http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/viewMyStory.do?method=executeInit
Please keep this woman in your prayers.
About Me
- AndreaBeth
- Welcome! We are a homeschooling family of 12 living a smallish home, with a Lab named Samson, a Morkie named Cookie, and square foot gardens. Loving the Lord and learning as we go!
Us.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Taming the Tongue
This sermon has been so very convicting to me..
Taming the Tongue, Part 1--James 3:1-5 ~John MacArthur
http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/59-17
Taming the Tongue, Part 2--James 3:5-12
http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/59-18
Some things I wrote in my journal, from part 1.
*"Every one of us is carrying around a concealed weapon, all we have to do is open our mouths and it's unconcealed.
* Remember your tongue is in a wet place and can slip easily.
* If a person can master his tongue, he can master his evil tendencies throughout his whole body, and that means his person.
* Focus on the mouth. If the Holy Spirit gets control of the most volatile and the most potent member, the rest will be subdued.
* The Bible refers directly to a wicked tongue, a deceitful tongue, a lying tongue, a perverse tongue, a filthy tongue, a corrupt tongue, a bitter tongue, an angry tongue, a crafty tongue, a flattering tongue, a slanderous tongue, a gossiping tongue, a back-biting tongue, a blaspheming tongue, a foolish tongue, a boasting tongue, a murmuring tongue, a complaining tongue, a cursing tongue, a contentious tongue, a sensual tongue, a vile tongue, a tale-bearing tongue, a whispering tongue, an exaggerating tongue, etc. Did you see yourself anywhere in there? (I did.) No wonder God put your tongue in a cage behind your teeth, walled in by your mouth.
*Speak only gracious words. Speak only kind words. Speak only loving words, true words, thoughtful words, holy words, sensitive words, edifying words. Speak with gentle words, comforting words, words of blessing, words of humility, words or wisdom, words of thanksgiving. Speak only unselfish words and peaceful words. And if you do that, you'll control every other part of your life, because the only way you can do all that is being under the power of the spirit of God. But the focal point is to concentrate on the control of the tongue.
*Pray-Lord please help me say what you intended to say. No more and no less.
Taming the Tongue, Part 1--James 3:1-5 ~John MacArthur
http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/59-17
Taming the Tongue, Part 2--James 3:5-12
http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/59-18
Some things I wrote in my journal, from part 1.
*"Every one of us is carrying around a concealed weapon, all we have to do is open our mouths and it's unconcealed.
* Remember your tongue is in a wet place and can slip easily.
* If a person can master his tongue, he can master his evil tendencies throughout his whole body, and that means his person.
* Focus on the mouth. If the Holy Spirit gets control of the most volatile and the most potent member, the rest will be subdued.
* The Bible refers directly to a wicked tongue, a deceitful tongue, a lying tongue, a perverse tongue, a filthy tongue, a corrupt tongue, a bitter tongue, an angry tongue, a crafty tongue, a flattering tongue, a slanderous tongue, a gossiping tongue, a back-biting tongue, a blaspheming tongue, a foolish tongue, a boasting tongue, a murmuring tongue, a complaining tongue, a cursing tongue, a contentious tongue, a sensual tongue, a vile tongue, a tale-bearing tongue, a whispering tongue, an exaggerating tongue, etc. Did you see yourself anywhere in there? (I did.) No wonder God put your tongue in a cage behind your teeth, walled in by your mouth.
*Speak only gracious words. Speak only kind words. Speak only loving words, true words, thoughtful words, holy words, sensitive words, edifying words. Speak with gentle words, comforting words, words of blessing, words of humility, words or wisdom, words of thanksgiving. Speak only unselfish words and peaceful words. And if you do that, you'll control every other part of your life, because the only way you can do all that is being under the power of the spirit of God. But the focal point is to concentrate on the control of the tongue.
*Pray-Lord please help me say what you intended to say. No more and no less.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
In memory of..
Our sweet baby nephew Wyatt Sawyer Moerke.
He was born on this earth
Dec. 22nd, 1998..
and flew into the arms of our heavenly Father
January 8th, 1999.
He was born on this earth
Dec. 22nd, 1998..
and flew into the arms of our heavenly Father
January 8th, 1999.
We love you sweet Wyatt..
and look forward to the day we'll get to know you
in Heaven with our Lord Jesus!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Divinity 101
Divinity pointer # 1:
Make sure you follow a good recipe..and not just some quickly scribbled recipe you jotted down once upon a time..
Divinity pointer # 2:
Don't let your two yr old get ahold of the candy thermometer.
Divinity pointer #3:
After your first failed attempt at divinity-making..you will realize you only have one more chance since you forgot to buy sugar when you stocked up on chocolate chips. And there is a blizzard outside (literally)..so you're not going to the store.
Divinity pointer #4:
Don't leave the room when you're mixing the sugar mixture with the egg whites....and if you even THINK of putting the kids to bed during these few minutes, have your head examined.
Divinity pointer #5:
Just to warn you..the phone will ring while you're pouring boiling hot syrup over your egg whites. Both times.
Divinity pointer #6:
When you start out thinking you will make divinity like your Grandma did, you will end up with fancy marshmallow cream instead.
Now..on to the divinity lesson...
Gather your ingredients
2 egg whites
2/3 cup corn syrup
2/3 c water
3 cups sugar (stock up!)
1 tsp vanilla
CANDY THERMOMETER -Don't try to be a hero..use a candy thermometer. That's what they're for.
Nuts... if you remember them. I did not.
turn off your cell phone.
Separate the egg yolk from the egg whites. Do NOT get any yolk in the white or it will not turn out. Now....first things first. You're going to whip those egg whites in your KitchenAid mixer. If you do not have a KitchenAid mixer, stop now, put away your ingredients..and make fudge instead.
Beat those egg whites till they're stiff.They should look like this:
Cook the corn syrup, sugar and water in a pot, WITH CANDY THERMOMETER clipped to the side of the pot till boiling and 260 degree F. Add the vanilla. Once it's reached the 260 point..pour over the egg whites while beating on high. This should only take about 10-15 minutes, tops. If you're still mixing after 30 minutes..you did something wrong. Trust me on this. The divinity should start to lose it's glossy-ness, and start to look crumbly..like this:
It should not look like this... This is why it is important to heat the corn syrup/sugar mixture to 260 degrees. (and to get your eyes checked occasionally if you're having trouble reading tiny print)
Now..what you do from this point on is up to you. You can drop it by spoonfuls onto wax paper, or scoop it out in a small pan, on wax paper..and press it even in the pan (like fudge) and cut into squares. I was feeling adventurous and put M&M's on top of mine..and some chocolate toffee bits. The toffee bits were good! (the M&M's just fall off the divinity when you cut it)
Enjoy!
Make sure you follow a good recipe..and not just some quickly scribbled recipe you jotted down once upon a time..
Divinity pointer # 2:
Don't let your two yr old get ahold of the candy thermometer.
Divinity pointer #3:
After your first failed attempt at divinity-making..you will realize you only have one more chance since you forgot to buy sugar when you stocked up on chocolate chips. And there is a blizzard outside (literally)..so you're not going to the store.
Divinity pointer #4:
Don't leave the room when you're mixing the sugar mixture with the egg whites....and if you even THINK of putting the kids to bed during these few minutes, have your head examined.
Divinity pointer #5:
Just to warn you..the phone will ring while you're pouring boiling hot syrup over your egg whites. Both times.
Divinity pointer #6:
When you start out thinking you will make divinity like your Grandma did, you will end up with fancy marshmallow cream instead.
Now..on to the divinity lesson...
Gather your ingredients
2 egg whites
2/3 cup corn syrup
2/3 c water
3 cups sugar (stock up!)
1 tsp vanilla
CANDY THERMOMETER -Don't try to be a hero..use a candy thermometer. That's what they're for.
Nuts... if you remember them. I did not.
turn off your cell phone.
Separate the egg yolk from the egg whites. Do NOT get any yolk in the white or it will not turn out. Now....first things first. You're going to whip those egg whites in your KitchenAid mixer. If you do not have a KitchenAid mixer, stop now, put away your ingredients..and make fudge instead.
