From The Farm

Happy Half-ty Birthday, Lizzy!

2010-09-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

My Prudence (Lizzy) 19 years ago

Today is my baby's 19th half-ty birthday!

We started celebrating her (whatever) year and a half birthday years ago and can't seem to stop marking the day with celebration. :-)

But her favorite foods and gifts, who could possibly stop it when it's so much fun?

My sweet child, grown now, I'm so proud of you and so very thankful that God gave you to us.

I'm thankful that I can see the Lord in you.

I'm thankful that you seek Him, daily.

I praise Him for the path you have sought to follow.

You are such joy to me.

Prudence, Happy Half-ty Birthday!!!!

I love you, Sweet-P!

My Prudence Elizabeth, now.

Today is not only my girl's half-ty birthday, but it's also the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles. If you are celebrating the feast, as we are, we hope you have a blessed time.

We have much to celebrate!!! My dear husband's birthday was just days ago. We had a wonderful time then, too!

Please, remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Ps. 122:6

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God ...

2010-02-12T12:04:00.000-08:00

My dear husband and me ...

We've been married for 31 years now.

We have had our difficult times, sometimes struggling just to get through this life ... but the Lord has sustained us. Most of the people we knew when we wed are not married to each other, anymore. I'm so thankful we are.

This is how we met.

While I was working as an optician and my parents were working in Iran I heard about a new Calvary Chapel Church just starting, up in the mountains above Chico where I lived. The town was called Paradise. I went to the church for a few months. The Pastor was commuting to Paradise from Napa where he and his family lived while the church was getting established. Pastor Dave finally decided it was time to move his family up to Paradise and make it their home.

I didn't know it at the time, but Pastor Dave had some plans he was keeping a bit of a secret. He had a friend down in Napa. Dave told him that there was a girl up in Paradise that he just had to meet. This young man was helping Dave move the family up north and that Sunday Dave introduced us. Dave invited me to join the group after church to sight-see around Paradise and then go to lunch. I reluctantly accepted, but I had a nice time.

The next week my family came home from Iran for their summer break and they stayed with me at my house. I didn't go back up to Paradise during this time as we all went to our old family church, instead. In the last week of their visit Denny called to ask if I was coming back to the Paradise church. I explained why I hadn't been there and said I would be coming back after they left. Unbeknownst to me, he had been coming up every weekend expecting to see me there. Denny asked if I would go to dinner with him after they were gone. I accepted.

My boss let everyone at work know that he was having a staff swim party at his house that next Saturday. Everyone was to bring their spouse. I, of course, didn't have one. He said I should bring a date. I wasn't seeing anyone, so he said I should ask that nice young man that was taking me out to dinner on Friday. I couldn't ask HIM! I didn't do that sort of thing. But they prodded and pushed and said just to call and ask. I had never called a fellow in my entire life and never asked anyone for a date. But, since he was going to be here for the weekend anyway, I figured I might as well ask. I held my breath and called him. I was so embarrassed, but he said he would love to take me there, so it was set.

Denny came by on Friday and took me to dinner. We had a wonderful time. I spent much of Saturday with him before we went to Bruce's home. Bruce's wife was a good friend of mine and she said she would be checking him out, trying to figure out if he was a good guy or not. :-) When he took me home, we spent the rest of the evening talking in my living room ... before he left, he asked me to marry him. We had met on the weekend of the 4th of July (actually July 2nd) ... not seen each other for more than month and after 2 dates, he proposed on August 19th. He told me not to answer right then, but to pray about it ... he said that he had already prayed and knew that he was suppose to ask me ... well, if that were the case, then shouldn't I have felt good about it? LOL We saw each other at church the next day, then he called me every evening after I got home from work for that next week. Let me tell you... I was praying!! In the middle of the week I asked him when I was suppose to give him my answer. He said that if it were yes, I could tell him anytime ... if it was a no, then I should wait until he came back that next weekend. I said, "Well then, I guess I can tell you now."

We have always known that our marriage was made in Paradise ... And I'm so thankful that our pastor introduced us. He married us down in my old family church on December 23rd. That is what we planned so that Mama and Daddy would get out of Iran before it fell to the Ayatollah . (that is another story of it's own!) After the wedding, we spent the Christmas holiday with our families and then got off just to in time to get to Ireland 2 days before New Years for our wedding trip. It was wonderful!!

