Every good thing is from God

 "Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation; plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good."..... Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;" Genesis 1:11, 12 and 29

Doesn't the account of creation just leave you in awe of God? Especially when you start to learn more and more about all the plants and everything else God made. God's creation is incredible and He created it all by speaking!

  This year as I have been studying up on herbs and all the health benefits they have I have been just been in wonder over the intricacies of all that God made. He thought of everything! It reminded me of this verse in James:

 "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." James 1:17

  Our God knows all, He is unchanging and He is the giver of all good things. I have so much to thank Him for! What is really cool is that God isn't done showing us what He can do. When reading Revelation I enjoyed reading the descriptions that are in there of heaven.

Something I thought to be pretty neat was this description: "On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." Revelation 22:2  It sounds like what we have here doesn't even compare with what is there. Won't that be neat!?!

Since I have been having fun learning about herbs I thought I would share some of what I have learned with you. So stay tuned for a week of herb related posts!

Let's make some pretzels!

Yesterday we tried a baking project that we had never done before: Pretzels! It was fun and yummy!

 I thought I would share the recipe with you in case you would like to try them too. They are not hard to make, they are a fun project for the kids to help with and also they are a nice snack that isn't sweet.

Here is the recipe:

• 1 T. dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 t. salt
• 1 T. sugar
• 4 c. flour (I used 3 cups wholewheat and 1 cup white flour)
• Salt
• 1 egg, beaten

Mix together 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add in water and mix well. Mix in the rest of the flour. Knead dough until smooth adding more flour if needed.

Divide into 18 pieces (have your little ones practice their counting while they help.)

 Roll each piece into a rope around 15 inches long.

  Follow these pictures to shape them in the typical pretzel shape.

 Place on a lightly greased (or use a silicone mat like I do) baking sheet.

 Brush with a beaten egg and then sprinkle with salt.
Bake immediately (no rising) at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Enjoy! (And feel free to get creative with your shaping - we did!)

10 ways to improve your health that won't cost you a dime

 Sometimes we can start to think that living in a healthy manner costs a lot. After all Dr.'s visits aren't cheap,  organic food costs more than the other and a gym membership isn't free either.

  However there are so many things we can do to help with our health that don't cost anything at all. I thought I would remind us of some of those today. And if we work at staying healthy we might not need to have those doctor's visits after all!

10 Ways to live more healthfully that don't cost you a dime:

1. Breath Deeply. A lot of us spend most of our lives doing shallow breathing (Question: Does your chest go up and down when you breath or your stomach?- For deep breathing your stomach should be going in and out.). Good oxygen intake will help with our health in many ways. Check out more information here. Breathing deeply can be done anytime (even when singing, in fact I first learned about deep breathing from my voice instructor) and it is certainly free!

2. Drink Water. Not only is this free (at least if you drink tap water) but it can save you money if you replace soda or something like that with it. I like to drink water but I can still get busy and forget to drink enough. I usually pay for that negligence with a headache. Other friends have ended up in the ER because they didn't get enough water. It is really important. (Check out more here.) 
3. Laugh a lot! Do you remember this verse: "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." (Proverbs 17:22) ? God knew all along (after all, He did make us!) that being joyful and laughing helps to keep us healthy but now modern medicine has "discovered" that it is true as well. Laughter helps your body relax, it helps strengthen your immune system and it improves the function of your blood vessels to name just a few. You can find out a lot more about it here.
4. Get enough rest. This is sometimes easier said than done but it is essential! Not everybody needs the same amount of sleep, so work to figure out what you do need. Then make it a priority.
5. Be active. We feel better when we stay active. Cleaning, gardening, yard work, going on a walk or bike ride, jumping rope, playing catch with the kids, running up and down the stairs while getting things done around the house can all help you feel more awake and alive. Even if you have to sit at a desk or have some other sedentary job you can do a few jumping jacks on your breaks. :-)
6. Eat less sugar. This can actually save you money if you eliminate soda pop, candy and use less sugar in your baked goods. It will help you have a healthier heart too. When I bake I usually cut the sugar in half or I replace sugar with a natural sweetener. I would suppose outsiders might find my stuff not very sweet but my family is quite used to it and still likes what I bake very much.
7. Lighten your schedule. This one is hard and one I am working on but still have a ways to go. However constant stress is very bad for your health and so I am trying to make our schedule one that isn't so stressful. I think this is a worthy endeavor.
8. Be Thankful. When we are thankful and content in the situation we are in, that will help to improve our health too. Our mental health has a whole lot to do with our physical health!
9. Forgive others. Holding a grudge/ staying upset at someone is very hard on a person physically. Give it to God! This goes along with our recent memory verse: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just and in Christ, God forgave you. " Ephesians 4:32
10. Pray and Meditate. This is something Christians have believed to help in healing and health for centuries but what is cool is that the scientific world is finally having to agree.

