Thankful Tuesday

Please join me each Tuesday as we seek to give thanks for 10 things to our glorious God.  It will be an amazing journey to look back upon if we list 10 things each week.  We will be cultivating a heart of gratitude.  Will you join me in this challenge this week?  Just copy and paste this button on your website and leave a reply in the comments.  I LOVE comments!

31.  Little girls who are big helpers.

32.  Big brothers who are brave.

33.  Helpers around my house when it comes to chores.

34.  Children who volunteer to prepare lunch and do a great job.

35.  Getting to rock my sweet baby (now toddler) before she went to sleep.

36.  A new laundry schedule that I think will work.

37.  A clothes line that will be installed tomorrow.

38.  Time to crochet a wash cloth and complete it!

39.  Getting the opportunity to be a stay at home mom and loving every minute!

40.  Hubby and I getting back on the treadmill after a few weeks of not being as faithful as we should have been and a plan to follow called  couch to 5K.

Concluding Thoughts On Holy Week

I want to take a few moments and quote from the Westminster Directory of Public Worship in regards to celebrating Holy Days.

There is no day in scripture commanded to be kept holy under the gospel but the Lord's day, which is the Christian Sabbath.  Festive days, vulgarly (i.e.- commonly) called Holy-days, having no warrant in the Word of God, are not to be continued.

Nevertheless, it is lawful and necessary, upon special emergent occasions, to separate a day or days for public fasting or thanksgiving, as the several eminent and extraordinary dispensations of God's providence shall administer cause and opportunity to his people. 

What are your responses?

What Do You Believe about Celebrating Holy Week

While the rest of the world is waking up this morning to celebrate Christ's resurrection, I am asking a question.  Why do we need Holy Week to reflect on Christ's death and resurrection?  I grew up in Texas.  When I was a child on Easter morning, I would wake up to new clothes, shoes, and a hat.   Later in the morning, my family and I would attend a traditional southern Easter service.    The choir would sing a special Easter cantata, and the pastor would preach on the resurrection.  After the service, we would have an Easter egg hunt for all the children.  People, who gave no thought of Christ throughout the year,  would pack the pews, wanting to punch their spiritual time clock in order to earn their way into heaven.

This week I reflected on why many professing evangelicals celebrate Holy Week.  It wasn't always the case.  In a distant past, evangelicals would have felt that such practice was catholic in conviction.   Why is Easter so special?  Don't we celebrate the resurrection of Christ every Sunday?  Why did the early church assemble on the first day of the week?  Was it because of their Lord's resurrection?  Isn't every Lord's day an Easter celebration?

 What do you believe about celebrating Holy Week?  Do you find it helpful?  Have you given it much thought as to why you observe these religious holidays?  Is it conviction or just tradition?  How do these religious holidays affect people's view of the Lord's day?

Question About Milk Powder

I am hoping that someone out there can help me.  I recently called Hillcrest Foods (the place where I order all of my bulk baking supplies) and asked about prices for dry milk powder.  They gave me the prices for both low heat and high heat milk powder.  They could not explain the differences.  I want to use it in making yogurt, baking bread, and in cooking.  Does anyone have a suggestion on which one I should purchase?  Also, could someone please explain to me the difference between the two.

Thursdays: From Scratch (Week 5)

This week I continued my from scratch journey in making everything I serve from scratch.  I tried 3 new things:  finger paint, tomato paste, and ketchup.

The finger paint was 1/3 cup corn starch or arrow root  and  2 cups water mixed and cooked on the stove top till thick like gel.  Then I add 1/3 cup dishwashing detergent and a few drops of food coloring.  Once finished enjoy with the children.

Tomato paste is made from 1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes boiled down till thick with 1 tsp. of onion powder and 1 tsp. garlic powder.

Ketchup is made from 12 oz of tomato paste, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup either maple syrup or honey, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. dry mustard, 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder and onion powder if not using homemade tomato paste, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 4 Tbs. cider vinegar.  Combine and blend in blender till smooth.  Store in refrigerator or pour in canning jars and process.

Don't forget to join Sarah on her journey in making things from scratch and writing about it every Thursday.

The Best Thing Since Wheat Bread- Shadow Drawing

My children played outside for hours drawing shadows on our drive way.  They were happy to show off their art work.

Wordless Wednesday- Signs of Spring (Week 4)

Better late than never.  Wednesday is just so busy and I don't want to miss this post so it will probably be late often.  The snow is almost gone.  It is not till the end of the season that it turns dirty.  The rest of the year the snow is gloriously white and it is a winter wonderland around here.  I can't wait to show you all how green it gets in the summer.