Destroying an Inheritance of Family Bondage

Chapter 22

In the book Stormie says that we all know we get our hair and eye color from our parents or grandparents but did you know that we also pickup character qualities too?

When some people think of family bondage they think of alcohol, drugs and depression.  Things that are life threatening and life altering for the family for many generations but did you know that things such as lying, unforgiveness, perfectionism and a bad temper can also be an inherited trait?

As an adult I see many character qualities in my parents that I do not wish to mimic. But we also need to look at our own lives and consider our character qualities and think is this something we would rather our own children not inherit.

For example: 

Do you have a tendency to stretch the truth?

Do you cuss?

Do you smoke or chew tobacco?

Do you tell dirty jokes?

Do you have hatred for someone in your heart?

Are you happy or do you exhibit anger?

Are you selfish, always thinking of yourself?

People will look at this list and think "well saying a little cuss word every now and then doesn't hurt"  but those same people would punish their children for saying the "little" cuss word.

 

And I am not saying that chewing tobacco or smoking is a sin and will send you to hell but I am saying if you chew tobacco then there is a much greater chance that your children will also.  We should not want our children to be bound in any way.  Not bound to smoking or drinking or lying or being selfish, etc...

Seriously think about your behavior and character traits and if they are something you want your children to inherit from you.  I want to leave a good inheritance to my children. 

Proverbs 13:22 says  A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children,  but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.

Humming Bird Nectar

I just had to share my picture.  This is one of my first Hummers this year. 

To make your own Humming Bird "Nectar" you will need 2 ingredients.

Sugar and Water.

1 part sugar to 4 parts water. 

 Mix it together in a pot and boil it for 2 minutes.

Allow your nectar to cool and then add it to your feeder. There isn't a need to add red food coloring (although I usually add a drop or two just because I think it's pretty). The Hummers will come eat even with the nectar is clear.

Dollar Tree Drawer Organizing

A desperate need to clean out and organize my drawers and cabinets combined with a quick trip to the local Dollar Tree resulted in some great looking drawers.  I am still in the process of getting them all organized but wanted to quickly show you a few so that you can see what you can accomplish by only spending a few dollars and a small amount of time cleaning. 

Here is a look at some of my Dollar Tree baskets and containers.

The possibilities are endless as to what you could use these small containers and baskets for.  I especially like them because they are the perfect height to fit in both our kitchen and bathroom drawers. 

First up - one of my kitchen utensil gadget drawers.  Previously everything was just thrown in there and you could barely even get it shut but now everything has a home. 

Now on to the bathroom.  My husbands drawer.

And then my makeup drawer.  I added 4 small containers to my drawer.  The red one holds foundation, compact powder, blush and bronzers.  The blue one houses all of my eyeliners, mascara, tweezers, tweezing mirror and lash curler.  The green one in the back holds eye shadows.  The long skinny green basket is the perfect size to hold all of my makeup brushes.  I have lipsticks, lip gloss and lip liners in the little black zipper pouch in the front (no more room for a container) and my loose powder and bronzers just sitting there in the front.

I am so excited (yes I am that big of a nerd) to be getting everything decluttered and organized in my home.  When all of your stuff has a home to live in it makes life much more enjoyable and peaceful!

Do you ever shop at Dollar Tree for containers to organize with?  If so, please share. 

Pasta Salad - Super Quick, Easy and Tasty

My brain is thinking on summer.  Warm weather, cookouts, lazy days at the pool, grilling out and spending time with family.  aaaahhhhh

With that in mind here is a Pasta Salad recipe that is super quick and super easy and everyone always loves.  It's great for your summer time picnic or cookout and only has 4 ingredients!

1 box rainbow rotini
1 regular bottle Italian dressing
1 large cucumber
1 large tomato

Cook your pasta according to package directions.  Drain and Rinse.
Peel and cube your cucumber.
Cube your tomato
Add Italian dressing and mix all together.
Chill until ready to serve.

YUMMY!

**This pasta salad tastes terrific just as it is but sometimes I like to change it up a bit and will add any or all of the following:  McCormick Salad Sensations - sprinkled on it and mixed up, or I have added black olives to add a little more color and some pepperoni chopped up in it adds a little different taste as well.  

