Faithful Friday - "Give of Yourself"

I’m still here! Life has been busy since we returned from our trip over Thanksgiving to Alabama, and Luke has been under the weather since we got home, so there hasn’t been much time to be on the computer. I have missed it (and my blogging friends)! I do apologize for missing Pinned it, Made it! Monday altogether! I will be back at it this Monday though.

Today for Faithful Friday, I’m want to share a devotion that I read yesterday from what’s become one of my favorite devotion books.

From experience, I know that when I’m feeling the bleakest, doing something for someone else raises my spirits and gives me joy! Isn’t it funny how that works?

Anyway, here’s the devotion I’m sharing today (from His Princess – Love Letters from Your King by Sheri Rose Shepherd). I hope it’s just what you need today to refuel you!

My Princess……Give of Yourself

I see how you pour yourself out to people. I love your heart and how you extend a helping hand to those in need. You will discover the true source of serenity and joy every time you step outside of yourself and give your life for My sake. I want you to remember you can never outgive Me, My love. Anything you do or say to further My Kingdom will be given back to you abundantly. Now go……give your gifts of time and tenderness to a world that desperately needs a touch from Me through you.

Love,
Your King and giver of life

If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I assure you, that person will be rewarded.

Mark 9:41

If you’d like to join us for Faithful Friday, you can link up with Joy here. I know that Joy would love for you to stop by even if you’re not linking a post.  And thank you so much for stopping by today!

Have a great weekend! :)

♥ Tammy ♥

♥ Happy Thanksgiving ♥

From our family to yours.............

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."

Psalm 100:4

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All of us ladies here in Alabama are off bright and early in the morning for Black Friday shopping!  Fun, fun!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch

My last guest for the Sunporch Chat was Kim of Field of Dreams.  During a visit to her blog, I discovered that she participated in something called Chats on the Farmhouse Porch hosted by Everyday Ruralty.  Chats on the Farmhouse Porch is a linky party that takes place every Tuesday and anyone can join in.  I thought it would be fun to participate.  If you'd like to participate, you can click on the picture below and link up as well.



So here we go....here are the questions for this week:

1)  What's the last thing you baked?

I baked three pecan pies late Saturday night as I mentioned in my Pinned it, Made it! Monday post here.  We ate two of them by Monday and the third one made it with us to our trip here in Alabama, but is now gone too.  They were delicious!

2)  What's your favorite condiment?

Definitely ketchup, unless onions are considered a condiment.  I LOVE onions!

3)  Do you have a smart phone, dumb phone, or no phone (we're talking about cell phones)? 

I have a dumb phone, but hey.....at least I do have a full keyboard for texting now!  Wow...that makes such a difference!  :)

4)  Do you have a favorite card game?

I don't play card games very often, unless you count the Curious George Matching Game that I play with Luke.  :)  I do like to play Uno and Phase 10 though.

5)  Tell me ten things you're thankful for...please.  :)

My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
My Hubby
My Kids
My Parents
Our Good Health
Our Home
Freedom
Homeschooling
Our Military and their families
Friends - including my blogging ones.


That was fun! :)

Thanks for stopping by!  :)   And my intent is to be back here before Thanksgiving, but just in case I'm not, I hope you all have a Blessed Thanksgiving!  :)



  

Pinned it, Made it! Monday ~ Week 18 ~

Being that it’s Thanksgiving week, I know many of us will be busy cooking and baking! So for this week’s Pinned it, Made it! Monday, I’m sharing something really yummy with you!


Have you seen these on Pinterest?

Source:  Bakerella

These pecan pies looked so wonderful, and I wanted to give them a try because Jason loves pecan pies. This recipe also claims to be THE BEST PECAN PIE EVER.

Here's the recipe, but you really should go over to Bakerella's blog here and read the specific step by step instructions and the pics to go along with it.


