My Paraphrase and thoughts on I Cor. 13

It really doesn’t matter if I can speak all the languages of earth and even tongues. If I don’t really love others, I am only a noise maker, as undesirable to hear as kettle lids being banged together. I can have all kinds of wise insights and understand God’s secret plans, yes and even possess all knowledge. I can be so faith-filled that I can move mountains, but if I don’t love others, it’s nothing. Even if I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my own body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

• Love is patient and kind. Yet in my day to day dealings with the little one… How often do I become impatient? To be always gentle with them!

• Love is not jealous - Do I desire the recognition or blessings of others? Does it rankle me when things are unequal?

•  Or boastful - Do I quietly go about serving my Maker? Or do I ever seek recognition for my accomplishments, etc?

•  Or proud - Pride…so sneaky…so easy to fall into the trap of self focus and self seeking! Even my supposed humility can be so prideful!

•  Or rude - this one makes me think of that day when the phone didn’t hang up when I thought  it had, and I was in the middle of scolding my little one when a voice on the other end asked if I was finished…. Yes, if you are reading this, you know who you are and remember! I blushed and hung up without even answering. I was mortified… yet, my little ones here me speak like this and I don’t even think is it loving?

• It does not demand its own way - do I?

• It is not irritable - oooh! Ouch! Yes, I confess I do get irritated much to quickly…those daily irritations, the constant questions of toddlers, the foolish prattle….

• It keeps no record of being wronged… (you always do thus and so)

• It does not rejoice in injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

• Love never gives up… those prayers that seem to go unanswered?

•  Never loses faith… when days and weeks and years pass by?

•  Is always hopeful… ALWAYS?!

•  And endures through every circumstance… the long moments of every day with his love?

“Oh Jesus Christ who bore the bitter cross for me -

 Stretched out Thine arms in love and agony

Impart Thy love and fill, transform my heart - 

Til’ it breaths naught but love - the love Thou art!”

"Dairy-Free" Cheesecake!

Okay, so, as long as I'm breastfeeding I'm officially abstaining from dairy and gluten. For one who grew up dairy intolerant, that isn't so terrible, but it just so happens to cut out my favorite dessert - Mocha Cheesecake! It's the holidays, and every single party or gathering I go to is well stocked with every sweet treat imaginable - all of them loaded with dairy, gluten (and of course sugar and calories). Maybe it's a blessing in disguise that I can't eat them, because then I'm not packing on the pounds either, but I finally got so hungry for my favorite, that I decided to see what I could do about it.
The results? Quite satisfactory! So in case there is another Mocha Cheesecake lover out there, living in self denial, I'll share the recipe with you!

In my case, my little guy handles me eating a bit of goat milk, so that is the yogurt I used, but I think one could easily substitute soy, almond or other dairy free yogurt, only maybe the flavor would be a little less authentic. And by the way - I got the yogurt and cashew butter on sale at a discount grocers! Score!

Here's the filling. For a crust - simply use a graham cracker crust recipe with gluten free cookie crumbs if desired - and butter substitute like earth balance:

In saucepan over low heat
2 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 2 tsp of hot water
1/4 cup of honey(this can be adjusted to desired sweetness and could be another sweetener)
1/2 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (I use Kirkland brand because they are dairy free)
2 Tb dark cocoa powder

Stir till melted and then add:

2/3 cup raw cashew butter

Mix well and add:

1 1/3 c. plain goat milk yogurt

Pour over crust and chill until set up - I chilled mine overnight.

Mmmm!  Enjoy!

Cardboard Gingerbread House

 Did you know that the box the presents come in can be just as much fun as the gifts themselves? Grandma's box of sparkly gifts arrive in this box and Christy asked me to make her a house. When I started to cut it, I suddenly saw some fun potential and we got out the paint and glue. This is what we created.

 

Here is a note from Johnny to Grandma - "Our dear Grandma,  We love you. This gingerbread house is neat! We are excited to open the packages. Thank you for sending them! I think that the little one might be money!"

And this one is from Christy -"I love you. I want to open my package all day long soon! But I want to wait til Christmas. We made a house from your box. I like it."

Winter in Wyoming

Saw this poem today and it made me grin. I changed a stanza for sake of politeness...


It's winter in Wyoming
And the gentle breezes blow
Seventy miles an hour
At thirty-five below.

Oh, how I love Wyoming
With all this snow to tackle
You take a breath of winter
And your nose begins to crackle.

Yes, the weather here is wonderful
So I guess I'll hang around
I could never leave Wyoming
I'm frozen to the ground!

Our cheerful little man! He can sit and giggle and wiggle in this swing so sweetly! Beth Alexander, if you are reading this, how can I thank you for it enough? 

