Winners of Marriage Conference Call are. . .

05/16/2013 By

Winners of marriage conference call are Lissa Submitted on 2013/05/10 at 9:11 PM, Joy Submitted on 2013/05/12 at 4:55 PM and  Nancy Submitted on 2013/05/10 at 1:48 AM.

Email me with your email and I’ll send you the info for the free conference call!

We’re busy getting ready for our  daughter’s wedding and reception this weekend. The reception is here on our farm and we’re doing all the cooking, flower arrangements, etc. So It may be next week before I send you the info after you email.

Hugs and love!!

The marriage conference call is only $10 and you’ll have access  to a free recording of the call! It’s going to be great, sign up!

 

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The Pink Couch–Disciplining Your Children

04/30/2013 By
The Infamous Pink Couch

  We’ve raised five amazing daughters in the past 30 years. They’re a huge spiritual blessing, I can’t even tell you how much! The hardest part of raising kids is often the discipline part.   Most of our discipline took place on The Pink Couch in the living room. I want you to meet our  five daughters (on the pink couch!)as they talk about being disciplined when they were growing up.

If you’re visiting me from Crosswalk or Proverbs 31 Ministries devotion Parenting can be Exhausting, welcome! I’m glad you stopped by! If you haven’t read it, click the link!

What is or has been your greatest struggle in raising children?  Leave a comment to enter your name in the drawing to win my favorite book on parenting, marriage and homemaking– Home-Making by J.R. Miller-originally published in 1882. The tagline–What the Bible Says About Roles and Relationships In A Harmonious Christian Household. You’ll love this book! I’ll draw the winners name Friday at noon. Check back to see if you’ve won or subscribe to my blog!

Click here to read post-High Calling of Motherhood.

homemaking JR

No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” Hebrews 12:11 (NLT

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We Were Given a Church

04/26/2013 By
The church we were GIVEN!!
The church we were GIVEN!!

The church we were GIVEN!!

It’s been a busy week, actually a busy month! Our daughter’s getting married and the reception is here on our farm in the barn in just three weeks!  We’re incredibly busy getting ready for that on top of a bunch of other exciting things.

This past week I spoke for an amazing church, Fairview Baptist.  The theme was living on less and trusting God more–we had a powerful time together.

We traveled three hours to Dale’s brother’s house and helped him and his family move into a new home.  We had a wonderful short visit with his family and then left to pick up another milking goat from a nearby family owned farm.

Then, we went by to see a church that someone GAVE us! Yeah, we were given a CHURCH!! It’s the most amazing church and they’ve given us the building to move to our property. The problem is, how do you move a church that is located three hours from your house? One plank at a time.

So, after Rachael’s wedding we’ll be moving a church one plank at a time till we get the whole church here. The problem is we don’t have heavy equipment and a bunch of other things you need to move a building. So, we’re praying for all that to come. You know the saying, if it’s God’s will it’s His bill :) . So, we’ll see how He helps us work things out. If you’ve got any suggestions let me know! The church is in Lynchburg, VA.

Well I’ve got to get back to work! Today we’re going to help a dear friend get ready for her wedding this weekend.

Coming up:

Next Wednesday I’m posting a video blog of our five daughters talking about discipline when they were growing up.

The next week I’m going to be offering a Marriage conference call that I’ll be doing in May!

And, if any of you are speakers or writers I’m leading a workshop at the Proverbs 31 ministries, She Speaks Conference this summer.  You should sign up! We could meet for coffee or lunch while we’re there!

Have a blessed weekend and  no matter how busy you are- remember who you are in Christ everywhere you go. Love the people you meet, minister and pray for them, speak into their life the power of Jesus!

“Love one another.. .By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

 

Lochlan and Felicity looking at our new goat

Lochlan and Felicity looking at our new goat

Getting seedlings ready for planting in the garden

Getting seedlings ready for planting in the garden

She got loose and came to our door! She rung the door bell!! Adorable!

She got loose and came to our door! She rung the door bell!! Adorable!

Getting the barn ready for the big day!!!

Getting the barn ready for the big day!!!

She-Speaks_speaker

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Winner of Giveaway is. . .

04/23/2013 By

give away 002Winner of Friday’s giveaway is Ronnie! She posted her comment  at 7:35 on 4/19. You won the NIV Bible and George Muller book. Send me your address and I’ll put it in the mail.

