New Year, New Blog Post.

I hope everyone had great holidays and a happy New Year. This past year was the last year for my 20's. I started a new decade journey on Dec. 31st. My 29th year has definitely been a challenging yet learning curve in my life. It is always a challenge to learn new things and one of the biggest challenges I had this past year was to learn to be strong. It's amazing how many ways you can learn to be strong. However, I don't know if I could ever be strong on my own. You see, I do believe God is where I have been getting my strength.  I have mentioned Proverbs 31 Ministries before and I do thank God I found their online bible studies. I don't think I have ever actually laid out the reason I truly enjoy the verses.


I took this from Biblegateway.com. You will notice some notes I have made.

Proverbs 31:10-31

New International Version (NIV)        (I like this version but Kings James is just fine) 

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

^10 [a]A wife of noble character who can find?
    She is worth far more than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value.
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.
¹³ She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands.
¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up while it is still night;
    she provides food for her family
    and portions for her female servants.  (She is a provider and gracious leader. Ever her servants are taken care of before her.) 
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks.
¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
    and her lamp does not go out at night. (She is a business woman) 
¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
    and extends her hands to the needy. (She is Giving in more ways than one)
²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes coverings for her bed;
    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
    and supplies the merchants with sashes.
²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.    (She doesn't fear the future) 
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (Her beauty comes from God) 
³¹ Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

There is a lot to be said about this woman. She almost sounds like a man. lol (woh hold your horses) The reason I love this passage so much is because growing up in the south you are taught to be the submissive wife. I'm not saying this is a bad thing cause I do believe a man should be the head of his household, but sometimes people like to take the submissive part to the extreme. So when I discovered this verse I was amazed at how it talked about not only she honoring her husband and taking care of her household, but that she also showed independence by being a business woman and making profits!! She brought home the bacon just like the man and still was the woman. Also if you look at verse 28 it says that she watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. So in other words she is on top of things. She doesn't wait by in the shadows waiting for people to make decisions for her. Now I'm sure as a woman of God she included her husband. In fact, I like to think they made these decisions and tackled the problems together. Oh, I almost forgot. The back story is of a mother telling her son, who is a king, how to pick a wife. The whole chapter is actually advice from the mother so it would be good to read all of the chapter if you desire too. 

Til next time..... God Bless. 

Lasagna Gardening

Here is the finished part for my Garlic. Since I have 3 garden boxes I decided to use one for Garlic. I didn't use the lasagna approach on this box because I want the garlic roots to come up and not be snuffed out by the newspaper.

I finally finished all 3 boxes and My lil man got excited! 

Ladybug! Woohoo, I hope they stay around and help out my garden in the Spring and Summer. 

After I cleaned out the garden I realized I had TONS of Tomato stakes. 

First layer!! Newspaper that I got for free! hehe (all about free) And no I didn't steal it haha

You are suppose to wet the newspaper as well to start the decomposition. 

Then I layered it with leaves. 

Magic Ingredient! Eggshells. They give calcium for the soil. Note: Let the eggshells dry out for two weeks in the frig so they will dry out and crush really easily. 

I will add more layers as the months go by to build it up. I have seen some people use dirt to put in the mix as well but I have decided to try not use things that cost money hehe

What's In My Blanket?

Leftovers For Breakfast!! 

I absolutely love being able to use leftovers the next morning cause I hate thinking of food going to waste. This recipe is actually really simple and easy. Plus you can make your own by adding and taking away whatever you would like! 

Ingredients: 

Can of Biscuits

Leftovers

See!! Told you! Quick and Easy! 

I simply popped open a can of biscuits and squished them down and spread them out like you would pizza dough. Then I added in my leftovers from the night before. (steak, onions, and peppers! YUM!) Then just close the biscuits around the stuffing of choice and place in a pan. Follow the baking instructions on the can of biscuits and poof!, breakfast! 

Here is the finished product. I lightly greased the pan so the biscuits wouldn't stick. I also have a 2 year old so I slipped in a couple of piggies for him. 

But don't forget you can add all kinds of stuff to your leftovers to make it feel more like breakfast. If I had some cheeses and eggs this morning (so need to go to the store) then that would have made it into the biscuits as well. 

Verse Mapping Luke 24:38

Luke 24:38 is the memory verse for this weeks bible study. This is actually the first time I tried the verse mapping option and I do believe I will be doing this again as a great way to understand God's purpose in my life and the understand the scriptures better as well.

