Your Thoughts Become Your Words

Your thoughts
Become Your words

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Your words

Become your actions

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Your actions

Become your habits

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Your habits

Become your character

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Your character

Reveals who you really are!!




A quote from Marci's blog ... worth repeating & remembering!

Pray for the Klicka Clan

Chris Klicka, HSLDA’s first full-time attorney, who has been fighting multiple sclerosis for many years, became very ill this week at the Home School Legal Defense Association's National Leaders Conference in Colorado last week. Chris was admitted to St. Francis Medical Center in Colorado Springs, where he remains in critical condition.

Chris & Tracy have had an exemplary marriage of twenty-five years which was blessed with seven children.

His family has traveled from Virginia to be with him. Please pray for
them as they wait on the Lord during this difficult time.

For updates on Chris’s status visit CaringBridge.

For more about Chris’s years of service to the homeschooling community,view his bio at HSLDA’s website.

Edit note:Monday, Oct. 12,
God called this soldier home. The loss is felt by the homeschool community, Christians and his precious family. Keep them in your prayers.

True Blue

We've acquired some new laying hens. They are true free-range birds from a local farm ... raised by their Mother Hen!

That said though, many of them are not yet ready to lay - they are three months old now and a hen usually starts laying eggs at five months of age.

Mother hen is laying again though - she is Americana, so she lays blue shelled eggs. It's true, they're blue!

The color of the shell does not really matter though. These eggs may be a bit smaller, but they pack the same nutritional power as the brown eggs. Our wholesome chicken food will allow her/them to produce the same healthy eggs that our Isa brown layers have been providing:

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WORSHIP CONTEST
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It is a blessing to worship God with your own original worship songs. This is a contest/project that the whole family can do together.

The details are at:
http://worshipguitarclass.com/contest.html

Check it out if your family or someone you know is a songwriter.

Handy Baskets!

Our boys know already that they always have a handy basket with them when Mama calls on them to run an errand:

Saves time & steps!

T-shirts are easy to launder so ... why not?

Another day, another "job" ...

Prayer Prompts

Today in our "Sunday School class", Ken continued our study about the "commands of Christ" - this time we studied the command to pray.

We discussed: out of each twenty-four hours, how much time do we spend praying? What do we pray for? How do we pray?

The verse Carsyn was given to read, spoke of praying joyfully - He (God) will make us joyful in prayer:
Isaiah 56:6&7 "Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer ... for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people."
We discussed how the "house of prayer" in this age is in us, God's people. God lives in us. He will make us joyful in prayer, we needn't work to find that joy ourselves, God will make us joyful in prayer.

Paul tells us to "Pray without ceasing." I Thessalonians 5:17
We need only to claim His promise to fulfill His command.


What is it that prompts you to pray?

Is it adversity? Plenty? Peace? Persecution?


As I've pondered on prayer today, I thought about when do I pray?

Of course, every reason we are drawn to prayer is a good reason. Recently though I've been burdened to pray for many in the "family" who are sick & suffering. Living out here in the bush and struggling a bit with loneliness, I've decided to use the opportunities when I feel lonely to think of others whose struggles are beyond their control - to lift them & their loved ones in prayer to our loving Father who knows their every need & can supply.

The Holy Spirit living in me prompts me to pray ... and as I go about my day, I try to heed that call. Whenever a hurting, needy loved one or friend or acquaintance comes to mind. I pray for them. Right then and there, as I carry on with whatever I'm doing at the time. It is an amazing privilege to speak with God whenever, wherever!

Another prayer prompt that I've adopted through the years is to pray for the person whose recipe I use as I'm cooking, canning or baking.

Most recently, my nose has prompted me to pray -- yup, my nose! How's that? A new friend, Diane, has just been diagnosed with lymphoma and she has extreme sensitivities to perfumes ... smells of all kinds. She shares regularly with her email support team her struggles on this difficult journey. Now, I find myself noticing smells more -- like the strong baby fresh scent of Pampers diapers -- so, often when I go to pick up Faith Mattaya I'm prompted to pray for Diane & her family. Other smells remind me to pray as well. It also reminds me to be thankful for the sense of smell - which some people I know have lost & miss.