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A Life of Faith- George Muller

04/19/2013 By
give away 002
give away 002

What do you need more faith for today? Enter your answer in the comment section for a chance to win these two books!

There is no greater life than a life lived by faith.

It is so powerful that even with a tiny amount of it, nothing is impossible to us (Matthew 17:20). Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

A couple of months ago I gave you a list of 10 Invaluable Christian Books. In that list I included a book about George Muller. If you want to read about someone who lived his entire life by faith, read this book. When Muller first became a Christian he felt that God was leading him to be a missionary. He was Biblically trained in the best school, had the desire to preach and the ability to speak many languages. He was completely ready for the adventure.

But God detoured Muller and led him to open orphanages in Bristol, England.  From his latter 20’s to age 70 he took care of over 10,000 children with God’s help alone. Not once in all those years did he ask for financial help from anyone other than God Himself. There were days he didn’t have food to serve the kids, but he never doubted that God would provide.

And God did provide for them.  Miracle after miracle happened at the orphanage. Unexpected food would arrive at the door just in time for meals. People came by to give a gift, and many times it was the exact amount needed to pay a bill.  These things happened not because Muller told anyone his need, but because of God alone.

Rarely did they have money for the next week, but they lived on faith.  And not once in all those years did they go without food or shelter.  George Muller trusted God with a depth rarely seen.  His faith and generosity set a standard for Christians of all generations.

People from all over the world soon heard about the miraculous things happening because of the faith of Muller.  D.L. Moody was one of them.  He visited the orphanage when 1500 kids lived there and was inspired by the power of Muller’s faith and God’s ability to provide even though Muller never asked for money.

When Muller was 70 years old God released him to do his lifelong dream—to go into all the world and preach the gospel.  For 17 years he spoke and traveled non-stop. He spoke on living a life of faith. He preached for Charles Spurgeon and inspired Hudson Taylor.  He spoke to over 3 million people and traveled to 42 countries, speaking at least once a day until he reached 87 years old.

He died at the age of 92. Tens of thousands of people showed up for his funeral. In his lifetime he read the Bible cover to cover almost 200 times (now that’s the secret to faith—know the promises and believe them). He never took a salary in 68 years of ministry but always trusted God to provide for him. He never took out a loan or went into debt for himself, the orphanage or his ministry abroad.

There is no greater life than a life lived by faith.

Faith is so powerful that even with a tiny amount of it, nothing is impossible to us.

God, increase our faith! May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven! In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you stopped by after reading my post on Karen Ehman’s site, thank you for hopping over to meet me! I’m doing a giveaway on her site and on mine. So you can leave a comment at both!  I’m giving away George Muller’s book and a copy of the new NIV Real Life Devotional Bible for women. I’m so excited about this Bible because I’ve got several devotions in it!! To enter the drawing just write the one thing you need faith for right now in the comment section!  We’ll pray for you! Name drawn Monday at noon EST. Winner revealed Tuesday.nifty thrifty graphic

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A Burning Fire in My Bones

03/21/2013 By
In 1773 John Wesley preached the gospel to an audience of 32,000 people in an open field with no microphone at the age of 70! Can you imagine? God says to us today, "GO into all the world and preach the gospel" He'll take care of everything else! This is just a photo to help you envision speaking to a crowd without a microphone!

In 1773 John Wesley preached the gospel to an audience of 32,000 people in an open field with no microphone at the age of 70! Can you imagine? God says to us today, “GO into all the world and preach the gospel” He’ll take care of everything else! This is just a photo to help you envision speaking to a crowd without a microphone!

This past weekend I spoke at three different churches.  As I walked to the podium at the first event I started to cry when I saw the large audience. Every time I speak I am reminded of where I came from and how He uses me in spite of myself.

I was painfully shy as a child.  I was so shy that I rarely spoke at school and had very few friends.  I mean in order to have friends, you’ve got to communicate, right?  I choose not to.  From the time I was in elementary school, I would envision myself with imaginary walls all around me and I liked those walls. Well, the school thought something was mentally wrong with me because I didn’t talk.  So, they put me in a class for retarded children.  I know, that’s a bad word but it was the word they used for us in that class.  I hated the class.  I didn’t want to be in it.   I knew I needed to get out– but I couldn’t overcome my fear of talking to people.

