Thank you for putting my mind to rest...

...for real.

Y'all made me feel so much better about the Linky Followers situation.

I did leave the gadget on my sidebar though...just in case. ;)

Have a lovely day, peoples.

Oh my goodness! It's a nine-year-old pickin' at a banjo!

My mouth dropped open when I first saw this video.

It gave me chill bumps but I was hooked.

I watched many more of their YouTube videos and just couldn't get enough of them.

Three brothers from New Jersey....9, 12, and 14 are their ages. And to know that the little one has only been playing for two years!

I mean, wouldn't you LOVE to have talent like this?!?!?.........


(don't forget to pause the playlist so that you can hear these u-mazin' guys.)

See more of these amazing brothers here and here.

This new thing called Linky Followers. Is it true?

I don't know about y'all, but I received this email saying that Google Friend Connect (GFC) is going away March 1st.

Has anybody else heard that the lovely "Follower tool" is going away?

I'm pretty upset about it...because if it does happen, I will lose all of my followers except for the ones that follow me through Linky Followers. =(

Oh well, I am getting prepared by putting the gadget on my sidebar...just in case.

But, if you have heard differently, PLEASE let me know. :)

Thank you, lovelies. Y'all are the best!

Would you like to set up an account?

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Post update:

I deleted the Linky Followers gadget becasue I didn't get any new followers and it seems like the "Followers" tool is still working. :)

Count Your Blessings

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

James 1:17

It's impossible to be thankful and, at the same time, grumpy, cantankerous, critical, or ill-tempered. That's a lesson Johnson Oatman wanted to teach young people in his song, "Count Your Blessings."

Johnson was born in New Jersey just before the Civil War. His father had a powerful voice which some people claimed was the best singing voice in the East. That's why, as a boy, Johnson Jr., always wanted to stand beside his father in church.

When Johnson was a young man, he stood alongside his father in another way. He became a partner in Johnson Oatman & Son, his dad's mercantile business. At age 19, Johnson was an active part in his church. He often preached, but never was a full-time minister, for he enjoyed the business would and found it paid his bills, giving him freedom to minister without cost.

In 1892, with his father's voice undoubtedly ringing in his memory, Johnson began writing hymns. He averaged 200 hymns and gospel songs a year--5,000 during the course of his lifetime, among them: "Higher Ground," "No Not One," "The Last Mile of the Way," and this one, "Count Your Blessings," which was published in a song book for young people in 1897. It reflected Johnson's optimistic faith, and has been a lesson to many ever since.

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Martin Luther wrote in his book, Table Talk: "The greater God's gifts and works, the less they are regarded." We tend to exhibit a degree of thanksgiving in reverse proportion to the amount of blessings we've received. A hungry man is more thankful for his morsel than a rich man for his heavily-laden table. A lonely woman in a nursing home will appreciate a visit more than a popular woman with a party thrown in her honor.

If the birds only burst into song once a year, we'd all pay close attention. But because they are singing every morning, we scarcely bother to listen.

Now is a good time to lay this book aside and deliberately thank God for something you've never before mentioned in thanksgiving. Count your blessings. Name them one by one.

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Taken from the book: Then Sings My Soul  



forgiveness

Listening to my minister the other Wednesday night really got me to thinking...so, I took out my pen and paper and thought I'd share with my lovely bloggy friends what he said...

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Why should I forgive others (their trespasses)?

-I should forgive others if we want to be more like Christ.
-I should forgive others if I want to be like great men and women of old who followed God.
-I should forgive others, because if I don't forgive them, God will not forgive me.
-I should forgive others so that I can be free.
-I should forgive others because God puts such a great emphasis on it.
-I should forgive others because I want to practice God's math and timekeeping (forgive 70x7 and Ephesians 4-don't let the sun go down on your anger).
-I should forgive others because God has forgiven me.
-I should forgive others because I want my prayers to be heard.
-I should forgive others because I want to resemble my old nature (Romans 1:28).
-I should forgive others because we must leave place for the wrath of God. (Story of David cutting off a piece of cloth from Saul's robe.)
-I should forgive others because I want to be a channel through which healing can reach others. (The story of Jacob and Esau meeting again after many years.)
-I should forgive others to come to realize that God may have a higher purpose for my suffering (Acts 2:23).
-I should forgive others because I don't think I can get around the fact that I need to obey Jesus.

