36 Random Things About Me

In honor of my birthday which was yesterday I thought I would do a fun post about me. 

Today I am listing 36 (that's my age) random things about me in an effort for you to get to know me just a little bit better.. 

I can not play any musical instruments. 

I love the seasons of Fall and Spring the best.

I cry over cartoons.

I am the baby of my family.

I am not only the baby but the only girl.

I am a country girl.

I used to teach preschool.

I love crafts.  I have fun with them but don't really consider myself very good.   

I love the color red.

I love doing my family genealogy.

I love animals.

I grew up on a farm.

I love black coffee.

And diet Pepsi.

Never had a manicure or pedicure.

Not a fan of traveling. I like staying home.

Love to cook and bake.

I don't like playing or watching sports. Unless my boys are playing.

I first gave my heart to Jesus when I was 8 years old.

Re-dedicated my life at 19 after doing my own thing during my teen years.

I learn as I go on the computer. Technology is not a strong area for me.

My husband and I originally planned to have 6 kids. 

I am a stay at home wife and mom and I LOVE IT!

I don't like to exercise.

I don't want to make you self conscious but the first thing I notice about people is their teeth. Not sure why I have just always been that way.

I'm a decent shot with a gun.

I grew up hunting and fishing and riding horses.

I love my family. Even the extended family.

I do not like lines on my carpet after I vacuum. They really annoy me.

I love watching and feeding birds. You'd think I was 80.

I'm more "girly" now than I have ever been. Growing up I was quite the Tom-boy.

I like to scrap book.

I love learning new things.

I love to hear roosters crow.

Not a fan of amusement parks.

My favorite meal is Beef roast with potatoes and carrots.

Chime in, do we have anything in common?  I would love to know.

 
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I FOUND MY NOTES - Blogging Blunder Fixed!


If you read my posts frequently you may have read about my blogging blunder a couple weeks ago and how I lost all of my notes from my iPod. Many of these notes contained blog post ideas and even blog posts completely written out. I was upset. No, I was furious that they just up and disappeared. I googled the problem and found that I was not alone.

Many of you commented and let me know I was not alone. I was overwhelmed at the love and support and encouragement offered by you, my friends. You lifted me up when I was down, encouraged me to keep going when all I wanted to do was quit and you prayed for me. I asked for prayer and you prayed for me. What an honor to know that fellow bloggy friends had my back and were whispering sweet prayers to Jesus - for me. I stand humbled and amazed.

When my notes disappeared I googled the problem and found several ideas for recovering them but to be honest many seemed like more trouble than they would be worth (assuming they might work) and most seemed questionable at best. My sister in law left me a comment on Instagram and said she had this happen with her notes a while back as well.  One day when she was looking around on her email account she found a folder titled "notes" and upon opening it there she found all of her missing notes. So I looked (from my iPod) and I had no folder titled notes at all. I checked all folders and boxes anyway just to be sure but found nothing. I thanked her for the idea and that was that.

Last night I finished yet another blog post on my iPod and emailed it to myself for safe keeping.  I immediatley went back to my notes to email another and they were gone AGAIN. All of them, just like the first time. Panic struck and quietly I vowed to myself that I hated Apple products and that I would never ever again use the notes on my iPod, EVER.

Back to google I went and a forum popped from my search  so I began reading. Someone experiencing the same thing as me but with their iPhone, not iPod was asking how to find their notes.  Someone suggested that they look in their email account for a folder titled, yep you guessed it, NOTES. So this time I logged into my account on my computer instead of my iPod and opened my folder file and there right before my eyes was the folder titled NOTES.  I opened the folder and found ALL of my notes from both this time and the last. All my lost lists, notes, ideas for my blog and yes even those fully typed blog posts.  Let me just tell ya that last night I was doing a happy dance!  I have no idea why this happened TWICE, but it did.  

 
God is so good to me! He gets all the Glory here. He is so much better to me than I deserve in all things.  Anyway I wanted to give an update and thank you for prayers.  I also wanted to let you know if you have ever found yourself in this position to look in your email account (logged in from a computer) and look for a folder titled "NOTES". 
 
Let me know, has this ever happened to you?







