Homemaking Mondays: Keeping the Home

Hello! 

Today I'd just like to share with you some of the 

things I've been doing. 

They may seem simple but I really enjoy 

how they delight me. 

The Lord Jesus gives me great rest and comfort 

in just keeping my home.

I am happy to just focus on the role that the Lord Jesus has given me 

to serve my family in this way.

Watching for His coming and resting in His peace. 

"If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, 

if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,  

Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, 

being of one accord, of one mind.  Let nothing be done through

 strife or vainglory; but in lowliness 

of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.  

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also 

on the things of others.  

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:"

-Philippians 2: 1-5 

I have learned to knit washcloths now. 

A lovely lady I met some time ago sent me the simple 

washcloth pattern.  That went well...

so when a sweet friend of mine gave me a new one to try. 

I dove right in.  It's still simple with (2K & 2P) 

but it makes it a bit more knobby and good for scrubbing.

I still love to crochet washcloths.

There is a difference between the two styles. 

The knit ones are more elastic, where I find that the

crochet ones are a bit firmer to deal with tougher messes. 

One day I noticed that the milk in the fridge was 

kinda on the edge...

and so was the cream. 

I decided to make ricotta and butter.  

The cheese was great and went into cheeseburger soup. 

The buttermilk also went into the soup.

Then there is whey for pancakes and 

butter for fresh bread.

I have woken up my sourdough starter and it's getting nice and bubbly.

The picture is from when it was first brought out and fed. 

Tonight I'm going to try an overnight sourdough bread. 

I know that the sourdough starter gets better after a few days...

but I am not one to like waisting discard...

and bread is bread.  Even if it's a bit heavier then usual. 

I'm also thinking crackers.

What are you favourite kinds of crackers?

We are very much enjoying the little garden in our living room window.  

The tomatoes are almost ready to transplant in bigger pots. 

The lettuce and spinach are growing and I'm eager to taste them. 

We have been enjoying some radishes that have been growing quickly to. 

The sunflowers are growing well to and I'm looking forward to their cheerful blooms. 

I took my snakeskin plant out of it's big pot and divided it up. 

I ended up with five pots of it.  

Yes...I'm going to find new homes for a couple of those pots. 

One went into my daughter's bedroom. 

They're great for cleaning the air! 

Better air...better breathing...better sleep.

Then I'm always delighted with the fresh eggs I can buy from a neighbour. 

They come in all different colours and are so delicious! 

It is hard to see in the picture...but my favourites are the blue, olive, 

and brown eggs with the speckles on them. :)  

We were going to be picking up more eggs today so I boiled up a big pot of them. 

We like boiled eggs...and devilled eggs.

I've started to put pickles or relish in the mix and they taste so good. 

Thanks so much for dropping by! 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Stayed

Stayed 

By: Daniel Dunn

In the prayer of Jehoshaphat, when there was a multitude coming against him to battle, he feared, and sought the Lord in 2 Chronicles 20:12 KJB - 

"O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee." 

God is the righteous Judge, and Jehoshaphat cries to the Lord "we have no might" and "neither know we what to do". He is at his own wit's end, the end of himself. He placed no faith in himself and said by faith "But our eyes are upon Thee". Came the answer...

"For the battle is not yours, but God's." (vs 15). 

God indeed judged the multitude, they were utterly destroyed, and Jehoshaphat and his people were safe and sound by the mighty hand of the Lord. 

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee."- Isaiah 26:3 KJB 

Stayed: Fixed, Settled, Sober. (Webster's 1828).

In this perilous time we are called to Look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith and salvation. We have no might to save ourselves, and we must come to the end of ourselves and cry "Neither know we what to do!". 

The eyes of true faith turn unto the Lord Jesus Christ, believing and trusting on Him alone. The Lord calls all the unsaved to repentance towards Himself, and unfeigned faith in the Lord Jesus this very hour. 

To those saved, we are to keep our minds STAYED on Him. "But our eyes are upon Thee". We are to stand still and see the salvation of God. 

"Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." - Jude 1:21 KJB. 

We are to keep our minds STAYED on the Lord Jesus, keeping ourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Our minds are to be STAYED, FIXED, SETTLED upon Him. 

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" - Titus 2:13 KJB. 

In this present evil world we are to be looking unto the Lord Jesus Himself, and looking for that blessed hope, and the appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Not for the antichrist, not for world events to take shape, not for the end of the world, not unto the arm of man, not looking unto ourselves...but unto the Lord Jesus. 