Do you have any practical and free health advice to add? I would love to hear your thoughts!

 Check out more Frugal tips at Life as MOM.
Check out lots more natural health care ideas at Keeper of the Home.

 Also, are you looking for inexpensive and homemade Christmas ideas? Have a Handmade Christmas is going on here every Tuesday. Check out  week one's carnival here and be sure to come back next week and link up your idea too!

Have a Handmade Christmas ~ Week 1

  It is time!   Time to have a handmade Christmas Carnival!  I hope you all have lots of ideas to share!

    If you have something handmade a gift, decoration or food that is for Christmas (or would work for Christmas) please consider linking it up here. I just ask that you link back to my blog when you link up please. And if you would put the above logo in your post I would really appreciate that! Scroll to the bottom of the post for linking up.


 As I have been thinking about Christmas gifts recently (and birthday and anniversary gifts as many fall in this season for us) I am faced with the same old question: How do I give something that the recipient likes, stays within my budget and doesn't end up just being clutter? Do you ever struggle with this? I do all the time. Some people (most men in my life for instance) I just have trouble thinking of good gifts for, and when I try to go handmade it is even harder!!


 Here are some of the things I was thinking about to help me make and give meaningful gifts:

• What hobbies or interests does the recipient have? Can I give anything that would go along with that?
• What sort of things do they actually use? With my kids I am thinking back to remember what gifts get used often and what sort of things just end up sitting around.
• Do they have something that they like that is worn out and needs replacing?
• What things do the like that are consumable? (food, stationary, things of that nature) These get used up so they make practical and welcome gifts.

Do you have any other tips for figuring out good gifts? Some people are really gifted in this area and I would love to have their insight!

 I was trying to think of a good present for Aaron (I will confess, it is for his birthday- I still need to work on Christmas!) and the inspiration came from the boys. We got a book on drawing in History and in it is a picture of a revolutionary soldier and the boys decided it would be fun to dress up like one. So they got busy and went to work (The picture below is before Aaron did much to his outfit, his later look was more authentic). I helped them transform their cowboy hats into tricorns. They have had fun drilling like soldiers do all over the yard with their sticks and being very imaginative.

   Anyway that got me to thinking... it would be fun to make a little better outfit for a gift. It is obviously something he would enjoy (he wasn't quite satisfied with he and Jonathan's workmanship) and also it would help him enjoy learning about history even more- and this Mama always likes to encourage learning! :-)

So I found some odds and ends...

An old leather coat, some tan ladies slacks I didn't like, a blue wool skirt, some red/orange wool pants, an old white t-shirt, an old white dress shirt and the picture in the book for inspiration and I went to work.

This is the finished product:

A wool jacket (made from the skirt and pants), breeches (made from the ladies slacks) with leggings (made from the old t-shirt) attached, White straps (made from the dress shirt) and a haversack (made from the leather coat).

  Inside the haversack we decided to put a map. Mara googled revolutionary war maps and found one of the 13 colonies that we could print out. Mara also wrote a pretend letter to go in his haversack as well. Both of those we smudged with furniture scratch cover (or you could use brown shoe polish) to make them look old.

  I am also thinking about putting some hard bread in it and possibly a tin plate and cup and playing cards. All things that they might have carried. We are also thinking about making a drum and then he could pretend to be the drummer boy. The ideas of what we could add to this are very numerous.

  I think what makes this really fun is not just having a costume but having a "story" to go with it. I am going to share the letter that Mara wrote with you to give you an idea of what I mean:

  Dearest Aaron,             May 15, 1776

  I do hope you are not faring too badly in that God-forsaken army.

 Ah, well it 'tis for a good cause.

  Mother still insists that you are much too young, brother dear, but it is an adventure I am sure.

  If I were a boy, I would come with you, and keep you out of mischief, but I suppose Father will have to do that now. I do hope Father is not busy with his duties as captain to keep at least half an eye on you.

  Can you play "Yankee Doodle" ,the new song, on your drum yet?

 I am sure life at home is very dull, compared to what you are doing.

 However, five count days ago, minutemen came, and to Mother's very great dismay, they took most of our silverware, and all of our pewter bowls. Mother is now sure that the Revolution will not suceed in getting even one seat in Parliament. She says we dine like beggars, with "woodware" and wood bowls. I personally think it will do us no harm to give a little to the men who are doing so much for Maryland - and also the rest of the colonies.

 Little brother, I swear the cows do not give as much milk with you gone. At least, it does not seem so. I most probably do just imagine it. Yesterday was churning day, and we did get less butter than usual, I know that for certain.

 I hear Mother telling me to come shell peas!

 Goodbye,

  Your ever patient sister,

         Mary

P.S. Give Father a thousand hugs for me!

