A Servant's Heart

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth. With awe we look about us at the works of His fingers. We see the spectacular mountains, the green growth that the earth regenerates in spring and summer. As the rays of sunshine slant down on the ground, things that lie still and dormant suddenly spring to life. Birds twitter and tweet. When dusk arrives, the frogs and katydids mingle their songs, giving us sweet natural music. We see the marvelous, tiny insects. In the shadows of the night we lift our faces toward the heavens and see the planets, constellations, and the lesser light that rules the night. These fit together like the internal parts of a clock and are always on time.

Thanksgiving With the Inlaws! UGH!

If you know me, then you know we have had problems with hubby's parents since we have been married. It started a few years ago, the day I told them I was pregnant. LOL Probably not that exact day, but pretty close to it. To make a long story short, we didn't get together with any of this family last year over the holidays because we believed it was better for our sanity and health to not have them near us. My MIL is overbearing, manipulative and likes to lie about me to my hubby behind my back. My SIL takes pics of our son and broadcasts them all over the internet without our knowledge or permission, and she is a certified crazy person. (NO, I really am not exaggerating....she is on more psychotic meds than I can count!) My MIL's house is filthy, cluttered to the casings above the doors in several rooms, dirty dishes piled sky high, and a bathroom where the floor is actually "swishie" (Seriously someone is going to fal in someday to the concrete cluttered basement floor), and asbestos is falling from the ceiling in her pantry and kitchen. And this is all with a housekeeper that comes every 3-4 weeks. She figures she doesn't have to pick up, wash a dish (EWWWWW), or vacuum in between times, and the housekeeper is not allowed in the rooms that are stacked to the upper door casings. (Why hire and housekeeper and then say, you can't clean those 3 rooms????) I only know these things, because I used to be her housekeeper, and after cleaning her house 2 times, I quit!!!

So, now you undrerstand why, with the holidays coming up, and us actually talking to hubby's family this year, why we are a little on edge about going to their house, and, well, eating there. (I usually take my own food. Honestly....sad isn't it??? Last time we were there for Thanksgiving, I took turkey and noodles in a crockpot, some veggies, some hotrolls and a dessert and this way I know I have food that was made correctly and in clean dishes, etc. I also insist on eating off of styrofoam plates and disposable silverware, and will only eat other items that are prepackaged, like chips and won't drink anything she has mixed up. I will only drink something I bring with me, or something from a bottle like pop or apple juice)

So when my brother and his wife invited us to Thanksgiving at their house on Thanksgiving Day, we accepted and decided if Matthew's mother was mad about it, oh well. LOL So Matthew's mother calls tonight and asks us what our plans are and he told her. She told him they are going to Matthew's aunts house, and would still like all of us to get together maybe on Friday or Saturday. Matthew is working those days for some extra Christmas money, so he suggested Sunday. Then he asked her to wait one moment, covered the phone receiver and said, are you interested in hosting Thanksgiving on Sunday??? I said SURE!!!!!!! But I don't want to start a big family stink over it (they just don't understand our views of cleanliness and etc. It isn't only the clean thing, we are talking they brought lice into my home....no we didn't get it....but they knewingly walked into my house with it on their LONG hair, all 3 of them!!! Oh, and the fleas I found on Noah at their house when he was only 4 months old. I could go on, but you get the icky ideas right?) So he said, would you like to have it at your house or ours mom?? She said, oh I would love to come to your house, that way I don't have to cook.

That just made my day!!! LMSO Thank you for answered prayers Lord. We are trying our best to get along with Matthew's family with their differences in religions (they think God decides before you were ever born whether you will go to heaven or not......yeah, that makes for some interesting conversations, to say the least), morals, as well as the things I have already mentioned. His mother threw a FIT last year when we said we didnt' think their front porch was safe to stand on, (It had a whole the size of a lazyboy chair on it and we had to step over it) and then she made a comment to her daughter, and then it was canceled. It is not that we are better than them. We just have common sense!!!

So, I will be GLADLY hosting Thanksgiving dinner for hubby's family this year on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I am really looking forward to is because I love to host get togethers, and although hubby's family is a little (ok, alot) odd, and backwards, most of the time they mean well. We are trying to give them every benefit of the doubt and praying about our relationship with them, and his controlling mother, "letting me" have Thanksgiving at our house and liking it is truly a miracle.

So, now, what about the menu??? Should I decorate before they come over, or make it a family even for them to join in on??? Should I make traditional turkey day foods, or change it up a little? Should I use disposable silverware and plates, or use the good china??? All those decisions to make, but I am happy to plan it all out!!!

I do know one thing. This year I will be using mom's large Peacock Platter to serve with. It doesn't match any other piece of serving dish I own, and it didn't mom's either. LOL But she used it every Thanksgiving and Christmas for as long as I can remember, and now that she is gone, and I have the platter in my collection, of course I have to use it. I will try to take pics of it later and post. It really is a gorgeous serving piece!!

Daily Devotion 322

November 18

Character Counts

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:5

Character is “the real me”—what I really am in my heart. When the chips are down, the props are taken away, and the veneer of reputation is removed, we arrive at our inner sanctum—character.

Someone has said that a true Christian is like an onion. You peel all the outer layers away, and when you come to the heart, you still have an onion. What you see is what you get.

