Flowers and Friends

My Friend Sue, of Country Pleasures, wrote about flowers and friendship today. See her blog in my blog list. She mentioned, "My theory is you can always tell a good Mother by the way she tends to her garden and friends. "

Oh boy, I hope she's not right about that! I'm afraid the three lovely flower gardens that my husband planted for me in our front yard are sorely in need of weeding. The pansies, petunias and snapdragons are loving the rain and temperatures we've been having; but, so do the weeds! I guess that's something to put on my to do list.

One of my dear friends, Sherry, recently moved to a new house in the country. I spent a few hours helping her yesterday. It's an old farm house that the Lord has worked so many details out for. She has nice big airy rooms with big windows that felt fine even without air conditioning in 85 degree weather. It's great.

I'm so happy for her. She was content even before the Lord made a way for new cabinets, counters, appliances, and floors in the kitchen. That's contentment. God often blesses us most when we are content, truly content, with the least.

How's your contentment level? I'm working on mine. There are a lot of unknowns for all of us right now. The thing is, all we truly have is right now. Chances are, right now isn't as bad as we might have thought it was going to be when we worried about it!

I encourage you to do your best to be content with the right now, right here, right the way it is. You may be surprised at how your thoughts begin to brighten.

Blessings,
Laura

I Woke Up Early On My Own This Morning...

So, I decided to fancy things up around here a bit. I'm feeling pretty in pink. That pretty chicken is one of our chicks we got back in March. Amazingly, I woke up before he did this morning!

I may be mistaken; the kids are the experts on telling the boys apart. But- I think that this guy is the one the kids named...mind you, we live on the edge of the Ozarks, just minutes from Oz...
BILLY JOE JIM BOB JUNIOR!

I am so enjoying having the chickens. Maybe that's because my girls feed them and Michael cleans their little home! I just get to watch them strutting around the yard, eating bugs, greens, and scraps, or watch them take off across the yard like they're being chased by coyotes every time something or someone gets too close.

Between our big garden and our little flock of a dozen chickens, we're living more country than we did when we lived in the country!

Last night we ate crunchy sweet peas from the garden. They're the kind that you can eat the whole pod. So hubby made a delicious stir-fry. Yum yum!

Well, the morning's getting on. The family will be up soon asking the first question I always hear, "What's for breakfast?"

I'm off to the kitchen!

Have a blessed and thankful day!

Laura

UPDATE: My youngest, Amy, 7 said, "We know by the heads of the chickens that the speckled ones look the same; but, they're not the same. The one with the not so speckled head is Freddy. And the one with the really speckled head is Speckles. Freddy is my chicken. Speckles is my sister's. In the picture is my sister's chicken, Speckles. Amy

Well there you have it. I was wrong about the name; but, who could resist writing Billy Joe Jim Bob Junior? ~smile~

By the way, there's no senior. Beats me why they named him Junior!

Laura
Happy at Home

~~~~~

May I suggest?

Each Day Had its Own Proper Work

~~~~~ 

A Morning Thought

"With every rising of the sun
Think of your life as just begun.
~
The past has shrivelled and buried deep,
All yesterdays. There let them sleep.
~
Nor seek to summon back one ghost
Of that innumerable host.
~
Concern yourself with but to-day,
Woo it, and teach it to obey
~
Your will and wish. Since time began
To-day has been the friend of man;
~
But in his blindness and his sorrow
He looks to yesterday and to-morrow."

.............................
Author unknown
From the Character Classic Tiger and Tom
ISBN 1881545083

Have a wonderful today!
Laura

The First Blog I Ever Read

I want to share the first blog with you that I can remember reading. It's called the Homemaking on the Homestead. Mrs. Miller writes about homesteading, homemaking, home cooking, homeschooling, and crafts. She has some delicious recipes for down home healthy cooking. I know, I've tried several of them.

Click on over and give her a read. I think you'll find it helpful.

Leave her a comment and let her know I sent you.
Then, come on back and leave me a comment and let me know what you thought!

Happy Wednesday!

