beautifully-simple-2

10 WAYS TO LIVE ON ONE INCOME

Sat, 27 Sep 2025 02:42:45 GMT

IT’S POSSIBLE!

I realize trying to live on one income these days is very difficult, but it is possible! Actually, it’s not only possible but feasible. The secret is in smart planning, a willingness to economize, and above all, seeking what God says in His Word as we learn to trust God with our finances. This is essential in today’s culture. Looking around me, my heart goes out to young people today who are facing an economic situation where living on your own, buying a home, or starting a family seems out of reach. However, in spite of present circumstances, I believe you can have every hope to realize your financial goals. With a few mindset changes there are ways to mitigate future financial hardship as well. And to encourage you, I strongly believe we will see a change for the better in the coming months and years.

WHEN GOD IS IN CHARGE

Granted, as Boomers my husband and I lived on one income for decades at a time when it was much easier to do so, and we are so grateful for that. It’s a wonderful privilege to have such freedom! Yet even though today presents new challenges we, as followers of Christ, are called in any economy to trust His ability to provide for us. It does take faith, though, seemingly now more than ever! Nevertheless, no matter what kind of financial climate we face, our determination must be--for our own sanity!--to live according to His Word even though we can't see the path ahead.

Further, I don't at all want to minimize the struggles so many have to deal with today--the pain is very real. I also remember many years when it was difficult for us to make ends meet. It was hard. However, it genuinely comes down to our convictions and our commitment of faith, knowing we always have God’s grace to walk it out with Him! At first, when we were learning to trust God, it wasn’t always comfortable and there were many challenges. Like the time my husband and I ate oatmeal for a week so our baby could have enough to eat but God has always been so faithful! We experienced His mighty Hand at work in our finances time and time again. He has proven Himself to be a good, good Father, never failing to provide whatever we needed in sometimes miraculous ways!!

A CHILD'S BANK: FIRST FAMILY FUND

WE FOUND THE SWEET SPOT

As a young married couple, we were determined to do what we believed the Word of God teaches: my husband was to be the primary breadwinner, and I would keep house and care for the children at home. Not to ignore other necessary financial choices people may make, but regarding our situation it worked beautifully. We never lacked the essentials and enjoyed many extras as well.

LIVING BY FAITH

We didn’t do it perfectly though. We lived paycheck-to-paycheck, knowing now we could have done so much better by working together more intentionally and actively seeking God by praying over our decisions. But from the beginning, one of the few right things we knew to do was to give a portion of my husband’s paycheck off the top. When we were first married, he worked for a farmer who provided furnished rent-free housing, utilities except the phone, and $60 a week! Every single paycheck we chose to give $15 to our church and spent the rest on food and necessities, even feeding a fellow farm employee every day as well. Clearly, my husband is very generous and I believe God has always honored that decision from the very start.

10 WAYS TO LIVE ON ONE INCOME

There are abundant references to handling money in the Bible which we will save for a more comprehensive study. Here, however, are a few simple suggestions to consider following. They are challenging but good to research and apply:

1. Determine to trust God above all else.

2. Study God’s Word to learn His ways regarding finances.

3. Use a resource like Dave Ramsey’s www.ramseysolutions.com for practical help. They offer a great, free budget tool.

4. Sit down (together if married) and prayerfully write out a sustainable budget we can live with.

5. Remain resolute! Commit to sticking with our decisions no matter how much we are tempted to quit.

6. Search for and take advantage of bargains and sales--be willing at times to buy second-hand items from thrift stores and yard sales.

7. Cook our own meals whenever possible, preferably from scratch.

8. Research fun games and activities to do that are free.

9. Shun the temptation to “keep up with the Joneses’.

10. Avoid debt at all costs (a home purchase could be an exception but even that idea is negotiable!)

WE’RE STILL LEARNING

After 49 years of marriage, my husband and I have learned much more about what to do and not do. We can now conclude, whether we are single or married, these are universal principles that work! And one thing is certain if we have a spouse--it’s vitally important to work on the marriage relationship--to grow in unity, trust, and love as a couple so that together we can put our trust in God. I believe this is the best way to ensure prosperity for our family--and in all things.

Truly, God’s Word is a treasure chest of wisdom and knowledge, so I've summarized essential principles I've gleaned from the Bible below. From my study of God’s Word, I firmly believe this is God’s way, for He is the One who gives power to gain wealth (Deut. 8:18) and there are no shortcuts!

Work hard
Give generously
Save consistently
Invest wisely
Develop impeccable integrity

I look forward to doing a deeper dive into the subject of finances found in the Bible. In the meantime, I hope you will study it out for yourself. I encourage you to meditate on the following verse which expresses the heart of God and His intentions toward us concerning all things in our lives: “Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” Ps. 35:27b

A CROW'S REWARD

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 22:28:19 GMT

HAVE YOU EVER MET A CROW?

They are fascinating to me and incredibly intelligent! These noisy but beautiful black birds are known problem-solvers and innovative toolmakers. They can even recognize and remember individual human faces. Crows have also been known to do extraordinary things. My family and I had an experience with them a few years ago which I'll relate at the end that perfectly illustrates one of Jesus’ most important teachings. Here He is quoted by the apostle Paul who stated “… It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts. 20:34-35.

HAPPINESS VS JOY

How true is that? Think about it: how do we feel when we buy something, or when someone gives us something we’ve been longing for forever?! That happy feeling is real but eventually it fades because there will always be something else down the road to take its place. Contrast that fleeting emotion with the deep contentment that comes from knowing we’ve made someone truly happy. Or met a need that only we could meet. Their joy becomes contagious when we enter into it by sharing their excitement and gratitude. There’s just nothing like that feeling!

a crow is our teacher

Have you ever met a crow? These raucous, beautiful black birds fascinate me because they are incredibly intelligent! And did you know they are problem-solvers and innovative toolmakers? They can even recognize and remember individual human faces. Indeed, crows are known to do extraordinary things. My family and I experienced this fact firsthand a few years ago, when we learned a lesson from a crow, which I'll relate at the end, that perfectly illustrates one of Jesus’ most important teachings. Here He is quoted by the apostle Paul who stated “… It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts. 20:34-35.

HAPPINESS VS JOY

How true is that? Think about it: how do we feel when we buy ourselves something, or when someone gives us something we’ve been longing for forever?! That excited and happy feeling lasts for a little while, then quickly fades away because there will always be something else down the road to take its place. Now contrast that fleeting emotion of happiness to the satisfaction we get when we give someone a gift they've been longing for, or meet someone's desperate need. That deep contentment we feel comes from knowing we’ve made someone else besides ourselves truly happy. And their joy becomes contagious as we enter into their excitement and gratitude. In my mind, there’s just nothing like that feeling!!

Photo by Angelo Ebenal (via Unsplash)

GIVING=SERVING=LOVE

To continue the thought, in God’s Kingdom, giving is serving—His way is all about serving another. When Jesus came to the earth He came to serve humankind. The Son of God came to live among us and show us how Heavenly relationships operate. Love compelled Him to come down to experience what we experience, and more, to teach us a better way to navigate life so that we could "live abundantly". (see John 10:10b) Jesus said in Mark 10: 44-45 “and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. 45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” God is love, and this is everything!! True godly love is always about putting another person ahead of ourselves. Generously giving our time, our talents, our possessions, our money, our respect, even our very lives—anything that God has given us. ”For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” Gal. 5:13

WHY DO WE SERVE?

The other part of the equation to serving and giving is that God always rewards us when we give. The oxymoronic truth about God and His ways is that our motive for giving would not be to receive, but the reality is that God can’t wait to reward us when we do give! As always, it’s about the heart. If we give to get, we lose. Blessings of peace… joy…satisfaction elude us. But if we give with a humble heart, whatever it is, however large or small, without expecting anything in return, we win a plethora of blessings that can’t be contained! God rewards the slightest expression of love with far more than we could ever give. Best of all, when we give, it honors Him. And he will honor those who honor Him; in this life as well as in Heaven. “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.” John 12:26, “and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” Col 3:23-24

THE GREATEST IS HE WHO…

Defined, the word “serve” means showing acts of kindness out of humility, love, loyalty, faith, devotion, commitment, and honor. A servant is one who gives of oneself and one’s substance to supply another’s need—to do good to others for their benefit. It also means to be devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests. This can range from physical labor to spiritual service. In God’s Kingdom, Jesus measures greatness by our willingness to serve another. “And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. 25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. 26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve,” Luke 22:24-26

A crow story

Back to our crow story -- in July 2022, my family and I took a much-needed vacation to Indian Rocks Beach, Florida. We were blessed to find a beachfront home just a stone’s throw from the shore, which one of our daughters had generously organized for us — a 9-day family getaway that none of us will ever forget. Aside from the sand, the sea, the beautiful sunsets, fun excursions, eateries, and places of interest; we enjoyed just plain family togetherness. And just like most families, we made unforgettable memories we’ll treasure forever. One of those memories stands out as a unique experience taught by one of God’s amazing creatures, the crow.

OUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD CROW

A CROW'S REWARD

That whole week, my husband got in the habit of leaving little treats on the railing of our large deck for the two resident crows hanging around every day. He tried foods like trail mix, my sourdough bread (which they left alone, ha ha), and other snacks, but their favorite was Cheetos®. Eventually, whenever he came out, they would caw to him for more treats. One day we even saw one of them actually steal a small bag of chips from someone’s backpack on the beach!! We couldn’t believe our eyes. The best part, though, was the day at the end of our stay when I found a nickel on the railing. I asked everyone in the family if it was theirs and nobody could claim it. I concluded it had to be payment, a reward, from our friends, the crows. I have since learned that crows behave precisely this way! From that day forward, we will never forget this amazing illustration of God’s goodness: my husband gave his love offerings unconditionally, never expecting to see a shiny nickel left by a grateful crow!

HOME EDUCATION: AN INSIDE LOOK

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 22:58:38 GMT

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 5 and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Deut. 6:4-7

GOD WANTS TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN

This is a Scripture that helped motivate my husband and me when we discovered the option to home educate our children. Once the home-schooling movement was well underway, we heard it often. The early Hebrews, for whom this Scripture was written, primarily educated their sons in a rabbinical setting but all fathers were commanded to make sure their families were taught the precepts of God. Our thinking was that we could best obey this if we literally brought our children home and educated them ourselves.

HOME EDUCATION IS THE NEW WAVE

Obviously, we took this mandate from God very seriously! Being the committed, dedicated parents we aspired to be, why not?? Who wouldn’t, right? lol...A lot of us felt that way. Back in the late '80's and '90's, this was a common cultural movement within various segments of the church that gained significant momentum. Clearly, many of us were having a strong reaction to the decline in quality education and moral principles we had been observing in the schools. We personally believed it was a direct result of the 1960’s court decisions to remove prayer and Bible reading from our nation’s classrooms. Consequently, we brought our first 3 children home and sailed away into the unknown…...!

THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME

It really felt like an adventure at first. I’ll never forget that first day. It was the most delicious thing—there I sat with my children around me feeling like we had stowed away on a getaway boat, and legally nobody could stop us! We were going to have the time of our lives, learning and doing all kinds of fascinating things with lots of time to take field trips and go places anytime we wanted to—the sky was the limit! Or well, until the money ran out, which didn’t take long. Actually the ‘treasure chest’ was rather limited, but we would find a way to do it cheaply or best of all, free . Resourcefulness is certainly a by-product of the home-schooling experience, ha ha!

REALITY SETS IN

And of course, being the idealistic dreamer that I am, my enthusiasm carried me a long way as I researched, studied, stayed up way too late, planned lessons and field trips, etc., while also doing the cleaning, cooking, laundry, chauffeuring, and all the other things busy moms do to serve their families.* (Sadly, our marriage suffered during those years due to mindsets and attitudes we had both brought into our marriage which is a story for another time.) All things told, pioneering this adventure could be exhausting and overwhelming; there were fears to battle, and doubts to overcome. Especially when outside help was slim but our MO was simple—it’s something you just dig in and do. And all along, God was there to guide and empower.♥ So for the next 28 years I would spend nearly every waking moment until age 60 doing the best I knew to teach our children the Three Rs and so much more . And all along God was wisely teaching, training, refining, and maturing me through all of our trials, good times, and life experiences.

