Virtuous Girlhood

Children’s Story

This was written a while back by our younger sister for your interest. (or your siblings!

A parable of Anna.

Once upon a time a little girl named Anna lived inside England. She did not like to work. But one day her father said to her “Anna, God made work, work is good, if people did not work then there would be no food, so work is good. You must be a cheerful worker.” Anna said “Yes father.” It took a while but soon Anna liked to work. One day her father read to her some verses in Proverbs. “ Anna, here are some verses. Proverbs 8: 33 says; Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not. Anna you heard my instruction about work and were wise! Proverbs 10: 4 says ; He becomes poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. Anna you are wise to obey your mother and I and work!” Anna just smiled and went to do the dishes. On day her father came to her and said Anna we are going to live in a castle for a while! “Yippeeee!” Ann and her siblings cried. Soon they were living in the beautiful castle. They had tons of fun, but they still had to do the dishes! 6 months later as Anna was wiping the dishes with her sister, her father said “Anna we need to go home in a week ok?” Anna replied  “yes Sir.” So Anna learned to love work all because of the lesson her father taught her!

The End ~

Blessings,

RL~

Cooking Story: Bread Explosion!

Once I was cooking bread and I left it in the Bosch,And I forgot all about it!

My younger brothers and sisters came running upstairs a half hour later shouting “the bread overflowed the bread overflowed!”I ran down the stairs and in the kitchen I saw that the bread had indeed overflowed it was all over the floor, counter, Bosch, and garbage can, it was a mess! only half the dough was usable I learned my lesson not to leave bread dough to long!

Blessings ,

RL

Kneading Dough by Donna Cosmato

Baking and Selling at a Farmers Market

(Article used with permission from the Kings Daughters)

Baking and Selling at a Farmers Market

By Sarah Bayer

Rules and regulations vary from farmer’s market to farmer’s market, but with ours, you only have to become a member of the farm bureau for $20.00 a year, which is a great deal because of the profits you’ll make selling your produce. It’s totally worth it!
With some farmer’s markets, they have special requirements for your kitchen. As far as the food goes for the market that I go to, you cannot sell anything that is made with dairy products or that needs refrigeration.
Here’s what I typically bake each week for market: whole wheat bread, cinnamon raisin bread, cinnamon rolls, apple pie, rhubarb pie, peach pie, sugar cookies, monster cookies, peanut butter cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, banana nut bread, and granola. (See end of article for recipes.) What I bake varies depending on the kinds of fruits and vegetables that are in season and what people are in the mood for. For example, I have found that people aren’t really in the mood for pumpkin bread in the summer, but in the fall they are.
Some other ideas of items that you can make and sell at farmer’s market are soap, jam, cookies in a jar, dry salad dressing mix in a jar, dry homemade pasta, pretzels, buns, dinner rolls, and much, much more! Just be sure to check out the rules ahead of time and bake away!

Set-up
You’ll need a canopy, table, tablecloth, chairs, and a money box. When I first started I didn’t have a canopy because I couldn’t afford one. Then one day, one of my customers generously bought me one because he felt bad for me sitting out in the sun, even though it didn’t really bother me. A canopy is a big help in shielding the produce from the sun (or rain). Sometimes I tie a tarp to the back for added protection.
Building consistency with your customers is also important. This past summer I was out there selling whether rain or shine.
Another thing that is very important is to bake the highest quality goods possible – this means no hairs J! It is also important to be consistent in what you make, in the size, and in the taste. To help with consistent sizes, I make large cookies and measure them in a ¼ cup measuring cup, and I weigh my bread dough so that each loaf weighs the same amount. If you decide to make large cookies, getting the right size and baking time is something that you just need to get the knack of. For instance, after measuring and rolling the dough into balls, I flatten them with my hands – a little with the oatmeal raisin and a lot with the peanut butter cookies. Each kind of cookie has a different consistency.

Packaging
It is important to display your produce in an orderly and appealing way. I package my produce with bags from B&G Products. Their web site is www.bgpaper.com. They have a variety of different sizes. Since the bags are long, I cut them with a paper cutter for my cookies. You can also get twisty ties from this company. I print the labels on our computer using sticker paper. If you print labels on your computer, be sure to use a font that is easy to read. I also print posters with prices on them and posters of specials.