Forgive, Forget, Forever.

a new look and a little button

Okay. I just have to give a shout-out to Lindsey who completely renovated my blog.  Didn't she do a FABULOUS job?! I told her what I wanted, and this is the cuteness and magnificientness of it all....amazing, huh?

Yeah, I keep coming back to it and admiring it. :)

Also, she made me a button (which I am totally pumped about).

So, please, wanna trade?

Thanks again, Lindsey! You are a blessing.





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Jesus Loves the Little Children

Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.

Luke 18:16

Almost everyone knows "Jesus Loves the Little Children," but few of us have sung the three verses that go along with the chorus. Nor do many people realize this was originally a Civil Way ballad.

George Frederick Root was born into a large family in Sheffield, Massachusetts, in 1820, and showed signs of musical genius. By age thirteen, he boasted that he could play thirteen different instruments. As a young adult, he taught music in Boston and New York. He also composed music.

In 1855, he offered a song called "Rosalie, the Prairie Flower" to his publisher for the hefty sum of $100. Root's publisher, not thinking it worth that much, offered Root a royalty plan instead. In time, Root grossed thousands of dollars from "Rosalie," which helped establish him financially.

The outbreak of the Civil War deeply affected George, and he immediately began using his gifts to advance the Union war effort, writing a host of patriotic songs to rally the moral of the North. As a serious, classical composer, he was embarrassed at the simple martial music coming from his pen, so he signed them with the name "Wurzel," the German word for "Root." Among his most popular pieces was a ballad entitled, "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!"

In the prison cell I sit,

Thinking, mother, dear of you,

And our bright and happy home so far away,

And the tears, they fill my eyes,

'Spite of all that I can do,

Tho' I try to cheer my comrades and be gay.

Chorus:

Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! The boys are marching,

Cheer up, comrades, they will come,

And beneath the starry flag

We shall breathe the air again

Of the free land in our own beloved home.

After the Civil War, the melody remained popular but the words were dated. A minister named Clare Herbert Woolston, a lyricist whom Root occasionally used, wrote new verses and a chorus. And that's how a Civil War ballad about a soldier in prison became one of the most popular children's choruses in history.

Taken from the book: Then Sings My Soul

valentine cookies and notes filled with love

He is concentrating so hard....;D Notice the toothpick sticking out of his mouth? Haha!
Country boy at it's finest...the brother. ;)

Soon to be sis-in-laws. :P

Fresh and hot, right out of the oven.

The cutie couple =)

A family tradition...homemade valentine's (with a newbie in our midst...the fiance ;).

I love his smile...

A horse ride, a rain shower, and two sisters

 

 

 

Yup. It was a fun time.

See some of the story here.

Alphabet Photo: A Guage

Gauge
I feel like I need to explain my "Alphabet Photo" project again since I haven't done one in so long and I have a few newbies (yay!). ;)

For the newer followers...I am trying to take a picture of every letter of the Alphabet. It is also one of my 50 in 1001's. :)

So, here is "G"....

Yes, it is really fuzzy and yes, it is a phone picture....horrible quality.

Ladies and gentlemen, it reads 81,000.2 miles.

You know what that means? I have put around 4,000 miles on it since purchasing the SUV on September 24, 2011. (You really wanted to know all those details, huh?)


Happy day everybody!

Asking the Tough Questions

"You want some 'tater's' with that?"

These are THE EASIEST little things to make......

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one. Set the oven for 375 degrees.



two. Wash 8 or 9 red potatoes.

three. Spray the pan that you will be using.

four. Cut the potatoes into bit sizes.



five. Spread the potatoes evenly in pan.

six. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

seven. Cook about 45 minutes or until brown and a little crispy

(at least, that's the way we like them. ;)

eight. Viola! Serve with your favorite meat or a fresh green salad.

Serves around 5 people. =)

The Clothesline

I have been blessed to live in a home where the clothesline is a vital part of my life. My grandmother sent this little poem to me the other day in an email. Even though we may not think it is, the clothesline is a blessing...of sorts....;)

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THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES:

(If you don't even know what clotheslines are, better skip this;)

1. You had to hang the socks by the toes... NOT the top.

2. You hung pants by the BOTTOM/cuffs... NOT the waistbands.

3. You had to WASH the clothesline(s) before hanging any clothes - walk the entire length of each line with a damp cloth around the lines.

4. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first.