One night as I prayed and asked God to help me overcome these fears, I felt a surge of strength rise up in me.  I started to read the Word,  something started to  burn in my heart, I couldn’t hold in. Even though I was terrified of my next words I said, “Give me to strength to overcome my greatest fear and I will speak of You forever.”

Well, I got out of that class the next day.  I was only in 6th grade but I knew in my spirit that in my weakness He was made strong. The road ahead of me was terrifying, but through Him I was going to be a speaker for Him!

I’ve been speaking for Him ever since that day. You would never know it, but that introverted little girl is still inside me.  Every day I am reminded of Jesus’ command to all believers to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

In order to accomplish this, we will always have to go outside of our comfort zone.

No matter what my insecurities are, this is a mandate on my life- and every Christian.

Every time I speak for Him, I am brought to tears before I speak asking (God) that He would use me in spite of my weaknesses.

Over the weekend  I saw people weep as they came to Christ.  People made radical decisions to turn their lives around and others wept because they finally understood how much God loved them. Oh my goodness, it was the greatest!

One of the places where I spoke had three times more people show up for the event than had registered!

At another place, almost the entire audience came forward at the end of the service for prayer and decisions.

The Lord’s presence was powerful- long after the events were over and throughout the ministry time.

Oh my, I wish I could tell you all the exciting things that happened.

In between all the great things was the traveling… A flight was delayed.  The plane broke down and traveling time equaled 21 hours…  There were other circumstances that must go unmentioned.

But, God did what He wanted to do in spite of me or any other circumstance! Hallelujah!   That’s what I always find amazing: the harvest is great- He just needs us to “Go.”  He provides everything else; the words, the ability , the power, and the conviction on the listeners.

On my way home I read the biography of John Wesley.  He offered the hope of Christ to millions of people in the 1700’s.  He rode by horseback a quarter of a million miles, preaching forty thousand sermons in open fields, churches, and barns.  Oh my goodness, I want the Word to be like a burning fire within my bones like Wesley, unable to contain it.

 With no microphone he preached in open air to thirty-two thousand people!!! 

Jesus, set us on fire for You and for laboring in the harvest—for it is truly great!

 Somebody asked John Wesley,

“How can you impact so many lives through the Gospel?” Wesley responded,
“It’s simple, I set myself on fire and let the world see me burning.”

“But His Word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, I could not.” Jeremiah 20:9

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The Supper Table

03/20/2013 By
wedding supper of the lamb

Post written by our daughter Hannah Glasgow Easter. I took it off her blog today, enjoy! You can find her at http://hannaheaster.blogspot.com

“It’s time to eat!!!” My mom would cry as she clanked the cowbell with her sturdy spoon. By the third time, she could start to make out the barefooted tornado of dirt, curls, and laughter migrating towards her. As hard as it was to pull ourselves away from playing, we knew even as kids, the next part of our day was worth it.

