Want to win a Happy Scrappy Quilt?

Me, too!
I've long been contemplating reviving this old blog, and these ladies knew just the trick to entice me. The Long Ladies over at Marie-Madeline Studio have managed to pull me out of my long blog abandonment just because I'd love to win one of their quilts. Aren't they both lovely? Darla, by Tanya Whelan, is one of my favorite fabric lines of all times, and is full of the cheerful colors in our home. That's the fabric in the quilt on the left.
I have ordered fabric more than once from these lovely ladies. Their sweet spirit carries over into all they do, including their service and packaging. Visit their store and shop around. You'll find their prices to be very competitive for top-quality designer fabric lines. Be sure to follow their blog to find out about their frequent sales and giveaways, not to mention eye candy and inspiration. :)
And if I SHOULD be so fortunate as to win, you betcha I'll be showing you the sweetness here!

Red sky at morning

Sailors take warning.
Red sky at night
Sailor's delight.

Well, I don't know much about sailors, but I enjoy a red sky in the morning just as much in the evening. This morning's was spectacular. It began low and deep, a dark band of burgundy just over the horizon, turning scarlet and magenta, flaming into crimson and orange, spilling through the window bathing my kitchen and sitting room with a tangerine hue. It blazed hot and pink, then just as quickly faded into the gray - a commonplace winter day with a magnificent introduction. What a fiery show - so easy to miss in it's brevity, but dazzling nonetheless.

As I enjoyed the salmon blush throughout my home, I pondered on the night it was chasing away with it's splendor. A restless one, for sure. Spent wondering what it was like for my grandma to be spending her first night face to face with her Savior. Spent wondering what it was like for my mother and grandpa to be spending their first night without Grandma.

I thought more on sunrises and sunsets - how we love to see them, even pursue them. Remembering evenings spent shivering on the beach, waiting, just so we could be there for the blazing display of the sunset. Seeing the flaming pinkness at dawn and being unable to hold back a "Hey, come look! Quick!"

What is it that makes them speak to us, beckon to us to watch, observe, until the last gleaming bits are gone? Is it not a foretaste, a little hint, a sweet taste of the glory of our precious Lord? A reminder of His majesty?

Of course I'm not the first one to think so. A quick search in my concordance produced others.

2 Samuel 23:4
he is like the light of morning at sunrise
on a cloudless morning,
like the brightness after rain
that brings the grass from the earth.

Habakkuk 3:4
His splendor was like the sunrise;
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power was hidden.

Is not Grandma now surrounded by His splendor? The eternal sunrise and sunset? The Alpha and Omega?

When we're dragged down by dreary gray days, or overcome by the darkness of night, God provides a beautiful reminder of His resplendent glory, and provides a precious hope of our future eternal home in brief moments - by the red and golden glow of sunrises and sunsets.

Oh, God, thank you that Grandma is with you. Thank you for the continual reminders of your goodness throughout nature. May I always have eyes to see the little glimpses of glory in the commonplace everyday.



Psalm 113:3
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the LORD is to be praised.

Popcorn Balls

Shortly before our marriage, I came across this recipe for popcorn balls in an old cookbook. Since then, it has provided many hours of fun memories with many different people. I remember as a child lingering by the gourmet popcorn stand in our mall longing after the enormous variety of flavors in enticing colors - and priced outstandingly beyond our frugal budget. Occasionally, a friend would share a bite or two with me. So you see why I was so delighted to find such a simple recipe. I could finally make my own - whatever flavor I desired, and eat to my heart's content! :)
Especially nice for making with a group of people you love, it's easy to turn out loads of balls with plenty to share for everyone - and with a very affordable price tag! In addition, these do make fun gifts wrapped up in a bit of wax paper and tied with ribbon. Plastic wrap may show off the colors better, but it also tears open more easily. They also make an appealing addition to a bake sale, particularly when made in team colors.



Popcorn Balls

16-18 cups of popped popcorn
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1 pkg. gelatin (4 oz. size) any flavor

Put popcorn in large bowl or pan.
Mix corn syrup and sugar in saucepan; bring to boil.
Boil one minute. Remove from heat.
Stir in gelatin powder until disolved.
Pour over popcorn, stirring to coat popcorn.
Grease hands well.
As soon as it is cool enough to handle, form balls.

