Sophia's B-day , a better marriage

Sophia's 2nd Birthday

Hello Sisters!

"Be merciful and gracious to me, O Lord, for to You do I cry all the day." Psalm 86:3

I've been crying a lot. I've been crying out over my flesh which seems to get the best of me. I think I'm the only one with these problems but then I remember Tami and Jim Baker, that gay pastor in Colorado (having sex with boyfriend, doing drugs and preaching against gays) and scores of other fallen Christians who look good on the outside, but inside are crumbling.

I have been thinking about all the different Christian women I know....who are divorced. One of them with 7 children "fell out of love" and her husband wasn't doing his "Christian duties as far as a father goes."

I COULD BE a divorced woman myself. My family knows I'm great at being a b*%$&. I'll walk Spirit controlled really good for a while. Then one day I "look" at my circumstances. I don't like what I see. I will think about it the next day when my husband brings home 99. cent laundry store soap instead of Trader Joe's laundry soap. This will go on unchecked for a few days, I will ignore the promptings of the Lord and then something else will happen and my anger grows inside my heart. That's how I turn into a B.

You'd think BY NOW....being married for almost 19 years, I'D SEE MY FLESH RISING UP AND CRUCIFY IT ON THE SPOT. The sad thing is......I don't. At least not most of the time.

I am determined to SLAP my flesh back A G A I N and A G A I N because I CAN do ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.

I think I'll stay married to my husband. He is the father of my children, we enjoy each others company, that's saying a lot compared to most women I know!

I was given some advise by an older woman the day I was married on how to keep your man. #1 Lots of good food #2 Lots of GREAT sex. I'd like to add one thing. #3 Lots of admiring and praising towards your man. and for "me" #4 KEEP MY FLESH UNDER CONTROL.

I was thinking. Next time he makes me mad, I should just take him to the bedroom for some love-making. If I did that every time my flesh rose up, I might just have a new man, I mean, a NEW ME! :)

Blessings,
Shannon

Brothers and Sisters as Friends, EMERGENCY PRAYER

PLEASE PRAY for my friends George and Denise Brass and their 4 boys. George is in the hospital for serious stomach problems. Please pray for God's mercy. :) THANK YOU!

Hello Sisters!

Hanna and Mattias (on the piano) are 18 months apart. They used to fight, argue, and say, "I'm never talking to them again!" Well, now Hanna is just about 17 and Mattias 15. Hanna is gone 2.5 days a week caring for her great-grandmother and she takes a college class. Mattias plays football 4 nights a week. They don't play like they used to. They don't run through sprinklers and throw mud at each other (o.k. Mattias does!)

My older 2 have entered into a season of sweetness and caring towards one another. Instead of fighting, they laugh together. Instead of arguing, they talk to one another. And instead of saying, "I'm never going to talk to them again," they sit on the couch and joke and giggle and I have to say 100 times, "you both be quiet!!!"

Yesterday I had a friend here. In the course of 2 hours of trying to talk with her, the baby wanted everything. The computer wouldn't work. The 6yob couldn't find his Lego's. I caught Mattias looking at the Yahoo sports page instead of doing his school work. Hanna couldn't find something. Bekah was somewhere around the house??? The 6yob had the squirts and his toy fell in the toilet. Then I heard, "mom, it's too late the baby flushed the toilet!"

At that point, I actually thought, "and why did you have all these children???" But as moms, WE ALL go through moments like these, right? :)

I can actually say, as they get older, it only gets better. And yes, I would do it all over again! :)

THE LORD IS GOOD AND HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Blessings,
Shannon

Girls in the Kitchen

From Garden to our Kitchen ~ Video and Pics

Bekah picks Roma Tomatoes and Sweet Basil in the garden.

After dehydrating at 125 degrees for about 7-9 hours, this is what the finished product looks like. The texture is that of a raisin.

The weather is hot and my tomatoes are multiplying by the dozens. I was wondering what I should do with so many, and a simple internet search led me to sun dried tomatoes. I don't know why I didn't think of this myself since I often buy small jars of sun dried tomatoes at Trader Joe's for about $4.50.

After drying them I soaked about 2 cups full (of the dried tom.) in about 1/4-1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil, along with oregano (mostly this herb), some basil, sea salt, and garlic. I put all this into a little crockery jar with a tight sealing lid and shook it throughout the day (left out on the counter) to distribute the dressing.