With a fussing baby on her hip, my mom flawlessly flung potato soup into seven bowls. As my dad thanked the Lord for our meal, everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Seated at this table, all was right in the world. This was our safe haven from every storm of the day. As each daughter recounted her day, my parents would intently listen and ask questions. They encouraged us to create and work hard, always inspiring us to use our gifts and talents. The most important thing that happened at that table was how they taught us to trust in something bigger than our family. They told us in how they lived their lives and their words, that Jesus was bigger and even better than these moments together and one day we will all be seated with him at his table.
Mealtime is somewhat magical. Amidst the craziness of the day, every person on the face of the planet must stop and take a moment to refuel. It reminds us of our mortality and forces us to rest. In the Bible, God makes a point to show Himself to His people over meals. When the Israelite s cry out to God to deliver them from slavery in Egypt, God sends plagues to make Pharaoh want to get rid of them. When Pharaoh doesn’t, God sends a final plague that will really shake him up. God sends the angel of death to kill every firstborn child, including Pharaoh’s son. He instructs the Israelites to kill a lamb and spread its’ blood over their doorposts so that when the angel came to kill, He would see the blood and pass over their home. The Israelites had to believe that the lamb was killed in place of their firstborn child and only then would the angel skip their home.
God instructs his people to eat a “Passover” dinner that night, which included the lamb and bitter herbs to represent their slavery. The Israelites left Egypt that night. God commanded the people to eat this meal every year to remind them that it was He who had delivered them from slavery. The people made it a tradition to eat this same meal once a year and tell their children the story of “Passover.”
Fast forward  to when Jesus was on earth. The night before He died, He was celebrating the Passover meal with His friends. They thought He would not leave them. But Jesus knew the reason He came was to die and rise again. As they ate the meal that reminded them of the night when the angel passed over Israel’s homes, Jesus gave them a new dinner tradition. He took a loaf of bread, broke it and told them that it represented His body. He told them to eat it and remember. Then He held up the cup of wine and told them to drink His blood. Yes, that sounds a bit creepy if you didn’t grow up hearing it, doesn’t it? Jesus went on to say that his blood represented the new promise between God and people. No longer was the blood of a lamb needed to pay for their sins. His blood would be the perfect sacrifice for everybody who believes.
The next day, like a lamb he was led to His slaughter, yet he did not open His mouth to protest. And just like the Passover lamb, He was killed.
“But He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on Him,
and by His wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
Jesus said something during the Passover dinner that I hadn’t noticed before until now,
“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the Kingdom of God.” Luke 22:15
Fulfillment in the Kingdom of God? What’s that about? I flipped over to Revelation and got butterflies in my tummy.
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come…Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” Revelation 19:7-9
Another meal! This meal will definitely top all the others. I love getting a glimpse of heaven. It is at the wedding supper of the Lamb that we will find completeness in Christ. No longer will we be bound by our brokenness and tendency to sin against God. At this meal we will celebrate our redemption as sons and daughters. What a meal that will be as we find our names at the table with God, celebrating that His son, the Lamb, has adopted us into His family forever.
By Hannah Glasgow Easter 

Ellie, Jennifer, Hannah, Sharon, Rachael and Dale –Heather is  missing here

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Pray for Our Wells in South Sudan!

03/11/2013 By

Water boring in Gudele, South Sudan

Do ya’ll remember the wells that were dug in south Sudan with the money God miraculously gave us when we were in the emergency room?? Read the emergency room story here.

PRAY for those wells, the church and school in Gudele, South Sudan.

Demolition of the Church, School and Borehole ( water well) is planned this week impacting 114 Christians 320 school Children and thousands that draw safe water from the well in Gudele, South Sudan. The people are from 16 tribes and have their lives stripped of everything countless times.

Please pray for them! Thank you!

Lord, You worked a miracle to give them clean water, a church and school–we ask that You do a mighty miracle for them this week and help them keep these precious things from destruction. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

http://www.Mercy-Partners.org   tells more about the mission in South Sudan.

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Why Should We Memorize Scripture?

03/06/2013 By
Tiffany's Stained Glass at St. Johns Church in Portsmouth, Va- I had the honor of speaking there last weekend

A Tiffany Stained Glass piece at St. Johns Church in Portsmouth, Va- I had the honor of speaking there last weekend

This past summer, good friends of ours were in a horrible car accident. Brandi was in a coma from head trauma. I witnessed the most amazing thing ever in those weeks we spent with their family in the intensive care unit. The doctor’s prognosis wasn’t good.  No one knew if she would come out of the coma normal. The injury was horrible. The body of Christ filled the chapel and prayed. But, what amazed me more than anything else? Her husband, Phil.  He would pace the floors quoting scriptures. He didn’t have a Bible in his hands, it was in his head, in his heart, and he was speaking it back to God. I think the majority of the time we spent there he never realized how much scripture he spoke or that he himself was ministering to all who heard him. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever witnessed.  It’s been eight months now and Brandi is walking with the aid of a walker and she’s starting to talk.  She’s a miracle.

I’ll never forget the powerful witness that Phil was- in the hardest days of his life. It was truly a lamp unto his feet and a light unto our path.

The Word is life to us.  It is powerful- sharper than any two edged sword. Hebrews 4:12

You’ve got to watch this video with John Piper.  Please you must!