We are to be sober-minded and ready.
This is not a time to be drunken with the things of this world, with those lost in darkness...rejecting the word of God, neglecting the word of God, distracted from the plight of our eternal soul and pursuing the things of this world...our eyes STAYED on vain religion, creeds, doctrines of men, works, money, homes, cars, cares of this life, education, philosophy, music, movies, media, entertainment, amusements, fables, fiction, books, etc. 

Nay, can you honestly say...
"But our eyes are upon Thee."? 

Everything else leads to judgment, utter destruction and ruin. The multitude that came up against Jehoshaphat did not have their eyes upon the Lord, and were caught unaware of the judgment of God that was about to come upon them. They marched on in their own might, and were utterly destroyed. Their ways seemed right unto them, but it led to death. They marched right into the path of God's wrath and judgement. 

The Lord Jesus is at the door, READY to return to this world.
He only is King of all kings, and Lord of all lords. To the saved, our blessed hope unto salvation and redemption...our great God and Saviour. To the unsaved, as Judge of the quick and the dead, in wrath and fury as a Consuming Fire. 

Are you ready? What must we do?
Turn your eyes unto the Lord Jesus, and be ye saved.
Keep your mind STAYED upon the Lord Jesus. 

Dan Dunn
Updated March 30th, 2020

Homemaking Mondays: Joy of Colour!

Hello! 

Do you love colour?  I do.  

Especially after a long white winter. 

I am blessed to have violets  and geraniums 

blooming in the house at the moment. 

The Lord Jesus has made so many amazing plants!

Also with all the added sunshine 

the rest of the plants are growing more vigorously. 

I have a few varieties of mint some for tea and some for just eating. 

Chocolate mint is my favourite, then there is spearmint,

and Moroccan mint.

Then the newest addition...peppermint. 

The tomatoes are growing well and I'll be needing more soil soon 

to get them into bigger pots. 

They are determinate varieties so they'll live in pots nicely for the summer to. 

This year we decided to grow some salad greens to enjoy before 

gardening season actually starts.

We've got a couple different kinds of radishes in the back of the picture below. 

Then chives.  The lemon oregano is for tea and chicken dishes. 

I started some cuttings from my main plant to see how they do.

Then back right is the lettuce and in front of that the spinach.  

parsley, basil, and sage finish off the tray.  

To the left in the back we have marigolds that will go into the 

tomato pots.   They are good friends. :)  

Then we have a field of chamomile...as we love that for tea. 

Finally...I'd like to share with you that my amaryllis went to seed! 

I was leaving it to see what would happen and sure enough we got some seeds. 

I know it takes a very long time to get a flowering plant 

from seed...but one day I want to try it. 

I think the seed pot and seeds are pretty cool as they overlap.  

Praying for you all that you enjoy your days...where ever you may be.

May you find joy in some colour whether growing things or something else. 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Just Some Time Making Cards

Hello!  

Today I'd just like to share with you some cards that I 

have had some fun making.  

I have some people in mind that I want to give cards to and 

well....I just kept on going. :) 

Then today I tried some very local tea.

On our family walk this morning we picked a little spruce branch,

then I added dried crushed rosehips from our yard (we harvested last fall),

and some frozen cranberries (we harvested last fall). 

Sweetened with some honey it was delicious! 

Next spring when the spruce tips come out I'll be harvesting some, 

and then I'll also be harvesting many more rosehips in the fall! 

Still looking forward to the change of seasons...

there is some melting going on...

and then more snow coming down.

Being patient... and drinking tea. 

I'm so thankful the Lord has blessed me with so many things to use...

both in His creation and also from various places.

I have quite a fun stash that has been put together 

over the years to work with. 

What have you been up to? 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Quiet Days

Hello! 

It has been a season of quiet days for us.  

Not uneventful....but but quiet. 

Since things are closing down and cancelled we've been enjoying 

even more time at home. 

Homeschooling is still going on for us, for as any parent can tell you that

a child with nothing better to do will get into trouble sooner or later. 

I have been doing things a bit differently and not as much bookwork.  

We've been doing book reviews for history, &

printouts for practice of plotting locations on maps.

We have a surplus of popcycle sticks so I've just let my

boys have at er and they are having fun.  

Going through lots of glue sticks to...but keeping busy doing something 

productive for them. 

Plus there is the regular needs of the home that we are all

working together in...just like usual.

My one daughter and I have been sewing curtains. 

Below are  the ones I did.  I had a very long curtain and so 

I cut of some of the material to make a smaller curtain for my son's room. 