After 24 hours, a loaf of my daughter's homemade Artisan bread, and these tomatoes, well needless to say it was a complete and absolutely delicious meal that anyone would have paid $$$ for!

The next video will show the finished product!

Blessings,
Shannon

Journal ~ Video of kitchen, speaking right, CHEA convention

Hello Sisters!

I'm sitting here nursing a baby in one arm and typing with the other, sounds familiar to many of you I'm sure. Last week we spent many days at the West Coast Believers Convention in Long Beach put on by the Copelands. You can see the entire convention via internet at .

Eric and I both can see areas where we have let things slip and so now we are in the {fun} process of taking things captive, making adjustments in our thinking and speaking. HOW important it is to make sure what we say lines up with what scripture says.

For instance, the scripture says "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." (I believe Jeremiah 29?) So, if this is what the scripture says, then WHY would we speak the opposite? Does God tell us ANYWHERE to speak contrary to His Word? Right away, what comes to my mind, are a couple of people who professed their own coming death by speaking the circumstances, and those who believed they would not (or who believed they would maybe) get their healing. Both camps got it alright, the ones who spoke death got it and the ones who spoke NO healing, sure enough, didn't get healed.

Can someone just speak over and over again "I'm healed, I'm healed" and get healed. I don't think so, not if they are not believing that they really are healed. It's the BELIEVING what His Word says (contrary to circumstances) and just agreeing (confessing) with what He said it ALREADY ours. It's the BELIEVING, WITHOUT A DOUBT that you have received what you asked for, that will bring manifestation into the physical realm. WHEW!!!! The Lord is MIGHTY!!!

I'm doing some praying about direction for our school year, we have been making freezer dinners like crazy and then we eat them all!!!, we have been going to bed late and getting up late which I hate but it seems like that's what happens in the summer! I haven't exercised in 2 weeks for various reasons all of which are excuses but they are good ones! My garden looks beautiful but the fruit is a little mushy from over watering, but I'm not giving up!

The days here in Southern California (Long Beach area) have been AWESOME! Weather has been about 75 degrees during the days with a nice constant gentle ocean breeze. There hasn't been a summer with such perfect weather in the last 5 or more years!

I'm going to be trying to work on my blog, but...it takes me almost forever to learn to do something, so for now things are a little ticky-tacky.

If any of you ladies are going to the CHEA convention, my hubby and I will be there tomorrow night for the Trojan Horse movie at 8pm (which BTW is free!) maybe we can hook up. :)

Blessings,
Shannon :)

Journal ~ Home Happenings

Cream cheese on top, whey falling into pitcher. 18 qt. bread bucket with a little sourdough from the last batch and 6 c. of whey instead of water.

Mikayla who is in charge of dairy products. Here she is making kiefer.

Hello Sisters'

Life is SO good isn't it?

As a believer we can be assured our family is TOTALLY safe under the Shadow of the Most High. (Psalm 91:1, & 10) Do you believe that? Can we know 100% that we will live a LONG and GOOD life? (Psalm 91:16) Maybe, maybe not?? If it's in the bible, we had better act and move in our daily life like we REALLY believe what it says. Our neighbors are watching us, not only our neighbors, but our children. And they will either giggle and roll their eyes when we talk spiritual, or they will nod their head in agreement when we are pressing onto VICTORY in a difficult situation.

I haven't been spending a lot of time in the Word, but I have been spending my evenings in the kitchen. :) I have been making bread, keifer, yogurt, sour cream, and freezer meals all with my girls. Usually they poop out around 8pm and I continue until the work is done. As I wash dishes, stir cooking beans, and stare with satisfaction on my sour cream as it separates from the whey, I pray. I have been praying for my husband and each of my children and for SPECIFIC requests and direction. After I pray for each member I usually sing a song or two. Tonight after the work was done, I opened up my bible to this scripture.

May my prayer be counted as incense before Thee; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering. Psalm 141:2

Pretty cool ay? THE LORD IS ALWAYS GOOD!!!!

Shannon

Some more recent pics...

Sophia Rose 1.5 years

Apron I sewed myself (first real project!)

Camping in Ventura Ca. a few weeks ago