Business
Here are the prices of everything that I sell (as of the year 2002):
Cookies – package of six for $3.00
Double crust pie – $7.00
Loaf of bread (1½ lb.) – $3.00
Cinnamon raisin bread – $3.75
Cinnamon rolls – seven for $3.75
Banana nut bread – $2.00
Zucchini bread – $2.00
Granola – $2.00 a pound
Always be sure to be friendly and courteous, even with crabby people, those who criticize, or people who are particular about things that seem very insignificant. One time a lady was mad about the bills I gave her for change. Be humble about people’s suggestions, and don’t be disheartened if you only make a small profit the first time (or the first season, for that matter). One guy made only twenty-five cents the first time he went.
The first time I baked for market, I earned only around $40 to $60 profit, which was only enough to pay for ingredients for the next week. But as time went on, I began to make more and more. This past summer, I made $100 to $300 a week. (It would depend on the weather and the town’s activities.) The Lord really blessed!
Over time you’ll find what the biggest demand is and how much to charge. But once you set a price, keep it, unless of course something happens like the price of apples go up, or you’re not making a big enough profit. But don’t let people talk you out of your price. I’ve had people complain about my prices and even try to bargain with me. But hey! I sell it for what it’s worth to me! Sometimes I need to remind myself that it would be better to bring it home to my family than to sell it for less. And by the end of the day, I’m usually sold out! If not, my family is delighted! My parents agreed to pay for the electricity and the bread ingredients in exchange for my leftovers.
You can freeze leftover cookies for the next week. Just make sure that they are completely thawed by the time you sell them. You can also keep granola for a long time. But everything else needs to be baked fresh because, after all, that’s why they’re coming to you – for fresh products. I bake the granola early in the week because it’s time-consuming and doesn’t need to be baked fresh. On Thursday, I bake the banana bread and cookies. I bake the bread and everything else on Friday because it is most important for the bread and pies to be the freshest possible. And I sell on Saturday.
Sometimes I pass out free samples of mini cookies, or bread cut into small squares. People love it!
I think I’ve pretty much included everything I know from baking for a farmer’s market. Everything else just comes with time. Don’t get disheartened if the first time you try, your batch flops! Over the years that I’ve been baking, I have made so many mistakes. It’s not even funny – especially when it’s the second or third time you’ve made the same mistake. My most recent blooper was to put two tablespoons of sugar instead of salt in my bread. This seems to be an all-time favorite with bakers – we’ve all done it! But keep on baking!
For you, things will be different than they are for me. Maybe you’ll make more money, maybe less. Maybe the town you sell in will be smaller or bigger. Or maybe there isn’t a big demand for baked goods. But take heart! You’re not only making a monetary profit, but you’re also learning valuable skills.
I love baking as well as cooking and, even though I sometimes get sick of it, I keep coming back to it. I just can’t help but make another batch of cookies J. I love it! Making desserts is definitely my favorite! Happy baking!

Sarah’s Recipes

Whole Wheat Bread
6 cups warm water
1 cup oil
1 cup honey
~ 18 cups whole wheat flour, divided
2 tbsp lecithin
¼ tsp vitamin C
4 tbsp gluten
2 tbsp salt
3 tbsp instant active dry yeast
Preheat oven to warm. Place water, oil, honey, and 6 cups flour in a Bosch mixing bowl. Add lecithin, vitamin C, gluten, salt, and yeast. Mix on speed one, adding remaining flour until the dough sticks to the sides a little. Put lid on, increase speed to three, and let mix for four minutes. Spread oil onto a countertop; remove dough from bowl. Divide into six equal parts, weigh, shape, and place into greased loaf pans. Place in warm oven for 15 minutes or until risen just above the sides. Increase heat to 350 for 30 minutes. After removing loaves from oven, place immediately on cooling racks. Makes 6 loaves.

Pumpkin Bread
²/₃ cup shortening
2²/₃ cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups (16 oz.) pumpkin
²/₃ cup water
3¹/₃ cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
²/₃ cup coarsely ground nuts
²/₃ cup raisins
Heat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in given order. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Makes 2 loaves.
Variation: substitute zucchini for pumpkin, omit cloves, and add 1 tsp vanilla.

Banana Nut Bread
2½ cups flour
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
3½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1¼ cups mashed bananas
3 tbsp vegetable oil
¹/₃ cup milk
1 egg
1 cup chopped nuts
Heat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Remove from pans when completely cool. Makes 2 loaves.