Amazing how I've learned to use my nose to pray! Both funny & useful! Eternal benefits to following my nose!

Dish Duty

Faith Mattaya has an incredible desire to do dishes. In that, she takes after her paternal Grandmother though the dishwasher may well be the attraction for little Faith - an open dishwasher is her invitation ... and it doesn't take her long to get right in there to "help", lol!!

Free creative marketing ebook

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Thanks, MoneySavingMom!

Like It Used to Be

My bread hasn't been turning out nice for the last two years. I've only had a couple batches that formed nice high loaves.



This week though, we had some success. Yes! Thank-you Lord! Just in time for tomato sandwiches for quick easy yummy lunches -- always a welcome delight for this gang!

All-Expenses Paid Trip to ... Laundry Heaven?

KimC over @ In a Shoe is giving this away:



An all-expenses paid trip to laundry heaven. This Laundry Powder Combo Kit contains 80 loads of Laundry Powder, a handy Sprayer of All Purpose Cleaner, a Portable Emergency Stain Treater, a gallon refill of All Purpose Cleaner, and a stylish non-woven reusable Grocery Tote sporting the Charlie's Soap logo. Retails for $51.92, and worth every penny.

She says it's better than homemade ... I'd really like to try it myself to see what the hype is all about. You can too - check it out for yourself - put your name in her draw.

No Respect

The baby got bit by a hornet - and she was just innocently sitting in her stroller near the edge of the garden watching Daddy & her brothers pick some tomatoes.

This year the hornets are awful ... and they are no respecter of persons.

Our four youngest have all experienced the hornet's fury now.

So, what do you do when someone gets stung by a hornet or a bee? Here's what we do -- and it has worked these four times now:

Look around on the ground for the nearest plantain plant (every yard we've lived on has been host to this blessed weed)


Grab a leaf, dust it off (or wash it if water is nearby). Chew it for a bit in your mouth, then spit out the masticated leaf into you hand and apply immediately to the sting area. Let it sit on the sting for about five minutes then wash it off -- the pain & swelling seem to disappear.



Minutes later, hours later, even the next day all you can see is the site of the bite - no other evidence.



Try it next time you or yours get a bite. You'll be glad you did!


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The thought immediately ran through my mind that God is no respecter of persons. He makes it to rain on the just and on the unjust.

The Gopher Guys

After a brief sabbatical during the summer, the Gopher Guys are back in action. This time their operations are covering about 350 acres of pastures & hayland.

Brayden's catch was rather interesting today. A GOOD catch on a chicken farm! Weasels are a major predator of chickens - they could wipe out our whole flock in one tragic night!

Area farmers are very appreciative of their efforts. Few words needed: repeat customers says it all!

Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Another successful experiment: Sun-dried tomatoes ... now how to use them?

They do make tasty snacks, but I know I've seen recipes that call for sun-dried tomatoes...just can't remember where. Any ideas? What do you use sun-dried tomatoes for?

It's a KEEPER !!!!

Our family uses a lot of salsa - Mexican dishes being our favorite meals ... In my years of making salsa, I've developed a superb recipe that others have frequently requested. That resulted in me adding it to the cookbook that I published in 2001.

Well. This Zucchini Salsa that I tried this year has topped that! Everyone in the family gives raves reviews on this one, asking that I make ALL my salsa now using this new recipe. Does that speak volumes or what??





The zucchini recipe that Ken found this week in the Manitoba Co-operator sent in by Joy from B.C. can be found on our Klasse Woods Garden blog.

Do give this a try. I'm thinking this will extend my tomato crop which always seems too little -- while using up the zucchini which is in ample supply. Not only that, but the sweetness of the processed zucchini eliminates the necessity of added sweetener in the recipe. Win/win!! Yahoo! I like it when experiments work out so well!