    1. Memorizing scripture makes meditation possible at times when you can’t be reading the Bible. Meditation is the pathway to deeper understanding. If you’re going to meditate— you’ve got to have something in your head.
    2. Memorizing scripture increases my faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.  It happens when I hear it in my head.
    3. Memorizing scripture shapes the way I view the world by conforming my mind to God’s viewpoint on everything.
    4. Memorizing scripture makes God’s Word more readily accessible for overcoming temptation to sin. God’s warnings and promises are the way we conquer the lies of the Devil.
    5. Memorizing scripture guards my mind, making it easier to detect error and the world is filled with error because the god of this world is a liar.
    6. Memorizing scripture allows me to hit the Devil in the face with a force he cannot resist to protect myself and my family from his assault. WHAT ARE YOU HITTING HIM WITH?  HE IS A MILLIONS TIMES STRONGER THAN YOU.  He hates you, your family, your marriage, your church- and God.  How anybody walks through this devil- ruled world without a sword in their hand, is beyond me.
    7. Memorizing scripture provides the strongest, sweetest words in ministering to people in need.  Have you ever been caught off guard with someone in need?  You don’t need to be caught off guard.
    8. Memorizing scripture provides the matrix with fellowship with Jesus because He talks to me from His word.  Oh how sweetly, authentically, really speaks to me HERE!  And, I speak it back to Him in prayer.  If scripture is within me, we can talk anywhere and it is sweet.  It is very sweet.
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Thoughts after Watching The Bible

03/04/2013 By

Our family snuggled up on the couch and watched The Bible last night.  We haven’t watched anything on TV in a long time, so it was fun.  I remember why I don’t like watching television; COMMERCIALS! Oh my goodness. . .

Over all I enjoyed it and will watch it again next Sunday night.

Some of the things I liked and didn’t like:

I liked Abraham and Sarah.  They were believable.  I thought the scene where Abraham leaves his country to go where God sends him(Genesis 12) and the one where he is tested to see if he will sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22), were both powerful.  Abraham was so faithful, I want to be faithful.  I want to go when He says go and do what He says do.

I didn’t like the angel scene with Lot, where the angels fought against the people in Sodom and Gomorrah. You should read the actual account in Genesis chapter 19 for yourself.   In the Bible they didn’t have a sword fight with the people- the angels just struck them with blindness.  They didn’t need to fight.

I loved that Roma Downey and her husband (and investors) poured three years of their life and money into this endeavor to bring the Bible into homes that otherwise would never have opened the Word of God.

I was so disappointed that they skipped over Isaac’s children and grandchildren.  Joseph, Jacob’s son, and Isaac’s grandson has such a powerful story.  You can read it for yourself in Genesis 37-45.   There just isn’t enough time to capture all the great stories in a short series.

I loved the parting of the Red Sea scene. Even though I already knew that all of God’s people would make it across to safety, I still felt the magnitude of it all.  Wow, if only we could believe God for the things in our life that seem as big as parting the Red Sea.  My faith is increased every time I read this in the Bible.

Read Exodus 14 for the full account. What seems like the impossible is possible with God!

Moses didn’t measure up well to Charlton Heston.

Ellie (our youngest) thought the Egyptians looked really funny.

I missed the very beginning and the last few minutes of it.

We’ll definitely watch it over the next four weeks. There were a few other things that were a bit off but overall it was good.  Let’s get in the Word and find out what the scripture says about these stories, be truth seekers.  Seeing the story played out plus reading the actual account in the Bible helps in our learning.

Did you watch it? What did you think?

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The Bible–Epic 10-Part Miniseries

03/01/2013 By
The Bible


This Sunday night an epic 10-part miniseries retelling stories from Scripture entitled, The Bible will air on the History Channel. Roma Downy and her husband, Mark Burnett are the producers. Life Way, Focus on the Family, Rick Warren and CBN are just a few who are endorsing it. Of course I haven’t seen it, but it promises to be breathtaking in scope and scale. The performances are said to be powerful and dramatic accounts of faith and courage -spectacular!

We don’t normally watch TV, but we’re going to watch this. I urge you to as well and make it part of your Easter preparation this year.

The Bible begins this Sunday at 8:00 PM and will run five consecutive Sundays through Easter.

Here is the link to the History Channel’s website for the series; http://www.bibleseries.tv/. Official Resource Website: www.BibleSeriesResources.com  

This historic television event will entertain and inspire the whole family! 

 Watch clip from first episode this coming Sunday night!

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Ten Invaluable Christian Books

02/28/2013 By
books for blog post 002

A great book is invaluable. There are a few in my collection that I return to over and over and can’t imagine being without. These books are worth more to me than great grandma’s antique china! Do you know what I’m saying? If I had to depart with all my worldly goods and could only keep one thing it would be a stack of my favorite books.

