I am just an amateur at this…

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This post is an attempt to see if I’m understanding how this blog works… I believe I’ve now done two things:  1) taken the privacy part off, so that others may see what I’ve posted (YES, I’ve been talking to myself for the past week, lol!)  and 2) linked this blog to our Facebook page.  I guess time will tell if I am correct or not…

Here’s a flier about our grass-fed beef.  I also have created a new page on this blog that is specifically for fliers like this.  That way, you shouldn’t have to scroll down through all my rambles to find this one again.  🙂

Do you have any wisdom to share with me about using WordPress & Facebook on my Blackberry Bold?

 

Play ball…

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It’s that time again – another baseball season – yeah!!  🙂  We are baseball fans/players around here & are excited that Michael & Paul will both be on the same team this season.  Thought I’d put a post up about the fundraiser they are working on for this new league.  If you are interested in supporting it, just let us know.

2012 Prayers

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I always like to think about “new resolutions” each time a new year rolls by.  It was January, and the boys had gotten Mike “The 10 Commandments” movie for Christmas, so we were watching it with our Bibles open.  We enjoy noting where the Hollywood version differs from the Bible, so it actually ended up being a Bible Study at the same time.  Several revelations came to me during this time, and as a result, 3 prayers were developed for myself for 2012.  I thought I’d share them with you…

  •  Lord, please help me to recognize what You want me to do – MAY I NOT USE PRAYING FOR GUIDANCE AS AN EXCUSE TO POSTPONE DOING IT!  [This was inspired from Exodus 14:15 where the Lord told Moses to STOP PRAYING & GET MOVING!  I tend to be really good at praying for something over & over again, but then forgetting about the action part.]
  • Lord, squash my old way of thinking “what I should change into” and OPEN MY EYES TO HOW I SHOULD USE THE ABILITIES AND STRENGTHS YOU’VE ALREADY GIVEN ME TO DO YOUR WILL.  [God took Moses’ characteristics and molded them until they were suited to His purposes.  I don’t need to change and be someone completely different, I need to embrace how God has made me & use those attributes to work for His Kingdom.]
  • Lord, I pray for a continued focus on DEVELOPING A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU… not a life of ritual and religion, but OF AUTHENTICITY AND FULL OF BLESSINGS IN MY BROKENNESS.  MAY I MODEL TO MY CHILDREN THAT MY DESIRE IS FOR THEM TO WALK ALONGSIDE ME AND SEE YOU IN MY LIFE…CHANGE MY FOCUS FROM A TASK ORIENTED LIFE TO A LIFE OF SERVANTHOOD BECAUSE OF THE JOY OF MY SALVATION THROUGH YOUR SON, JESUS CHRIST.  [Jethro’s (Moses’ father-in-law) religious background PREPARED-HIM-FOR, rather than prevented-him-from responding in faith to God!  Like me, he was a Gentile – his conversion is in Exodus 18.]

AMEN!

I laminated the notecard I wrote these on & keep it in the front pocket of my Bible cover.  Every now and then, I pull it out and review.  I’ll have to tell you how God revealed an answer to me while I was crocheting a baby blanket a couple weeks ago…  Watch for a future post about that!  🙂  Do you like to evaluate your walk with Him, too?

Joy in dishes…

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I have always struggled with my “wandering mind”.  Left in silence as I perform mundane tasks, it often wanders to criticizing others or allowing my self-righteousness to seep in.  I heard a sermon once about filling our minds with Jesus.  Matthew 12:34 says that out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.  I want that to be the same with my thought life!  So, while I used to look at sinkfulls of dishes as a drag and a reason for being cranky, I now use the time to memorize hymns or Scripture.  Truly makes this task a delight now!  🙂  Thought I’d share what I’m memorizing this week.  (I’m a slow memorizer, so it may be awhile for this one…)

Here’s the same song again – added it to our shower – another great place to focus on my memorizing, lol!  (My boys all like to make fun of me for this one…)  🙂

Back to the kitchen now – Thank You, Lord, for food to eat, dishes to eat off of, and time & hands to wash them.  AMEN  🙂

What do you do to keep your mind from wandering away from Jesus?