Tips:
* When making these with a group, we find it easier to designate jobs. Someone pops the corn, someone mixes the syrup, someone prepares the table and greases little hands, someone stirs the mixture, etc.
* The amount of popped corn you use is adjustable, depending on how heavily coated you like your popcorn.
* Before pouring on hot syrup, remove as many unpopped kernels as you can from your popped corn - makes for a nicer ball without hard kernels to break your teeth. :)
* Use a wooden spoon or utensil with a stiff handle to stir - and someone with muscles.
* We spread a couple of large sheets of wax paper on the table to place our shaped balls on where they continue cooling and hardening.
* We do not like to pack our balls too tightly. It's easier for little teeth to eat them if they are packed gently.
* One batch is not enough. :>

Bugs with long legs

What is it with my fascination with bugs that have long legs? Perhaps it stems back to my childhood when I was taunted by the meanies. They called me Grasshopper, and if I happened to be wearing black tights under my dress, it was even worse - Spider. (At least they could have called me Cricket. They make beautiful music with their long legs.) There were other flattering names, as well. Like Skeleton. And Chicken Legs. But I digress. Back to bugs.
This long-legged beauty spent the better part of a day lurking in the morning glories on our front porch railing a couple of weeks ago. She patiently tolerated my intrusiveness, even turning to face the camera several times.

Fireproof

Are you going to see it?


I am.

In preparation

for shed moving day tomorrow, we've torn down more of the fence to allow the truck and trailer to maneuver the shed over it's new home. This morning, the kids and I worked more on leveling the site, rototilling it up, raking it, and then driving the van back and forth over top to pack it down. Earl and Isaiah took turns helping me "drive" the van, thrilled to learn how to shift from drive to reverse.


You can see the shed on the trailer in the driveway in this photo Isaiah took. A week and a half or so ago, Marty and a few other fun-loving men worked all day in the POURING rain to jack the shed up from it's former home, get it loaded and steady on the trailer, and pull it slowly down the road to our driveway - in the POURING rain. It was an adventure, I tell you.
The window you see on the back of the house there is the one above my kitchen sink. I love being able to look out and see where the kids are, and watch all our animals.

*An update on Marty's burns....He had another appt. this morning. Two fingers are doing well, and are slowly seeping the fluid from the blisters, which is good. It's better than bursting open which would increase chances of infection. The other two still have enormous blisters. We have to change the dressings on them twice a day, which Emma has enjoyed greatly.
Unfortunately, they are 3rd degree burns, which means more than likely he will never have feeling in the burned places. However, that does mean he has not had much pain since the evening he was burned. We are praising the Lord that the burns aren't directly on his fingertips or palms and that they are progressing nicely.

One year ago today

Moments after birth.



A wonderful daddy.



Exquisite. A half hour old.



Joyful mama. Inquisitive siblings. An hour after birth.



That afternoon. Enjoying being together.

Happy birthday, Solly. We are dearly blessed to have you.

Branded

Determined to STILL accomplish something yesterday while home sick from school, Marty planned his day with the kiddos.

1. Do animal chores.

2. Watch The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course with the kids. (Since everyone was sick, we actually brought our little tv out of the laundry room pantry shelf, and rented a few videos.) This one was rated 5*'s by our young'uns - a rare thing in this household! Since used ones are SO cheap, I'm pretty certain we will be owning this one soon.

3. Nicely stack the piles of boards from the chicken coop we tore down last week against the back of the barn. This was to be a special "training" session for the kids. Each one would be instructed on their particular aspect of the job, evaluated by Marty as to their willingness and diligence, and would be compensated accordingly. Emma had to sort the boards into like-size piles. Isaiah had to carry and stack the larger boards. Eli and Earl carried and stacked the smaller ones. It was an effective lesson, because a couple of the children were good hard workers and a couple were more lackadaisical , and everyone saw that when Marty parceled out what they had earned.


