Thank You Mardi (www.iamadaughteroftheking.blogspot.com) for giving me this wonderful award! I really appreciate our friendship and the encouraging and challenging articles that you post on your blog!

2. Once (also when I was younger) I came out of a Meijer bathroom with a trail of toliet paper that apparently got stuck in my tights! It was so embarassing!

Maiden Princess 

"Praise the LORD, all nations; laud Him all peoples! For His lovingkindness prevails over us, and the faithfulness of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD!"   Psalm 117

Just meditate on those words today and let them refresh your soul.

Because of His Grace,

Maiden Princess 

I’d rather walk in the dark with God than go alone in the light; I’d rather walk by faith with Him than go alone by sight. ~ Anon

This is so true!  How often I overlook the enormous blessing He gives me.    May we all strive to be consicious of the blessings, big and little, obvious and hidden. May we be found looking for His blessing all around us and not being guility of wasting any time we have been given by complaining about our circumstances. Hope you day has been blessed!

Looking To Him Alone,
Maiden Princess 

Thanksgiving Thursdays            

        Dear Readers,

I’m so sorry for not posting last Thursday. There was a lot going on in our house and it completely slipped my mind. I am determined to no do that anymore though. I love Thanksgiving Thursdays. It is a day for me to reflect back on the blessings of the week and to spend time in the Word searching for verses on Thankfulness. Speaking of which I read Psalm 113 today for my devotions and I thought it would most appropriate for today’s verses.

                        “Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forever. From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised. The LORD is high above all nations; His glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, Who is enthroned on high, Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of His people. He makes the barren woman abide in the house as a joyful mother of children. Praise the LORD! Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You.”  Psalm 113 & Jeremiah 32:17

This week my thing to be thankful for is this : That God fulfills His promises. He says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13  The LORD never ceases to amaze me. He knows my heart better than I know it myself and gently reveals to me the areas in which I am displeasing Him. When I open up my Bible with a seeking heart, He always reveals Himself to me. It is amazing. He is always right there when I need Him, I just have to go to Him instead of trying to fill my voids with fleshly pursuits that don’t satisfy and don’t glorify God. I am thankful that He meets me right where I am and that He walks beside me and guides me each step of this life journey. What are you thankful for this week?

Because of Grace,

Maiden Princess

P.S. Because of the lengthiness of my posts this week I decided to keep this one short and to the point. If you would like to expound more in your own words as you comment, please feel free to do so!  With Love in the Savior~MP

SPECIAL NOTE: Today is my friend Croctoria's birthday! If any of you know her you know she's a special young woman and one of my great friends. If you have a seond scoot on over to her blog and leave her a comment telling her happy birthday and one thing you're thankful for her about. To go to her blog, look on my friends list and find her name. Click and you're good to go !!! Happy Birthday Croctoria!  With Love from your friend!

I am thankful for you because: You add so much fun and spice to my life. I am so blessed by you girl!  Happy Birthday!

Quote of the Week

This week’s quote is actually an excerpt from a book I love, “Home-Making” by J.R. Miller. Vision Forum sells it but now I believe it’s entitled “Family Life” or something like that. It has been one of my favorite books and I have highlighted many powerful sayings, this is one of them.

J.R. Miller talking about the importance of friendships in the home.

“Friendships in the family require care and culture as do other friendships. We must win one another’s love inside the home doors just as we win the love of outside friends. We must prove ourselves worthy; we must show ourselves unselfish, self-forgetful, thoughtful, kind, tender, patient, helpful. Then when we have won each other we must keep the treasure of affection and confidence, just as we do in the case of friends not in the sacred circle of home.”  Page 150 Second Paragraph

It is so easy to get tied up in our other friends that we miss the treasure we have in our own family. I have some friends who I don’t talk to very frequently because they are so busy at home. Yet, that is somewhat of a blessing. If we are investing in our families and learning how to truly become a tight-knit unit working towards the same goal, then talking with friends becomes secondary. As it should! Your family should be your closest confidant, your greatest ally and encourager. Often times though, when we find our families are not there for us, or what we want them to be, we look to others and we lose the sacred bond of family connections. We then become several people all living under the same roof, know nothing of each other’s real struggles in life, or caring to. We become, in essence, strangers to each other; people who love each other but know nothing about each other. People who are living under the same roof but have different goals. Instead of working through our problems at home, we look for the easy fix and instant gratification, friends. We know they’ll be right there with an encouraging word or a sympathetic phrase.

By no means am I saying friends are bad!  In fact, they can be a HUGE blessing! I am just saying, as I know because of personal experience, that too much time spent pouring out your heart outside of the home will create a less than close family unit. Instead, try working through your problems and pain WITH your family. The LORD put you together as a family for a reason. Talk about what you’re going through not only with your friends but with your family. If you feel like no one cares, talk to them about it. Help them to know what you need from them and that you want to be close with them. One of the greatest ways Satan divides families is by weakening the bonds of communication especially between brothers and sisters.

No longer do we see families whose brothers protect and care for their sisters. No longer do we see sister who ask to be sheltered and protected from this cruel world. Ladies, we are the weaker vessel. There is no shame in that. God created us equal yet with different needs. Women need to be protected, men need to protect. When we seek out our Fathers and tell them of our struggles and our needs, they know that we want them to protect and lead us. When we pour out our hearts to our Mothers we let them know that we ask for their prayers and their wisdom. When we confide our struggles in our siblings, they know that we trust them, we love them, and we highly esteem them.

This method is not going to make a family perfect, nor does it take a perfect family to do this. It takes at least one person who wants to invest in her/his home. It takes one person who is willing to be totally open and honest with their family. It takes one person who delights in the purposeful creation of his/her God-designed family to start building it into what it was meant to be. All it takes is you!  Try it! Be willing to invest in your family.

“The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.” Proverbs 14:1  

Living For Him,
Maiden Princess

P.S. And just so you all know, I don’t have this down yet. It is a hard one. I love to talk to everyone and everybody about everything I’m going through. It is hard sometimes to not do the easy thing and go to your friends instead of your family, yet it is essential to family growth. May I never be accused of tearing down my family with my own hands! May I learn to communicate correctly more and to look to my Heavenly Father when I feel like my needs are getting met at home. I mean, c’mon, none of us have perfect families so none of us are gonna have our needs met by our families all the time, no matter how much they may even want to, they are human and not perfect!)

My Heart Is Steadfast, O God, My Heart Is Steadfast

       “My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul. Awake, harp and lyre; I will awaken the dawn! I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to You among the nations. For your loving-kindness is great above the heavens, and your truth reaches to the skies. Be exalted O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth. That your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and answer me!” Psalm 108:1-6

          I read this today in my morning devotions. I could barely get past the first verse, I was so excited and drawn in by its contents. Because there is so much treasure in these verses we are going to take them one at a time.

            First verse: “My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul.” What does steadfast mean? It literally means fixed.

            Commentary on H3559 not from the Strong’s   

1) to be firm, be stable, be established

1a) (Niphal)

1a1) to be set up, be established, be fixed

1a1a) to be firmly established

1a1b) to be established, be stable, be secure, be enduring

1a1c) to be fixed, be securely determined

1a2) to be directed aright, be fixed aright, be steadfast

1a3) to prepare, be ready

1a4) to be prepared, be arranged, be settled

Literally from the Strong’s…

H3559

ëÌåÌï

kûn

koon

A primitive root; properly to be erect (that is, stand perpendicular);. hence (causatively) to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix, prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous): - certain (-ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness, fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted, be fixed, frame, be meet, ordain, order, perfect, (make) preparation, prepare (self), provide, make provision, (be, make) ready, right, set (aright, fast, forth), be stable, (e-) stablish, stand, tarry, X very deed.

*(Both of these definition explanations came from e-sword)

This word is used for a number of things in the Psalms but in the context of this verse I believe the definitions I have underlined or made bold would be appropriate. Therefore, it would read,

“My heart is steadfast (is fixed, is set, is firm, is securely determined), O God; I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul.”

David was not living in the land of luxury when he penned this. It was not as if he was living the easy life. Everything was NOT going according to his plans and his circumstances surely could have stolen his joy in the LORD. Yet, he says, “My heart is fixed/steadfast”. What is his heart fixed upon? Singing praises to the LORD Most High. Not with his lips alone, but with HIS VERY SOUL! God does not delight in a worshipper who just goes along with the motions. God wants a worshipper who breaks the floodgates and just lets the worship and praise pour out of his or her very soul! He wants a worshipper to be real, not artificial or plastic masked. We can worship out of our pain and agony and out of our joy and relief. We need to be real worshippers. We do this by worshipping with our souls. It is a powerful thing to sing in worship with your soul. Yet, it should not be an occasional occurrence. David says his heart is fixed. This is not just a one-time deal. This is his life!!! He has determined in his own mind that he will worship and he will not hold back from God. He has resolved that no matter what happens in his life, nothing will keep him from worshiping His Maker.

Verse Two: “Awake, harp and lyre; I will awaken the dawn!”

Awake- It literally means to wake up, to rouse, the opening of the eyes.

The King James version of this verse says, “Awake psaltery and harp; I myself will awake early.”