Monday night I was the guest speaker on Proverbs 31 MinistriesBible- study conference call with Melissa Taylor. We had a wonderful time! If you want to hear it, it was recorded- so you still have the opportunity. They are studying an amazing book; Let it Go, written by my dear friend Karen Ehman. At the end of the call I was asked what other books I’m reading. I think that’s a great question…

What you read really tells everything about who you are, what your desires are and what your future goals are. My response to the question; “Tortured for Christ- by Richard Wormbrand, Jesus Freaks- by D.C. Talk and The Cost of Discipleship by- Dietrich Bonhoeffer.”

In my present stack of favorite books;

The one and only infallible and inspired Word of God; the Bible is my favorite book. I love the fact that Corrie Ten Boom was able to smuggle a Bible into her concentration camp. She ministered the hope of eternity in the darkest place, and as a result- many chose Christ as their savior before their death.

The Spiritual Guide by Michael Molinos- written in 1675. There have been more copies of this book burned than perhaps any other single Christian book ever published. Michael Molinos was condemned to imprisonment in a dungeon for writing this book and he never came out. It is a phenomenal book about the deep things of Jesus; the cross and suffering. Oh my goodness, it is priceless to me.

The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. This book draws you into a deep, abiding relationship with the One who “Nourishes the soul.” It’s a spiritual masterpiece exposing the roadblocks that keep us from fully knowing God. It reveals our responsibly in the pursuit, and ultimately leads us into the very presence of God Himself.

Desiring God by John Piper. Very insightful, must read!

Tortured for Christ by Richard Wormbrand. This is the story of courage, tenacious faith and unbelievable endurance. Wormbrand spent years in solitary confinement, physical torture, hunger and mental cruelty. His crime (like thousands of others) was his fervent belief in Jesus Christ and his public witness concerning his faith. Oh my goodness. . . I weep every time I read it- not because the stories are gruesome, but (oh my!) the love of Jesus will blow you up. Literally, I’ll be sitting down while I read it and find myself standing in ovation in tears to what true love for Christ looks like!

Jesus Freaks by D.C. Talk. I LOVE this book. It is a collection of short stories about men, women, and children who have suffered for their faith in Jesus. We used to read a story a night to our youngest in our devotion times together. Oh my, it puts our current problems in proper perspective. You must have this book in your collection.

The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer is on my lap right now. I haven’t read it all but the premise of it, deny self, pick up your cross and follow Him. Bonhoeffer is an amazingly brilliant man with unquenchable faith. He died for what he believed in.

George Muller: The Guardian of Bristol’s Orphans by Janet and Geoff Benge. Do you need your faith bolstered? Read this book! It’ll only take you a few hours to read and you’ll want to buy another one so you can give your copy away. It’s that good, I promise!

Hudson Taylor: Deep in the Heart of China by Janet and Geoff Benge. Incredible book. I loved it.

Fiction Books:

The Final Quest by Rick Joyner. A gripping story of the last battle between light and darkness. I read it at an airport waiting for my flight. I’m surprised I heard my flight called because I was so engrossed in it! It’s a great read!

The Prisoner in the Third Cell by Gene Edwards. It is a dramatic story of John the Baptist, imprisoned by Herod and awaiting death. He struggles to understand a Lord who doesn’t rescue him out of the prison. If you are a suffering Christian, or know one, this book will bring enormous comfort and insight into God’s ways. I love this easy read and it is thought provoking.

I want to give away a few of these books. Just leave a comment telling me which book you want to read (Tortured for Christ, Final Quest or Jesus Freaks) and I’ll enter your name in the drawing for that book. Don’t forget to check back to see if you won. I’ll pick a winner Friday at 10:00 AM! May the Lord increase your wisdom and understanding in the deeper things of Him! Each winner gets just one of the books. If you want a Bible I have one to give away, just let me know!

 Proverbs 4:6-7 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding (NIV).

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Preparing for Easter- Family Devotions

02/25/2013 By
I've had this basket for years, it has a flat back. I laid it on the table and made a cross from two twigs tied together. Then I placed the candles inside the handle of the basket. Use materials you already have at home. Don't purchase anything. One single candle is sufficient to light your way through the Word.

I’ve had this basket for years.  It has a flat back.  I laid it on the table and made a cross from two twigs tied together. Then I placed the candles inside the handle of the basket.  Just use materials you already have at home. Don’t purchase anything. One single candle is sufficient to light your way through the Word.

