We are finishing up school this month. Then it's summer vacation! Wow, do
I look forward to summer vacation as much as the kids. I feel like a big
kid myself sometimes! ~Smile~
Here are some recent questions:
1~ Can you tell us how your boys' trip to Swaziland went?
Yes, or better yet, I'll let them tell you! They sent this letter out to
those who supported them:
Dear Friends & Family,
Hi! We are back from Swaziland! It was an awesome trip. We feel very
privileged to be a part of the team that went there this past week. We
planted 30,000 gardens while we were there. It was the most gardens ever
planted in the history of the Dream For Africa effort by 190 people. We
were the smallest group with the most gardens planted! We prayed with the
people over each garden, so there wasn’t a garden planted that wasn’t
prayed over. Sometimes when we were packing up to leave, the people would
say, “You must not forget to pray over our garden!” That was exciting.
Although the main reason we went out to Africa was to bless the people
with knowledge about planting gardens and to spread the Gospel, it wasn’t
the only way God used us. We were also able to counsel and encourage
fellow believers who went with us on the trip. The Lord used us to share
His Word to them.
God used us in another way. We lead worship almost every night. One
night we were just worshiping the Lord together in our room playing our
guitars with the door left open. Before we knew it, we had our whole room
crowded with people singing to God! It lasted for a couple hours! So that
opened the doors for the next few nights for some more unplugged worship.
Thank you, Lord!
The people there were very poor, as we mentioned in our last letter.
They lived in mud huts with dirt floors, and their children ran around
naked. Their clothes were pretty shabby and full of holes. You can tell
that they don’t get much clothing. Our hearts became extremely heavy in
seeing these sights of the fatherless and the widows being without decent
clothing, so that, just like any other normal person, we gave away all of
our clothes. You couldn’t just watch these people skin their feet on
thorns (thorns are very prevalent in Swaziland) when you had brought
three pairs of shoes and had more at home. So it didn’t take much for the
Lord to work on our hearts to give our clothing and shoes to these
people.
We definitely had some supernatural energy that the Lord provided us with
there in Swaziland. About the third day into our trip, we hit a real
scorcher. The temperature had to be about a 100 degrees, and it was so
humid. But it was on that day that we made the most progress. We must
have walked at least 5 miles each that day since the mud huts were so far
apart. One of us, we won’t tell you who, almost passed out from
dehydration since he had only one small water bottle for the whole day.
He had a bad headache from the evening until the next night after that.
So as you can see, I think that God was watching over us despite our lack
of intelligence in some areas.
Thank you so much for supporting us with your giving and your prayers.
God has totally blessed us with friends like you, and we just wanted you
to know that your giving and prayers were not in vain, because God really
did a great work over there through us and in us. Thank you, thank you,
thank you!!
In His Service,
Quincy & Brady
Two brothers back from Africa
*****************
2~ Are you a Seventh Day Adventist since you go to church on Saturday?
No, I attend a nondenominational church which has a service on Saturday
night, as well as several on Sunday morning. I go to church both days. We
were thinking about it recently, and we are at church every day of the
week except Monday, Thursday, and Friday. We just love our church. It is
twenty minutes away from us, and we all love being there. Our older boys
work at our church, so they are there about every day of the week.
*****************
3~ It is so amazing how you find joy in everything
you do, have you been like that always or have you had to
work on it over the years? I struggle with finding joy in all the aspects
of
being a wife and mom and homemaker. I would love suggestions.
I have not always had His joy, that is for certain. I remember when I was
going to take my four children and go to a hotel so that when my husband
came home from work he could just wonder where we were! I was one angry
woman that day. (I can't even remember why I was upset now - isn't that
the way it is?.) But I couldn't find a hotel that I could afford. Even
angry, I guess I've always been frugal.
It's His Word that has been changing me. And His Word continues to do
that. I've been in His Word consistently every morning for the past 12
years, so, yes, I would say that I have had to work on being joyful over
the years with the fabulous help of the Holy Spirit. To this day. I still
struggle with my attitude, but then I get into His Word and "see" what He
has to say to me, and I am so blessed to begin another day loving Jesus
and serving Him in this home. "His joy is my strength!" I want to build
my husband up and help him be the man of God that he is called to be, as
well as my children. I used to look at my husband with such a critical
eye, I'm afraid, but God has truly changed my heart and my mouth. I'm
afraid we're a bit mushy with each other now. I'm so glad I didn't miss
out on this. The Holy Spirit has such power to change lives if we will
yield ourselves to Him. I pray often to have His joy bubbling over in me,
and that I might do my work heartily for Him.
