Thankful Thursday~For Another Day

Today I am thankful. I have a thankful heart. I am very thankful for my husband, my children, our health, our home, food, the air I breathe (this fresh mountain are is so invigorating) clean water to drink, warmth from the cold and coolness from the heat, homeschooling and for living in America where we can freely serve our Father. Where we still have freedoms. I pray for those freedoms. I never take them for granted. I'm thankful for my life. My Father is so good to me. I'm thankful for Him and to Him.

I'm thankful for Luke and his heart for Christ. He is such a brave little boy. I am thankful that God is answering prayers and that both his brother and sister are perfect matches for bone marrow! I am thankful to those of you who are praying for him. I am thankful for this blogoshere. There are updates about dearest Luke on his family journal and the blog that is keeping prayers for him. Please go and read about him, put a face to his name and intercess for him today. If you would like to pray online for him but haven't yet go here 500 Prayers for Luke. Once there, there is a link at the top left of the page that will take you to his online journal. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support!

Happy Thankful Thursday!

1 Chronicles 16:34 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Psalms 30:12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

Thoughtful Blogger Award

The Thoughtful Blogger Award is for those who answer blog comments, emails, and make their visitors feel at home on their blogs. For the people who take others feelings into consideration before speaking out and who are kind and courteous. Also for all of those bloggers who spend so much of their time helping others bloggers design, improve, and fix their sites. This award is for those generous bloggers who think of others.


Mary at Kisses from Heaven has blessed me greatly with this award. This truly means a lot to me. Not only was this award a surprise but YOU were a surprise! I honestly was not aware how often you frequented my blog home and I LOVE surprises! Thank-you Mary!

As always there are rules with awards given so here goes!

Award Rules

1) If you have received an award simply choose either the dark or light background image and save it to your files, then post it proudly on your blog!

2) Pass the award on to five other people, you can choose any of the awards from the series, you do not have to pass out the exact award you received. Choose whichever of the awards below that you'd like to give out. You can give out one of each or five of the same one, whatever you prefer. ( Awards in this series are Inspirational, Courageous, Charity, Thoughtful & Creative)

3) You can change the size and color of awards to suit your blog, that's up to you, it's your blog, just leave the titles the same.

4) Please link back to this post so that people can read these rules and so that the meanings of the awards will not be lost.

5) If you feel that you or a friend are deserving of an award and no one has given one to you yet then email me at sayhitochristy(at)hotmail.com and tell me about your website.

Now to pass this on, the hardest part I believe for everyone who has ever received an award is passing it on, only because our hearts desire is to pass it onto everyone we know! Soooo.....my choices are.....

To Karen at Surviving Motherhood I pass on the Inspirational Blogger award that is for those bloggers who inspire others through their words and actions. With a positive attitude, and an uplifting spirit these bloggers make the blogosphere a better place, and encourage others to do the same. This award is for bloggers who rise up to set an example but continue to reach out and support others. Karen is so inspirational to me. She somehow knows how to step inside of my mind, know my thoughts all while knowing exactly how I feel! Her advice is right on time and it shows her wisdom comes from our Lord. Karen I want to thank-you for sharing your own trial and error with us. For always lifting us mothers up and stopping the condemnation that tries to creep in.

Next I would like to pass on the Thoughtful blogger award to Chickadee at A Familiar Path for being so honest and so open and so faithful. I love reading your blog girlie.

Mandalyn at Grace and Hope for sharing her heart and littles whom are so adorable!

To Karen at Karen's Ramblings for her honesty and driving ambition that always manages to challenge me to dig deeper with God.

And finally to Joyful Days for her encouragement and love of reading! She always has something going on. She's great!

To read more about the awards click here Writer's Reviews. Thanks for reading!

Another Meadow Moment

As most of you know Meadow is my baby. My little girl, the one who is spoiled so rotten that I'm quickly becoming the only one who can stand her! (not really) :)

The other night my friend Tammy, her family and youth group from her church, then Heaven, Meadow and myself volunteered to help pack food boxes at a local food bank that needed help. We had such a great time, it was such rewarding work. Everyone pitched in and worked together and friendships were formed. It was great fellowship, a great time had by all. (Tammy and her husband Brad are working on starting a food bank in their community so if you wouldn't mind please keep that in your prayers.)