Character, of course, is a neutral word; it may denote something good or bad. The burden of responsibility for good character qualities, in one sense, has been lifted from me. A marvelous transaction took place one day, wherein I presented my emptiness to my Savior and Lord, and He provided a tremendous filling of that void. When we subject ourselves to His lordship, we avail ourselves of the admirable attributes of Christ. Before I found the Lord, the virtues I longed for always seemed to be just beyond my grasp. It is true, there were times when, ever so briefly, the quiet satisfaction of knowing patience, obedience and kindness was mine. But the truth is, we must follow God’s order; anything less is a counterfeit. It seemed as if God was asking, “So, you desire that attractive personality? Good. But this is how it must be done.” And He introduced the Savior.

For me, it was like the songwriter’s experience: “Joy of heaven to earth come down.” I came to realize what all Christians must surely know: Genuine Christian character will manifest itself only if it has no rival, or merit of man.

Jerry Yoder, Auburn, KY

Reputation comes from without. Character comes from within.

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:1–24

One Year Bible Reading Plan:

Hebrews 12

Ezekiel 16

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Phone: 877-488-0901

E-Mail: [cs@vision-publishers.com]

MY CHRISTMAS APRON IS FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!

Actually this one is not really mine. I made it for someone in an Apron swap. She is hosting a large Christmas party and wanted a "nice" apron to wear for company, etc. I hope she likes this one. The good part??? I have enough extra fabric to make me one just like it! *Excited*

You can't tell in these pictures because of the black fabric, but it is pleated down about 5 inches and then a full skirt. I got the pattern from a Christmas family who runs a business out of their home. Here is a link to their company, which sells patterns and the most beautiful fabrics ever! ( I bought my fabric elsewhere because I was looking for something specific, but they seriously have some gorgeous fabric!)

Another Tshirt Dress....This Time For Winter

I finished up on another tshirt dress several days ago for my neice, Mindi for her 5th birthday. This thing is going to be so warm. It is a red long sleeve tshirt with heavey plaid flannel on the bottom. I made the skirting extra full because she likes to twirl. LOL

Keeping Warm

One of the downfalls of an old home is when you have a lack of insulation in the walls. Homes built in 1890 didn't have insulation as we know it today. My Beloved's and my bedroom is one of the original rooms of our homestead home. Like typical homes of that period, there is no insulation to help keep the winter cold out. Nothing can be more "chilling" than to climb into bed in an unheated, uninsulated room and lay between two icy cold bed sheets! Yes, we have other blankets in the bed, but the top & fitted sheets are still very cold. Here is the solution that we have been using with great results.

The first step was to remove the top sheet from the bed. We left the bottom fitted sheet on the bed, but covered it with a large fuzzy acrylic blanket/throw that we have. This acrylic blanket/throw is what we sleep on. Next, we took a second fuzzy acrylic blanket/throw and used that in place of the top sheet. Last came another heavy acrylic blanket, comforter, and quilt. Yes, it is alot of layers, but it worked! The first night we did this, we had temperatures reaching the freezing point. Typically, the bedroom was very cold but instead of sleeping in a cold bed, we were kept very toasty warm!

If you are having problems with cold sheets when you go to bed on a cold night, try sleeping between 2 layers of acrylic fuzzy blankets. It may be much warmer for oyu and save on the extra heating costs.

Additional note: if you come across old acrylic blankets like the fuzzy type I described using, consider using them inside your quilts as a batting. The blankets are very warm and would make a nice, easy to launder batting.

Monday's Homemaking Events

It is another Monday, which means another week closer to Christmas. I can't believe how time has been flying by this year!!!! I am not ready for the snow and ice that will haunt us this winter here in Missouri. Our weather man threatened snow this weekend, but we didn't get any. I am just not ready for it!! LMSO

7. Finish Christmas Apron for swap, and Princess pillowcase (pictures to follow later!)

9. Tidy up LR and DR (toys will be everywhere by this time of day! LOL) before daddy arrives home at 5:30

Menu Planner Monday

Here is my Menu Planner for the week. I have had to change it up a bit because hubby is feeling under the weather and requested no spicy foods, and no hamburger for the next few days because of his upset tummy, running nose, and cough.

T-Shirt Dresses

I have been making some super simple dresses for my 5 year old neice for her birthday and one I made her last summer as well. She absolutely loves them, and all her little friends are asking her where she got the first one (she hasn't received the winter version just yet)

I have to give credit where credit is due. I got the idea from Crystal, over at HomemakersHomestead. Here is the link to her tutorial on making the dress:

The first dress I made I just picked up a cheap little t-shirt at Wal-Mart. I already had the fabric in my stash, and wondered if my neice Mindi, would like it, but she adores it!!!! In fact, I wouldn't be suprised if she wears it this fall and winter with a long sleeve t under it. LMSO It did turn out cute, I think. (I sewed the lady bug button in different sizes on the t-shirt as an after thought. I just so happen to have them in my stash as well!)

The simpliest and most unique apron I have seen!!! (With Tutorial!!)

This is what I call the Famous Butt Apron. I have blogged about it here at HSB before, and when I celebrated my 300th post (on my other blog) a lucky gal received one for a giveaway!!!! (the pink one shown below) Instead of posting the same post here and going through all the trouble of posting the pictures here, I have decided to leave you with a link to it here instead!!

Since posting this on my blog, I have made several of these aprons for friends, and plan on making several more for Christmas presents. I love the simplicity of them, but most are shocked at the uniqueness.