Commentary on Psalm 23

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The Lord is my Shepherd ~ That's relationship!
I shall not want ~ That's supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures ~ That's rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters ~ That's refreshing!
He restoreth my soul ~ That's healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness ~ That's guidance!
For His name's sake ~ That's purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ~ That's testing!
I will fear no evil ~ That's protection!
For thou art with me ~ That's faithfulness!

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Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me ~ That's discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies ~ That's hope!
Thou anointest my head with oil ~ That's consecration!
My cup runneth over ~ That's abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life ~ That's blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever ~ That's Eternity!!!

My mom found this at my Grandparents place the other evening while we were there. I didn't read it 'til a couple days later. And it just spoke to me. Often Ps. 23 is read at funerals, and knowing my Grandpa will be passing into Eternity any time, made it hit home really hard. My Grandpa has lived a full, and long life, but it doesn't make it any easier to say 'Good-bye'. He is leaving behind a wife, of 60+ years, 11 living Children (my namesake, died at 11 mths.), 60+ grandchildren and 90+ Great-grandchildren. (I'll get exact counts later.) I am so Thankful we have Heaven to look forward too!!

Garden Tea

There is nothing so refreshing as a tall glass of ice cold, freshly made, mint tea!! And I am so thankful to have an established tea bed here. Freshly made tea on a warm summer day... what could be better?? Not much. But it is great having tea all winter too. 

I use to dry the stuff. But it always took a while, it took up room and was messy. A cousin gave me a wonderful tip. Just freeze them. When they are frozen, they crumble up nicely and you can keep smashing them down and adding more to the bag as you go. It's amazing how much you can get in a bag. I had 2- 1 1/2 gallon size- bags, and that is what I am still using now. It lasted me ALL winter. So I have a feeling I will have plenty again this year.

My very willing 'Harvester'.

Full laundry basket and that's only half of it.

You can just cut the stems, throw in a bag and freeze that way. But I don't like all the stems, as they don't crumble into such little pieces to fit in my tea maker. So I just strip the leaves off the stems, which is really easy. I pick off any bad leaves, then hold it about an inch or two from the top and pull down. Most times it works great, but the longer the stems sit, the limper they get. And some stems are just plain weak. I don't wash my leaves either. Just stuff them in a bag and freeze. It works wonderfully. And it's great being able to make refreshing tea, all winter long.

Linked to Finer Things.
               Feel Good Friday

Homemade Body Wash

I had forgotten a cousin of mine requested this recipe a while ago, and I had told her I'd post it. Sorry, Marilyn.

Castile Soap Body Wash

2 Cups Castile Soap-1 Bar Grated

Add 1/2 gallon of Water

2 TBS Glycerin

Mix in large pot, over low heat, until soap is melted. Transfer to jars and cover tightly. And let stand over night to set up.

You may add water later to make as runny as you want. I didn't add water, as it is runny enough for me. I just shook it up a bit.

I made this batch in Nov. of last year. And I jusy opened my last bottle. So it stores very well. And lasted a long time for us.

I got this recipe from a friend of mine.

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Healing Touch for Diaper Rashes

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...What to do for Diaper Rash/Yeast Infection...

As I mentioned before in this post, my boys are very prone to diaper rashes. And when they get them, it gets BAD fast, if I don't do something right away. Most time's I can keep it under control, but now and then I can't. And last week end was one of those...

It started out very mild, but different and he had 'the squirts' along with it. So I took him in to the Dr. and she prescribed a very basic cream. 'Athletic's Foot Cream'. You know the kind you put on 'Athletic's Foot'. 'Though this was 2% strength and the over the counter stuff is only 1%. And right away I was thinking 'Duh'. I remembered in '08, we were in CO. and Jevan had gotten a really bad rash, so bad it was bleeding. And I didn't know what to do. So I finally went to Walgreen's and asked them. (It was a Sat. so clinic's were not open and I really didn't want to take him in anyway, out there.) So I just asked a Pharmacists what to do and right away, she told me to use 'Athletic's Foot Cream'. On my baby's, it takes only hours to see a difference!!

I know the 1% strength works!! I forgot the prescription stuff when we left on Fri. for the Cities. (Don't know how or why, but I did.) So I bought the Terbinafine Hydroloride 1%, and it did not work. So Sat. evening I bought Clotrimazole 1%, and gave him a baking soda bath. By morning there was a huge difference. Not sure what all worked, but I was so thankful he was feeling so much better!!

:: So I thought I'd share my tips with you::

• Soak them in a Baking Soda bath. {Yep, another use for Baking Soda.)
• Allow time in the air. Yes, my baby ran around in underwear for a while. {Scary I know.} And keep the diaper area as clean and dry as possible.
• Use cream every time you change diaper. Not only 2 times a day like it says on the tube.
• Use Clotrimazole 1% -over the counter, or Miconazole Nitrate 2%-prescription, as an active ingredient. The Terbinafine Hydroloride 1% did not work for me.
• Give them lots of Probiotic.
• Love them and comfort them!!

I also found out he had Campylobacteriosis. So that explains the abundance of messy diapers. I went through a 31 pack of pampers in little more then 24 hrs!! And that contributed to the rash problem. So after giving him a dose of antibiotic, he got better. A brief bit of info on Campylobacteriosis, it is a bacteria from chickens, pigs, cows, cats and/or dogs. He obviously picked it up here on the farm somewhere. So far no one else has gotten it, and I'm hoping it stays that way.

Trash Can Tip

You ever get tired of emptying the trash can?? Tired of pulling out bags and putting a new one back in?? Here's something I have been doing for a while now. I read it in the book, "Time-Saving Tips For The Busy Mom" by Carrie Grubbs- Life Changing Seminars.

Whenever I take out the bag, I add 3-6 more trash bags, one inside the other, until I can't get any more in. Then on days I am in a hurry, there is another bag waiting. All I do as I am putting the trash bags in the trash can, is poke small holes with a pin along the top, to let out air. It will take a bit to get all the air out of the liners. But once the first bag is full, the next is waiting, fitting snuggly to the side of the trash can.

Another thing you can do is just place your box of bags or even a handful of them, on the bottom of your trash can. Then you are not wasting trips to get a bag from where ever you store them.

I find it a great time saver, as I don't push off changing the full bag, because all I have to do is pull, tie and throw out.

Wimpy Woman or a True Woman??

::This is the first in a series of posts on the book "Voices of the True Woman Movement" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. She had put a notice on her FB site that I could order her book, if I blogged about each chapter in the book. I have always appreciated Nancy's radio talks and her books, so I jumped on the chance for a 'free' book. I just have to post them before Sept, so I'll be posting a couple times a month.::

Have you noticed a changing trend in our culture? Have you ever thought of the change in women?? As in the past few generations. While most women would not think of it in the terms of 'Wimpy', that pretty much sums it up. We are believing lies and following the crowds of unbelievers. And going against God's ordained plan for Womanhood.

As John Piper wrote in his chapter 'The Ultimate Meaning of True Womanhood' 'Wimpy Theology does not give a woman a God that is big enough, strong enough, wise enough and good enough to handle the realities of life in a way that magnifies the infinite worth of Jesus Christ.'

So often the Woman of today's generation are not allowing God to work in their hearts, to be put in the place He desires to them to be, whether single or married, etc. etc. We are 'standing up for our own rights'. We want to be leaders and do a Man's job and live in a man kind of world. Many are no longer wanting to stay home and be the Keeper of the Home. They are missing the role God has called them to fulfill. And obviously, if you are not married, your role will be different, but you can still be in the place God calls you and be a 'True Woman'.

God has made two distinct roles- Manhood and Womanhood. Gen. 1:27 'God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female He created them.' God wants to display His glory in us. Another quote from John Piper, 'The meaning for true womanhood is this: It's a distinctive calling of God to display the glory of His son in ways that would not be displayed if there were no womanhood.' We have a distinctive calling!!

So many woman today are trying to be men. They feel they are being put down and are 'lesser' then them. But that is just where God has placed us and how He planned it. We are called to be 'Keeper's at Home'. There are so many lies out there that Satan has us believing to be truth. The ladies at our Church have been studying the book 'Lies Woman Believe' by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. (I highly recommend the book.) I am amazed at just how many lies I have been believing. And that is just what Satan wants. He has fudged and smeared the truth that it's hard to tell the right from wrong. He has us on a slippery slope and we are not even aware of how really bad it is.

But how wonderful it is to know Jesus forgives and He gives us strength to be the True Women He has called us to be. I am so glad I have the power through Him to become the True Woman He wants me to be.

Stuffed Suitcase??

Luggage

This past week-end we had the privilege of going along with a few families from our Church to do some street ministry and spend time witnessing in Soup Kitchen in the Twin Cities. As always, with 3 boys, I take plenty of clothes along. (Or at least try too. I forgot some shirts for Jevan.) Over the past couple of years I have been experimenting with packing, and what the best way is to do it with the least amount of space. I don't like having any more pieces of luggage then I have to to haul in where ever we are spending the night. Not to mention saving space in the van as well. (We were VERY loaded this week-end. I needed a stroller, snacks, breakfast foods, pack-n-play, as well as all the other things that go with when traveling.)

I was able to pack all the boys clothes in one duffel bag. They each had 4 sets of clothes, extra shorts, pj's and a bag of pampers, plus the usual socks and underwear. {I was going to take a picture before I left and I forgot. So maybe the next trip, which there aren't any plans for, by the way.} I have learned the best way to pack clothes is fold them in half, for the boys and 3rd's for Delvyn and I, and then put them in accordion style. The fold up, and each child has his own row. You can easily see what each item is, without looking to the bottom of the stack and messing every thing up pulling it out.

I have heard of Mom's putting the child's things in a paper bag and cutting it even with the suitcase. But I take way more clothes then a paper bag would hold. Maybe I over prepare, but you never know with children!! And I don't like having to do wash, if possible. One Mom puts a set of clothes for each child in a bag, one for each day or each child a Ziploc bag. To me it seems like a waste of bags, but I can see the benefit of that too. It would make it easy for Dad to help with finding clothes, they are presorted and ready to go. I've seen suggestions for rolling your clothes, that makes for fewer wrinkles and less bulk. I've not noticed fewer wrinkles or less bulk.

I still like my accordion style. Something I just thought of is packing accordion style, but also putting a set of clothes together, the pants/shirt/underwear/socks, then you are not looking for things to match or a sock missing some where. I might just try that next time. Also Delvyn can easily grab a set of clothes, if you put them in the order needed.

Something else I have learned, is not to wear light colored clothes on a child while traveling. They get so dirty so fast and you don't always change clothes as you go from place to place. Dark colored clothes hide lots of dirt, on Mom and child.

This is something I have found that greatly helps me, maybe you have something that works better. Please share your tips in the comments.