4. Take it easy.

Later in the afternoon, Marty decided to burn a few of the useless boards. Unfortunately, he grabbed the wrong end of his metal poking stick. Knowing immediately it was not just a simple burn, he raced to the hose to douse his hand in water. The hose water was warm from lying in the sun, but he did manage to get cold water on it. I arrived home from the grocery store shortly after the injury. He came to the car and showed me, and I immediately had him go back to the sink and hold his hand under water. The main parts of the burn are across the insides of his first three fingers, and his thumb. I think his thumb actually has some charred skin. It's blistered pretty badly, and burned deeply. The pain was pretty intense if he tried to remove it from the water, so off to urgent care he went holding a bag of frozen peas. Emma and Isaiah went with him to help, and to learn about first aid for burns. Hey, if ya' gotta go, ya' might as well make it a field trip, right?
Afterwords, he called to let me know they were on their way to Kroger to pick up his prescriptions. He had turned down the injection for immediate pain relief they had offered him their at the clinic. If he had gotten it, he would have had to stay for observation, and I would have to come pick him up as he wouldn't have been allowed to drive. Naturally, that seemed like more of a hassle than it was worth, so he decided to wait until his prescription kicked in.
His wounds had been tended to and dressed, each digit's bandages covered with a stretchy sock to hold the bandages in place and provide further protection. Strict instructions were given to go to a burn clinic in less than 24 hours - either the one in Toledo, or the one in Detroit. His burns are significant enough, coupled with the location (his right hand), to require further care. I guess the concerns are with nerve damage, loss of sensation, and scarring closed.
Additionally, while driving to the pharmacy, he called to say he didn't think the car was running correctly. Yep, then he called me again, saying it wouldn't run, they were stranded at the pharmacy, can I please come pick them up, and to find the number for the towing place. So I ended up having to pick him up anyway!
Today we will find out more information when he visits the Henry Ford burn clinic in Detroit. It isn't too far from his school, and is also where he had his reconstructive face/head surgery after his accident in July.

Psalm 68:19 "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens."

Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."

Without great fanfare

Here I am in this space again. I've been wanting to be here all along - taking photos I thought would be especially nice to share, composing post upon post upon post in my head, etc.
So I'm letting go of my perfectionistic tendencies. I don't have to have an exquisitely beautiful layout. I don't have to have perfectly photoshopped photos. I don't have to have the most riveting stories, nor the most facinating writing. Nor do I have to post EVERY single day. There can even be a grammatical error here and there. Right?!
I've always been slightly awed and intimidated by those bloggers that start out writing with a purpose statement for their blog and always stay within those parameters. Yikes! But upon more consideration, I've realized that my desire to blog can be broken down into 4 different reasons. Since I love lists, here you have it:

1. To capture the precious, oh, so fleeting moments of my days with my children. (Certainly a blog can't take nearly as much time or expense as a scrapbook for 5 children!)

2. To allow family and friends to keep up and stay connected to all the ins and outs of daily life here at Joyful House Farms.

3. To share the abundant blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me and the occasional thoughts of my heart regarding the life lessons I am learning along the way.

4. To have an outlet to share my creative endeavors and curious passions. (Cause, really, I just don't know too many people locally that get all giddy over the granny chic nature girl stuff I love so much. But I DO know that some family and friends new and old will, or at very least find it amusing.)

I've gone back through all my old posts from long ago, leaving only the ones I felt worth saving. If you happen to go back and read what I've left, you're bound to happen across some dead or broken links. Sorry 'bout that.

So, with that little bit of housekeeping, and this intro, I begin again.

P.S. That photo above is our home late Saturday afternoon as the rain began lifting.

The thing about blogging...

...for me, at least, is that I seldom get to write about what matters most to me - my Savior, my family, homeschooling, Liberia, my abundance, and so on.

And that can be decieving.

I'm uncomfortable with the thought of somebody dropping in here and summing me up by the content of my blog, which for the most part, I consider rather superficial. I want my life to be a living testimony of the grace and love of Jesus Christ. And as I've said before, "I want what I write to be worth taking the time to read it - to be meaningful - to have some substance - to be interesting, entertaining, informative, convicting, inspiring, heartwrending, uplifting, encouraging."

Somehow, the posts that share my real heart are the ones that take the most time and energy to compose. It's easy to shoot off a post about something creative I've made, or show some lovely pictures. But, the posts that share my real heart are more likely the ones that would encourage, inspire, and minister to others. And, by writing my heart, it helps me solidify and organize my thoughts, and keep my focus on what's really important.
So, what I'm saying is that I'd really like to share more of my passions, my convictions, my dreams. I've been jotting lots of notes in my freedom journal. We'll see how it goes. I only have agonizingly and incredibly irrating slow dial up, and I'm only willing to take away a limited amount of time from "real life" to blog, if you know what I mean. :)
Any thoughts? Do you relate?