Mama’s Pecan Pies
Makes 3 pies or about 33 mini pies

16 oz. pecans (Stone Mountain Pecan Company)
2 sticks margarine (Parkay)
16 oz. package light brown sugar (Domino or Dixie Crystals)
1 heaping tablespoon (serving tablespoon, not measuring spoon) self-rising flour (White Lily)
16 oz. bottle light corn syrup (Karo)
1 tablespoon (serving tablespoon, not measuring spoon) imitation vanilla
6 eggs
3 regular size (not deep dish) frozen pie crusts (Pet-Ritz)

• Melt margarine in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until melted and set aside.
• Prepare your pecans. Remove any unwanted brown pieces from the pecan crevices and shake out pecan crumbs in a colander.
• Place brown sugar in a large bowl. Work out any lumps with the back of a spoon. If the brown sugar is too hard, you can loosen it up in the microwave. Heat it for a few seconds and it will be fine.
• Add a heaping serving tablespoon of self-rising flour and stir until the flour disappears into the brown sugar.
• Add a bottle of light corn syrup. Then add 1 serving tablespoon of vanilla and stir until thoroughly combined.
• Add melted margarine. Fold carefully into the mixture so it doesn’t splatter. Fold until the margarine is thoroughly worked in and disappears.
• In a separate bowl, crack open six eggs. Remove the “roosters” and loosely beat the eggs with your spoon.
• Fold the eggs into the pie mixture until they disappear.
• Add pecans and stir until completely coated.
• Remove three pie shells from the freezer at this point and check for cracks. If you do have a crack, thaw and knead the crack together and refreeze.
• Pour the mixture evenly into the three shells. You’ll probably have a little bit leftover in the bowl. Tap tops with a spoon to check consistency and make sure there is the same amount in each pie. Redistribute pecans if necessary to make equal.
• Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350. Cook pies until they swell and then fall. At that point they are done.
• Remove and cool for about three hours. Store on the counter or in the refrigerator depending on how you like your pie.

For mini pies: chop pecans, use mini frozen pie shells, removing them from the freezer as needed and bake in three batches on a baking sheet for about 35 minutes each. I’m guesstimating the time. Watch them and make sure they are done.

Enjoy!



And here are my pies! Jason and I double teamed it and made these together late Saturday night (really late Saturday night) and one pie is already gone as I type this Sunday evening.

They ARE delicious!

It’s hard to pass by without being tempted to dig my fork into one!  :)



Now, it’s your turn! Won’t you join me this week and share something you’ve pinned and made or tried from Pinterest?

To participate in Pinned it, Made it! Monday, here are the guidelines:

1) Just do a post about what you’ve pinned and made from Pinterest, then come back over here to Country Girl at Home and link that particular post (not your blog in general) on this post below.

2) I don’t mind if you link up more than one post….multiple entries are fine.

3) You must add my Pinned it, Made it! Monday button on your post or sidebar of your blog linking back to Country Girl at Home. You may get this button code on the page at the top of my blog labeled “Buttons”. Just copy and paste the code into your post.

4) Be supportive and visit blog entries. I do ask that you visit at least one and leave a comment there. And don't forget to leave me one here! :) We all love comments, don’t we? It’s encouraging and uplifting!

5) By linking up and participating, you give me permission to use your entry photo if I decide to feature an entry.

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As always, I thank you so much for stopping by!  I'd love for you to follow me here on Country Girl at Home and on Pinterest too (you can find that link on my sidebar).  :)

 

Have a great day!  :)

 

 

Faithful Friday - "Random Acts of Kindness"

It’s Friday and that means it’s time for Faithful Friday. It's one day we've set aside, as Christians, to share something from our Christian Walk to encourage others.  Be sure and stop by Joy's blog (Doodlebug) for her Faithful Friday post, and we'd love it if you linked up and participated too!

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It’s so amazing how God works in me through Faithful Fridays . I always hope to be an encouragement to others through my sharing on Faithful Fridays, but in the process, I’m the one that’s blessed. God is SO good that way!

I came across this story when I was praying about what to share today. When I began reading it, I instantly recognized it as having read it before.  I loved it then and I love it now.  :)

I hope you are blessed by it and encouraged to be a light in this world by being a blessing to others by showing kindness. You just never know what God is up to and what He will do!



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This young man was driving home one evening, on a two lane country road. Work in this small mid-western community was almost as slow as his beat-up Pontiac, but he never quit looking. Ever since the factory closed, he'd been unemployed, and with winter coming on, the chill had finally hit home.