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Chocolate No Bake Cookies


This cookie is delicious, super easy and takes only a few minutes to make.  No Bake Cookies - as we call them are pretty much a staple around our house and in our family.  It's the "old stand-by" treat when you don't know what else to make.  I assumed this was the case everywhere.  I figured everyone knew about the great tasting chocolate oatmeal no bake cookies, but I was wrong. 

A few weeks ago my youngest son had one of his friends up for a sleepover and as a treat I had made No-Bakes.  Late in the evening I offered them to the boys as a snack with a glass of milk and to my surprise his friend had no idea what kind of cookie I was talking about.  He told me that he had not only never tasted a No-Bake Cookie but he had never even heard of them.  I was stunned.  So I decided right then and there that this was a recipe I needed to share with others.  I hope you like them as much as we do. 

Ingredients:

1 stick of vegetable oil spread (butter will make your cookies dry and crumbly)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sugar
3 Tbsp. baking cocoa
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I use a heaping 1/2 cup)
3 cups of quick oats

I must point out that you need to follow the cooking instructions very carefully.  Your cookies will do one of 2 things if you do not (both of which I have done, more than once).  You will either end up with a cookie that is soft and doesn't hold it's shape - it will still taste great but you probably wouldn't want to take it to a get together or your cookies will look washed out and be very dry and crumbly.

Here is how I make mine, step by step. 

In a large thick pot (I use a pressure cooker pot) put your stick of vegetable oil spread, vanilla and milk.  Turn the heat on low and allow the butter to melt. 

While the vegetable oil spread is melting I measure out my sugar and cocoa in a bowl and using a fork I mix them together well.

Then I add the sugar mixture to the pot with the vegetable oil spread/milk mixture, stir and turn up the heat to high.

If you are not using a thick pot you will probably want to keep the heat turned down slightly because you don't want to scorch your ingredients.

While stirring bring the mixture to a boil.  Very Important:  When your mixture begins to boil to the point that you can't stir it down start your timer and cook while stirring for 2 minutes EXACTLY.

When the timer goes off remove from the heat and add in the peanut butter then the oats and stir until all is mixed well.

Next, I simply use a tablespoon to scoop out the cookie mixture and place it on aluminum foil or waxed paper and allow it to cool.  As they cool they will firm up into a delicious chocolate cookie.

Finally, my favorite part is getting to eat whats left in the pot and on the spoon while waiting on the others to be ready.  Yummy.

What about you, have you ever heard of these cookies before?  Do you like them?
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Free Online Bible Studies

Reading your Bible everyday is important.  Having a Bible study to do helps you to be able to dig a little deeper into the Word which is also important.  I love doing Bible Studies whether it is studying a particular book of the Bible, a passage or set of passages or sometimes using another book as a suppliment to my Bible reading.  All are good just don't ever let another book take the place of actually reading THE WORD.   

In an effort to make finding a good Bible study easy for you I have put together a list of online free Bible studies that I have either done myself or have downloaded to do in the future.  If you are looking for a good Bible study check out some of these.

I have provided the links either to the page with the list of Bible studies, the link to the individual Bible studies or both.  If you should have any trouble accessing any of these leave a comment or email me and I will do my best to help figure it out. 

Ruth, Esther and Phillipians
 



Reading Plan, Study Guide, Blog Posts and Video's from Good Morning Girls


 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Now it's your turn.  First of all, have you done any of these Bible studies? 
 
I am sure there are plenty of other free Bible studies out there.  Do you know of any?  If so leave a comment with the link so others can check them out. 












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A Mommy Mess Up Over Donuts?!?!



A few years ago I decided that instead of just the basic birthday celebration for my kids (and husband too) that I would go a bit further.  Birthday Donuts.  Yep, birthday donuts - a treat that we don't buy very often so it was perfect.  The birthday boy gets a special donut on the morning of his birthday on our special "happy birthday" plate that I made a few years back at the pottery place in town complete with a candle for him to blow out as I sing "Happy Birthday" at the breakfast table.  Sounds great, huh?  Well it is and they really enjoy it - all except maybe for my singing.  I enjoy really making the birthday boy feel special on his special day. 