Cinnamon Rolls
1 batch of bread dough, divided into six equal parts and weighed
cinnamon, divided
1½ cups brown sugar, divided
3 cups chopped nuts, divided
Preheat oven to 350. Roll out one of the sections of dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon until dough is covered. Sprinkle ¼ cup brown sugar. Evenly sprinkle ½ cup nuts. Roll. With scissors, cut into seven pieces. Place in a greased pie pan. Repeat process with remaining ingredients. Bake for 30 minutes. Place pans on racks. Place on styrofoam plates when cool. Makes 42 rolls.

White Frosting (for cinnamon rolls)
½ cup butter, softened
¼-½ cup milk
1 tbsp vanilla
2 lbs. powdered sugar
Beat in given order until smooth. Place into pastry bag with a large circle tip. Swirl frosting around each roll. Let dry for several minutes before packaging.

Caramel Frosting (for cinnamon rolls)
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup milk
~ 2 cups powdered sugar
Boil butter and brown sugar for 1 minute. Add milk. Boil 1 minute. Let cool for several minutes. Put in Bosch mixer and beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Place in a pastry bag with a large holed tip. Swirl onto rolls. Let sit for several minutes before packaging.

Granola
3 gallons rolled oats
2 lbs. sliced or slivered almonds
3 cups pecans
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup whole wheat flour
2½ tbsp cinnamon
1 cup wheat germ
3 cups water
4½ cups oil
4½ cups honey
1 tbsp vanilla
Mix first seven ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Stir all together. Add more honey and oil if necessary to coat all dry ingredients. Spread on greased pans – not too thick, or it will not cook evenly. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Note: I usually substitute walnuts or another type of nut for almonds, since almonds are so expensive. Makes 14 lbs.

Sugar Cookies
3 cups flour
½ tsp baking soda
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Combine both mixtures. Shape, and place on a greased cookie sheet. They will be sticky, but if you grease your hands, it will help. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
¾ cup shortening
1½ cups peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups flour
Preheat oven to 350. Combine first six ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Stir all together. Shape. I measure it in a ¼ cup and roll into a ball. Flatten onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake for 10 minutes or until fully cooked. Cool on racks. Makes 3 dozen. For market, I usually bake 2-4 batches.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup raisins
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2½ cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups oats
¾ cup chopped pecans (opt)
Preheat oven to 350. Mix eggs, vanilla, and raisins; soak for 1 hour. Cream butter and sugars. Add raisin mixture. Add remaining ingredients. Stir. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes 3 dozen. I usually make 2-4 batches.

Monster Cookies
12 eggs
4 cups brown sugar
4 cups white sugar
2 cups butter, softened
6 cups peanut butter
3 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips
18 cups oats
2 cups M&M’s
In a very large bowl, mix all ingredients in given order. Mix thoroughly after adding each ingredient. Shape dough (using ¼ cup measure again), and place on a greased cookie sheet; flatten. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Cool before removing from sheet. Makes 6-7 dozen. These cookies are my customer’s favorites. I only bake one of these huge batches.

Pie Crust
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
²/₃ cup + 2 tbsp shortening
6 tbsp water
Combine flour and salt in a Tupperware bowl with a lid. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add water. Mix gently. Place lid on bowl, and shake until dough forms a ball. Remove from bowl. Divide into four parts. Roll out on floured surface. Fold in half and then half again. Place in pie pan and unfold. Place filling on crust. If making a double crust pie, repeat recipe and then crimp the edges. Makes 4 crusts.

Fresh Apple Pie
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup flour
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
dash salt
6 cups thinly sliced pared apples
Pastry for 9” double-crust pie
2 tbsp butter (opt)
Preheat oven to 425. Mix dry ingredients. Stir in apples. Pour into pastry-lined plate. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Crimp edges, and poke with a fork. Bake 40-50 minutes. Makes 1 (9 inch) pie.

Fresh Peach Pie
1 cup sugar
¼ cup flour
¼ tsp cinnamon
5 cups sliced fresh peaches
1 tsp lemon juice
Pastry for 9” double-crust pie
2 tbsp butter (opt)
Preheat oven to 425. Mix dry ingredients. Combine peaches and lemon juice; add to dry ingredients. Pour into pastry-lined plate. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Crimp edges, and poke with a fork. Bake 35-45 minutes. Makes 1 (9 inch) pie.