"I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in Your Word."
Psalm 119:147
*****************
4~ I have 2 children and haven't raised them the best
that I can (my own selfish desires), they know how to do things around
the
house, but I don't have them do it faithfully. My children are 15 (boy)
and
7(girl). How do I start and get them to do it, too. I shouldn't have too
much problems with my daughter, but my son...different story.
Yes, teenagers can be somewhat of a challenge, much like a two year old
can challenge you. This is where I would start. Two praises a day,
minimum. I would shoot for three, if at all possible. Why? This is why:
"Sweetness of lips increases learning." Proverbs 16:21
The sweetness of your lips will increase your children's learning in your
home and elsewhere, especially in the Word of God, where you really want
them to grow. Also, because of this:
"A gracious woman retains honor." Proverbs 11:16
Here's some of the words I try to give my children regularly. And believe
me this does not come to me naturally. By God's grace, He is changing my
speech. The Sweetness of His Lips increases my own learning:
"You look so nice today."
"I like the way you wrote that."
"You have the best sense of humor." Laughing uproariously.
"What, my beauty?"
"I am so fortunate to have you for my child."
"Love ya, bunches." (This is what my eighteen year old son and I say to
each other every time he leaves the house.)
"You have the gift of organization, I wish I was like you."
"Your cooking is getting so good."
"I really see an improvement here!"
"You look so handsome." Big kiss. Big hug.
"You're so helpful."
"I bet everyone wishes you were their daughter. But you're mine!"
"Your hair smells so good."
"Your dad and I are so proud of you."
"You are going to be so good with money."
"It's going to be a great day."
"You are wise."
"I was telling Mrs. Henderson the other day how good you did on that
job."
"Kathy was telling me that you're the best piano teacher her kids have
ever had."
Okay, that is the beginning. Now for the middle. Give your kids two or
three jobs a day and make sure they stick to those jobs. The key is
faithfulness. Your faithfulness in making them stick to the job. For
example, my older boys cannot leave the house unless their bed is made.
If it's not made, then one of my younger ones will make it at a $1.00
cost to them. That's the rule. I don't want unmade beds all day. I have
stuck to this rule for at least 10 years now. Both of my older boys make
their beds almost upon rising. (They've lost a few bucks here and there.)
I've stuck hard and fast to this rule, because it is important to me.
Beds made make the room look that much better.
The second thing my kids do in the morning is cook for themselves and
make their own lunches. I've taught them how to make granola, muffins,
hot cereal, quick breads, waffles, pancakes, doughnuts, popovers, coffee
cakes, eggs and hash browns, omelets, smoothies, biscuits, scones, and
swedish pancakes. It's amazing what they come up with every morning. I
don't have any processed foods, so they have to cook. Are they happy
about it? Not at all. It means my older boys have to get up earlier if
they want breakfast and their lunch made. (They've even offered to pay
Abbie a dollar at times to make muffins.) But I figure they don't have
to milk the goats anymore, so they have to take care of their basic needs
before heading off to school. It frees me up to clean the house, get the
wash going, my bed made, some vacuuming done, etc. I have stuck hard and
fast to this rule. I also want to keep my older boys cooking on a regular
basis for themselves. My younger ones cook every day as part of their
schooling.
Now here is the end. Once you have them faithful in two or three jobs,
slowly add on another job until you have them up to four jobs a day. That
is how many my younger children do every day on a daily basis. My older
boys were taught this pattern, too. In this way, I have taught them
everything I know how to do in the house by changing their jobs every
day. They're so used to four jobs when they get up that they can
accomplish them rather quickly, depending upon their attitude. (One of
those jobs is a recipe to complete.) But I built up their strength
slowly. And if they have a bad attitude, they get another job. Everyone
has gone through that in this house. That's where my faithfulness comes
in. I have to be faithful in keeping them faithful. I'm not only teaching
them work that they'll do all their lives, but also strength of
character. That is why I have to sit with Christ every morning. I need
His strength and His character in my life so much. I am so very dependent
on Him. He's definitely training this child.