This is my favorite time of year- the days leading up to Easter.  It’s such a sacred time.  Thousands of Christians around the world are preparing their heart for our Lord and Savior’s Resurrection Day celebration.  Many of you have already started nightly devotions with your family.  If you haven’t it’s not too late.  Start this week!

When our children were growing up we always turned the lights off in the house, along with the TV, computers and phones for our devotion time. We lit our kerosene lamp in middle of the kitchen table or in the family room and all eyes watched the flickering light illuminate the pages of the Bible as it was read.

Easter is March 31 this year.  In preparing our hearts, let’s focus on Jesus.  Every night after dinner (or when it is sufficiently dark outside) turn everything off, light your candle(s), and read the Bible aloud to your family.

We’re going to be reading a chapter a night from the book of Matthew.  When we finish chapter 28 (which is the final chapter) we’re going to read the last two chapters of Mark, Luke, and John for the last week leading into Easter Sunday. Discuss the chapter each night with your family in depth and close in prayer.  I doubt you’ll want to turn anything back on.  It will ruin you for any other entertainment.  Take your time.  This is the most precious time you’ll spend with your family.

Don’t ever get discouraged if you miss a night.  Just pick up where you left off.

There are seven candles inside the arrangement.  We lit all seven candles February 13.  And each week leading up to Easter we snuff out one candle.  By Good Friday we’ll have no candles lit and we’ll focus on what Jesus endured.  Easter Sunday we’ll relight ALL candles and talk about what His resurrection means to us.

Easter is my favorite holiday!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. We must go into all the world and be this light to the nations. ”You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14 

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Storage of Winter Vegetables

02/21/2013 By
Sparky is our ground hog catcher. If we hear him barking really loud that mean, "Get out here Dale, I've cornered a ground hog." Then, Dale gets his cage and between the two of them they get the rascal. Dale takes the garden eating monster to a place far away from homes and lets'em out. Sparky comes along for the ride to watch. He loves the game.

Storing Vegetables in my Root Cellar

I love the fact that vegetables can keep the entire winter in a root cellar. That is, if they are taken care of properly. Now, just to let you know, I didn’t grow all of these vegetables. We have grown all of them at one time or another on our farm. Our problem the last two years has been our stinking ground hogs.

They love to eat the garden.  They especially love things with blossoms, like pumpkins.

Sparky and  the garden eater, a ground hog

Pumpkins, guards, spaghetti, and butternut squash are the winners in keeping a winter storage.  Our cellar stays nearly 50 degrees- from fall until early spring. The pumpkins and butternut squash have potential to be as perfect as when picked, if the temperature stays 50 and under. The secret is, don’t let them touch each other! They need air circulation.

Carrots store well in sawdust (non-chemical of course). Dale has enough sawdust from all of his wood working to keep me stocked.  I pulled the carrots out of the sawdust so you can see them.

Sweet potatoes do fairly well in our cellar. If picked in September, they’ll store well until February. Most all the vegetables must not be washed before they are stored. They are cured after being pulled from the garden for a few days. Cured is another word for drying them out. You don’t want any moisture on them when stored or they’ll rot.

I go through onions pretty fast. I wouldn’t know from experience how long they last. Most people braid and hang them.

I also store white beans (photo below). They are actually just beans from green beans. Yep. Green beans (in my opinion) are the easiest vegetable to grow. After they are in the ground their only requirement is heat.

Ours seem to grow even when I don’t water them. They grow supernaturally, you pick them, and within just a few days the plants are loaded again!  So, to get white beans- let your last crop mature on the vine.  Don’t pick.  After they’re mature pull the plant up and hang upside down on the fence.  Let dry for a couple of weeks (they can’t be in rain so you may want to bring into barn to hang).  After completely dry, bang the plant inside a can or barrel and the beans will easily fall out of the shell. Or you can open them by hand.  They must be dry and have no moisture before you store them.  Store in a cool, dry area.  Unopened they store for 30+ years.  Opened, they last a couple of years. Oh, yes and ground hogs and rabbits don’t eat our beans.  :)

Kale (photo below) planted in the fall will grow until January, here in Virginia.  This year, mine is still growing and it’s February- even though our night time temperatures have been in the teens. Kale is a great winter vegetable. Even if it hibernates January through February, it awakens the first of March with tons of nutrients for your family to eat.

