Autumn

I love Autumn! I woke up this morning thinking, I just love how my home smells and feels at this time of year. All the baking that we begin again. All the cuddly blankets that come out for children when they are sitting and reading a book... I just love it.

So, is your garden done for the year? I am still squeezing out a few tomatoes, zucchini and cucumbers. Just the last little bits remain but still taste so good. We pulled all of the celery the other day, it just looks so pretty and smells so fresh. I am already thinking about next year's garden... do's and don'ts.. maybe today is the perfect day to add all of my thoughts to my garden journal.

I am also going to bake some zucchini bread today. We have somewhat cloudy weather with the smallest chill in the air so it is a perfect day to open the doors, smell the fall air and bake while the children do their school.

What are you baking today? Do you have a favorite fall recipe you love? I'd be happy if you'd share it in the comments section. If I try it and love it, I'll post it with your name on my blogsite.

Well, off to begin the day. Laundry, coffee, then that garden journal entry.

Missy

Learning to Knit

I am learning how to knit this week. I can sew, quilt and crochet but for some unknown reason I don't know how to knit. So, while 3 of my children are on a short trip with the church this week I am taking a moment and learning how to knit. Of course I am using my daughter's supplies so as of right now the knitting needles are pink, the yarn is pink and believe it or not the "how to" website I am using is pink! LOL


Not that I don't like pink, I actually do but that is my daughter's "signature" color and all I can think of is her and how much I hope she and all the other teens are getting out of this short week of serving others. I know she is having fun, I hope she is really getting a heart education this week. I want her to come home truly knowing what serving others is.

I am thankful that 3 of my kids have gone on this trip. What a great thing to concentrate on this summer. We have already known the encouraging side and hardship it can sometimes be to serve others with a good heart and attitude.

We experienced a flood in our area several years back.. Our town was one of the harder hit areas, when you come from a town that has a population of 1000, and 1/8 of it is under water, it is traumatic to say the least. The first day or two was so simple to jump right in and pull items from the water, organize meals, sort clothing donations. But.... day 15, 20, 42 it became harder and harder to make meals to deliver to the fire department, sort clothing and help people find items of need. Although rewarding, it is hard to put your own needs, wants and interests aside and continue to help. Scrubbing another person's walls, floors and doing laundry for people you don't know seems frustrating and exhausting at times.

Then I think of how Christ would want me to respond and how I needed to encourage our family to continue in the work without complaint or bad attitude.

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Galatians 5:13ESV

Wonderful, Encouraging Blogs to Visit

Just a quick note to encourage you, if you have time, visit the blog A Wise Woman Builds Her Home".

This is a wonderful Godly woman with such wisdom and knowledge. She is such a great encouragement to me. I have made her page my start up page on the internet for right now. I think you will love reading her notes and thoughts. She is the type of woman I would love to sit and have a cup of tea with!

I also wanted to let you know that Kelly at Families Against Feminism is running an incredible give-away on her blog of a Vision Forum set: Reclaiming the Culture--

You can click here to view video samples of each DVD.

Thank You to both of you ladies at these blog sites for sharing such Godly Wisdom.

Lemon - Lime Bundt Cake

Hospitality...

Learning to be hospitable is more than just setting a pretty cake on the table for a get together. Having something prepared to serve and a basic plan just helps so that if you are like me and have 2 very busy little boys, you can spend a few minutes straightening and relax in the food area. Your friend or neighbor will feel special and your children will learn how to also practice hospitality.

A wonderful book my church did a ladies Bible study on is The Hospitality Comands.. from Vision Forum Books. I have a link on the side of this page for their site. They also have a cd on this topic for only $10.00- I love their cd's for the busier times in my life - I have grown so much through their products. May God Bless them greatly!

Anyway...

I love having a friend call to say she is stopping by. I am also relieved when I can take a bundt cake to someone who having a baby, suffering a loss or has just moved into the neighborhood.

I love it more when I am prepared and can pull a bundt cake out of the freezer, whip up some glaze to drizzle over and not have to start my day putting all plans to the side to start baking.

These cakes look so pretty on a paper doily and tray or a cake dish. I have a special cake dish I take out for friends. My mom gave it to me.

Just about any drink can go with a citrus flavored cake too- iced tea, lemonaide, coffee even iced coffee is nice. Another nice thing is that I have found that children really like this type of cake too. I am first going to share a great recipe from a website with a lot of great recipes and ideas. I will also share my quick recipe for when I am not so prepared for company. (it is a basic cheater recipe)

I am sharing this recipe because it is one of the nicest items to keep in your freezer for company, it will taste great even if you don't get time to fully defrost it and the glaze itself takes minutes.

We usually take a "lazy day" and do some baking.. I like to have the girls make 3 or 4, let them cool, wrap in wax and then place in a freezer safe storage bag.

Lemon-Lime Bundt Cake - from momsmenu.com - click on Title above to go their site.

Cake:

4 eggs1 1/2 C. butter2 TBSP lemon Extract2 1/2 C. sugar3 C. flour3/4 C. lemon lime soda (not diet)

Lemon Lime Glaze:2 C. powdered sugar2 TBSP lemon extract2 TBSP limejuice1-2 TBSP milk, as needed to thin glaze

To Make Cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Make sure rack is in the center of oven.

Generously grease and flour a bundt pan.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy and well mixed together, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition.

Beat in lemon extract.

Mix in flour alternating with lemon lime soda until blended.

Pour cake mix into bundt pan.

Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hrs or until cake is light brown and a skewer comes out clean when stuck in the middle of the cake.

