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!

Missions Trip

For the past 10 years or so our oldest daughter Rachel has wanted to be a missionary and has dreamed of going on a missions trip. While she has been waiting to be old enough and for the right trip, she has been reading everything about missionaries she could get her hands on, going to missions conferences, talking to missionaries and praying. We too have been praying that the Lord would open the doors in His perfect time.

We are so pleased to announce that this is the Lord's time for Rachel, He has opened the doors, she will be going on her first missions trip to South Africa in the summer of 2011! Praise the Lord! Fundraising has begun and it has been a joy for us to help her earn her needed funds and to share in her excitement. To date Rachel has already earned her half of the funds needed, the other half will be raised by the whole group together. The Lord did a mighty work through His generous people; we have all been overwhelmed by the financial support Rachel has received!

Rachel will be going on the 2 week trip with a great group of people from our church ( Cornerstone Baptist in Exeter ). The primary focus of this trip will be evangelism, which is one of the reasons why she chose this trip; she really had her heart set on being able to share her faith. There is a lot to think about and do before she leaves, so I am sure the next couple of months will be very busy, but also very exciting.

Please pray for Rachel to grow spiritually. Pray that she will continue well in the study of the Word and that she will become even more comfortable sharing her faith...simply & clearly.
Please also pray for Rachel to have good health and to use her time wisely, as she has a lot to juggle right now: school, fundraising, planning, odd jobs, family, church etc.
Also please pray for the entire group that is going, that their fundraisers will be successful and that they will all be blessed and reach souls for Christ. Thank you all for your prayers!

We are so thankful to the Lord for tHIS opportunity!! God is good! We praise and thank you Lord!

Christmas

Christmas time is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the music, the decorations, the parties and especially the moments with my family.

We know for many families Christmas is a magical Santa Claus time and for others Christmas is strictly celebrated as the birth of Jesus and He is the reason for the season. For our family we have found that either way Jesus wasn't the main focus, for we weren't giving Him any gifts. Our family has chosen to celebrate the birth of Christ seperate from all other holidays, although we still include Him in our celebration because Jesus is part of everything we do. So on December 25th we give gifts to each other and we thank Him for His bounty and in the spring we set aside a day to honor Him, celebrate His birth and give Him gifts of service. This may seem strange to many but it has worked well for our family.

May you all have a wonderful and joyous Christmas and a very happy new year as you serve the Lord Jesus! May you enjoy all the sights and smells and excitement of Christmas. Lets all thank the Lord that He gives us special times of celebration to look forward to. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Thursday

Can't believe it's already Thursday! This week has flown by. To say that we have been busy would be an understatement.We have had so much going on besides our schooling and usual household up keep, but it has been fun and I am glad that the time is passing quickly because my husband is still away on his moose hunt ( they did get a moose... YAY, we are very happy ).

We enjoyed a nice trip to the library yesterday and came home with some great books mostly about Maine or by Maine authors. There is just something that I love about being at the library...I love it! I am really looking forward to our reading time today.

Friends make any day special, and we had the privilege to stop and visit with a few of our friends yesterday as well, so that was a treat. As always we were encouraged and uplifted by our fellowship.

After visiting with one set of friends we had to rush off to art class, which my second oldest daughter participates in. She is having a wonderful time and we are really thankful for knowing people, who know people, who share their talents and enrich our learning experience. As we waited for art class to get done we had the opportunity to visit with some more friends!

Drivers ed has been keeping us very busy, it's a good thing it doesn't last too long, it has been a good experience for my daughter though and I am glad she had the opportunity to take the class. Rachel is very excited to get her permit on the 8th of this month and we are excited with her!

Although busy can be crazy, sometimes it's fun and I am really enjoying this time. When I make time for the Lord and put Him first, He always helps me keep everything together. But, seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.~ Matthew 6:33
It's so good to know we don't need to worry about "stuff", He has it all under control, we just need to seek Him. Hope everyone has a good Thursday!

Fabulous Friends

Proverbs 17:17a ~ A friend loveth at all times... oh how nice to have sweet friends! I am blessed with fabulous friends who know me and love me anyway and for that I am very thankful. God has been so good to me, to give me sweet and wonderful friends and acquaintances who are encouraging, thoughtful, funny, generous, forgiving and fun! For me, friends truly are one of the greatest gifts in life.

I want to say thank you to all the special women in my life that I call friends. Thank you for listening, really listening... to my joys, my struggles, & my triumphs thank you for all your words of wisdom; which are a great treasure to me, much thanks for making me laugh and for all the fun times; for a merry heart doeth good like a medicine Proverbs 17:22a, thank you for being godly women, who are a shining example of Christ.

I pray that my friends will see in me, the kind of friend that they have been to me and that they too, will consider our friendship a blessing.

My Favorite Season

Fall has arrived! I love this time of year... the campfires, pressing cider, the foliage, cool crisp nights, and hunting! The glorious colors and the delightful aromas either coming from our oven, woodstove or burning candles are just the Best ! Fall is such a Cozy time of year.

