For Sale: Comfrey Goldenseal Salve

Another Happy Customer

I have made another batch and it is available for sale.
$25 for four ounces.

Interested? Send me an email at the address in the header of this page referencing this link.

Goldenseal is pricey but very effective. Look it up.

Comfrey is a cell proliferator which means it speeds up the cell turnover rate which translates to faster healing.

The salve I have made has helped heal long-open wounds of disabled people much to their doctor's surprise. An ER doctor was amazed at how fast it worked to heal my daughters injuries after a vehicle rollover accident.

It is worth it because you will SEE it working.

Caleb's Birdhouse

I liked the birdhouse he made so much, that I bought it from Caleb.
It sits on my thrift store table and hides some of my candles.

Alzheimer's Spreadable Between Humans

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13019295/Alzheimers-spread-humans-Groundbreaking-study-reveals-five-people-caught-memory-robbing-illness-discontinued-hormone-treatment-scientists-warn-hundreds-risk.html

Alzheimer's can be spread BETWEEN humans: Pioneering study reveals at least five people have 'caught' memory-robbing illness - as scientists warn hundreds more may be 'at risk'

Picked up some medicine...

I stopped and picked up some medicine aka Trametes versicolour.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Trametes+versicolour <-- worth a look!

Battle for the Window Seat

If you really study science, it will bring you closer to God.

I build molecules for a living. I can't begin to tell you how difficult that job is. I stand in awe of God because of what he has done through his creation. My faith has been increased through my research. Only a rookie who knows nothing about science would say science takes away from faith. If you really study science, it will bring you closer to God. -James Tour, an American chemist and nanotechnologist

Hannah and Mercury Napping

Transitions: Another Big Change for Our Family

This one will make me sad for a while (and is already making me sad to think about), but it is a good and normal thing. 

More to come on this when the time is right. My love to all!

Grinding Pumpkin Seeds in a Grain Mill

Yes, you can grind pumpkin seeds. 

I was blessed with a couple of bushels of pumpkins and other cucurbits from a neighbor. I did some internet searches to see if they could be milled and saw several saying no. I tried it anyway--because I am like that. I had no issues with my Kitchen Aid Grain Mill. #amazonaffiliate "As an Amazon Associate I earn a tiny percentage from qualifying purchases.”

 I think one of the issues people are running into with grinding pumpkin and similar seeds is that they are not roasting them first. I initially had seasoned and roasted these to use as snacks. We ate quite a few of them. I later decided to grind the seeds to add to other recipes. Btw, roasting the seeds does not destroy the antioxidants. In fact, according to one study I read, it increases them.

In conclusion, roasting at certain temperature can increase the sensory and nutritional attributes of pumpkin seed. After roasting, the concentrations of total phenols, total flavonoids, and antioxidant properties of pumpkin seeds were improved, which indicated that roasting enhanced the biological activity and antioxidant properties of pumpkin seeds. -Source

They are.

I tape notes around the house when the "live here" children start getting slack on following house rules like taking their boots off at the door. I overheard one of my "on their own" children say, "Uh oh, there she goes with her notes. Ya'll must be driving her crazy again." 😃

Meet Marvel

Queen Marvel

Miracle

Meet Emily's Queen Marvel whose name is derived from her mother, Dutchess, and her legendary grandmother, Miracle. Dutchess lives outdoors and keeps me company when I am gardening. So far, Marvel has been obeying the house rules, but I am sure Marvel will be as much of a pain in the butt as the first two. :-)

Ace, The Invader

One would think the pillows I made to match our dining room chairs were made just for Ace. Ace allegedly lives outdoors, but I see him inside napping much of the time now. I think he naps inside so he can get peace from the tomcat.

great joy to be found in learning to please the Lord

"No one would call a husband 'legalistic' for sending roses to his wife, or a wife for spending time to lovingly prepare dinner, night after night, for her husband. ... In the same way, there is great joy to be found in learning to please the Lord--and no pleasure at all in seeing how much we can get away with." Jennifer Lamp Neef His Chosen Bride

Armor Up

The world is WICKED.

It shouldn’t come as a shock to any of us.

The Lord isn’t surprised.

He’s been dealing with EVIL since the beginning of time.

The battle isn’t against Target.

The battle isn’t against Starbucks.

The battle isn’t even against the government.

Paul was very clear…

Our battle is against the EVIL FORCES IN THIS WORLD!

Friend…you can worry, you can be scared, you can boycott, you can get mad…and I’m right there with you.

BUT WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO DO IS 𝘼𝙍𝙈𝙊𝙍 𝙐𝙋!

You need to be prepared to fight the battle that is waging war on your marriages, your children, your relationships, YOUR SOUL!

Put on the armor of God!

OPEN your Bible!

Take your concerns, worries, needs to the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!!

If He lives in your heart than GREATER IS HE WHO IS IN YOU THAN THE EVIL THAT IS IN THIS WORLD!!

Spoiler alert: Satan loses…but until that time he is going to wreak as much havoc as he possibly can. -Author Unkown

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.  Ephesians 6:10-20

Chainsaw 1 Clint 0

Update on Clint 1/20: Still no signs of infection.

Update on Clint 1/18:  No signs of infection at all. Everything looks very good. We started using heat and vibration on it last night to speed healing. You would not even know he has that big gash in him from the way he's been moving around and working. To those who have been checking on him, thank you! My love to all!

Update on Clint 1/17: At my suggestion, "Chainsaw Clint" got a tetanus booster shot yesterday on his way home. He has a very little bit of bleeding still, which is normal...especially since he keeps getting on his knees to work. There are no signs of infection. 

Last night, he was helping a neighbor and had to crawl over things stacked in a hallway to reach where he needed to get. Then he was crawling around on that leg inside a pumphouse. He is amazing! 

I bought him a pair of chainsaw protection chaps to wear over his pants. They arrived yesterday.

1/15: I figured I had better post this because people are hearing about it and contacting us.

Don't worry! He is fine!

If you have the stomach for it, the injury is pictured here. It's gaping and ugly.
My man is one tough man!

Clint is a tough one! He came into the house a few minutes ago and said calmly and quietly, "Um, I am going to need a few rags. The chainsaw kicked back and nicked my leg." I looked over, and he had a 3.5-inch gaping gash. He's OK. Emily, Hannah, Amanda, and I cleaned him up. He stapled himself back together, and he's "back at it" building me a cart for my seeds. He's in my phone as "Your Amazing Husband" for a reason.

In addition to stapling his own injury closed, he also had each of us four women (Emily, Hannah, Amanda, and me) put staples in him so we would have the experience should the need ever arise. I've kept the stapler around for years hoping we'd never need it. I just purchased two more today. I have sutured before, but this was my first time stapling.

FYI, Clint made the decision not to go to the clinic. The places here are overwhelmed with patients due to RSV, pneumonia, COVID, and Flu A. Wait times were 4-6 hours. We would also be exposed to all of those germs.

The wound had bark and wood bits in it. So, Clint is on an Rx antibiotic (Jase Medical). He is receiving the same level of care he would receive if he had gone to the local doc in a box. Only, it was much faster and he wasn't exposed to many more germs.

Clint was cleaned up, sutured, and given antibiotics within 10-15 minutes of him walking into the house. By the time most people would be leaving their homes to seek medical care, he was cared for and back on his feet.

The stapler was $10. The portion of the antibiotics he will use is $7.20. The cleaning and bandaging supplies were estimated to cost around $3-4. We used alcohol, some cotton balls, and betadine. We bandaged it with two bandages and some first aid tape. The total is approximately $20. That's quite a savings compared to urgent care which I was told would be around $400.

Watching Clint staple himself had me flashback to a scene from Rambo III where Rambo cauterized his wound. MY MAN IS LEGIT!!

Prayers Please (Suffolk fire loss affecting small businesses)

https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/isle-of-wight/fire-breaks-out-at-isle-of-wight-industrial-park/

This is a friend's building. Bobby is an incredible guy with a big heart. He shared that while he had insurance on the building, his 13 tenants did not have insurance. They will have to restart from scratch. For many of them, this was their livelihood. Please pray God makes a way for all of them so they can get back up and running asap. 

It's a hit!!

a dog bed on a heating pad on top of a thick pillow in a sunbeam

Old Marty needs it. Penny likes it too.

Googly Eyes Galore

Emily's Third Fun Christmas Gift

 

 Sometime in the fall, Clint and I were watching a trailer for a TV show. (It was very late and we were very tired, so we never caught the name. Never saw the show.) There was a funny scene with a horribly done painting. Clint and I laughed at it and paused the preview because Emily had knocked on our door. We pointed out the picture to her and laughed and talked about it a bit. Well, that child reproduced it and gave it to Clint and me for Christmas! 😃

We named her Aunt Bridgette and she is prominently displayed in our den so people can see her when they visit. 😃

Jim Kept the Bow

Jim kept the bow.