*I must add, we taught the children to do their share of the work so it definitely wasn't all on Mom.

OUR GREATEST DESIRE AS PARENTS

That “more” was what my husband and I wanted to accomplish most of all. More than anything else, our # 1 desire was to prepare our precious children for adulthood by leading them to know and love Jesus. Early in our home education experience I had heard something from a home-schooling Dad who was very wise. He said, “Let your intention to raise godly children be your desire, not your goal.” He pointed out that, according to Psalm 37:4-5, if we delight in the Lord, He will give us our heart’s desires. (“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”) Wow, did that ever take the pressure off. When we give our burdens to our Father, He takes care of them, and us! Self-effort and performance are left out of the equation. Whenever I felt inadequate for the job or bogged down by my own expectations, this really helped me to keep moving forward with greater confidence.

IMPERFECT PARENTS NEED THE PERFECT PARENT

Don’t let me give you the impression, though, that I had it all together! I didn’t. We didn't. Not by a long shot. In fact, as I’ve stated elsewhere on this website, I had a lot of insecurities because of my own immaturity as a believer. And as I also mentioned, our marriage was far from perfect. In fact, we had a long way to go before we even made it across the starting line, as I like to put it.

Again, this is a whole other story in itself but keeping to the subject at hand, sometimes I wonder why God entrusts His children to such imperfect parents. It’s such a weighty responsibility and extremely intimidating when we think about how much our mistakes, our weaknesses, and our bad decisions can affect the next generation and beyond. However, I now realize God wisely planned it that way for a reason. I know that when I am weak, He is strong. And He wants us to involve Him in everything. After all, He is the Perfect Father!

LIVE IN LOVE WITH GOD

Now that our children are grown and we are grandparents, hindsight is truly 20/20. There is much more I could say, but I would like to leave you with very sage advice I heard a few years ago from a godly father, Demonte Edmonds. He admonishes us to live in love with God before our children. He says, “to receive the love of God, come to God not based on your works but because He is good and loves us first. Secondly, our parents aren’t God the Father. Abba is our good Father. Thirdly, come to God transparent and honest—start a prayer life. Have a conversation, not religiousness.” I now understand the best way to pass our faith on to our children is to show them. Truly, “more is caught than taught.” We show them Who God is by our actions, even our reactions, but most of all by our own personal relationship with our Best Friend and Father. Directly teaching them the Word of God is super important, but we have to back up our words with our behavior. If we ourselves love God above all others, and learn how to walk with Jesus, growing more like Him every day in front of our children, they will have a practical example to follow. They can then receive the benefit of our prayers and love relationship with God. I honestly believe that to raise our children to walk with God, to 'walk in Truth' is, by far, every parent's greatest of all accomplishments.

A verse to live by: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." 3 John 4

OTHER RESOURCES

My prayers are with all of you who read this post as you love, teach, train, and nurture that precious family of yours, whether or not you decide to home educate. Also, I go into a specific explanation of what led to our decision to educate at home and my opinion about whether to do so under Question 3 and 4 of the FAQ page.

WHAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT VINEGAR?

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 04:05:44 GMT

NATURAL VS SYNTHETIC

You might be asking, "So what IS so good about vinegar? It may be beneficial but why the horrible smell?" I thought the same thing but I've had a change of heart! Let me explain: Over the years I’ve loved the challenge of finding natural solutions to everything we cleaned, wore, put on our skin, or fed our family. I’ve not been 100% consistent but, generally, I now clean with non-toxic products, try to avoid processed foods as much as possible, cook by scratch, and buy organic whenever I can.

And when my children were younger, I bought denim and cotton clothing, for the most part. I haven’t always stuck to those convictions--I’m too much of a fashionista. However, even though I deviated at times, I decided wearing ‘plastic bags’, like polyester, is too hot and uncomfortable. Admittedly too, I can be a little OCD, as my children would agree, ha ha, but overall, I rather think it’s been worth being intentional when it comes to these things. Especially since I feel great for my age and my conscience is clear where these issues are concerned. Or almost…!

VINEGAR – TO USE OR NOT TO USE?

I’ll have to admit it’s taken me years to finally start using plain old vinegar, a very safe, natural, and inexpensive way to clean my windows. As I mentioned, for decades I’ve used non-processed foods and mostly natural skin care and cleaning products, but Glass Plus® was my hold-out when it came to cleaning my windows and other surfaces. I thought it did a better job. Now I realize, looking back, the real reason I stuck with it, though, was probably simply because it smelled better! However, recently I convinced myself I needed to reevaluate all commercial cleaning products. * See NOTE # 1

Distilled White Vinegar

VINEGAR WINS HANDS DOWN

So recently I decided to clean my dirty windows with vinegar because I had run out of window cleaner. Thinking I would only use it one time, I set to work. Ha! I will never go back. Vinegar does an amazing job cleaning everything it touches. It leaves the windows and other surfaces shining clean while safely disinfecting them as well. And once it dries there is absolutely no lingering scent. There's no telling what touching and breathing in those commercial formulas had been doing in my body all those years. Of course, vinegar is a great cleaner all around the house. In the toilet bowl, tub, and sink; on stainless steel, ceramic, and Formica® surfaces; sprayed on dish cloths and mold; as fabric softener; there are many, many more ways to use it.

** See NOTE # 2

VINEGAR AND OLD RAG TOWELS

If you do decide to clean with vinegar, I recommend sticking with old towels to wipe with, also. Stained or torn, don’t throw them away before you use them for cleaning. They’re so much better than expensive or flimsy paper towels and even those polyester cloths which just don’t dry anything well. Old bath towels and washcloths or old tea towels are great to use because they work and are economical--you can wash and reuse them over and over again. The trick is to fold them in fourths or eighths and clean with each surface you’ve folded until all sections are dirty. I learned this from a cleaning guru, *Don Aslett, years ago. Instead of just bunching up the towel and swiping a few times, take time to fold it in half, then in half again and if it’s big enough, one or two more times. You will be able to get at least 8 - 12 uses out of that one cloth.

NOTES AND REFERRALS

*NOTE # 1: I not only reevaluated window cleaners, but my dishwasher and laundry detergent also. Once upon a time I attempted to make them myself, but it was time-consuming and damaging—probably because I was using too much product. Now I use a highly effective, non-toxic dishwasher and laundry detergent from a company called Clean People®. Here is the link to their website: https://www.getcleanpeople.com/ . I hope you will check out their products. Their laundry detergent comes in a small cardboard box with little perforated square laundry detergent sheets, so there is no huge plastic bottle to junk the planet, and their dishwasher detergent has no chlorine odor or harmful chemicals. They also offer a subscription service. I love them and I think you will too!

**Note # 2: Coming soon! I will be writing another post discussing the benefits of ACV – apple cider vinegar. It’s a vitally important and healthy addition to any diet. In the meantime, please check out the SHOP page where you can also read about the many uses of vinegar when you purchase GROUNDED, Simple Tips for Living Well, 3rd Ed. You’ll find tons of information there on natural health, beauty, and homemaking. One of *Don Aslett's books, Clutter's Last Stand, is found in Appendix B, p. 63 of GROUNDED, 3rd Ed.

The photo shows the particular brand I prefer but is not a paid endorsement. I am also not an affiliate for the above-mentioned cleaning company. Just wanting to pass on a good thing!

SANDY'S SEWING TIPS

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 21:03:32 GMT

Do you like to sew? Or have you ever wished you had learned earlier in your life? Maybe you would like to learn now but don’t feel you have the time. Let me encourage you; it’s never too late!

A VALUABLE SKILL

I realize sewing (by hand or machine) is not something we seem to have time for these days, including myself, but I believe it’s important that older women, especially, take time to motivate and teach children, teens, and young women this wonderful and useful skill. Creating works of art such as clothing. curtains, tablecloths, and quilts for our households is an extremely fulfilling aspect of womanhood and homemaking.

MY BACKSTORY

Over the years, actually since age 10, when my mother taught me to sew on a machine, I’ve sewn many garments for myself and my children. Skirts, dresses, (a corduroy suit, even, in Home Ec class, lol), blouses, shorts, pajamas, housecoats, nursing apparel, curtains, pillows, and more…oh! And my wedding dress! Thinking back, I’ve done way more than I realize, and I miss it. Sadly though, because it’s cheaper today to buy clothing at 75% off sales, for example, and because fabric, notions, and patterns have become so expensive, I don’t sew like I used to, but I pray this trend will reverse itself in our culture.

ANYONE CAN SEW!

Let me say first, sewing is not just for a talented few! Anyone can learn to sew proficiently and enjoy it if we understand the basics and know a few tips & tricks to make it easier and more understandable. All it really takes is a commitment to begin, practice, and patience to stick with it. I promise, it’s worth the trouble! There’s nothing like the satisfaction that comes from doing a job well for the ones you love. And when you finish your project, you’ll be so proud that you’ve created something original, useful, and beautiful. Perhaps you may even save yourself and your family a little money!

REMEMBER THESE TIME-SAVING TIPS

So, my purpose here is to simply encourage you to begin! I’ll list a few pointers below that I’ve picked up over the years. You may think they will prolong the time it takes to finish, but you can actually save time doing it right the first time. If you follow them, you can consistently produce a professional-looking item you’ll be proud of that may eventually become a treasured heirloom. Also, one thing to remember before you start: do begin with something easy! Pattern companies are very good at explaining and illustrating each step clearly, so have confidence! You can do this!

Always wash and dry fabric first. This prevents possible shrinkage. If this step is skipped, it could result in a bad fit after completion.
Read through all directions before beginning! Assemble all notions and tools.
Take time to identify pattern pieces before cutting. On the instructions, check off each piece for the view you choose, cut out the corresponding pieces of the pattern, and lay them aside together.
Pin each pattern piece onto fabric carefully. Space pins close enough to keep the fabric stable while cutting. Usually, the sharp end of the pins should face the edge of the fabric and be placed perpendicular to the edge so as to easily sew over them.
Cut CAREFULLY--cutting your garment accurately is fundamental. If you’re careless at this step it will affect the rest of your project.
Pay close attention to dots and triangular markers. While you learn, if desired, use the chalk pencil to mark your fabric until you gain confidence. (Opt.) Instead of using a fabric pencil, make tiny cuts on the edge of the fabric where dots and triangles appear. It sure saves time.
Use machine markings on the needle plate to guide your seam in order to keep them straight and even. Normal seams are 5/8” wide.
Either pink (use pinking shears) or sew a zigzag stitch ¼” from stitching to keep seams from fraying. Cut off excess unless directed otherwise. I don't skip this step because even though no one will see it, I know it's there! I want my project to last too (and I love to do my best as unto the Lord:)
PRESS, PRESS, PRESS. Press each seam as you progress. If you wait until you’re completely done, the project will have an unprofessional, home-made look.
To avoid missing a thread, also cut them as you go.
Start with simple projects and graduate slowly to more difficult levels. I highly recommend this!
As you gain skill and experience, you will discover you can make anything you set your mind to—HAPPY SEWING!!

SEW WITH SOMEONE YOU LOVE!

While you’re learning to sew, it’s fun to include your children and grandchildren! Pictured here is my granddaughter wearing her first skirt. She was excited to pick out her own pattern and fabric—she knew exactly what she wanted! We met together 3 times while she learned the basics of sewing her pink-checked skirt with the big pink rickrack! We both loved spending time together doing something practical and pretty. I hope you are inspired to learn the art of sewing, too, and find another way to love your family well!!

“ She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.” Prov. 31:13 “She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.” Prov. 31: 21-22

WISDOM I WISH I'D HAD BEFORE I GOT MARRIED!

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 02:07:25 GMT

How much are we prepared for marriage before we tie the knot?

What Do I Know??