"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not
depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6
*****************
5~ I admire your frugalness and the joy you find being frugal.
I was wondering how you do that? I am finding that I am not content with
my
house and am struggling because we have no money to fix things up. Do you
have any advice on different things I can do? I noticed you shop at
thrift
stores and that's great but we don't really have one around here, do
you have a list of different things that you are in need of when you go
or
just get something when it grabs ya?
The best advice I can give you on being frugal is to stay within your
means. No matter what. This is "being content with such things as you
have". We've been married 24 years this past month, and we've always had
tight finances. We've lived in some expensive areas, Germany and
Southern California, during our marriage. I've been a full time homemaker
22 of those 24 years. And I've learned over the years that it's not the
amount that comes in which counts, rather it's how it goes out that
matters a lot. As the Bible says:
"When goods increase, they that are increased that eat them."
Ecclesiastes 5:11
I wrote this to my husband on Valentine's Day two years ago. He was
feeling frustrated about still being tight financially after paying off
our last debt , which was our house, and wishing we could afford a
vacation. In it I wrote:
"No matter how tight we've been, we have:
1~ Traveled and lived in Germany.
2~ Traveled to France.
3~ Traveled to Switzerland.
4~ Traveled to Spain.
5~ Traveled to Tunisia.
6~ Traveled to Austria.
7~ Traveled to Scotland twice.
8~ Traveled to Mexico.
9~ Paid off all our debts, cars, and even our house.
10~ And now we're putting our kids through college debt free and adopting
a baby from China.
"I love being tight with you - you get to see the world and live debt
free to boot."
Art felt so much better after reading our life together thus far.
"With God, all things are possible." Even on a tight budget.
Truly, it is so.
All I can tell you is that it takes prayer and practice. I keep praying,
and I keep practicing what He teaches me. I hang around with frugal
people in books and magazines. I find them more content than most. You
can find many of these in your library or church library under finances.
The crucial thing is to put the LORD first in your finances. If the LORD
is not first in your finances, you will definitely have a purse with
holes in it as described in Malachi. But if you put Him first, your barns
and vats will overflow, as described in Proverbs, chapter 3.
Yet it is not without practice. Jesus is also the One Who said, "Gather
up the fragments that none be wasted." And the Proverbs are full of
advice on saving and spending money wisely. I think the best thing is to
be content with the things you have.
"Godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Timothy 6:6
I just fixed up our two old couches with a couple of matching quilts that
I've had for years. Someone recently mentioned that they loved the throw
carpets in our living room. Those are there to hide the carpet that is
falling apart underneath. I try to color scheme my rooms, so my living
room is burgundy and greens in a country look. I painted the walls a rose
color to match. Lace, teapots, and tea cups are all over the room. I
tell everyone our "parlor" is tea party ready. I decorate for cozy and
comfy rather than the style that is popular right now. It's easier for me
that way.
I do this all over the house.
My kitchen is the 50's look in shades of red and light green. My bedroom
is a Victorian look in shades of rose and light green. My daughter's room
is in shades of greens and roses. So when I go to the thrift shop or a
garage sale, I can spot things by the style of the room or the colors in
it. If I didn't have a thrift shop in my town, I'd travel once a month or
so to a town that did or just do garage sales. My mom takes me on one of
these thrift shop trips every year on my birthday. We go to thrift shops
an hour away. It's so much fun. Garage sales are also great places to
save money. This past Saturday I bought a beautiful basket for 25 cents,
a lovely lamp for our living room that my husband loved for $3, three
silver rings for $1 each, and a beautiful piece of french brocade for a
hassock in our living room for $1. Incredible what you can find at garage
sales!
We've never paid a finance charge on our charge card. This is part of
living within your means. Charge only what you can pay off that month. It
has served us well for twenty four years of marriage. I love what Pastor
Chuck Smith says, "Where God guides, God provides." I try to remember
that. Many times we have to wait on the LORD for something. That's hard
for our generation, but it's invaluable. I can still remember some
miracles that He performed in our finances as we have waited on Him. It's
also priceless training for our children in learning to trust the LORD
for provisions.
The library is a great place. My kids have always loved going to the
library and bringing home lots of books, videos, CD's, and magazines. All
for free! We also use the internet free when we are there. We have no
cable or internet service, which has saved us quite a bit of money over
the years.