A Heart For My Home

Where is your heart? 

Where is your treasure?

Matthew 6:21 says For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Before I go further in the is post - let me say that my Number 1 Treasure is found in God and The relationship (not religion) that I have with him. 

This blog is titled A Heart For My Home because truly that is where my heart is.  My Heart is at Home and my Treasure also is at home. 

No, My treasure isn't found in the stick built house we call home.  My treasure is not the little trinkets or decorations that adorn the tables and walls inside my house and it's not in the food that is prepared here on a daily basis. 

My Treasure at Home is My Family. The Family that God has so richly Blessed Me With.  My Husband - a godly man, the Leader of our Home,  my best friend.   My Sons - that I am a steward over for the Lord - the ones I am working on building and shaping into Mighty Men of God that are Gonna Shake Future Generations for Jesus.  

In today's world so many people treasure the wrong things.  The big house they live in, the newest car to drive, name brand clothes, flat screen tv's in every room and all the cool gadgets of the day.  Don't get me wrong here - there is nothing wrong with having all of these things, God wants us blessed so we can be a blessing to others but what God doesn't want is for our treasure to be in earthly good's. 

3 John 1:2  Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.

Matthew 6:19-21  ¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I encourage you to examine your heart today and really think about what you treasure.  Do you enjoy taking care of your family?  Do you love the mundane tasks of cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, running errands, etc... 

In Titus 2, Woman are called to love their husbands and children and be keepers at home among other things.

My job is at home.  My heart is at home.  My treasure is at home.

Titus 2:4-5 ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Where is your Heart? 

Homemade Glass Cleaner

I have tried most name brand and store brand glass cleaners out there and have also made several different recipes of homemade ones that have just never made me happy until now. 

Here is the recipe I use for my Homemade Glass Cleaner

2 cups water
2 cups rubbing alcohol
2 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. blue dawn dish liquid

Simply Mix it all together and you are ready to go.  In my opinion this works great. 

Try it out and let me know what you think.

Note:  Anytime you are making your own cleaners it is a good idea to write on the bottle what it is and the ingredients used if possible. 

Vinegar and How I Use It

Vinegar is a great all natural cleaner, mild disinfectant and deodorizer that is not harsh or abrasive and can be pretty much used on anything anywhere.

Here are the main places I use Vinegar in my home on a regular basis for the purpose of Cleaning.

1)  Toilet Bowls - I add about 1 cup of vinegar to my toilets and allow it to sit while I clean the rest of the bathroom then scrub your toilet just like you would using any other cleaner and flush.

2)  Fabric Softener - I add between 1/3 - 1/2 cup vinegar as my liquid fabric softener and it works great.  No, your clothes do not smell like vinegar when they come out of the wash - they just smell fresh.

3)  Dishwasher -  I used to use 1 cup of vinegar about once a month as cleaner but now I use it instead of Jet-Dry or other "spot removers".  Works great, super cheap and your dishwasher is getting cleaned in the process.

4)  Floors - 1 cup of white vinegar to 1 gallon of water.

5)  All Purpose Cleaner - Vinegar diluted with water (equal parts) and put in a spray bottle works great as an all purpose kitchen or bathroom cleaner.

You can google "Uses for Vinegar" and honestly there are so many they are countless.  Here is a link to a great website that lists many of its uses from cleaning and laundry to health and cooking and gardening.

Do you use Vinegar to Clean with??

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 Proverbs 31:17 (Good News Translation) 
She is a hard worker, strong and industrious.

Specific Prayer

One day I will write all about our families journey to home ownership and living debt free but today I just want to touch on a small portion of it with hopes of encouraging you in your prayer life.

Be Specific When You Pray.

What exactly do I mean by that? 

If you read in Genesis 24 about Abraham's servant - he prayed a very specific prayer. Abraham sent him to find a wife for his son Isaac.  The servant prayed  for God to make him successful and he prayed that when a women came to the spring to draw water and he asked for a drink that the woman who is to be the wife of Isaac would give him a drink and also offer to water his camels.  The Bible says that before he had even finished praying Rebekah came to the spring to draw water.  He asked for a drink and guess what she did?  That is right she not only gave him a drink but offered to water his camels as well.

