Please visit my new blog with the same name at:

www.milkandhoneyfarminky.blogspot.com

I would love to hear from you, its been pretty lonely over there so far. 

Blessings,
Jennifer

It's that time of year again, when we evaluate the path we are taking in life.  As I look back into 2007, I evaluate and try to make goals for 2008.  I think my personal goals are like many others who are trying to make the upcoming year better than the last.

2008 Goals

1. A closer walk with the Lord.  My main means to reach this goal will be to read his word daily.

2. To create a balanced homelife.  This is such a challange for me!  I seem to get pulled in so many different directions.  I will try to put my families needs in front of others.

3. Diligence.  Hmm, this one is needed to accomplish all of my goals.

4. Health.  I will work towards eating better, excercising, and taking some time for my own well-being.

5. Organized. I will try to keep our home a little more organized.  I will try to keep a budget this year and stay close to the bottom line!

I have enjoyed reading 2008 New Year Goals from other Bloggers!  Hope this year will be a blessed year for all who are reading this!

This letter spoke to my heart as I struggle with finding the balance.  Hope this blesses you!

Homeschooling Magazine Today:

A Letter: To Whom It May Concern
by Kara Murphy

Dear Mean Mommy,

I am writing, once again, to protest your visit to our house yesterday. I would have thought that my last litany of complaints would have given you pause before you returned, but no. You seem to come and go at will. Well, I have had enough.

First, you never give me any warning that you are coming. If I knew you were coming, I would be able to prepare for you as I do all my other guests. Why must you always arrive when the house is in such disrepair? In general, we do a fair job of keeping things picked up, but without fail, when the house is at its messiest, you show up. Not only that, but you time your arrivals when I feel my worst. Your last visit was after a sleepless night with our newborn. Before that, it was during a stressful time when the bills were late. No one should feel free to visit at tax time, especially when I have put off important record-keeping until the last minute. I suppose you would not think twice of arriving at our door immediately after we have just had back-to-back company. These are not the times to make unannounced appearances at our house!

Our family has been blessed with Christmas traditions/activities from the book, "A Simple Christmas," by Alice Chapin.  We purchased this from Rainbow Resource Center.

Favorite Traditions:

1. Jesse Prophecy Tree: "Use a marker to draw a big tree stump and its roots on a large green poster board. This will symbolize what remained of the Israelites after they were defeated and ravaged by wars. The discouraged people yearned for a Messiah. Thier hopes were almost zero that the surviving stump of that nation would grow and rise out of its ruin (Isaiah 6:11-13),

Their long awaited Savior turned out to be Jesus, the new sprout from the ancestral root of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1-9). He was the prophesied Messiah-King, though many did not recognize him since he came as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:1-7; Luke 1:78-79; 4:18-19). We Christians have been grafted into the tree of God's children (Roman 11:17-24).

Let the children cut stars out of white foam. Note that a six-point star traditionally is a Star of David or a Star of Creation, and a five-point one is a Star of Epiphany, of Christ being shown to the wise men and to the world. On one side of each star, pin or glue a tiny card containing the Old Testament prophecy fulfilled in Jesus. On the other side, pin the New Testament verse that shows fulfillment of that prophecy.

Pin the stars on the Jesse Tree using extra long dressmaker pins. If a real tree is used, punch holes and hang stars by wire or string. Every evening during December, family members will each take down a star and read both sides aloud. The verses should be a wonderful affirmation of your faith. You will recall how the word of the Lord through the prophets was fulfilled so well in Jesus' birth, life, and ministry, even though those prophecies were given hundreds of years before his birth."

Below are some examples of Scripture for your Jesse Tree:

The Lord's Coming Announced: Prophecy: Isaiah 40:3 Fulfillment: Matthew 3:1-3

Bethlehem as the Messiah's Birthplace: Prophecy: Micah 5:2 Fulfillment: Matthew 2:1-6; John 7:42

Gall and Vinegar Given Christ on the Cross: Prophecy: Psalm 69:21 Fulfillment: Matthew 27:34, 48

The Messiah-King Coming in Peace, on a Donkey: Prophecy: Zechariah 9:9, Fulfillment: Matthew 21:1-5

Immanual/Emmanuel to Be Born: Prophecy: Isaiah 7:14, Fulfillment: Matthew 1:23

Descriptions Fitting Christ on the Cross: Prophecy: Psalm 22:1-4, 6-8, 12-18; Isaiah 53:2-9, Fulfillment: Mark 15:22-29

Dr. Voddie Bauchaum, popular author and pastor, shares his heart regarding the responsibility of giving our children a Christian education He is a very powerful speaker and this year he has been chosen speak during Founders Week at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. This will be broadcasted on 90.1 FM.

I also liked "Put the Baby in the Beamer":



Just what are you teaching the next generation?

Words of a Housewife

God, I want to do great things for you,

And speak to all the nations!

God replies:

That’s well and good,

But for now

Fix your children’s complications.

 

Lord, I want to straighten up the world,

Feed the hungry and fulfill someone’s wishes!

God says:

Fine, but for the present,

You need to wash the dishes.

 

Lord, I want to preach, proclaim your name

And bring salvation to the earth!