After nearly 50 years of marriage, I've learned many things from God’s Word and experience. Yet there was SO much at the beginning of this journey about which I had not a clue! Not that I would have, given the fact I had not yet experienced it. Nevertheless, as an idealistic young woman, quite eager to find a husband and get married, sadly I had placed myself in a very bad position making major life decisions without the benefit of asking for wisdom from my parents. Looking back, the first lesson I would teach any young person today would be: listen to your elders!! Believe me, it is more than worth it.

What is Most Important?

Another major reason I was ill-prepared was because I wasn't adequately taught by those who came before me. Not that I blame them—we cannot give what we do not have. However, in our culture, teaching the next generation how to be good spouses and parents has not been a huge priority, even in the church. Which is where, ultimately, this training should have come. And sad to say, our human nature would rather focus more on the urgent than the important. Therefore, more emphasis is placed on vocation and career for both men and women rather than preparation for marriage and family life. Sadly, even tragically, education and training in the way we will spend the major portion of our adult life falls by the wayside, lacking the intentionality it needs and deserves.

An Uncharted Course

Then sometimes it's simply not possible to be as prepared as we'd like to be. Even if we've been well-instructed in this area, or even had parents who set us a good example; until we are married it all remains in the hypothetical realm! For until we actually flesh out the day-to-day marital relationship, we really don't know precisely how we will handle any given situation. Because no matter how ready we think we may be, life will always, always throw us a curve ball. In conclusion, we may as well be optimistic -- it's much easier on our emotions to expect the unexpected, anyway, right?! (Well, most of the time:) Especially when we have God to help us…...

Wisdom I Wish I’d Had Before I Got Married!

So for your perusal I have listed a few things below unknown to me at age 20 but which I now understand and am honored to pass along to you! I sincerely hope what I've learned will help you navigate your own marriage and family life well so that you can avoid the pitfalls you will also likely encounter. And believe me, my husband and I are still walking these things out ourselves. We will never stop growing, learning, and changing, thank God!! Certainly though, one thing is for sure -- we can never go wrong, ever, when we choose to do things God’s way.

To have a truly successful marriage Jesus must be ALL!
God’s design for marriage works 100% of the time whenever we adhere to His Word.
As we grow closer to the Lord, we grow proportionally closer to one other.
Prayer is the absolute best way to become intimate and securely bonded to one another. Endeavor to pray together daily.
The Bible is our Owner’s Manual for a godly home. Fear God and seek Him daily for wisdom.
Men interpret love as R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Honoring him in every way seems to be his greatest need.
Women interpret love as SECURITY – to be provided for, protected, and never abandoned.
We all need to know acceptance, security, high esteem, and a purpose for living.
Knowing God personally and that we’re passionately loved by our heavenly Father through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection IS the key.
Truest love is a life laid down. Jesus’ sacrifice for us is God’s ultimate expression.
Marriage is always a Covenant, never a contract.
Commitment, not feeling ‘in love’, is sometimes the only glue that will hold a troubled marriage together until healing comes.
1 Corinthians chapter 13—a perfect prescription for a love-filled marriage. It works in all scenarios!
Let’s challenge ourselves to trust God to plan our family, and work with His plan! He truly knows best which children He wants to give us, how many, and when.
Let the Word of God and Holy Spirit lead—His thoughts are a far better guide than our emotions!

“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled:” Heb. 13:4a

Chart Available for Purchase

We encourage you to click on the SHOP page under Charts and look for the title, “Wisdom I Wish I’d Had Before I Got Married!”. You can purchase, download, and print it to keep these words handy as a daily reminder. These charts also make great framed gifts as well as an important topic for personal and group Bible study.

ORGANIC GARDENING AND THE HIDDEN ENEMY

Thu, 29 May 2025 01:24:57 GMT

do you grow an ORGANIC GARDEN?

(And are you wondering what on earth that ugly thing is lying on the ground next to my foot?? I’ll explain shortly…)

But first let me ask--have you ever considered organic gardening? If you’ve never grown one, or have used only conventional Rototillers® and chemical fertilizers, I encourage you to do it organically! If you decide to try it, I believe you'll experience tremendous satisfaction when you bite into that beautiful, bursting-with-flavor, highly nutritious produce you've grown entirely through your own hard work. Not only that, but because you'll know exactly where your food comes from, you’ll have peace of mind, knowing it's safe to feed your family.

TRY IT, YOU’LL LIKE IT!

Growing an organic garden has indeed been very rewarding! It's one of numerous ways God has shown me truth, and I absolutely love this about Him! He has taught me many different lessons, particularly in regard to raising a family. (See the blog post, “BE FRUITFUL”, for a more comprehensive discussion on this theme.) At this point in my life though, I've decided to just grow tiny 'postage stamp' gardens in my old compost pile. Each year, in spite of its size, I've harvested quite an abundance of vegetables. One season a butternut squash vine randomly sprouted from the previous year and, I kid you not, yielded 36 squashes that Fall!! I was elated--they're my absolute favorite.

Also, now that there are just the two of us, I only plant a few vegetables--no more than four tomato, pepper, cucumber, and squash plants, but sometimes even these are too much. The best part of it all, however, is that because this is where I compost my kitchen scraps, the soil is essentially already prepared when I'm ready to plant--it's moist, loose, and rich in nutrients. Hence, once I plant my garden, it should produce enough for my husband and I, with plenty left over to share with others.

THE HOW OF ORGANIC GARDENING

Clearly, as with any garden, an organic garden involves much more than just scattering seeds over the soil and waiting for sun and rain! Just as in a conventional garden, it involves a lot of work, but in my opinion the work gets easier once you lay a good foundation. Accordingly, as with anything worth doing, adequately preparing the soil so that it yields an abundant harvest is essential in organic gardening, and fortunately there is a much less expensive alternative. Thinking back to my early experience, I quickly learned I could turn up the soil with a simple garden spade. There's really no need for the extra cost and trouble of using an awkward, heavy Rototiller ® . * Mechanically cultivated soil is much too harsh for an organic garden; it needs the gentle human touch:)

The next step is to enrich the soil with organic amendments such as fish emulsion, wood ash, and if needed, more organic compost. During the growing season, you might also want to add more but this depends on weather conditions and the individual requirements of each plant variety. Then comes the fun part! -- choosing [preferably] organic and/or heirloom seeds and transplants you wish to feed your family after harvesting.

Another thing to consider: rather than planting a large garden in rows, a very beneficial organic gardening practice is to plant your vegetables close together in small plots. The idea is to place your seeds and transplants close enough together to crowd out weeds with virtually no need to weed. (Or almost.) A quick online search should provide you with good information on how close to place various plants. This technique also helps keep the soil moist, which lessens the need for frequent watering in dry weather. Equally helpful is to plant raised-bed gardens in 4’ x 4' or 4' x 8' square frames, which I highly recommend trying. Being able to reach each plant easily is a big plus.

Two more things to think about: vegetables grow better around certain others so it's good to do a little research and discover which neighbors your veggies like best. Not everyone gets along as well as others, lol Lastly, you might also take a little extra time to plant marigolds around the perimeter. Not only are they a pretty sight for your garden but they will also repel pests.

*If you want to ensure your garden is well aerated with plenty of room for roots to spread, there is an extra technique you can utilize for small garden spaces called double-digging, Here's how: with a garden spade, dig a row next to the edge 18" deep while setting that soil aside as you dig; chop the ditch into small clods; do the same as you dig a fresh row beside it, filling in the first row with the displaced dirt and so on until you finish the plot. Break up and rake the top 4"-6" layer into smaller, finer soil.

so WHAT IS this Hidden ENEMY?

Back to the photo—this horrific monstrosity of a weed is a root ball up I dug up that had been growing deep underground in my compost pile for several years. (I still have not identified it.) Previously when I had to weed the area, I would notice its leaves growing above ground and would work on it, but I was never quite sure how deep it was or if I got it all. So rather apathetically, year after year I just let it go. Ha! Not a good idea. Eventually when I got serious about turning my compost pile into a real garden, I realized I had to finally deal with it! With intense resolve, lol, I grabbed my garden trowel and plunged it deep into the dirt trying to loosen it up, but every time I worked the soil I had to go even deeper. This sucker was stubborn so I became even more determined and jumped on my shovel several times, cutting way down around the root ball until finally that ugly thing was fully exposed and cut out—every last root and tendril. I couldn’t believe how large it had grown. It pained me to think how much this invader had stolen from the soil and my prized vegetables all those years.

THERE’S A LESSON HERE!

As I already mentioned, God has taught me many spiritual lessons through my gardening experiences. So have you guessed where I’m going with this? Yes!!...the obvious takeaway: we must be diligent, perceptive, attentive, intentional, and extremely vigilant about how we guard our hearts, our lives, and especially how we bring up our children. (Again, I refer you to my blog post, “BE FRUITFUL”.) Instead however, of pointing out the many other lessons you can draw from this myself, I’m going to leave the rest up to you and God to learn what you want to know, and what He wants to teach you! Happy Gardening!! xoxo

“Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it spring the issues of life.” Prov. 4:23 NKJV

Note: In my book, GROUNDED, Simple Tips for Living Well, 2nd Ed. I discuss Organic Gardening in greater detail. Check out the SHOP page to order.

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 17:31:39 GMT

ACCEPTANCE OF OUR TIMES

When I read Esther’s story in the Bible I can relate to a question her guardian, Mordecai, posed concerning her destiny. He asked her, “…who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14, NKJV) In the same way, I must accept such times as this in which I am called by God to fulfill my destiny. That is, if I want to succeed! This applies even to the details of daily living. Let me explain myself—today, in 2024, I’ve had to face the fact I cannot long for the technologically simpler times of the 20th century! This day, this year, is the time God has chosen to place me, to place us all. We are here for a reason. When we accept the times we’re living in, we can celebrate them, challenges and all.

YES, I ADMIT IT

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has struggled with our ever-advancing technology. For instance, and I’m not ashamed to admit it (sheepish grin), I’m a Baby Boomer who at one time was quite inept when it came to navigating the digital world. So much so, if you can believe this, that when my family purchased our first PC back in 2000, I couldn’t even operate a mouse. Ha ha, I don’t mind if you’re laughing out loud right now!

PLEASE HOLD MY HAND!

I could forget about trying to play video games with my sons back then. What I understood about the game far exceeded my ability to handle the controls. My fingers just wouldn’t do what my brain was telling them they should do…and what busy Mom has time to practice? Now I welcome tech help anywhere I can get it! I’m forever asking my 9-year-old grandson, “How did you do that?” when it comes to using my iPhone. He is happy to hold my hand and guide me along, lol

A MENTAL BLOCK

Part of my problem with technology was my strong bias against it. I actually detested the computer! I believe it was because I was overreacting to what I thought was my sons’ preoccupation with video games. Or perhaps it was because the television was always on whenever my husband was home? (More to that story later!) Whatever the reason, I just couldn’t seem to get past the mental block that hindered my ability to manipulate the mouse. I have since come to my senses and realized that technology itself isn’t intrinsically evil, lol. Clearly, as with almost anything—television, gaming, money...fill-in-the-blank, it can be a tool meant for harm or for good. It all depends, of course, on the condition of the heart.

VIRTUAL REALITY

Another thing that was hard to accept—I grew up in a time where everything was ‘hard copy’. Can anyone relate?? It took me a minute to wrap my head around the fact that a page was not a real page, but virtual images on a screen. Something you could ‘turn’ with a click. Worse, before Autosave, I could instantly lose a half-day’s writing with a single stray touch on the keyboard. I still groan…

FROM PAPER TO DIGITAL

I hope you’ll indulge me in this last point:) Technology, i.e. the Internet, would change our culture even more over the next 20+ years. I had to face the fact that our everyday lives were significantly shifting. It seemed gradual enough at first, though. We moved from sending personal letters to electronic emails, paper bills to using Autopay, from overhead projectors (who remembers those in church? ha ha) to computerized lyrics and videos. For me, though, the worst aspect of this shift was that it became practice for most people to text rather than talk on the phone. (I’m guilty too.) Or communicate through social media rather than having face-to-face encounters with friends. Sadly, it appeared convenience had became the norm rather than the exception.