Snowball!

This is the nature of snow in Cheyenne - Bare patches and drifts! They have what they call ground blizzards here, when the already fallen snow blows around and drifts the roads back shut.

Jack Frost's handiwork - see the neat designs in the ice? Isn't our Creator amazing? I found this frost pattern on Christy's window one day.

 

Our little smiley guy(I don't know how to get it to play the right speed...)

Our Advent Branch

And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth...

And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox...

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, which standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek; and his resting place shall be glorious. from Isa. 11:1-10

So I saw a neat idea of using the days leading up to Christmas to teach a Bible lesson everyday, and make a little symbol to represent it to hang on a Jesse tree or branch. 

Today we made salt dough and molded little symbols and painted them. We hung the first couple and I told them the stories to go with them. They look forward expectantly to putting up the rest day by day.

Seven Years Today

It's been exactly seven years today since I walked the isle with my love and vowed to be his til death do us part. It's been a wonderful seven years, not without their growing pains, but together we have grown - I believe, more like HIM we both love. I have learned to see that our strengths and weaknesses compliment each other. Together we can learn to be more like the Master than we could alone. And I am thankful for my man, thankful for his constant caring commitment and strength of character, thankful for the ways he stretches me, thankful for the home we are building together. May it be a house of praise where God the Almighty reigns - a home where God is enthroned and his name proclaimed!

And just a little out of the mouth of babes quote for you - Remember the athiest sales man that I wrote about? When he was here John turned on some hymn worship music and said to him "Do you know why I like to listen to that? Because we love Jesus in this house."

We do. And it makes such a difference.

Puzzle Pieces

Ever heard Mr. Gungar speak about the difference between men's brains and women's? He said men have boxes and only pull one out at a time. If they are thinking about one thing and need to change to another, they must first switch boxes... Well, I'm like that with life. I do so want to be perfect, but it's hard to focus on more than one area at a time. There's marriage, raising children, keeping house... And I want to do them all right, but I find myself focusing on one box at a time and feeling like a failure in all. I was challenged by a book I was reading today to see it more like a puzzle that I am fitting together piece by piece to make a beautiful whole. I want to be a good wife - so I choose today to greet my husband at the door with a kiss; to raise my children intentionally, so I will giggle with them and hug them today, and say yes because I can instead of "not right now" because it is easy and mindless; to keep home - so I will take the time to wipe those sticky spots from the cupboard door, and start that extra load of wash; to keep Him first, so I will live to Him in this moment and glorify him by a moment by moment life of praise to God.

 

The faces of our days :)

Holiday Fun with the Children

Make a glittery mess with this the morning that the Kirby salesman visited. He asked us if we had had a glitter party. Well, sort of. I let the children brush the pinecones with glue themselves, and then sprinkle on the glitter. They've been begging to do it again.

Another day we did this with gluten free gingerbread dough. They each got a bag with the tip cut off to squeeze on their own icing. So sticky and fun!

 Yummy holiday treats!

Gingerbread popcorn! Pretty tastey!

Change of plans today

So today started out like any other day. I had laundry and housework to do, but around 10 am I got a knock at my door, and before I knew it, I had a Kirby sales man in my living room. My day took a rapid turn. For the next hour+ I listened and watched as he demoed the machine.  The amazing thing can pick up a lot of junk even from a brand new carpet! But that's beside the point. I couldn't afford it's $3900 price tag, or the $2000 one with today's special discount. Well an extra special deal just for me would actually let me have it at $1200 and finally, just the machine without any warranties at $750, but even that I turned down. The young man demoing it finally finished and called his boss to pick him up, but was told it would be a minute. That minute stretched out to over an hour and a half. During which time I learned that the kid sales man (18) who shares my son's name and birthday is a self proclaimed atheist. A hurting young man whose dad left his 14 year old mom when he was just a baby. He's already spent time in jail as well as living in his car. Pray for John. He's been turned off by the only Christians he ever knew, but deep inside I think he still doubts his conclusion that there's no God.

Immune-boosting Elderberry Gummies and other stuff from our home

Our little cutie is growing like a weed, and generally so very good natured and sweet.  Usually, if he's crying he's either wet, or hungry or tired. Fix that and he's back to smiling and talking.

Starting first grade with this young man!

 

She's growing up too.

 So a couple more before and afters of this place. Here's a view from the kitchen before paint and carpet(after ripping out the old.

Here's the same view, as wide as a 50 mm will let me take it.

from our bedroom door(the blurred edge to the right is the door jam.) Like my "new" couch? :) $30 dollars at the Restore around the block from here!

