into each of the three prepared pans.

9. bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

10. cool in pans set on racks for 10 minutes. invert pans on racks, remove pans, and allow layers to cool completely before frosting.

NOTE: if your cakes are not flat (level) then i would recommend frosting one layer and putting it into the fridge to chill for a bit to prevent the layers from slipping off. i used toothpicks, but this probably isn't preferable for public presentation.

inspiration

i've been feeling a bit worn out and a little discouraged for awhile. this isn't something unusual or life threatening, just another human cycle that i too experience from time to time.

i have been listening to some tapes from one of my favorite pastors and he was speaking of a verse about God always dwelling with me (Psalms 90:1) and my mind started to wander about the things i've been sulking about as of late. then i remembered what my friend had told me about 10 things God did to love me today and i started looking around the yard from my perch on the front porch and i looked up and spied something that made me smile and tear up just a bit. (yes, my life is like a halmark card.) anyway, it was truly special and i wanted to write it down.

i have a flowering bush in the front yard that makes very beautiful clusters of white flowers in the late spring/early summer every year. after looking it up, i believe it might be hydrangea. the bush is constantly competing for ground with two other trees that have taken root and all grow together in a big ugly mess.

i looked up and saw a very small (maybe 1/2 the regular size) flower cluster poking out of the mess...only one...AND...out of season.

he is no fool

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.

~Jim Elliot

His grace truly is amazing...

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.



T'was Grace that taught...
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear...
the hour I first believed.



Through many dangers, toils and snares...
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home.



The Lord has promised good to me...
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be...
as long as life endures.



When we've been here ten thousand years...
bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise...
then when we've first begun.



Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

John Newton, the author of the lyrics to Amazing Grace, was born in 1725 in Wapping, London, United Kingdom. Despite the powerful message of "Amazing Grace," Newton's religious beliefs initially lacked conviction; his youth was marked by religious confusion and a lack of moral self-control and discipline.

After a brief time in the Royal Navy, Newton began his career in slave trading. The turning point in Newton's spiritual life was a violent storm that occurred one night while at sea. Moments after he left the deck, the crewman who had taken his place was swept overboard. Although he manned the vessel for the remainder of the tempest, he later commented that, throughout the tumult, he realized his helplessness and concluded that only the grace of God could save him. Prodded by what he had read in Thomas à Kempis' Imitation of Christ, Newton took the first step toward accepting faith.^...

In her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe quoted three stanzas as seemingly from one hymn, two of them corrupt versions of Amazing Grace stanzas, and one reading:

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining like the sun,
We've no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.

Despite its relatively poor mesh with the rest of the hymn (the change from "I" to "we," change of subject, no reference for "there"), a form of this stanza became common as part of Amazing Grace in hymnals in the early twentieth century, due in large part to the influential hymnodist and publisher Edwin Othello Excell. While the stanza is often credited to John P. Rees (1828-1900), it antedates his birth. It was in print by 1790, added to an old and widely-varied hymn most usually beginning "Jerusalem, my happy home," and was still appearing as part of this hymn in books published around the time of Stowe's book...

from wikipedia.org

i never buy clothes

this is both a blessing and a burden. so many generous people give us the clothing we always need--so much so--i hardly ever have to purchase clothes. we've probably spent $100 on clothes in the last 10 years. no kidding! this is wonderful blessing.

the problem lies in that i can't get rid of clothes. i don't have any problems giving away things that are too small for my children, but even if their drawers are crammed to over-flowing, i can't part with the items they don't really need.

if i gain/lose weight, i can't part with an item (or 12) that might fit if i fluctuate the other way and i now have so many clothes, i can't find places for them all.

i've decided i'm going to weed them out. someone else can use them and i'm tired of looking at them. i tell myself this everytime i get a new batch, but i never throw out the amount i take in and the piles grow and grow and grow.

if you have a mind to, pray that i will have the wisdom and the ability to rid myself of unneeded belongings. as silly as this sounds, it's really a struggle for me. i hate to waste and i hate to think that tomorrow when we need it most, that i might have previously thrown it out. i really need to overcome this weakness and just live knowing, that God will always provide what we need tomorrow as well as today. He has shown us over and over, just by the fact that "i never buy clothes".

blessings all. it's going to be a long weekend. *wink*

democrat or republican

This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

~Daniel 4:17

friends

i have made a few friends both locally and afar over the last three years since moving to our current home. as a young child and a young adult, i had some difficulties making and keeping any friends of substance (surprising i know LOL).

over the last three years, since moving to our current home, i have acquired a handful of new friends and to say these friends have been a blessing would be a gross understatement.

a few months ago, one of these friends delivered their old stove to our door (an hour away) to replace our broken stove. they installed it and if that wasn't enough, they brought with them and gave to us, deer, pheasant, rabbit, cheese and other assorted goodies-just because. they even offered to mow the grass to help us out. these same folks a few months back, drove over here for a few hours just to take my kids to the park so i could sleep after a very hard night at the emergency room.

