May 31, 2010

A really good weekend

This was a really good long weekend here. 
I had several opportunities during the last few days to pray for our military service people and their families.  May God bless them and keep them all safe from harm as they defend the freedoms we hold dear.  I am so thankful to live in this country and pray that God will protect our nation.
The weather here has been truly spectacular all weekend.  Today we did have a haze of smoke from the Canadian brush fires, but it hasn't been too bad.  I will be praying that no one is hurt in the fires up north.
I've been productive over the last few days. I've managed to get some baking done, some cleaning, and even a bit of sewing.  I finally finished packing up the last school year work for both kids and cleaned off one of the bookcases to get ready for next year.  I even updated our school tracking software on 2 of the computers,  the other two seem to be dead at the moment and need Steve's tech support to revive them.
I was able to go for a long bike ride with the kids on Friday, a run on Saturday, a power walk on Sunday evening, and another run this morning.  I have to keep moving to combat all the junk I've been eating lately.  I made home-made ice cream on Friday night and Steve took us for ice cream at King Kone last night after he got home from his trail race up in Maine.  I am still trying to lose another 10 pounds and feel like I am sabotaging myself by baking and going for ice cream.  At least I'm not gaining... that is a blessing!
Today Steve took me for a ride on the motorcycle and we were tooling up Mack Hill Rd. in Amherst when we paused at the top and I realized the bag on my back was EMPTY!  Panic!  The bottom of the bag had let go and my wallet was in the bag!  Steve told me to get off the bike a minute and he'd turn around so we could back-track.  I climbed off and was shocked to see my wallet sitting on the little metal rack behind the seat!  The road was incredibly bumpy so it must have just fallen out.  I was SO relieved I was almost in tears and was thanking God for his amazing blessing and care. 
We drove along a bit further and Steve remembered he'd had our small digital camera in the bottom of the bag.  Back-tracking all the way home we scanned and searched the roadside to no avail.  Then we took the car and went back again.  This time with the kids and we stopped again at the top of the hill and walked the edges looking for the camera case.  Nothing.   We are disappointed but I am beyond thankful that my wallet is safe.  Prayerfully someone honest will find the camera and return it to us.
In spite of the loss of the camera, the weekend on the whole was good and I am very certain of God's loving care of us all.

May 24, 2010

A beautiful day

The weather here has been unseasonably warm and beautiful!  Today it is already over 80 degrees!  That just doesn't normally happen in NH in May ~ but I will take it with thanks to God above for blessing us with this lovely day!

J had her riding lesson this morning and B was blessed to be able to swim with his friend during the lesson hour.  I sat in a lounge chair and perused a recipe book "Eating Well at Rush Hour".  I'm in search of inspiration for my meal planning.  I am in a slump about planning and cooking and need some new ideas.  I think I found a few.  Though I'm not sure what the kids will think, but I know that Steve always appreciates my efforts and never complains.  I am a blessed wife.
We did a run through Wal-Mart for what I call a 'coupon shop', which is when I have coupons for just about everything I purchase.  I managed to save just over $20 total.  I have made it a hard-n-fast rule to not buy anything with a coupon unless it's something I would normally buy or the price makes it cheaper than the brand of that item I normally purchase.
I still need to do a run to the grocery store and hit the post office to mail 2 things for the PaperBack Book Swap site (I love swapping books!)   If anyone is interested in signing up - send me a message and I'll forward you the link to sign up (I get points if I refer you!).

Tonight is my ladies' Bible Study group and God is really blessing this time with this marvelous group of women.  I think we are all learning and growing and beginning to connect in new friendships.  God is so good to us to give us others to share the journey.

I found a verse today that really spoke to me so I will share it in closing this post.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NASB)
Faithful is he who calls you, and he will also bring it to pass.

May 22, 2010

Piper

 
Isn't she a pretty (big) yellow dog?  I just love this big goofy rug of a dog.