I really try to make things last. I am known for taking cast offs.
Presently I am using a dryer, a washer, a blender, and a vacuum that were
all cast offs by friends. I've used all of these for over two years now,
so I've saved us a lot of money. I have to tinker a bit with them, but
this is my way of making a business of saving money in my own home. The
more money I can save us, the better off for "my business". And all
those little savings do add up. Which is why I don't have processed food,
and we cook pretty much everything from scratch. It all adds up to a tidy
savings.
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in
Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots
by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always
green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear
fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8
*****************
6~ Have you always enjoyed cooking? You seem to enjoy it so much. My mom
didn't really cook a lot so I didn't really learn to much (hamburger
helper...lol). How did you go about learning and enjoy it? Also did you
get
frustrated when things didn't turn out right? I find myself getting
really
upset with myself when the meals don't turn out right. Any advice?
No, I haven't always enjoyed cooking. Now I do enjoy it so very much. My
mom didn't learn how to cook until she was in her 40's when I was out of
the house and already married. I am definitely an on-the-job-learner. I
started almost immediately upon marriage! You find out real quick when
you get married that your husband is always hungry. That is why I train
my kids to cook, I don't want them to struggle in the kitchen and at the
grocery store when they've just begun their life together with someone as
I did at the beginning of my marriage. (I started marriage with a lot of
homemaking debt, as I've shared before.) Yet I have learned so much over
the years, and I try to teach my children so that they will leave here
ready and able. But I am still learning. I'm finding out that it's really
such a lovely process.
I started learning to cook at the library. I kept checking out cookbooks,
as I still do to this day, and trying recipe after recipe. It was one of
Julia Child's cookbooks where I learned how to cut up a chicken from the
pictures given in her book. The more you practice, the better you get. My
uncle tapes cooking shows for me from Foodnetwork, and I love learning
from those chefs. I feel so blessed to learn from them! I love checking
out their website (www.foodnetwork.com) when I go to the library. But I
especially love frugal recipes and books like that. Presently, I am
cooking from a book called, "More With Less Cookbook" by Doris Janzen
Longacre. I'm having a lot of fun learning from there. I just never tire
of it. I try about two or three new recipes a week. It sure makes cooking
fun.
Like anything that you're learning, you're bound to have failures. But
even then you learn something. I never say anything when a meal doesn't
turn out right. I wait and see what the family thinks. Sometimes they'll
like it! It's just amazing. If it's a recipe that I call a keeper, I will
record it in my personal recipe book so that I can refer to it time and
time again. I'm starting to do that now with all that I'm learning about
herbs as well so that I can retrieve the information more quickly.
Tea time is something my daughter and I look forward to every day about
three o'clock or so. Yesterday I made a special bread, and we took our
tea outside under our eucalyptus tree. Our guys always seem to find us
and hover over our tea table eating and yakking. So, Art, Brady, and Gabe
found us outside after awhile. It's really such a pleasurable time of the
day for Abbie and I. We talk about what we're going to make for tea when
we get up in the morning and look forward to it all day. I mention tea
time, because it's just such a sweet interlude in the day, and a
wonderful time to savor with your tea chums. Abbie is my regular tea
chum.
I do so enjoy cooking and sitting with my family over a good meal or a
lovely tea. It's really priceless in so many ways.
"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;
through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful
treasures." Proverbs 21:3-4
*****************
7~ How are you handling the increases in gas prices?
Well, my husband's salary has not increased, but gas, food, water,
propane, and trash have all increased in the last couple of months. And
we are also saving for our adoption. So it's very challenging! My kids
have heard me mention about food prices going up. My husband mentions
about the gas prices. We both have our areas that we feel the pinch. Mine
is food, and Art's is fuel.
I pray often for wisdom. All the time! Just all the time. I'm also
staying home more to conserve gas, so I make sure I get as much done as
possible when I do go out. (The closest grocery stores for me are about
twenty minutes away.) I plan my trips to the grocery store, so that I
know exactly what I will need and not waste time and money. It takes more
time for me at home to plan like this, but I do save time and money in
the long run. I'm becoming more of a strategist these days. ~Smile~ Art
is also using my car to go to work, rather than his truck, which uses
diesel and costs more to run. So that is also helping. I am hanging out
all my clothes, rather than using the dryer, even if it rains. I have a
rack set up in my house for those days. We're always learning new ways to
save, because "necessity is the mother of invention." And as we pray, God
shows us the way. He is just so good.
