I (Miss Antoinette) was reading my devotions this morning and felt the need to share what I read with my dear mother, which in turn we now wish to share with y’all as we feel this would be an encouragement to those who are in the same boat! It is from Oswald Chambers book “My Utmost for His Highest”.  I pray that the Lord would give you rest and comfort as you tread the rugged path in the strength of the Lord!

God bless:

Mark 6:45-52

“We are apt to imagine that if Jesus Christ constrains us, and we obey Him, He will lead us to great success. We must never put our dreams of success as God’s purpose for us; His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have an idea that God is leading us to a particular end, a desired goal; He is not. The question of getting to a particular end is a mere incident. What we call the process, God calls the end.

What is my dream of God’s purpose? His purpose is that I depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay in the middle of the turmoil calm and unperplexed, that is the end of the purpose of God. God is not working towards a particular finish; His end is the process – that I see Him walking on the waves, no shore in sight, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because I see Him walking on the sea. It is the process, not the end, which is glorifying to God.

God’s training is for now, not presently. His purpose is for this minute, not for something in the future. We have nothing to do with the afterwards of obedience; we get wrong when we think of the afterwards. What men call training and preparation, God calls the end.

God’s end is to enable me to see that He can walk on the chaos of my life just now. If we have a further end in view, we do not pay sufficient attention to the immediate present: if we realize that obedience is the end, then each moment as it comes is precious.”

Love in Christ,

What I thought would be neat is to every other week on Tuesdays to share a song that I love and that I find might be of encouragement to all our dear readers!  Some of these songs I share are also songs the rest of my family loves as well!  The reason I say “some” is because some members of our family do not care for certain types of music that I and my mother might enjoy!

So, to start off here is one hymn I find myself singing often:

He Leadeth Me

He leadeth me O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

Refrain:
He leadeth me, he leadeth me,
by his own hand he leadeth me;
his faithful follower I would be,
for by his hand he leadeth me.

Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
by waters still, o’er troubled sea,
still ’tis his hand that leadeth me.
(Refrain)

Lord, I would place my hand in thine,
nor ever murmur nor repine;
content, whatever lot I see,
since ’tis my God that leadeth me.
(Refrain)

And when my task on earth is done,
when by thy grace the victory’s won,
e’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
since God through Jordan leadeth me.
(Refrain)

You can listen to the song below as well

I hope this song encourages you and blesses you as it has for me!  This verse in Psalm seems to fit perfectly:

“Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.  You guide me with your counsel,  and afterward you will receive me to glory.  Whom have I in heaven but you?  And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

~Psalm 73: 23-26~

Love in Christ,

“If you were born female, you may as well embrace it with all your heart and live your femaleness to the full. To do anything less is to shortchange the destiny of your life!

________________________________________

…As you catch the vision to be the Enricher of your home, you will also be an…

Enabler – enabling your children to reach their full destiny.

Encourager – daily encouraging your husband and each one of your children for who they are and for the little things they do for you.

Endearer – endearing your family to one another.

Enhancer – enhancing the atmosphere of love and joy in your home, making it richer day by day.

Enlarger – enlarging your heart to embrace the poor and needy.

Enlightener – giving understanding and enlightenment of the ways of God to your children.

Enlivener – seeking to make your home alive with the presence of God.

Ennobler – making your children honorable and noble in all things.

Enthraller – enthralling your children with new ideas, creativity and the wonders of God’s creation.

Enthuser – enthusing your children to be ardent for God.

Entertainer – keeping your little children happy.

Enticer – enticing your children into the joy of prayer and reading God’s living Word.

Enveloper – wrapping your children around with protection and love.

Envisioner – giving vision and hope to each member of the family.

Energizer – releasing the spirit of work and creativity in the home.

Engraver – engraving the names of your children upon your heart in prayer. (Exodus 28:29-30)

Entreater – entreating your children to keep a straight course in the ways of God.”

-Nancy Campbell Quoted from AboveRubies.org

This, and more, is the calling of a Keeper of the Home.

This high calling cannot be accomplished by half-hearted women –

This calling takes total commitment and thoroughness. It cannot be accomplished through our own human strength –

This calling takes tenacity and resolve. It cannot be accomplished through our human knowledge –

This calling takes a thorough study of Scripture.  This calling takes women of faith, ladies of purpose, and daughters of vision.

Obsessed? Possibly.

Passionate? Absolutely!!

We need ladies that are passionate about their roles as women in the home.  Biblical Womanhood is not about cleaning bathrooms, feeding ten (or 20) kids and weeding our gardens and baking cookies (which is really not a bad thing to make! lol). Biblical Womanhood is a mindset, and the Scriptures have been given for our instruction on this subject.  As daughters and future Homemakers we must be committed to the study of the Scriptures. Our teenage and single years are only as productive and eternal as we make them, and unfortunately, most of us live these single years as though it were a curse to be rid of.  No, but sadly the truth, if we think this way then we know not the Scriptures.