The meaning I get from this verse is that not only will he praise the LORD at all times, he will even awaken early, with the dawn, and begin to praise Him. Nothing can keep him from praising. Let the whole earth know it! He is so excited about what God is going to do for Him that he will literally awaken the dawn with his singing and music. I wish I woke up with that kind attitude. Not only did he rise early, but he rose with a song in his heart and praise on his lips. How is this possible? His heart was fixed Ladies, his heart was fixed!

Verse Three: “I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to You among the nations.”  

Again he wants the whole world to know and understand that our God is just and faithful and worthy of unceasing praise! Let the whole world catch this passion.

Verse Four: “For Your loving-kindness is great above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth.”

Why can we praise so energetically? Because we serve a great God! How great is our God that He would send His only Son to die for our sins? How great is our God that He would call us beautiful, even when we are broken and shattered? How great is our God that He offers us redemption in the blood of the Lamb, instead of this broken sinful world? How great is our God that He sees all and knows all and is intimate with every heart, yet be closer to us than even our very souls? How great, how great is our God?

Verse Five: “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory be above all the earth.”

Is this not the cry of every true worshipper’s heart?

O God, we ask that You alone would be exalted in our lives. You alone would be our God. You alone would be our Strength, and our Guide. May we bow before you in humble servitude and may we glorify You, and You alone, in all we do. May each word that we speak, bring praise to You. May each thought that we think be unto You. May our hearts be pure before You and may You alone inhabit the throne of our lives. Be exalted above the entire earth, O LORD. Let Your glory rise! Let every person on this earth know Your presence. May they all acknowledge that You alone are God, the Maker and Creator of this earth and of their very souls. May we, in turn, worship you with a passion and a fervency with the souls and hearts that You have given. Let words of praise be upon our lips at all times. We look to You alone, O God! Show Your power! Break forth on your enemies, O God! Be exalted……….be exalted, in us and in the world, LORD. Be exalted in us!

Verse Six: “That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and answer me!”

Here, we see David being real, being human. We can do the same! The most powerful worship come out of a heart that is open and holds nothing back. This is my prayer from the depths of my heart:

Father we are crying out to You. In worship God, with our very souls.  O Father, we all have something from which we need to be delivered, whether physical or Spiritual. LORD we know that You alone have the power to break these chains and loose these bonds. We look to You LORD for we know that You are mighty and we know that You are powerful. We know that You are faithful. Father, we cry out to You now and we ask for an answer. Not our answer, but an answer from You. We wait expectantly for the work that You are going to do in our lives. We thank You for the work You are already doing. LORD, we know that if we never receive an answer from You it is not because You do not hear us; but because it is necessary for us to walk by faith and not sight. Help us to wait on You LORD and help us to give everything, entirely, into Your hands. We know LORD that whatever You choose to do is the best thing. We worship You, O God, in this time of waiting and we know that as we worship You we will come closer to Your heart. Help us to be real before You, O God. Draw us into intimate worship with You. Help the lessons we’ve learned in these verse to stay before us always. Help us to fix our hearts and minds on worshipping You despite circumstance. Draw us into You, O God. Let our hearts be steadfast, our hearts will be steadfast! Praise You LORD!

WOW! Did anyone else feel the Spirit there? I was totally convicted while writing this. What you have just read was an outpouring of vision from the Father to me, for my life. May you also catch the vision and may we become a generation who will never cease to praise the LORD. Early in the morning, late at night, all throughout the day, may we be found with praise on our lips and worship flowing freely from our souls to His Throne.

Have a blessed day in Him!

Because of His Grace,

Maiden Princess

“My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul. Awake, harp and lyre; I will awaken the dawn! I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to You among the nations. For your loving-kindness is great above the heavens, and your truth reaches to the skies. Be exalted O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth. That your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and answer me!” Psalm 108:1-6

A Memoir To My Parents For Their 20^th Anniversary

       My parents celebrated their 20^th anniversary yesterday. Through 20 years they have remained steadfast in their beliefs in marriage and in their faithfulness to God. They have continued to be shining examples in my life of self-sacrificing and love. They are living proof that marriage is a sacred and honored institution and valued in God’s eyes. They know from experience that marriage takes work, yet they don’t shrink back.

          Like an unfolding rose, each year that goes by shows more of their hearts. Each year they become closer and their souls become more intertwined in the others. Each year the fragrance of their love becomes sweeter.

One day when I am married, I hope to be such a good example to those around me. To offer wisdom that is seasoned by age and experience, and ultimately, point to the truths  in the Bible that make a successful marriage possible. My parent’s love grows deeper and stronger with each year. May they continue to be a blessing and a source of encouragement to those around them. I love you Mom and Dad! Happy 20^th Anniversary!!! May you be blessed with many more.