Laura

Wednesday
Wonderful Wednesdays - Fluster's Creative Muster  -  Wholehearted Wednesdays  -  Raising Homemakers - A Wise Woman Builds Her Home - A Little R & R - Coffee and Conversation

A Humble Request

Father God, I pray that we, Your people who are called by Your name will humble ourselves before You; that we will pray to You and listen to You; that we will turn from our sins, our wicked ways, our apathy towards evil, our tolerance of sin.

Father God, I ask you to turn the hearts of Your people toward You. Help us to sort through what is truth and what is fiction by comparing it always to your Son Jesus the Christ, Our Saviour, and by comparing to Your Holy Living Word, the Bible.

Father God, I ask for You to stir up in Your people a hunger and thirst for righteousness. Help us to be single-mindedly focused on You and what You want us to do, Your perfect will.

9 "This, then, is how you should pray:

" 'Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10 your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 Forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.'

The Words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 6:9-13

Amen.


Amen August 14, 2016

Amen June 22, 2021

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A Story from the Land of Oz....

Once upon a time, a long time ago, in the land of Kansas, a little tiny boy was born to a couple who had prayed for three years to have a baby. They had prayed for a name for him even though they thought he would be a she. They settled upon Matthew David because it means, "Beloved Gift of the Lord". When he was a month old, his Momma dressed him in a little preemie outfit. Then, his momma and daddy took him to church and dedicated him to God and to the Lord Jesus the Christ. And he grew and he grew and he grew....

He was his momma's world. She just adored him. She read all the books and listened to the experts and did the best she could. She wanted to do everything just right so that he would turn out just right. Silly Momma! She only needed her Jesus and her Bible and prayer. But, she didn't know that then. So, she tried and tried in her own strength and understanding. Because she only had so much strength and so much understanding, she did as we all have done. "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23. She made mistakes; but, she did pray and she did share the gospel with him, and she did love him like crazy. And he grew and he grew and he grew....

The momma and daddy felt the Lord tugging on their hearts and minds to homeschool their little boy. So began many years of lessons and learning for both the momma and the boy. And it was good. Then the little boy started praying for a sister, and God gave him a sister. Then he prayed for a brother, and God gave him a brother. Then he prayed for another baby and got another sister. And it was all very good. And he grew and he grew and he grew....

Then, when he was 16, the boy and the Daddy and the Momma decided he would go to the high school in town. He worked hard and graduated. His Momma and Daddy were very proud of all he did to finish, especially during the last few weeks when he worked some hard jobs without pay to meet his work study requirements to graduate.

Yes, that boy is my son, Matthew. I love him very much. He's got a strong mind and a strong will. For that matter, he's just plain strong!

I love you, Matthew, and I'm proud of you. I am glad that you think for yourself, even if I don't always agree. Love the Lord with all your heart mind and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. Honor your mother and father that you may live long in the land the Lord has given you. Trust in the Lord. Pray without ceasing. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Be still and know that He is God. Be still and quiet and listen. Fill your mind and your heart with His words, the Bible, so that you will recognize His voice.

Father God, bless my son, please. Give him Your direction for his life. Be that friend that sticks closer than a brother to him. Thank you Father. Amen

Congratulations Matthew!

I'm Going to Wake Up With My Husband of 23 Years and My Sweetheart of 27 Years

Yes, we were high school sweethearts. Different high schools, but sweethearts nonetheless. I love him still. We didn't need to scratch the 7 year itcch. We didn't want each other to drop dead at a decade. We didn't lose the fire at fifteen. We didn't think twice at twenty. Today it's twenty-three. We don't want to be free.

We made our commitment to each other and to God twenty-three years ago at 4:00 in the afternoon. God was our witness. He was and He is a member in this three way covenant we made. Many trials and storms have come and gone in our life together. God has always strengthened us at just the right time.

We are Lowell and Laura...always and forever...until death do us part.

Lowell, I love you no matter what, no matter where, no matter....

Father God, I love You and I thank You for the grace and perseverance and trust in each other that You've given us. Thank you for teaching us very early never to say the D word, no matter what.

Happy Anniversary Honey!

Laura