Thanksgiving 2013~Cultivating A Heart Of Gratitude

 

As I may have mentioned a time or two, I love Christmas.  But a friend recently pointed out to me that by starting Christmas so early, we miss out on Thanksgiving. 

I realized she is right!  I spend so much time during November planning, either in my head or in reality, for Christmas.  Thanksgiving doesn't get the same amount of planning.  Even on Thanksgiving day, I'm preparing for the holidays since we get our tree the weekend after it.

So this year I am going to be intentional about Thanksgiving.  I'm going to spend the month focusing on the blessings in my life, and cultivating a he♥rt of gratitude.  From decorating to dinner, I'm going to reflect on what I've been blessed with.

The irony here is that this is the first year in many that I will not be making the dinner.  Hubby's family is having a full family Thanksgiving celebration {think reunion} where we will all be bringing something for the dinner {think potluck}.  We are looking forward to seeing aunts, uncles, and cousins.  Many are coming from out of state and we haven't seen in quite a while.

Something else to be thankful for!

Blessings,


Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the "like" button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Worth Rubies~A Pause To Reflect

I want to address a few things.  When I started my blog, I had no real idea about what I wanted it to be.  I tried copying things that seemed to work well for other bloggers, but I never really felt like things fit.  After some prayer and reflection early last year, I realized what my mission in writing this blog would be and I try to stick with this.

I found in my own life when I was a young wife and mother, I had a lack of a mentor.  I really didn't know what scripture states about my role as wife and mother.  As a result, both my marriage and family were not what it should have/could have been.   I looked to blogs and Christian writers along with scripture to learn about these things.    This has been a blessing in my marriage, parenting, and home.  What I want to do with this blog is to share with other women what I have learned as a wife, mother, and homemaker, and hopefully encourage other women. 

What I do not want my blog to be is a source of frustration and discouragement.  I feel I need to get very real with you.  I do not write my blog because I am a perfect wife and mother.  I do not write my blog because I have it all together.  I do not write my blog because I know everything about everything. 

If you came to my home and spent the day with me you'd see I'm in the same place you are.  My marriage is not perfect.  I am a sinner married to a sinner.  My children are not perfect.  They argue with each other, are disobedient, and forgetful.  My house is not tidy, and sometimes it's not real clean either!  I struggle with self confidence and fear.  I loose my patience, my temper, my tongue, and sometimes my mind!! 

I pray you will be encouraged by what I write, because I write it not only for you, but myself as well.  When I write about parenting or marriage, I am also writing it to myself.  I desire to be better myself, and want you to find that joy as well.  I don't write about the Proverbs 31 woman because I am one.  I write about the Proverbs 31 woman because I want to be one.  I believe that together we can change the next generation and turn hearts back toward Christ.   

Please, please, please understand that I do not have a perfect marriage, perfect family, and perfect life. Please don't leave this blog discouraged because I am writing about a subject you feel you don't measure up to.  More than likely, I don't either, but am working on it.   

Be encouraged!

Blessings,


Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Praying For Our Husbands

Praying for our husbands is a MUST in my opinion.  Unfortunately I didn't realize this until I was several years into my marriage.  Fortunately God got ahold of my heart and made me realize the importance of praying for my hubby.

I'm not talking about praying that God will change your husband.  I've been there and done that as well.  Turns out this isn't really what God intended when we pray for our husbands.  What I am talking about is praying FOR your husband.

A great resource I've found is Stormie Omartian's book, "The Power of the Praying Wife".  This book gives us one area to pray about for our husbands each day.  I have the book on my nightstand, but I also copied the list and have it inside my Bible.

What makes Stormie's book so great is that she has 30 things to pray over our husbands.  This works our perfectly so that you can pray each item over your husband each day of the month. 

Praying for my husband has made me see things in our marriage differently.  It has softened my heart when it was full of anger or bitterness.  It has made me realize more about my hubby and his heart.  It has encouraged me to try and be a better wife.  And I'd like to think it has blessed my husband in ways neither of us may know this side of heaven.

Take the next 30 days to pray over your husband.  See what this can do no only for him, but you also!

Blessings,


Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Fun DIY Project~Make Your Own Butter

If you're looking for a fun and cheap activity to do with your kids, this is it!!  I recently did this with my homeschool co~op class and they loved it!  Since then, Sweetcheeks has been asking to do this almost every day!

It really is quite simple!  You just need some heavy whipping cream and a glass jar.  A hand mixer works well also, but then you'd miss out of the "funnest" part {sweetcheeks' description}!

Add some cream to the glass jar.  Any amount is fine.  If you want a small amount of butter, just add a small amount of cream.  If you're looking for an upper arm workout, then fill that jar!!  You can also add a pinch of salt if you want.

Next step.  Shake jar. 

 

Shake some more. 

 

Keep shaking.

 

When you get tired of shaking, have someone else shake the jar!

Look, you now have whipped cream.  Too bad that's not what we're making today!

Keep shaking!

 

Almost there!

Shake your entire body!!

Look, you now have a soft lump bathing in milk!

You did it!!

