Hopechest Party

On April 2, my daughters and I had a surprise hopechest party to celebrate my oldest daughter Rachel's 16th birthday. Sweet 16 already... where has the time gone?!? We had a simply delightful time with the sweetest of friends! We enjoyed a light brunch & some games. The gifts were so wonderful and it was so awesome to see so many beautiful homemade presents, presents that I know Rachel will cherish forever. It was a good experience for all of us, and quite possibly a new tradition.



~ A Hopechest is a Treasure Chest

of Hopes & Dreams ~

My girls and I very much enjoy the tradition of the hopechest and have had a lot of fun over the years collecting items to put into their hopechests. Some of the things in my daughters'

hopechests include such things as : cast iron pans, homemade soap,

dish cloths, tea cups, books on marriage and/or child training,

table cloths, cookbooks, & baby clothes.

I am pleased that my girls are thinking about and preparing for their future, not only by filling a wooden box with small, fairly insignificant earthly items but also by filling their hearts and minds with the Word and other lovely thoughts!

Philippians 4:8

Finally,brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,

whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,

whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue,and if there be any praise,

                                    Think on these things.

Home business/Ministry

My husband and I ( mostly my husband, I'm just the helper ;)) recently began an on-line Christian business directory, which is just what it sounds like, a listing of Christian businesses, which have services or products to offer. We want to make it easy for people to find Christian businesses and we are hoping that this website will be a great resource to do just that. While this is a home business, it is also a ministry. It is our families goal to utilize Galatians 6:10 by supporting Christians in business and we hope other families will do the same. Wouldn't it be wonderful if all of our buying, selling and trading could be done with other believers?! We are still trying to grow the directory and pray that in the days and weeks to come more people will join. We are so thankful that the Lord gave my husband this idea and very thankful for the people he led us to, to help it come to fruition, my husband and I are computer illiterate, so it's kind of funny that we would want to start a website but God is good and HE led us to a wonderful Christian web designer! Please check out the website that God has given us at http://www.mainechristianbusinessdirectory.com/ .

Laura Story : Blessings

Quote

As much as I converse with sages and heroes, they have very little of my love and admiration. I long for rural and domestic scene, for the warbling of birds and the prattling of my children.
~ John Adams

We now have 2 new furry additions to our home! Our daughter Megan now has Yorshire Terrier puppies. She is very busy but thrilled to have them.

There is a beautiful story of God's provision that goes along with this. Megan decided to turn her love for animals into a home business, so she decided she would raise and sell puppies. She carefully and thoughtfully selected the breed she wanted and began saving her money. She earned money by selling baked goods and even went out collecting bottles and cans to turn in for 5 cents each. She saved all her birthday money too. Megan began perusing the internet to find her puppy. She soon found that there were hundreds, even thousands of breeders selling Yorkies and that the prices varied greatly. She discovered some that were reasonable but none that were close enough to drive to and pick up, therefore Meg would now have to add another $200 + dollars on to the price of her dog for the shipping. She was a bit discouraged but she kept praying, saving, and planning. Megan struggled briefly with the decision of whom to buy her puppy from, some people were pushy, others were too expensive, some people were too vague and uncooperative. She was drawn to one lady in particular, whom she found about half way through her search. She noted her and the date the puppy would be ready but then continued on with her search. After some time and not seeming to get anywhere she remembered that lady again and I will always remember when my daughter came to me and said " Mom, I really think that God wants me to get a puppy from D" I simply said " Meg if that is what you think then keep praying and saving and if that is the puppy God wants you to have then God will save it for you and it will happen" Her smile and joy were priceless! She did continue praying, & saving and contacted the breeder many times to ask questions. The breeder was and is a sweet and wonderful lady. Megan and her Dad and I felt sure that this was the breeder we wanted her to buy from. At this point, Megan only had enough money for the puppy but not the shipping. The puppy was going to be ready on December 24th and her Dad and I thought it would be marvellous if Meg could have her puppy for Christmas. Unbeknownest to Meg, her Dad called the breeder and explained Meg's situation and asked her if she would hold the puppy for Megan if she put a deposit down. This incredibly sweet lady, (who is also a Christian) decided that she would rather have Meg pay for the shipping and pay her for the puppy whenever she could! We were blown away by this kind gesture, which was also very trusting on her part! Megan did not know about this and we kept it that way until Christmas when we surprised her with a card with a picture of her puppy telling her that she would be coming soon. And...if that isn't awesome enough, about 2 weeks before we were supposed to pick the puppy up, the breeder calls and tells my husband she is giving Megan a male puppy too, absolutely free!!! She really loves Meg and wanted to help her get started with her business. My husband was speechless. So...our daughter now has 2 beautiful, healthy puppies and we know the Lord was in it all the way!! We are all so thankful that God provides and that His timing is perfect!

There's No Place Like Home

Home... It evokes thoughts of togetherness, coziness, laughter, good memories and traditions. To me, home is one of the sweetest words and places that there is. As a Christian, 
I believe the home is the greatest of institutions.

In our home, we have had the pleasure of experiencing the joy of homebirth with 4 of our 5 children. My only regret is not having done it with our oldest. Many will argue about how risky it is to do such a thing, I do not agree with most of these arguments, but granted some people can't have their children at home, I understand that. For us, it was a wonderful decision, that made the experience of chilbirth all the more enjoyable. I very much appreciated being in my own room, having the freedom to get up when I wanted, have my other children present and having the experience be completely natural. It was much more relaxing and comfortable. We had an experienced midwife, and with her help my husband was able to deliver our babies each time. Homebirth has been an incredible and unforgetable event for us.

Home for us, is also our school. Homeschooling has been one of our other wonderful experiences and a great adventure too. We have taught our children from the beginning, and are happy to have done so. Just like homebirth, the comfort of home has made the experience more enjoyable. I love being with my kids and learning with them. We have a wonderful bond, due in part to the time we spend together. Homeschooling for us is just the natural thing to do, we can't imagine not homeschooling. Childhood seems too short as it is, I can't imagine not seeing my kids for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week! According to my calculations that would be 18,200 hours or 2,275 days or over 6 years of my kids lives that I would be missing out on! I believe our family life has been enriched by homeschooling.

I am so thankful to the Lord for home and family. I do pray our home will always be one that is a beacon of light, that others may see His goodness and His hand at work.

The Children of Caesar

Heroes

A hero is defined as : 1. Any person, esp. a man, admired for courage, nobility, or exploits, esp. in war.
2. Any person, esp. a man admired for qualities or achievements and regarded as an ideal or model.
True Heroes are hard to find. Sadly, in our culture today, our true heroes are often overlooked, while our society honors and pays tribute to those who are rich and famous, such as movie stars or athletes. While these people may be talented, they aren't necessarily noble, courageous, or ideal and therefore should not be treated as heroes.

Let's not overlook our true Heroes, may we hold in high esteem the men who serve in our Military, the Police Officers who protect our streets, our Firemen who risk their lives to save others, Missionaries who make great sacrifices, sometimes the ultimate sacrifice, for the sake of the lost...
And...let's not forget Fathers! Fathers who are diligently training up their children in the Lord, who give and pray and work hard for their families. These are our true heroes, ordinary men who do extraordinary jobs everyday, not for money, or for praise, but because it is noble. May God bless these men of honor!