The simple things are most precious

:: Don't get in God's way

1:35 PM, 2006-Mar-24 .. Posted in Heart and Home .. 0 comments .. Link

I was reading my devotional today, as I usually do. I won't quote the whole thing here for lack of time but it's Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, March 24.

I've been reading and God's been confirming time and again the last few weeks how I've gotten in His way at times. When He's working on the life of another, I get in there and pray that God will keep them safe, not let harm come to them, etc. And I'm beginning to see that there are times when God will wreak a life before He can save it. When I've become a necessity in the life of another then I'm out of God's order. Once I see a soul in the sight of the claims of Jesus (one has either gotten saved or desires it or is at least listening) then my influence has been in the right direction. Don't try to prevent the storms or fiery trials from coming upon their life. I'm good at rescuing people. The old dysfunction caretaker. I must decrease and He must increase. I need to speak with joy over the pressures on the life. Never mind what havoc comes, what upsets, crumbling health, fiery trials. Instead, rejoice with divine hilarity that His voice is being heard. Seems out of character to rejoice with divine hilarity over the troubles of another. And it doesn't mean that I'm not sympathetic to the pain but, I get the message Lord. My hands off, your Hands on.

I love you Lord.

living simply and for Him

~~Sherri

Hunter as a puppy

no wonder we couldn't resist

::A crazy moment in time

7:22 AM, 2006-Mar-23 .. Posted in Heart and Home .. 3 comments .. Link

Hi all,

It's been so very long since I've been able to post. To bring you uptodate, hubby lost his job on 2/28.06 and has been frantically job searching. This has left me to remain offline so that the phone is open for callbacks. Between sickness running rampant thru our home, basketball finals, fieldtrips, a crocheting project with a deadline, a geologist visit to our little homestead to view a sinkhole in our backyard, it's just been crazy. What time I have left has been filled with good intentions to get back to posting but my body won out and sleep would be fast upon me. The lupus leaves very little extra energy. grrrrr.

Yes we have a sinkhole, a VERY LARGE SINKHOLE. About 100 feet by 50 feet by 20 feet deep. At least down to the first layer. So our hopes of buying this property is vanquished now. The geologist recommends that unless we have an open purse to repair said sinkhole, he would not recommend buying the property. The hole is still actively collapsing. This was very sad news to hear. So I'm back to watching the real estate ads, signs in yards, friends who may know someone who is looking to move/sell. On top of Mike looking for new employment, we are kind of on hold depending on where his new job will be. And school will be out in 2 months or so and we don't want to go anywhere until Chad is out of school. It's been a time of shifting emotions. I can't even plant the garden I wanted and any gardening I do do will have to be container and able to be moved. So goes my life.

I've been crocheting like a crazy woman. Have made two scarfs, a shawl, and some cuffs and collars. I'm still learning how to follow patterns but I am absolutely loving crochet. It's been a life saver for my sanity.

I've missed everyone, and have little time still to mosey around and visit everyone but please know that I think about all of you daily and can't wait for life to get back to normal. My schedule has been turned upside down. This week I have kids, kids and more kids here for spring break and luckily we had a major snow night before last so they've been quite content to build snowmen and snow forts and snowball fights.

Hugs to everyone.

I'm still living simply and for Him,

Sherri

:: Has anyone here actually built a straw bale or cordwood house?

7:22 PM, 2006-Feb-27 .. Posted in Heart and Home .. 0 comments .. Link

I'm curious if anyone here has actual experience with strawbale or cordwood building. We are contemplating alternative methods of home building if we decide to buy this home. It needs expansion to be comfortable for our needs and we'd love to do green building if we can. We're looking to talk to others who have either built a home or added-on by "green-building" methods. If you or someone you knows has witnessed or experienced this, and would be willing to tell us about your experience, please email me at ctx36061@centurytel.net or leave your contact info and we'll get with you.

Thanks,
living simply and for Him,
~ ~ Sherri

:: Thursday 2/23/06

8:10 AM, 2006-Feb-23 .. Posted in Heart and Home .. 1 comments .. Link

Well I started a new crochet project last nite just so I could say to myself that I was able to start from scratch without help. And I did it. Now it's coming out so good that I'm shooting for a shawl. I do find that my left hand (my tension hand) gets cramped from the repetitive motion. But that's not stopping me. Yet anyway. I have joint problems and had carpal tunnel in both wrists back when I worked. Since being off work for so long, it rarely bothers me. Writing by hand causes problem though, so that's why I type. As long as I don't stay on the puter for too long.

Well it's a bright, sunny day out. I hope that it's warm, I have errands to run. I've procrastinated them all week and now, well I pretty much must do it today. Although I might wait until when dh gets home and we go together.

Off to do some chores and crochet some more. Have a wonderful day today.

Blessings.
living simply and for Him
~~sherri

:: Today

8:47 AM, 2006-Feb-22 .. Posted in Heart and Home .. 1 comments .. Link

I awoke today to a chilly house. Somehow the thermostat got turned down too far so I piled on layers and stumbled to the coffee pot after popping up the thermostat. I do so many routine things in the morning when I'm really asleep with my eyes open. Thankfully, getting up as early as I do, rarely do I have anyone asking questions of me or attempting conversation. I don't do well with that until my 2nd cuppa. We got one more little mouse last nite but so far, no others at the traps for a couple of days. Maybe we got them all or they've gotten smart.

My crochet has taken on many shapes and recently Chad says it looks more like a hat. But I'm keeping on and when it's stretched out it looks like the scarf I'm hoping for. I'm going to take Leslie's advise at www.homesteadblogger.com/greenberryhouse and take my project with on Friday. While I'm on the field trip with groups of screaming kids I can find a corner to hide away and work on my project. I'm already thinking of how to embellish it with beads. But I think for now I'll take just a few to work them in as I go, and concentrate on the correctness of the stitches. I'll work in the beads on the two sides rather than what will be around my back.

I was able to get alot of cleaning done yesterday so I'd have time today to crochet. This weekend will be busy getting a bed moved to my sisters and the drive always takes alot out of me. So we'll spend the nite and come home Sunday. Thankfully Mike is going with this time so that will be a huge help. He's taking his woodworking project with so he'll have something to stay busy. He's a recovering alcoholic so he knows that idle time is his worst enemy. And a lost weekend at home is valuable time when we have so many projects to do so that we can finish unpacking stuff. We' can't go any further with that until we get shelves and such up to put stuff on when they come out of the boxes. It makes Mike feel so good, productive, accomplished and proud to create things. He never knew that he could do that before we were married. He had an extremely dysfunctional family life with an absent father both physically and emotionally. He would be gone for weeks at a time working on the alaskan pipeline and then home for 2 weeks. This went on for all of Mike's growing up years. Even after we were married his dad was still on the pipeline but as he's grown older he's realized what he lost being absent from his children. Too little too late though. But...how did I get off on that.

Next week Mike will start building Chad's bed and bedroom. Since this is such a small house, the second bedroom is barely big enough for a few items of furniture. The family room, quirky as it is, will do better. The floor is extremely uneven, to the tune of 8-10 inches from one side of the room to the other. So we have to build Chad's bed up on one end to compensate. Shelves will take the place of furniture. If you can't build out, build up. Chad really really needs his space and so do we. By his birthday next month his new room should be finished. Come spring we'll have the extension agent out here to survey the property, see what the sink hole area is, and how safe the rest of the acreage is. Then the building inspector to survey the rehab work that the owner did, then...if all is ok, we'll make an offer and see about buying so that we can start with permanent expansions.