I hope you can read the picture above but if you can't I have broken down the page below.

I wanted to put the scripture in its context and so I looked it up. It is the story in Luke of when Jesus presents Himself to the disciples after His resurrection. Next I made it personal to me as if Jesus Himself was asking me the question. 

I circled the words that jumped out at me and I defined them. 

Last, I rewrote the verse to make it personalized to me and with the definitions I found for the words. Since it is a question I do feel as if I should answer it. 

Answer: Like Gideon in the book of Judges..... Who am I to go? Am I not the least? I know God can do amazing things and I know that He can use me, but at the same time the feeling of failure keeps me at bay. I mean I can't even clean my house right! lol I'm horrible at being suzy homemaker and I rather sit around and think about how I would like things to go than actually doing them. It's amazing how I feel that if I do clean it won't be good enough but then if I don't I feel as if everyone looks at me in disappointment. I do live in the South so shouldn't I know how to work two jobs, keep up the house, raise my son, and still look like the southern belle everyone expects me to be?? 

I most certainly felt like Gideon growing up, my immediate family was the least and I was the least of the least. I'm a single mother who was never married. Even though I try not too, I cuss. I'm not your typical Southern Baptist. (even though I was raised to be) I'm actually quite a liberal with a traditional mindset. (yea, it even blows my mind to think that) I feel God calling me and I have for a long time. 

Jeremiah 20:9

But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

Indeed, like Jeremiah, I cannot keep running. But I'm afraid to ask what God wants of me. I keep hearing, "What if it isn't what I want to do". My selfishness consumes me. So I make excuses of, "But what if it takes me from my son, how will I provide?" 

What about you? How many of these doubts have lured you into the shadows? 

I’m not good enough. 

I’m such a failure. 

I’m always disappointing someone. 

God can’t use me.

 I don’t have anything special to offer.

 I worry too much.

 I can’t balance my life. 

I can’t follow God consistently.

 I’ll never change. 

How often do you agree with these whispers of doubt and find yourself living in discouragement and defeat? Have you felt paralyzed by uncertainty and allowed it to keep you from walking forward with God in faith?

Swope, Renee (2011-08-01). A Confident Heart, Learning to Live in the Power of God's Promises (p. 92). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 

So, After all this the only answer I want to really want to provide is prayer. After all when I don't know how quite to answer a question, He is where I turn. 

Lord, I am weak, selfish, and undeserving of such a powerful, unconditional love. It makes me cry to know that you know all my failures and all my shame, yet love me completely. I don't know what you have in store for me, and that frightens me. Please use me how you see fit and give me your grace, and understanding so that I may not be frightened anymore. Use my doubt and failures for the good of You. 

In Jesus' name, Amen. 

Lookie, Lookie!!

I received in the mail my freebie from York Photo! All I paid was 3.99 for shipping and I was able to customize the bag with a photo of my beloved son!!

I like to use different deals and I found this website cause they were featuring a trick or treat bag you could design for free (above is mine). You didn't have to pick just Halloween designs either! If you sign up you can join there refer a friend program. you get $10 in credits and your friend can get 60 free 4x6 prints! Not a bad deal I say!

Note: Post contains affiliate links. 

A Heart Surrendered To Christ

Week 2 of bible study began, and I ignored it. Even though I had received my daily e-mail, I found that I was "too busy" to find time. I finally read the chapter assignment this morning and I realize now that God was trying to break the "wall" I had told you about in my previous posts. As I began to read it was like I was thrown back into my college days and I was having my own memory of Renee's story.

The post option I have chosen is follows:

Renee shares her story of the moment she finally surrendered her heart to Christ. Share your story and what made you finally accept His invitation to a personal relationship.