Is it a reminder to get her back?

Wintertime Fun

Last year, we hid plastic spiders all over Amanda's house. She collected them in jars and still has them.

This year, we hid coins all over and put this note on her bed.

Then we put googly eyes on everything we could.

I gave her this plush spider for Christmas as a reminder of last year's fun. Emily thought of giving it eight googly eyes.

Finally, I sent a link to the group text dedicating this song to Amanda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YvAYIJSSZY&ab_channel=RockwellVEVO

So, when we were in the Daniel Boone National Forest, I was hoping to see a bear in the forest. I guess I said it one time too many because Emily gave me this for Christmas.

Help Little Walter Get a Medically Necessary Wagon

Update: They reached their goal and can now buy him the Wonderfold cart. This will make life so much easier for them.

Dec 20: https://my.cheddarup.com/c/a-wonderfold-for-walter?cart=11f059c8-6dfe-4ec6-8baf-bbd0ffa264ba%21%2169780322&mrId

Friends of ours had the doctor's order for a wagon to help them with their special needs child denied. They are trying to raise the money so they can purchase what they need. 

I have asked for prayers for Walter before in the blog. He is the child with esophagus issues that require him to have liquid feeds. His trachea has a defect that causes it to collapse which blocks his airflow and has caused him to nearly die a few times. He has had many surgeries on it to correct it as he grows.

I know it is a scary time to donate money to anyone and anywhere with the scams out there. We personally have met and know these people. I, Wendy, have been in a friendship with Sarah's mother since the early 80s. This need is legit. This young couple not only has medical expenses with their son, but they have others due to the mother's heart condition. Both of them work very hard to stay afloat financially. 

Thank you to any of you who can help them. My love to all!

I try to keep my opinions and emotions out of things like this, but the insurance companies are getting ridiculous! I have one friend with a not quite two-year-old child who is on a special formula. The child can not swallow solids. She has been on this formula almost since she was born. Well, the insurance refused to let her have any more of the formula until she gets a whole battery of tests-the same tests she had before to prove she needs the formula. They just cut her off! Her parents are buying what they can afford in the meantime. They are also trying to feed her other foods because her weight is dropping quickly but she is not able to handle it. That is very risky, but they are desperate. The mother has been on the phone nonstop trying to resolve the issue. I have another friend who has a special needs child who requires O2. Their insurance company cut off deliveries of those demanding more tests to prove that he needs it. Why not continue to send the O2 with a request for repeat testing? Why cut them off like that? This child has been on supplemental O2 his entire life. He is 15. So frustrating!!! 

Update on the formula for the nearly 2 year old who can not tolerate solid foods due to a health condition: The company who makes the formula overnighted three cases of formula to her and said they will do it again if necessary. She says she has enough formula to last until mid-January. Isn't God good?

No time to play it safe! Warn them!

 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Ezekiel 3:17-19

Dear Reader, While this verse is referring to the nation of Israel, we can understand the principle given and apply it to the time we are living. If we know danger is coming and do not warn others, we will be found with blood on our hands. It is very clear to those who are the Lord's Watchmen that the End Times are fast approaching. We are at the end of the Church age and the period of grace it has given mankind. The Rapture of the Church and the Tribulation is ahead. This is no time to be shy, hesitant, or afraid. It is a time to speak out and be bold. Witness today before your opportunity is gone. If you love them, share the gospel with them. Warn them. Don't let their blood be on your hands.

I am so proud of her!

I have no idea where Amanda gets her fun-loving mischievous streak from. None at all. Not a clue. I can't even type that without laughing! She did this to a co-worker's toolbox recently. Jim is very good-natured and will get her back. I reminded Amanda her daddy will have his toolboxes there again soon. And his car. And, he'll have an office. And a fridge. I know she'll make me proud!  The bow was a nice touch!

Ace

Caleb's Ace

The running joke is that he is not allowed in the house. However, one will almost always find him inside the house.

Family

Brandon, Grandma Susan, Hannah, Emily, Grandpa Vencil

Article: Kentucky teen starts TikTok trend at school to ‘Help Spread God’s Word’

https://endtimeheadlines.org/2024/01/kentucky-ten-starts-tiktok-trend-at-school-to-help-spread-gods-word/ Copy and paste. I could not get it to work as a hyperlink.

