If You Have Two or Three Witnesses...

A friend gave us a pile of pickling cucumbers. I've never made pickles of any kind; but, he said that they'd be good for pickle relish. Well, I've canned tomatoes and green beans and made jam and jelly. I got out my Ball Blue Book and looked up the recipe. It looked easy enough.

I took the book with me to the store with me this morning to make sure I didn't forget anything. The recipe called for green and red peppers. As I put them in my cart, I wished that ours were ready in our garden. I spent almost $5 on peppers! It called for celery seed. Yes, I've got that. Salt, yes. Sugar, yes. Onions, yes. Mustard seed. No, I'm sure I don't have that. Unfortunately, neither did the store. Nor did the next store or the next.

Finally, I found myself at Wal-Mart. My three children kept insisting that we had mustard seed at home. Impossible. I could not think of anything that I would have bought mustard seed to make. I've never pickled before. They persisted. I said no, it was dried mustard powder. I was so sure of myself. I bought a jar.

When I got home, my children presented me with the jar of seeds that I had put in the freezer!

"Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." 2 Corinthians 13:1b

God's Word really does apply to every situation of our lives. I had three witnesses. I didn't believe them. I thought I knew better. I should have listened. I'm learning...just slowly!

Well, I must go get started on that relish.

Laura

54 Spoons!

At every meal we've been scrounging to find enough spoons for our family of 6. I've been looking at yard sales and so have a couple of my friends. The other night, as I was cleaning out a closet for a yard sale, I found a box of silver that my mother-in-law gave us several years ago. It had been forgotten sometime during our last two moves. It had stainless flatware mixed in. I was amazed! God had provided for our current need years ago and had me find it now! I was so excited I nearly cried at the sweetness of it. I didn't count it all; but, there were 54 spoons!

He does provide.

Thank you Jesus!

Laura

The First Sign of Autumn... An Autumn Give Away!

An Autumn Give Away!

Deb's having a wonderful give-away at Crow's Creek Primitives!

I'm not one for witches and such; but, the candles have yummy fragrances; and, Deb will give you the label of your choice.

Good luck!

Laura

Laura

Laura's Oatmeal Cookies

I've been making these cookies ever since I can remember. I must have been 10 or 11 when I started making them. The recipe is typed out on a faded card that's bent and smudged. I like it because it doesn't use quite as much butter as most cookie recipes.

Laura's Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 c + 2 T butter

1 c brown sugar

1/2 c white sugar

1 egg

1/4 c water

1 t vanilla

3 c oats

1 c flour

1 t salt

1 t baking soda

1 c raisins

Beat together butter, sugars, egg, water and vanilla until creamy.

Combine dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients. Mix well.

Stir in 1 cup raisins.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Let them set on the cookie sheet for a minute or two before removing them to a rack to cool.

Be ready with a glass of cold milk, a glass of lemonade or some iced tea.

You won't want to wait a moment longer than necessary to take that first nibble!

Frightened of God

I went to a little after school Bible club when I was in first grade and in the beginning of second grade. Believe it or not, it was held in the school. I remember watching the flannel graph board as the teacher told the stories of Jesus. I never doubted that Jesus was a real person or that God was real. So, when the teacher taught us the Bible verse, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life," I believed her (John 3:16). In fact, that was the only verse that I remembered through the years. I loved my little classes and was sorry that I couldn't continue them when I moved to Kansas during second grade.

After I moved to Kansas, there was an occasional Vacation Bible School; but, for the most part, not a whole lot of training. My mom did teach me to say the child's prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. God bless Mommy. God bless Daddy. God bless John. God bless Grandma and Grandpa...." You get the idea. Let me tell you; I wasn't too keen on the "if I should die before I wake" part! It kept me just a little afraid of God.

For a little while after my mom and dad divorced, we went to church with one of my mom's friends. I went to the 6th grade Sunday School class. I remember feeling like I was so hopelessly behind that I'd never learn this Bible stuff. I also remember feeling like the preacher was looking right at me when he gave the sermon. I tried to slouch down and disappear behind the grown ups around me.