Beat those egg whites till they're stiff.They should look like this:
Cook the corn syrup, sugar and water in a pot, WITH CANDY THERMOMETER clipped to the side of the pot till boiling and 260 degree F. Add the vanilla. Once it's reached the 260 point..pour over the egg whites while beating on high. This should only take about 10-15 minutes, tops. If you're still mixing after 30 minutes..you did something wrong. Trust me on this. The divinity should start to lose it's glossy-ness, and start to look crumbly..like this:
It should not look like this... This is why it is important to heat the corn syrup/sugar mixture to 260 degrees. (and to get your eyes checked occasionally if you're having trouble reading tiny print)
Now..what you do from this point on is up to you. You can drop it by spoonfuls onto wax paper, or scoop it out in a small pan, on wax paper..and press it even in the pan (like fudge) and cut into squares. I was feeling adventurous and put M&M's on top of mine..and some chocolate toffee bits. The toffee bits were good! (the M&M's just fall off the divinity when you cut it)Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Yogurt 101
I recently read an article in Better Homes and Gardens magazine on the different types of yogurt (Yogurt, Explained -Taking the Confusion out of the dairy aisle, Sept.2008).. I was a little miffed that they didn't share how EASY it was to just make the yogurt yourself!
I figure it's about time I just BLOGGED about it.
What you need to make vanilla yogurt:
milk- fat free, skim, 2% or whole-however much yogurt you want to make. Try a half gallon.
candy thermometer
Dannon vanilla yogurt with live active cultures as your starter. You only need this the first time you make yogurt.
Vanilla. Real vanilla is preferable. Use whatever you have though.
Sugar to sweeten.
Powdered milk-to thicken
saucepan to heat milk in
tupperware containers to store yogurt in
cookie sheet and kitchen towel to cover the bowls with
stove and electricity..or gas, or a wood burning stove. whatever.
What I do and Why.
I pour the milk into the pot and clip the thermometer to the side. I heat it on low, stirring frequently until the temperature reaches 180 degrees. You want to kill off any bad bacteria..so your new good bacteria can thrive. Once it reaches 180, I turn off the burner (important..I frequently forget to do this). Remove it from the burner and add half a package of powdered milk. It's about 1/2 cup. I whisk this in. Then I add about 1 TBS of vanilla..and about 1/2 C of sugar. Stir well.
Let the milk cool to 100 degrees exactly! Important! If it's too hot, it will kill your yogurt starter and it won't set up. Ask me how I know this.
Once your milk is cooled to 100 degrees..take about 1/2 to 1 C of the Dannon yogurt and whisk well into your cooled milk. Pour the milk into a couple tupperware containers. Place them on a cookie sheet and set in your oven. Do.Not.Turn.Your.Oven.On. Someone did this once. Not pretty. (and no it wasn't me) Cover the bowls with your towel. Let this set in your oven overnight with the oven light on. The light will give just enough warmth to help set your yogurt. By morning..you should have nice thick vanilla yogurt at a fraction of the cost.
Cover and store in your fridge..and enjoy!
:o)
notes
*I did not use the powdered milk until just recently. I found that the powdered milk makes the yogurt nice and thick..just like store bought. I could not get my yogurt to turn out that way before. Thank you MOMYS. :)
**If you want plain yogurt, skip the sugar and vanilla step, and use Plain Dannon as your starter.
*** If you have made yogurt successfully using soy milk or rice milk, please send me the recipe. Thank you!
Sunday, November 02, 2008
November
It's been 71 days. I can't believe it's November already.
Take these hands...and lift them up. For I have not the strength to praise You near enough. I have nothing...I have nothing....without You.
And take my voice....and pour it out. Let it sing the songs of mercy I have found...For I have nothing...I have nothing....without You.
(Bebo Norman)
I still have tears that are ready to break thru at any given moment. Usually unexpected..and usually when I'm alone...but not always. I think about her every day..throughout the day. Every time I turn around there is something or someone there to remind me of her....I want to talk to her, and share things with her...and there is an ache in my heart that won't go away.
If you've been up all night and cried till you have no more tears left in you-you will know that there comes in the end a sort of quietness. -C.S.Lewis The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
It's so easy to keep so busy that I can just ..put the crying off till later..till a "better" time. But I find when I do that..there really is no better time..and it comes upon me in the most public places.
There is no way around the pain that you naturally feel when someone you love dies. You can't go over it, under it, or around it....Going through it is what will help you heal. (Therese Rando)
Take these hands...and lift them up. For I have not the strength to praise You near enough. I have nothing...I have nothing....without You.
And take my voice....and pour it out. Let it sing the songs of mercy I have found...For I have nothing...I have nothing....without You.
(Bebo Norman)
I still have tears that are ready to break thru at any given moment. Usually unexpected..and usually when I'm alone...but not always. I think about her every day..throughout the day. Every time I turn around there is something or someone there to remind me of her....I want to talk to her, and share things with her...and there is an ache in my heart that won't go away.
If you've been up all night and cried till you have no more tears left in you-you will know that there comes in the end a sort of quietness. -C.S.Lewis The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
It's so easy to keep so busy that I can just ..put the crying off till later..till a "better" time. But I find when I do that..there really is no better time..and it comes upon me in the most public places.
There is no way around the pain that you naturally feel when someone you love dies. You can't go over it, under it, or around it....Going through it is what will help you heal. (Therese Rando)
BIBLE MEDITATION:
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:6
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
What did our Lord mean when He said, “Enter into your closet to pray?” The word “closet” simply means some place where you can shut the door on the world and open the windows to heaven. As you study the life of Jesus, you’ll discover that Jesus sought times to be alone. Sometimes He would go on a mountain, sometimes into the wilderness, and sometimes into a garden. It is the secret place that is the sacred place. The mark of your prayer life is not really how well you pray in public, but in private-.LWF
Friday, October 31, 2008
A New Table-updated pics :)
Table progress... :o)
Our dining room is the "hub" of our home. Since we homeschool..we spend hours here every day..for meals, schoolwork, crafts, and playing. With a large family, and decent sized table is a must! My awesome husband has decided to build one himself (after seeing how much they cost in the stores!) Besides..he enjoys this. He would love to do this for a living. :)
Here is the first pic of the "skeleton" of our table. It's 8 ft long, the top will be 4 ft wide..and oak. :)
Our dining room is the "hub" of our home. Since we homeschool..we spend hours here every day..for meals, schoolwork, crafts, and playing. With a large family, and decent sized table is a must! My awesome husband has decided to build one himself (after seeing how much they cost in the stores!) Besides..he enjoys this. He would love to do this for a living. :)
Here is the first pic of the "skeleton" of our table. It's 8 ft long, the top will be 4 ft wide..and oak. :)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
A Day in the Life of a MOMYS
Here's a slideshow of our day, with captions.
http://picasaweb.google.com/wtsncrew7/DayInTheLifeOfAMOMYS?authkey=XGehKOokYMA#slideshow
http://picasaweb.google.com/wtsncrew7/DayInTheLifeOfAMOMYS?authkey=XGehKOokYMA#slideshow
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Our visit..
Well..Dad and Kevin are on their way home. They made the trip..driving straight thru (from WA, thru Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota) 28 hours!!
I'm so glad Dad and Kev came. It was just really weird (hard) to not have mom here too. I didn't quite know what to do with myself. It felt so good to hug my dad. Been wanting to do that since she passed away. Dad hadn't been here in 4 yrs (since Mikey was born!) And Uncle Kev has never been here!
That said..it was a good visit. The kids took to Papa and Uncle Kev right away...
Here's a couple pics..
Obie fell asleep on Uncle Kev...
Eliahna and her Papa..
Dad with the crew...
Also..on "reclaiming my kitchen"..boy, that didn't work out so well! Shortly after I posted that, we all came down with some super-bug enterovirus (awful!). We were down for the count for nearly 2 weeks!
I might give the menu a try again though.
I'm so glad Dad and Kev came. It was just really weird (hard) to not have mom here too. I didn't quite know what to do with myself. It felt so good to hug my dad. Been wanting to do that since she passed away. Dad hadn't been here in 4 yrs (since Mikey was born!) And Uncle Kev has never been here!
That said..it was a good visit. The kids took to Papa and Uncle Kev right away...
Here's a couple pics..
Obie fell asleep on Uncle Kev...
Eliahna and her Papa..
Dad with the crew...
Also..on "reclaiming my kitchen"..boy, that didn't work out so well! Shortly after I posted that, we all came down with some super-bug enterovirus (awful!). We were down for the count for nearly 2 weeks!