God says:

Good! Then teach your children

And preach my name to those you’ve given birth.

 

At the end of the day,

I think of all I’ve done.

But as I look it seems,

I’ve accomplished nothing for the Son!

God I had no time to witness one on one,

I couldn’t join my church group,

They said I missed out on lots of fun.

 

My household is the only thing

That managed to be cleaned,

My neighbor is the only one,

Besides my family I could feed.

 

The only ones I’ve read Your Word

Are those within my home.

God I’ve done so very little

And I feel so all alone!

 

God says:

I’ve seen the way you cleaned and cooked

And taught your kids My name.

Tomorrow morning at eight o’ clock,

I’ll watch you do the same.

 

The work you do at home,

Though no one really sees,

Is helping to raise little ones

To grow and worship me.

 

My ways are not your ways,

I don’t expect you yet to see,

But the precepts that you’ve taught your children,

Will help others bow the knee.

Your children will reach out to others,

Your example in their mind.

They’ll do great work for Me

And their children will respond in kind.

 

The hand that rules the world,

Also rocks the cradle.

Because of you, your children love Me,

All their hearts are stable.

 

Though your house is your domain,

Your tasks seem rather plain,

Your efforts will reach the multitudes,

Though from humble work they came.

© Copyright 2002-2007 by LAF/BeautifulWomanhood.org

Words of a Housewife
By Chelsea Peterson
Nov 21, 2007

THANKSGIVING

Gettin' together to smile an' rejoice,
An' eatin' an' laughin' with folks of your choice;
An' kissin' the girls an' declarin' that they
Are growin' more beautiful day after day;
Chattin' an' braggin' a bit with the men,
Buildin' the old family circle again;
Livin' the wholesome an' old-fashioned cheer,
Just for awhile at the end of the year.
Greetings fly fast as we crowd through the door
And under the old roof we gather once more
Just as we did when the youngsters were small;
Mother's a little bit grayer, that's all.
Father's a little bit older, but still
Ready to romp an' to laugh with a will.
Here we are back at the table again
Tellin' our stories as women an' men.

Bowed are our heads for a moment in prayer;
Oh, but we're grateful an' glad to be there.
Home from the east land an' home from the west,
Home with the folks that are dearest an' best.
Out of the sham of the cities afar
We've come for a time to be just what we are.
Here we can talk of ourselves an' be frank,
Forgettin' position an' station an' rank.

Give me the end of the year an' its fun
When most of the plannin' an' toilin' is done;
Bring all the wanderers home to the nest,
Let me sit down with the ones I love best,
Hear the old voices still ringin' with song,
See the old faces unblemished by wrong,
See the old table with all of its chairs
An' I'll put soul in my Thanksgivin' prayers.

----penned from the late and great Edgar Albert Guest

Hard to believe Thanksgiving is only two days away.  We are excited to spend this time with our family.  We have started making our Thanksgiving Tree for this year.  The boys collected leaves and we then covered them with contact paper.  We glue the leaves on a posterboard tree that we make.  Next, we write the things we are most thankful for on the leaves. 

Tomorrow we will try Pumpkin Pancakes for breakfast and bake pies for the Thursday feast! 

Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe

Combine in a large bowl:

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 T. brown sugar

1 T. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

½ t. nutmeg

¼ t. ginger

Combine in a small bowl:

1 ¾ c. milk (can substitute rice or soy milk if needed)

½ c. canned or cooked pumpkin

1 egg

2 t. vegetable oil

Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Cook on a hot griddle or skillet until brown on both sides. Serve with maple syrup and cinnamon butter.

Cinnamon Butter

Take one stick of room temperature butter, add 1 t. of cinnamon. Whip with mixer. This can be stored in refrigerator for use with biscuits, pancakes, scones, bagels, and breads.

Perfect for cool fall mornings. I like to serve these with baked apples or applesauce, and hot chocolate with marshmallows or whipped cream.

http://theplaceofh.wordpress.com/

I would love to hear what family traditions you do for Thanksgiving!

Blessings!

I'm Jennifer, wife to Tim and mother to four precious boys: Dylan, Shane, Jesse, and Wyatt.  We live in rural Central Kentucky on a small 25 acre farm.  Our animals include:  two Great Pyrenees Dogs- Mandy & Jake, three horses- Magic (actually my mothers horse, shes a Curly Mustang), Blaze, and Carey, five cats, and about 15 chickens.  We would love to add a Dexter cow in the upcoming years for milk.  However, right now we have our hands full with the animals we have.

We have been homeschooling for six years.  We use different approaches for each of our children.  We love the Classical method for educating Dylan.  He loves to read and is a self-teacher.  We use the Veritas Press books for him.  Our second son, Shane, has Tourettes Syndrom and Sensory Integration Disorder.  We have found that the Bob Jones DVD Program works best for him.  Jesse will begin K next year and we will probably use a mixture.  This is the beauty in homeschooling!

I'm currently learning about homesteading.  We have just started making our homeade bread with our Bosch Mixer & Nutrilmill.  Our goals for the upcoming year are getting a whole house water purification system and expanding our garden & canning in 2008.