another friend who lives about 6 hours from here, has sent me clothing and other useful essential items that i could not afford to purchase for myself. she and her family paid all of the shipping costs and i suspect maybe even purchased a few of the items herself. then she brought her wonderful family to visit and brought us bread and jellies and hostas for my yard and even helped me plant them (heck they did all the hard work) while they were here.

another friend whom i have yet to see face to face, has counseled me through many sessions of things of importance to me and the well being of my family and she has also sent me a few wonderful gifts in the mail including, organic soap, organic mocha java (major brownie points there!), some organic sauces, some grits and other various oddities and unique items from her part of the country for my family to enjoy.

more recently, harvest has been grand. a couple of these blessings from God have been so generous and given us apples, zucchini, cucumbers and tomatoes, canning jars and have loaned(and even delivered to my door) items to help me process the foods i've been given to keep for winter and spring.

all of them have prayed for us, given to us, endured my relentless phone calls and visits and endless questions and requests for advice and problem solving both regarding the harvest (all new stuff to me) and any problems at home that seemed to pop up during the season's rush. thanks to them, my husband is still breathing, my children still love me, my house is still standing and we have apple sauce, apple butter, grape jelly, frozen zucchini, salsa and kimchee to last through the season and best of all, i get to call of these people, these wonderful, generous, kind, compassionate people--my friends.

i don't know for the life of me what i did to deserve any of them and this and sometimes it's so overwhelming i begin to well up. it's hard for me to conceive that so many people would be so kind to us for no other reason than just because they want to love us. i do know that the Lord was responsible for bringing them to us as an answer to my many repeated prayers over the years for friends that i could love and who would love me in return. the really neat thing is, i asked God for one good friend and He sent me one dozen. God is so GREAT!

i couldn't ask for better friends and even if i did, i don't think they even make them any better than this.

blessings to you all!

~hb

trees that wood

Trees That Wood
by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty." Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull." Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me." After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter" ... and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest. At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship. When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree so I'll take this one", and he cut it down. When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time. Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat. Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it. The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

the blessings of harvest and friends

this years harvest has brought us many blessings and the most blessed part of it all, is that we don't even have a garden. the Lord has blessed me with the most generous loving and wonderful friends and they have given us apples,Korean pears, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, corn and one friend even threw in a nice heft bag of freshly ground whole wheat flour, 1/2 gallon of fresh REAL buttermilk and a quart of homemade vinegar/pepper cheese (mmmmmmm!). another wonderful friend loaned me her apple corer AND she even brought it over as i am currently without transportation.

only God can make friends like these and i feel so blessed to have them.

we have wild grapes in the backyard from which i was able to make and can jelly last week (without pectin! - how cool is that?). today we cored, peeled and cut apples to freeze for pies and we made some pear/apple butter (it's been cooking for like 9 hours and it's still going - LOL). last week we shredded and froze zucchini and made zucchini bread and zucchini salsa (WOW! was that ever good). we helped a friend shuck, cut and freeze corn and made jelly at her house too (that's where i learned how!). we also were able to get some greatly discounted items at the farmers market (peppers, tomatoes, more zucchini and lots o'cucumbers). we made kimchi from the cuc's and more salsa from the maters and the peppers. we have really got it made in the harvest department this year and i still have about 40 lbs of lard to render. whooppeeee!

i feel so self-sufficient. now i just need to learn how to shoot and dress a deer and i will be set.

pray for someone you love

i sent my kids upstairs tonight to pray. my daughter said that she learned about praying for others at church tonight, so I told my kids to pick one person to pray for. pick anybody you want and go upstairs and pray for them. on the way upstairs, my son hollered back down, "I pick God."

an amazing woman

For my friend...

10Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 11The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. 12She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. 13She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. 14She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. 15She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. 16She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. 17She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. 18She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. 19She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. 20She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 21She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 22She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. 23Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. 24She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. 25Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. 26She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. 27She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. 28Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. 29Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. 30Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. 31Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

~Proverbs 31

Such strong praises and such high expectations for a virtuous woman. Surely no one woman could ever live up to such high standards. I say...not true. I have been blessed to meet and become friend to woman who is the picture of Proverbs 31. She astounds me at how well she fits the resume and yet I think she has no idea just how worthy of honor she truly is. If ever there was a woman whom I could pattern my life after, it would be hers.

For her privacy, I shall not tell you who she is, but I'll just give you a few hints. She is married with children. She stays home and feeds, clothes and trains them all while her husband is at work. During all of this, she finds time to can food, shop for bargains, shovel snow, mow grass, clean house, homeschool and she'll even allow her honored friend (me) a few minutes on the phone when a crisis hits and I need a shoulder to cry on. She loves, honors and respects her husband and caters to his needs and wants. She never complains, she prays for everyone who asks her to and some who don't. She is living with crisis of her own and yet very seldom shows any pain, weakness or willingness to burden others with her pain. She also has a great ministry that gives things to those who are unable to provide for themselves and she and her husband provide all the expense and time invested to make her charity real for others.