Lord willing, this fall I plan to take some long walks, make applesauce and more cider, bake and enjoy some cozy moments with my children as we read together by the fire. We are currently getting all our winter wood stacked in the cellar, it is hard work but nonetheless fun. We are also busy getting school underway and I am hoping for a great year. My husband will be leaving in 3 days to go on a moose hunt, which is a big deal around here. So, we are also very busy getting ready for that. Praying they have fun, safety, and get a big moose too! So busy, but so much fun. I love the great memories we make doing simple things together as a family.

 I hope all of you have a chance to sit back with a cup of cider, tea, coffee, or cocoa and enjoy this most wonderful time of year with your family. Take some time to notice the beautiful change of season.

Well, as I mentioned with fall comes baking here in our home, so I would like to share some of our favorite fall recipes. You will enjoy eating them and they will fill your kitchen with a heavenly aroma as you bake them.

Pumpkin Muffins :                       
2 cups flour                                         1 cup honey
1 1/2  tsp. cinnamon                          1/4 cup oil
1 tsp. baking soda                               2 eggs
1/2 cup walnuts                                  1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin                                    1 tsp. vanilla

Mix pumpkin, honey, oil, milk, eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients, stir until blended. Bake at 350 degrees 25 minutes or until done. Eat as is or with cream cheese frosting . We mix  some honey and cream cheese for frosting and it is delicious . Enjoy! 

Pineapple Zucchini Bread :
2 eggs                                                           3 cups flour
1 cup oil                                                        2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups sugar                                                1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla                                                1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups grated zucchini                                raisins and chopped nuts (optional)
1 can drained, crushed pineapple    

Beat eggs, add sugar, oil, and vanilla, beat until foamy, stir in zucchini and pineapple. Mix dry ingredients and add to zucchini mixture. Divide batter into 2 well greased loaf pans. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Last but not least, this is one of our family favorites. This taste delicious but uses honey instead of sugar, which I love because I try not to use refined sugar. 

Carrot Cake

1 1/2 cups honey                           1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour                                     2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking soda                          3/4 cup crushed pineapple
2 tsp. cinnamon                              2 cups grated carrot
3 eggs                                               1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/3 cup oil  

Beat eggs, add oil, honey, milk, vanilla, mix well. Add dry ingredients, mix, then add nuts, carrots, and pineapple, mix. Pour into 2-8" greased, round pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting : 

4 cups powdered sugar                                          2- 8oz cream cheese
8oz cream cheese                                                    1/2 - 3/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1 TBS milk                                             or
1 tsp. vanilla                                                             beat until creamy
beat until creamy                                                                                                                          

One year we asked our daughter Hannah what she wanted for Christmas and she said " A big, tiny baby "

Tim Hawkins on Bananas - Playground Mishaps

Bringing Up My Boy

I am so Delighted to be the mother of a son. I am blessed with one very energetic, funny, and interesting boy. He is my DANIEL,My little man, DAN, Danny, mister man, and Danny Boy. I love his smile, laughter, curiosity and boyish ways. Today for instance he came into the house so proud because he had captured a very large hairy spider, after shooting his homemade arrows through it's web. He ofcourse brought the spider into the house to show all of us. I don't particularly like BIG spiders but I remained calm as he showed it off. He is so different from my girls but just as much fun! I thank the Lord that I have had the opportunity to experience (usually on the sidelines) sword fights, frog catching, skateboarding, wrestling, tee pees and forts and even spiders! My boy has opened up a world of excitement and adventure for me. Thank You Lord for my son!

As the weeks and months go by and turn into years, my little boy is growing into a man and I pray that I will take every available opportunity to draw him close to Jesus. May he not only be strong physically but spiritually. I pray he will see in his parents, Jesus, and that he too will always choose Jesus above all things.

My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments. Proverbs 3:1

The Joy of Mothering Daughters

It is such a pleasure and honor to be a mother of daughters. What a great privilege we are given from the Lord to be able to teach them His ways and watch as they grow into virtuous young ladies, who will, before we know it, be keepers of their own homes.

It is a sometimes daunting task to instruct our girls in godliness, as well as the keeping of the home. It is a process over time that takes diligence and prayer. As overwhelming as it may be, it is also extremely rewarding. It is a blessing for me to see my girls reading their Bibles, cooking, sewing, pressing cider, babysitting, knitting, making gifts and cards, planning for their future ; sometimes by putting a useful item in their hope chest and sometimes by just sitting down with their Daddy or I to seek counsel.

I am blessed with 4 lovely girls, that I adore. They are all very special and unique. I am so glad that my home and life have been beautified by the presence of them and the lace, flowers, hearts, frills, curls, tea parties, and pig tails that go along with little girls. My little girls are growing up though and my time with them is short, so I treasure everyday I have with them.