"Listen, listen to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight
in the richest of fare." Isaiah 55:2
*****************
8~ Could you please explain again how you save money on food and buy
everything for $100 a week? I am struggling so much in this area.
Yes, I know this is not easy with prices rising as they are. I pray and
ask the LORD to give me wisdom, this is first and foremost. I need His
direction so much. I pray the whole time I am shopping, so I probably
look deep in thought, but I am really asking the LORD for help! The $100
a week covers everything except pet food and vitamins. So it covers any
paper products (including feminine products and toilet paper), any
cleansers, toiletries, clothing and dish detergents, drinks, lunch items,
all food, well, just about everything I need to feed and take care of the
six people in our family.
If you study Proverbs 31, you will notice that her primary concerns for
her family were food, clothing, and the upkeep, provision, and
guardianship of her home which included child raising in the midst of it
all. It was wrapped up in honor to her husband. That is still true today
for a godly wife and mother. These are the things we are concerned about,
because they're our God given responsibilities as helpers and homemakers.
I think it was a challenge for the Proverbs 31 woman in her day, yet we
learn so much from her in this passage in how she provided for her family
through God's wisdom. It is still a challenge for us in our day, but
through God's wisdom, we also learn so much.
Here's what I've learned so far in providing the food for my family. I
have all the grocery store ads sent to my house, so I can plan where I'm
going to go and what I'm going to buy and serve for that week. I like
shopping weekly, because I find that I save more money by taking
advantage of the weekly specials offered. For example, this week I took
advantage of beef ribs at .79 a pound. I bought one package and froze
another. That was a great price, but if I shopped monthly or bimonthly, I
might not have had the money to take advantage of that particular deal.
And my husband was thrilled to buy ribs!
I shop from Tuesday to Tuesday. After we clean the church early on
Tuesday morning, we will go to two or three stores before heading back
home. I have my list and coupons in hand. (I buy only the Sunday paper
which has the coupons.) Today, for example, I bought a protein bar, two
cans of Ortega chiles, and a bottle of salad dressing all free with
coupons. I will usually make salad dressing from scratch, but I'll pick
up free things and give them to our church when they have a food
collection. I also bought a turkey breast at .99 a pound, which was a
good price.
Then I'll shop when I am in town again toward the end of the week at
several other stores. I am prepared with my list in hand. It helps so
much to know where you are going and what you'll buy when you get there
and also how much money I have left for food for the week, since I break
my shopping up. A food budget is like having a household budget every
month, so that your spending and saving is not a mystery.
I do keep a food pantry. It is also the way I save. I try to keep
stocking it every week with all sorts of good things when they are on
sale. This week I stocked up on toilet paper by buying 24 rolls at an
excellent price with a coupon as well.
I keep two recipes books with all my favorite recipes in them for quick
retrieval. I continue to try new recipes each week as I mentioned before,
so I am consistently adding to my recipe books. The more you grow in your
recipes, the more money you will save, because you'll have so many
recipes to choose from. If I am low on butter, but want to make something
for tea, I might pick a biscotti made with oil (recipe at our website).
It is so nice to have many different types of recipes so that you have a
lot to choose from should you lack certain ingredients.
I make tortillas almost every day. My family loves them, and I can whip
them up in no time. Here is my recipe:
Tortillas
2/3 c. warm water
1 t. salt
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 3/4 c. bread flour
Put in bread machine on dough cycle. Break up into golf size balls and
roll out or use a tortilla machine, then fry on a hot griddle until they
bubble up. Turn and finish off quickly.
We use these for all sorts of things. Yesterday I had refried beans and
avocado with salsa in them for lunch. Today we had some leftover BBQ
chicken and spinach in them. It is just delicious and so inexpensive to
make.
*****************
9~ Do you ever feel overwhelmed?
Yes. Almost every week! It's usually because I am looking at the big
picture with my eyes focused inward on something, rather than walking
through it for that day with my Savior. So I have to get my eyes back on
Jesus and walk through it with Him. What a difference that makes! I
really believe the LORD loves walking through the details of our lives
with us if we will just let Him.