Homemaking Meme

I've seen this on a couple of my favorite blogs, and traced it back to Sallie. Most of the time memes don't really thrill my soul, but this isn't your average meme - it's about homemaking, one of my favorite things!
And to be honest, it's got an idea brewing in the back of my mind for a meme of my own to create. Just what the world needs, right? Another meme!

Aprons – Y/N? If Y, what does your favorite look like?
YES! I love aprons. My favorite is vintage and handmade out of a red calico with white flowers. I took it from my home when I left to get married.

Baking – Favorite thing to bake
Bread. Nothing smells quite like freshly baked bread. And the satisfaction of knowing that you made it yourself with freshly ground whole wheat flour – unbeatable! Hmm....I’m getting the urge right now.

Clothesline – Y/N?
Yes, oh yes. But I go in spurts on how much I use it.

Donuts – Have you ever made them?
Yes! From scratch are wonderful, and also from refrigerator biscuits for a quick treat.

Every day – One homemaking thing you do every day
Dishes – Praise the Lord for my Grandmother! She arrived at my home just hours after the birth of my fourth baby, noticed the lack of a dishwasher, and decided to take matters into her own hands. Very shortly, she had purchased for me a portable dishwasher at a garage sale – my very favorite present ever!

Freezer – Do you have a separate deep freeze?
:( No. And I do miss it SO much. At this house we have no garage, basement, or electric in the barn. If I wanted to have one, it would have to be in my living room, unfortunately, and that just doesn’t work so well.

Garbage Disposal – Y/N?
Yes. I hate it, though. They are terrible for septics, which we have, and happen to scare the heebie jeebies out of me.

Handbook – What is your favorite homemaking resource?
Umm....that would be the internet, I suppose. I have a mennonite cookbook I refer to and of course the lovely red and white Betty Crocker cookbook. But mostly it’s the net for me!

Ironing – Love it or hate it? Or hate it but love the results?
Ironing? What’s ironing?
No, really. I only iron when I sew.

Junk drawer – Y/N? Where is it?
Yeah, a corner of the drawer that holds the ziplock baggies, plastic wrap, and wax paper.

Kitchen – Color and decorating scheme
Walls are a sage/spring green. Above the cabinets are an assortment of mostly red willow pieces and some red glassware pieces. Basically, it’s a cheery green and red and white.

Love – What is your favorite part of homemaking?
Using my creativity to make things pretty – adding my personality and uniqueness to my home. For example – having my collection of bird nests all over the place. Some people would think that messy and unsanitary. But, I LOVE it.

Mop – Y/N?
Mop? Rarely. Mostly spot clean on my hands and knees with a rag. Works better on our awfully cheap, white, and installed before we bought the home linoleum. But the kids think it’s great fun to take a spray bottle and rag to the floor. They do that for me occasionally.

Nylons – Wash by hand or in the washing machine?
Never wear them. Okay, MAYBE once a year. And I can’t remember washing them. I know it’s not by hand, so it must be in the machine.

Oven – Do you use the window or open the oven to check?
Door, definitely. My oven window is tinted and effectually useless.

Pizza – What do you put on yours?
Were I to make a pizza JUST FOR ME – it would probably have toppings like basil pesto, grilled chicken, and fresh tomatoes, or maybe alfredo sauce, spinach, grilled chicken, and fresh tomatoes. Gourmet all the way for me, please. Usually, I don’t care to eat much of traditional pizza – just occasionally.

Quiet – What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
Sometimes read books, sometimes read blogs, sometimes catch a cat nap on the couch, maybe write some ideas into my freedom journal, sometimes catch up on housework. Quiet moments are infrequent and don't last too long around here. :)

Recipe card box – Y/N? What does it look like?
Nope. I use memory, creativity, a couple of cookbooks occasionally, and the net.

Style of house – What style is your house?
Small ranch. Taupe siding, small wooden front and back porches.