Be careful not to over bake.

Cool cake for 15 minutes then run a knife around the edges of the pan to loose the cake.

Cool completely before covering with glaze.

To Make Lemon Lime Glaze:

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until mixture is smooth.

Let stand for 10 minutes.

Drizzle over bundt cake.

Let stand until glaze sets.

Store cake in a sealed container.

Melissa's Cheater - not so prepared way to do it... (hahaha)

Cake - 1 yellow box mix - follow directions on back of box- use well greased bundt pan - bake as usual. Cool - place on nice dish.

Glaze - 2 c. powdered sugar - 2 tbsp. milk - 4 tbsp. lemon extract.. or orange extract or a mixture - of any citrus juice or extract. Mix well and drizzle!

Ok, I have been know to be the queen of improvisions.. lol .. I am now very different but my poor family lived several years of disorganization, unscheduled lives where we were crazed and always unprepared. I have more great "cheater" recipes as I call them - I'll share as I have time but all in all... the recipe from scratch is far better and if you have learned to be scheduled like I have you will have more than enough time to teach your children the planned art of Hospitality...

MODESTY - I have been speaking to my girls and reinforcing modesty as summer has hit.

We finally found some really cute Bermuda shorts for each of my girls! I can't believe how hard it is to find shorts that are modest... I know the Bible teaches that we should dress modestly and as I grow I am becoming more and more discerning.

When I look back at my teen years and even early 20's before I was living for our Lord, I am just so sad about my clothing choices. I was so immodest. I was raised with the attitude of "if you like it- wear it" never a thought as to my hindering another person or how I was being perceived by others. I now look at teens that resemble me as a teenager - the way I was allowed to dress and encouraged to act.

I am so thankful that God protected me through my foolishness. I also wonder at times what my parents were ever thinking! I am sad for their confusion, it has caused them years of heartache and my siblings years of rebellion, self hate and destruction. I am amazed at the difference in my children. I have guided, loved and spoken with my girls every time the issue of immodest clothing, attitudes or behaviors come up and pray that it isn't just blind obedience on their part but really a heart attitude and living for the Lord that convicts and encourages them to be lovely, modest girls.

We have also been focusing on our clothing being feminine. I am also becoming more convicted that my girls should look soft and gentle. I am the biggest offender of this. I have a habit of liking the more fun, funky style out there when I chose to dress up and as for everyday wear.. well, I have always been ok with any t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Now I am seeing and learning that my attitude really resembles how I dress. When I dress in a feminine way I act like a lady and when I dress any old way I have a "whatever" kind of an attitude about my behavior.

I sit, stand, wear my hair and makeup to resemble the rest of me. I even act more "girl-y". Most of all when I look "done" instead of frumpy or frazzled others see me that way.

My husband also seems to really enjoy seeing me look a bit more feminine, he treats me gentler and softer... and.. after all, isn't that what I have wanted? I also want that for my girls, I want them to have husbands who love and honor them and I want them to be treated like ladies.

I am sharing this because it is a constant area of growth for me and area God is patiently working with me on and I am learning so much.

I come from a home where when we were young, 9 - 12, my brother and I dressed so much a like.. same t-shirts and jeans.. you couldn't tell us apart. Once I became a teen I was wearing such incredibly low-cut shirts, short shorts and sheer material... I looked not only sleazy but so hard. It wasn't even me, but it was as feminine as I knew how to be.

So, with this I ask that you pray for me. Pray that God will continue to teach me in this area so that I can become the Woman that God created me to be.

Children and Wisdom

Yesterday was an incredibly busy day- Election Day you know.. Anyway, my refuge from the hustle and bustle was a cd I was playing in my car. I purchased the set from Vision Forum, the speaker is S.M. Davis- he is such a blessing to me.

Something he said has been playing over and over in my head all morning. The basic sentance was: Mothers and Fathers - pray daily for your child to seek Godly Wisdom and ask God to give them wisdom.

How simple is that? How very necessary is that?

the impact of that small prayer...

that split second of your time that it will take to ask God for that...

imagine if you had one person who had asked God for that in your life....

Parents, Grandparents Siblings- commit to praying for the children in your life, each individually, that God may grant them wisdom.

What a beautiful, loving act that is with such great impact in their life!

When we do our part to teach, instruct, discipline, and train our children in the ways of God -- when we read them stories from God's Word; when we teach them how to pray and have faith that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He'll do; when we help them get plugged in with godly friends; when we show them that walking with God brings joy and fulfillment, not boredom and restrictions; when we pray with and for them about everything -- then our children will develop a hunger for the things of God. They will know that the things of God are top priority. They will long for His ways, His Word, and His presence.--- For This Child I Prayed, Stormie Omartian.

Psalm 86; 11-12Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.

Mondays

I like Mondays- it is the chance to start all over and set the pace for your whole family.
I guess my thought is, no matter what last week was like (and boy did I have a less than pleasant week), this week is just begining!

What is on schedule for you today? Hmm. Schedule... does that intimidate you or make your heart flutter? I LOVE schedules! Making them, planning them, even printing them out has been a hobby of mine for years.... Following any of these beautiful schedules is a whole different cup of tea. It took several years of products purchased, time on the computer and even a couple seminars when I finally one day sat down, made a very practical - easy schedule and decided that this is the last one I will make. I will make alterations to what I have but the key is to wake up and plan to follow it. If I get off track, I just need to look at the clock, look at what is on track for whatever the time may be and begin all over. My day is not down the drain, it is just begining where I should be and going one step at a time.

Schedules, I believe, create peace! More on this later-