Grace Growers

We are still having a great time up here in Michigan - while our friends are roasting in the southern part of our great country in 100+ degree days we are enjoying cool temps in the 70's with a great breeze... and well it is very nice here!



Here we are in Holland Michigan at the beach - so fun!!

Trying to get out of the wind....

Here is my second son at the sand dune we were playing by

These are from the parade on the 4th~

We have had several opportunities to hit the beach, the pool and nice long walks. I have been able to get lots of sewing done and even some reading.

While reading a good book recently I came upon a passage that spoke to my heart. In this passage a character (a pastor) was referring to people who have been hurtful to him in the past almost causing him to leave his position at his church. It was a group of ladies who were opposed to his arrival at their church. Anyway, the details are not real important, the message is. God uses difficult people and circumstances in our lives as tools to bring forth enduring beauty in our Christian character. If we want to become the person God wants us to be we need to sometimes allow those difficulties to do their work. In this book, these trials are called "Grace Growers." I love that!

I have felt like God was allowing this time of challenge (the no job part) for a reason, and I just think that one of many reasons is to grow my grace. I am growing my grace (well God is growing my grace) through these difficulties - and that is better to think about than, the worries!

I feel like too often we rely on ourselves, and I am pretty good at that, and that is one thing this time has made me realize, relying on myself will only lead me to be unhappy. So many lessons!! I sure hope God is running out of these lessons and that we are about to embark on the next phase of this journey called life!

Challenges. Are these fun things to deal with? No, but James tells us to consider it pure joy when we face trials. So this character (in the book) decided to shower those ladies with love and kindness despite the ugliness they were spreading in his church. And so I think about this time in our lives and how we just need to embrace the trial part of it (because that is where we are now) - and know that God is doing great things to transform us into the man and woman he wants us to be. Yeah! So instead of getting beaten down by the details of this trail we really should welcome it as a great opportunity for transformation!! No matter how difficult something can be, no matter how long it lasts, no matter what we can choose to approach it with a joy from our heart if we really believe that God is in control and protecting and providing for us.

The other point I read last night in an other book was that when we get discouraged and start to turn negative thoughts over and over in our minds that we are "listening" to our selves in stead of talking to ourselves. Kristen and I have talked about this so many times. About taking thoughts captive, but this author did a great job of really explaining how. Instead of listening to ourselves fret (Will the money run out, will Robert find a great job? Will the house sell?) we should be clinging to scripture : Our trust is in God alone (Proverbs 3:5-6), the Lord will be with us through this trial (Psalm 34:19) this is joyful to go through a trial God allows in our lives (James 1:2-3) All we need is in God (2 Corinthians 12:9) and on and on.

So instead of letting doubts and fears take hold, I am holding on to the promises of God which hold fast no matter how hard I pull and tug!! Praise God.

God really is good all the time!!

Slow Fade

This was part of our sermon yesterday morning, the pastor read this. I wanted to share it - I love this song and it was a great warning for all of us...

Casting Crowns - Its a Slow Fade

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

I have had some requests about canning jelly & jams. I have been canning jelly, jams and a few other things for about 7 years. When I was pregnant with my second child I moved in with my in-laws for about 9 months while Robert was deployed to Qatar with the Army. While here my MIL Betsy introduced me to canning, and introduced my son to a few new foods as well (sardines, spinach, etc).

If you are thinking this sounds way too domesticated for you, I want you to know I was not raised in a very domesticated fashion, so there is hope that you can take this on no matter how comfortable you are in the kitchen! It is fun, the kids can help a bit, measure sugar, chop fruit (push the food processor buttons, or use a potatoe masher). No matter what it is so much fun to open a jar of jelly or jam you made months ago when the berries were in season and enjoy the your favorite fruits and you made it!
You can juice your fruit and freeze the juice for future canning of jelly, or freeze your whole fruit for jam. I have done both and they work out great!

Since learning in 2002 I have been canning every year making jam and jelly with fruit that we pick locally or that we get at the farmers market and then I give those items away for Christmas presents.

So here is what you need to can:
1 big pot ** (I started out using a big stock pot I bought a long time ago from SAM’s)
Jars & lids *– you can find these at goodwill, garage sales, salvation army, or of course walmart
Pectin – you can use liquid or powder I do not think it matters (just my opinion)
A recipe (the pectin boxes have tons)

First you need to read through your recipe (a couple times). The best one to start with is strawberry – you can always find frozen strawberries and these work just fine. But you need to know the order to your steps very well before you begin and you need all your items prepped before you begin.