*****************
10~ I loved it when you walked us through one of your normal days at
home. Could you do that again?
Sure! I think it is so much fun to walk with another woman through one of
their days. Here was my day today:
4:00 a.m. The alarm went off. I laid in bed praying for God to help me
get up. (I do that almost every day!)
4:15 a.m. Got up, put on the tea, and started to pray. Then I read my
Bible while having tea and prayed as I read. I love this time of the day!
I am in the book of Genesis, and it's just fascinating. I always ask the
LORD to "let me behold wondrous things from His law." He is the Great
Teacher, yes! And I ask Him to let me enjoy this day so much with Him and
that He would just walk me through it.
5:30 a.m. I woke up Art and Brady. Then I put the coffee on for Art and
made his lunch. Art and I sat and talked until Brady got up after 6:00
a.m. Then Art left for work at 6:15 a.m. I chatted with Brady. Gabe got
up while we were chatting, then Abbie got up. Quincy was in the shower
already.
6:40 a.m. Brady left for work, and I put on my praise music and started
tidying the house. First, I tidied up the living room (which is our
parlor by day, and our living room by night. ~Smile~) Then I tidied the
bathroom and separated all the clothes that needed to be washed. I
checked the boys' rooms to make sure their beds were made and picked up
any stray clothes in there putting them in my piles in the hallway.
Everyone's beds were made. Good job!
7:00 a.m. I sat down and talked to Quincy before he left for school. I
enjoy chatting with my boys, as I do my husband, before they leave for
work or school. I reminded Quincy of his TB test and his fingerprints
that he was getting this week for our adoption. Then I ate breakfast.
7:30 a.m. I put my first load of laundry on. Next I made my bed and
listened to the weather report while I was making it.
7:45 a.m. I wrote out the kids' chore and school list, along with their
recipes for the day. (Abbie was making Chicken Kiev, and Gabe was making
a spinach side dish.) Gabe had to feed the dog, take out the trash since
it was trash pick up day, wash ten minutes of dishes, and do his recipe.
Abbie had to feed the cat and goats, do ten minutes of dishes, windex the
microwave, and do her recipe. I jotted down on my list for the day what I
wanted to cook as well and what page it was on in my personal cookbook. I
also jotted down anything I needed to do for the day on my list, which
was a phone call and write two thank you cards.
8:15 a.m. I put away the folded clothes from yesterday in everyone's
rooms. I wrote out Gabe and Abbie's spelling lists for the day.
8:40 a.m. I headed into the bathroom to take my morning bath. While I was
in there, I swished the toilet and the sink, then I wiped down the
mirrors and vanity. I do this every morning before my bath, it makes it
so much easier that way. Then I took my bath and fixed myself up for the
day.
9:15 a.m. I put another load of clothes on and took my first load out to
the line to hang out. The kids had finished their chores and recipes and
were working on school. Gabe came out to the clothes line to try to
persuade me to test him orally while I was hanging up the clothes, but I
told him I'd do it inside. I needed my glasses!
9:25 a.m. I gave Gabe his oral spelling test, then he went to work on
math with Abbie. (I have a list that they follow for school each day and
check off their work when they're done. I check math after they done and
explain if need be.) I finished up the dishes that were left and wiped
down the counters and the stove. I put away items from the kitchen to
where they belong.
10:00 a.m. I sat down and wrote out my shopping list for the week of
items I need at the grocery stores. I calculated what I would spend at
each store to see if I was in my budget. I also wrote two thank you
cards, checked vocabulary words, checked Abbie's writing, and gave Abbie
her oral spelling test. Then Gabe called me to the computer, and I
checked his writing.
11:00 a.m. I hung out my second load of clothes. I called a friend who is
going through a hard time to encourage her for a bit and to tell her I
would pray for her. Then my aunt called to tell me she was sick and did I
know what she could take. I gave her some advice and told her that I
would pray for her.
11:45 a.m. I put my tortilla maker on to make some tortillas and put the
flat cast iron skillet on as well to finish their cooking.
12:00 p.m. Art called, and we had a nice chat about how our day was
going. He calls me at lunch if he's not working out of town.