FINDING A BALANCE

I know there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of this. However, I do believe we must understand the importance of balancing how we interact socially. To be intentional about how we relate, communicate, and spend time together--so that we don’t lose our humanity! Am I being too dramatic? Not necessarily! As an older woman I believe I have a valuable perspective.

I ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE!

At the same time, though, I am challenged!! No doubt I will need a little extra help here and there, but I am determined to accept the times! I now understand that part of aging with wisdom, especially in our opinions and mindsets, is the ability to stay resilient and flexible. These are wonderful attributes of the young. I never want to be a crotchety old woman who cannot bend when the wind of circumstance blows. Like a dry and brittle stick, I would surely break under the pressure. In order to stay young at heart, like a well-watered tree, I believe the key is to stay fully hydrated by Living Water! (John 4:14)

FLOURISHING IN OUR TIMES

In conclusion, I refer to these Scriptures. (I encourage you to do a study in Strong's Concordance of some of these words. They are amazingly insightful.) God says in Psalm 91:12-15 KJV, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; 15 to shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” I want that to be me! How about you?

WHAT IS TRUTH?

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 17:37:02 GMT

WHAT IS TRUTH?

“WHAT IS TRUTH?” This was the question Pilate asked Jesus 2,000 years ago when he delivered Him to the people to be crucified. Was this a rhetorical question or is there something for which he earnestly needed an answer? As the Roman governor of the day, we might consider him an intelligent man. I wonder if he thought he knew. Or better -- if he hoped Jesus might be able to inform him of the answer. Pilate’s simple question is, in my opinion, deeply profound.

IDEOLOGY OR FACTS

Have you ever directly asked yourself this question? If so, would you only consider ‘truth’ to be mental assent to an ideology, or as a set of facts? It’s certainly something we all want to know when there is a question of meting out justice. As a parent, when arbitrating an argument between our children, it’s very helpful to know exactly what happened first! If we are wise, we will not administer proper punishment until we know all the facts of the ‘case’.

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." 3 John 1:4

WHO IS THE SOURCE?

Clearly, the truth is certainly a collection of information based on the reality of a situation, but I believe that information must align with the only One Who has complete knowledge of the reality of any circumstance or situation. According to the Bible, God Himself, because He sees, hears, and knows all, is the only One fully qualified to determine what is true.

WHO IS JESUS?

Back to Pilate—He seemed to be speaking rhetorically but I’ve often wondered if he realized at some point that he was facing the literal embodiment of Truth standing directly in front of him. Jesus says of Himself in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Here God’s Word says He is the only way we can know the Father, personally and intimately. Jesus is definitely the only path I want to follow to find an exhilarating life of purpose.

JESUS THE WORD

In John 1:1-3, Jesus is referred to as “the Word” Who made all things. Yes, truth can be understood as principles or axioms. Yet even more apparent in the Scriptures is the fact that Jesus is Himself the Word—the Truth. Because I believe the Bible is the only infallible, Holy Spirit-breathed Book in the world, I believe Jesus’ assertion.

WE CAN KNOW

Jesus also said in John 8:31-32 “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” When we know Who He is and what He says, we can actually live a life of freedom! Freedom from selfish ambition and pursuits; knowing whose voice to follow—whether to choose Satan’s lies or the Voice of God. We always have a choice. Every single day.

FATHER KNOWS BEST

Because Jesus is the Truth, to know Him is to love the Truth. To love the Truth means to simply believe and obey what the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit desire for us--we can be confident in the fact that our Father always knows best!! In the process of getting to know Him, we become as He is and, more than ever, we will understand that we are forever loved. xoxo

And that’s the truth…:) xoxo

BE FRUITFUL

Sat, 25 May 2024 17:32:07 GMT

BE Fruitful

Back in the beginning, God created us as His children to be fruitful. He wants a huge family, so He commanded us to be fruitful and multiply! “ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish…27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it…”

FRUITFUL LIFE MEANS ABUNDANCE

We may disagree with His mandate to humankind, but the fact remains—His nature is LIFE! Look at it this way, when we eat a delicious piece of cake, don’t we want more? Or when we’re having fun doing something we really enjoy, don't we want to keep doing it? Life is to enjoy forever so I love the fact that a forever God is a God of fruitfulness and plenty, abundance and prolific life! Thus, I can’t think of a better analogy to reveal His heart for mankind than a garden. We can draw much wisdom from it, especially when we compare our own family to growing a garden.

DO WE HAVE GOALS TO BE FRUITFUL?

Like me, do you enjoy gardening? If so, are you thinking about producing a fruitful garden as your spade turns up that first shovelful of soil? Or how about your family? When that first baby is born, are you preparing your mind ahead for adding more children to your home? Do you have a long-range plan for your garden or for training and educating your children? As avid gardeners, when we sow those precious little seeds into the dirt, do we not all expect to reap an abundant harvest? I can’t imagine any of us wanting to sweat and labor over it just to watch our gardens wither and die! So it is with our children.

FRUITFULNESS MUST BE INTENTIONAL

Looking back years later, I see great wisdom in being intentional--in setting goals and having a purposeful plan. From the beginning, whether in gardening or starting a family, if we’re not intentionally working to produce a fruitful garden, we might easily lose our harvest if we leave it all to chance. Or be tempted to give up completely before we reap the fruit of our labor. Regarding my family, as a young woman, I should have given these matters much more thought. Neither my husband nor I were consciously thinking ahead. I suppose I took it all for granted that it would “just happen”. You could say I operated on 'autopilot' for quite a number of years. Now, as an older Mom with grandchildren, I have a way better perspective. At least now I can help you reap the benefit of wisdom from my own short-sightedness. (Note: God did, thankfully, intercept my life mid-run and steer me in the right direction!)

Our family is to be a fruitful garden

So consider the photos. You may be asking yourself; if my family is like a garden, how do I ensure that we'll reap a good harvest? What are some of the things I need to do? These are great questions. Because I firmly believe, as with any garden or with any family, we can expect it to be fruitful virtually every time. And we should! I believe God wants us not only to expect it but to derive great joy and satisfaction from our labor.

consult the planting guide

Thus, in order to avoid unnecessary and costly mistakes, we should first consult a planting guide and follow good gardening practices. Granted, weather and outside circumstances will factor into our success, but I believe we have a lot of control over the outcome. And just as with a garden, we can find answers for 'growing' our family by turning to the Master Gardener Himself. When we consult our 'Gardening Guide', the Bible, we will find abundant insight into God's ways, especially on how to raise (rear) a crop of children!

GOD SEEKS A GODLY SEED

Again, comparing our own family to a fruitful garden, notice in the photos we can observe 4 simple elements—soil, plants, weeds, and a fence. Although the first thing to consider is what is unseen--the seeds. Like plants and other forms of life, God begins with a seed. In fact, His Word is a type of Seed. (Mark 4:14). Did you know that God calls our children “godly seed”; that He seeks a “godly seed” in the earth? (see Mal. 2:15). In God’s seedtime and harvest economy, all children are, in fact, like seeds. And as you know, we were all conceived by two seeds merging to form an embryo. We then become a fertilized seed, containing a unique blueprint, ready to develop into a full-grown individual.

SEEDS PRODUCE A HARVEST

From this humble beginning, in the warm, secret place of a mother's womb, a brand-new life ‘germinates’ and grows—until the long-awaited day a precious child is born into the family. Just as when a seed is sown into the earth, where the tiny germ of life inside the seed sprouts and will eventually bear vegetables or fruit according to its kind. In this same way, God ‘plants’ our children into our family with a future harvest in mind—i.e. He has already written a beautiful story for each life that He will in due time, ultimately bring to fruition.

Proper cultivation Produces a fruitful garden

Considering all these things, let’s think of ourselves as earthly gardeners, called to manage and cultivate His beautiful garden. For most of us, this is usually the hardest, hottest, and dirtiest part of the job. So that we might persevere during these sometimes tough years, it's good to remember as we labor—God is always there to help us. Also, one thing that boggles my mind--He has simply lent these beautiful children to us. Incredible! As parents, He has entrusted us with a grave responsibility to faithfully admonish and nurture that child. This is just amazing to me. God calls us to carefully instruct, justly correct, and show loving affection, just as He does for us. What?? God, how can You trust us to conceive, train, mold, and nurture a child to adulthood with these earthly hands of clay?

GOD IS THE PERFECT FATHER

This is so brilliant of God, though! As a perfect Parent with imperfect children, He receives the most glory when we learn to rely on Him. He loves it when we come to Him with our burdens and cares and throw them all into His capable Hands. Whether we come from highly dysfunctional homes, loving, stable families, or anything in between, we can fully trust Him to guide us and redeem any situation. God’s wisdom and loving devotion will carry us faithfully through the entire process. I have seen Him do it again and again—God can handle anything!

GOOD SOIL IS THE FOUNDATION

Now, as pertaining to the soil, we'll compare it to the heart--the seat of our will, affections, moral attitudes, etc. First, as parents, it is vital to examine our own lives and ask, “What is the condition of our own ‘soil’?” (See Jesus’s parable in Mark 4:1-20.) Then, as any good parent would do, if our ultimate purpose is to produce a good harvest in our children, next we must ask ourselves if the ‘soil’ of our children's heart is good. Is it soft, aerated, and well-watered? In other words, have we firmly yet kindly corrected them so that we can plant and fertilize them with the Word of God, allowing the Holy Spirit to breathe upon that Word (Seed)? Or is the ground of their hearts hard, shallow, stony, or full of weeds? Clearly, a successful garden will likely yield an abundant crop when viable seeds are planted in well-prepared soil.

GUARD YOUR PERIMETERS!

Finally, we must examine what grows nearest our family. As a gardener, I’ve painfully discovered we must effectively deal with what is outside the enclosure as much as apply diligence in tending the inside. It is very important to ask ourselves–what is in closest proximity to our children? What kinds of things influence our children the most? TV shows, movies, gaming, books, friends, neighbors, YouTube? If we are intentional in our training and education, we have been building a firm foundation of love and trust from birth so that, hopefully, we ourselves are maintaining primary influence over them. However, weeds may still creep in and grow. For a time, they may escape our notice, but even though we may miss it or blow it, God is still gracious. As I mentioned previously, He is well able to redeem whatever messes we make and turn it all around for our good at any time!

WEEDS ARE AN ENEMY TO FRUITFULNESS

Again, consider the photos above while I tell my story:) Now that it’s just my husband and me, I only tend a tiny garden in my old compost pile. This, after several larger 4’x 4’, or 4’ x 8’ organic gardens. I thought this would be an easy way to grow a garden, with very little work…ha! As I discovered, there was a huge caveat. Even though I’d always been careful to pull out weeds inside my garden, this time I wasn’t paying attention to what was going on outside my garden. Granted, I had sown good heirloom seeds (transplants) into rich, aerated, loose, beautiful black soil. Also, my plants were close enough together to keep the soil well-watered and void of most weeds. However, much to my dismay, in time those pesky weeds outside the perimeter of my garden began to stealthily starve out my harvest, and I was completely oblivious.

PULL THOSE SUCKERS OUT!

Because I’d gotten too busy , I hadn’t noticed those sneaky weeds, like unseen enemy soldiers, silently invading my whole garden. And because the soil was so nutrient-rich, they grew extra-large and more prolific than normal!! Every gardener knows the time to pull weeds is when they’re small , AND that you have to pull them out by the roots, or they will Just. Grow. Back. Ha! Not only that, but there were also several varieties of weeds. Some were small with shallow roots, some had tough, thick taproots, some were just pernicious or aggressive grasses that seemed to take over the ground. Eventually I ended up weeding several large piles, way more in volume than my vegetable plants. Once the weeds were all pulled, though, my lovely clean garden yielded a bumper crop that year!