No need to go and find more material...and the one curtain 

came from the free store so it was great! 

She made some curtains out of red checkered material.  

They go well with her woodsy style in her room. 

I was also able to work my way to the bottom of my mending pile. 

OH that is a wonderful feeling to see the bottom of the basket! 

Today I finally got around to making some mittens out of an old woolen sweater. 

Yes...just in time for winter to be coming to a close. 

Two had the cuffs on them and two didn't. 

So the two that don't have the cuffs will be liners for other mittens.

Oh the weather has been so amazing and warming up to just above freezing. 

Perfect for a picnic outside!  We got our fire going on the other 

side of the picnic table...in an old satellite dish.

Hot dogs always taste best cooked over a fire!

There are some lovely icicles forming as the warmth is causing a bit of melting. 

The kids have been wanting to be outside more and more. 

The boys will play for hours in the snow. 

Below is their favourite spot...now that it's no longer a skating rink.  

Just had too much snow to keep up with it. 

They've made snow forts and trails with their GT's that they pretend 

are their snow mobiles. 

The sunshine and fresh air are so good for everyone! 

While I am not spending as much time outside with them...

I'm opening up windows to let fresh air in. 

Baking yummy banana bread and baked beans. 

It's good to enjoy the quiet at home.  

May we enjoy the company of those we love

 as we wait for things to start opening up again. 

Trust in the Lord and do not fear. 

Our lives are in His hands...just like they always have been.

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: God's Glory in the New Shoots

Hello! 

How are you? 

Today I'd like to share with you some of what I've been up to this week.

As the days lengthen I enjoy planting some seeds 

and get a head start on the gardening season.

This year we are trying something new...and that is 

to grow some radishes, spinach, and lettuce indoors.

Above is a picture my daughter took of our little radish plants.  

Below is a little shoot of a marigold flower.

Yes, we need flowers to to balance out the veggies! 

Do you do that?

I love to have marigolds to plant with my tomatoes 

because they like growing together. 

With the added sunshine and light 

our geraniums are starting to flower! 

First out pink and then soon the red ones will be out. 

By my little chair space next to the window...

I am working on another pair of socks.

This time I'm using a variegated yarn that is different 

from the others I have used.  It creates an interesting pattern.

I found this great pot at the free store awhile back and like to use it 

for putting veggies and dip in.  

It's not too heavy and with the double handles is easy to carry.

I love that it's metal and won't break if dropped.  

I know we like to think that we won't drop things...but 

experience has taught me that isn't the case. :)

I also just found this cute little metal tray at the free store to.

Great for sliced cheese and other little items. 

As spring approaches I also am feeling the urge to purge and clean.

I've started to re-home items I don't need or want anymore.  

It's good to get into the corners and really look and consider things. 

Our family will be looking at moving again in a few months and so this is also 

helping to lighten the load we'll have to carry.

Sometimes when I drop things off at the free store I see others pick up the items 

and delight in what they find.  I know it was meant to pass it on.

Here are a couple more pictures of our little seedlings that my daughter has taken.

Sunflowers (three kinds of dwarf ones)

Our chamomile has really been coming nicely! 

I love to grow chamomile for tea! 

In all of the joy of watching things grow I wonder at the 

intricate way that God has created all life.  

Nothing by chance...all perfectly created in all the lovely details.  

May we glorify God for his greatness and 

for all that he has created!

Do you start plants indoors?  Have you started yet? 

What do you like to grow indoors? 

Thanks for dropping by! 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: What Kind of Food Do You Eat?

Hello!  

Today I just want to show you the fun felt food 

that I finished making for my niece. 

I think that I covered some of what would be enjoyed by a little girl. 

Heathy foods and fun to.  

There were lots of unhealthy food options...but I want to continue

 to help encourage her to enjoy good healthy food.

Yes...I thought the fish needed googlie eyes and not X's.  

I tried to think of foods that she would normally eat.

I hope she enjoys making her own meals. 

She loves fruits and veggies...but she also loves her meat. 

Couldn't make a breakfast meal without the bacon.

Then of course...you need to have treats!

It took me a bit to figure out the cake. 

I wanted sprinkles, but didn't like the ones I saw online.

So hot glued pearls seemed to be just the thing.

Then of course there were oreo cookies. 

Not healthy...but they still taste great! :) 

I really enjoyed this project....and one day I pray I'll get to 

sit down to one of her special felt meals. 

Thanks for dropping by! 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer