Lots to be Thankful For

Well, it is done!

We now have the papers on our new home.

 I am thankful for God's provision and His perfect timing.

I am thankful for my husband,

who understands the value of making a house into a home.

I am thankful for extra work and outside jobs that will help fund

making a house a home.

In the coming weeks, expect some "Tuesday Transformation" posts.

I will revisit some of our past homes,

and show before/after pictures of our home as we prepare for a move.

A Healthy Heart

Proverbs 14:30 

 A sound heart is the life of the flesh: 

but envy the rottenness of the bones.

There are lots of things that I do to keep a healthy heart.

I exercise.

I get plenty of rest (most of the time).

I try to eat "healthy" fats.

I try to keep salt intake low.

I try to drink lots of water.

A Sound Heart.

It is whole.

It is healthy.

It is unwavering.

It is steadfast.

It brings health.

The writer of Proverbs lists one cause of distress in the heart ... 

ENVY!

The sources of envy can be many ...

I can envy someones marriage, children, home, car, 

possessions, clothes, beauty, vacations, health ...

but my life will be full, complete, and whole if I practice contentment.

What sin is rotting your bones today?

Is it envy?

fear?

worry?

discouragement?

pride?

lack of discipline?

Get rid of the sin and live a full and healthy life.

This Morning in the Garden

          

Refreshing

For weeks, I had had the desire to make iced tea.

It is so refreshing on a hot day.

In addition, I had fresh mint growing on the porch.

I intended to "google" for a recipe,

but ended up searching through recipe books for the best way to use the fresh herbs.

I ended up with 

Fresh Mint Cooler

1 c fresh mint

4 c boiling water

ice

sugar (honey) to taste

* Place mint in large bowl; pour water over mint; let stand for 2 hours

* Strain mint mixture; discard mint.  Fill glasses with ice; add mint mixture and sugar.

*Note* I added honey while the mint mixture was still warm and then refrigerated.

Hubby said that he never wanted regular iced tea again.

I guess I will have to plant a mint patch to keep up with the demand :)

AAH! Refreshing

For weeks, I had had the desire to make iced tea.

It is so refreshing on a hot day.

In addition, I had fresh mint growing on the porch.

I intended to "google" for a recipe,

but ended up searching through recipe books for the best way to use the fresh herbs.

I ended up with 

Fresh Mint Cooler

1 c fresh mint

4 c boiling water

ice

sugar (honey) to taste

* Place mint in large bowl; pour water over mint; let stand for 2 hours

* Strain mint mixture; discard mint.  Fill glasses with ice; add mint mixture and sugar.

*Note* I added honey while the mint mixture was still warm and then refrigerated.

Hubby said that he never wanted regular iced tea again.

I guess I will have to plant a mint patch to keep up with the demand :)

Help in Time of Trouble

Psalm 108:12-13

 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

 Through God we shall do valiantly: 

for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

Protection

Today, I am thankful for God's Provision and Protection.

Yesterday, I stranded myself in a small, country town by getting stuck in a ditch.

It was a stupid things to do, but none the less, it happened.

I was fearful as I left the truck to look for help.

God provided a pleasant woman to provide a phone in a cool home.

God provided those that I remembered a number for to be home and available to help.

God provided pleasant folks to stop.

God protected the vehicle.

It is a blessing to live in a place where so many folks drive big trucks 

and carry tow chains.

I guess that is another blessing of NC :)

Praise the Lord for His blessings.

Fear of the Lord

Proverbs 14:26 

In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: 

and his children shall have a place of refuge.

I am not by nature a confident person.

I am by nature a people-pleaser.

But the Bible reminds me that fearing the Lord brings confidence.

 It is easy to be swayed by others.

God continues to teach me to wait on Him,

To trust Him,

To follow His plan rather than the plans of man.

Following His plan yields piece and confidence.

We recently felt this during the home search.

We had long ago determined to continue renting until we could buy a home without debt.

Standing in beautiful new homes made us doubt that decision.

What about a tiny mortgage?

But there was no peace ... no confidence to go ahead ...

until we found a home in our price range.

The verse also adds encouragement for the moms and dads out there.

Your rightful view of God will create a peaceful refuge for your children as well.

What a promise!

Give Him Glory

Psalm 108:1-5

 O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.  Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.    I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people:  and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.  For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.  Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;

I'm Back!

No, I was not on a vacation.

Far from it.

Hubby and I decided in the last two weeks that it was time to stop renting -

that if we could find a reasonably priced place, we could start saving for our "dream" home.

Last week, I spent much time scouring real estate sources,

crunching numbers,

researching home ownership ...

my mind was spinning.

What could we afford?

Was the neighborhood safe?

How much "fix-up" was required?

Then, on Friday night, our new home went on the market.

It is in our present neighborhood.

In fact, I will still be able to use the clothesline that hubby built for me 4 years ago

.

My current front yard will now become my back yard :)

Now my head is spinning,

but with ideas, colors, plans ...