A GARDEN PARABLE

So how is God speaking to you through my true-to-life garden parable? As you meditate on God's Word and bring your questions and concerns to Him regarding what we have discussed in this post, I sincerely hope you’ve gained fresh insight and understanding that will guide you well as you grow your family garden! I trust that God will use my life experiences to reveal valuable truth that will help you, going forward. As you seek Him, I pray you receive the wisdom, revelation, and knowledge you need, so that you can effectively love, train, and nurture your own precious ‘seed’. xoxo

Note: I plan to continue discussing these topics in other posts as well. You may also read more on the subject of organic gardening in my book, GROUNDED, Simple tips for Living Well, 2nd. Ed.

COCONUT OIL & ITS AMAZING BENEFITS

Sat, 27 Apr 2024 17:14:11 GMT

COCONUT OIL has AMAZING BENEFITS

COCONUT OIL — God has provided yet another one of those multi-use natural products that is incredibly versatile. Not only is coconut oil a vital part of our nutrition, but I use it all the time in my beauty regimen. For these reasons and many more, it’s not something I ever want to do without. In my opinion, it is truly a shame women of my generation and prior knew nothing about this wonderful stuff! Growing up in the ’50s and ’60s, Crisco was the alternative cooking fat. Ugh! Knowing what I know now, it's not something I would ever use today.

ITS BENEFITS SEEM ENDLESS

For me, this amazing coconut oil is a fairly recent find. I've discovered it is super nutritious--one of the healthiest fats we can consume, in addition to butter and olive oil. (Interesting how we've been led to believe the opposite for the last 40+ years...) Also, something to consider: it is actually better to use coconut oil for cooking rather than olive oil since the melting point is higher and will not oxidize as it would using olive oil. (76 degrees Fahrenheit vs. 21 degrees Fahrenheit) One more thing to note, I prefer buying organic extra virgin as opposed to expeller-expressed and heated, refined oil. It's just healthier! F or these reasons I always have a container or two sitting on my pantry shelf, as pictured here.

So whether for cooking or as a cosmetic, I always keep a small jar of it in my bathroom drawer as well because it is particularly good for removing eye makeup and as an alternative moisturizer. Other amazing benefits and facts you may not know about coconut oil is that it has anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Here are the many wonderful uses I've discovered so far for this multi-talented tropical oil:

Heals tick bites FAST -- it really works!
Heals cold sores very quickly
Effective alternative toothpaste
Nourishes eye lashes
Great eye makeup remover
Soothing face/body cream
Low SPF sunscreen

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17

SHARE YOUR COCONUT OIL USES

What benefits have you discovered that I haven't mentioned? I would absolutely love to hear about them! Please contact me if you have another use for coconut oil, and I will consider including your suggestions in a future edition of my book. I discuss coconut oil and many other useful and effective natural products in my book GROUNDED, Simple Tips for Living Well, 2nd Ed. Note: The photo shows the particular brand I like to use but is not a paid endorsement.

Disclaimer: The above statements/claims about the possible health benefits conferred by this food have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease.

SWEETER THAN HONEY

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 17:42:44 GMT

Prov. 24:13-14 “My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: 14 so shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.”

Psalm 34:8 “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”

Prov. 16:24 "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

SWEETER THAN HONEY

About 3,000 years ago, David, the shepherd king of Israel equated God’s Word as food even sweeter than honey. He states in Psalm 119:103, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" I have found this to be so! Never before in my Christian journey has God's Word been so dear to me as now. It (Jesus) has uplifted me and encouraged me like nothing else—a necessity to my health physically and emotionally, as well as spiritually.

MORE THAN MY NECESSARY FOOD

Especially in recent years, I’ve needed Him and His Word more than ever. From 2020 and since that time, actually. Four years ago, when our world was confronted with an unprecedented global crisis, I ran to God. Gently and with great kindness, He spoke to me through His written Word, as well as in my heart. I needed some answers, and He assured me of His love and His truth concerning our situation and our future.

TASTE THE SWEETNESS

The sweetness of His Word is what comforted me. I was able to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8) and that He could be trusted implicitly. So, if honey represents God’s Word, I believe it’s very important to study the properties of honey. I believe God created honey not only to satisfy our sweet tooth, although that’s amazing! He loves to delight us with His good gifts. Even more, though, I believe He wants to nourish our souls. On a daily basis, we can choose the 'knowledge of wisdom' (Prov. 24:14) as we walk with God to fortify our thoughts, our decision-making, and our emotional health.

HOW HONEY IS MADE

With that in mind, we could do an in-depth study on the life of the fascinating honeybee, manufacturer of honey. However, I will just focus on a few vital facts. Unlike man-made or *artificial sugars, which are very harmful to the human body, honey, as an all-natural substance, is made by worker bees who excrete enzymes from their bodies to combine them with nectar they have gathered from flowers. They then fan this powerful elixir with their wings in order to evaporate excess moisture to yield the final product. I just love that! This industrious little insect, responsible for pollinating most of our fruits and vegetables, also produces a superfood we shouldn’t be without.

BENEFITS OF HONEY

Below I have listed a few of honey's life-giving properties when it is in raw, unfiltered form:

seals a small wound, killing pain and germs
antibacterial, bringing rapid healing
an effective remedy for acne and skin irritation
cleanses, exfoliates, and moisturizes skin
rich in antioxidants
relieves coughs
cleanses the digestive tract
aids in sleep

Amazingly, this list is certainly not exhaustive. And is it not just like our brilliant Creator to pack so much goodness into something so sweet and nutritious?! What have you discovered that I haven't mentioned? I would love to hear about it! If you have something to share, please contact me. I'll consider including your suggestions in a future edition of my book. I discuss honey and many other useful and effective natural products in my book, GROUNDED, Simple Tips for Living Well, 3rd Ed.

SPEAK THE SWEETNESS

Another point to consider, not only do we need to nourish ourselves, but we can offer beneficial words of life, joy, and peace to others as well. To do so, in fact, can change the whole atmosphere of a conversation or a room. And of course, it is just as important how we say something. Clearly, the operative word here is “sweet”, lol. I love the Scripture verse, “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” (Prov. 16:24) What an apt description, don't you think? So now, after reading this information, have you reached the same conclusion that I have? That by God's grace and as much as possible, we will eat and speak God's good Word wherever we go!

NOTE ON *ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

Artificial sweeteners are dangerous forms of sugar which can be very damaging to the body. They are many times sweeter than sugar, such as Aspartame (200x), Saccharin (500x), and Sucralose (600x). Unbelievably, Advantame, approved by the FDA, is 20,000x sweeter than table sugar!! But are they worth the risk? Please do further research to find out for yourself.

Personally, I prefer using only natural sugars like honey or maple sugar/syrup, coconut sugar, even organic cane sugar. Again, honey, loaded with nutrients, is 25x sweeter than table sugar which has zero nutritional value; therefore, we can use less honey. Perhaps you buy an alternative sweetener such as stevia (250-300x sweeter than sugar). True, it is natural, but I have recently discovered stevia is detrimental to gut health and reproduction, so I no longer buy it. Another natural sweetener, monk fruit (100-250x) is wonderful and has a low glycemic index, but it is expensive and therefore impractical for frequent use. My conclusion on the sugar question? As for me and my house, we will eat naturally!

THE VERSATILE ALOE VERA

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 17:09:05 GMT

THE VERSATILE ALOE VERA

The Aloe Vera is an amazingly versatile plant which contains a multitude of applications for health and beauty. You'll be surprised at how many powerful benefits God built into this multi-purpose succulent. For example, did you know the pain from a burn subsides within 30 minutes if you immediately apply a small amount of Aloe Vera gel on the area? If you continue to apply it 3-4x daily until the site heals, the scar pretty much disappears. No kidding! I've never seen a pharmaceutical accomplish this, or as safely. Too numerous to mention all of them, I list many useful gifts of the Aloe Vera plant below:

powerful antioxidant
anti-inflammatory
promotes fast wound healing
relieves pain quickly
high in vitamins like A and C
moisturizes and calms skin
protects skin from UV radiation damage
helps digestion, beneficial in acid reflux and GERD
prevents and heals stomach ulcers
germ-killing mouthwash
relieves constipation
promotes kidney health
aids in regulating blood pressure
significantly reduces levels of blood glucose, insulin, and cholesterol
helps regulate weight gain
has anti-cancer properties

Only One of 300 Varieties

THE VERSATILE ALOE VERA

The Aloe vera is an amazingly versatile plant which contains a multitude of applications for health and beauty. You'll be surprised at how many powerful benefits God built into this multi-purpose succulent. For example, did you know the pain from a burn subsides within 30 minutes if you immediately apply a small amount of Aloe vera gel on the area? If you continue to apply it 3-4x daily until the site heals, the scar pretty much disappears. No kidding! I've never seen a pharmaceutical accomplish this, or as safely. Too numerous to mention all of them, I list many useful gifts of the Aloe vera plant below:

powerful antioxidant
high in vitamins like A and C
anti-inflammatory
promotes fast wound healing
relieves pain quickly
is an effective antibacterial mouthwash
moisturizes and calms skin
protects skin from UV radiation damage
helps digestion, beneficial in acid reflux and GERD
prevents and heals stomach ulcers
germ-killing mouthwash
relieves constipation
promotes kidney health
aids in regulating blood pressure
significantly reduces levels of blood glucose, insulin, and cholesterol
helps regulate weight gain
has anti-cancer properties

Only One of 300 Varieties

ALOE VERA -- A SUPERFOOD

Incredibly, this talented little plant contains over 200 nutrients including a slew of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, essential amino acids, and other components beneficial for great health. It's a true superfood! I love that you can apply it topically or take it internally as a juice or capsule supplement.

FOOD AS MEDICINE

No need to search far to add Aloe vera to your daily diet or medicinal herb collection. You can readily find it in your neighborhood supermarket, favorite health food store, or website. Aloe vera as a gel, live plant, or in capsule form is inexpensive and again, extremely safe since it is natural. So no worries when it comes to side effects. As always, I'm a firm believer in choosing God's ways and means for healing our bodies. He is our Creator, after all, and knows exactly what we need to maintain good health! (See Psalm 104:14.)

ALOE VERA -- A SUPERFOOD

Incredibly, this talented plant contains over 200 nutrients including a slew of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, essential amino acids, and other components beneficial for great health. It's a true superfood! And I love that you can apply it topically or take it internally as a juice or capsule supplement.

FOOD AS MEDICINE

No need to search far to add Aloe vera to your daily diet or medicinal herb collection, either. You can readily find it in your neighborhood supermarket, favorite health food store, or website. Also, as a gel, live plant, or in capsule form, Aloe vera is inexpensive and extremely safe to use since it is a natural substance. So, no worries when considering side effects. As always, I'm a firm believer in choosing God's ways and means for healing our bodies. He is our Creator, after all, and knows exactly what we need to maintain good health.

Psalm 104:14 “He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;”

BEAUTY IS MORE THAN SKIN DEEP

When you have "mature" skin like me, you naturally take greater pains to preserve a youthful appearance! Since drinking Aloe vera juice, my skin is noticeably smoother. My regular skin routine also involves applying natural foods like honey, coffee (for facials), and moringa oil. Yes, I do have wrinkles, but I'm truly pleased with my skin, almost as much as when I was much younger. You might want to consider adding to or replacing your commercial skin lotions and serums with natural "food" products, too. Another great advantage: it's obviously way less expensive!

I discuss Aloe vera and many other beneficial and effective natural products in my book, GROUNDED, Simple Tips for Living Well , 3rd Ed . The book is a small, concise resource manual where you can find many inexpensive and simple solutions for your everyday health, beauty, and homemaking challenges.

Disclaimer: The above statements/claims about the possible health benefits conferred by this natural product have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease.

A DOG'S PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 17:04:11 GMT

WE NEED A DOG'S PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE!

Imagine for a moment you're a dog......wouldn’t it be great just to flop down on your back in the cool green grass and view life from a dog's perspective? Just take a little time out of your busy day and simply enjoy being alive?!

