Billyhomesteader

Lemon Citrus Green Tea

Lemon Citrus Green Tea:

In a medium sauce pan bring to boil:

4 regular green tea bags

4 cups of water

Once it comes to boil pour over in a pitcher filled with ice cubes add 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of lemon juice concentrate.  Enjoy!

Blessings,

Sherry

Strawberry Pie

Happy 4th of July....

Wishing everyone a safe and fun filled Independence Day!

HAPPY 4TH

Ray and I would like to wish you and your family and happy and safe 4th of July... God Bless America!

Blessings Sister Brenda

Dirt Pudding

Our local library has a teen program that takes place on Thursdays @ 11.  My oldest usually goes by herself because she doesn't want my youngest tagging along, although both are old enough to attend.  But you know, you have to pick your battles, right? 

Well, since the oldest is at camp I let the youngest go this week.  They were having a movie/snack party.  Everyone was supposed to bring a "buggy" snack and then they were going to watch a "buggy" movie.  So yesterday morning I had to make a mad dash to Walmart to get the ingredients for her "buggy" snack.  I made some dirt pudding for her to take along.

Here's the recipe:

Dirt Pudding

1 pkg. (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 pkg. (4-serving size) chocolate instant pudding mix

4 c. milk, divided

1 c. thawed Cool Whip, divided

Oreo cookies, crumbled

Gummy worms

1.  Prepare vanilla & chocolate pudding mixes separately with milk as directed on packages.

2.  Let stand 5 minutes.

3.  Gently stir 1/2 c. Cool Whip into each bowl of pudding mix.

4.  Sprinkle Oreo crumbs into bottom of bowl or bucket.  Enough to cover bottom, about 1/2" thick.

5.  Pour vanilla pudding mix over top of crumbs.

6.  Sprinkle another 1/2" of Oreo crumbs over top of vanilla pudding.

7.  Pour chocolate pudding mix over top of crumbs.

8.  Sprinkle another 1/2" of Oreo crumbs over top of pudding.

9.  Add worms & a shovel! 

10.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

There were only 5 kids that showed up this week.  Most likely because of it being the 4th of July weekend.  Katie won a coupon to Arby's for "The Best Tasting"! 

It was good!

Diet?  What diet?

Changes

  The last few weeks God has so allowed me to see a first hand view of what we do to ourselves in our need and desire to try to be God in our own lives.  One family that we were privileged to be around were really cute folks, darling child, and on the outside seemed so together and full of potential.  However when we got past their outside what we found were lives filled with tortures of their own making from debts to dependency....and the beliefs that their problems were not answerable by anything, not even God.

   The second scenario we lived and learned from involved watching a broken family.  The Dad had turned away from God a long time ago....he had systematically lost everything that mattered to him as God allowed him to have his own way on every topic in his life.  Slowly over 12 years he has reduced himself to being alone, without his children, without a good career, and now without friends for the most part.  His devotion to control has cost him almost everything he could have had.

   A third scenario involves a very bright young family.  They have successfully achieved the 300K home, good works in their local church, health and love in their home, but abundance eludes them.  They cannot see tithing in money form though they give of them selves regularly.  They have thought that better to invest in their future and give of their services......and its funny how in that decision, somehow their finances always don't work out. They see saw on making it solidly despite hundreds of thousands of dollars of business a year.....bread money on some days of the month just doesn't exist.

     As we have prayed and listened to each of the people in the above stories. God has so shown me humility.  I know that the root cause of all the issues they are facing I too face.  The issues are such no brainers when you see it in others. They trust the problem more than they trust God is a God.  They trust their control is better than submission to God in their lives.  They trust sickness and overwhelming issues are more powerful than the way of Jesus and the promises of God to Abraham's and his descendents that if we obey and worship God He will provide for us on all levels.  Pretty easy to see when the stage isnt your own life isn't it?

     God has so been present in our involvement with each of the families and many others on our walks.  He has lead us to a place of absolute sifting this summer.  We are being shown so many areas of our lives that He expects us to give up or to change how we handle.  We are glad, for each step, which are always hard for me personally....within days I have been released from fear, from worry, from overthinking the issues to death.  I simply look for and wait for peace before I move forward.  As a toddler in this, I know that there will be disobedient days and God will once again set me straight.  I had one of those moments yesterday as I was called to stand firm against someone attacking my family verbally and potentially in other ways.  When after 18 years I stood up to him, he immediately stepped back.  Amazing.  That is God.  For this person has had serious issues and standing up to him usually means a huge emotional scene.

    Why is it we cannot trust God in all things. Why does our humanness always involve taming our wills and surrendering our plans to Jesus...you'd think after the facts of the Bible...it would be an easy course, but ole self sure holds out until the end some moments of our lives.

  God is good.  The more time I am purposefully finding to refresh my mind in Him, the better my life becomes.  God help me to always run to and trust Him.

Sweetie

Well.............today is the day. I think I am going to puke

*** Bake Me A Wish ***

I've just added a link to "Operation Birthday Cake".   Purchase one Freedom Cake and One Soldier will recieve a birthday cake of their own FREE while they're serving overseas.  Celebrate YOUR FREEDOM over the summer by splurging on a cake to make a soldiers day away from their families.

Each cake is gourmet made with the finest Ingrediants including a message made of belgian chocolate.

******If you can't afford to purchase a cake in full, please think about donating a dollar or two to the cause in honor of our veterans who have been fighting for our freedoms and whom could use some encouragement and joy on their birthday.

Happy Independence Day

Here I am!

I've had several people asking about me. I'm sorry I sorta disappeared for a bit.  I've been extremely busy with work and SUMMER!!

The days are supposedly getting shorter again, though it is hard to tell at this point.  Hubby and I went camping last weekend for our anniversary (17 years!) and we didn't even bring flashlights or anything.  I was able to read my watch at all hours of the night.  (and no, I don't have a digital watch) 

We are doing very well.  C will be 11 in 2 weeks.  He's very excited at the prospect. 

We have a 3 day weekend off from work, which is fabulous.  Hubby and the crew are going on a float/fishing trip with the men of church.  I'll probably go to a BBQ at my parent's house. 

I hope to be around a bit more.  Sorry for disappearing on you. 

Have a wonderful 4th of July everyone!

HELP PLEASE

In the last 2-3 days someone posted a brownie recipe and it had a frosting topping.. I thought I copied it off and didn't I was planning to make this tomorrow.. Could someone help me out here..All I can remember is they used a brownie mix and it had frosting and there was something else..

Thanks and happy 4th..

BLessings Sister Brenda