 Next some pictures of this evening's project
With cold and flu season here, I'm doing immune boosting gummies and "flu" tea, not flu shots. My dear mumsie sent us the cutest little silicon gummy bear mold. We made our first batch of gummies tonight and the children loved them.

Elderberry Gummies
1/2 cup fruit juice
1/3 cup elderberry syrup
1 Tb honey
3 Tb gelatin
Soak the gelatin in the fruit juice and then add the rest of the ingredients and heat on low till dissolved. Pour into mold and cool in fridge(or freezer if you have a small mold like me and want to do multiple batches in a hurry before your stuff sets up in the pan)

Here's what was left of my batch after we had all tried them :)

Here's some information on why elderberry - source

Photo Credit elderberries image by Alison Bowden

 

Elderberries have a long history as a folk cure for a variety of ailments. Currently, scientific studies are being conducted to test the accuracy of these health claims. While some uses haven't been proven yet, elderberries in the form of elderberry syrup have been shown to boost immunity, decrease mucous production during colds and fight 

the flu.

Boosts the Immune System

Help your body fight disease. Elderberries are a rich source of vitamins A and C, which are crucial in helping the body maintain optimal health. Plus, the bioflavonoids in elderberry syrup boost the body's immune system by increasing antioxidant levels and viruses that damage cell walls. A daily dose can assist you in preventing both acute and chronic disease.

Treats Upper Respiratory Infections

Fight your cold symptoms. Elderberry syrup makes colds and other upper respiratory symptoms more tolerable by reducing mucous secretions. Also, elderberries may fight swelling of the respiratory passages, which means less discomfort and trouble breathing and soothe a cough.

Improves Flu Symptoms

Decrease the length and severity of your flu symptoms. Common flu symptoms like fever, chills, sore throat, muscle aches and fatigue may go away faster if you take elderberry syrup as recommended on the bottle. According to a study in the Journal of International Medical Research, patients given elderberry syrup recovered an average of 4 days faster from the flu than those not taking the supplement. Elderberries have even been shown in the labs to help prevent swine and avian flu strains.

Today at our House

It's nap time at our house and here are the threesome getting ready for bed.

 

Sir Edward who happens to share his birthday with the little prince doesn't have a special canopy for his bed like his two siblings :)

Behold the princess! :)

My little Indian in his wigwam

 

Home at Last!

So we've FINALLY moved in! Needless to say, we aren't totally unpacked or anything like that yet. And the kitchen floor is still waiting for its lovely laminate tiling, but it's so good to have place to call our own once more.
Our sweet church family blessed us with a welcome grocery shower and I spent the morning trying to fit it into our pantry! Screwed up a few more cupboard doors(Darren finished that up this evening) and tried to do some laundry. I say tried because I discovered first that the washer wasn't hooked up, and secondly, after washing the first load, that the dryer wasn't either and couldn't be without a new vent pipe. So now the load will wait and hopefully tomorrow Darren can find time to fix it.
Snow is on the forecast, and Darren is to bed early with prospects of being out plowing in the morning. He really hopes to be able to, as we can use the cash after all those moving and remodeling expenses! Thankfully his foot, which he was afraid that he re-broke at volley ball is doing much better. An answer to prayer - because it did NOT seem we needed that on top of everything, an added expense and a hindrance to work.
I got out some school stuff and played word dominoes with John today. He had fun and we laughed over the silly sentences I made up for the words he created.
Here is a picture Faith Yoder took for me after we had started priming the kitchen -

Before

And now the after! The fruit basket is just a part of the abundant blessing our church family poured out in welcome. We had double that much to start with - and THREE pineapples! Yummy! You see that empty gray wall to the right of the sink? That's were I'm going to put my wall art! It's going to say - Today I choose joy
That's because each day's joy is a choice and choosing to see my glass half full instead of half empty helps my life to be not just half full but overflowing. That's how I want to live - full, not empty. I want to splash God's love on others as I come in contact with them, and that includes my little ones.
As you can see the floor is still a work in progress. Below is a photo of some of the progress while in progress :) The tile laminate in the lower right of the photo is what the finished kitchen floor will be.

Here's my start at a home coffee/tea center. I want to give our future guests a warm welcome. :)

Coffee, hot chocolate mix, sugar, and creamer. The tall canisters are thrift store finds repurposed. The ones with the clear knobs were candle holders, and the lids were two for twenty-five cents and happened to fit perfectly. I just took out the votive holders from the top and replaced them. The sugar container used to hold vanilla bath salts(don't worry, I cleaned it well) and the creamer container was part of a Christmas gift from Dara Weaver several years ago. Thanks, Dara.

Repainted some orange Christmas tins - also a thrifted find to make these silverware holders. My drawers are too riskily unstable to hold heavy items.  The curtains below - another thrift find, but perfect.