Way to go for this teen sharing Jesus!

Roof Repair

Joshua is repairing where some shingles blew off a while back. (not from the storm last night) Emily is on the ground watching out for him. If we do work that has any risk of serious injury, there are always at least two. My father was in construction. The stories I heard of people lying/hanging injured until someone went looking for them made an impact. 

Always in High Demand

As soon as this boy gets home, he makes a beeline for his mama. I am always happy to sit and talk with Brandon. Of course, I am not the only one happy to see him! Here, Marty, Marvel (Emily's kitten), and Penny with her toy on his back, are waiting for their turn. Our family prays for him as he travels. I update his location through our family's group text. Once he arrives, I send a picture to let them know he is back in town. This is one of those pictures.

That pan in the background has sweet potatoes, turmeric, ginger, and turnip tops I am starting for gardening projects.

Prayers for Silas's Family Please

Update Jan 9: From Jen: "When Silas was dying... his chest stopped rising and falling and I called the doctor in to check his pulse. It was dropping.

We all sang one verse of Holy Spirit (You are welcome here.)

I prayed and thanked Jesus for his beautiful life that glorified Him.

I then told Silas he was free to to run and jump and play with Carter and my Daddy and all our loved ones before us. I then asked Silas if he was floating above us yet.

Then we sang Amazing Grace.

I'm so glad I got to hold him in the moment He met his Savior. I didn't get that with Carter. It was beautiful and sacred. I'll never forget it."

Please keep praying for Silas's family and the Ward family (see below).

Update: 1/5/2024: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/hampton-va/silas-cameron-11600292 :-(...

Update 12/22: Jen shared that one of Silas' friends at St. Mary also had RSV and died on the very same day in the same children's hospital. Please pray for the Ward family. She shared that in 2011, her father saw a man sitting in his hospital room and told people he was there to take him home. She said she likes to think there was an angel at CHKD (children's hospital) to escort both boys home together. 

Update 12/21: Jen says there will be a celebration of Silas' life sometime in January. She asks that we pray for her to be able to sleep now and in the future. 

Update 12/20: I really messed up and hope you each will forgive me for my mistake. I misunderstood two of Jen's posts. 

Silas is still alive, but he is heavily sedated to keep him comfortable as his body shuts down. He is expected to pass any time now. I also messed up again:

Please pray that the condolence card I sent to the family does not cause them great upset. I have already written to Jen and explained it is on the way due to my misunderstanding of her posts. I did not want it to catch her off guard. I hate it when I do things that can cause other people anguish. Lord, please forgive me.

Update: Jen responded with love and grace and said that by time it gets to her, he very likely will already be with Jesus. 

Update 12/20 12 noon: Silas is with Jesus. Please cover his family in prayer.

*****

Please pray for family friends Jen and Jon. Their beautiful son just died. I have shared prayer requests for Silas in the blog in the past. This just breaks our hearts for his family.

Silas was a special needs child due to HLH which hit him as a baby. He had a beautiful smile and gorgeous hair. To give Jen a break, Amanda took care of Silas when he was still living at home. As he grew too heavy to care for, he became a resident of St. Mary's Children's Home. Our family has regularly prayed for Silas and his family over the years. We will miss seeing his smiling face and hearing about the fun things he was doing at St. Mary's. 

Last week, Silas came down with RSV and was admitted to CHKD. It looked like he was getting better but yesterday he took a turn for the worse. The RSV reactivated the horrible HLH. He died yesterday. This is the second child this family has lost to HLH. Carter, Silas' older brother, died from HLH when he was 2 years old.

Because of their story, this family has had an amazing impact for the Lord. You can read part of their story and witness Jen's incredible faith for yourself in what she wrote here.

Silas leaves behind his parents, a biological sister, a step-brother, and a wonderful loving family of nurses at St. Mary's. All of them could use prayer in the days ahead. Please pray for them like you would pray for me and my family. Thank you for any prayers you lift up for my friends. May the Lord richly bless you for them.