I have know from a young age who Christ was and asked to be saved at the age of 6. I have no doubt I let Him into my heart that day but as I grew older I tried to stuff more and more things into my heart to fill it. Eventually God became a Knowledge and not a heart filler. I became full of self doubt and loneliness even at a very young age. I used to pray to God why had He made me and if He would just take me on home I wouldn't have to have a long life of suffering. It isn't easy to talk about but I have had thoughts of suicide more than once. What kept me going was knowing that my mother couldn't survive losing a child. Needless to say I used her as my guide and comfort instead of God. Because of my doubt in God and in myself I went through doubts if I was really saved or not. I have been baptized more than once and even gave a confession in front of my church in college that I was finally saved! I had been longing for what they call a "religious high" and every time I confessed that I needed God I got that high. My failures in life made me feel that God really wasn't there. That maybe if I kept saying He was then maybe He would magically turn my life around and I wouldn't feel depressed and lonely. I was excepted into college, even though I couldn't afford it, and I was happy that my college was only an hour away from home so I could always be close to my mother. I never wanted to go to college right after high school cause I was already feeling overwhelmed with school and all the activities I kept myself busy with. I tried the military route only to find my mother in tears when the recruiters came to my house. I tried to backpack my way across america only to find my mother was again in tears. I knew my mother had had a hard life and so I made it my mission to make it easier for her. Needless to say there were a lot of topics I never discussed with my mother because I feared how she would react. College was a roller coaster of ups and downs. I kept myself busy with Athletic Training, being an RA, church activities, and working a job or two. Needless to say I burned out quickly and never achieved a degree. My last semester in college I was diagnosed with depression. my mother said it was just all in my head and I needed to get my priorities straight. I started to move around a lot and eventually had a nervous breakdown that led me moving across the country to a desert with an Aunt I hadn't really ever known. Drinking and a promiscuous lifestyle became my comfort. Even though I tried over and over again, I still couldn't lead the lifestyle I had seen a few loving and truly supporting Christian friends have with Christ. After my adventure in the desert I moved around some more and met a man who would give me a wonderful, loving bundle of joy. I, however, became severely depressed during my pregnancy because I didn't want this child and I wondered what kind of mother would I be. I wanted to just give him to his father and I could just go on with my life. (And yes, this is very hard to admit) I did start to realize in my third trimester that I could never leave my child and began to figure out my parenting style. When he was born all felt right in the world again. I thanked God for such a blessing. But the week I had him, trouble showed itself again when I realized my mother's sickness had finally caught up with her. A short 8 months later and I was burying my best friend, my guidance, my comfort. I felt like an orphan and I began to wonder how was I to ever raise a child without a mother to guide me. The next year proved that I could hit rock bottom. I ended my relationship, moved from place to place, and even thought about leaving my child to travel full time again. But then a funny thing happened. Doors began to close. I found myself in the most unlikely of places with no friends, no family, and no job. There was only one place I knew to turn too. So I hit my knees and began to pray with tears. My father called me in the middle of my praying and because I longed so hard to hear a familiar voice I answered. I cried to my dad about my problems, which was the first time I had ever let him know me that way. He told me the story of the potter and the clay. It clicked in my head with such clarity that a peace filled me and I stopped crying. I knew then that I had to learn to rely on God. Christ began opening up doors and I found a strength I never knew I had been given. I still fail everyday and I was worried I would fail at seeking Christ. But I knew that if I sought after Him, He would show me the way. He led me to this bible study. And its amazing how much I have learned about how to have a relationship with Christ. My favorite quote by Renee Swope in this chapter is "Salvation is a one-time decision, but finding satisfaction in Christ and living in the security of His promises is a daily process". I wished that when you get saved, fellow Christians would tell you this! Thank God someone finally did! 

Garden Prepping

When I moved to my new house I was blessed with apple trees, grape vines, and 3 garden boxes already established. However, the grape vines are badly in need of a pruning, the apple trees aren't doing so well, and the boxes are badly overrun with weeds. So the good Lord provideth and now I need to worketh! (yea I'm cool like that)

Lil Man ready to help Momma! 

I have to say I'm very blessed cause I was left with a well house that had just about every garden tool imaginable along with tons of clay pots and it was all organized! So what if I need to put a little back work into the garden. Sweating is good for the soul! 

This is about halfway done. 

I met a few friends along the way! 

As I was hoeing the box I discovered it had grub worms and snails and a few other friends that might help. So I plan on establishing some natural defenses for the boxes. My mother used Seven Dust (I think that is how you spell it) only because she didn't know any better. However, I'm not into chemicals  in my garden so I know about Marigolds and Ladybugs....... I need to do some more research!

While trying to reach the corners I accidentally busted the wood! 

And Finished! (almost) 

After I started clearing out the box I realized this box had strawberry plants! So I saved as many as I could and either replanted or either left the roots in the dirt. I love strawberries so this will be great when they start producing!  I will be clearing out the other two boxes soon but I'm going to try a new method on them that I recently learned about called Lasagna gardening. Its basically a process of growing good healthy dirt. You can learn about it Here.   

I'll show you soon the other boxes and hopefully how well I made my lasagna!! Until then God Bless!