 I think most children love to dress up and imagine. A trunk, suitcase or box of dress up clothes would be welcomed by many a child. You don't have to know how to sew either. Start looking around at second hand stores and vintage shops and you could find some treasures. I do think it makes it even more fun if there is a theme to it however. Think about a book character (and then include the book too), a time in history (pioneer, knights and princesses, etc.) or something of that nature and then have everything go with it. I think most children would love it!

Now it is your turn! Please link up you ideas of handmade gifts ideas, decorations and more!

 Also, be sure to come back the next few week for even more handmade Christmas ideas!

This post is linked to Tea Rose Home's link party.

 

Not here forever!

 I have been enjoying reading Paul's epistles lately. Keren and I are teaching a Wednesday night kid's class from those books and so I am trying to absorb them as much as possible.

 There are some verses in 2 Corinthians that I thought would be fun to share with you. They are such good reminders that we are not here forever and we should spend the time we do have living for God. Here they are for you to enjoy too:

"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day." 2 Cor. 4:16 Isn't this one encouraging? Especially those days when we feel tired and worn out, let's remember to let God work on our inner "man".

"For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 2 Cor. 5:1 Do you keep that in mind, that what we have now is just our "tent"? I know I love going camping but there is no way that I would like to live in a tent all year round, I have a nicer place to stay in most of the year. We need to keep that in mind spiritually too, right now we are camping, in our tents but God has been building us a wonderful house that will be our permanent home. How exciting is that!?!

 "Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. " 2 Cor. 5: 9 & 10 Is it always my ambition to please God? I sure hope so! I hope it is yours too.

"For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." 2 Cor. 5:14 & 15  Life in Jesus gives us purpose. When we try to just live for ourselves it is a dead end street, but living for Jesus gives us direction!

I hope you found these verses encouraging too!

Bringing in the Harvest {Canning Tomatoes}

One thing that seems to always grow pretty well for me is tomatoes. I guess they like me. That is nice because I like them too!

 I like them fresh in our salads, in tacos, just sliced and eaten plain, on hamburgers or cooked in a myriad of dishes. I like to make salsa with them and can them that way or I like to simply can them in nice big chunks to use to cook with later.

Today I thought I would share my methods for canning plain ol' tomatoes. I do a very easy method where I don't even skin them. This works fine for our family, we don't mind a few skins now and then and it is simpler. If your family doesn't like skins however, Jackie at Blessings Overflowing has some easy directions for skinning your tomatoes.

Step 1. Collect your tomatoes. Search high and low in the garden for all the ripe ones available. (And now, after our frost, I am still canning tomatoes from the green ones that I brought in to ripen. Many are turning red fast.)

Step 2. Wash them well. (At this point you would also skin them if you want too.)

Meanwhile~ Heat a big pot, half full of water, to boiling while you put the tomatoes in jars.

Step 3: Cut off stems and any bad spots.

Step 4: Cut them in halves or quarters or whatever size you desire.

Step 5: Pack them in carefully cleaned canning jars (quart or pint sized).

Step 6: Squish them down (to get rid of air space). We use a wooden spoon for this and I advise you to find a cute helper for this job! :-)

Step 7: Put 1/2 teaspoon of salt in the top of each jar.

Step 8: Sterilize the canning lids with boiling water.

Step 9: Carefully wipe of the rim of the jars, put canning lid in place and screw tightly.

Step 10: Once all the jars are ready, place them in the pan of boiling water (The pan needs to have a rack on the bottom so that water can circulate around the jars) making sure that the water comes up 1 inch over the tops of the jars. (Add more hot water if needed)

Step 11: Bring the water back to a boil and then start the timer, 35 minutes for pints and 45 minutes for quarts.

Step 12: At the end of the time carefully take the jars out. I have a special canning tongs (a gift from my Grandma!) to get them out safely. Without jiggling set them gently on a towel. Leave them along until they are completely cool.

Step 13: Hopefully you have heard them all "pop" at this time and they are all sealed. Be sure to check to make sure that they are sealed (and that you can't pop the middle of the lid up and down) you don't want to end up with a jar of rotten tomatoes in your pantry! Any that are not sealed can be but in the fridge and used in a few days.

Step 14: Label them, wash of any residue with a rag and put them away.

Step 15: Bring them out and enjoy them all winter long!

Putting up our own food to eat for the winter is a way that we can save a lot of money. I am so happy that my mom was able to pass on the knowledge of canning to me. For more frugal tips visit Frugal Fridays at Life as MOM.

Also if you are interested in Frugal tips or just like to make your Christmas extra special with homemade gifts, please come back and join my here this next Tuesday! 

  That will be the first day of my "Have a Handmade Christmas" Carnival which we will be having weekly into December. Please write about you handmade ideas and come link up! If you would, I would love it if you would share this button on your blog as well!