Fresh Rhubarb Pie
1¹/₃-1²/₃ cups sugar
¹/₃ cup flour
½ tsp grated orange peel (opt)
4 cups chopped rhubarb, divided
Pastry for 9” double-crust pie
2 tbsp butter (opt)
Preheat oven to 425. Mix dry ingredients. Pour half of the rhubarb into pastry-lined plate. Sprinkle half of the sugar/flour mixture onto rhubarb. Repeat layers. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Crimp edges, and poke with a fork. Bake 40-50 minutes. Makes 1 (9 in.) pie. ©

Fear Or Faith

(Article used with permission from The Kings Daughter Magazine.)

    Fear Or Faith?

By Rebekah Bowser

 Fear is the opposite of faith. Fear grips our hearts, makes us feel self-conscious, nervous, worried, doubtful, and far away from God.
Like any other fear, the “fear of man” can either be very obvious or extremely subtle.
Jesus came to break us free from the law of sin and death. With His Spirit as our guide, why do we ever struggle with fear? Fear stems from unbelief, a lack of trust in God.
When the disciples were in the ship with Jesus, and the great storm arose, they were afraid! The Savior was asleep, and the wind was tossing the ship, until it was nearly full of water. It may seem to us that they had a valid reason to be afraid for their own safety, but listen to the words of Jesus: “And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?” – Mark 4:40.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” – Psalm 27:1. If we fear God, we have no reason to fear anyone else. The Lord is our strength and He is able to deliver us!
Another kind of fear often masks itself as “low self-esteem”; I believe this is actually a form of pride. God made us just how we are; we are perfect in His sight. We will never please everybody. No matter how hard we may try, it is impossible!
If we are humble, expecting nothing from others, it is not hard to let that Christ-like spirit rule in our heart and life. If we are filled with Christ, we will have no room for fear and unbelief!
Thoughts like, I don’t want to go there; I don’t “know” anyone and then I might feel funny, or, They might act all right to my face, but I’m sure they really don’t like me… are negative and fearful self-centered thoughts. This kind of thinking comes from Satan, who wants to pull us into bondage any way he can.
Maybe we don’t know anyone that is going to a certain event, but wouldn’t it be so much better to go with the attitude of a servant and giver, rather than with the spirit of fear? Lord work Your will in me…
And maybe some so-called “friends” really do despise us, yet are too “polite” to show it to our face. Does it really even matter? Jesus was despised and rejected of men – can we expect any less? We need a prayerful, loving heart as in Matthew 5:44, 46: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you…. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye…?”
Love – bless – do good – pray – we will never feel burdened from giving these to others. We will find instead that we are losing a burden – of fear.
I once read that “we can be more afraid of what someone thinks about us than we are afraid of sinning against God”. This is not the way of victorious Christian living. Our purpose on earth is to glorify God, not to please man. The only way to overcome the fear of man is to fear God!
If we confess our fear and see it as a sin in our life, we can turn in faith to God and find victory over the binding power of fear. It takes much time in prayer to God – crying out for Him to truly live in us, to take out the pride and replace it with humility. We will never feel the peace of God until we let go of our fearful, self-conscious feelings and let His love rule within us, guiding our feelings, thoughts, and actions.
There is victory in Christ! I have found as I cry out to Him, He gives a peace that overshadows all doubts. Never underestimate the power of our God. He is able.

“My faith has found a resting place,
in Jesus’ blood and creed;
I trust the Ever-living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.
Enough for me that Jesus saves,
this ends my fear and doubt;
A needy soul I come to Him,
He’ll never cast me out.
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
and that He died for me.”
– Lidie H. Edmunds

     It is enough! May we praise Him and take hold of His promises!
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage….For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith….For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another….If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” – Galatians 5:1,5,13, and 25. ©

Book Review: Pajama School

Recently I read a good book called Pajama School by Natalie Wickham. This book was so encouraging to me as I had been having a rough week and I picked up her book and was surprised -  it was really good! Ms. Wickham wrote a heartwarming story about her life growing up as a oldest in a family of 8. I can very much relate to her in almost every situation! As I am not yet graduated from high school I can’t relate to her in that aspect but her stories about writing, piano, siblings, and school work, now, that I can totally relate to! You may check out her blog here: and order her book here:

Enjoy!

Blessings,

~Miss RJ

What It Means To Be A Sister

(Sorry if this is a little long! I wrote this for Shining Stars a month or two ago.)

Sisters. What does it mean to be a sister? Webster’s 1828 Dictionary says: “Sister - to resemble, akin, office or duty, affectionate, same kind, a woman of the same faith, sisterly.” So if we have an office or a duty to perform as a sister, then how does the Bible qualify the term sister or how a sister should act? Let’s check.

 1 Corinthians 13:4 says: “Charity suffereth long and is kind, charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.” Love is kind, not envious, not proud, therefore a sister is to love. A sister is to be patient even when we are having trials of various kinds.

 Romans 5:3 says: ”And not only so, but glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience.”And Proverbs 14:3 says:“A sound heart is like of the flesh: but envy is the rotteness of the bones.” So a sister is not to envy others. Envy changes our inner beauty, making it ugly.

 Proverbs 27:1 says: “Boast not thyself of tomorrow for thou knowest not what thy day may bring forth.” A sister should not be boastful of what she will do and when. If we are not loving or patient, if we envy or are boastful, we are not only hurting ourselves but those around us as well. So we need to be careful to watch if the sin of hatred, impatience, envy and boastfulness rear their ugly heads in our lives.

Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 13:5: “Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;” So if we are being loving we will not behave indecently or unfit to our family’s rules or God’s laws. As sisters we also must not seek our own pleasures or desires. We must sacrifice and put others before ourselves.

Philippians 2:4 says: “Look not every man on his own things, but every man on the things of others.” Another thing that I find hard not to do is to think evil of my siblings; isn’t it tempting? I know it is by my own experience!

 1 Corinthians 13:6 says: “Rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth;” We should not glory in our siblings’ or others’ misfortune, but be happy for them no matter our circumstances.

 1 Corinthians 13:7: “Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” To me this means that we must bear all things, knowing that God will help us.

Psalms 42:5: “Why art thou cast down O my soul, put your hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of his countenance.” We must also have hope even when we fail as a daughter, as a sister or as a friend.

Hebrews 4:16: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy in our time of need.” Endurance is a necessary character trait to develop while we are still in our parents’ home. We must endure it when younger siblings get into our things, when our parents give us work that stretches us, etc. It is during these times that we can come to the throne of grace.

 1 Corinthians 13:8: “Charity never faileth. But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail, whether there be tongues, they shall cease and whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.” Basically, what I take from this verse is that everything will vanish away except God’s love.

Now, before I close I have a few more verses to share…

 James 3:8: “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” Believe me; I know how very hard it is to hold your tongue! But we must pray, asking the Lord to help us control our tongues, as well as our tempers.

 James 5:16: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” It is so important to confess our sins to one another and make sure the slate is clear by the end of the day. (Eph. 4:30) Prayer is also another important aspect of relationships. By praying and confessing our sins to our families we can grow our relationships. I know this from trial and error!

 1 Peter 3:8: “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love, as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous.” Being compassionate to our siblings, loving the unlovable, being courteous when we want to be rude is part of our callings as a sister. We are called to show God’s love above all things. Even those that reject our efforts at first will usually grow to love under our example to them. And as sisters, we are setting the example in our homes to our younger siblings. What we do they will do; I know this by experience too! When we rise to our calling, we are actually helping our parents by setting a good example. The probably won’t need to train and discipline the younger children quite as much as they did for us older ones.

 John 13:15: “For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you.”

Now, some if you may be thinking, “Okay, this is great, but how does this apply to me?” Well, that is a great question! This applies to you because you are God’s daughter, your parents’ daughter and most of you are sisters. As daughters, sisters and friends, we must use these godly character traits to build our relationships with our families. As Mr. Kevin Swanson says, “Relationships are messy!” But let’s all follow Jesus, our Maker, Creator and King; follow in His footsteps to be better daughters, sisters and friends!

Onward for Him!

Blessings,

~RJ

Writing Hints

Do you struggle with writing? Or do you need some great writing ideas? Maybe you need some help! Well, I have compiled a list of really great articles, tips, hints, and websites that can help you out!

10 Things To Avoid When Writing by Sarah H.

Things Every Writer Should Have by Sarah H.

