Happy 4th ( my birthday) and Canada Day! ( on the 1st)

May you have a "sparkling" day on the 4th of July and  Canada Day! ( the 1st of July) !


I will be celebrating my 43rd  on the 4th of July.  If you think of me light a sparkler. 

Getting Ready...

I have been ohhhhhhhhhh so VERY busy with feeding my family, tying up loose ends of the homeschool year and getting ready for my mom, brothers, sister and nephew that are arriving in 4 days. I will hopefully  be back to normal blogging by then.  I know I keep saying that but I DO keep hoping. ((sigh))

Samples of Whats Been Going On In the Kitchen

I have been wanting to post some of these pictures for a few weeks now but life has taken a mind of its own so here they are now, all in one post.

Soaking lentils, sprouting wheat berries ( for baking) and cooking black bean soup.

Making do... for the longest time I have been cooking on my two small burners but when my oven went I had to get REAL creative.  I bake 99.9% of my bread  so I had to come up with a solution.  It motivated me to finally try making English muffins.  They are so easy and turned out great!  Tutorial to come soon.  Ohhh and I now have a new to us stove oven unit.  I used all four burners the very first night. [o=

With greens coming in now I am trying to find new ways to preserve them.  This year I am dehydrating some to use in soups, smoothies, quiches,  omelets, and ect.

I love love love making quiches.  In the spring it is a wonderful way to use the green onions, spinach, garlic chives that are coming out of the garden.  I have found I really enjoy using goat feta in my quiches too.

And waste not want not...making pie dough cinnamon rolls with left over dough.

Long ago I stopped buying canned soups and learned to make my own.  I love making everything but the kitchen sink soup.  I start looking at what is in the fridge, freezer, and in the garden and start by sauteing onions add chicken broth and add from there.  

 From my kitchen to yours!

Learning to Wait For God

The retreat was such a amazing time for me.  I was a changed person with a changed heart after all said and done. 

 I went in with a heart that had become a bit dry and crusty from worrying about life. Kind of like the ground in the picture above.  To a heart that had been cultivated, watered, and new seed was planted.  I didn't realize how much pride had snuck into my heart.  I wasn't where I was suppose to be in my walk with the Lord. I knew something wasn't right but I didn't know exactly what it was.   I had become too self reliant instead of relying on the Lord fully for everything, even my attitude. 

 Kim Blackaby     was our speaker for the week end and what a blessing she was.  Her message for the week end was "What are You Waiting For?"  She went over ...

• What does it mean to wait on God and what are you waiting for?
• How do we know when to move and when to wait?
• What are the consequences of not waiting?
• How do we hear God?

The issue that God showed me was I was waiting for...was  "Rescue" and " longings to be fulfilled".  Psalms 38:9-5

Rescue:

Psalm 37:5-9

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵ Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.

⁷ Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.

⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the Lord,
They shall inherit the earth.

Psalm 27:13-14

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹³ I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.

¹⁴ Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Isaiah 41:10

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁰ Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Longings Fulfilled:

Psalm 68:5-6

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵ A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
⁶ God sets the solitary in families;
He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;
But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

Psalm 38:9-15

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁹ Lord, all my desire is before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.
¹⁰ My heart pants, my strength fails me;
As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.

¹¹ My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague,
And my relatives stand afar off.
¹² Those also who seek my life lay snares for me;
Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction,
And plan deception all the day long.

¹³ But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.
¹⁴ Thus I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth is no response.

¹⁵ For in You, O Lord, I hope;
You will hear, O Lord my God.

The Lord showed me that I needed to keep doing  good (what he has called us last to do and keep doing it till He tells us different) and what I am called to and be still and know that He will provide what is needed.  Our attitude is so very important and we need to be still...rest in the Lord and let go of the tight grip of being in control of our life.  And when we are angry we need talk it out with God and not hold back, work it out with God.  Then rest and trust in Him. We are to trust in His character, ways, and timing.  I know that is so much easier to say than do.  I am a testimony to that!  Also we are to stay before the Lord in the word, in prayer constantly and with others.   I learned too that God is preparing me/us in our situation for what He wants to accomplish.

• He sees our needs...Psalms 31:7
• He hears our cry's ...Psalms 116:1
• He sustains and strengthens...Isaiah 40:30-31, Psalms 18:1-2
• He produces spiritual fruit in us Psalms 4:7-8

I Learned that patience is to tough it out, preserve when it isn't easy.  To remember to keep coming back to the Lord and let Him build strength up in us.  If we are being impatient then we are not relying on Him and way too much on our own strength.  I also learned I need to expect to see God in my circumstance and search for Him.  If I expect to see Him He will show up! Once I stop expecting I need to stop and ask the Lord to renew my heart and faith in Him.  That is exactly what happened that week end, my heart was renewed.  Thank you Lord.

Psalm 5:3

New King James Version (NKJV)

³ My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.

The Lord drove all these lessons home with a incident during the free time on Saturday.  I was asked to teach a beading class that week-end and I thought I had brought all my tools and supplies.  But I forgot my beading tool kit. I didn't realize it till just before when I was gathering my supplies to teach.  I had a feeling to check my bead bag for my tool kit and it was not there.  That was the last straw that broke the camels back.  I just crumpled to the ground crying.  I had prepped all week to go to this retreat and felt this was my part to give.  It was for me to give but I was doing it on my power.  The Lord showed me that we are to do what he has called us to do but then He will provide when we are not able.  My friend Bernie that was there in the cabin just happened to bring her needle nose pliers for the class and offered it.  That gave me a bit of hope that I could still teach how to make the beaded bookmarks.  As I pulled myself back together and all my supplies too.  While I was pulling myself together Bernie went to one of the workers at the camp and borrowed some wire cutters and another needle nose pliers.  That was just enough of what we needed.  God is SO good!  This was such a parallel to my financial situation. that I shared HERE.  But this time the Lord showed me Him in the story.


Also there was provided lots of good tasting food and we were very spoiled.  It feels so good sometimes to be waited on. [o=  Plus there was  AMAZING singing and fellowship.  I was soooooooo very blessed indeed.  I feel like a new woman! And my strength has been renewed.

(I am the one on the right)
This is the song I woke up to Saturday morning singing in my heart.  Sometimes the Lord gives me songs to wake up to and I know they are from Him.  They always speak into my heart and what I am working through.  I hope this song blesses you as it did me.

To pass the time...

"I look to you Lord Jesus for everything.. in the peaceful quiet of the morning I seek your heart."

While you are waiting for what I will share.  IF... you want a peek into "who Mary is" look at my collage of what I love.

Open the Eyes of My Heart

Until I can get out my post(s) about my week-end I hope this will help you wait a bit .  There is so much I want to share and I don't want to rush it, before I am really able to really share. I am hoping tomorrow but please be patient with me if it takes a couple of days.

A Little Get Away

This week end I was very blessed with the gift of some sponsoring me to go to our churches woman's retreat.   It is all focused on being still and waiting on the Lord and His timing.  I don't think there could have been a better retreat for me to go on right now.  I am really looking forward to what the Lord will be showing me and drawing me closer unto Him.

During free time on Saturday I will also be giving a jewelry class to some woman.  I had such a fun time doing that last year.  I pray you have a lovely time this week end and may the Lord bless your time with your family and friends.


I hope to be more around this coming week... till then...