As I grew older, I grew in sin and in stature and became a teenager. I had more to be ashamed of than just the confession I'd made in that class that I hit my brother. The teacher had asked me to confess my sin when I asked Jesus into my little heart. Now, I'd said hateful words, seen things on tv and movies that were bad, had bad thoughts, hit my brother more. You get the idea. Every once in awhile, I'd go over to a friend's house and her religious mother would have Billy Graham or someone else on t.v. talking about God. I remember feeling intensely ashamed and frightened of God. I knew that I was dirty with sin. I knew He could see what I'd done and knew what I thought. I didn't run to Him, though. I ran away.

God didn't give up. I'd find tracts with the way to salvation lying around in public places. I had to read them. I had to find a way to get rid of this guilt that was building up. Even so, I just didn't quite believe it would work. I just knew I was going to go to hell. I was still frightened.


Finally, on New Year's Day, 1980, I was watching the PTL Club show. Jim Bakker was interviewing a lady who had been a drug addict. She had turned to Jesus, had been saved, and had been delivered from her drug addiction. A lightbulb went on in my head and my heart. This woman had done stuff that was way worse than what I'd done. Isn't it like us to compare even our sins to others' to try to make ourselves feel better? Anyway, I finally had this revelation:



If God had forgiven this woman, surely He could forgive me, too.



So, when Jim Bakker lead the sinners' prayer, I asked Jesus to forgive me and asked Him into my heart. I became a Christian that day January 1, 1980. I asked my mom if we could go to church. I knew Christians were supposed to go to church. She wasn't interested at that time. So, I had to think of something else. I kept watching PTL on the little t.v. in my bedroom that Grandma Mamie and Grandpa Frank had given me. It was a great way to start the day.


Soon it was time to go back to school. I saw a girl on the bus, named Kim, who had always been nice to me, even when others were mean. I went up to her and asked her to take me to church with her. After she picked herself up off the floor of the bus (just kidding), she agreed to take me to her church. I got permission from my mom and went to Rolling Hills Christian Church with her. It didn't occur to me that there might be more than one kind of church. God just took care of me. The next Sunday, Pat, the lady who lived on the property behind our 3 acres, showed up at our door to take me to church. And the next Sunday and the next Sunday and the next Sunday! She came with bulldog tenacity! Good thing, too. I didn't have a chance to get away from God this time. ~smile~


A few weeks later, I went forward at concert with my friend Kim and Pat's daughter. I actually thought they wanted me to go up because they were afraid to go up themselves. Surprise surprise! A couple of weeks later I went forward at church to confess Jesus, be baptised, and join the church. That little country church family became my family. They were there for me during some really hard things. Ah, but that's another story for another day.


Friend, are you frightened of God? Do you think you're too bad? Too sinful? Too dirty? I did, too. We are all bad, sinful, and dirty. BUT GOD made a way for us to come to Him and become good, righteous, and clean. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He said Himself that He is the Way the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through Him.


Jesus paid the price for our sins by taking our punishment on the cross at Calvary. "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9



We must run to God. We must confess. We must ask forgiveness. We must ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. God is willing and able to forgive our sins. He wants us.

Are you willing?


Laura

Living Life Intentionally

I love this video about living life intentionally.
Laura

Wordless Wednesday

Click HERE for more Wordless Wednesday.

Dishwasher Detergent Recipe

Hi Y'all,

I came across a recipe for homemade dishwasher powder. I don't have a dishwasher myself; but, I know that my Friend Sherry and many of you have them. Erin uses Borax and washing soda mixed together to make her own powder. Then she uses 1 T per load. Those two products are so versatile!

You can read the recipe and more details at her blog, I Am Frugal.

Well, it's time for me to go do some cleaning up!
Laura

A Laundry Dilemma Solved

I have switched to making my own laundry detergent last month. I make it with borax, washing soda and bars of ivory soap. I grate 3 small bars of Ivory soap. I add 2 cups of borax and 2 cups of washing soda. I mix it all together and put it in quart canning jars. I then use 2-3 T per load. Nothing new. You can find recipes for laundry detergent all over the web.

