Final Harvest

 The cold air has moved in this week and there is a chance of the temperatures getting down to freezing one night this week so I decided I would harvest some of my herbs for the last time of the season.   I almost hated cutting down the beautiful blooming lavender.  It looked the prettiest it has all season.  I am guessing that is because we have had such a hot summer and the last month or so the weather has been perfect.  My pineapple sage was just beginning to bloom with beautiful red flowers and my calendula has blooms that were just beginning to open.  I decided to leave them alone and hopefully the cold air won't affect them because I am really wanting to harvest them and make some calendula salve. 

My mom purchase a close drying rack at a yard sale for 75 cents and it is perfect for drying herbs.  I harvested plenty today and I can't wait to add them to the already dried herbs, but right now I am enjoying how beautiful they all look hanging on the rack!  We are going to have plenty of herbs this winter for cooking, teas and much more!

A gift wrapped in love...

A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study. His ...father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy book. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN FULL. How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

Cappuccino Mix Recipe

I have been on a cappuccino kick for a while now so I decided to see if I could find a recipe where I could make my own mix and hopefully save a little money.  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and I absolutely love it.  I did do a little tweaking to it to suit my personal taste. I put in a little less coffee, I added 1/2 cup powdered sugar and a little more creamer. 

2/3 cup instant coffee granules

1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
1 cup powdered chocolate drink mix
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Put the instant coffee into a food processor, and process to a fine powder. If you don't have a food processor, put it into a large plastic bag, and crush with a rolling pin.

2.In a large bowl, combine creamer, chocolate mix, instant coffee, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir together until well mixed. Spoon into storage container

Mix 3 tablespoons of powder with 6 fluid ounces hot water.
 
I also use about half the mix it calls for when making a cup full.  To complete it I add a Tablespoon of Coffee Mate Pumpkin Spice liquid creamer!  DEEE-Lish!!!

Great Devotional Book

I received a devotional book from Tyndale as a part of their Blogger Review Program.  The book is the Life Application Study Bible Devotional and it has been one of the best devotionals ever! 

It is set up as a 52 week, 6 day a week devotional on the life of Jesus taken from the gospels.  Each  week focuses on a different event in Jesus' ministry.  Each day has "reading of the word" that gives you Bible scriptures to read, "setting the  scene" which reflects on the passage of scripture, "getting personal"  with questions and thoughts to help you reflect and apply the lesson to your life, and "talking to God"  which gives suggestions for your prayer time.  I really like this set up especially the "setting the scene" because it helps you dig deeper, think about the scriptures and meditate upon them. 

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is desiring a closer walk with God and would like to set up a daily devotional routine!  It would be a great Christmas gift for family and friends!  That way they can start the devotional January 1'st! :)

Saving Grace by Annie Jones

Book Description:

This book is about Grace, an elderly woman who sits on the porch of her home every year on the night of the Splendor Bell Gala in New Bethany.  Due to rumors and gossip the residents of the town thinks she is nothing more than a batty old lady.  Four friends - Rose, Naomi, Gayle and Lucy decide to reach out and help Grace and as they do their friendship strengthens.

My Thoughts:

I was instantly drawn to this book.  The story description had me thinking it would be an excellent read.  I was disappointed.  It was not as good as what I had built up in my mind.  It is book 2 of a series and maybe if I had read book one I would of been more connected to the characters and it would of made a difference.  To me it was boring, it was a struggle to keep my attention on the story.  The last two chapters did pick up interest a little, but overall I just didn't care for it.

**I received this book as an  ebook from Multnomah Waterbrook Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Denim Pocket Purse

Check out these darling little purses I've made this week!  I absolutely love them!  So perfect for the girly girl! 

I've been saving the pockets off worn out jeans for quite some time and I decided it was time to be creative with them.  I sewed on a grosgrain ribbon for the purse strap and then sewed two pockets together.  To complete it I made little matching bows and hot glued them on to the front!  So easy and so cute!

The Perfect Love - Book Review

The title of this book is what really caught my attention.  Many people in today's world have a hard time believing that God Really loves them.  Ruth Myers addresses the reasons why people feel this way and through her own life experiences  she shares with her readers her failures as well as her victories.  The Author uses old hymns, quotes and her own words to portray her message.

I found the first few chapters of the book very interesting.  I savored many of the words that I read and began to see and feel God's love for me better than I have in a long time.  I wrote down in a journal some of the quotes that were shared and many of my favorites were from A.W. Tozer including this one:  "God is so vastly wonderful, so utterly and completely delightful, that He can without anything other than Himself meet and overflow the deepest demands of our total nature, mysterious and deep as that nature is."   She also shares many Bible verses on God's love.

I do have to say though that there were a few things that the Author says that I disagreed with.  The main thing was that she stated that we are all sinners and will always be sinners and that God gives us victories over SOME of our sins.  I strongly disagree with that statement.  When God saves the sinner they are to go and sin no more and therefore are no longer sinners.  We are then a child of God.  He can and will give you victory over ALL of your sins.   Another place in the book she tells us of a time that she was praying and she gave God "permission" to do something in her life.  She does state that she knows God doesn't need her permission, but sometimes she needs to give it to Him.  That statement just bugged me.  

So with all that said.  I guess I will give it 3 stars.  :)

**This book was given to me by Waterbrook Multnomah for free in exchange for my review.

Courageous

My family was blessed to be able to see an early preview of the upcoming movie Courageous that will be out in theaters September 30'th.  Our local christian radio station announced that they had 200 free tickets to the early showing.  Thanks to Dakota's fast fingers we got the tickets.  Come to find out all 200 tickets were gone in 61 seconds and there were more than 500 people trying to get them.  O.O 

It was such a good movie.  We laughed and cried.  It is such a blessing to be able to watch good movies with a Godly message.  I encourage everyone that can, to go and see this movie.  It has the potential to change lives.  Through the message of this movie and God's convicting power I believe that this movie will cause men to rise up and be the fathers that God is calling them to be. 

The Wonder of Your Love by Beth Wiseman

Katie Ann is an Amish woman who's husband left her for an English woman.  He then dies in a accident.  Katie Ann found out that she was pregnant after her husband left her for the other woman and never told him.  Now she finds herself a new single mother with trust issues.

Eli is an Amish widower who's wife died 17 years ago.  He raised his 6 children by himself and is ready to enjoy life free of the responsibilities of children.  He's ready to travel and enjoy a slower paced life.  He travels to Canaan for a wedding and a long vacation.  There he meets Katie Ann and there is an instant connection, not to mention many friends who try to play matchmaker. 

Katie Ann and Eli admit to their selves and to each other that their relationship will never work since they are both in different places in their lives, but they decide to remain friends.  A wonderful friendship blossoms and so does love.  They both come to the realization that God's plans are not always our own plans.   They are better. 

The Wonder of Your Love is the second book in The Land of Canaan Series by Beth Wiseman.   This is the first book I have read by Beth Wiseman and I really liked it.  Although it was the second book in the series and I didn't read the first book I was not lost and had no trouble following the story line.  The only negative thing I can say about the book is that I found it a little boring at times.  It was very predictable and it was easy to figure out which way the story of each character was going to turn.  Other than that though it was a good read.   The character of Martha had me chuckling at times with her outspoken ways and her exaggerated health problems.  I was also touched by the forgiving nature of Katie Ann and how she helped the mistress of her deceased husband.  I give it 4 out of 5 stars!

This book was provided to me by the publisher, Thomas Nelson through booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.   

A Very Wonderful Impossiblility

"When God wants to do something wonderful, He begins with a difficulty.  When He wants to do something very wonderful, He begins with an impossibility."

Ever find yourself in a situation that you find impossible.  No way out.  Which ever way you turn is wrong.  You want to throw your hands up in the air and say "I give up", but instead you fall to your knees and say "God, I give it up to you.  I've made a mess of my situation and there is no way I can fix it.  I need you, I need your help." 

I've been there, but guess what? God came through as He always does.  Our impossibilities are His possibilities. 

"And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God"  Luke 18:27

Where ever you are right now, if you are finding yourself in an impossible situation, remember that the Supreme Ruler of the universe, the Creator of all things, the One possessing all power....He wants you to love Him with all your heart, mind and soul.  If you you do this, he is sure to take your impossibilities and turn them into a possibilities.

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith:  that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

                                                                   Ephesians 3:17-19