Finishing A Book by Sarah H.

Writing Hints by Film Script Writing (This is meant for movie writing but I figured it might be helpful!)

Hints For Writers

Literary Pursuits

Writing Prompts Websites:

http://www.creativewritingprompts.com/

http://www.creativity-portal.com/becreative/activities/writingprompts.html

http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/writingexercises/tp/writingprompts.htm

http://www.writersdigest.com/WritingPrompts/

Some Tips:

http://www.writing.com/main/handler/item_id/1008914-Writing-Hints–Tips

I hope these help you!

 (Please note that I do not agree with or endorse everything on these websites.)

Blessings,

~RJ

Double Movie Review: The Widows Might and The Lost and Found Family

A few days ago we watched the Widows Might and The Lost and Found Family. I would give them both 10 out of 10 stars.

The Widows Might was about 3 young men who are filmmakers and their friend who is a widow, who is losing her house due to unfair taxes. The boys set about to help her along with their friends and family. They end up making a great western movie, battling untruthful but hurtful news reports about them, helping a friend with his election campaign and still helping the widow! A really great film! Here are some other reviews of it here.

The Lost and Found Family is about a family with 5 foster children, who are renting a home from a once wealthy widow. She comes to visit the house and is going to sell it to have some money but after she meets the family, she starts to think of ways to help them. The 2 older children hid some drugs in the house but that was resolved. There was no bad language and really no questionable clothing except that the widow could have worn a more modest dress and the girl could have dressed more like a girl than a punk! But I guess that that was just her character! All in all, it was a great movie!

I hope that you and your family will check out these great movies!

Blessings,

~RJ

Recipe Of The Week #22

 This recipe was made by my great grandmother. My great grandmother passed along the recipe to my grandmother who passed it on to me!

Pistachio Pudding

1 - 8 oz. container of cool whip

1 can of fruit cocktail 15.25 oz., undrained

1 can of crushed pineapple 20 oz. undrained

2 boxes of pistachio pudding,  instant, uncooked

Put the fruit in a bowl, add the pudding; stir. Add the cool whip and stir for about one minute or until combined. Chill for 15-20 minutes or until fluffy. Refrigerate leftovers.

Enjoy!

~RJ

Blog Of The Month!

And this month’s blog of the month is….drum roll please! Meditations Of His Love! This site is one of my favorites! You really have to check it out! Here are four things about it.

1. It is basically an online devotional blog for young women and girls.
2. It is very God honoring! I am sure that even young girls could glean something from their writings!
3. 5 young women share their thoughts and write for it. But any young woman can write them and ask to be a part of it!
4. It is one of the best blogs that I have read!

Please check MOHL out! Read their blog, follow them, maybe leave them a comment, or put their button up on your blog! Thanks, Meditations Of His Love, for such a great blog!

Blessings,

~Miss R.J.~

Help!

I don’t know if any of you young ladies have heard of a magazine called Shining Stars but Miss Hannah (the editor, and publisher) is in dire need of some good material for the magazine! Read the guidelines here:

“All that they want is some good material suitable for young women and girls! No profanity, adult topics, or doctrinal issues, or slandering of others please! Other than that, anything that is good and true is acceptable.”

You can send your submissions to: shining stars (at) Gmail (dot) com

Thanks for your help! Oh, and please make sure that you get everything in by next week!

(Please note that I do not agree with everything in this magazine or on her site! Thanks!)

Blessings,
R.J.

Have you heard?

It seems that almost everyone is talking about the singing sensation Susan Boyle, the woman who astonished millions last April on Britain’s Got Talent. Well, what about her? It seems as though everyone has her album; I know that my mother does! If you have not heard Susan Boyle sing, then you should! Although some of you younger folks may not like her as she is more classical than anything. She has a beautiful God-given voice that is so enchanting! Follow this link to hear her audition for Britain’s Got Talent: Here or her official website: Here

Be sure to check out her new album if you like her music! It’s so pretty!

Blessings,

R.J.

Joy

 Nehemiah 8:10 reads ” The joy of the Lord is your strength.” I find that this is so true! Without God, you can have no joy. And I’ll admit for the past few days, I have had no joy, partially because I have not picked up my Bible in 2 days. I realized that last night as I was going to bed and I thought, “well, I’ve been silly; no wonder things are going wrong … I haven’t talked to God!”  We need God; without him we are like a pebble on the beach, getting washed up against the waves of life.