It was a lonely road. Not very many people had a reason to be on it, unless they were leaving. Most of his friends had already left. They had families to feed and dreams to fulfill, but he stayed on. After all, this was where he buried his mother and father. He was born here and he knew the country. He could go down this road blind, and tell you what was on either side, and with his headlights not working , this came in handy.

It was starting to get dark and light snow flurries were coming down. He'd better get a move on. You know, he almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road. But even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help, for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe. He looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you. He said, "I'm here to help you Ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan."

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through.

She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. She asked him how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She had already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped.

Bryan never thought twice about the money. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. He told her if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed, and Bryan added "...and think of me." He waited until she started her car and drove off.

It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The cash register was like the telephone of an out of work actor--it didn't ring much.

Her waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase.

The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger.

Then she remembered Bryan. . .

After the lady finished her meal, and the waitress went to get change for a hundred dollar bill, the lady slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. She wondered where the lady could be, then she noticed something written on the napkin under which were 4 one-hundred dollar bills. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote. It said: "You don't owe me anything, I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard.

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's gonna be all right - I love you, Bryan."

** Author Unknown **

 

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Just think if we could just perform one random act of kindness toward someone every day.....paying for the meal of the person in line behind us in the drive-through, leaving a very generous tip for the server at the restaurant, taking a cup of hot chocolate to the Salvation Army bell ringer..........the possibilities are endless!   We might not ever know how it blessed them, but God knows.  :)

 

 

♥ Tammy ♥

Sunporch Chat ♥ with Kim of Field of Dreams ♥

Good morning friends!  I'm so glad you stopped by!  Come on in and join Kim and me on the sunporch for a Sunporch Chat.   I just recently "met" Kim of Field of Dreams this past year.  I'm not even sure how I ever first found her blog, but in her, I instantly connected with her faith, her love of family, and I enjoyed her blog posts about life on her farm and stories about her chickens.  She stands firm in her faith and she is very uplifting to me! 

Today we're having lemon cookies, coffee for Kim, and I'm having my morning glass of diet dew.  So grab you some cookies and coffee (or diet dew if you prefer), sit back, and enjoy the visit!  :)

1) How long have you been blogging and what/who gave you the desire to blog?

Thank you for asking me to be here today Tammy, I have been blogging now for three years. My Mom had cancer and she was sick so I thought if I started a blog for her to read each day it would help her get through the day. After she went on to heaven, I had to decide to keep blogging.

 

2) How did you choose the name of your blog and why?

One of the things that my husband and I was talk about when we would come visit and bring the kids and walk the land we called it that our field of dreams. No matter how much we work on it or do to it we still call it our field of dreams.

3) What variety of topics do you post on your blog (examples - home decorating, family, gardening, recipes, adoption, homeschooling, crafting, etc....)

It is funny when it started it was about our garden. As time as gone on it has changed into the garden, family, home schooling and decorating or what I am thinking about.

4) Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

I have been married 32 years to my husband, even though it still feels like we just got married. We have six children and 7 grand children. I still have four young adults living at home and we are looking forward to having a wedding here in September 2013, as well as my son graduating from high school and my daughter graduating from college before her wedding.

5) How would you describe your decorating style?

Oh, well I have always called it realistic decorating. It will never win a house beautiful award, but I want people to feel welcome and feel comfortable to put their feet up and stay awhile. I think it is called country though.

6) What's your favorite color and why?

I think it changes with the seasons, right now I can’t get enough of oranges and reds and yellows. I love red and white in the winter but in the spring I love purple and in the summer lots of yellows.

7) Tell us a few of your favorite things (collections, things that make you happy, etc.).

What makes me happy is knowing that my kids are good, my husband is good and when we all get to sit around the dinner table together. I love my family and I like cooking and I like cleaning house. After I got over that woman’s lib part of my life, my deep down desire was always being a home maker and making a safe place for people to be able to come home to at the end of the day.

8) What do you like to do in your spare time (hobbies, crafts, etc..)?

I sew and I make rugs. I like working with old barn wood and I like to garden and I enjoy chopping weeds. I know that is a weird one but I get a great upper body work out so I like that.

9) What does your dream house look like? (Describe and/or include photo)

My dream house is where I live now. I don’t think I would ever find a house that I would like any better than this one.

10) If you could visit anywhere, anytime, where would it be and why?

