Building Hedges

In Old Testament times, the Israelites built hedges (or walls) around their vineyards to protect them from being attacked.

Psalm 80:12-13    "Why have you broken down her hedges, so that all who pass by pluck her fruit? The boar out of the woods uproots it, and the wild beast out of the field devours it."

 In our society, families are under major attack, and we would be wise to build hedges around the most important "crop" in our nation: our precious families.
 
More than 1/2 of all  Christian marriages end in divorce, and scores of others are heading in that direction. Over 1/2 of  American children live in single-parent homes. Many well-meaning Christian parents are losing their children to the world.

So how can we "build hedges" to protect our families?  Pray!! Ask the Lord to protect our families from the enemy and evil influences of this world.

John 17:15    " I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one."
 The Lord put a hedge around Job and his family to protect them the enemy's attacks.  (Job 1:10)

Another way to protect our families is by using "border control". So many Americans are concerned about illegal immigrants crossing our borders and entering our country. But how concerned are we, as parents, about border control around our families?  Do we have strong borders for protection against the "adversary who walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.."? (1 Peter 5:8)

We need to  ask ourselves........

- is there border control concerning which TV programs and movies we watch?  What about the video/computer games our children play? Are we monitoring what our children are doing on the Internet and the books they're reading?
Psalm 101:3  "I will set no evil thing before my eyes.."

- is there border control concerning our children's friends? Do they have godly friends?
1 Corinthians 15:33  " Do not be deceived: evil company corrupts good habits."

We must take control of anything that would spoil the godly atmosphere of our home.

We cannot let the enemy get a foothold. He takes great pleasure in attacking and destroying families. We must "resist him", and be "steadfast in the faith" (1 Peter 5:9),  guarding and protecting our families at all costs.

And our nation is only as strong as the moral values of our families.
So friends, "watch, stand fast in the faith" (1 Corinthians 16:13), and keep building those hedges!

Have a blessed day,



                         

This post is linked up at Titus 2usday @  http://www.time-warp-wife.blogspot.com

and  @ Domestically Divine Homemaking link-up @ http://jasmine-aboverubies.blogspot.com

and @  http://likeabubblingbrook.com

and @ http://raisinghomemakers.com

Secure in Daddy's Arms

We had a surprise 80th birthday party for my dad on Saturday.  At the party, there was a time of sharing for anyone who had a funny story or special memory of Dad.

Listening to people share their favorite memories jogged my memory.  I remembered when I was a little girl of  about 4 years old, and my family went on vacation to the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee. There was a swinging bridge there and of course my family wanted to cross it. So I stood back and watched...the bridge was high above the trees and moved back and forth as each person crossed it. It didn't look safe and  the thought of stepping onto that bridge terrified me.

My dad was standing behind me and must have realized I was scared. So he scooped me up in his arms and carried me across the bridge.

The bridge was still high above the trees. It was still moving as we crossed it. But in my Dad's arms, I felt safe and secure.

It is the same with our Heavenly Father. This earthly life is filled with uncertainty. There are "swinging bridges" everywhere. But as children of the Almighty God, we are safe and secure in Him.


"Hold me up, and I shall be safe...."   -  Psalm 119:11


This post is linked up at Titus 2usdays http://time-warp-wife.blogspot.com

and at http://www.homemaker-by-choice.com

Taking the Time

Yesterday while I was making a skirt for Naomi  (who is four), she decided to try her hand at sewing on a button. Natalie (who is seven) was already sitting next to me busily sewing buttons on scraps of material.

As I was sewing, I would glance over at Naomi..and watch her struggling to get the needle through the button holes. In my rush to finish making her skirt, I confess that I didn't want to take the time to help her. But the Lord immediately convicted me of this, and I realized - once again - that this is my  "job"  It's the very reason the Lord gave me my children in the first place: to teach them and train them.  And what a wonderful memory making moment : teaching my little girl a new homemaking skill!