Kefir Shakes

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Thought I’d share a bit about our mornings around here.  Every morning, we drink kefir.  A wonderful, probiotic, lacto-fermented beverage made from raw milk.  Here’s a link to get you started on research, if you’re interested in learning more about kefir.   🙂  Here’s a pic of what you normally see on my countertop, everyday.  At minimum, I make 1 quart/day.  As you can see, right now, I’m making 1/2 gallon/day.

After 24 hours +/- (totally depends on weather and humidity), the kefir grains change the milk into a thick & sour tasting drink.  Here’s a pic of the strained grains.

I always measure the weight of my grains with each straining…partly because I’m weird & LOVE to notebook progress (hard to believe, I know, lol…), and also because then I know when to thin my grains.  These grains LOVE our milk & grow very well for us.  Just let me know if you ever want any grains for yourself – I always have PLENTY!!  🙂

I keep a piece of masking tape on the tile under my cupboards where I log the date & weight.  Can you tell I’m a lefty?? 🙂

Then I add more raw milk over the grains, cover with a rag & rubberband, and we’re good to go for another day!  Since we are a seasonal dairy, we rely on our frozen milk from last year during these winter months.  🙂

While we CAN drink it straight, we all MUCH PREFER to turn it into a kefir shake.  🙂  Paul is our “official” kefir shake maker!  He LOVES food, and does have aspirations to become a chef some day…  He got a blender for Christmas, and makes a tasty shake for us every morning.  Here’s his recipe:  1 quart kefir, 7 banana chunks (we buy them when they’re super ripe & on sale, & then chunk & freeze them), 5 ice cubes, 1 T vanilla (we make our own), 1T jam (we make different kinds…strawberry, pear, peach – all with evaporated cane juice as the sweetener, FYI).  We are all out of our honey right now, or we’d use that instead.  Paul says we use a “4 second drizzle”, when we have that, lol! 🙂

Now we are ready for our family devotion time.  Thank you, Lord, for building our immune systems up through the many health benefits of kefir!  🙂

What do you like to drink while you read your Bible?

Progress…

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OK – So imagine this space completely covered with “piles” of assorted papers, notes, books, etc…  That was how this space in our bedroom has looked for too long.  If Mike or I wanted to sit in our chairs to read, we had to move piles to even get to the chairs, lol!  As of today, the “piles” are all in ONE box, and a fresh vacuum just went through… Here’s the box – JUST WAITING – to be sorted & shared.  I know I will have NO SHORTAGE of things to talk about!  🙂

Do you have any “piles”?

Quote from John Quincy Adams

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I was putting all my “piles” together in one box (in preparation for future posts) & found this quote. How appropriate for this election year & tomorrow being Ohio’s primary…

“Always vote for principle, though you may be alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.” JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, attributed, Pocket Patriot: Quotes from American Heroes

Found this tree on a walk in our woods… We are assuming this is from a pileated woodpecker ? I think it’s cool to witness God’s Hand in His creation. That is some SERIOUS strength in those beaks to inflict that kind of wood splintering, lol! 🙂 (Even if we’re wrong, & it’s not from a woodpecker, but some kind of insect… Still AMAZING anything could do that to a tree!)

What are some neat things you’ve noticed as you walk in His Creation?

Here goes…

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Welcome to our family’s blog.  My name is Dawn, and you’ll probably mostly be hearing from me.  You can learn more about me in our ABOUT page.  I am brand new to writing a blog, so bear with me as I learn.  Here’s the link to our ABOUT page for more info on that.  For years, I have been keeping a “pile” of notes, quotes, inspirations, Scripture verses, etc., that have made an impression on me.  I always thought that someday I’d either put everything in a scrapbook or perhaps even write a book…  BUT, honestly, I don’t think I should begin yet another new hobby, like scrapbooking, because I KNOW that I’d love it.  Problem is, there are soooo many things I love to do!  🙂  Other problem is, my “pile” is overtaking the box I’ve allocated for it… This year, I will be turning 40, and it seems the Lord has really been placing it on my heart to focus on the “legacy” I can leave behind for those after me.  Since I don’t know how many more days He wants me to work for Him here, I will use this blog as motivation to create a virtual “scrapbook”.  We will also use this blog to share snippets of our daily life, as well.  With that intro, I’ll leave this first post with a poem the Lord inspired me to write last Easter season…