So there you have it - a peak at my kitchen today. Maybe I'll add some other photos another day.

Painting and new carpets

Brand new carpets are finally in! It looks wonderful! They were able to install them with out any seams from the master bedroom all the way out through the livingroom. The place is also smelling one hundred percent better now that the smoke smell is sealed out with Kilz. We girls worked on painting the kitchen today and the guys are working on cabinet doors tonight! Yeah! The home stretch is in sight! We should soon be able to settle in!
We had some refreshing challenging messages from bro. Keith Daniel of South  Africa.  Stirred once more to be daily soaking myself in Gods word and pouring out a life of witness to the world around me. Also reminded of the importance of his anointing on my life in my daily calling of mothering my three wee ones.

Slow Progress

The progress on the house goes slowly. We've been here almost three weeks and are still waiting to actually move in. Saturday is scheduled for carpet installation, and so hopefully first of the week next week we can actually begin unpacking. Last week both Darren and I made ourselves ill painting with Kilz without proper respirator masks. Darren came staggering in after a long day of painting, and I was so concerned that I called mom to see what I could do for him. After several glasses of water, some charcoal, and an epsom salt soak, he started to feel much better.
Faith Yoder helped with some painting and snapped a few phone pics that I hope to add when I can so you can see the progress.
Today I am thankful or his grace in day to day moments. Give thanks to Him with me.

A Family Photo

Here's the family photo we took just last month. I hadn't gotten to posting it till today.

Go West, Young Man

Last week I was enjoying the big blueness of the skies, scattered with puffy white clouds, and the rolling plains leading off to snow capped mountains as we rolled towards Denver airport to be reunited with our children.  I had to think of these famous words, that have probably rung in the hearts of many men over the years.

 “Go west young man, go west! Do not lounge in the cities! There is room and health in the country, away from the crowds of idlers and imbeciles. Go west, before you are fitted for no life but that of the factory.” Horace Greeley

I'm not sure if the highway out here is named Greeley in honor of Mr. Horace or not, but we are here in Cheyenne, Wy "where the west begins." As I traveled I was asked by many people where I was going, and the unanimous consent of all the male population seemed to be one of envy for Darren getting to live out here. It seems to be many a man's secret dream!

We've been here for over a week, and no, we are not getting settled into our new house yet. We discovered that the very wet weeks and flooding our here leading up to our arrival have caused a mold problem that has to be taken care of first. One of the bedrooms was actually growing mushrooms! So there will be some extra work and cost involved before we get to the settling-in stage.
The carpets and paneling have been ripped out, and the exterior calked. Today I think they will try to finish repairing the siding and then prepare to drywall and paint. Thank you to each one of you who is reading this because of a personal interest in our lives. Please keep us in your prayers as we start out in this new area.


Yesterday I was reading in Hosea 6 -
“Come, let us return to the Lord;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
 After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
 Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;
 his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
 as the spring rains that water the earth.”
 What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
 like the dew that goes early away.

... I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
 the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."(italics added)

I got to pondering how often I am like Ephraim and Judah. There are revival meetings or I hear a message that stirs up my heart in love and worship to the Lord. For a short time my love fires burn brightly, then like the morning dew when the sun has risen, it seems to evaporate, and I am back to "normal life."  What is my normal everyday living like? If I rate my devotional life, prayer life, and witnessing on a scale of one to ten, what would it really look like?  Not long ago I dreamed that the Lord's return was taking place, and the one regret in my heart was my lack in these areas.  I want to live my life so that if the Lord did come back today, I wouldn't have regrets.  I want to truly "press on" to know the Lord like the passage says.
May the Lord help me to seek him with my whole heart,  to sow and reap a harvest of steadfast love and his refreshing rain of righteousness! 
Hosea 10 :12  Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you."

Moving Preparation

Today we left the children with Grandpa and Grandma Weaver. They will stay there while we finish our last few days of packing and meet us in Wyoming in a little over a week. We will miss them! Darren's folks will bring a trailer on Monday night and we will load up. Then Darren will leave on Thursday, and I will fly to join him with Edward on Friday.


 But they are sure to have a splendid time :)



Little Edward is growing so fast! It's had to believe he is already 2 months old!



My brother James with Edward - photo credits for this post - Peg Kelly

It was great getting to see my family one last time before moving, and an added treat - my mom's cousin Peg, who is like an aunt to us was there also. I hadn't seen her in years! So nice to be able to touch down! Joyce and Carol also came and spent the day. Now they should all come and visit me in Cheyenne!

Edward at Two Months

Here's our little man - two months old today! Doesn't time have a way of flying!?