I think I would choose right here right now. Watching my children make choices about life, watching the married ones learn to trust God in so many hard circumstances and watching them be parents has been the most rewarding thing ever in my life. This stage now is like the frosting on a cake. I really am so thankful to have got to be a part of it.

11) Would you share with us a favorite homemaking/organizing tip or recipe, etc..?

Well, I have laundry baskets in all of my kids rooms and my room too, instead of a clothes hamper. That way they put the clothes in there when they are dirty and bring them down on laundry day and as I do laundry I fill them back up and then they take them up when laundry is finished. I think that is the best labor saving device I have. Well and making menus each week. Planning my grocery shopping with my menus.

12) Tell us something about yourself that we might not already know from reading your blog. (something unusual, etc..)

I am left handed but because my Mom was left handed and they used to tie her hand behind her back when she was in school, she wouldn’t let me use my left hand to do anything when I was small, so I use both hands equally as well. In fact I sew with my right hand and hook rugs with my right but when I do needle punch I use my left.

13) I know you have homeschooled a LONG time. (And I would like to plug in here, that I admire you greatly for that)!   Would you tell us a little bit about how that came about, your general thoughts on it and and maybe even a look at what homeschooling looks like for your family?

I didn’t start home schooling because I wanted to, in fact I thought staying home all day with kids would be terrible. I only planned to do it one year. I felt God called me to do it and I wanted to be obedient to Him. When I started home schooling it was the dark ages and I lived in fear there would be a knock at the door and my kids would be taken away from me. We kept the drapes drawn and they never went outside until after school was out. As I had more children and I was teaching more grades life became busier and busier. I taught K-12 in one year. I laugh now because my son who is 17 has been in high school since he started school. Home schooling was our life. At night after dinner dishes were done my husband took over the work we didn’t get finished during the day and so he read out loud in the evenings. The things that I didn’t teach like art and music we took those classes outside. This year when I finish it will be the end of continual teaching my children for 25 years. I will have graduated 6 students on to college.

14) Tell us about your farm, Kim. How long have you lived on a farm? What does your farm life look like? Tell us anything concerning life on your farm here……including funny experiences.

Oh I have to laugh, because it isn’t a real farm. Like I told you we dabble. When we moved here I had a horse and we thought we would get more animals. Then we thought we would just put in lots of fruit trees and grow lots of food. That is why we got chickens. Now it has changed again, my husband grows trees for Bonsai. We grew lots more flowers this year than we grew food. Next year for our daughter wedding we will be growing the flowers, and pumpkins and all of that for her wedding. So each year it is something different. I guess you could just call us hobby farmers. We grow herbs but just for ourselves. My husband is teaching himself grafting too.

15) Tell us a way God has blessed you and/or your family.

God has blessed us by never leaving us or forsaking us as we learn to walk by faith and not by sight. We have lived lots differently than most folks. We have lived very quiet lives. When we got married the Lord gave my husband a verse that said that he was to lead a quiet life and work with his hands. So that is how we have lived and raised our family. Our family is all believers and out of anything I have done, the verse that says I have no greater joy than knowing my children walk in truth. Nothing I do matters except knowing that my children walk with God. Jackie Kennedy said, if you fumble at raising your children, it doesn’t matter very much what else you do in life. That is how I have tried to live.

16) Share any words of wisdom and/or a favorite quote you'd like to leave with us.

Do all the good you can as long as you can in every way you can for as long as you can.

From Tammy:

Thank you Kim so much for joining me today!  I just love your home and especially the atmosphere that I sense there!  I'm so glad to have met another sister in Christ with such a love for home and family (and homeschooling too).  I love your farm life, even if it is a hobby!  :) 

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And thank YOU for stopping by today and joining us!  Of course, I enjoy your comments, and I know Kim would love for you to stop by and visit her and leave a comment too! 

If I haven't been by to visit your blog, please don't give up on me.....life has been really busy around here lately and it seems like I'm fighting against the clock everyday!  I haven't forgotten you though! 

Have a great day, my friends!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥

♥ It's Finished! ♥

The staircase is {finally} finished…..and decorated for Christmas!

We just love it! It definitely has the cabin feel that we hoped to achieve!

And it was definitely worth the wait and the mess for the last three months!