12:15 p.m. I put some leftover BBQ chicken on for Abbie and Gabe for
lunch. We had it with our fresh tortillas. It was sooo good! I also put
some of Gabe's spinach side dish in as well for extra iron. I ate outside
since it was so pretty out there.
12:40 p.m. I did some more dishes. (I think they breed in my house!) And
then I answered a few letters on e-mail. I write to my folks almost every
day. Then I read some of my e-mails and answered a few of them.
1:00 p.m. I put away my dried dishes and helped Gabe with some verses he
is memorizing for his youth group. I was encouraging him as he didn't
think he would memorize it all in time.
1:30 p.m. I went to get my clothes in off the line. Then I put them away.
I take my clothes hangers with me, hang up the clothes that need hanging
up, then I separate everything right at the line. Ever since my husband
put a table out there for me, this has worked out wonderfully. If I don't
get them put away right after bringing them in, I do it the next morning.
But it's usually much better to put them right away, so I did today. I am
loving this system!
1:55 p.m. I did some more dishes, put away some more dishes, and set the
table for supper. I also had the kids put away their school books.
2:25 p.m. The kids and I had our Bible study together along with our
reading time together and our geography lesson.
2:55 p.m. I took a nap. Sometimes I do this earlier in the day - just
whenever I feel the need to crash for a bit. I tell the kids I'm napping,
and they're good about being quiet for awhile for me.
3:35 p.m. Got up to have tea with Abbie after putting on my sauteed rice
and putting the Chicken Kiev in the oven. I also turned the crockpot back
on with the spinach side dish, so that it would be heated up and ready.
Then it was tea time! Abbie and I always enjoy a nice chat. I was sharing
with her how much she's been learning and how she'll be learning her
whole life because there is so much to learn each day.
4:15 p.m. Read the mail and checked out the deals this week in the
grocery ads that came today.
4:20 p.m. Art is home! We talked about our day, and then he made some
freshly squeezed orange juice from our orange trees. I put the flat grill
on for tortillas and made them as soon as my rice and chicken were ready.
5:00 p.m. Dinner is ready. Art loves coming home and seeing the table
set. I learned this from an old home ec book. It said to set your table
so that your husband would know good things were coming. And Art is
starving when he comes home, so I try to have dinner early for him. We
sat down to eat. Only Quincy was missing, since he had to be at church
early to work with his high school students. We had Chicken Kiev, sauteed
rice, a spinach side dish and homemade tortillas with freshly squeezed
orange juice.
5:50 p.m. I have done most of the dishes and have the hard ones soaking,
the table is clean, my Bible, teapot, and teacup are set up for tomorrow
morning by my chair, and I am done for the night. Now on to relaxing with
everyone after I type the rest of this day to you all.
8:00 p.m. I read in bed before falling asleep, and I am usually out by
8:30 p.m. unless it is Wednesday or Thursday night. (I stay up on
Wednesday and Thursday until 10:00 p.m. My nap the next day really helps
a lot.)
Of course, this schedule is going to change once our new baby arrives on
the scene. ~Smile~ And I find that it helps to have certain days for
certain things as our grandmothers used to have a wash day and a bread
baking day. Here is my line up for the week:
Monday: Water plants outside and inside, sweep patios and weed one area,
get house back in order after relaxing all Sunday. I love Mondays after
such a great day of rest!
Tuesday: Clean the church with the kids, shop at two grocery stores,
vacuum three rooms
Wednesday: Mop the kitchen and hallway, clean the microwave, scrub the
tub, teach Bible study at night
Thursday: Clean two shelves in the fridge, set up list for food shopping
and balance the check book after paying bills
Friday: Vacuum three rooms, dust, organize one small area in the house
Saturday: Shop two or three grocery stores, do any errands, church in the
evening
Sunday: Relaxed morning, church at 11:00 a.m. and lots of fellowship,
relaxed afternoon and evening. I love Sundays.
As I've written before, I always have trouble with organization, so it
does not come easily to me. Yet I keep persevering and persevering with
the help of the LORD. I am really enjoying the management of my home so
much more now than ever before. It all started with getting alone with
the LORD each early morning. It is surely the foundation of my day. "I
love you, LORD, my strength!"
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you shall go; I will guide
you with Mine Eye."
Psalm 32:8
Keep up the good work in Christ Jesus!
Love,
Laine