Tablecloths and napkins – Y/N?
No, I would enjoy using them more, but since we have a custom made table out of a door, most tablecloths don’t fit. But the primary reason is we use our table for everything – eating, school, playdough, making snacks, and so on. I like my wipe – off table for now. :)

Under the kitchen sink – Organized or toxic wasteland?
Organized, but definitely needs to be swept/wiped out.

Vacuum – How many times per week?
At least once, sometimes daily. Again, it seems to go in spurts about how frequently I do this. Shedding season does seem to influence it somewhat. Hee hee.

Wash – How many loads of laundry do you do per week?
Seems like a lot. I’ve never kept track of the weekly loads. But with 4 children under 8, you can imagine.

X’s – Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?
Yes, usually, especially if they are out of the ordinary things I generally do. I don't list everything - just the most important things so I don’t get sidetracked as easily.

Yard – Y/N? Who does what?
Yes, 5 wonderful acres. Marty does the mowing – he loves it. Occasionally, he’ll let me do it. It’s a rider, after all. We both garden (vegetable and flower) together, with the children. Planning the gardens is my specialty, and Marty helps with the muscle work and upkeep. We both love to be outdoors.

Zzz’s – What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
Preparing the kitchen table for my morning Bible reading time. That means I clean off the table, wipe it down, and set out my Bible, freedom journal, and My Utmost For His Highest devotional book, a cup for tea, and a candle and matches.
Then, I turn on the stove hood light – our night light for the house, lock the doors, prepare our bed, and make sure my water cup is filled on my nightstand. However, my 4 year old has taken over filling my water cup for me lately without me asking. Isn't that sweet?

First official Nature Study Walk

Today is a smashingly gorgeous day with a targeted high of 68 degrees. (Can anyone tell me how to get the actual degree sign - the little circle?) And as rain is forecasted for tomorrow, we are definitely taking advantage of today. Chores and homeschooling were done in short order, aided by the fact that we've finished up one history section and I'm still figuring out what we're doing next.
The nature journals I promised the kids had been waiting on my craft table until the opportune moment.

I called them all back indoors and parceled out their new possessions. The three oldest received a sketchbook, a package of 24 watercolor pencils, and additional peach colored pencil (necessary if drawing Caucasian flesh tones), and a flat paint brush.

The youngest (poor kid) got an old notebook, some old colored pencils and crayons, and an old paintbrush. He was tickled. All these precious things were tucked into their own small backpacks, along with a plastic trash bag. We used the bags to sit on since the ground is quite wet.

I gave some minimal instructions:

"We'll go for a short walk and sit down somewhere. Each of us will look at the ground around us very carefully and choose something to draw. Then we'll draw it. If you wish to watercolor it, we'll paint over it with water when we come back inside. How grand our sketch is is not what's most important. What is most important is that we learn to observe what is around us."

And we traipsed off!

We ended up in the far corner of our pasture where the kids have used some old fencing and a tire to build a fort. Each did as instructed.

Emma chose to sketch a bush with old rose hips.

Isaiah worked intently on his drawing of leaves.

Eli happily drew a fish (?!) and a monster. Hmmm... Gotta work on this NATURE STUDY thing a little bit!

Earl scribbled for all of 12 seconds, then ran back to the trampoline. :) Hey, he's 2.

I won't show you my sketch for today cause it was lousy, but I will show you my sketch of our barn looking from the kitchen window on Saturday. I'm happy with it.

Nature Study: Keeping a Nature Journal

This has long been a facinating topic for me. With the certainity of the approach of spring, the the motivation of this post, and my recent contemplation of what new supplies to purchase for our homeschool, I've pulled all our books pertaining to this subject off our library shelves, and have again become inspired to keep a nature journal.

I started browsing through them again and left them lying around in places where it would be easy for the little eyes in my house to spot them. The other day, my son was looking for something to occupy him during rest time that didn't involve a sword or hammer, so I handed him Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Leslie/Charles Roth. Right away he asked for paper and crayons, and began to draw, copying illustrations from the book and adding his own elements. Soon, the two oldest were quarreling over the book, so I pulled out the entire stack of books and my watercolor pencils, and a stack of clean copy paper. They, on their own, got out a few of our field guides, and have been happily occupied at rest time for several days.