Thought I would share that with you!

Love in the Savior,

R.J.

A Source Of Confidence

Dear readers,  I hope you enjoy reading this article! I did! Blessings, R.J.

 A Source Of Confidence

By Lana Bode

 Dear Sisters,
     It was a late night in January. I was tired. I was cold. I felt empty. I stared across the room, pencil in hand, poised, thinking. Where is my confidence? In whose strength am I really trusting? I had just read Philippians 4:13. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
     I thought about that verse. I pondered. Finally, I turned to my open journal and admitted, “My confidence is in myself. I rely on my strengths and talents to make me successful. This will fail. Christ is the only sure foundation.”
     I turned to Philippians 3:3. “…have no confidence in the flesh.” Have no confidence in the flesh. It’s that simple. By myself, I am nothing. And based on John 15:5, I can tell you that by yourself, you are nothing. Our strength is sadly weak.
     Have you ever faced a challenging situation and thought, “I can handle this”? Or “I can make it”? I do not want to say that these phrases are wrong. But too easily, they advance from casual phrases to our own philosophies. We begin to not only say, but believe, that we can handle it, that we can make it. And if things start going too badly, then we turn to God.
     I have often wondered why we frequently wait to turn to God until we are desperate. Why don’t we claim His strength early on instead of waiting until disaster strikes?
     Whatever the reasons may be, each of us needs to realize that God’s strength is infinitely greater than our own. We must trust God’s power in every situation. Dear sisters, I firmly believe that God wants us to draw from His power supply.
     In 2 Corinthians 6:1, Paul says, “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” Each of us can be a worker together with God.
     We cannot survive without Him, but He can easily survive without us. Nevertheless, He wants – wants – to work together with us. What an amazing offer!
     Maybe your problem is not overconfidence in yourself, but lack of confidence in God. Maybe you wonder if God is really able to work through the weak vessels we all are.
     The answer is yes. (See 2 Cor. 12:9.) When Paul wrote to the Corinthians (see above), he pleaded with them not to receive the grace of God in vain. God’s grace is there. We just have to use it, and use it for His glory. He can, and will, work through you if you open your vessel, weak as it may be, and invite Him to flow through.
     Maybe you have opened your vessel to God, and you don’t understand what God has chosen to do in your life. Maybe you have just experienced a painful tragedy. Maybe you are going through a tough trial.
     I used to think that Christians should never ask God “why?”. Now I have begun to realize that it is okay to bring our questions, our misunderstandings, to God. That’s what the prophet Habakkuk did.
     And God will answer you. Most likely, He will answer in much the same way that He answered Habakkuk. “A full answer is coming. It may be slowly coming, but you will someday understand. And in the meantime, faith in Me will carry you through.” (See Habakkuk 2:3-4.)
     And God will give you the grace to respond much like Habakkuk did. “…I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.” – Habakkuk 3:18-19.
     And then, on dreary nights, when you feel tired, cold, empty, you can know, deep down, that God is there, and that He will perfect that which concerns you.

Used with permisson from The King’s Daughter Magazine

Movie Review- The Hiding Place

 Please note that this is a little late! As ”This Sunday” was back in October :O

This Sunday we watched the The Hiding Place. We were not able to go to church, due to coughs Here is a little bit about it-

The Hiding Place is a wonderful story of God’s love, care, and mercy. Miss Corrie Ten Boom is a wonderful example of Christ’s love. So, is her sister Betsy. But one day their life is shattered when World War Two begins. And the Nazis begin to persecute the Jews. A Jewish baby is brought to them; it is sent away, too. Then an elderly man is brought to them and they safely get him sent away, too.  Then they build the… Hiding Place! And bring in more Jews to hide. Then one day, Germans come and take the Ten Booms away to the concentration camp. Corrie and Betsy are separated. But they find each other again - only by the grace of God.  Follow them as they work  in the camp and tell the other women about the grace of God. Our little ones watched this movie, but I would advise you parents out there to preview it first before showing it to your little ones. My younger siblings enjoyed it very much! It  showed them just how wicked the heart can be!  Mom and Dad also liked it. I would give it 4 1/2 stars out of 5. A very good movie!

Well, enjoy your day!

Blessings,

R.J.