Dreaming of a Pink Christmas...Homemaking Link-Up Weekend

Hello and Happy Weekend!

I must confess that I've spent WAAAYYY too much time on Etsy today looking at lots of beautiful pink goodness!  I'm so inspired and, ok, a little covetous too!

For this week's Homemaking Link-Up Weekend, I thought I'd share some of my gorgeous finds!  First up is this CUTE little cottage.  It's Red Riding Hood's Cottage!  Isn't that adorable?

Red Riding Hood's Christmas Cottage by TheUglyDuckling1962

 As I was looking for more pink houses, I came across one of Pink Saturday's favorite girls!  Olivia from Olivia's Romantic Home is offering up this stunning deer to go along with her adorable cottages.

Gorgeous Deer from Olivia's Romantic Home

Here's a fancy house for a fancy price!  Looks edible to me...ha!

Pink Christmas House from PerlillaPets

I also came across this really neat banner from Pink Pearl Studio.  She is selling the pdf for 6 designs and you just print it out yourself, mount and decorate!  I'll be buying this today!

Christmas Banner from pinkpearlstudio

I think I'm going to use some of the ideas I've found online today and see if I can create my own little Christmas village!  I'll keep you posted on my progress!




<a href="http://www.bloggingwhilewaiting.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc418/lostinavalon1/Homemakinglinkup.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>

I'd love for you to join in with my Homemaking Link-Up Weekend.  Feel free to link up your favorite posts below and make sure to grab a button for your blog so your friends can join too!

Linking with:

Homemaking Link-Up Weekend

Welcome to this week's Homemaking Link-Up Weekend!  It's been a great week for our family as we're enjoying the cooler temperatures, lots of soup, and the crafty bug that always hits our home this time of year!  Please feel free to link up your favorite posts below and display this cute button on your blog so your readers can come visit too!


<a href="http://www.bloggingwhilewaiting.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc418/lostinavalon1/Homemakinglinkup.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>

Last night for dinner, I made my yummy Chicken Alfredo Lasagna.  My family loves this---it's so flavorful!

My birthday was October 23rd---the day my husband and two oldest sons went elk hunting for a week.  The other kids and I drove them up and stopped off at our cousin's new shop, The Dancing Elephant Gallery in Baker City.  Because it was my birthday, and because I wanted something to remember our first visit to the gallery, I bought this cute vintage PINK vase!  Isn't it pretty?  I finally unpacked it yesterday and put it up on the highest shelf---far from little baby fingers!

As Amy (owner) pointed out, one usually finds this style chipped in places---but this one's in perfect shape.  I love it!

  My little blog hit an exciting milestone this week as I had 750 visitors in one day on the day after elections!  This was my most popular post this week---and most popular of ALL TIME with over 1,000 hits in just 6 days!

My favorite post from last week's link up was this one for Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls from Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose.  I make a recipe similar to this and it inspired me to put together a batch for our Saturday morning breakfast tomorrow!  Please visit Stephanie to give your compliments and, if you are Pinning, please make sure to pin from her blog to direct traffic her way!

How do you plan to spend your weekend?  Today I'm going to clean my room and stock my Etsy shop.  Then I'm planning on making some skirts for my daughters and I over the weekend---as well as doing a major de-junking in the boys' bedroom!  

Hope your day is happy and blessed---please link up below and join the party!

Linking With:

Femininity vs. Modesty...What's the Difference?

Recently, I had a conversation with another Christian woman who asked a question similar to this:  

"What standards do we, as Christian women, use to decide what is modest when it comes to dressing? Islam and Judaism both have very specific laws, but Christianity, as a spiritual system of relational obedience in freedom, has no such standard."

I think this question can be answered by thinking, as this woman pointed out, about one of the biggest differences between Christianity and other religions. In Christianity, we live by relationship rather than law. We obey God's laws, not out of fear or tradition, but because we have relationship with him and love him. Because we have this relationship, we are able to go to him with our questions about modesty and ask him what this looks like for our own lives. 

The Bible gives us very little to go on as far as what to wear. It is clear that we are to be modest (1 Tim. 2:9), we are to dress "like women" (Deut. 22:5), and that we are not to be obsessed or proud (as in not humble) about our appearance (1 Peter 5:5-6). I think it's clear in the heart of any woman who desires to dress modestly that she should be "covered up" in the essential places with clothes that are not tight-fitting. After that, I think a lot of it is dependent on what God knows we need to do to make our own hearts right and, in some cases, what the people around us need to keep theirs right. 