Before & After:  What a difference.....I can't believe I ever liked that wallpaper!  Wow! 

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you'll stop in for the Sunporch Chat tomorrow!

Have a great Tuesday!  :)

Pinned it, Made it! Monday ~ Week 17 ~

It’s Monday again! I always look forward to Pinned it, Made it! Monday........ but it also slips up on me too!  It keeps me on my toes though! :)
 

Before I share this week, I want to thank all of you that have been participating and those that stop by and leave comments….I appreciate both! I have really enjoyed seeing your projects!

This past week for our homeschool support group’s harvest party, we had a harvest art contest. The kids submitted works of art (in any form) related to harvest/thanksgiving. They were divided into four different age divisions. Luke’s project is what I want to share with you, (which fell into the kindergarten and under age division in the contest).

Here’s the original pin (found on my Crafty Things Pinterest Board):

Source:  Sweet Happy Life

Besides the footprint, we also adapted it a little bit by making the feathers from his fingerprints.  He had a good time making lots of fingerprints! He didn’t place in the contest (there was a lot of wonderful competition), but he had fun doing it!

Joy did win first place in her competition for her submission, which was one of her photos (that she modge-podged onto a painted board along with a scripture).

Now it’s your turn! Won’t you join me this week and share something you’ve pinned and made from Pinterest?

To participate in Pinned it, Made it! Monday, here are the guidelines:

1) Just do a post about what you’ve pinned and made from Pinterest, then come back over here to Country Girl at Home and link that particular post (not your blog in general) on this post below.

2) I don’t mind if you link up more than one post….multiple entries are fine.

3) You must add my Pinned it, Made it! Monday button on your post or sidebar of your blog linking back to Country Girl at Home. You may get this button code on the page at the top of my blog labeled “Buttons”. Just copy and paste the code into your post.

4) Be supportive and visit blog entries. I do ask that you visit at least one and leave a comment there. And don't forget to leave me one here! :) We all love comments, don’t we? It’s encouraging and uplifting!

5) By linking up and participating, you give me permission to use your entry photo if I decide to feature an entry.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have a wonderful week!  This Wednesday, I'll have another guest for a Sunporch Chat!  I hope you'll join us!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥ 

♥ Simply Frugal ♥

It seems like many of us these days are trying to be frugal and save money in every way we can. One of those ways has been in making homemade cleaning products. I think we may have Pinterest and blogland to thank for that.  :)

Since we’ve been using our homemade laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, and fabric softener for some time now, I thought I’d come back with an update of how it was working out for our family.

Back in January of this year, we made this recipe for laundry detergent which is also used by the Duggar family. That batch lasted until September for the four of us. That wasn’t bad at all for about $7-$8 worth of ingredients.  You can read exactly how we made it here.

I liked that recipe just fine and it cleaned our clothes well. The only down side to it was the gallons of detergent to store. It wasn’t actually a problem, just a lot of jugs taking up space. So when we ran out of detergent in September, Jason and I decided to try this recipe. This one is in powder form. It will actually end up being a little more expensive because I’m pretty sure it won’t last as long as the other one did (8 months) and this one cost about $13 worth of ingredients. It's the same ingredients in equal parts (1 cup Borax, 1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, 1 bar Fels-Naptha soap........I did that x 7).  I’ll be sure and come back and let you know how long it lasts us. But what I do like about it, is that it stores very easily right here in my Rubbermaid box that usually sits on the washer or dryer.

It’s very easy to access, not messy, and can be moved from the washer to the dryer. So far, I’m really loving this one. It cleans very well also. And the scent seems a little stronger, which I like. I use 2 Tbsp if I have a full load or an especially soiled load. If it’s a really small load, I will use only 1 Tbsp.

We use two of the same ingredients that are used for the laundry detergent to make the dishwashing detergent. It’s one part Borax to one part Super Washing Soda. It takes 2 cups of each of those ingredients to fill this quart jar.  (The post where we first made this can be found here).

When washing dishes, I use 1-2 Tbsp (mostly 2 Tbsp) for each load, depending upon how full my dishwasher is. I also add vinegar to my dispenser thingie that helps keeps spots off the glasses. My sister-in-law adds a little salt to her detergent mixture too. However, I haven’t done that, and it cleans my dishes well.    Love this!