I might give the menu a try again though.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Issues
Planned Parenthood Exposed on O'Reilly Factor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP5fNsPKnpEJill Stanek on the O'Reilly Factor--
babies born alive, and allowed to die, in our hospitals. This just brought me to tears...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9duXeLahkV4
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Reclaiming my kitchen!
That's it. I've had it. I'm reclaiming my kitchen!
or more appropriately, my fridge.
The boys go in and take whatever they want..whenever they think they're hungry. It's getting ridiculous...and it's hard on my grocery budget. (my children are far from malnourished!)
The hardest part is remembering snack times, and making sure my oldest three remember not to walk in and take an apple whenever they feel like it.
I've made out a lunch & snack menu for Mon-Fri:
fruit is either apple, banana or orange..or applesauce
Monday-
snack (10am) pb on crackers
lunch (noon) cheese tortillas and fruit
snack (2pm) fruit and crackers, homemade yogurt
Tuesday-
snack-apple slices and string cheese
lunch- top ramen and baby carrots
snack-cream cheese graham crackers
Wed.-
S-pb crackers/cheese n crackers
L- tomato soup or pb and jelly sandwiches
S-fruit/crackers/yogurt
Thurs-
S-raisins/fruit/dry cereal
L- hot dogs on buns, pickle slice
S- string cheese and popcorn
Fri-
S- meat and cheese on crackers
L- grilled cheese sandwiches and applesauce
S- yogurt and fruit
or more appropriately, my fridge.
The boys go in and take whatever they want..whenever they think they're hungry. It's getting ridiculous...and it's hard on my grocery budget. (my children are far from malnourished!)
The hardest part is remembering snack times, and making sure my oldest three remember not to walk in and take an apple whenever they feel like it.
I've made out a lunch & snack menu for Mon-Fri:
fruit is either apple, banana or orange..or applesauce
Monday-
snack (10am) pb on crackers
lunch (noon) cheese tortillas and fruit
snack (2pm) fruit and crackers, homemade yogurt
Tuesday-
snack-apple slices and string cheese
lunch- top ramen and baby carrots
snack-cream cheese graham crackers
Wed.-
S-pb crackers/cheese n crackers
L- tomato soup or pb and jelly sandwiches
S-fruit/crackers/yogurt
Thurs-
S-raisins/fruit/dry cereal
L- hot dogs on buns, pickle slice
S- string cheese and popcorn
Fri-
S- meat and cheese on crackers
L- grilled cheese sandwiches and applesauce
S- yogurt and fruit
Sunday, August 17, 2008
C.H.Spurgeon..Morning by Morning-Aug.17th
August 17th
The mercy of God."—Psalm 52:8.
The mercy of God."—Psalm 52:8.
Meditate a little on this mercy of the Lord. It is tender mercy. With gentle, loving touch, He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He is as gracious in the manner of His mercy as in the matter of it. It is great mercy. There is nothing little in God; His mercy is like Himself—it is infinite. You cannot measure it. His mercy is so great that it forgives great sins to great sinners, after great lengths of time, and then gives great favours and great privileges, and raises us up to great enjoyments in the great heaven of the great God. It is undeserved mercy, as indeed all true mercy must be, for deserved mercy is only a misnomer for justice. There was no right on the sinner's part to the kind consideration of the Most High; had the rebel been doomed at once to eternal fire he would have richly merited the doom, and if delivered from wrath, sovereign love alone has found a cause, for there was none in the sinner himself. It is rich mercy. Some things are great, but have little efficacy in them, but this mercy is a cordial to your drooping spirits; a golden ointment to your bleeding wounds; a heavenly bandage to your broken bones; a royal chariot for your weary feet; a bosom of love for your trembling heart. It is manifold mercy. As Bunyan says, "All the flowers in God's garden are double." There is no single mercy. You may think you have but one mercy, but you shall find it to be a whole cluster of mercies. It is abounding mercy. Millions have received it, yet far from its being exhausted; it is as fresh, as full, and as free as ever. It is unfailing mercy. It will never leave thee. If mercy be thy friend, mercy will be with thee in temptation to keep thee from yielding; with thee in trouble to prevent thee from sinking; with thee living to be the light and life of thy countenance; and with thee dying to be the joy of thy soul when earthly comfort is ebbing fast.
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