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!"

Waiting on the Lord

We are creatures of time and ruled by the clock: time to wake up, time to eat, time to go here or there.
Maybe that's why it's can be so hard for us to wait on the Lord: we want it now!

Whether we've been waiting on Him to intervene in a situation, or waiting for an answer concerning a big decision, waiting is hard!

Sometimes it may seem as if God is silent.

But we know from His Word that He has a plan for our lives.  Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

He is still in control; even though we might not see Him working,  He is there.

Psalm 27:14 says that we are supposed to "be of good courage" while waiting on the Lord, and He "will strengthen" our hearts.

There's a Twila Paris song from years ago that has the words,
                                              "I will wait on the Lord,
                                              I will wait for His word.
                                              Before I move, before I speak,
                                              Perfect wisdom I will seek.
                                              And I will wait as long as it takes.
                                              I will wait on the Lord."

We are all familiar with Isaiah 40:31  "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."
                                                                
No matter what the details of our waiting might be, may we not grow weary while waiting on Him....knowing that if we commit our way to Him and trust Him, He shall bring it to pass. (Psalm 37:5)

Rose Petal Jelly

I finally collected enough rose petal to give this recipe a try.  I used bright pink petals, but other colors are fine, too.  Just remember though, that the red petals have the strongest flavor, and should be mixed with lighter colors. And please remember to only use petals that have not been treated with chemicals.


                                                                Rose Petal Jelly

                                                     3 c. rose petals, packed down
                                                     3 c. water
                                                     3 c. sugar
                                                     1 Tbsp. lemon juice
                                                     1 box powdered pectin
                                                    
                               Rinse petals thoroughly to remove dirt and insects.
                               Bring water to a boil - remove from heat. Add petals.
                               Cover and steep for 30 - 60 minutes. Pour through a
                               sieve, discarding petals and keeping juice.
                               Make sure you have 3 cups of juice.  If not, add enough
                               water to make 3 cups.
                               Place in a pot and add pectin, stirring til dissolved.
                               Bring to a hard boil, then add sugar and lemon juice.
                               Stir and bring to hard boil again; boil for 1 - 2 minutes.
                               Skim off foam, and pour into hot, sterilized jelly jars.
                               Adjust lids and rings. Process in hot water bath 5 minutes.
                               Yield: about 5 half-pints

                               
My children have already taste-tested this jelly and they tell me it's delicious.  Enjoy!

Isaiah 35:1  " The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them,  and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose..."

This post is linked up www//http:titus2atthewell.com