She and I are the same age, born in the same year only a few months apart and I am on a journey to become the Proverbs woman, but next to her I pale in the brightness of her warmth, love, generosity and compassion for others. I am both awed by her and honored to call her my friend.

if i die...

If I Die...

Back home now I know you're probably sleepin'
Over here it's the middle of the day
I finally found the time to write a letter
Sittin' here a half a world away

I heard about all them folks protestin'
As if I really want this war
But that don't stop me from believin'
There's just some things worth fightin' for

CHORUS
And if I die before you wake, I pray the world will take
A good look at what God's given us
That we could only understand, everything is in his hands
All we need is a little faith and trust
I want you to know it ain't too high a price to pay
If I die before you wake

Tell everybody that I miss them
And I can't wait to get back home
But until then I'll serve my country
And be proud to wear this uniform

CHORUS
No it ain't too high a price to pay
If I die before you wake

~ Written by Dustin Evans, Dave Brainard and Rick Tiger
~ Performed by Dustin Evans

a broken heart

A Broken Heart

So you got your heart broke in two,
And you hurt so bad you don't know what to do;
And you think that you're the only one who's ever felt this way,
But there was sure another One another day.

And He died of a broken heart,
It broke for you and me.
He loved us more than words can say,
And more than we could see;
His death was not from pain He felt while hanging on that tree;
No, He died of a broken heart for you and me.

And it seems you've come to the end,
And you're standing all alone without a friend;
And you're just so sure that no one's ever hurt this bad before,
But there was One who hurt this bad and even more!

And He died of a broken heart,
It broke for you and me.
He loved us more than words can say,
And more than we could see;
His death was not from pain He felt while hanging on that tree;
No, He died of a broken heart
Oh, He died of a broken heart,
Yes, He died because He loves you and me!

~Dallas Holm 1979

Dallas Holm Ministries

LOVE

I've heard the word "love" thrown around and used in vain so often, it pains me that noone seems to really understand what love is. I looked up the word "love" on dictionary.com and here's what it had to say.

love
noun1. a strong positive emotion of regard and affection; "his love for his work"; "children need a lot of love" [ant: hate] 2. any object of warm affection or devotion; "the theater was her first love"; "he has a passion for cock fighting"; 3. a beloved person; used as terms of endearment [syn: beloved] 4. a deep feeling of sexual desire and attraction; "their love left them indifferent to their surroundings"; "she was his first love" 5. a score of zero in tennis or squash; "it was 40 love" 6. sexual activities (often including sexual intercourse) between two people; "his lovemaking disgusted her"; "he hadn't had any love in months"; "he has a very complicated love life" [syn: sexual love]
verb1. have a great affection or liking for; "I love French food"; "She loves her boss and works hard for him" [ant: detest] 2. get pleasure from; "I love cooking" 3. be enamored or in love with; "She loves her husband deeply" 4. have sexual intercourse with; "This student sleeps with everyone in her dorm"; "Adam knew Eve"; "Were you ever intimate with this man?" [syn: sleep together]

Now, I'm not a theologin, or a English professor, but I have to disagree with everything above. Love isn't a feeling, or a fondness. Here is what I think love is.

Love is...

helping a neighbor put shingles on his roof for no pay and with no expectations of payment.

staying up with your kids so your wife can take a nap even though you got less sleep the night before than she did.

taking out the trash for your husband because he is too tired after work to do anything but eat and lay on the couch.

playing cards with your children until your brain is fogged over in boredom because they love it so much.

cleaning up messes that all the pets leave all over the house because your husband and your children so enjoy having the pets.

mowing the grass for your neighbor and never asking for money to pay for the gas to put in the mower.

driving 6 hours in the middle of the night with 20 minutes notice to pick up a friend who is stranded.

taking in a widow and her children after her house burns to the ground and not asking her for rent money.

reading a book to your little brother.

giving your husband a back massage after a long days work even though your hands are tired from canning tomatoes and cucumbers all day long.

rubbing your wifes feet after a long day even though you've been on your feet baking in the heat all day long.

waking excitedly to your lover's advances in the middle of the night even though you've worked hard all day and really need the rest for the coming day.

sticking by your husband when the money is all gone and the house is being foreclosed on and it seems there's no hope in sight.

cleaning out your cabinets to give groceries to a friend who doesn't have enough food to feed her children.

travelling hundreds of miles to help a stranger finish building his house so that the family will not freeze in the coming winter months.

putting a new furnace and insulatation in someone's house you barely know just because they are short on money and plentiful on children.

and last, but not least

dying on a cross to save the very people who put you there.

The dictionary version defines love as something YOU feel. God defines love as something you GIVE.

treasure

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

LOVE

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stupid on a stick

The stupidity of humankind knows no bounds.

today

It’s a Good Day to Celebrate

Aren't they ?