Week in Review

What a fun week we have had. As I posted on Monday our home preschool theme was Carrot Soup by John Segal. On Monday we began with a seed experiment. None of the seeds we found in the kitchen have sprouted yet but hopefully will soon.
Tuesday we had a grand adventure painting with vegetables. Celery, carrots, broccoli and potatoes became our paint brushes as we created some very unique place mats. Wednesday we took a break. Our plan was to make Carrot soup that day, but it just didn't happen. Thursday we flipped our place mats over and created a fruits and vegetables collage on the other side. (Craig my husband will be laminating them shortly). Friday we decided to do a tried and true experiment. We cut the end off of some leafy celery and put it in a jar of blue colored water.
Stay tuned for next weeks unit study...

Finer Things Friday-Spring Indoors

Winter seems to be holding on for dear life here in the North (and other places as well I am told). However I have been blessed with a little spring indoors.
My Christmas cactus has bloomed out of season into beautiful fuchsia blossoms.
I also have a brilliant blue hyacinth in my living room. The heavenly scent invades my nose whenever I enter the room. It surrounds me as I sit by the window nursing my baby or reading stories to my big boy. The colors and smells brighten my home and my mood. They remind me that I serve an almighty God who cares about the little things my heart desires. That is one of life's finer thing.

For more Finer Things visit The Finer Things In Life.

More Awards!!!

Well the amazing Jennifer at Extreme Housewife has honored me with 2 fantastic awards this week. Thank you so much.
I will be passing these awards on to of my favorite blogs:
Tammi at My Organized Chaos A fellow Canadian mom like me.
Janice at Digging up my southern roots A fascinating journey of family history.
Renee at Journey of My Heart Wonderful and inspiring lessons of God's work.
Kate at A Simple Walk A well thought out modge podge of family, food and faith.

Daniel Fast Friendly Products

At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. Daniel 10:2-3
Day 11
I am well aware that the Daniel Fast is not about what I am or am not eating, but let's face it I am a busy mom who needs a little extra help here and there. So I am going to tell you about 2 really tasty products that I am so thankful to have discovered.
The first is the Larabar.
My dear friend Anita introduced me to these tasty energy bars that are made with all natural ingredients. The only ones that I would not recommend for the Daniel Fast are the chocolate ones as we are to avoid caffeine during this time. I have tried the apple pie, pecan pie and cherry pie flavors and they really are very very yummy!
Imagine Creamy Potato Leek soup is my second exciting product. My other dear friend Doris introduced me to this soup a little while ago. One of the best things about this company is that it's Canadian! This is a great helper for a fast and easy dinner. Add some zucchini, carrots, and corn for a delicious hearty vegetable soup. Heat it and pour it over whole wheat pasta for a delightful faux Alfredo sauce. Be creative!

Gratituesday

When I started this blog I told myself that I would not get sucked into participating in these memes. However this one is too good to pass up.
So Today I am going to write a list of some things that I am really grateful for.
1. I am so thankful that when we run out of faith we only need to ask God and He supplies the rest.
2. What a blessing it is that children are quick to forgive you when you have one of those moments. (You all know the ones.)
3. I am so privileged to watch my children learn and develop because I get to stay at home with them.
4. I am so honored that my husband chose me to be his wife.
5. I am so loved by an almighty God.

Head on over to Heavenly Homemakers for more Gratituesday fun.

Carrot Soup by John Segal

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 1Corinthians 3:7
Week 2 of home preschool here at the Scott house. Once again we are starting the week off with a little garden science. There are 4 water bottles with the tops cut off that each look the same, each filled with soil, but planted in the soil are 4 different seeds. A bean, a corn kernel, an apple seed and a sunflower seed. Which will sprout first? Which will grow the tallest? Stay tuned to find out.

Note: I did intend to plant our seeds in Styrofoam cups but I didn't make it to the store in time so the bottles were my brilliant husband Craig's idea. As well I didn't make it to the store for carrot seeds so we had to find things around the house to plant :)

Something else we are including in our schooling routine is couch time. This was inspired by Preschoolers and Peace. Over there it's called circle time but we are a small enough group to all fit on the couch and we wouldn't make a very good circle really. :) So here's what our morning will look like:
Wake up
Snuggle in mom and dad's bed until 8am
Breakfast
Couch time
(Pray, read a bible story or a kids devotional, scripture memory and sing 2 songs)
Nap for Meadow
School time story
School time activity
Meadow wakes up
Free play until lunch
Lunch
(And as you can see from my pictures we may or may not be still in our jammies at this time.)
Pretty exciting stuff

I have an award!