For instance, I don't think a woman in slacks and a button down top is dressing immodestly. I don't think it's the most feminine outfit---but it's modest as far as "avoiding lust of the eyes" goes. 

I think that many Christian women, when discussing modesty, confuse it with the issue of femininity.  This is where a lot of the bickering and belaboring of details comes in that those of us who discuss this face.  No Godly woman wants her femininity questioned---but that's exactly what ends up happening when we confuse the two terms.

Modesty: "Reserve or propriety in speech, dress, or behavior."
Femininity:  "A characteristic or trait traditionally held to be female."

I don't think that any true, Bible-believing woman would question the need for modesty.  This is of pretty obvious importance in Scripture, as well as in the conscience of anyone who has Jesus dwelling in her heart.  It's the femininity question that needs to be answered and I truly believe that is a personal choice based on interpretation of both the current culture and the voice of God in ones heart.

Before you get all up in arms that I mentioned our culture having an impact on what we consider to be feminine dress, just think of men in togas...or men in tights, if you'd like!  How about salwar kameez?

For me, I know that I need to be in skirts and dresses because of how it works in MY heart. When I am dressed in what I consider to be more feminine clothing, I automatically act more feminine. I function in my roles of wife and mother better and I speak, act and carry myself in a more peaceful and kind way. I know what God wants for my own personal walk---because I have relationship with him and can ask him! 

Does this mean you should also adopt a wardrobe of skirts and dresses?  Of course not.  You should, however, make sure that what you are wearing makes your gender obvious and is following the standards of modesty that you know in your heart to be right.  I don't need to spell those out for you---just ask God, He'll make it perfectly clear for you! 

Does God Ever Give Us More Than We Can Handle?

One morning, after being woken up and trying in vain to get back to sleep, I headed out to the living room to read my Bible for awhile. I read Acts chapters 21-24 and was really encouraged by the stories of the Apostle Paul. These chapters tell about Paul's imprisonment over a course of several years and his appearance before several prominent leaders of the times to "plead his case".

It struck me that by holding him in prison and taking him from place to place, Paul's accusers may have thought they were silencing him and the message that he was spreading. After all, they'd got him off the streets and away from citizens who may be swayed by his teaching. Yet, on the contrary, God was using Paul's time in bondage to witness to some of the highest ranking authorities in the land.

Acts 23:11 confirms the Lord's hand in this: "But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, 'Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.' "

This encouraged me in the thought that when we dedicate our lives to God and to his service, we never have to be afraid of where we "end up". Whether it be at a job site, at home, or (hopefully not!!) in prison, God's directing hand will always place us exactly where he wants us.

A lot of people like to quote what they think is a Bible verse: "God will never give us more than we can handle". That's not necessarily the idea and those words in that order are not actually found anywhere in scripture. What people are probably referring to is a misinterpretation of 1 Corinthians 10:13: "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

The Bible is not saying that God will never give us more than we can handle---just ask Paul or Jeremiah or Job and you'll find that there are examples over and over in the Bible of those who were given more than they could bear on their own. What Paul is saying is that God will not give us more than we can handle with him. As long as we are in right relationship with God and attempting to walk within his will, we will be able to recognize him right there beside us, guiding and directing through the most difficult of circumstances.

Paul describes God's provision of help in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9: "For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead."

Many of us will go through trials of different sizes and severities and many of them will be impossible for us to bear on our own. We are very weak children. However, we have a great big God who delights in carrying us through the impossibly stormy times. What better place to be than right within the will of God!

This article was published in Issue #88 of The Christian Home magazine.

Linking with:
Wisdom Wednesdays @ Simply Helping Him 

Apple Cider Beef Stew

I came up with this great recipe for Beef Stew last fall and it was a huge hit at the taste-testing table!  I served it with my Autumn Spiced Cornbread and there was barely enough leftover for Daddy's lunch!

Apple Cider Beef Stew
 
Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 1/2 pounds beef, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup sliced diced celery
• 10 cups beef broth*
• 2 carrots, sliced into rounds
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into cubes
• 2 cups apple juice**
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. each of nutmeg and cloves
• 1 can corn
• 1/2 c. cornstarch
• salt and pepper

*A less expensive way to do your broth is to buy bullion cubes and dissolve them in water.  A jar of cubes is likely the same price as a couple cans of broth---yet 1 1/2 cube gives you the same amount of broth as a can.  You will get significantly more broth out of the cubes than the can for the same price.

**I used leftover apple cider from Bible study the night before.  If you use spiced cider, you can eliminate adding the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the beef in the oil.

Add onion and celery and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes longer.  Transfer to a large saucepan or stock pot. 