My thyme and rosemary are still going strong on my porch. The porch is not heated, but it is enclosed. The temperatures go below 32– but the plants are still doing well. I water them once a week and they have sun exposure.

I made Smoked Saffron Chicken and White Beans/Portugal Style  gluten-free with some of the beans and herbs. It was delicious!

Storage of winter vegetables do well in the corner of a garage on shelves. Just put covering over them for insulation. Or, if you want to be adventurous  dig yourself a hole in the ground, put the vegetables inside and cover with hay or other insulated materials.

Help yourself to fresh vegetables all winter long!

In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has. Proverbs 21:20

Pumpkin, butternut squash, kale(fresh out of garden), herbs(from porch) eggs(from our coop), pumpkin seeds , curds and northern beans (white beans)– They’re all on the menu for this week!

 

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The Depth of Intimacy– Pure and Indescribable

02/12/2013 By
Valentine-card

 

Dale and me in our field

Intimacy. Hmm…

After 32 years of marriage, I still blush talking about it!  It is so private and sacred!

No expression of human communion is deeper than that of a husband and wife making love. It borders on supernatural in expression.  The sensory goes beyond flesh into spiritual depths that are indescribable.

It took me a while to fully understand this in my marriage. Intimacy on the indescribable level can only be attained through a complete surrender of your heart and mind. God intended it to be this way. A lot of people skip this part and think that the very act of making love will induce love. It doesn’t. It deepens it, yes…but only when you surrender your heart.

When I got married I had no idea what surrender meant. The only thing my mom told me before I got married about intimacy was this: Don’t ever deny him. So I didn’t.

Oh, Dale and I loved each other very much, and making love was good. For various reasons, though, I had a wall of protection around my emotions. But I was unaware of it.  And because I was unaware, I didn’t know I needed to get rid of it.

I was able to trust Dale (He had never done anything to cause me not to trust him).  Over time, the walls protecting my heart slowly started coming down.  One night, unbeknownst to him, I decided to surrender my whole heart.

Hint: You’re supposed to do that at the altar—some of us just didn’t know how!

Let me tell you what happened when I finally surrendered…

It had been a long day.  I had cooked dinner, washed dishes, bathed the kids, put a load of laundry in, and put the babies to bed. Dale had been busy working, so he didn’t know how tired I was.  The little ones were finally asleep, and I was exhausted.  I was about to collapse when he gave me that look. You know…the look.

I was too tired, but my mom’s words came to mind.

He started to kiss me. This time something switched in my mind.  I decided to not think of this as a duty, but, instead, I accepted his gestures as gestures of love toward me. Then I surrendered everything to him—every vulnerable part of my heart, mind and body.  I loved him wholly and completely—unabashedly.

For the first time ever, a floodgate opened.  The wall lifted.  My emotions left the natural and went into indescribable. I started to cry I was so overcome. (Which was a little embarrassing, because I never cried!)

We were one flesh, and it was beyond good. It was absolute abandon. Whew, that was a big deal for me!  If more husbands and wives could love with abandon and receive love with abandon, there would be a lot fewer problems in marriage. I’m talking to husbands, too!

It is the same with my spiritual life. When I love and trust God with all my heart, soul and mind, in a place of abandonment, I enter into His sanctuary and am so overcome with the union of His presence, it is indescribable.

The ecstasy of loving and receiving love with no reins, freed, uninhibited—this is God’s ideal of marriage. He is the author of romance you know!

Many people struggle with intimacy in their marriage.  I think Satan works overtime trying to destroy it.  If he can mess with the deepest and most passionate thing God intended for marriage, well, then he may just have a foothold to destroy the family unit.

Men need to know they are loved just as much as we do. Your man may have walls around his heart, too. We need to love our husbands with outrageous, abandoned love in our conversations, our actions, and in intimacy.

Sometimes we may not think he is deserving of our intimacy. Next time you think that, remember this verse in relation to him, “Love is patient, love is kind… It does not dishonor, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”  (1 Corinthians 13:4)

He may be undeserving.  Love and be intimate anyway.  Do unto him as you would have him do to you.  If you love and bless him even when he doesn’t deserve it, in time you will reap what you sow.

The Lord desires your marriage to be happy, full, pure and indescribable.

Ask Him to help you.

 

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