My problem came when I had an oily stain and no liquid laundry detergent to pretreat with. Hmmm. If Dawn dish soap takes grease away from your dishes and hands, why not clothes? So, I wetted the area, put just a drop or two of Dawn on the stain, added just a bit more water and scrubbed the area together. I then washed as usual with the homemade detergent. It worked! I then tried it on other stains as they came up. It worked, even on ketchup! I was so pleased. I've since tried Joy and a store brand of dish soap. They worked, too. So, I have a new stain remover without a new item on my grocery list!!

God bless you in your homemaking,
Laura

My Treasures

My treasures, Matthew, Emily, Michael and Amy.

An Independence Day to Remember

Like you, I'm sure, I have many memories of Independence days through the years.

I can remember going to the car races with my Grandpa Frank and Grandma Mamie and waiting, waiting, waiting for the races to be over. I wanted to watch the fireworks! I also remember flying in their little airplane to a nearby town to go to a town picnic in the park. I was so upset when Grandpa wanted to leave early before the fireworks. I was later thrilled to watch them from the air!

I remember standing out on Grandma Mamie and Grandpa Frank's front porch and playing with sparklers. Sparklers were my favorites. I used to try to write my name with them in the air. They were the next best thing to a real magical fairy wand. Hey, I was young! I wasn't that smart about sparkler safety, though. I dropped one on the porch and then stepped on it with a bare little foot. Yikes! I could wail with the best of them.

Grandma and Grandpa moved to Texas when I was a teenager. So, from then on, most of my Independence Days were celebrated on the third with my mom and step-dad. I'm not sure if we had the big cook out and shot the fireworks because it was their anniversary or because they didn't have to work the next day.

I remember my first Fourth of July as a young bride. We lived just half a block from the college football field where they were shooting the fireworks display. We invited my Dad and Annie to come and watch with us from our driveway. Unfortunately, we were downwind. We were inundated with smoke and debris falling from the sky. Annie was hit by what looked like a big piece of coconut shell.

Later, I remember watching with our babies. I remember covering their ears, hugging them closely, and watching their eyes wide with wonder at such a glorious sight. I don't remember any of them crying; but, they sure snuggled in close.

Ten years ago, I remember standing in our Pastor's front yard, with tears streaming down my face, as we watched the display from afar. We had been on our way to the park; but, it was excessively hot, I was excessively pregnant, and my mother was at death's door. I had just returned from seeing her. My, how she loved fireworks! She'd spend a fortune to get that display just right. Well, she waited until just after midnight to go home so that she wouldn't spoil the fourth. I'm quite sure she waited. She could have gone on the third, her anniversary. She could have gone on the fourth, a holiday. She could have gone on the sixth, her mom's birthday. She went on the fifth. I just can't help believing that she knew what she was doing.

Tonight, however, was quite memorable also. We spent the evening out in the country with friends at Charlie's Big Red Barn. It was open on both ends; and, the breeze was so nice that it stayed cool. We had a cookout with lots of friends then headed out to the Municipal park. We sat in our usual place at the edge of the golf course. We had all of our friends, Lowell's mother, and all of our little family. The kids played as we were waiting for the sun to set. I told the kids that I wanted them to come on up the hill and sit with us near the van when it got dark. Well it got dark alright. Just moments before the display began, drip-drip. Yes, it was sprinkling. Well, that's okay, we thought. We'll get a little damp. The display was gorgeous. This year they had a new kind of firework that had little white swirly sparkles interspersed with small bursts of purple. I just loved them. That's just about the time that our drips became drops and then, suddenly, a downpour! Boy everyone started to scramble for their cars! We were close; so, we got in and watched most of the rest of the display from the car. It did slow to a sprinkle near the end. So, we got out and watched the finale.

We came home soggy but happy. I have a feeling that this is an Independence Day that we won't forget!

Happy July!
Laura

4th of July