But what happens when I forget?  Oh yea, I forgot.  To be real honest (here comes my excuse, lol) last week was very busy.  I had a house to clean before company came over this past weekend, I had a cake to bake, birthday presents and supplies for a small family party to buy.  My oldest son had a total 5 soccer games spread out over 3 days and soccer practice like normal all the other days of the week/weekend and games to referee over the weekend.  My youngest son had soccer practice and soccer games.  We were planning for a sleepover and bonfire and coordinating how I was getting all the boys to their games on time and....  I forgot.  I meant to run and get the donuts on Saturday after the third soccer game was over but my head hurt and I needed to go home and oh yea, I forgot.  I forgot about the donuts.  I didn't mean to but I did.  

I forgot about the donuts until Sunday morning, the day of my baby boys actual birthday.  And not just any birthday, his 13th birthday.  The birthday where he officially turns into a teenager.  This momma was really hoping that he would just forget about this "family birthday tradition" at least this year.  We were in a rush as usual and trying to get out the door in time to get to church.  I quickly made him a small bottle of milk and grabbed a granola bar from the pantry.  When we all got in the van to head to church I reached behind me and handed him his milk and a granola bar and it was then that the look on his face told me quickly that he had not forgot.  Though he didn't say a word, the look on his face and in his eyes showed total disappointment.  I said nothing.  We went on to church.  The day went on.

Late in the evening when I was loving on my boy, I apologized to him.  I still didn't say anything to him about his breakfast and although we had a party with family and few friends on Friday evening I felt like I didn't do enough or make a big enough deal of his actual birthday.  It was then he looked me right in the eyes and pressed his nose against mine and said "you forgot my donuts".  This momma felt like a dog.  I then apologized for the donuts and explained that mommy had good intentions to get them but ultimately I forgot.  He was so forgiving and understanding and said "that's ok" which I was thankful for but I knew deep inside it bothered him.  I knew deep inside he was disappointed. 

So today, the day after his birthday I ran out and bought him a dozen glazed donuts and one special donut with sprinkles just for him.


They were more of an after school snack this time but I think he was happy, even if they were late. 


And to you dear mommy, even when you mess up or when things don't go exactly like you might have planned - forgive yourself and move on.  If given the opportunity do something else to help smooth things over, go for it but if you can't don't be so hard on yourself.  Our kids love us and even when they are disappointed they will forgive. 

Have you ever been in a place where you have disappointed your kiddos?



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Our Country Remembers - September 11, 2001

Yesterday our Country paused to remember. Everyone old enough to remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001 more than likely remembers exactly where they were, what they were doing and who they were with when it happened.





I was at church on Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001. I was in the nursery watching babies because we were having special services that week. My husband had called my mother in law from work to tell her what had happened just as she was about to leave for church herself. I had to be there early so he was unable to call me but she stopped in the nursery to tell me. At the time we only knew about the first plane and in my young 23 year old mind I remember thinking to myself "if its something big it will be on the news when I get home". I had no idea what I was going to see when I did get home and turned on the television.

Everyone has a story to tell. Many of us knew people that were directly affected by that day. Some of us lost family members, friends and loved ones. All were shaken. I was shaken. Right down to my core. Life as I knew it changed. Up until that day I was young naive mother that knew there was evil in the world but never expected it to hit so close to home. None of us did. That day changed me.

I had a nearly 1 year old baby and a 3 year old toddler. Life was scary, uncertain, and felt turned upside down. Reality hit me hard when my 3 year old asked me in his sweet little voice "mommy, why are airplanes flying into those buildings?". I knew at that moment I was watching way too much coverage on television though I think that was true for many of us. It's hard to walk away when you don't understand the why of what happened and your're scared because you have no idea the who of what happened. And it is very hard to try and explain to a 3 year old what it is you are watching. Even at 3 he knew that was not normal - for airplanes to fly into a building.

Knowing that I had 2 young children that depended on me for safety came alive that day like never before. I mean most mommies realize their kids are totally dependant on them, as did I but after 9-11-01 it felt different. Through the years since that horrific day I have come to realize that while I am to protect my children and look out for their well-being I can't protect them from everything. I can't keep them from every possible evil there is in this sin filled world. I can't be with them every minute of every day (though I wish I could) making decisions for them all the time.

But God Can. God can be with me, my husband and my boys as well as you and your loved ones each and every day if we will just put our trust in Him. The Bible says that He would never leave us or forsake us. He will be with us in times of trouble.