We also made the fabric softener.  You can find the recipe for it on this post.  This one softens the clothes and does well in that aspect, but I would prefer a stronger scent. For that reason, I just don’t use fabric softener that much. However, comparing prices with most store bought brands, this is a very frugal choice. If I want to use fabric softener and can’t find a way to a stronger scent, I will probably continue to use this.

And that’s my update report of how these frugal homemade detergents are working for our family. I’d love to hear from you on your frugal homemade cleaning products too!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥  

**Linking up with Elaine for Sunny Simple Sunday**

Faithful Friday - "Pray with Power"

I’ll have to admit to you that I’ve been down-hearted this week, and as a result, I’ve been grumpy….especially with my kids. I just had to apologize. How thankful I am that they so easily forgive me and love me unconditionally!

The election has left me emotionally exhausted and burdened, and honestly I've not felt much like blogging, or much else. I'm ashamed to say that, but it's the truth.

But……………. :)

After school this morning, I picked up the devotional book, His Princess (Love Letters from Your King) by Sheri Rose Shepherd and I asked the Lord to give me something I needed to hear today…..something to help my worries and my down-heartedness. Yes, sometimes I just need God to show me things in this way. I need neon signs! And this is what He gave me! Oh how good He is!


My Princess…….Pray with Power

My powerful princess, do not waste your walk through life today. Open your spiritual eyes. Prayer is needed everywhere. Anywhere you walk today I can and will order your steps, if you will let Me. Pray while you’re driving, while you’re cooking, and while you’re doing laundry and running errands. Of all the weapons in the world, prayer is your most powerful resource. Don’t let the day begin or end without letting your prayers to Me pave the way in all you do. Wherever you go, remember that part of your royal privilege is raising your voice to heaven. So hold on to the promises that are yours and pray!

Love,
Your King and Intercessor

Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.

  Ephesians 6:18

Source:  Google Images

 

Maybe this was meant to encourage one of you today as it did me!  God is surely in control, no matter what, and He assures us that there is power in prayer! Praise Him!

I hope you'll stop by and visit Joy also today for Faithful Friday. And if you would like to participate, you can link up while you’re there!

Have a great weekend! God bless you!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥ 

Pinned it, Made it! Monday ~ Week 16 ~

Days and weeks are flying by, aren’t they? At least they are for me. I'm not sure where October went! I can’t believe it’s Monday again. It’s already time again for Pinned it, Made it! Monday, which I really enjoy by the way. :) I wasn’t sure I was going to have something to share this week, with our stay in the hospital, but I managed to get to a project yesterday afternoon!


Before I share that, I want to thank you all for the comments and get well wishes for Joy and most of all for your prayers! We came home this weekend so this was the shortest hospital stay yet and we’re very thankful. They didn’t find out satisfactory answers; they mostly just ruled out some things. But the good thing is that she’s feeling much better. Thank you so much!

Now on to what I have to share.....

I’ve been wanting to try my own “canvas art” for awhile. I’ve had Jason so busy on the staircase over the past couple of months that he just hadn’t taken time to cut my board. He did so this weekend, so I finally got to it Sunday afternoon. It’s really easy and fun too!

Here’s the original pin which can be found on my Thing I Want to Make or Do Pinterest board:

Source:  Mommy Models Blog

I opted for a 12 x 18 photo instead of a 12 x 12 because I thought it would look better for this particular picture and 12 x 12's are harder to come by anyway. I ordered my 12 x 18 photo from Walgreens.  The photo I’ve been wanting as my “canvas art” was taken 3 months after Luke was home – October of 2010 - at East Lake, which is a place my mom spent many years fishing and swimming at this very spot and also the place where my grandmother and granddaddy retired. We spent many weekends there as I was growing up too. So this is special....it's another generation standing on the banks of  East Lake.   And this photo captured the bonding of these two and their very special relationship fom those very beginning days.  :)

You’ll need your photo, plywood, modge podge, a brush or sponge type brush (I used the sponge type), and paint of your choice. I also used antiquing glaze.

We used ¾” plywood, although Jason says ½” plywood would also be fine. Cut your board to the size of your photo (or you can have Lowes do this for you if you don’t have a way to do so).

