Give and you will receive

The kids and I took a little field trip today. While Daddy went into the office to do paper work we made Granola and did school at church. Our Mercy Minstry (food and clothes to those in need) had a good chuck of rolled oats and chopped Walnuts come in. I was blessed with a gallon of fake maple syrup. Something the Vermonter blood in me rejects onces it hits my pancakes. But in true frugal manner I did not turn it down. One thing I don't mind using it in is cooking and baking. BUT only the real stuff (fancy grade if I had my giving) for pancakes! SOOOO now to my point~
We packed up to headed to church to make Granola for Mercy Minstry.



Why Granola you ask? I was thinking this week about how much rain we have had lately. We have been lucky to be now into the first week of Decemeber and only had a few flakes of snow. But not all Vermonters feel this way. Like one of our homeless men who comes in on Sundays noted how he could not wait for the snow to come.I had never thought about it but it does make since now that I do. Wet is never better then dry. You can't pack the rain around your tent all snug like you can snow. He went on to tell how snow keeps the heat in but rain just makes everything moldy and wet. YUCK~!

I have been thinking since then how thankful I am to have a warm dry house to live in. I wanted to do something for those that are not so lucky. So I made Granola. May seem silly but Granola is a great camping food. Keeps well and is yummy to boot.

In just a few hours the kids and I made Seven gallons of Granola.That most likley all went out tonight at food pantry at church. It felt good to know that someones tummy would be full because of our little effort. I write this not to toot my own horn but because I love how God works.. Noah my son ask me why we were going to make Granola? I told him why and that God would bless us for doing this but that our reason for doing it was to bless others in need. Little did I know God was already working on our blessing. I smile as I write that. God is SO good and goes beyond what we even think he will just so show himself off..

Now lets backtrack to nineoclock this morning, I am on the phone with my Mother telling her how I needed butter and was on my last pound. She said Ok Lord we need some heavy cream so we can make butter. I laughed and said Yes that would be just the right thing. Then I went on to tell her about my plan to go make Granola and how I hoped Mercy Minstry got more yogurt given like they had last week because it would go great with the Granola. I hung up and went on with the day. Fast forward I am at church on the phone with our head of Mercy Minstry to tell her how much and where I had left the Granola. She said Oh great and have your Husband come by I have a case of HEAVY CREAM and YOGURT for you! I just laughed! She then went on to say if you don't mind put the rest of the yogurt in the refrigerator at church to go out tonight with the Granola. I sat in the office chair laughing.. I said God you supply all my needs.. I have countless storys of his provision to me just this week.. Rather then tell you all of them I will just list the ones I can remember..



Free Bread

Free Dog food for me and enough free cat food to bless 3 other familes.

Free Heavy cream to make yummy Butter

Free Greek Yogurt(never had it any tips and recipes welcome)

Free Cereal

Free Mittens for myself and the kids

Free Diapers

Free Jeans and top for my Daughter

Free Ten dollar gift card

Free Leappad books (shhh to go with Kids Christmas gift)





Luke 6:38

Give, and you will receive. You will be given much. Pressed down, shaken together, and running over, it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.



Beans view is her lap running over with his blessings....

Update on Baby LaRue

Wanted to pass on the update i recived from LaRues Mommy Rachel

Thank you - we came home today, just g a minute to check the blog stuff. She is home on meds and has a long road ahead of her for a full recovery, at least that is what we are praying for. We have no idea what her future will hold - I just know that the week was filled with endless miracles of God's grace at this time.

To read more about Baby LaRue and updates visit her Mommys blog

http://weshallmountupwithwings.blogspot.com/

Bean loves when her view is Gods healing power being shown in his people!

Change of view

I could not sleep last night.. I laided in bed tossing and turning.... Looking out my bedroom window at the night sky. I kept thinking it looks like it could snow. The sky was all dark gloomly gray.
Maybe it is just me but I do my best thinking on nights like that.
Everyone else is in the house still... kinda of reminds me of the 'Twas the night before Christmas. When all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

I often lay in bed at night and do my best talking with God. I pray for family and friends.Give God my two cents on his plan and how I think it is going.( never works out well) Sometimes I almost think I can hear him laughing at my plans. As i chart then in detail out to him. He always brings me back to his word and I( most of the time) throw in the towel and stick with his plan. After all he has been doing this a lot longer then I.

Last night my thoughts were for a few friends who are hurting, lost and alone. I grived for them.Was angry at them for getting to the place in life they are. Then I charted out to God all the things he needed to do to fix them. And then in the darkness of my bedroom where the only thing that was stirring was my Spirit. God showed me something I did not want to see. I came to understand that to me they were broken, off the right path, but to them they were fine.

Can't fix what is not broken? God remined me that he won't fix them until they see their sin and ask for fixen. I am still not sure I like Gods plans. This week I have seen what happens when you lose hope and give up. You have no reason to live.

So for Now Beans view has changed not praying for them to be fixed but praying they will see their broken...

Please pray

A fellow blogger posted this and I wanted to share it......Thankshttp://newlifeonahomestead.com for letting my share this.