Janice over at Digging Up My Southern Roots has given me this Kreativ Blogger award. Thank you so much Janice! You are a doll! I am so thrilled!
I am now giving this award to Jennifer over at Extreme Housewife. Her blog is jam packed with great information from recipes to fantastic ideas on activities to do with children. So here you go Jennifer!

Week in Review

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. Matthew 6:16
Wow what a week we have had. This past week was the start of 2 pretty big things in our family. The first one was the Daniel Fast. It has been an adventure creating recipes, using other people's creations and munching rice cakes out of sheer desperation.
I have been struggling a lot with my own selfishness during this time, and let me tell you I have not been struggling quietly. However part of doing this fast for me is to put myself into a situation where I know I need God to get me through. And He has. Day by day I have gotten through. Some days have been much more challenging than others. It is really difficult to not look somber. When everyone else is devouring their yummy lemon poppy seed cake at bible study it is tough to not plead for sympathy. I am progressing in this.

My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:2
Our other big introduction this week was the start of home preschool. Hudson and I have been doing some really fun things with The Very Hungry Caterpillar book by Eric Carle.
On Monday I posted about our Very Thirsty Caterpillars and they are just about to sprout.
Tuesday we made Egg carton caterpillars.
Wednesday we played the Very Hungry Caterpillar board game
Thursday we made fruit salad
Today we made folded paint butterflies (to wrap up our caterpillar week.)
Be sure to check in on Monday to find out our theme for next week!
Have a great weekend and God bless.
I got this prayer from Cheaper by the Half Dozen.
Lord,
WE THANK YOU FOR THE BLESSINGS IN OUR LIVES.
From the fullness of His grace we have all received one
blessing after another. John 1:16
WE HUMBLY GIVE THIS DAY TO YOU.
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be
glad in it. Psalm 118:24
WE COMMIT OUR FAMILY TO YOUR KINGDOM.
As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
Joshua 24:15
SURROUND OUR HOME AND EACH OF US WITH
YOUR PROTECTION.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in
trouble. Psalm 46:1
GIVE US PEACE EVEN WHEN WE HAVE MUCH TO DO
AND MANY PLACES TO GO.
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. John 14:27
FILL OUR HEARTS WITH LOVE FOR YOU, EACH
OTHER, AND THOSE AROUND US.
Love one another, for love comes from God. 1 John 4:7
HELP US TO FULFILL YOUR PLANS AND MAKE A
DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
“For I know the plans I have for you…plans to give you
hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
OUR FAMILY IS YOURS, TODAY AND ALWAYS.
AMEN.
-Holley Gerth
Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®.
©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan

Are You Happy With the Mirror?

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

The following questions were posed today, on a forum I frequent :
How is your body image?
Are you down on yourself?
Are you pleased?
How do you think God looks at you?

The last question is what caught my attention.
Sometimes when I look at my daughter Meadow I think to myself, "look at her, she is beautiful." I also happen to think that my son is the cutest little boy ever. So when God looks at us does he have those same thoughts? Does He peer down at me and say, "look at Sarah, she is one of my best creations, she is beautiful." I think He does. And I think He says exactly the same thing about you too. You are wonderfully made.

Lord,
I know full well that Your works are wonderful, but at times I don't believe that about myself. Please remind me that I am one of Your wonderfully made children.
In Jesus Name

Amen.

P.S. Here are a couple of recipes that are Daniel Fast Friendly:
Southwest Black Bean and Avocado Salad (omit the cheese) Thanks Corine for sending me this.
Moroccan Spiced Bean and Lentil Soup

Lessons to Pass On

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

There are some tips and tricks I have learned in the 3 short days I have been doing the Daniel fast.
Here are a few:
1. Use all of your vegetable scraps to make soup stock. I have not been able to find a vegetable soup stock that does not contain some sort of chemical or cane juice.

2. Flat bread is a wonderful thing
Recipe:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups water
pinch of salt.
Mix together. Add flour to make a soft dough. Roll pieces out flat on a floured surface and fry in 1 TBS oil in a large skillet.

3. Soak dried beans overnight and then boil them for a really long time before trying to make anything with them.
4. A little grated apple in almost undetectable in soups and sauces, but goes a long way in sweetening it up
5. Busy hands make time for prayerful words, praiseful songs and lovely thoughts.

Very Thirsty Caterpillars!

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, Deuteronomy 11:18-20

Well today was the start of homeschool preschool at our house. A very successful first day. My plan is not to be extremely structured just read some bible stories and prayer each morning. Have a book theme for the week and a corresponding activity daily. The rest of our learning can be done while folding towels and doing dishes through songs that we sing, stories that I tell and conversations that we have.
Our book theme this week is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. I love this book. There are so many things you can do with this theme... caterpillars, butterflies, healthy eating, fruits of the spirit... a wonderful story really.
Our activity today came from the book Homespun Memories for the Heart by Karen Ehman, Kelly Hovermale, Trish Smith.
We made Very Thirsty Caterpillars.
Wanna do it to?
Materials:
Grass seed
soil
kneehigh nylon stocking
string
large spoon or small garden shovel
Step 1: Mix soil and grass seed 4 to 1 (4 cups soil, 1 cup grass seed).
Step 2: Put 3-4 heaping spoons of soil/ seed mixture into the nylon.
Step 3: Pack down the mixture in the nylon so it forms a ball.
step 4: Twist the nylon and tie with a string.
step 5: Repeat steps 2-4 until you run out of soil or run out of nylon.
step 6: Tie the end ot the nylon and trim with scissors.
step 7: Place your caterpillar on a dish in a sunny place and water well.
step 8: Watch the caterpillar grow a nice fuzzy grass coat.
step 9: Have a whole lot of fun!

Washroom Wisdom

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

Yesterday was a power struggle. My 3 year old Hudson was refusing to do his "business" in the toilet. Something experience has taught me is that business not done in the toilet is business done in one's big boy underwear. So after much persistence on my part, and much resistance on Hudson's part, he finally squeezed out some, ahem, business before we headed to bible study.
Fast forward to this morning. All signs point to another unpleasant bathroom battle. As my child sat on the toilet whining and sulking, I prayed. "Lord give me wisdom in this."
Craig, my darling husband, called a short time later and I ranted to him about our toilet troubles. He suggested I give Hudson something to do while he is sitting and waiting.
So I plunked my stubborn offspring on the throne, gave him a book and TA DA! Success!
God often doesn't answer prayers the way I think he will. I pretty much expected some genius thought to strike me. A real light bulb moment to happen. Instead God used my sweet husband to bring me the wisdom I was seeking.
God cares about the little things. There are far bigger problems in the world that a mother who is frustrated about toilet business. God chooses to meet us where we are.
Thank You Father that you are the perfect parent. That You want us to ask You for the things we lack. That Your word specifically tells us to ask for wisdom.
In Jesus name
Amen

Claiming Your Children For the Kingdom

But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Luke 18:16

At church on Sunday we watched a message from Dr.Tony Campolo. The entire sermon was very powerful. However something that struck me was this. Ask most North American mothers what they want for their children and they will say "I want my children to be happy." Wow! Is that really our deepest desire for our children? To be happy? We might as well draw flowers and peace signs around that statement maybe some yellow smiley faces too.
Wake up folks! The deepest desire for our children needs to be that they know God. That they obey His commandments and accept His gift of salvation. Do not hinder your children with the business of being happy. The fruits of the spirit will provide them with joy if they are living their life for the kingdom instead of living their life to be happy.
Do you include your children in your ministries? Are they invited to serve others with you? Do not hinder them. Teach your children to be the Lord's sheep. Teach them to obey and teach them to worship. Make the center of your home Jesus. Pray often. Listen and sing praise to our God. Take your children with you to deliver a meal to a new mom or a sick friend.

Note: I do not advocate taking your children to things such as adult events (adult only bible studies, dates with your spouse, use your discernment when deciding whether or not to take you child to visit someone seriously ill or dying.) There is a time and place to hire a babysitter.

Heavenly Father
Thank You for my precious children that you have entrusted me with. I claim their lives for Your kingdom oh God! Teach me to nurture with in them your purpose for their lives.
In Jesus name
Amen

Daniel Fast Recipes

Day 1
Here are some yummy recipes I have tried. Happy eating!

Banana Oatmeal
2 1/2 cups of water
1 cup of oatmeal
1 banana
Sprinkle of nutmeg
handful of walnuts
Put water and banana in a pot. Bring to a boil. Add oatmeal and nutmeg. Cook for 10 minutes or until desired thickness. Stir frequently. Dish into bowls and top with walnuts. Makes 2 servings.

Orange Raisin Rice
Brown Rice
Water
grated zest from 1/2 an orange
juice from 1/2 an orange
1/2 a cup of raisins
1 teaspoon of saffron
Measure rice and water according to package instructions in to a pot. Add orange zest, orange juice, saffron and raisins. Cook covered until rice is done. Fluff and serve.
Note: Raisins can be substituted with dried cranberries or dried red currents.

Home

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:2-3

Do you ever wish you had a nicer house? I do. I live in a house that most would consider small. 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, I think it's like 800 Sq Feet upstairs. However it fits our family and our stuff considerably well. That being said I have often dreamed of restoring a big old Victorian house with many rooms. I long for a room of my very own to write in and scrapbook and read...

I mentioned in a previous post that I have been reading Driven by Eternity by John Bevere. Well if I am truly living for eternity then I must remember that this house is not my permanent home. Jesus is preparing a place for me in heaven. A room of my own that will far exceed any room I could ever create for myself.

Jesus knows my inner most desires. He is the ultimate gift giver. So I will live here on Earth in my little house for as long as I am supposed to live here reminding myself that it is only a blink of an eye compared to the rest of eternity.

Daniel Fast

Our family is about to embark on an adventure (this is not the thing I posted about last time). We are starting the Daniel fast. Since I have not been able to find a lot of free good information on the internet I will be blogging about some of our experience and posting some recipes to assist others in their fast. There is a really great podcast series titles Larger Than Life by Pastor Ed Young that talks about the Daniel fast. I highly recommend having a listen. D day (Daniel day) in our family is Sunday February 15 and will carry on until March 8.

When God Speaks

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
God is speaking to me. There is something on my heart and mind that I can not shake. I want to shout to the world and figure every little thing out right now. That is not how God works. I need to need Him in this work. I need to remember that this is work for His glory.
This week I have talked about being radically obedient and stepping out in faith. Well here I am stepping out into radical obedience. I may reveal my calling/ heart cry in time if it is right, but for now, those of you reading this please be in prayer for this new opportunity God is presenting to me.

Stepping Out

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water.

"Come," he said. Matthew 14:28-29

How often do we take such a bold step of faith? Often I find that fear and uncertainty get in the way of me taking a faith risk. It is important to remember that when we are vessels that God can use, He reinforces us as we walk along the path of righteousness and obedience. We need to trust Him.

Where are you really comfortable in your life?

Is your home your safe haven? Step out and invite someone new over for an evening. Don't stress out about meal preparations. Soup and buns with chocolate chip cookies for dessert is often very appreciated by that other mom who didn't have to cook that night.

Do you have a car that runs? Perhaps there is someone who could use a ride to a church event or a community class. Lack of transportation may be the only excuse someone has for not being somewhere that would benefit them.

Pray and ask God to show you the areas in your life where He wants you to take a risk and provide people for you to reach out to.

Love Month!

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35

It's February! The month of love. I have been doing some fun things to show others that I love them. One of my favorite ideas is a latte card:



This is so fantastic because There is so much you can do with it! This one I write "I Love You a Latte" on it and tied it around a Tim Horton's latte with a ribbon and headed over to my friends for a visit. However you can also make the coffee mug a little pocket that fits a gift card and slip a Starbucks or Tim Horton's gift card in there. You can also use it as a thank you card just write "Thanks a Latte" on it.
I have been gathering inspiration for thoughtful gifts from this book:Homespun Gifts from the Heart: More Than 200 Creative Ideas, 250 Gift Tags, & Easy Directions By Karen Ehman, Kelly Hovermale, and Trish Smith
Happy Love Month!

Radically Obedient!!!

His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness
Matthew 25:23

I have been in a place lately where I have been challenging God to make me radically obedient. I pray this in my prayers. I think to myself "I could pick up and move my family to Africa or Peru or where ever you have in store for me Lord."
But wait...what am I doing right now with the things God has asked me to be faithful in?
I pray with my children and my husband, I read my bible most days, I show love to some other people.
God is opening my eyes to see that there are things right here in Vanderhoof that I can be radically obedient doing. I have two small children to teach and love, I have a husband to respect and honor and I have a home to invite people into and serve them.
Lord
Let me see the ways You are preparing me for the grand adventures You have planned for my life.
In Jesus name
Amen

Tickling God's Funny Bone

"Dad I know two funny guyses!"
"You mean guys."
"Ya!"
"Well who are they?"
"Me and mom!"

This was a conversation I overheard between my husband and son last night. Oh how I delighted in this. My sweet little man thinks I am funny. He is learning that I have a great personality, not just a proficient cereal pouring technique.
Isn't this what our Heavenly Father wants? He wants us to know Him. He wants us to learn about who He is. Not just what He can do. A truly intimate relationship with God requires us to search His word and learn that He is all powerful, loving, just, sovereign and so much more. I am sure he delights in us discovering new things about Him.
I bet God is a pretty funny guy too!
For the LORD takes delight in his people;
he crowns the humble with salvation. Psalm 149:4