“And his (or her) interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband.”

1 Corinthians 7:34

We must care for the things of the Savior and as we dedicate our life to the Lord, we will be preparing ourselves to dedicate our life to our husband and children in the future. Our effectiveness to carry this out today will affect how we will respond in the future. The Christian life works like a beautiful circle – each phase of our life prepares for the next.

“You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

Deuteronomy 11:18, 19

We cannot teach until we have first laid up His words and bound them upon our hearts (Prov. 6:21). We must study to know the doctrines of Christ, how we are to live our lives, and defend our faith and we must be doing this now. Here is a quote from Jonathon Edwards from one of his sermons on the importance of redeeming your time (I really like this one!):

“…time is very precious, because when it is past, it cannot be recovered. There are many things which men possess, which if they part with, they can obtain them again. If a man have parted with something which he had, not knowing the worth of it, or the need he should have of it; he often can regain it, at least with pains and cost. If a man have been overseen in a bargain, and have bartered away or sold something, and afterwards repents of it, he may often obtain a release, and recover what he had parted with. —But it is not so with respect to time. When once that is gone, it is gone forever; no pains, no cost will recover it. Though we repent ever so much that we let it pass, and did not improve it while we had it, it will be to no purpose. Every part of it is successively offered to us, that we may choose whether we will make it our own, or not. But there is no delay. It will not wait upon us to see whether or no we will comply with the offer. But if we refuse, it is immediately taken away, and never offered more. As to that part of time which is gone, however we have neglected to improve it, it is out of our possession and out of our reach.”

Time is always ticking, never to be gained ever again. What are we doing that is worthwhile? Are we cherishing each moment Christ has given us here on earth, or do we desire to do something else instead?  Let’s quote Mrs. Campbell again in her blessed words:

“If you were born female, you may as well embrace it with all your heart and live your femaleness to the full. To do anything less is to shortchange the destiny of your life! We must passionately and without reserve give ourselves over to Christ and the study to know Him. We don’t need someone crazy.

But one step short of crazy, what do you get? Passionate!”

Love and blessings in Christ our Lord,

Even though my dear mother does not sew, she knows when she finds some fabric that would make a lovely skirt or blouse that I (miss Antoinette) will be happy to make it for her!

We found a lovely giveaway through our dear friend’s blog “Country Hearts At Home” that “Warehouse Fabrics Inc.”

is having a giveaway!!!!

This lovely store is giving away a $50 shopping spree to the providential winner of this lovely giveaway, so head on over and make sure to enter this giveaway!  They have such lovely fabrics, it will be hard to spend only $50 if we win!

Here are a couple samples of my work

( you can also see more photos HERE and HERE!):

I am selling these lovely hankies for $20 and I make sure lots of love and care goes into each one!

So head on over to my Etsy Shop (which is also located on the side of our blog) and look around! if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I would be happy to answer!

Have a blessed Lord’s Day tomorrow!

Love in Christ,

The first is over at “Prairie Flower Farm” and you can enter the giveaway by clicking HERE!

She is giving away lots of really neat things so head on over to check it out!

The second is over at a wonderful new site new web-site called “Raising Homemakers”

and they are giving away the whole 10 DVD set of  the “Homestead Blessings” collection!!!!!

WOW, you cannot pass that one up!  I already have the whole set, but I know I could really bless one of my dear friends with them!   You can enter the giveaway HERE!!!

I would also encourage you to read the other posts on the site as it is very refreshing to read!

And last but not least a giveaway at “Homestead Revival” for a very useful family first aid kit!  Enter this giveaway HERE!

In solemn memory of the soldiers who fought for our freedoms, and giving their lives and sacrificing themselves to protect their families and the many others they swore to protect.  May we NEVER forget these fallen, and continue to pass this day on from generation, to generation!

Many blessings on their families, and the veterans still living today, may the Lord bless you!

In Christ Alone,

I was catching up with one of my dear friend’s blogs “An Old-Fashioned Girl” And came across the cutest tutorial she did on making these sweet headbands that you can see HERE!!!!!

Aren’t they sooooo cute!?

As soon as I saw it, I had to share it with y’all  I hope you enjoy making them!  I have a few young ladies I will be making these for!

Have a blessed Lord’s Day tomorrow everyone!

Love in Christ,

A few weeks ago I finished an absolutely WONDERFUL book called “Mary Bunyan” by Sally R. Ford and let me tell you, it brought me close to tears many times ( it takes a lot for me to cry) in the amazing life of John Bunyan’s elder blind daughter Mary.  I had read a pre-teen book that I borrowed from the library a few years ago about her, but it did not go into nearly as much detail and depth as this book did and it is not just about “Poor blind Mary” (as she is called in the book) but about the whole family, and the many dear brothers and sisters in Christ they knew as well.  I just love how there is scripture throughout this book and the characters are so encouraging!

