Tuesday, November 20, 2012

How to Make an Apple Pie and See The World - A Good Read for Children

Recently we read a fun book about a little girl that travels around the world to get the ingredients for her apple pie.  The book is “How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World” and it is a perfect read for this time of the year. 
How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World   -     
        By: Marjorie Priceman

During apple picking time we took this book along with us on our field trip to Carter Mountain Apple Orchard in Charlottesville, VA.  We were embarking on our own little adventure and the kids were excited to go and pick their very own apples.   
We love when Dad joins us for a field trip



What was even more exciting was the apple pie recipe at the end of the book.  My oldest had her mind set on using our picked apples to make this pie.  And what a delicious pie it was!  About a week after the trip we gathered around with the book and baked an apple pie from scratch.  This was my first time making pie crust so I was a little concerned about how it would turn out but let me assure you there wasn’t a crumb left after we were done with it.  It was delicious!   



This apple pie was so delicious!

Since then I have been trying to bribe my husband to take some sales calls in Charlottesville and while he is there he can swing over and get us more apples.  This was a really fun field trip and a really cool children’s read.

If you would like to learn about a homeschool mom with some really great ideas for this book visit:

Happy Homeschooling!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

There is Power in the Blood

God is so good.  It is such a privilege to share his goodness with our children and to teach them that he is strong and powerful.  He can do anything!

Yesterday my middle daughter suddenly experienced terrible pain in her belly.  One minute she was fine and the next she could barely walk.  I always become alarmed with her because she had medical conditions when she was a baby and had a hernia for a very long time.  I told her to give it some time to see if it would go away.  I thought maybe it was just pain in her stomach.   However, she was in excruciating pain.  I then asked her is she could make it upstairs to my bed and she said no she would go to the couch.  I left her, thinking I would give it more time while I take my shower because we were already running late for a program at my son's preschool.  Upstairs God asked me why I had not asked him to help her.  Well what can you say to that?  I am always trying to teach my kids to put God first and to ask him for help.  How quickly we forget when it's not in the framework of our bible lessons.  So I went downstairs and called my oldest daughter over.  My middle daughter was basically in the fetal position in pain.  She said it was not getting better but worse.  I told my oldest that God instructs us to pray.  We laid hands on her and confessed "by his stripes we are heal", "when you are sick call the elders of the church ...", and any other scriptures that came to mind.  Both my daughter and I prayed over her and stood in agreement.  The blood of Jesus is powerful!

I left her on the sofa still in pain and ended the prayer saying by faith we believe you have healed her.  I went upstairs to finish getting showered and dressed.  By the time I came back downstairs she was up smiling and playing with her brother and sister.  I asked her how she was doing and she said, "Mommy it went away."  I smiled at her and said "isn't God good?"  She smiled back.


This is what it is all about.  We have to show our children God is real.  Not someone allocated for Sunday mornings but he is concerned about every detail of our lives.  Christ shed his blood so we could have life and life to it's full.  Please be encouraged today to go to God with your children's problems and afflictions so they will also get to know and trust our wonderful Savior.

Below is a song I grew up with that was in my heart this morning.  Please be encouraged:

  1. Would you be free from the burden of sin?
    There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;
    Would you o’er evil a victory win?
    There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.
    • Refrain:
      There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r
      In the blood of the Lamb;
      There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r
      In the precious blood of the Lamb.
  2. Would you be free from your passion and pride?
    There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;
    Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide;
    There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.
  3. Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
    There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;
    Sin-stains are lost in its life-giving flow;
    There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.
  4. Would you do service for Jesus your King?
    There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;
    Would you live daily His praises to sing?
    There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.


Be Blessed ...

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

The Cure for Being Overwhelmed

PrayerNo matter who you are and what you do in life most of us are a few steps away from becoming overwhelmed.  It is a symptom of our present day society.  It is a state of being that far too many people have conceded to as being their normal.

This should not be and this is not God's best for us.  If you are feeling overwhelmed please don't be condemned by this statement.  It's just a matter of fact.  So how do you get from a state of being overwhelmed to finding a sense of contentment and peace?  There is so much information out there that will tell you to prioritize, get a plan, make a budget, slow down, and the list goes on and on.  All of these things are really good and things you should do.  But what do you do at that moment.  You know the moment when you are desperate.  You can barely keep it together and you feel like a pressure cooker about to blow your top.  The moment when the budget is a bust, the schedule has been thrown out the window, and every kid in your house has an emergency that demands your attention NOW!

Let me encourage you to:
Praise God
Worship God
Get an Eternal Perspective
Invite God into your Overwhelmness (OK I know that's not a word but you get my point)

Please don't stop reading now and think oh no not another pie in the sky put God first post.  I need help now! I've tried those things and I still feel overwhelmed.


Think of it this way.  Remember as kids we learned that when there is a fire you should STOP, DROP, and ROLL.  It was ingrained in our heads over and over again to the point that it would be automatic if we were ever in an actual fire.  Suppose you were in a fire and you stopped, dropped, and rolled twice but your clothes were still burning.  You stand up and say oh well I guess that didn't work I am doomed and will just have to burn to death.  That's crazy isn't it!  No you would be so desperate for relief that you would roll around ferociously until the fire was exhausted.  

Let me encourage you to do the same using the 4 points above.  Praise God for who he is.  I love Psalms 145 - 150.  Speak them out loud so your voice will drown out your feelings.  Get a good book of prayers or confessions.  I love Joyce Meyer's little purple book entitled, "The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word."  Say scripture over and over again so in those moments of despair they are already ingrained in your spirit.

Play worship music and invite your kids to sing along.  Stop your homeschool lesson, cleaning, whatever you are doing and put on worship music.  If you are close to a computer go on YouTube and find some great worship videos.  I love songs such as Yahweh from Kari Jobe or He Loves Us from Jesus Culture.  If you can't get to music sing a hymn in your head.  Get to know some old hymns.  They are powerful.  Get an old Baptist Hymnal book.  We consider these things outdated but let me tell you I thank God for all those Sunday's growing up with the hymnal in my hand singing "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus."  These songs are easy to learn and often have a rhythm that is almost like a nursery rhyme in that you can memorize them easily. They don't need live music or a band because of their simplicity of truth.

Get an eternal perspective.  I love Phillips, Craig, and Dean's song "When the Stars Burn Down."  Read the lyrics of this song.  Go to the book of Revelation.  Read the last chapters about the new Jerusalem and the coming of Christ.  Live in light of eternity.  Reflect on trials of the past and see how you are still here and standing when you should have fallen.  In Revelation 21:4 the bible says, "He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain.  These things of the past are gone forever."

Invite God in.  At this point ask Holy Spirit to help you invite God into the moment.  Speak in your prayer language (it really helps to quiet your soul).  Physically kneel to pray.  Raise your hands to heaven in an act of surrender.  I have even clenched my fist and then physically opened them as a physical act of releasing the situation to God.

Please be encouraged.  Nothing lasts forever.  Even these things listed above can be done in a matter of moments.  It doesn't have to be a long drawn out process.  If you are still feeling overwhelmed please keep at it.  Don't give up.  Never give up until you have God's peace and rest.  Then ask God to help you get to the root of your feelings.  This is where the practical steps come in such as trimming down your schedule, planning, cleaning-up, whatever you may need to change.  But before doing all that put God first and see how he can help you in the midst of your moment.

Be Blessed ...