The lady who ran the place commented several times on my Meadow and how she was a mommy's girl. She commented that she didn't like to see mom's complain when their children desired to be with them because it was a good thing and they may not always have that desire. I assured her that I was thankful for Meadow's clinginess and I enjoyed her wallering me!

A little later she commented again and said, "Your daughter really is clingy isn't she? And you are so use to it you don't even notice." Meadow was at that time sitting on my foot with her arms wrapped around my leg. I just laughed. Then Meadow stood up and began walking circles around me, round and round she went. She began giggling and got louder and louder so I reached down gently to stop her and ask her to be a little more quiet so that she didn't interrupt our conversation, and that is when I felt it. Wetness.

We had moved outside and the sun had gone down, there was cool brisk breeze gently blowing and Meadow's nose had started to run. So while she was playing ring around the rosy on my body she had also been wiping her nose on my shirt, all the way around my shirt.

I have to admit that I was a little embarrassed so I simply said nothing. On the way home I had to laugh while thinking that becoming a mother turns you into many things that you never ever imagined or dreamed that you would become. A human tissue is one of them! And yet it reminds of those little hand prints on my living room wall that she put there with my lipstick, when I look at them I smile because I know one day Meadow like Heaven will be grown. Time flies and somehow days like these make me wish I could slow it down just a little.

Take the time today to be thankful for their mishaps, spend some time in prayer for them, and never ever forget that they are blessings to you from your Father!

(Sky was away at camp last week and decided to come home early, so her daddy picked her up in the big truck and she spent 3 days on the road with him. This was a dream come true for her. She is home this week and I'm so happy to have my three girls back together and home with me.)

Thankful Thursday ~ Healing ~ 500 Prayers

Today I am thankful for healing from our precious Savior Jesus Christ. I am thankful that He still heals today. I am thankful that Jesus is intercessing for us at the right hand God. I am thankful that our God is alive, that He is all powerful, that He is the Creator and that He is a supernatural God.

Yesterday I read the story of a little boy named Luke who was just diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. I learned of him yesterday here: Purple Kangaroo Puzzle I cannot imagine what this family is going through nor what this trial will bring. The one thing that touched me so was I read that when Luke was asked what he wanted one of his replies were that he wanted "100 no 500 prayers." In his little mind 500 must be such a huge number! After this request his family started a blog called 500 Prayer for Luke so that people from all over could come and type in their prayer for Luke. I would like to ask each of you to please go and pray for Luke and help reach or exceed the prayers that he has asked for. Wouldn't it be great if he received a double blessing.

I am believing our Lord for healing for this little fellow and am posting some scriptures below. Our God is a miracle worker so let's ask Him to heal and be willing to receive and believe on Him for supernatural things! Let us join together and be in agreeance in the mighty name of Jesus!

3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Matthew 8:7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

Matthew 10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Matthew 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Mark 3:15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Luke 5:17 and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

Luke 9:2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

Luke 10:9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

John 4:47-54 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

Acts 4:30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

Matthew 4:24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

Matthew 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;

Matthew 14:14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

Matthew 15:30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:

Matthew 19:2 And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.

Matthew 21:14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

What a Rough Night!

Ok, this picture shows my mean side. This is my sister in law and I took this of her while she was sick. She does not know I'm using it for my Wordless Wednesday so let's pray she doesn't kill me when my mother in law shows it to her! ROFLOL! You guys didn't know I had a mean side did ya? Heehee!

Click here for more

Wordless Wednesdays

and here

5 Minutes for Mom

!

What Season Are You?

You Belong in Fall

Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times... You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you

What Season Are You?

I just love the fall, its my favorite season of the year and if it had told me that I was another season then I would not have shared! Heehee I stumbled across this at Chris's.

Anyway let me know what season you are by participating with Mr. Linky! Happy Fall everyone!

A Very Special Award

Mathetes award: Mathetes is the Greek word for disciple, and the role of the disciple (per the Great Commission) is to make more disciples.

Karen my dear sister in Christ has once again passed an award on to me. Karen said, "Jenileigh at Jenileigh's Journey, because she is passionate about God and her family. Jenileigh is another sister who shares her ups and downs and allows us to grow through her experiences. I'm so glad she is a part of this community!"

How grateful that I am to be a part of this community. I simply never understood the closeness, the genuiness of other bloggers. To know their cares, their hearts and to know that they are there for you. Really there. It is like having another family and it is another blessing from my Abba Daddy that He has bestowed upon me and I thank each of you for the welcome and acceptance that I have found here. Thank-You Karen!

The last award was my very first and I was actually stunned that someone had thought enough of me and my writings to give me an award. At that time I explained about what I had thought my blog would be about and that was my homeschool journey but what it has actually turned into is a witnessing tool, our journey with HIM. The Lord has been using my blog for His glory and I am honored to be obedient to His call. This award, the Mathetes, means so very much to me. It lets me know that what I am doing here is honoring the Lord. It is my hearts desire to be pleasing to Him, to bring honor to Him and to spead His truth, His gospel. It is my prayer that He continue to use me in every way imaginable and that I continue to grow closer to Him and am able to share that growth with others. If there is only one that is helped along the way then that is enough.

As blog awards often do, this one also has "rules." They are simple.
Winners of this award must pick five other "disciples" to pass it on to. As you pass it on, mention and provide links for:
1) Dan King of management by God as the originator of the award.
2) The person that awarded it to you.
3) Name and sites of the five that you believe are fulfilling the role of a disciple of Christ.

And it please me so to pass this award on to:

My Little Leni Sunshine at Anything Worth Doing is Worth Doing The Hard Way Leni is true, she is real and she shares her heart. Leni is always, always, always there for me. No matter my need Leni tries her best to help me out. Leni's love for the Lord shines through her blog, her homeschooling board participations and through her homeschool journey itself. And finally Leni keeps me laughing with her humor and that is something I need! I am very blessed to know Leni!

Next is Susan the Penless Writer Susan is a sweety. She is faithful to me even when I cannot be faithful to her. Susan is family. That is the only way I know to describe her. Not just an aquiantance but family. Her blog is real, passionate and she shares so beautifully and there are many times I leave with tears falling. Susan's heart is big and she is quick to be in prayer for others in their time of need. She is a true servant, a selfless servant! I love you Susan!

To Chris at Come To The Table Anytime I am feeling empty and need lifting up I pop over to read about Chris and her sweet relationship with our Savior. She is such a blessing.

Then Iris at Sting My Heart Oh Iris, I know I can always visit you for the best devotions around. And in my time of need the most beautiful prayers flow from you. Thank-you Iris for being faithful.

And lastly I have to pass this on to my very precious Annie at My Life As Annie Annie is something else. She always sees the glass half full instead of half empty. She is persevering and teaches me about longivity and never giving up. Annie is strong in Christ and her love for Him flows not only in her blog but in her life. Its an honor to know you Annie!

Several I know already have this award but I felt that you truly deserved it again. God Bless each one of you!! You are the best!

Mabry's Mill~ Homeschool Field Trip

 

We have been looking forward to this field trip for over a month. Its not like we its our first time to the Mill its just that I love going. The girls grandfather and grandmother live just minutes from the Mill so we try to get up there very often. I LOVE Meadows of Dan and it is my dream to one day live on the Mountain. I was so excited when I learned that our Christian Homeschool Group was planning a trip to the Mill.

This day was different than most trips to the Mill because the Mill had planned a special few days for all of the school aged children to help brief them on some local history and on some of the old ways. Ed Mabry actually built this mill and he used to the mill to make a living. He added to the mill over the years. He had a working saw mill although it took 15 minutes to saw one log of lumber. Here is a link to read more about him.

Edwin Boston Mabry

We visited a blacksmith's shop there at the Mill. The blacksmith actually made a nail right in front of us. It was interesting to watch, smell and see how long it actually to took to make things like this in those days. Going to the hardware stores today and buyng a box of nails is a whole lot easier than having to make them one by one.

We saw a basket weaver there who explained what different shaped baskets were used for. There were egg baskets, hen baskets, potatoe baskets...and many others that I cannot remember. If you look closely at the pictures above you can see them. The materials that are used to make the baskets were also hand made from the trees. Its a timely process also.

We listened to a local lady dressed up who told Stories. She was of course the Story Teller. The times she told of were hard, despairing times. There was a true story told of a woman who actually miscarried over twenty children. How heartbreaking. You would think she would have been depressed but no, she worked on, she was the one that other women trevailing in labor would call to come and help them deliver their babies. People is those days somehow seems tougher than we do today.

There was also a man there who made chairs. He demonstrated each and every step. He said to make one chair today it took him about three weeks. Their lifespan is over 60 years. They were very gorgeous chairs but I have no desire to whittle those things out!

We felt different kinds of mill stones that were used to grind corn. We actually got to feel fresh ground grits and cornmeal. I almost wished that there would have been samples of cooked grits and cornbread to taste on our tour but the girls thought I was bizarre!

There was a quilter there who allowed each child to sew on the quilt. This has always been a desire of mine but I have never persued it.

They even had real lambs wool being spun into yarn and yarn being weaved into rugs. I was amazed at the tidiousness of this process and the lady giving the demonstration actually had a loom in her own home and done this as a pass time love of hers!

Many of the elders at the Mill were locals and had done their paritcular trade their entire lives. In the old days their trades were actually their lively hoods. They bartered for things they needed and did not have. Their very survival depended on others in the community. They had to work together as a whole. In my mind this is almost a miracle. I almost find myself longing for a time that I didn't exist in.

I found joy that in today's time that even though their skills were not needed for survival the way that they once were, that the Mill was providing a way of living for them today and enabling them to continue on in what they loved to do. Their faces lit up as they shared their lives and the details of their skills.

Here are a few more links if you would like to see Mabry's Mill. We all had a great time but no-one had as much fun as I did! I'm hoping to return to the Mill soon on a cool fall Sunday afternoon so that I can sit back and watch them flatfoot to the beautiful blue grass music they play. I'll share when I do!

Meadows of Dan

Virginia is for Lovers

Meadow's New Bed

 

They delivered Meadow's new bed one day last week. She had only had a toddler bed for some time now and her little feet would hang off of the end of the bed WHEN she slept in it...which isn't often! She is my baby girl and moving her over into her own bed is not easy for me.

She however has always been so independent, when she was little she loved sleeping in her own bed. It broke my heart and I would sneek in there at night and move her back to my room and snuggle her all night. Some mornings she would be livid with me for moving her because after all, she was a BIG girl now! Little by little though as she out grew her bed she would sleep in with me or one of her sisters and eventually quit asking to sleep alone. With my husband being an over the road so much it has not been a priority to get Meadow a bed of her own. We had been talking about it for a while but had taken no action.

Then a couple of weeks ago one of my good friends Kimmie called and asked me to go with her and her husband to a furniture mart. (They are getting a new home and needed to pick out lots of goodies!) Meadow and I rode with them with no intentions of coming home with a new bed, but while my friends were shopping for their furniture Meadow and I decided to go into the "Just For Kids" furniture store to *look* around.

Meadow spotted this bed and it was love at first site. I was skeptical and looked around for more practical options. The rooms in our home are not very big and open so I knew we were limited in our decision. I first picked out a bunk bed with a built in computer desk but after calling my husband I found that it was too large. Meadow was still pleading for this slide bed. The price was great (unbelievably), it was one of the least expensive beds in the store so I went for it.

When the bed arrived we had to a lot of moving around to make room for the slide. Meadow was ecstatic! The first two nights she slept in her new slide bed with a big proud smile on her face! It was so hard for me! UGH! Me, I slept all alone in my king bed feeling incredibly lost and alone. Then the third night at 4:30 am I heard Meadow yelling for me. I went running, I hadn't done that in a long time. When I got to her she told me she had a bad dream, so I scooped her up and carried her back to my bed. She has been there ever since.

It is so hard to let them go and grow up sometimes. Some moments are easier than others. This area is incredibly hard for me. I do want her to be able to sleep in her own bed and be secure with no fear and yet at the same time I keep thinking to myself, "Just one more night, she is growing up so fast, just one more night. After all I never know what night is going to be the last." Sky and Heaven still like to crawl in my bed when their daddy is gone but it isn't the same as when they are little. Does anyone else have such a hard time letting go??

We love Meadow's bed. She has a play house set up underneath it and uses her slide daily! She will eventually be sleeping in her new bed every night, I'm just not rushing it. :)