That is pretty specific.

How about Gideon?   In the book of Judges Chapter 6 God tells Gideon that He is going to use him to save Israel.  Gideon being a bit skeptic told God that if he was truly the one to save Israel to give him a sign.  He would put down a blanket on the ground and in the morning if the blanket was wet but all the ground around it was dry then he would believe.  And the next morning that is exactly what happened.  Gideon still not convinced asked God to allow him one more request.  This time he said in the morning let the blanket be dry and the ground all around be wet.  God did exactly that.  The rest of the story is pretty awesome so I encourage you to read it all on your own as well as the above story. 

Gideon was very specific with God. 

We should be too.

Philippians 4:6 says Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Before my husband and I bought our home and property we were told that the owner was wanting to sell it and we were also told a few prices that he was thinking of asking for it.  We were unsure of our future living situation and didn't really know where we were going to end up and the amounts of money that were rumored to us were more than what we could pay and more than what we wanted to pay.  Here is where specific prayer came in.  My husband and I had been praying for "Our Home" for many years.  We had been saving for it, paying off other debts and felt like we were following God's plan for our lives so we prayed once more.  Our Prayer went a little something like this - "Lord, if this is where you want us to be and where you would have us to live and raise our kids we ask you to work it out for us.  If this is where we are supposed to be we pray that the owner will not ask one penny over (and we named the dollar amount).  If he asks even one penny over this amount we will know that this place is not for us."

We are now living in our house - the same one we prayed a very specific prayer about.  The same one that God showed up and showed off big time over and blessed us with and answered our prayer to the EXACT dollar amount.

God is no respecter of persons the Bible Says - If He will answer specific prayers for Abraham, Gideon and Me - You can be sure that He will do it for you.

Acts 10:34  Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism.

How about you?  Do you pray specific prayers? 
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Note:  In time I will write "our story" of home ownership and the journey we have been through achieving this but it is a rather long story so until then.....

Easy Homemade Instant Oatmeal

I apologize for being MIA this week.  My boys are off on their Spring break from school and my husband is taking a week of vacation with us.  We are just spending the week working around the house inside and out and trying to squeeze in a couple fun things but mostly we are just eating too much and spending time together.  I did want to share something with you that I made the other day though.  I thought maybe some of you may like the idea and want to make your own. 

I have made this Easy Homemade Instant Oatmeal for 3 reasons. 

#1  It's Cheaper.
#2  It makes our mornings much easier.
#3  Once put in the packets - any member of my family can prepare it (not just me).

My husband loves the Quaker Instant Oatmeal in the Cinnamon Raisin Flavor.  I have bought it for him off and on since we have been married - that is until the past few years when finding it has proven to be a challenge for me.  I am not sure if they have stopped making it or the grocery stores around me just don't carry it but either way I have not found it.

Then one day I met a dear friend of mine at McDonald's for breakfast and I ordered for the first time ever their oatmeal.  I don't remember what it's name was exactly but it had raisins and chunks of apples cut up in it.  It was very good and the next morning for breakfast I decided to recreate it at home.  I mixed together some sugar, quick oats, cinnamon, raisins and chopped up apple - added a little water to it and popped it in the microwave and it was great.

So the next day I decided to make it minus the apple for my husband which would be like the flavor he likes so much and he loves it!

In my effort to make life easier and be more organized I made up some of this oatmeal and put it in snack size zip lock bags. 

Ingredients are simple:  quick oats, raisins, sugar and cinnamon.  As you can see from my picture I use store or generic brands.  Any brand will do.  Also I used white sugar but you could use what ever type of sugar or sweetener you prefer.

Each bag has 1/2 cup oats, 3 tsp. sugar (you could use less), 1/4 - 1/2 cinnamon (depending on how much you like), and 2 Tbls. raisins.

And there you have it - one bad of instant Raisin & Cinnamon Oatmeal ready to go.  All you have to do is add in your hot water and it will be ready to eat.  I still like to add in some chunks of apples with mine.  :)

I made up several bags worth and put them in a little basket to store in my pantry.