Yep, that's butter!

Strain the milk from the butter.  Save that milk.  This is buttermilk and can be used in recipe's.  Then wash the butter in cold water.  This gets the buttermilk off the butter which can make the butter go bad.

Put your butter in a container, and enjoy!

Blessings,

Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Another Liebster Award!!

 

Amanda over at Busy Mama 911 has nominated me for another Liebster Award!  Actually, she nominated me two weeks ago, but I'm just NOW getting this post finished!  I'm sure she has been wondering if I was ever going to accept this award!  My excuse is that it took me that long to write my acceptance speech.  I'd like to thank the academy....oh wait, wrong award!  I was nominated last October by another blogger for this award, and was super excited about being nominated again for it.  

If you need a reminder, the Liebster award is an award given to bloggers who have less than 200 followers.  Liebster is a German word that means: favorite, beloved, lovely, kind or dearest.  It is a way of learning a bit more about the bloggers who love to write their blogs. 

 Here are the rules....

~ List 10 random facts about yourself.

~Answer the 10 questions given to you.

~Create 10 new questions for the bloggers you nominate for the award.

~ Choose 10 bloggers with 200 or less followers to nominate.

~ Go to each bloggers page and let them know about the award.

~Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.
 

 

10 Things about me!

~I earned the nickname "motormouth" in high school by my best friend's dad because apparently I talked too much and too fast!  I still like to talk and he still calls me "motormouth"!

~I love socks!  I like to wear colorful or crazy patterned socks, and I MUST wear them to bed.

~It drives me totally crazy when my kids {or anyone!} "write" on a window that has been fogged up.  House window, car window, mirror~~it doesn't matter.  I'm just kinda weird that way!

~ I do not like being home alone.  Not because of a fear, but I am so used to noise in the house that when I'm alone, it's too quiet!

~ Shoes and purses are my temptations when shopping.  Hubby put a stop to buying them many years ago, which I am actually thankful for, but a girl can still look and dream!!

~ I was born during the wrong era.  I love the lifestyle of Little House on The Prairie, and even though it was hard work, life seemed much simpler (well, because it really was!).   Although I will keep my electricity and indoor plumbing, thank you!

~ I hate going to the dentist.  Really!  Prior to this year, I had avoided the dentist for almost 8 years.  'Course that might be why I needed a root canal this year....

~ I'm turning into my mother and grandmother!  They both have a love for crochet and my grandma sews beautiful quilts.  I've become addicted to crocheting and I love to sew rag quilts.
~I am making my family crazy by playing Christmas music already!!  I LOVE Christmas!!
~I love watching old black and white movies.  {Especially Christmas movies!☺}

Amanda's 10 Questions for Me:

1. Why did you start this blog? I saw the need in my own life for a woman to share the knowledge that they had learned about being a wife and mother.  I started this blog as a way for myself to pass along the things I have also learned on this journey.
2. What is your favorite place to shop and why? I love shopping at thrift stores.  I enjoy saving money on things!
3. Who is your blogging mentor? Hmmm, I don't really have one.  There are lots of bloggers that I look to when I have questions.
4. Where do you find inspiration for your blog posts? Honestly, they just come to me as I go through each day.  I find inspiration in all kinds of things and the rest God just places on my heart.
5. What is your favorite food? Hmmm, my fast response is peanut butter cups {my kids even give them to me for Christmas presents!!}, but I also love cherries and cheesecake {oooh, even better if they are both together~~the cherries and cheesecake I mean!}!!
6. When do you find time to blog? usually when the kids are in bed, but I'm trying to carve out an hour or so in the afternoon to just work on blogging!  When the kids are put to bed I like to connect with hubby and that's a little difficult when I'm staring at a laptop!
7. What’s your favorite beverage? At this time of year it is hot chocolate!  But during the warmer months, I must confess an addiction to Mt. Dew! {I know, I know...}
8. What’s your biggest blogging challenge? Trying to get across what I want to say, and not worrying about what others might think about it.
9. Do you have any pets? a black cat named "Whiskers"
10. What is your favorite thing about blogging? the friends I've "met" since I started blogging. 

The questions for my nominee's:

1. Why did you start your blog?
2.  Who is your favorite character of the Bible?
3. What is your favorite season and why?
4. Where did you meet your spouse?
5. What are your hobbies?
6. What is your favorite family vacation?
7. What is the funniest thing you did as a teenager?
8. What is your favorite recipe?
9. What is your favorite childhood memory?
10. What is your favorite Bible verse?

My Nominations:

A Heart For My Home~~My sweet friend, Jen, who blogs about homemaking, marriage, parenting, and Christian living.  
Greatly Blessed~~A homeschooling family sharing their passion for adoption. 
Our Path Home~~From fostering to adoption and the struggles and joys it brings.
Blessed Simplicity~~A blog about life and living simply.
Our Plain And Simple Life~~Another blog about the ups and downs of living simply.
A New Song~~A new blog I've found about the life of a wife, mom, homeschooler, and all that goes with it!

Go check out these great blogs!

Thanks again, Amanda!

Blessings,


Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!