Great Quotes

"Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."

~ G.K. Chesterton

Great Quotes

"Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results."

~Albert Einstein

Great Quotes

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

~ Eleanor Roosevelt


"A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it's in hot water."

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

The Greatest Gift

What is the greatest gift? 

This question has been debated for centuries. But if we were to look a little closer at God's word, and his life here on earth I think that we would know exactly what the greatest gift is. 

There are truly many great gifts on this earth. Is it life? Or maybe mercy. What about compassion? If we look at the root of all of these great and powerful gifts, then I think that we would find one thing linking them all together. LOVE 

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."

2 Corinthians 13:13

This is truly the greatest gift that God ever gave to mankind! He loved us even before he ever created us. He gave us life because he loves us! He gave us mercy and forgiveness because he loves us. Everything that is wonderful and hard and worth living and dying for is because of Love! 

Something that will keep us from understanding this though, is our destroyed vision of what love is. I'm not just talking about the beautiful love between a man and a woman. I'm talking about that precious love between a father and his children, a mother and her children, between siblings, grandparents and grandchildren,  and between friends. There are many different types of love and each one of them is a beautiful gift of God! 

Why have we let this world tarnish such a precious and beautiful gift that God himself not only gave but demonstrated to us? Sometimes we don't even realize how much we really love someone until we face one of the many storms of life. It doesn't matter what form it takes storms are storms. Yes there are many different types of storms! Some seem harder to bear than others but they are all storms. 

Why do we allow ourselves to get so wrapped up in the world, in ourselves, and in frivolous things instead of enjoying each and every moment that we have with those that we love so dearly? When we stop taking an interest in those that we love then we often aren't prepared when God allows a struggle to test our love. This doesn't mean that you should always expect the worst to happen. It simply means that when a trial does come your way your love should be so anchored in God that you can face whatever lies ahead. This goes for family members, and even close friends. Do you have a true love for those around you that is founded on the love that God has given you, or do you simply love them waiting for something in return? Love is a gift. A gift is something that is given without expecting anything in return.

A love that is founded on selfish reasons will never last! This is one of the reasons for so many divorces in the world today, and so many family members and friends that are allowing bitterness to drive them further apart. They haven't loved with a selfless love, they have loved expecting something in return allowing themselves to be self consumed and were not prepared to face the storms that everyday life often brings. 

I think that William Shakespeare put it well when he wrote the 116th sonnet in Shakespeare's Sonnets.

CXVI

   Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O, no! It is an ever fixed mark,

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wondering bark,

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come;

Love alters not with his brief hours and wicks,

But bears it out even to the  edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me prov'd,

I never writ and no man ever lov'd

I know that he is referring to the love between a man and a woman but I think that this is true for all forms of love. That no matter what happens nothing can shake or remove your true love for those around you. This doesn't mean that it is going to be easy! Lets just face it. We are part of a fallen human race. Some things are going to be harder to bear because you do love them. But do not give up loving  simply because you may face a few hard times. 

Take this wonderful gift and give it to those around you. Give it because God gave it to you. Because He loves. 

God truly gave us the most perfect picture of love! 

"8. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. 

9. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."

Romans 5:8&9

Great Quotes

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but merely the knowledge that there is something more important!"

The Princess Diaries

I know that it seems silly to quote something from a movie, but sometimes the most powerful statements are from the most trivial things.

Great Quotes

"It is not the critique who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena. If he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory or defeat. The joy of living is his who has the heart to demand it!"

~Theodore Roosevelt

The Best Dad!

 Happy Late Birthday to my Dad! I love him so very much! God has truly blessed our family with such a kind, courageous, loving, and strong leader. He is a man that I love and respect and I know that he holds my heart with love and care! I am so thankful for a man in my life who is fully devoted to God's will and call upon his life. 

 He has touched many lives and by God's grace alone he will continue to do so until the Lord calls him home, but that of course won't be for a LONG time. 

I LOVE YOU DAD WITH ALL MY HEART! 

So very handsome! ;-)

My wonderful parents.

Us girls with our HERO!!

The boys with their AWESOME Dad! (Can't you see the adoration in Zeke's eyes?)

A Perfect Strength

 When our family announced that Anna has Leukemia last Sunday a dear friend said through a shower of tears, "Just remember that God counted you worthy to bear this burden."
 What a humbling thought! It makes me want to be as the disciples of God who counted it an honor to lose their lives for Christ's sake. We don't often look at the trials of life as an honor but we should, even the trials of correction. He is purifying us to make our image more like His. He is using us for His glory not for our own.
 God gave His perfect Son to die for our sins. He was the only one who could fully wipe away the black stain of sin. Why do we, who have been given everything, have such a big problem with God testing us and using us to show his glory.
 God gave us His promise to be the strength that we need to face these trials if we simply serve Him faithfully. We often say that, "God will never give us anything that we can't handle." This is untrue.
 God always gives us things that we can't handle so that we have to depend on His strength. He provides everything we need. He is our strength, our peace, and our patience.

28. Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding. 29. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. 30. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint,

~Isaiah 40:28-31

7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! 

~Isaiah 52:7

9. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. 10. As we have opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

~Galations 6:9-10

A Wonderful Girl!

I love this girl!