LET'S RELAX

I know I need to take my own advice and think like my dog, Blue, lol. She has a great perspective on life! And I'm finally beginning to understand her outlook--at this stage of my life I can see that rushing around, stuffing life full of activity and crazy schedules, is NOT a good thing!! I hate to admit it, but I used to pride myself on being complicated and hard to figure out. I was always doing something. I thought it was a good thing to cram as much as possible into a conversation or a letter, a closet, a day... you name it. How exhausting!! Generally, I left no room for margins. It only got me behind, cluttered my life, and left me feeling completely overwhelmed. How about you? Do you see yourself caught up in the same predicament?

WE NEED A DOG'S PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE!

Imagine for a moment you're a dog......wouldn’t it be great just to flop down on your back in the cool green grass and view life from a dog's perspective? To take a little time out of your busy day and simply enjoy being alive?!

LET'S RELAX

I know I need to take my own advice and think like my dog, Blue, lol. She has a great perspective on life! And I'm finally beginning to understand her outlook--at this stage of my life I can see that rushing around, stuffing life full of activity and crazy schedules, is NOT a good thing!! I hate to admit it, but I used to pride myself on being complicated and hard to figure out. Not only that but I was always doing something. I thought it was a good thing to cram as much as possible into a conversation or letter, a closet, a day...you name it. How exhausting!! Generally, I left no room for margins. It only got me behind, cluttered my life, and left me feeling completely overwhelmed. How about you? Do you see yourself caught up in the same predicament?

SLOW DOWN

For me, it’s often very difficult to say, “NO” sometimes, especially when practically everything fascinates me. I want to try it all, but there are limits to how far one can spread herself, lol. Can you relate? I believe I’m finally learning the value of REST and the place it should have in our lives. My husband is good at rest but as for this 'Type A' woman, it's taken me years longer to learn the lesson. Now that our children are grown and I have grandchildren close by, for health's sake, God is definitely using this season of my life to slow my pace.

LIVE SIMPLY

Living simply is now a necessity. I must be less complicated in my schedule and my menu choices, my chosen activities, or even in my relationships......whatever. Not only for myself and our family; I need the time to pass along helpful tips and practical life lessons to you . Thus, in my writing I hope to help those of you who want to slow your race to a walk and smell the flowers......or watch the clouds......or chew on a bone, lol.

SLOW DOWN

For me, it’s often very difficult to say, “NO” sometimes, especially when practically everything fascinates me. I want to try it all, but there are limits as to how far one can spread herself! Can you relate? I believe I’m finally beginning to learn the value of REST and the place it should have in our lives. My husband is good at rest but as for this 'Type A' woman, it's taken me years longer to learn the lesson. Now that our children are grown and my grandchildren are nearby, for health's sake, God is using this season of my life to slow my pace.

LIVE SIMPLY

Living simply is now a necessity. I must learn to be less complicated in my schedule and my menu choices, my chosen activities or even in my relationships.....whatever. Not only for myself and our family; I need the time now to pass on helpful tips and practical life lessons to you . Thus, in my writing, I hope to help those of you who desire to slow your race to a walk and smell the flowers......or watch the clouds......or chew on a bone, lol.

ENJOY LIFE

My passion, if you struggle in this way as well, is to help you learn to enjoy life more, and to share ways that you can simplify your days. I would sincerely like to spare you pain and trouble without your need to reinvent the wheel.

Not that I won’t stay busy doing things I love. I plan, though, to be much more intentional about prioritizing my days. I want every moment to count for the Kingdom of God because we have only one opportunity in this life to fulfill our God-given destiny. And because, in a word, simplicity itself is beautiful!!

Eccl. 3:1-14 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heave n: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

Photography by Jessica Katherine Smith

SIMPLE WAYS TO KILL GERMS

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 16:49:52 GMT

SIMPLE WAYS TO KILL GERMS

Did you know there are a few simple and very effective ways to kill germs? Especially germs we pick up on our skin. Back in 2020, when we were all dealing with the global pandemic, I discovered a secret--I quickly realized I didn’t need to carry a package of wipes everywhere I went. Or keep a huge bottle of sanitizer in my car or on my kitchen countertop. I just never felt the need. Mostly it’s because I’m always a bit leery of chemicals and artificial products. But more so, it’s because I’ve always believed simplicity is best and whatever is closest to nature. Since those days, I’ve been committed to using extremely simple methods to kill germs that barely cost a dime. May I share?

RUBBING YOUR HANDS TOGETHER DOES WHAT?

In the photo above, you will see a very effective germ-killing method. Did you know that vigorously rubbing your hands together for 15 seconds does the trick, especially if you don’t have access to sanitizer, or soap and water? The friction itself actually kills germs. I learned this from my baby's nurse many years ago. I was amazed at that and didn’t quite believe it at first. It’s just too simple! But it’s true. Since then, I’ve run across the information several times. It’s been a very handy thing to remember. (Unintended pun:)

WASHING YOUR HANDS KILLS GERMS

Another simple way to kill germs is, of course, heeding the frequent admonition, “Wash Your Hands.” We really can’t beat this sound, old-fashioned advice. As we have discussed already, rubbing our hands together itself will kill germs. Then when we add soap to the action and rinse it away with water, our hands are thoroughly sanitized. Once it all goes down the drain, the germs go with it, leaving our hands clean and germ-free. To confirm this, years ago on a family cruise, a stomach bug infected some of the crew and guests on the ship. Our captain admonished everyone to wash our hands with soap and water rather than use sanitizer. It’s just a safer and more effective way to get them clean.

WHAT'S THE BEST GERM-KLLING SOAP?

If you’re wondering what kind of soap to use, virtually any basic soap will suffice. The purer the better, like Ivory or Castile soap. I don’t recommend “antibacterial” because some of those chemical ingredients can be harmful. In fact, I believe we can be “too clean”. (More on that below.) As I’ve mentioned, the simple act of rubbing your hands together is “anti-bacterial”. Thus, the soap is just an added benefit—redundant really. But you’re probably like me—who of us doesn’t want nice-smelling hands after they’ve washed them? Especially if the soap has lotion and essential oils in it. Always an added pleasure for us as women!

A STRONG IMMUNE SYSTEM IS THE BEST DEFENSE AGAINST GERMS

As I mentioned, sometimes we can be “too clean”. In other words, we can be so concerned about killing every possible germ that we go overboard with it. I believe everyone needs to get a little dirt under their fingernails from time to time. Even children--it won’t hurt them and is in fact, to my knowledge, rather beneficial. All things considered, I believe the greatest defense against germs, disease, and infection is to build a strong immune system. Starting with a clean healthy diet, free from processed food and sugar, however feasible. Taking high-quality supplements and engaging in simple everyday activities such as walking outside in sunshine and fresh air is also wise. Additionally, getting enough nightly sleep, and periodic times of rest greatly contributes to overall health. Granted, this can all be very challenging to maintain but every attempt we make to promote good health is well worth it!

THE FEAR OF GOD IS THE GREATEST METHOD

Above all else, I believe the best way to boost our immune systems so that we can resist harmful germs and disease, is to have a healthy fear of God. By this I mean having a hefty respect, a godly fear of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) Who loves us fiercely. This clean kind of fear comes out of a close personal relationship with our heavenly Father through Christ. If we have an intimate friendship with God, we understand He would never cause us harm. That to trust Jesus and obey His Word is the best possible life we could imagine.

^“ that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,” Eph. 5:26

GOD'S WORD IS A GERM-KILLER!

Clearly, if germs cause many diseases, and a weak immune system can make our bodies susceptible, then a healthy heart is absolutely essential! God says in Prov. 14:30 "A sound heart is the life of the flesh…”. He also says in Prov. 19:23 “The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.” As we can see, the best prescription of all is choosing to believe the Word of God. When we do, we will experience peace and joy, and ultimately possess a sound heart.

Another related piece of wisdom — you have probably heard the old maxim, “Laughter is the best medicine.” It’s from Proverbs 17: 22 “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Scientific evidence abounds that proves laughter itself is very healthy for our bodies and minds. (See * below.) Undoubtedly, knowing and loving God is truly the simplest and best germ-killing medicine and health-promoting protocol of all.

Note: I will be discussing the fear of God in other blog posts as well. The fear of the Lord is perhaps not what you think, but so much more…..and an absolutely GOOD thing!! I also discuss the subject of killing germs and its remedy in my book, GROUNDED, Simple Tips for Living Well, 2nd Ed. under ‘Wooden Cutting Board’. Check out my SHOP for a description and ordering information.

* Read the benefits of laughter here -- https://www.thehealthy.com/habits/health-benefits-of-laughter/

DON'T GET TOO HOT!!

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 17:38:35 GMT

DON'T GET TOO HOT!!

Please be careful when it's hot!!! From my own experience, I can't stress this warning enough. Getting too hot during high temps and humid conditions is very dangerous. It can even be life-threatening. During extremely hot and humid days it’s very easy to get overheated. Heat stress, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke is a real danger if you don’t adequately prepare for work or exertion outside. Even working indoors in high heat conditions can be hazardous.

PREPARATION IS KEY

Take it from me! I've been careless several times while working in the heat and I don't plan to repeat my mistakes, lol. It's so very important to take precautions beforehand. One thing I do — instead of buying commercial drinks, I prepare an electrolyte drink made of ingredients I always have on hand. I believe they're safer, healthier, and less expensive. I'll discuss the recipe below. The trick is to make sure you drink enough before, during, and after work in the heat. For instance, as a precaution, Israeli soldiers will drink 1 liter of water every hour, which they discovered is sufficient while fighting in desert conditions.

Natural Ingredients for a DIY Electrolyte Drink.

DON'T GET TOO HOT!!

PREPARATION IS KEY

Natural Ingredients for a DIY Electrolyte Drink.

YOU DON'T WANT TO FEEL LIKE THIS

Symptoms I experienced with heat exhaustion involved getting red in the face, profuse sweating, chills, weakness, and on one occasion later—dizziness and nausea. Whew! There are others you could develop as well. If you experience any of those symptoms, these are signs you definitely need to stop what you're doing, go inside, and cool off quickly.

REMEDIES FOR GETTING TOO HOT

Actually, you really don’t want to get to this point! Although if you do, immediately wiping down with a cool washcloth and lying under a ceiling fan will cool you off quickly. Drinking electrolyte water until you feel normal is essential as well to slow or prevent dehydration. This photo shows some of my personal ingredient choices for an effective DIY electrolyte drink. For my recipe, I generally use blackstrap molasses in the place of raw honey but either will do. Honey is very nutritious also and would definitely suffice.

A KEY INGREDIENT

However, blackstrap is a great choice because it is high in magnesium, potassium, calcium, B Vitamins, iron, etc.—things you need to replenish your body. I once came in after a 2-hour stint pulling weeds in the hot sun and noticed a little pain in my chest. Heading to the kitchen, I immediately took a tablespoon of black strap molasses. On an empty stomach it will absorb very quickly into your body. After taking it, I never felt any pain afterwards at all!

“The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. ⁶ The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. ⁷ The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.” Psalm 121:5-7

MORE RECIPES AND INFO

You can find lots of other good DIY recipes online that are all-natural, inexpensive, and chemical/food dye-free. I discuss the benefits of the ingredients I customarily use like black strap molasses, Real Salt® and many other useful and effective natural products in my book, GROUNDED, Simple Tips for Living Well, 2nd Ed. The photo shows the particular brands I prefer but is not a paid endorsement.