"Because God is good no matter what…with God, there’s always hope."
-Jen

Update 12/19 12:24 p.m. I have had a very hard time with the news of Silas' death today. There are not too many things that make me shed tears, but this had me sobbing like a baby for my friend Jen. My heart was just wrecked, and I have struggled to function. I was just listening to a video where a Brother in Christ shared 1 Corinthians 2:9 about how eyes have not seen and our minds can not comprehend what God has prepared for us. God knew just how to speak to my heart to lift my spirits. Right now, this day, this period of mourning...SUCKS! Grief is one of the seasons of life we have to slog our way through wondering how we will endure long enough to take the next breath. But knowing our Father says something unfathomably good is coming that will exceed our biggest expectations helps me shift my focus from now to look ahead to our eternal future. That is what keeps me going.

The Bottle Cap Story

Sometime over the last year, I asked family living at home to save a few bottle caps so I could close water bottles when I saw them open without a cap. I hold the partial bottles for when I water the plants. A few weeks later, I opened a drawer and found about 100 caps. I sent a text saying, "We just need a few caps, not 3,000!" Emily then decided she would give me 3,000 bottle caps for Christmas. She started saving them in old oatmeal containers. Here is her laughing at my reaction...and everybody else's reaction to my reaction.

I am so very thankful God led Clint and me to trust Him with our reproduction/family size. I am also thankful for my 6th and 7th-born children. They bring me laughter and smiles every day. I would have missed out on so much joy!

This isn't the only thing she did to make me laugh on Christmas. I'll share the others soon.

YOU are worth it.

The holidays, post-holidays, and the darkness of winter can bring out depression in some people. I encourage you to check on your loved ones and pay attention to those who may be getting "quiet" or not being as social as usual. Pay attention to their and your own mental health like you would physical health. 

There is no one answer that fits all people and all situations. But, there are a plethora of things one can try singularly or in combination for themselves or their loved ones. Be proactive. Make the effort. It's very worthwhile. Your loved ones are worth it. YOU are worth it. 

If you need someone to listen or pray with you, drop me an email in the header. 

I wrote this April 26, 2017:

For the first time ever, I am thankful my paternal grandparents are with the Lord so they were spared the pain.

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it. The quiet time away helped settle my heart a bit.

I lost my cousin Jerry to suicide eight days ago. He was the oldest of the local cousins. When we were children, I thought he could do anything and everything.

When he got his driver's license, he took me and another cousin out driving. I thought he was so cool! I remember him patiently teaching me to throw a crab line at my grandparent's pier. He took me to a little spot he knew would fill his trap with minnows he could use to catch bigger fish. He showed me how to find the path through my grandfather's thick bamboo patch to the well house. To younger me, it was as exciting as going through the wardrobe into Narnia! He and I played horseshoes together at my grandparents. I'm pretty sure he let me win. After Clint and I were married, we spent some time with Jerry in a lake cabin he was renting at the time and created many fun memories. I still use a recipe he gave me and will make sure that I tell my children today who it came from.

Like most of the men in my paternal family, Jerry could do anything with wood from building houses to making furniture. He could fish, hunt, and trap with the best of them and then shared whatever he had. I can't remember him and I ever having a harsh word between us. He was so much fun to be around! I can still see him smiling, cutting up, and laughing. He was a compassionate, gentle, down to earth, give you the shirt off his back country boy.

I've lost so many friends and family to suicide. I can remember crying my heart out for days the first time it happened when I was a teenager. I burst into tears 20 years later when visiting that friend's grave. The sharpness of it so many years later took me by surprise. I still miss him! The pain suicide leaves just sticks around. It's not how we should leave one another. I use to get angry about it, but I soon learned to look past the act to see their pain and forgive them.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to someone, and if they aren't helpful, reach out again to someone else. Keep moving until you get the help you need. The first few people you reach out to might be in the midst of something of their own and not see your need because their own pain. Help IS out there! I have friends who have been there and found their way through with various treatments. I am proud of them!

To my family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances: If you ever need a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, a hug, a swift kick in the pants, a friend, a sister, an aunt, a mama...I am here. Don't make a permanent choice that will end forever the chance of your circumstances changing. You could be missing out on something better that was out of your sight only because it was right around the next corner. Let the pages of your life keep turning, and see where you end up. My heart is very burdened for my aunt, uncle, an cousins. Please pray for them.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

PTL! Jeremy joined us

 PTL! Jeremy joined us for Bible study through the internet today!

What does pray without ceasing mean?

to keep an attitude of dependence on and a mind continually in communication with God. The Greek word for pray used in that verse is proseuchomai means to come toward God with worship and supplication (earnestly and humbly ask for/beg). So praying without ceasing or continually focusing on, worshipping, and asking of God moves you towards or closer to God. From personal experience, when I am focused on God and worshipping His character and taking my worries to Him, it causes a shift from my troubles to Him. My love to all! -w 

Ignore the Typos, but Parenting Continues...