Although I do treasure everyday, everyday is not a treasure, in the sense that quite honestly some days stink. We are not perfect. There are many days that things don't go right, I holler, girls bicker, house is a mess, we're tired etc... that is life sometimes, in our home anyway. We get through those days and we try harder the next day, but thankfully most days are good. It is when we keep our focus on Jesus that life is good.

So, as I have said, raising girls is fun but it is also a challenge. I want them to learn so much and be prepared for adulthood, so much to teach, so little time, but I often am reminded ( by myself, a friend or the Holy Spirit ) that the most important thing for them to know is Jesus. Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life, what more could I want for my girls than to know the way to go, to know truth and to have life. If my girls grow up with not enough domestic skills, not being good in math, not playing sports, or only a few close friends but they love Jesus and want to serve Him, they will be fine, in fact, that is the greatest thing I could hope for. On the other hand if they had all those other things and not Jesus, they would have nothing. We must teach them the most important things first and often.

My girls are fun, exciting, helpful, smart and loving and I love them so much! Thank you Lord for all the mother daughter moments you give us to cherish!

Hook Up, Shack Up, Break Up

Quotes

"Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company."
~ George Washington

"A man ought to live so that everyone knows he is a Christian...and most of all, his family ought to know. "
` D L Moody

"The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible."
~ D L Moody

"Give me the Love that leads the way, The Faith that nothing can dismay, The Hope no disappointments tire, The Passion that will burn like fire, Let me not sink to be a clod, Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God"
~ Amy Carmichael

The Christian Life...A Life of No Regrets

The Christian life can be many things, sometimes it is : difficult, encouraging, joyous, or challenging, it is often all of those at the same time. One of the things that most stands out to me about the Christian life is that it is a life of no regrets. How wonderful to be able to live in such a way that when you look back you aren't filled with sadness or remorse ; wishing you could do it all over again.

As I mentioned in my last post the world often thinks we are strange, but it is that strange difference which is also the positive difference they see. They may not always admit it but they envy the life we have, a life that can only be found in Christ.

When I look back on my life I am not going to regret having only been with one man. My daughters on their wedding day are probably not going to be wishing they had had intimate physical contact before marriage, as well we will not feel upset at the end of our lives for having dressed modestly. We won't be thinking when our kids are grown, wow, I wish we had spent a lot less time with our kids and been less involved. I'm not going to feel empty because I have never experienced drunkeness or drugs. Those who have experienced the joy of being married to one person are not going to look back thinking, it would have been nice to have experienced divorce, atleast once.When it is all said and done we are going to have made mistakes but if we do it the Lord's way we aren't going to wish we could do it all over again.

On the other hand there will be a lot of people wishing they could have a do-over. There are going to be many who wish they had spent more time with their kids and who realize that public school may not have been the best influence for their kids. Some girls will wish they had waited for the man God had prepared for them and others may realize too late that the way we dress can cause people to stumble or may draw the wrong kind of attention that they will later wish it hadn't drawn. There will be those who will feel less than satisfied because they jumped in and out of marriage and were never really happy.

Stated Simply... God's way is always best! His ways are not always the easiest but they are the most satisfying. There are many things that I and my family have or will have missed out on and for that I say, Praise the Lord...no regrets!!

II Corinthians 2:14 - Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place.

II Corinthians 3:5 - Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.

Peculiar People

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness and into His marvellous light. I Peter 2:9 ~ What a wonderful verse, which describes how we as Christians should be clearly set apart from the world. As believers our lives should stand out; people should see Christ in us, in the way we talk, act, and dress. I definitely don't always live as if I am part of a chosen generation or the daughter of the King, I need to remember this verse often.

Occasionally though, I am blessed by knowing that our family has stood out for Christ, and it makes me glad to know that I am doing something right. Every once in awhile people will say things about how different our kids are ( a good different ), how pleasant they are, how respectful, or how neat it is that our family has so much fun together. Strangely enough though, it is often those who think that we are weird, who are the most complimentary. Many are amazed and maybe even disgusted at the fact that our daughters can't "date" until they are older and ready for marriage and that they wear modest clothing. Our kids are not running around with cell phones, ( not because we think they are bad but because they just don't need their own phone yet, when they do they will have one, but not because it's the cool thing to do) we only listen to certain kinds of music, and watch carefully selected movies, AND strangest of all, to most people, is the fact that our kids spend more time at home with us than they do with  their friends. People notice all these things about our family and also notice that we have a very happy home life. They see that our kids are well adjusted, intelligent, responsible, fun, and happy kids. Being different may be weird to them but it is also the reason why our kids are who they are. It is all because of Jesus, He is the reason! I am so thankful that He makes a difference and He makes life beautiful and worth living. We still have problems and difficulties in life, sometimes with our marriages or with our kids but we aren't in constant turmoil. Jesus is the answer. I pray that others through my life, might find Him. O taste and see that the LORD IS GOOD: Blessed is the man that trusteth in Him. Psalm 34:8