May 19, 2010

Random Rainy Day Stuff

It's a rainy day in New Hampshire.  Not terribly exciting, but we've had a good day.
I slept in a bit this morning, easy to do with the gray skies and gentle pitter-patter of raindrops on the trees.  I do love that sound. 
After some odds-n-ends of things accomplished over coffee, I glanced out the window to see a mini-van pulling into my driveway.  A woman I've only met through email was stopping by to purchase a book from me.
I went downstairs and met her at the kitchen door with a big smile and laugh about the fact that I was still in my robe & slippers.  As a fellow homeschooling Mom, being in pjs at 9am didn't surprise her.  Good thing.   After she bought the book and went to leave, she realized that she had locked her keys in her van.  Back she came and we each had a nice cup of herbal tea and chatted at the kitchen table while waiting for her husband to come with another set of keys.  A pleasant 15 minutes shared with a like-minded person.  A nice start.
After she had gone I did my strength training and got ready to go for a walk.  I dragged J along with me for the 3 miles in the drizzle.  She was good company if not overly thrilled about the distance we covered.
Back home for a hot shower and lunch and then off to run some errands.  We had to get gas in the truck and I was tickled to use my Override card and save 20 cents per gallon!  It doesn't sound like a big thrill, but when you have to put 20 gallons of gas in your truck... it helps!  Then we hit Shaw's for a few things as I had a $4 coupon to use that was going to expire and I wanted to get a jar of Hoisin Sauce that is needed in a few new recipes I want to try out in the next few weeks.
We also hit Tractor Supply for a bag of new dog food for Piper.  She is our enormous yellow lab.

We are switching her to a higher quality (read more expensive!) food to try and control her weight and keep her healthy.  I've been researching pet food for a few weeks now and settled on Blue Buffalo for her.  Hopefully she will like it.  I also found out that they will be hosting a farmer's market every Wednesday afternoon right in the parking lot at TS here in town.  Woohoo!
Our last stop was the library, I had requested a copy of Ben & Jerry's ice cream recipe book through inter-library loan.  I love that feature!
Now to decide which recipe to try first with my new ice cream maker attachment for my mixer.  We've never made home-made ice cream before and I'm looking forward to it.  We can make up all sorts of yummy things and hopefully it will be less expensive and maybe a bit healthier.
Tonight Steve has his running club track work-out and I think I'm going to spend the some time sewing before I start dinner (a new recipe is planned for tonight!).  I'm working on some blocks to take to quilt ministry next week.  We have LOTS of new babies coming in our church this year.  God has blessed me thoroughly by the opportunity to do something I love (sew) as a ministry. 


 

May 17, 2010

Just because it makes me smile

Sometimes one daisy can make you feel good all day. 
God made that daisy for you.



Remember to smile and say 'thanks'.


May 12, 2010

Birthday

 
I've had a really good day!

May 4, 2010

New Bible Study

Last night our ladies group began a new Bible Study from a book by Sheila Walsh, Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God.  I think it will be amazing.

This morning in our reading time, the kids and I read this passage:
2 Corinthians 4:6-18
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 
We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken."With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

I really love how God reminds us of His eternal love and care of us, even when we cannot see the reason behind the darkness that faces us in this moment.  He has a reason, we have to trust Him.




May 3, 2010

A prayer from Scripture

Psalm 119:65-72 (New Living Translation)

 65 You have done many good things for me, Lord,
      just as you promised.
 66 I believe in your commands;
      now teach me good judgment and knowledge.
 67 I used to wander off until you disciplined me;
      but now I closely follow your word.
 68 You are good and do only good;
      teach me your decrees.


May 2, 2010

Salt & Light

We sang this song as part of our worship time at church this morning.  I love it!


May 1, 2010

A Letter from Kenya

We received an amazing blessing in the mail this week.  Our first letter from our sponsored child Fred arrived!  I can't really express the feeling of joy this one page of paper brought to our family.
We began sponsoring Fred through Compassion International in March - just before his 7th birthday - and felt so blessed that God was allowing our family to really DO something to make a tangible difference.  To actually BE the hands/feet of Jesus in the life of one small boy.
That has been, and continues to be, one of my most frequent prayers.  That God will somehow, in some way, use me for His purposes in the lives of someone around me.... or around the world in this case.
So our first letter from Fred was written by the translator Cionada, and we are so thankful that Fred is aware of our family and our prayers for him and his family.  He specifically asked us to pray for a younger brother who is ill and we will.  We will write to him soon and will hope to hear from him again before the end of the year.

I know there are many families who sponsor a child... please, take a few minutes to write.  You can do it online through the Compassion website.  It is a small thing, so easy to do and will really matter to your sponsored child.

If you are not a sponsor yet... consider it... there is a link in the sidebar.  Look at those faces from around the world waiting for someone... it could be you.