Happy Birthday to my sweet sister Julia Katherine! What a beautiful young lady you are growing up to be! You have a sweet spirit and you truly love the people that the Lord has brought into your life. May you never lose your sweet love for God's people and your true concern for those who know not the truth of God's love!
May you only grow sweeter every day! May you always have a heart to serve those who are in need!
I love you so very much!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
May you be a proverbs thirty-one woman that is always giving to God even life itself so as to shine His light on this lost world!

"She stretcheth forth her hands to the poor, yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy." 
~Proverbs 31: 20

I wonder where she got her sense of humor?

A beautiful young lady!

Look at this amazing smile!

An Amazing Boy!

Sweetness seems to be pouring out of this face!

 Today is Ezekiel Craig's third birthday and I can't believe it! It was only yesterday that Dad and Mom called and for the first time in seven years excitedly announced, "It's a Boy!!!" I almost didn't believe them because three times before him I had heard, "It's a girl!!!" which of course I didn't mind because I had prayed for many years for more sisters and God had given them!
 This time it was a new little boy and we were all so very thankful for another healthy baby but we were also excited to have another little brother.
I love you so very much Zeke! You are my little snuggle bug and big helper!
May the Lord grow you into a great man of God that will reach thousands if not millions of lost souls with the special gift of Salvation! May you be as the prophet Ezekiel who prayed for God to raise up these dry bones.

1. The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2. And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. 4. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold I will cause breath to enter into you and ye shall live: 6. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put  breath in you, and ye shall know that I am the Lord. 7. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them above: and there was no breath in them. 9. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breath upon these slain, that they may live.

~Ezekiel 37:1-9

I know that right now you are still young and even learning about our physical bones but I pray that one day God will use you in a mighty way to raise up the spiritually dead bones of this nation!
I love you sweetie! 

He is sooooo cute!

The excitement of a little boy just thrills my soul!

I LOVE THIS LITTLE (BIG) BOY! :-)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Great Quotes

"Absolute seriousness is never without a dash of humor"

~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

What Love is this?

 You never change, you are the God you say you are. When I''m afraid you come and still my beating heart. You stay the same when hope is just a distant thought, you take my pain and you lead me to the cross.
 What love is this that you gave your life for me and made a way for me to know you and I confess you're always enough for me. Your all I need.
 I look to you, I see the scars upon your hands that hold the truth that when I can't you always can, and standing here beneath the shadow of the cross I am overwhelmed that I keep finding open arms.
 What love is this that you gave your life for me, and made a way for me to know you? And I confess you're always enough for me, you're all I need. Jesus in your suffering you are reaching, you thought of me.
 What love is this that you gave your life for me and made a way for me to know you? And I confess you're always enough for me. Your all I need.

 You are all I need!

~Kari Jobe

My Sweet Lydia

Happy Birthday to my sweet sister Lydia. She is so precious to me as are all of my siblings but today is her special day. She is now 7 years old!! I cannot believe it! It seems like only yesterday we were up with aunt April and we heard Dad say over the phone, "It's a girl!" We were excited then but little did we know what a sweet and "Precious" sister had been added to our family.

Warning! That face can melt hearts! 

Isn't she BEAUTIFUL?

What a sweetheart!

I love this girl!

Is that mischief I see?

She always has a smile

Look at those BLUE eyes!

I LOVE YOU LYDIA!!!!!

Sweet Treats

Apple Fritters 

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

1 cup apples (diced)

2 tsp baking powder

2 TBL sugar

1 beaten egg

Three eggs for us because we triple the batch!

Mix in the baking powder and sugar

Mix all together really well!

Pour in the milk

Beat those eggs!

Add the eggs to the flour mixture

Look at those things bubble away!

Everything tastes better deep fried right?!

The finished product! Yumm!!!

Small scoops are best for yummy fritters!

My favorite treat of the fall would be apple fritters and so I thought that I would share the recipe with you. We make these on the first day of fall or as close to it as possible every year. 

This is one of our favorite family traditions to enjoy while putting up the fall decor together.   

Enjoy!

Sorry for the mixed up pictures! Still trying to figure this whole blog thing out. 

Fall

A BEAUTIFUL FALL DAY!

 A perfect fall is full of bright colors and gusty winds that cause the leaves to dance about the ground. A sharp bite in the air that hints at the cold winter to come. It is the time to snuggle in the warm house with a good book, a cup of tea and a roaring fire that keeps you warm and snug!
 It is a time for the gathering of family to enjoy love and laughter!
 These are a few of my favorite things of fall; knitted sweaters and scarves, the sweet smells of apple fritters and homemade doughnuts, the brilliant colors of the changing leaves, the laughter that fills the house, the cinnamon apple candles that Mom lights throughout our home, the gathering together of friends for a time of Thanksgiving, the blazing fires that Dad and the boys make everyday, and the times that Mom reads to all of us out of the Little House books.
 There are so many wonderful things that I love about fall that I could never list them all! What a glorious world the Lord hath made!!!!

The Beginning of a new Adventure

I am now embarking on a new adventure as I begin this blog. I look forward to the many opportunities to write and share the thoughts of my heart with you. There are so many things to be discovered and learned and we can look to it with excitement. So come and join me on this new voyage  

of my life!