5. You NEVER hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail! What would the neighbours think?

6. Wash day on a Monday! NEVER hang clothes on the weekend, or on Sunday, for Heaven's sake!

7. Hang the sheets and towels on the OUTSIDE lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know!)

8. It didn't matter if it was sub-zero weather... clothes would "freeze-dry."

9. ALWAYS gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were "tacky"!

10. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with the next item.

11. Clothes off of the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed.

12. IRONED???!! Well, that's a whole OTHER subject!

credit



And now a POEM ...

A clothesline was a news forecast, To neighbours passing by,

There were no secrets you could keep, When clothes were hung to dry.

It also was a friendly link, For neighbours always knew

If company had stopped on by, To spend a night or two.

For then you'd see the "fancy sheets", And towels upon the line;

You'd see the "company table cloths", With intricate designs.

The line announced a baby's birth, From folks who lived inside,

As brand new infant clothes were hung, So carefully with pride!

The ages of the children could, So readily be known

By watching how the sizes changed, You'd know how much they'd grown!

It also told when illness struck, As extra sheets were hung;

Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe too, Haphazardly were strung.

It also said, "On vacation now", When lines hung limp and bare.

It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged, With not an inch to spare!

New folks in town were scorned upon, If wash was dingy and gray,

As neighbours carefully raised their brows, And looked the other way.

But clotheslines now are of the past, For dryers make work much less.

Now what goes on inside a home, Is anybody's guess!

I really miss that way of life, It was a friendly sign

When neighbours knew each other best.... By what hung out on that line

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Soooo, do y'all have a clothesline?

fun friday

Every other Friday, my mom, sister, and I drive to Fun Friday to play with the cutest little babies you have ever seen while their mothers are in a Bible study....

Fun Friday is a homeschool co-op. Mothers and their children all meet at this church to learn about educational things and the Bible. The kids go to class with their fellow homeschool friends, the mothers to Bible study, and us to the room with the rocker and table.

I mean, couldn't you just EAT HER UP?! ;)

We have the happy ones...

...and sometimes, we have the pouty ones....

....we learn about the Bible while feasting on Cheerios....

....we read books about God making "Baby's Bellybutton" :)...

....and sometimes we just sit and look like we're in some far off place....

....after we learn about what sounds the horses and cows make, we get down in the floor and play.
Or sometimes, we just need some time in the rocker cuddling. ;)

Yup, that's our amazing kiddos (the ones that are too young to go to "real class").



*Note: The sister wasn't here this particular day due to being somewhere with Daddy....

a walk with God and some little blessings.

My "old faithfuls"

i've been looking for love in another's eyes
searching for water, but i come up dry
thought that i could find
happiness in the world's applause
peace of mind in a worth cause
take me back, take me back
got to trust in the simple truth
got to trust all i really need is

The more it rains, the more this lake grows...in the middle of our driveway.
Thank the Lord for neighbors with tractors to fill in the hole. ;)

You
im coming back to
You
the only thing i know worth living for
will You take this heart and make it more like
You
i give it back to You
it's obvious no one could love me more
im Yours
im coming back, yeah
im coming back, coming back

A little friend...on my walks/jogs. ;P

to joy that speaks to my deepest need
to arms never far out of reach
yeah, how Your love it
calls to me when i lose my way
holds me close when i feel afraid
take me back, take me back
got to trust that im safe and sound
got to trust that it all comes down to

A fresh footprint on a smooth, sandy driveway

You
im coming back to
You
the only thing i know worth living for
will you take this heart and make it more like
You
i give it back to You
it's obvious no one could love me more
im Yours
im coming back, yeah
im coming, coming back

New life.......

so no more getting caught in the middle
no more waiting for what is unsure
back to Your love so true and so simple
don't understate it or complicate it
it's so simple, yeah, it's so simple

Leftovers from a skeet shoot. ;P

it's You
im coming back to
You
the only thing i know worth living for
will You take this heart and make it more like
You
i give it back to You
it's obvious no one could love me more
im Yours
im coming, coming back
You
im coming back to
You
the only thing i know worth living for
will You take this heart and make it more like
You
i give it back to You
its obvious no one could love me more
im Yours
im coming, coming back

A work-out hairdo

You, coming back to You, You coming back
You, coming back to You, You coming back
You, coming back to You, You coming back
You, coming back to You, You coming back

A leaf that dared to stand out from the crowd. :D

im Yours, im Yours, yeah, yeah
im Yours, im Yours, yeah, yeah

My welcome home committee, Rodeo.

"You" by Britt Nicole