Disclaimer: The above statements/claims about the possible health benefits conferred by these foods have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF PAPAYA

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 17:29:32 GMT

HEALTH BENEFITS OF PAPAYA

I am amazed at the myriad health benefits of the humble papaya. Our brilliant Creator has given us a delicious, multi-purpose fruit providing more than 12 impressive health and beauty benefits. Also called pawpaw, they are loaded with Vitamins A, C, E, and K, plus B Vitamins, as well as calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Not to mention, papaya is a powerful antioxidant, making it an extremely valuable addition to a healthy diet. Another thing, among the various superfoods researchers have discovered, like the moringa plant and turmeric root, the papaya tastes much better! They're actually sweet. Wow, so much goodness in this unusual tropical fruit. There are more, but below I've listed 12 very good reasons to add papaya to your regular diet:

Improves hair and skin
Reduces risk of acne
Promotes wound healing
Supports eye & bone health
Aids growth and reproduction (reduces menstrual cramps)
Supports the heart
Strengthens the blood
Promotes a healthy immune system
Reduces cancer risk
Promotes good digestion
Assists weight loss
Combats inflammation

Improves hair and skin
Reduces risk of acne
Promotes wound healing
Supports eye & bone health
Aids growth and reproduction (reduces menstrual cramps)
Supports the heart
Strengthens the blood
Promotes a healthy immune system
Reduces cancer risk
Promotes good digestion
Assists weight loss
Combats inflammation

AN ANTIPARASITIC

Inside the oblong-shaped fruit, once you cut it open, you’ll find shiny little black seeds you can scoop out and swallow like pills. As a simple remedy, they are effective at killing parasites in the gut. I’ve read people in tropical climates occasionally consume them for this purpose. Using these are certainly much cheaper, safer, and simpler than pharmaceuticals!

When I buy papaya, we eat about ¼ cup of cut-up fruit along with a teaspoon of the seeds, about a dozen. Next time you shop, you might want to put a papaya or two in your cart! I know I plan to add them to my menu much more often.

Papaya is such a beneficial food--I encourage you to do more research for further information. For more tips on natural health, beauty, and homemaking, check out my book, GROUNDED, Simple Tips for Living Well, 2nd Ed.

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” 3 John 2

GOSSIP AND BURNT TOAST

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 18:06:03 GMT

Gossip may be more serious than you think…

GOSSIP AND BURNT TOAST??

What, you may ask, does gossip have to do with a slice of burnt toast? There is a definite correlation between the two, as you will discover. However, before I answer that question, let’s think about bread for a moment. Originally, ordinary bread was considered a highly nutritious food — not too long ago actually. That is, before our modern food industry began to tamper with our health. For years, large agricultural corporations have genetically altered various foods, and poisoned our water and soil by using dangerous pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides leading to toxicity and depleted soils. And don’t get me started on fluoridation!

WHERE’S THE BEEF–UH, BREAD?

They’ve even removed nutritious elements like the wheat germ, and instead “enriched” our breads with harmful or non-nutritive additives. As a result of these things, today we have been conditioned to believe, sadly, that bread is ruinous to our health. Something we should avoid and replace with an alternative. I now try to avoid the problem by buying organic and non-GMO whenever possible and praying over it.

BREAD IS THE STAFF OF LIFE

However, back in Jesus’ time, bread was a staple essential for life. You’ve probably heard the old maxim: “Bread is the staff of life”, which is something I still believe. This was especially the case in ancient times. Long ago, people commonly ate simple flat bread often made of whole grains, grape juice, olive oil, water, and salt. Sounds delicious to me! Additionally, when the Old Testament Israelites wandered in the wilderness, they called their daily ration of bread from Heaven, “manna”. It was the only basic food they ate, which I’m sure contained every nutrient necessary for life.

JESUS THE BREAD OF LIFE

Interestingly like manna, Jesus, Who came down from Heaven as living bread, called Himself the Bread of Life (John 6:33, 35, 51). More than a simple analogy, He wanted His followers to clearly understand we need Him. Every day! His Word is indeed our “necessary food”. (Job 23:12) I have experienced this firsthand for myself. For me, reading and believing His Word; spending time with Jesus and getting to know and love Him, is like digesting nutritious food. Eating the “Bread of Life” is truly the only way we can develop a healthy soul. This results in a life full of joy and peace and purpose. Consequently, when our minds, will, and emotions are at rest, our bodies can’t help but respond and become healthier. I promise! “A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.”(Prov. 13:40 NKJV)

SPIRITUAL SYMBOLISM OF BREAD INGREDIENTS

Now consider how each ingredient in the bread of Jesus’ day symbolizes how we need Jesus and His Holy Spirit. Whole wheat, for instance, the main ingredient, is full of essential nutrients for life such as iron, potassium, and B vitamins, etc. Further, grape juice and wine, olive oil, and water signify His Spirit. Referring also to the Holy Spirit, Jesus said He would give us living water. (John 4:10) Finally, salt speaks of our role in society as a flavor-enhancer and preservative, among other properties. Thus Jesus calls us the “salt of the earth” in Matt. 5:13. Think of it–all of these ingredients in bread signify our ability to maintain a healthy life inside and out…and with joy!

BURNT TOAST IS DANGEROUS

Again, what does gossip have to do with burnt toast? I’d like to exlain it first by describing the bread: when toasted bread burns, it becomes hard, blackened, and almost tasteless. The starch (sugars) in bread, when heated to high temps, releases a chemical known as acrylamide, which in large amounts can be carcinogenic. Not a very appetizing thought, is it?! Rather dangerous as well.

WHY GOSSIP TASTES SO BAD!

So comparing burnt toast to words, imagine how gossip can be just as hard, tasteless, unappetizing, and potentially ‘dangerous’. It involves spreading personal, sensational, or intimate facts about others. When taken to an extreme, which can escalate into vicious rumors and slander, it can harm or even destroy a reputation, potentially ruining a person’s whole life. On the other hand, gossip may seem quite benign–-simply facts that are true. However, even though gossip may be factual words or even mere chatter, the listener can get a false impression if the facts are negative. Especially if the gossip precedes an initial introduction.

WHAT WILL WE CHOOSE?

Granted, most of us are good-willed souls who would never want to intentionally hurt someone with our words. So for the sake of promoting kindness and friendship, let’s remember — God places wonderful gifts within each of us! How sad if we miss the ’nutritional’ benefit of knowing another person. This is true even more if we take a “bite” before we get a chance to meet them. In a word, gossip can leave a bad taste in one’s mouth. I’d rather eat (and share) a delicious slice of butter-slathered homemade bread than a blackened, tasteless piece of burnt toast any day, wouldn’t you?

WHY GOSSIP TASTES SO BAD!

So, comparing burnt toast to words, imagine how gossip can be just as hard, tasteless, unappetizing, and potentially ‘dangerous’. It involves spreading personal, sensational, or intimate facts about others. When taken to an extreme, which can escalate into vicious rumors and slander, it can harm or even destroy a reputation, potentially ruining a person’s whole life. On the other hand, gossip may seem quite benign –- simply facts that are true. However, even though gossip may be factual words or even mere chatter, the listener can get a false impression if those facts are negative. Especially if the gossip precedes an initial introduction.

WHAT WILL WE CHOOSE?

Granted, most of us are good-willed souls who would never want to intentionally hurt someone with our words. So for the sake of promoting kindness and friendship, let’s remember — God places wonderful gifts within each of us! How sad if we miss the ’nutritional’ benefit of knowing another person. This is true even more if we take a 'bite' before we get a chance to meet them. In a word, gossip can leave a bad taste in one’s mouth. I’d rather eat (and share) a delicious slice of butter-slathered homemade bread than a blackened, tasteless piece of burnt toast any day, wouldn’t you?

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Phil. 2:3,

THE RED ROSE

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 19:48:12 GMT

THE RED ROSE—In my mind this gorgeous red rose is a perfect expression of beautiful simplicity. I am captivated by its color; by its uniquely regal fragrance; by the delicate softness and shape of the petals. Every time I see a rose, especially a red one, I want to turn aside and breathe in the lovely scent. When I do, and touch its soft petals, I always get a sense of peace. Perhaps it is the reason this particular variety is called a peace rose.

WHY THE THORNS?

Have you ever wondered as I have, why there are thorns? They’re so long and hard and sharp! Why would such a beautiful flower need such formidable weapons? Recently, I believe God showed me the reason. The more I thought about it the more I understood the beauty of His wisdom. He gently reminded me that in this fallen world, thorns are necessary. They are like God’s warning signal to any who would dare crush its beauty and ruin the purpose for which He created it.

WHY THE THORNS?

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ROSE

And what is its purpose? Most people recognize it as a token of affection, love, and romance. For me, it’s even more significant. I recognize it as symbolizing the very essence of gentleness, honor, and strength we experience when we find true love. Yes, between a man and a woman most definitely. Yet even more profoundly, between Jesus Christ and His beloved Bride, the Body of Christ. For these reasons I’ve chosen the red rose as my singular trademark for Beautifully Simple Publishing. It signifies truth, simple beauty, and irrepressible joy expressed in my love relationship with Christ, working through all I write!

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ROSE

WE ARE FLOWERS IN HIS GARDEN

Do you have a favorite flower you feel represents the essence of your personality or your outlook on life? Or your purpose as a woman? Can you visualize yourself as a flower in God’s beautiful garden? To Him, we are an exquisite expression of God’s image, where He delights to exhibit His brilliance through every unique bloom! Also, the wisdom He displays by designing a tiny bud to slowly unfold into a beautiful blossom, is truly stunning.

WE ARE FLOWERS IN HIS GARDEN

OUR PURPOSE IN HIS GARDEN

Think of it –- each variety is so unique in shape, color, design, and fragrance. Not only do they differ widely in appearance, but they also have a vital purpose. Every flower, when it is fertilized by a natural pollinator, is meant to ultimately produce fruit. As women, God lovingly created us to beautify this world and bring forth life, so I want to encourage you! I hope you’ll take a few moments to pause and meditate on, even celebrate, the value, significance, and purpose God has created in you!! xoxo

“I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.” Song of Solomon 2:1-3

WHAT DOES YOUR NAME MEAN?

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 16:18:25 GMT

WHAT DOES YOUR NAME MEAN?

Have you ever been curious about the original meaning of your name? This is a fascinating subject to me, and I’ve occasionally thought about the matter. The more I think about it, the more I realize it’s actually a very important question we should be asking ourselves! First, think about your name for a moment…your entire name. Try saying it out loud a few times. Do you like the way it sounds? Does it fit you?

OUR NAME IS VERY SIGNIFICANT

Personally, I think we should seriously consider this question. I do believe each of our names says something very significant about our own uniqueness and individuality. Certainly, it’s something I believe God wants us to understand. Let’s consider then, for a moment, how each of our names can signify our identity—whether given, or as a last name. Very possibly, when our parents decided upon our name, they were very intentional. Or…you might be thinking, maybe not! Either way, though, I believe they ultimately chose names God uses to identify our gifts and callings. Thus, whether or not our parents ever recognized the reason for their choice, I think our names do reveal God’s destiny for our lives.

THE MEANING OF MY NAME

For example, Sandra Lynn Wiseman Smith is my full name. Firstly, ‘Sandra is short for ‘Alexandra’, and it means “helper or defender of mankind’. I prefer ‘Sandy’ though, a nickname I picked up in high school. Secondly, ‘Lynn’, which many parents commonly used in the 50’s, means “pretty”. Thirdly, my maiden name, ‘Wiseman’, likely refers to an ancestor who was well-known for his wisdom. Lastly, ‘Smith’ is a general term for an artisan or skilled craftsman. And I have to laugh at myself at this point — even though I always wanted a fancier name, I’m finally happy with these!

INSIGHT BRINGS UNDERSTANDING

Consequently, I truly appreciate each of my names because I believe they do describe my identity perfectly. Do you likewise feel the same way about yours? If so, I hope you’ll be inspired to research your own name. You may be surprised at the insight you’ll gain regarding your unique purpose and gifts. Truly, when we consider that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17), we can approach the information with humility and gratitude. We will then understand God wants to reveal our destiny even through our names.

UNIQUE TO A GENERATION

Interestingly, too, if we pay attention to trends, I can most definitely date myself as a Baby Boomer with a name like Sandra. Do you typically know a Cathy, a Susan, a Linda, a Karen, or a Sheila? (Of course, my twin and baby sister fit into that group!) If so, they are likely your mothers’ and grandmothers’ names. Even Christy, Jessica, Caitlyn, Amber, Kayla, and Ashley now speak of an older generation. Perhaps you think your name is simply too commonplace. Or maybe you’d prefer to be called by something else? (Be careful, lol) I do hope, though, you’re content with the name you’ve been given. I believe it’s very important that we recognize the great significance God places on our names. They can easily be the very first words God speaks over our lives!

