Good Morning Monday!

Mondays are tough...  then when you get up at 5:15 on Monday morning it is even tougher...  UGH!

Oh well...  I needed to get up because the 2 little girls I watch most days of the week were going to be here early.   So I got up, got the quiche in the oven (it was premade, just needed to cook), only spilt a little and smoked up the house all before 5:30. 

This weekend we had finally got caught up in the garden where we could work on something else!  I suggested we work on Greg's barn and get his workshop up and running, but to my surprise he wanted to deep clean the house. 

So Saturday am, we woke up and started on the porch and mud/laundry room...  And Sunday morning we finally moved on to the kitchen!  YIKES!  I am not a deep cleaner I guess... The ceiling needed cleaned, the walls, EVERYTHING!  We got the pantry moved so I can finally get into it (just turned it 45 degrees oh what a difference!)

So this week and next we are hoping to get through the entire house.  Jacob needs to move to his new room and everyone needs to switch beds, all before school starts (about a month way!) and the new baby comes.

As for life on the farm...  Our 2 chicks that the Muscovy mama hatched are doing well in the brooder box and our mama from earlier this year is sitting on 9 more eggs!  She is doing so much better than the first round, no broken eggs so far and all seem to be doing well.  It is amazing how they develop into better mamas.

The piggies got a new pasture, although they are having a hard time crossing the old fence line.  But enjoy the bigger room and less thistles.  They are loving the windfall apples we picked up last week, as are the cows.

I have discovered trading/bartering!  AND LOVE IT!  Last week we got some apples for some produce, eggs and pickled beets!  We picked for a neighbor who donated sausage in the mix, and we all came home with a bunch of transparent apples which will be canned up into apple butter and applesauce today!

 

We have traded our cherries for raw Jersey milk, and look forward to trading much more in the future!  It is such a great way to work with our fellow farmers and exchange goodies without exchanging $, which has to go to other places most the time...

 

I wonder if the mortgage company will take farm fresh eggs for payment? 

 

Then there is this whole test tube meat?  WHAT IN THE WORLD?!?!?  How can this be better than home grown beef?  "Frankenburger"  Come on!  We aren't huge in the following of GMO/Organic/ processed food, but have become more aware of it all since we started growing and raising our own food.  This just seems wrong on all levels. 

 

Oh what to do... I guess we just keep on raising and growing our food and learning more about all the different things out there.  

 



Mornings with Jesus 2012

I am not a morning person.  I would much rather stay up until 1 and sleep until 9:30 then anything else...  but as a mom and wife, I know that I just can't do it.  I get up around 5:30 to send Greg off to work, then if I am lucky I can go back to bed for a few hours before the munchkins get up.  But something that has been bugging me for a while is that I don't start my day with Jesus!  I am much better at ending my day, but it is important to start my day with some time with God. 

I was given the great opportunity to review Mornings With Jesus 2012, 366 daily devotions filled with encouragement by some amazing authors such as: Tricia Goyer, Camy Tang, Judy Baer, Sharon Hinck and much more! 

I got this about a week or two into the new year, so slowly have been going back and playing catch up, but what I have been reading has been such a blessing!

God knew I needed to really work on starting my day with him, and wouldn't you guess the first entry on January 1st is about slipping away and making time for Him.  "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark (huh... this is when I get up...) Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed."  ~Mark 1:35 NIV

WOW... I think I needed that!  Sharon Hinck goes on to talk about how our schedules are overflowing and overwhelming and we don't think we can "schedule" any more time for prayer, but we need to!  She quotes Martin Luther saying, "I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer."  I think the message is that when we are overwhelmed and our schedules are packed to the brim, we need to stop and spend time with our Lord and the rest will fall in. 

Jesus set the ultimate example of putting the Father first.  He had so many people wanting His time, but time after time He went away and prayed and spent some quality alone time with the Father!  We need to follow His example.

One thing I LOVE about this quick little devotional, is even though they are only a page long, each message is so well written and comes straight from the heart.  At the end of each day there is a Faith Step, something that you can do to live out the message each day.  For January 1st, my faith step was: "If your day feels too full, take a risk and schedule some extra prayer first, trusting Jesus to provide what you need for all the other responsibilities."  How perfect is that? 

I hope that you will check out Mornings With Jesus 2012.  I will admit I don't always get to it first thing in the morning, but I am working on it.

I was sent an extra copy of this wonderful book to share with one of you!!! 

Just share a little about your quiet time with the Father.  Is it in the morning?  Night? Anytime?  Do you sneak away to the bathroom for 5 minutes of peace?  (Been there...)  Or do you have a special little nook?  Share for the chance to win a copy of Mornings with Jesus 2012.

From the publisher about Mornings With Jesus:

"Be still and know that I am God.” is one of the most beautiful verses from the Bible, but it’s not easy to practice in this busy world. Mornings with Jesus will help you do just that—“be still” in Jesus’ beautiful and powerful presence. For those who are seeking a deeper experience in their relationship with Christ, Mornings with Jesus offers a fresh perspective of who Jesus is (the Healer, the Son of God, the Comforter, the Good Shepherd) and what that means for day-to-day life. With a warm and friendly voice, 365 short devotional writings on the character and teachings of Jesus encourage readers to greet each day by drawing near to Him and inviting His presence into their day. Spend time with Jesus at the beginning of each day and experience His nearness and peace in a new way throughout the year. Each day’s selection includes: • a Bible verse • an entry based on Jesus: His words, miracles, and parables; His wisdom, compassion, and comfort; His mystery, power, divinity, and humanity • a “faith step” that will inspire and challenge readers to apply the day’s message to their lives.

You can check out other reviews here: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13452857

And buy the book here:

 http://ow.ly/8BbyO  

I was given this book by Litfuse Publicity for my honest review.  I was not given anything for a positive review, this is my honest opinion... :)  Just saying...