Add beef broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Add the carrots, potatoes, apple juice, and 3 spices; simmer for about 30 to 40 minute longer, or until vegetables are tender. Add corn; continue cooking 5-10 minutes.

In a small bowl or cup, combine cornstarch with 1 c. cold water until smooth. Add the mixture to the simmering broth, a little at a time, until stew is thickened. Taste and add salt and pepper.

Serves 8 to 10

I hope you all enjoy this recipe!  Please come back and let me know if you tried it and how you liked it.  I'd love to hear other variations.  Did you add autumn vegetables like squash, zucchini or pumpkin?  How did you like it with the apple cider/juice?

Today I'm wearing the cute pink apron that I won from the lovely Connie of Living Beautifully.  I've got a whole list of things I want to bake today---hopefully I'll get some of them done! 

No Matter Who Is President, Jesus is King

Click here for my updated 2016 version of this article!

Did you know our President is just a man?

Don't read "just a man" as in "yeah, men, they're such idiots sometimes...".  Instead, read it as, "he's NOT GOD...he's just a man."

While this may seem a pretty obvious point, so many of us this week are putting a much too large burden of responsibility on the shoulders of a couple of guys who were created with the same relative bone structure as any of our own husbands, fathers and brothers.

I am so not into politics.  In fact, I had fully decided not to vote in this year's election because both candidates disgust me and I don't feel comfortable endorsing either one.  It was just yesterday morning---6 days before the day---that I quickly registered my husband and I online to vote...just in case we change our minds.

What I dislike most of all about politics is how it divides normally peaceable friends.  This is most obvious to me on Facebook where I can't wait for election time to be over so I can actually enjoy my friends again!  We all have our opinions---that's fine---the part that gets me, though, is how much faith people are putting into our next President.

Did you know that no matter who ends up with the title next week, Jesus is still King?  He is.  He's King.  He's in charge.  He's allowing all these things that we think we have so much control over to happen---regardless of what we want.  In fact, it might not even matter how we vote (gasp!!) because Romans 13:1 tells us that God appoints our leaders.

"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." ~Romans 13:1

I'm not saying that this gives us an excuse not to vote---though I'm also not going to advocate that it's everyone's Christian duty to vote---I really don't know how I feel about that.  What I do know is this:  God's laws and his plan for us are still the same---no matter what person or laws we vote into our small corner of the world.

Abortion?  It's the sin of murder, every time, whether it's lawful in America or not.  No matter how the baby came to be created.  There is never an excuse.  Making abortion illegal is not going to stop it from happening. 

Health Care?  God is the giver and taker of life and health---the healer and the one who chooses not to heal---no matter who is paying the doctor bills and whether or not one can afford care. 

Gay Marriage?  God established marriage as the very first human institution, not even a week into Creation.  One of the very first things he did is unite a man and woman in covenant for the remainder of their earthly lives.  So it doesn't matter what gays choose to do---any romantic/sexual union between anyone outside of God's established covenant of holy marriage under him is a sin.  No man-made law is going to change this.

Of course I'm not advocating that we all hide out and polish our holy halos, waiting for Jesus while the rest of the world goes to Hell---we are definitely called to fight evil in all places and be an example of Jesus to everyone.  One of the ways to do this is to be involved in influencing the way our country is run and what we allow it to stand for.

I am, however, definitely advocating that we don't put so much emotional energy into "fighting evil" that we end up fighting our friends, neighbors, fellow believers. 

No man is going to save us.  No laws, no freedoms, no lobbying, no nasty Facebook messages will make our situation better.  The only One who will bring change to the things we are so passionate about is Jesus.

If we put the same amount of energy, money and passion into sharing the Bible's truths that we do into political campaigning, just imagine the true changes that could come to America!

The Piano Playing Pilgrim

My weekend post is a little late today as I've been working on this since 7:00 this morning:

Tomorrow, Lynzie and Cainan have piano recitals.  Lynzie usually gets a new dress made for her recitals and this time she wanted a pilgrim dress.

Tuesday was my birthday and I was so blessed with well wishes and sweet gifts!  I'll try and put up some pictures of my gifts this week, but my favorite part of the day was this picture that Lynzie took of Jamie and I:

I sure love that guy!

Hope everyone's had a blessed week!  Now that I've got the dress done, I'm hoping to spend the weekend relaxing and getting some reading done.  Have you read anything good lately?

Blessings to you and your family---have a lovely weekend!