Prep work: all jars cleaned with soap and water, then sterilized in boiling water (in your pot)
All lids cleaned
Boiling water ready (to pour over your lids)
Big pot full of boiling water (this takes a bit of time, so start this step before you do anything else)
All fruit chopped
Sugar measured out
Pectin ready

Why do you need the sugar measures, the jars cleaned, etc? Why can you not measure while something is cooking?
Well, most of the time you should be stirring what it cooking so that it does not burn. And sometimes is boils faster and then your jam is ready but your jars are not. Trust me – you want to have everything ready!
Following the recipe on the pectin box is the easiest. They tell you the order of pectin, sugar, etc.
I do process all my jars - this means when you get it in your jars, wipe your rims to ensure a good seal (make sure they are dry too), put your lids & rims on, I put them in my boiling water bath and boil for 10 minutes. I then take them out, put them on a dish towel on the counter and let them cool. You will start to hear them pop, this is the lid sealing. if they do not seal, you need to re-process or put them in the fridge and eat them. You cannot leave an unsealed jar out - it will spoil and get you sick. If the pop, they are sealed and good for up to a year in a cool, dark dry place. Hearing them pop is my favorite part - like music to my ears!!


Our family favorites are:
Holiday Sparkling Jam
Dilly Beans - note: I use dried hot peppers instead of cayenne - just drop one in with a slice of garlic in the jar, add beans then pour the brine over
Pepper Jelly (I use the pectin recipe for this, but I leave the seeds in for heat)
Texas Blackberry Jelly
Plum Jelly

** Walmart does sell canning pots and these are what you should get – they are very handy to have to use.
*you cannot reuse jar covers. You can reuse the rings

Anyway, hope you enjoy, if you have questions, let me know!!

Endurance and Perseverance

Today was one of those days. You know the kind. From the start things just go wrong. When the ball dropped on my day and I needed to talk to someone sane and level headed I called Kristen – my dear friend and mother of 4 (all 4 and under). She is away at a retreat center with her family. I was worried I was interrupting, but would you believe that she has been going to seminars all week and many very relevant to the words I needed to hear. So many great things she shared with me. I really felt like God was blessing me with her insight from afar, almost like I was getting the wisdom from those speakers and I was not even there. I really felt a peace come over me as she was sharing.

One of which was something her pastor has preached on. He said that when we get to heaven he thinks we will be surprised by how many things were spiritual warfare in our lives and we did not know it. I thought how true that probably is.

She also reminded me that Satan does not want Robert and I growing closer to him during this time of trial and that he has a big target on our backs right now. You know I knew this would happen. And I was prepared, just not this week. Not today. I mean many weeks ago I was watching out for pitfalls (with regard to our relationship and marriage) that were in our vicinity. But not now. I have taken my eyes off the road – I have relaxed my vigilance of prayer for specific needs and just in general.

What does all this mean? I am not sure. I just know that God is leading us to a place where we trust ultimately and completely in him and only him. Not in ourselves, not in our home, not in our bank account, but in him and him alone. I would say not even in our marriage, unless we are trusting in our marriage through the goodness of God. I knew God has made me release the grip I had on my life in many areas but I know now I need to let go even more.

And I was also reminded that if we are not in the word, in prayer and talking with other believers we are weaker. It is not something you can store up for the winter. It is more like Manna - you can only get enough for today and that is why it is a daily quiet time. I have let that slide too much too. I need to be spending time alone and in depth with my creator daily!

The other point I learned again today deals with endurance.

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4

You know we can do just about anything for a short period of time. I mean unemployment was really fun for the first 6 weeks – and it is still fun, but man this is when it is going to start to get hard I think. We are called to run with endurance and finish strong. We are not called to win. We are not called to acquire as much as possible along the way. We are simply called to run, run well, and finish. I pray that we will finish this race (more like a marathon) we are one and finish strong. I trust that God

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3

So we are still racing, I pray that we will persevere and that we will endure. God is good even when times are tough and we are faced with doubts, disappointment, and discouragement. I am clinging to that fact.
God is good all the time!