First of all, I painted the edges of my board. No need to paint the back unless that bothers you. Mine will hang on the wall so it won’t be seen, so I didn’t bother with painting it. After that dried, I opted to add antiquing glaze as well over that to tone down my red paint. Of course, I chose red!  :)

After your paint is dried, you’re ready to get that photo on. Spread an even layer of modge podge over your board and over the back of your photo.

You are then ready to put your photo on the board. Just smooth as you go removing any bubbles. When you have it where you want it and smoothed out, add an even layer of the modge podge over the top and edges of the photo. In this photo, you can still see the modge podge on top of the photo.

It’s kind of scary seeing modge podge going over your beautiful photo, but don’t worry it dries clear……and quickly too. It claimed to do so in an hour, so I set my timer to see....... and it did!

And that’s it! You’re done! You then have a beautiful piece of canvas art! I’m not sure where I’ll hang mine but when I have it up, I’ll show you! (It may be after Christmas because don’t laugh……I already have my big tree up and have started on all the rest of the decorations).

Now it' your turn......will you share? What have you been pinning and making? I hope you’ll link up and share!

To participate in Pinned it, Made it! Monday, here are the guidelines:

1) Just do a post about what you’ve pinned and made from Pinterest, then come back over here to Country Girl at Home and link that particular post (not your blog in general) on this post below.

2) I don’t mind if you link up more than one post….multiple entries are fine.

3) You must add my Pinned it, Made it! Monday button on your post or sidebar of your blog linking back to Country Girl at Home. You may get this button code on the page at the top of my blog labeled “Buttons”. Just copy and paste the code into your post.

4) Be supportive and visit blog entries. I do ask that you visit at least one and leave a comment there. And don't forget to leave me one here! :) We all love comments, don’t we? It’s encouraging and uplifting!

5) By linking up and participating, you give me permission to use your entry photo if I decide to feature an entry.

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Thank you so much for hanging with me.  I know I haven't been able to blog or visit blogs as much lately.  I do appreciate all your visits and your comments!  

 

I have alot to share when I do get the chance!  Our staircase is finished!  I'm working on our Christmas decor....oh how I get excited about that!  And.......Wednesday (if all goes well), we'll be having another Sunporch Chat with a wonderful lady!  I hope you'll come back and join us!

 

Have a great week!  :)   And don't forget to vote tomorrow (wisely)  and PRAY!    :)  

Faithful Friday - "Always Something to Be Thankful For"

It’s Friday and I wanted to pop in here with a Faithful Friday post. Since Joy is in the hospital, I will put the linky tool on my blog. If you would like to participate, we’d love for you to do so. The only difference today is that you will link up on my blog.


Thank you so much for all the prayers and the thoughtful comments left for Joy. We appreciate them all! Joy is doing better than she was when we came to the ER. Her pain is not constant and not as severe, although she is still having some. This time, her pancreatic enzymes are not elevated. This has us all stumped because her symptoms are exactly the same. They have been checking many things including appendicitis. They found it to be large, but no other symptoms of appendicits, so they’re ruling that out too.

I’m thankful that the pancreatic enzymes aren’t elevated, yet we just don’t have answers. That part is frustrating and scary to Joy because she doesn’t know why she’s hurting but they are telling what it isn’t this time. I think she’s afraid of going home and still having pain. Anyway, that’s where we are. Thank you SO much for praying. We feel the prayers and know God is in control!

We can look around us if we start to feel down though and see others going through so much more! The boy that Joy mentioned last time she was in the hospital, is back in the hospital again and has been for some time. His name is Brandon and he has Krohn’s disease, which is a very painful thing. He has spent so many of his days in the hospital and yet his attitude could teach us a thing or two! And just yesterday we met another 15 year old boy, Skyler, who has been in the hospital for 2 months. He had a liver transplant and developed complications almost not making it 3 or 4 different times. He still doesn't look well.  They live about 9 hours away. That breaks my heart thinking of how far they are from home and family! Anyway, this just reminded me that no matter what trials come our way, there is always someone else going through so much more. It’s good to take a look at the positive and just give God praise.  There are always blessings to count. When you’re praying for Joy, would you remember Brandon and Skyler too?

Thank you for stopping by for Faithful Friday! Have a great weekend! :)

Blessings,
Tammy