This morning, I shared with them the Secret of the Pencils - that they really are WATERCOLOR pencils. With them, you can achieve a watercolor painted look by brushing over your drawing with a lightly dampened pencil. Oh, my! The lightbulbs went on! "So that's how their pictures look all painterly!" exclaimed the six year old. We discussed the most frequently used different tools - pens, pencils, watercolors, colored pencils, and watercolor pencils.

So, for about 45 minutes this morning, we sat together on the living room floor drawing/painting butterflies and flowers from our field guide. (Did I mention that we woke up to a fresh, 4-5 inch layer of snow this morning?)

I have planned this week a trip to our favorite arts/crafts supply store to purchase 4 sketchbooks and a few decent paintbrushes. I've been looking online at purchasing some good quality colored pencils, and a set of watercolor paints because I think I can get better prices online.

My goal is to have at least one entry a week - that would be 4 per month. Then we could look back on an entire year of seasons and see how our entries have progressed. This compliments my decision to Celebrate a Year of Abundance. By observing more carefully the abundant, beautiful creation God has given us here on the abundance of land He has given us (5 acres) and by recording it into a nature journal, I hope to foster in my heart (and my children's) more gratitude, more worship, more joy towards my Saviour.

Here is the marvelous abundance of books I am delighted to call our own that pertain to the subject of nature study/keeping a nature journal.

1. Wild Days; Creating Discovery Journals by Karen Skidmore Rackliffe - a how-to book discussing the Charlotte Mason approach to nature notebooks by an author who homeschools her 7 children. Very practical suggestions for families beginning the joy of keeping a nature study journal.

2. In and Out of the Garden by Sara Midda - an inspirational example- "...garden lore painted in minute, jewel-like detail...Every page, including the text, has been hand painted...Dip into it for recipes, poems, proverbs, and garden thoughts..." (quote from dustjacket)

3. The County Diary of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden - an outstanding inspirational example of a nature journal kept over the course of a year, including magnificent watercolor paintings, poetry, folklore, and journaling. My favorite - incredibly inspiring. I want another copy to frame individual pages. Eventually, each of my children will own their own copy.

4. Sunflower Houses by Sharon Lovejoy (What a delicious last name, btw!) - an inspirational example - "A fetching primer on gardening for children, chockablock with botanical lore.." (quote by The Smithsonian) Illustrated throughout with the author's own simple and beautiful watercolors.

5. Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola - a how-to AND inspirational example - "..a teacher's guide to nature study cleverly disguised as a heartwarming story written in the form of a mother's diary. Woven into the story are more than 50 examples of what to look for on a nature walk, Latin names for the living things observed by the characters, study questions, nature poems and verses," and lovely illustrations. (Quote from back cover)

6. Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Walker Leslie - a how-to AND inspirational example - "using the simple techniques in this book, anyone can learn how to start and keep and ongoing nature journal. Along the way you'll develop skills in observing, sketching, appreciating, and writing about life's beauty and mysteries." (Quote from back cover) - I like this one for it's how-to information, sketching exercises, and suggestions of what to include in a journal.

7. Mary Anne's Garden by Mary Anne McLean - an inspirational example - I'm shocked that Amazon does not contain really any info on this book - ?!?! - copyright 1987 - "From first bud to last bloom, all manner of growth is faithfully recorded in these poetic drawings. (70 full color pastel and 28 black and white drawings)" Included are her own handwritten "marginal notes, ideas born of the moment- part self-discovery, occasional ruminations on our role in nature, or whimsy." (quote from dustjacket)

Celebrating a Year of Abundance

Funny how reading something someone else has written suddenly puts actual words to the thoughts that have been resonating around in your head.

Sallie over at A Gracious Home has written a little about Celebrating a Year of Abundance. (You have to scroll waaaaay down to read her entries plus there are links to others who are discussing the same thing.)
As you may have guessed, I’ve decided to do my own little focus on Celebrating a Year of Abundance. I’ll be sharing some posts in the spirit of the old quote,

“Use it up,

wear it out,

make it do,

or do without.”

With minimal brainstorming, these are some ways I plan to focus on the abundance I’ve been blessed with:

1. Listing my blessings - the abundance the Lord has given me
2. Enjoying, appreciating, and using what I already have
3. Remembering what others do NOT have
4. Sharing my abundance
5. Being a good steward of/not wasting my abundance
6. Exploring what the Bible has to say about abundance