It is such a good book to read for some history during that era in 17th Century England when King Charles II reigned, and the puritans where being persecuted greatly at this time and they stood strong in their faith no matter what the circumstances!  I will tell you, this book on the outside might have a sad ending, but it is such a beautiful testimony for us Christians today to have that same zeal for God and to proclaim His name until our dying day when God calls us home weather it is by old age, something medical, persecution, or something else,  we MUST with the life we have been given by Christ share with others in our actions toward others, our dress, and our speech the love of our savior and what He has done for us.

My mom is now getting ready to read it and I am very sure she will enjoy it as much as I did!

You can find this wonderful book and many more at one of our family’s favorite book stores :             

Solid Ground Books

If you wish to see what my mother and I have been reading or are reading so far this year, I have created a page called “Our Book Lists” so when I or my dear mother finish reading a book, I will write the title on that page so you can see what I am reading or what I have read, so keep checking the whole year round!

Many blessings to y’all

What hope chest would be complete without adding a quilt (or two)?!

Quilts have been around for many centuries, and have brought much comfort, love and protection to all who have made and/or own them!  Every handmade quilt has a story and wonderful memories behind every one!   Any time my mom and I (and yes, sometimes my brothers too) are in an antique store and we find an old quilt, I stare intentively at it, wondering: “if you could talk, what stories could you tell, what memories are hidden in your past?” I absolutely LOVE quilts, and who does not!?  My grandmother has made me quilts since I was born and all of them are so very special as I know she poured all her love into each and every one!  My brothers even have what they call “cool” quilts she made them as well and she is so creative with them too, whether it was adding a piece of fabric from a dress I wore as a little girl, or “car tracks” on my brother’s quilts so they could play with their toy cars on them! Each and every one is different and unique to that particular person!  I made my first little patch work “quilt” (it was actually a place mat) when I was 5 ½, and made my first big quilt (a Full sized quilt) at the age of 13, and have made a few since then (and am working on one now!).  My favorite part of making a quilt is putting on the binding!  Knowing that the quilt is almost complete and adding those finishing touches and stitches are so exciting! Of course my least favorite is (like almost anyone else) ripping out seams if I messed up! ARGH!!

Quilts remind me of our relationship with Christ and how he has made each and every one of us so different and unique from each other, like the patches in a quilt!  Each and every one of them is so special to our Creator and He loves each and every one of those “chosen patches” and His love “binds” the quilt together to make it complete!

Colossians 3:1-17

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your  life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:  sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.  In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.  But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.  Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self  with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.   Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,  free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,  bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.   And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.   Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.   And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.“

There are many different kinds of quilts you can make such as: wedding quilts, scrap quilts, baby quilts (especially with flannel), Good Bye quilts (for a dear family or friend moving away), memory quilts, special color themed quilts, and many more that make a quilt so very special to add to any hope chest or give away to friends /and or/ family!

Even if you are not very good at quilting, I would encourage you to try your hand at it, or to have a close friend make one for you who would be willing to do so (you supply the essentials of course).     Here are a few pictures of some quilts I own!

Here is a picture of a special quilt my grandmother made when I was 6 years old!  It is in wonderful condition, just a bit of color fade from it being on my bed often!

Here is my second quilt that I made with a sewing group a few years back!  We joke around at home saying that the quilt is so bright, you need sunglasses to see it!  LOL! J  This quilt is a sampler quilt from Debbie Mum’s web-site! She hosts a new sampler quilt every year giving away a block pattern a month so you finish your quilt in a year!

I made a few months ago a cute boy’s baby quilt with trains galore on it!   It has not been spoken for yet, but is waiting to be given to a baby boy to cuddle up with it in the future for someone special!

A hope chest without a quilt is like tea without honey, it is ok without it, but not quite the same without its sweetness!  Quilts can make many memories that will bring much comfort to a young lady when she is married and getting used to new home, and surroundings, or someone who is sick would love a quilt to cuddle with or keep them warm.   Having a quilt is such a WONDERFUL thing to have!

Here are some good book recommendations on quilts and patterns for them:

The Farmer’s Wife Sampler Quilt by Laurie Aaron Hird

Block by Block to Beautiful Quilts by Thimbleberries

Quilt in a Day Underground Railroad Sampler Quilt by Elanor Burns

I would highly recommend buying this magazine, though you can only find it in your local craft/fabric store:

Quilts and More by Better Homes and Gardens

Well, I hope this has been another wonderful inspiring article to you!  I would LOVE to hear if you have any ideas on future articles, as I would love to write more of them and have a couple ideas! I have gotten so many sweet comments from all of you and feel led to share more of what I know about hope chests!  What would you like to see in future hope chest articles!?

Blessings in Christ,