I quickly got up from my sewing machine and went to Naomi's side and helped her. She caught on right away and asked to do more sewing this morning.  :)  So, this morning is going to be a sew-and-sew morning for me and my girls...with no rushing, no hurrying.....just lots of fun and learning...and memory making.  :)


"Train up a child in the way he should go....."     Proverbs 22:6

Skirts

I have been reading the She Wears Skirts Series by Amy at www.raisingarrows.net   and have thoroughly enjoyed it.  It has truly been an encouragement.

Many readers have posted photos of their outfits, and I have decided to share some of mine, too......

My daughter gave me this outfit. I love the ruffle skirt.

I made this skirt for $2.00 with material from the discount shelf at WalMart.

I love these tiered skirts - very comfortable.

This is one of my everyday around-the-house outfits.

Another everyday outfit. This skirt is so comfortable and lightweight. Great for hot weather.

This is my gardening outfit. The skirt is light-weight denim, and is very full, so I often use it as an apron, too, wiping my hands on it as I work in the garden.  :)


Romans 12:2  "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."


Blessings,
Lisa



linked up at www.themodestmomblog.com

Daylilies for Lunch??

Imagine the looks on children's faces when you serve up a platter of these beauties for lunch!  They are quick and easy to prepare, and are delicious stuffed with egg salad, tuna salad, or chicken salad.

But first, some nutritional info about the daylily.  All parts of the daylily are edible. The buds provide more vitamin C than green beans or asparagus, and have more protein than these two vegetables. The flavor of daylilies is similar to lettuce - crunchy and slightly sweet.

In the Orient, daylilies have been considered medicinal. The roots are known to have pain-killing properties. And they have been used to treat various illnesses such as jaundice, fevers, and some tumors.

NOTE:  When you harvest daylilies, only harvest the ones in your garden - not roadside daylilies, as they are usually treated with chemicals and pesticides.  I am referring to daylilies only. Some other lilies contain alkaloids and should not be eaten. Daylilies can act as a laxative or diuretic; eat in moderation.

So all you need to do is gather daylily blossoms from your garden. Wash them in cold water to remove any insects or dirt. You can wash the pollen off, as well, unless your children don't mind the orange powder on their faces.  :)  Gently dry the blossoms with a paper towel.  Stuff each blossom with a heaping tablespoon of your favorite lunch salad.


As you can see, my children had no problem with eating flowers for lunch................

You can Google "Daylily Recipes" and find lots of other ways to prepare the beautiful flowers.  Happy flower - eating!

Luke 12 :27  "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

This post is linked up at  http://raisinghomemakers.com

Honeysuckle Jelly

                                                                                  

By now, it's pretty obvious that I have been on a jelly-making kick this spring. After making the rose petal jelly, I was wondering, "Hmmm...what next?"

 The answer to that question came one evening while my hubby and I were watching our children suck nectar out of the honeysuckle blossoms that grow along our fence row.  He asked, "Can you make honeysuckle jelly?"  I wasn't sure, so I researched it and found a recipe.

My family (and others that I've given samples to) tells me that this jelly faintly tastes like honey....and as you can see, it definitely has the beautiful golden color of honey.

1. You will need 3 qts. of blossoms.  Make sure they are open blossom, but not old ones.  (The yellow blossoms have more flavor than the white ones.)  Pick through the flowers and rinse them well to remove insects and dirt.  And please make sure they have not been treated with chemicals!

2.  Put the blossoms in a Dutch oven and add just enough water to cover them.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover,  and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and refrigerate at least overnite.  You can refrigerate the infusion for several days for a stronger flavor.

3. When you're ready to make the jelly, strain the flowers from the water.  Measure the liquid. You should have about 4 cups. Put liquid into a heavy pot; add 1 tsp. lemon juice and 1 1/2 boxes of powdered pectin.  Stir well.

4. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add 5 c. sugar - all at once. Continue stirring and return to a rolling boil.  Boil for 1 minute, continuing to stir.

5.  Remove from heat. Skim as needed to remove foam. Ladle hot jelly into clean 1/2 pint jars. Add lids and rings. Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.  Leave in hot water 10 more minutes.  Remove jars from water; let sit overnite before moving.  Makes about 8 1/2 pint jars.

                                                                       

 Psalm 119:103  "How sweet are Your words to my taste, 
                             Sweeter than honey to my mouth!"