“And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.” Ex. 33:19 “And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. ⁶ And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,...” Ex. 34::5-6

WHAT IS MY PURPOSE?

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 15:58:26 GMT

WHAT IS MY PURPOSE?

Have you asked yourself lately, “What is my purpose?” I truly believe it is one of the most important questions we could possibly ask ourselves. And whenever we discover the answer, it will become the springboard from which we live the rest of our lives. To get you thinking, I’d personally like to share what my purpose is with you, that for which God has called me to write; also keeping in mind the deeper question, “What is God’s purpose for my life?”

MY PURPOSE IS TO SHARE JESUS!

The highest purpose underlying my entire business mission is simply to share Jesus and His love with you, my sweet visitor. He is truly my motivation, and the energy behind everything I am and do. As such, I celebrate the extreme privilege, as an author, to reach out to you with God’s love through the written word. What I write will certainly take many different directions and fulfill various sub-purposes. However, my big ‘Why’ is to introduce you to Him as the lover of your soul. And to help you to get better acquainted!

Jesus…painted through the eyes of a child, as one who has seen His face.

"Prince of Peace"

Painted by Akiane Kramarik

WHAT IS MY PURPOSE?

MY PURPOSE IS TO SHARE JESUS!

The highest purpose, that which underlies my entire business mission, is simply to share Jesus and His love with you, my sweet visitor. He is truly my motivation, and the energy behind everything I am and do. As such, I celebrate the extreme privilege, as an author, to reach out to you with God’s love through the written word. What I write will certainly take many different directions and fulfill various sub-purposes. However, my big ‘Why’ is to introduce you to Him as the lover of your soul. And to help you to get better acquainted!

Jesus…painted through the eyes of a child, as one who has seen His face.

"Prince of Peace"

Painted by Akiane Kramarik

WHO HE IS

Please let me introduce you to Christ Jesus, my best Friend in all the world! Jesus is a real Man yet God, the second Person of the Godhead -- holy, true, and alive forevermore. The Bible says Jesus, the only begotten Son of God the Father, was sent to earth so that we could know God and have relationship again. Yes, it's hard to wrap our minds around it. Almighty God, Creator of all things, longs to have a personal relationship with each of us. Why? Because He is LOVE. God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the very definition of Love -- Who loves us more than we can possibly fathom. For me, the amazing thing is that our wonderful, loving God has become so real over the years. Not only do I believe the Bible itself is God’s inspired, infallible “love letter” to humanity, but I have also personally experienced His Presence, His goodness, His power, and His great love, for myself! The simple, absolute truth here is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again so that we could find purpose, and genuinely experience real life forever . I will explain further:

WHO WE ARE

Allow me to wax poetic...♥ We were created as vessels of beauty, yet we can find ourselves broken and marred beyond recognition when we exclude God from our lives. As we go about our days, it's possible to be completely oblivious to the very One Who gave us life. We are like 'damsels in distress', yet we may not realize (or want to admit) that we need a rescuer. Eventually though, we may come to realize we are in a terribly dangerous situation. The truth of the matter is, without Him we will lose our way and ultimately experience eternal death. If we never come to Him, we will thwart God's magnificent purpose for our lives, which is to live abundantly through Christ forever!

HERE IS THE PROBLEM

A good thing at this point would be to pause and think for a moment, and honestly ask ourselves: what is the problem at its root? Is it not that we are all supremely selfish at heart? Essentially, this is what the Bible teaches is 'sin'. When I was a child, I would often recite a little poem to myself: “If selfishness in men would cease, then perhaps there would be peace.” Though very young, I basically understood the truth of that little 'rhyming couplet'. Next, we must ask ourselves: are we at a point where we accept this as true, and do we sincerely desire to live differently?

JESUS’ PURPOSE FOR US

If we do, God will extend His magnificent mercy! The reality is, God has been relentlessly chasing us down! We are in constant jeopardy of being apprehended by an irresistible Love, until He finally overtakes our hearts!! Someone Who is quite capable of transforming us into the amazing women He originally intended for us to be.

It boggles my mind to think that Jesus, the Son of God, demonstrated this incomprehensible love through the ultimate act of laying His life down for us to fully deal with our sin problem and pay the entire debt for it. (The wages of sin is death. Read Rom. 6:23) This was His purpose. Jesus actually died a criminal's death on a cross as a sinless Man, so that He could pay the penalty for our sin by shedding His Own blood (Heb. 9:22). His body was then buried, and after three days Holy Spirit would raise Jesus again to life so that we could also live (Rom. 5:10) if we believe on Him. (Rom. 9:10-11, 13) He invites you into real life with Him and you can start today, if you choose!

HOW I MET HIM

For me, at 15 years of age, there definitely was that day when God caught me! Light finally dawned in my mind, and I simply came to believe Jesus died for me . It was during the Jesus Movement of the early ‘70s. Recalling those years, I can see how God had been wooing me continually -- opening my heart to appreciate the beauty of His creation, and the Jesus music of the era. Other teenagers had also been witnessing to me of the Gospel. One evening in my bedroom, after reading a Gospel tract, I simply admitted my sin (rooted in my self-centered tendencies) and called upon Jesus to save me. I asked Him to completely forgive me and be my Savior and Lord.

EVIDENCE OF CHANGE

I noticed right away something was different -- I felt lighter, even though I didn’t understand much at the time. Now I understand more fully God had literally removed that heavy burden of sin, and Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love, had come to live inside of me. It was amazing -- I felt like a brand-new person with a brand-new heart! Prior to that day I had no interest in pleasing God. Instantly, however, I was changed. My heart suddenly yearned to know this amazing God I had met for the very first time.

HIS PURPOSE FOR ME

In those days I thought Jesus was only my ticket to Heaven, and a get-out-of-Hell card. I had no idea at the time He had so much more planned for my life. As has He yours! Today 50+ years later, I can’t imagine living my life without Him. Ever since, God has been working each day to restore me to His original purpose and design. My friendship with Him has deepened as we have walked through life together while He constantly worked by His Spirit to renew my old mindsets with His Truth. This has resulted in freedom from a lot of insecurity and feelings of insignificance within my life. My hope is that like a light, my life in Christ shines brighter now into our world of deep spiritual darkness, a world who needs Him so desperately.

Again, little did I realize my greatest adventure had just begun! I had no clue in those early years that His magnificent, unique, preplanned purpose for my life would take a whole lifetime to fulfill. Today I can truly look back and declare: my God-given callings are totally from Him, by Him, and to Him. “…but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.” 1 Cor. 8:6.

HIS PURPOSE FOR ME

Again, little did I realize my greatest adventure had just begun! I had no clue in those early years that His magnificent, unique, preplanned purpose for my life would take a whole lifetime to fulfill. At this point too, I can truly look back and declare with His Word: my God-given callings are totally from Him, by Him, and to Him. Truly “…to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.” 1 Cor. 8:6.

HE HAS A PURPOSE FOR YOU

Knowing these things, now you can dare to believe the life of your dreams is yours for the asking, just as I’ve experienced! You can be certain what your purpose is -- what God’s entire purpose is for your life. Are you hungry to know who you are, why you are here, what you’re to do, where you are going? If so, and you need answers to these fundamental questions we all ask, you must begin with knowing Who God is and how He feels about you. I love A.W. Tozer's observation: "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." The photos you see above reveal the essence of Who He is and what He came to do. Jesus is absolutely The Answer to all of our most significant questions.

ASK, SEEK, KNOCK

Right now, you may be curious...or skeptical…or not convinced at all that God is even real. Perhaps you believe He exists but you're angry at Him. Or you don't believe He is good. Wherever your heart is, God completely understands. I have no doubt that He wants you to be honest with yourself and with Him. Then if you desire above all else to know Him, God (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as One) will reveal Who He is to you...because He passionately wants you to come to Him! When you do, you can then experience His love and discover His glorious purpose for your life!!

All you have to do is simply ask. I promise He will answer you. A good beginning point might be to read more about Jesus in the book of John and the letter of 1 John in the New Testament. Also the book of Romans. But wherever you begin your quest, I can assure you -- when you come to God, he will never turn you away. (See John 6:37.) Jesus promises us that if we ask, we will receive; what we search for, we will find; and when we knock, the door will be opened to us. (See Luke 11:9-10) Don't be afraid to come. He is excited!!--waiting for you with open arms...♥

For further information: in my shop you'll find a little booklet I've written just for you called the Basic Questions of LIFE Answered! It contains 8 common questions we all ask ourselves at one time or another. I wrote short, concise, but thorough answers to those questions, directly from Scripture. You’ll read there in greater detail all the information you’ll need to meet God, and to understand more fully what I have introduced to you today. My love and prayers are with you as you seek the highest purpose for your life. xoxo

beautifully-simple-2

10 WAYS TO LIVE ON ONE INCOME

IT’S POSSIBLE!

WHEN GOD IS IN CHARGE

WE FOUND THE SWEET SPOT

LIVING BY FAITH

10 WAYS TO LIVE ON ONE INCOME

A CROW'S REWARD

HAVE YOU EVER MET A CROW?

HAPPINESS VS JOY

a crow is our teacher

HAPPINESS VS JOY

GIVING=SERVING=LOVE

WHY DO WE SERVE?

THE GREATEST IS HE WHO… ﻿

A crow story

HOME EDUCATION: AN INSIDE LOOK

GOD WANTS TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN

HOME EDUCATION IS THE NEW WAVE

THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME

REALITY SETS IN

OUR GREATEST DESIRE AS PARENTS

IMPERFECT PARENTS NEED THE PERFECT PARENT

LIVE IN LOVE WITH GOD

WHAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT VINEGAR?

NATURAL VS SYNTHETIC

VINEGAR – TO USE OR NOT TO USE?

VINEGAR WINS HANDS DOWN

VINEGAR AND OLD RAG TOWELS

NOTES AND REFERRALS

SANDY'S SEWING TIPS

REMEMBER THESE TIME-SAVING TIPS

SEW WITH SOMEONE YOU LOVE!

WISDOM I WISH I'D HAD BEFORE I GOT MARRIED!

What Do I Know??

What is Most Important?

An Uncharted Course

Wisdom I Wish I’d Had Before I Got Married!

Chart Available for Purchase

ORGANIC GARDENING AND THE HIDDEN ENEMY

do you grow an ORGANIC GARDEN?

TRY IT, YOU’LL LIKE IT!

THE HOW OF ORGANIC GARDENING

so WHAT IS this Hidden ENEMY?

THERE’S A LESSON HERE!

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

ACCEPTANCE OF OUR TIMES

YES, I ADMIT IT

PLEASE HOLD MY HAND!

A MENTAL BLOCK

VIRTUAL REALITY

FROM PAPER TO DIGITAL

FINDING A BALANCE

I ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE!

FLOURISHING IN OUR TIMES

WHAT IS TRUTH?

WHAT IS TRUTH?

IDEOLOGY OR FACTS

WHO IS THE SOURCE?

WHO IS JESUS?

JESUS THE WORD

WE CAN KNOW

FATHER KNOWS BEST

BE FRUITFUL

BE Fruitful

FRUITFUL LIFE MEANS ABUNDANCE

DO WE HAVE GOALS TO BE FRUITFUL?

FRUITFULNESS MUST BE INTENTIONAL

Our family is to be a fruitful garden

consult the planting guide

GOD SEEKS A GODLY SEED

SEEDS PRODUCE A HARVEST

Proper cultivation Produces a fruitful garden

GOOD SOIL IS THE FOUNDATION

GUARD YOUR PERIMETERS!

WEEDS ARE AN ENEMY TO FRUITFULNESS

PULL THOSE SUCKERS OUT!

A GARDEN PARABLE

COCONUT OIL & ITS AMAZING BENEFITS

COCONUT OIL has AMAZING BENEFITS

THE GREATEST IS HE WHO…