Deuteronomy 31:6 says Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

One of my favorite Chapters in the Bible and I quote from it often is Psalm 91. The Amplified Version is my favorite because it is really descriptive and brings it to life. If we will make God Our God and will depend on Him all of these wonderful provisions of Protection will follow us every day of our life. Verse 15 is one of my favorites - He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. No, I can't be with my boys everyday but we pray together each morning for their Angels to go with them and for God to watch over them and keep them safe and I have to depend on God to do what He said He would do.

Psalm 91

1 He who [a]dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!
3 For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
4 [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.
8 Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place,
10 There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent.
11 For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].
12 They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot.
14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never].
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.





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Big Blogging Blunder and An Announcement

I am writing this post the day after I realized that many of my already written blog posts are gone. GONE! I am writing this the day after because yesterday I was very upset. Not happy. Mad. Even today I am teetering on the verge of being mad again but I have just decided that "it is what it is" and it's time to move on.  Sadly.  I must move on and I refuse to allow what happened to ruin my day. 




I do not have a laptop (though I want one bad, lol) nor do I have an iPhone or iPad BUT I do have an iPod touch that I have had for a few months. I really like it. I can check my email, social media sites, browse the Internet, listen to music, take photos as well as many other wonderful things. One of my favorite features is the "notes" app. I use it often. I make grocery lists, Christmas lists, to-do lists and i also write blog posts using it.

I know to a lot of people that probably seems silly but my iPod is portable and with no lap top it helps me make the most of my idle time while waiting on my boys at their sports practices and such. I make lists of blog post ideas and I also actually type my blog posts. In fact prior to yesterday I had several lists of posts I wanted to write along with nearly 30 posts that were already written and only needed a few finishing touches.
So imagine my surprise and frustration when I opened my "notes" app while waiting to pick up my son from an after school activity and out of nearly 40 notes total only 4 appeared.  4.  And these 4 were ones that could have been deleted and I probably would have never known.  They were of little importance and from a few months back when I first got my iPod touch.  I googled this problem and apparently it has happened to a lot of people using apple devices so I caution you to beware if you also use the notes app that it could happen to you - it did to me.

I honestly felt like I got the wind knocked out of me.  I felt a little sick.  If you are a blogger you know that hours of thought, research and writing can go in to one single blog post and to think that I had so many just vanish.  I have been asked to be a contributor for two of my favorite blogs "The Purposeful Mom" and "A Heart For The Home" starting in October and I had several posts already written to be used for that as well as a list of other post ideas that I planned to write for them.  All gone. 

So although I felt like I was a little bit ahead in the blogging game and was about to get back to posting a little more regular since school has started I now am sort of back to square one.  Between losing so much of my material yesterday and the fact that when I switched the name of my blog from Jen's Journey to A Heart For My Home back in June and my blog numbers fell drastically (I assumed that most of my followers would come along with me but I was wrong) I felt like deleting my blog altogether.  My numbers have remained low since the switch with only about one third of my previous audience following me.  While I am not writing this blog to have a large following it does a blogger good to know that people are interested in what you have to say.  Receiving emails, comments on our posts and new followers is such an encouragement to a blogger.  When these things are absent, it makes us wander sometimes "what is the use?" or "why exactly am I doing this?".  I do have some brand new followers and to you I say welcome - I am so glad you are here.   And it's because of you that I will keep plugging along little by little.  It is my prayer that something I blog about will be an encouragement, inspiration or help to someone.  I also pray that God will be glorified through my writing. 

4 Bible Verses come to mind right now: 
The second half of Nehemiah 8:10 ... Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

The Second half of Psalm 30:5 ... Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

James 1:2-3 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.

My Prayer:

Lord Please give me strength, I definitley cried last night but am searching for my joy this morning.  This was a trial and situation that is an aggravation and I would rather have not faced but in the big scheme of life I know it is nothing and today I am counting it all joy.  Thank you Jesus for working patience in me.  Thank you for renewed Joy and now I am just gonna laugh - because sometimes that is all you can do.  In Jesus Name, Amen. 

My question to you is, have you ever experienced a blogging blunder like this? 

And also will you pray for me?  I am feeling a little discouraged right now. 

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 Click How I Found My "Notes" to read a follow up post.

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