With Love From Your Daughter,

Maiden Princess

“How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in His ways. When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, you shall be happy and it will be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house, your children like olive plants around your table. Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.”

                                                                             Psalm 128:1-4

p.s. those are the 20 red long stem roses my Dad bought as a gift for my Mom for their anniversary. 20 roses=20 years.

Garlic Green Beans

Frozen green beans

Water

Cranberries

Butter

Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper

A skillet

Directions: In your skillet pour in green beans and water. Let simmer covered until beans have de-iced (they are no longer icy on outside and are starting to look bright green). Add butter and cranberries. Cook covered until almost cooked through. Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Almonds are optional.



P.S. I didn't have time to make them this way at their house so I just boiled them until they were completely cooked through, added butter and salt and pepper. Still yummy but not as good as when you cook them with the above recipe. 

Mrs. P. you have now have my Garlic green bean recipe! 

Love to all,

Maiden Princess

Sorry it has been so long since my last update.   I have been busy with the kids and just enjoying my last few days here. On Friday, (oh guess what, it's beginning to snow again ) we played more Oregon trail. I made Challah and chicken noodle soup and made the spaghetti sauce for dinner on Saturday while the kids played with one of their friends. (And it snowed on Friday!) We ate dinner together and the rest of the family watched "The Widows Might" while I downloaded songs for my Aunt onto her laptop from the interenet. Man I love high-speed! The kids slept with me in the living room, Alfred on the floor and Sissy on the couch with  me. We slept in and it was really nice.

Saturday while Uncle M. and Aunt C. had their date day the kids and I just relaxed and took it slow. We watched a couple of movies and went on a hour long walk. For which I was not prepared, I was only expecting about 20 minutes so we weren't wearing hats or gloves. BURRRR! We finally got home just as it was getting dark. Then we warmed up by the fire and finished up the book "Hedge of Thorns". It was time to eat dinner and we had Spaghetti and leftover Challah with garlic green beans! Yummo! Then we went downstairs to finish up our saga of Oregon Trail and Sissy had a bath. We started watching the movie Up that Sissy got recently for her birthday. (She got it from our Grandma as an early birthday present because her birthday isn't until the end of January) but only got through half of it before they had to go to bed. We had to get up early for Church in the morning. We went for the early service so I got up at 7:20. Only problem was that I didn't fall asleep until about 12:30 that morning. I was so tired yesterday, although, it really didn't hit me until afternoon. After church we went to Hallmark and Kroger and to Hungry Howie's to get pizza. Then  we came home, made some coffee, finished UP, and Uncle M. made us healthy oatmeal rasin cookies and egg pizza for dinner. It was all so good. The kids and I went on another walk and this time we dressed for it. It feels so good to get out in the fresh air, even if it does have a bite. This walk wasn't so long though, we really were only gone about 20 minutes, which is what I was orignially planning last time!   Last night we watched another movie all together as a family and I gave Aunt C. a massage, and did Alfred and Sissy too. It was cool! I like to give massages. I do complain though that when I give them to other people, I never get them back. So sweet Aunt C. offered to give me one after everyone else went to bed. It felt SO GOOD! I think this should be a tradition now ever time I come over.

Today I go home. I am excited to go home, it's been a good visit but there's nowhere like home. I miss my Chloe girl and my parents and my bed. Sleeping on the couch is only comfortable for so long! LOL

WARNING: I am herby announcing that after 2 o'clock today there will no longer be daily updates. I will resume my former blogging patern. When I have time and as my schedule allows.

There, now that we have that all covered, let's show some last pictures.

Saraphena, their pretty kitty

Alfred and Saraphena, so cute!

Oregon Trail beans and rice I made for lunch on Thursday. (I think it was Thursday) From an Oregon Trail cookbook.

Sissy eating the rice and beans. We all really liked the recipe and they were SO EASY!

My Challah raising in the oven on Friday afternoon.

We had a gorgeous crackling fire in the stove for the past 3 nights. It was so wonderful!

Well I better sign out now, I've got to leave in about 2 hours and I haven't spent much time with the littles this morning. This will also probably be the last of the pictures for awhile because it takes so long with dial-up.  Hope ya'll are having a blessed day and rejoicing in Him and all He's done for you!

Love to all,

Maiden Princess

"Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness" ~Unknown

This quote jumped out at me because it is so easy as Believers to think about and discuss what a horrible mess this world is in. However, discussing and thinking really get us no where! The only thing that will help is us standing up and making a difference, being salt and light. How a small light can dispel a great darkness. Live what you believe, walk in His ways, run in His race, and leave the rest to Him.

Looking To Him,

Maiden Princess