They would be moping about mopping too.
Usually a reminder now and then is all it takes to get things back on track.

Advice from the Farmer's Wife -Author Unknown

 ADVICE FROM A FARMER'S WIFE

- Whenever you return a borrowed pie pan, make sure it's got a warm pie in it.

- Invite lots of folks to supper. You can always add water to the soup.

- There's no such thing as a woman's work on a farm. There's just work.

- Make home a happy place for the children. Everybody returns to their happy place.

- Always keep a small light on in the kitchen window at night.

- If your man gets his truck stuck in the field, don't go in after him. Throw him a rope and pull him out with the tractor.

- It's a whole lot easier to get breakfast from a chicken than a pig.

- It's easy to clean an empty house, but hard to live in one.

- All children spill milk. Learn to smile and wipe it up.

Homemade's always better'n store bought.

- A tongue's like a knife. The sharper it is the deeper it cuts.

- A good neighbor always knows when to visit and when to leave.

- A city dog wants to run out the door, but a country dog stays on the porch 'cause he's not fenced-in.

- Always light birthday candles from the middle outward.

- Nothin' gets the frustrations out better'n splittn' wood.

- The longer dress hem, the more trusting the husband.

- Enjoy doing your children's laundry. Some day they'll be gone.

- You'll never catch a runnin' chicken but if you throw seed around the back door you'll have a skillet full by supper.

- Check your shoelaces before runnin' to help somebody.

- Visit old people who can't get out. Some day you'll be one.

- The softer you talk, the closer folks'll listen.

- The colder the outhouse, the warmer the bed.

Caleb and Elora

Thank you, Brian!!

Thank you, Brian C., for the firewood and mulch. We will put it all to good use!

Amanda and Ford

Amanda and Brandon's cat, Ford

The Continual Choice - Forgiving Others

This Year's Fun is about to Begin...

but Amanda is still finding spiders from last year's fun.

She sent me this picture to let me know she's still finding them. :-)

This year, I am going to do something different. I'll clue you blog readers in when I implement my plan. 

Amanda liked the spiders and little creepy crawlies even though they made her jump sometimes. She has collected them in jars. If you remember, I found the jars she had of the ones she found and rehid them a couple of times. She left popsicle sticks all over the place in our family home. Clint, Emily, Hannah, and I wrote love notes on them, took them to her house, and hid them to continue the fun.

During late winter, I try to keep things fun and lively for my family. I leave them love notes, treats, gag gifts, etc during the dark and dreary days to keep everyone's mood up. It's another "Wendy way" of loving on and taking care of them.

How we do New Year's Eve

I have several friends who were upset about something that was on one of the programs last night. I do not know what they saw, but it must have been pretty bad. Clint and I got tired of the worldly performances many years ago. This is how we do it with our family:

For the last several years, my husband has found something on YouTube to watch. What we watched last night did not have any talking or performances. We saw the ball and countdown display and there was something similar to techno elevator music playing. The only thing the camera was on was the "ball." We don't start watching until 10 minutes before. We play games, talk, watch movies, snack, etc. When it drops, we tell each other Happy New Year and then pray thanking God for the last year and asking for His leading and blessing on the new year. That prayer has been our tradition for over 30 years now. Then I go to bed. :-) Clint and I ride out early the next morning and pick up coffee and breakfast sandwiches for everyone.

Happy New Year 2024!

  Happy New Year 2024!!

to our family and friends near and far, 

old and new,

close and estranged 

from The Asbell Family!

Last night, we continued our tradition of praying at midnight as a family (minus 3 adult children and plus an extra guest) thanking the Lord for the year before and asking His blessing on the year ahead.

May God rain down an abundance of blessings on you and yours! Our love to all!

“If you would direct your heart right
And spread out your hand to Him,
 If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
And do not let wickedness dwell in your tents;
 “Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect,
And you would be steadfast and not fear.
 “For you would forget your trouble,
As waters that have passed by, you would remember it.
 “Your life would be brighter than noonday;
Darkness would be like the morning.
 “Then you would trust, because there is hope;
And you would look around and rest securely.
 “You would lie down and none would disturb you,
And many would entreat your favor.

Job 11:13-19