Linking with:

Beverly's Pink Saturday

Fall Foliage on the Porch

Can you believe November 1st is two weeks from today?  Where is this year going?  I have to admit that I'm actually liking this quick passage of time, as that means only a couple more months until our new baby girl arrives!

This weekend, I'm showing off my fall porch decorations.  Liam decided to jump into this first one---he's pretty cute, so I let him stay!

I bought this tall and very heavy antique window from my uncle who is selling a bunch of neat antique outdoorsy things.  I had originally planned on putting it in my living room, but after getting it and seeing how heavy it was, I decided it might not be safe with 3 babies in the house!  So, I put it out on the porch and surrounded it with these neat church bird houses that my mom gave me.  Lynzie, Michael, Elisha and I picked out this little scarecrow girl to add some color.  I also grabbed my leaf garland for the top of the window.  With all the wind we've been having, I'll probably be picking it up out of the flower bed in the morning!

I found this old bucket at a yard sale this summer.  It's in perfect shape and even has it's lid.  More decorations to blow into the flower bed...but it looks cute for now!

It's almost the weekend!  I'm planning on working on some sewing and getting Jamie, Michael and Elisha ready to go elk hunting.  It's that time of year!

Blessings to you and your family today!  Feel free to link up your homemaking posts below and have a great day!

Linking with:
Vintage Thingie Thursday @ Coloradolady 
Beverly's Pink Saturday 
Dear Creatives 

Pumpkins and Pinks

Today at Beverly's Pink Saturday, we're all showing off our pumpkins!  I have a couple pumpkins around the house but nothing too spectacular so I thought I'd start by showing you a couple of fabric pumpkins I've got in my Etsy shop for sale!

This cute Holly Hobbie pumpkin is made from a foam pumpkin covered with fabric and features her "Blue Girl" portrait.  It's 7x5 and, unlike any pumpkin from the produce aisle, it will keep indefinitely!

Here's a second one with lace and blue flowers instead.  Both are $12 with FREE US shipping!

I've also been busy recently stocking my booth at Strutt Your Stuff, a friend's gift shop here in town.  Yesterday I made this cute Jane Austen silhouette mirror.  My daughter, Lynzie, drew the silhouette template for me on a piece of paper and then I just glued it to the mirror, sprayed white paint around it, painted the frame black, and added some antique jewelry and vintage faux pearls.  It's so cute, I'm half hoping it doesn't sell!

My great-grandmother left us lots and lots of costume jewelery.  I know she'd be happy that I'm finding fun and crafty ways to use some of it!

A good BookCrossing friend sent me some gorgeous fabrics so I made a ruffled book bag.  I love this!  I think I'll make a few more for my Etsy shop...and maybe one for me too!

I also used some of the fabric and matching ribbons/buttons for a little pin cushion.  I used one of the four Depression glass sherbet cups I have sitting around. 

Have you been up to anything fun and crafty lately?  Tell me about it or link up your homemaking/crafty posts below for Homemaking LinkUp Weekend.

Blessings to all of you and thanks so much for stopping by---have a lovely weekend!

Linking with:
Beverly's Pink Saturday
Homemaking Link-Up @ Raising Homemakers 
Blue Monday @ SmilingSally 

Show Me Your Fall! Homemaking LinkUp Weekend

Brr!!! Is it cold where you are?  Fall came fast here in Eastern Oregon.  It's 56 degrees outside right now at 1:30 in the afternoon!  Just two weeks ago it was 95! 

Fall is my most favorite time of year!  I love the cooler temperatures and beautiful colors!  Today for Pink Saturday, we're showing off our fall decorations!

Yesterday, Lynzie and I went out to do a couple of errands and found these sweet praying Colonial kids at Rite Aid.  She named them John and Patience.  I think they look really cute in front of my vintage Ferris print, Christmas Morn at Plymouth.

My mom gave me a set of neat owls to display on top of the piano.  I really love owls!

This is our family's most treasured Fall decoration.  I bought this at a local craft bazaar a few years ago and the kids all get really excited each time I set it up.  Today, when they prayed at lunch, they mentioned that John, Patience, and the First Thanksgiving set were all praying along with them!

Up until a few years ago, I tried to get an annual Fall picture of all the kids.  This is the last one I took and it was 5 years ago!  Now that there's another 4 kids to add to the pose, I'm thinking we need to do another one!

What is your favorite thing about Fall?  Do you have a treasured decoration or tradition?  Tell me about it or, better yet, blog about it and link up with my Homemaking LinkUp Weekend!  Don't forget to visit Beverly and the other Pink Saturday bloggers for beautiful and inspiring Fall posts!

Linking with:
Beverly's Pink Saturday