I feel led to post this prayer request because I would hope that if this was my child somebody would pray for us as well. I am asking that you please take a moment right now to say a prayer for our friend Rachel and her baby. She is a loyal reader, and comments often, so you guys may be familiar with her.
A few days ago her and her children were in a terrible car accident. A big semi truck plowed into them, and sent them tumbling down a bank. They were all hurt, but the one they are the most worried about is baby LaRue. She’s 6 weeks old. The accident left her with a really bad bump on her head. While in the hospital for observation she’s begun having seizures.
Please pray for this precious baby girl, that her recovery is swift and complete. My heart just goes out to Rachel. I can’t even imagine her panic. Please pray for Rachel, that she is given peace in knowing that the Lord is good, and He is there. Pray for the whole family, that they have strength through such an incredibly scary time, and for the injuries of everyone involved.
You can read the whole story, and see pic’s and updates at her blog: We Shall Mount Up With Wings. Please let her know that her family and baby LaRue are in your prayers. Let’s surround this beautiful mother with hope and encouragement.

Hope

As I write this my heart is heavy. I found out last night that a childhood friend attempted to take his own life. He is currently on life support. Last I heard there was little hope that he would make it long.

Hope .............How sad to live without hope.............How sad to come to the place spiritaul that you have no hope to live.


Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstance in one's life. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.


As I laided in bed last night I said to my husband"How sad to live without hope."
Then I thought how is it that we lose hope? Give up or give in how every you like to say it.
So I turned to the hope in my life the never changing true word of God.
If ever they was a man who had a right to give up hope it was Job.

The book of Job in brief, the book begins with an introduction to Job's character — he is described as a blessed man who lives righteously. The Devil challenges Job's integrity, proposing to God that Job serves him simply because of the "hedge" with which God protects him. God progressively removes that protection, allowing Satan to take his wealth, his children, and his physical health and to thereby tempt Job to curse God. However, despite his desolation, he does not curse God's name or accuse God of injustice but rather seeks an explanation or an account of his wrongdoing.

Job was a man who did not lose hope!

Job 8 (New Century Version)
13 That is what will happen to those who forget God; the hope of the wicked will be gone. 14 What they hope in is easily broken; what they trust is like a spider's web. 15 They lean on the spider's web, but it breaks.They grab it, but it does not hold up.

Job did not lose hope because he did not forget who God was. He had hope not in his earthly life but rather in heavnly one to come.

So how does one lose hope?

When we hope in things like spider's web that easily break. My heart and spirit are sadden that my friend hoped in spider webs rather then his heavenly Father who's heart is breaking right along with us.

My hope is that thur all this saddness others who are hoping in Spider webs will grab on to the unbreakble, unchangble God who gives us Hope that last when everything else breaks.


Beans view today is dim for her friend but bright for the hope I hold on to.

Give Thanks

1 Chronicles 16:8-13 (New Century Version)
8 Give thanks to the Lord and pray to him. Tell the nations what he has done. 9 Sing to him; sing praises to him. Tell about all his miracles. 10 Be glad that you are his; let those who seek the Lord be happy. 11 Depend on the Lord and his strength; always go to him for help. 12 Remember the miracles he has done, his wonders, and his decisions. 13 You are the descendants of his servant, Israel; you are the children of Jacob, his chosen people.

As I thought about my Thanksgiving Post this week I went over in my head what I was thankful for?And who I was thankful to.

First Thanks be to God for the countless miracles he has done this year in my life.


I started this year thinking I was losing a baby as rivers of blood rushed from me and I spent the next 8 weeks on bed rest. But Thanks be to God I hold in my arms Riley Kristopher a who will someday be a Valent Fellower of Christ as his name procliams.

I am thankful for each breath I breathe even when they are painful. Sometimes I think the pain is a reminder that I am alive. Dead people don't feel pain..

Even with all my health problems I have faced this year looking back I am thankful for Gods hand in it all and each lesson I have learned or faith that was built in me and my family and friends. God sees the big picture his word tells me his plans are for Good and I am countinuing to believe and stand on that!

My heart is over run with Thanksgiving for a Husband who loves me more then I am worthy. Children that lay in bed with me and lay hands on me and pray health for their mother! I thankful for my Parents and Brothers and Sisters( inlaws too) and Church family that cleaned my house, homeschooled my kids, fed my husband and kids real food. Reminded me of Who my God is and what he is able to do. The list is to long of prayers and hands that held us thur this year. Without them The list this year would have been very diffrent. Thank you.

Beans view is full of Thanksgiving and praises..

Normal people?

Normal what is it?

Who defines it?

Is there such a thing as normal people?

Do I know any normal people?

Am I normal?


Questions about this term normal have come to me over and over again the past few weeks. I went to winkipendia to see what it said about this term Normal. Here is the link if you want to read the whole page...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normality_(behavior)


"In behavior, normal refers to a lack of significant deviation from the average. The phrase "not normal" is often applied in a negative sense (asserting that someone or some situation is improper, sick, etc.) Abnormality varies greatly in how pleasant or unpleasant this is for other people. The Oxford English Dictionary defines "normal" as 'conforming to a standard'. "

So normal people don't deviate from the average people? Normal people according to this conform to a standard.

Ok so this brings up two new question for us to ask.

Do I have to be average to be normal then?

And who set it and what is the standard for normal?

Bean is wondering what is your view is on Normal?