As we tried to guide our children in the path of the Lord, we realized that our way of getting to the marriage alter just wasn't what our Lord really wanted. We are so thankful that we DID get to the marriage alter ... after all, look at how the Lord blessed us!! We have our sweet Lizzy to bless our lives. What a wonderful gift from our Lord!! But we have all agreed that dating and agreeing to marriage without our parent's guidance and blessing before the agreement just isn't best for the couple, nor is it the best witness to the world. Now, we understand that betrothal is the way God set forth in the Scriptures as HIS way to the marriage alter. But, beyond all that, we have a great praise that we are still married and that our family still holds, even without all our original blessings.

I love you, my dear husband. I am thankful to our Lord that you are still here with me and that we are together. So many around us have parted ways ... but by the Grace of God, go we.

Our wedding verse (our life verse) is "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33 For that, I am also thankful. I must admit that we haven't always sought first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness. That is one of our sins and failings. Thankfully, God forgives us.

Well, this is our story of God's guidance and provision as so many are looking to celebrate Valentine's Day. We don't celebrate Valentine's Day, except for sharing the candy that we might get ... :-) Shouldn't we celebrate God's love, daily? Love is a choice ... God chose to love us ... we choose to love God ... we choose to love each other. We choose to keep that love ... or not.

Grace and peace unto all you who love the Lord with all sincerity.
Please, remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6

(Aunt Sally :-)

Challenging Femininity ~ February issue

2010-02-01T18:08:00.000-08:00

Greetings everyone!

The February issue of Challenging Femininity is out! And I'm really excited to see my Lizzy is the featured femina . Please, go to the FeelinFeminine site and read all the wonderful articles that have been put together.

We have had more lambs here on the Brown farm and the snow is nearly all gone ... wondering if we will get any more. I will try to post some pictures .. I know, I've said that before, but I really mean it!

Grace and peace be unto you who love the Lord will all sincerety.

(Aunt Sally :-)

Xagave ... Have you seen this product??

2010-01-26T10:15:00.000-08:00

Gluten Free Frenzy is having an amazing giveaway ... again!
Chandice has the most amazing giveaways and this one is no exception!
She is giving away a 25oz bottle of Xagave and one of the Xagave cookbooks!

What a blessed day!

2010-01-25T22:18:00.000-08:00

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. ....

O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Psalm 90:12, 14

What a wonderful day I have had. Well, actually, I've had a wonderful weekend, as well. Today was my birthday. It was such a relaxing day and perfect for me. We have been celebrating all weekend for my birthday and also for a dear friend of ours. We've had two parties and it's been so much fun. God is so good to me! I praise Him for His gifts of dear friends, love, joy and so much more. I am now officially 58. Lizzy's orchid bloomed for me and our Thanksgiving cactus bloomed from Thanksgiving until my birthday, as well. How fun to have these flowers blooming with the snow falling outside today!

My Lizzy has spent the day with me and we have just been together talking and we've watched a couple movies and simply enjoyed our time together. My dear husband had to go to a meeting today, so he didn't get to spend all this day with me, but we've had all weekend and for that I am thankful. I think both Lizzy and I have caught something. We both have the same symptoms, exactly. LOL It was good to just sit and share the day together.

Thank you, Father, for my little family. You know how to give me joy. I have thoroughly enjoyed my birthday. Thank you!

To all my faithful readers, I hope that you are blessed on your special day, as I have been on mine.

Grace and peace to you.

(Aunt Sally :-)

The Power of Testimony

2010-01-23T12:15:00.000-08:00

"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." Revelation 12:10-12

My Brothers and Sisters ... how did they, our Brethren, overcome the accuser of the brethren?? By the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony! I made a post a while back about testimony ... and I requested that you might share your testimony with me and any others that read my blog. But no one shared. Do you not have a testimony? Do you know what a testimony is?

A testimony is evidence, a marker, proof, record, a report ... it is made to help you remember something ... it would be the time, place, situation and the why and the how of it. This is evidence that will be part of your overcoming. But, remember that your testimony is also evidence that shows others the way to our Saviour. Would you share about when you came to the saving knowledge of our Lord? How it happened? What prompted you to make this choice, to accept His gift of forgiveness and eternal salvation? And then, what has happened in your life since then? How has He worked in you to show the evidence of your relationship with Him? I hope to hear from many of you!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100

Speaking of sheep ... we have two more little lambs. There have been twins born to Astrid, our faithful oldest ewe. She gave us one of each! A little boy named Raffer (black with white on his head and back feet) and a sweet little girl, all white.

Update ... during the time it has taken me to write this post, we have been blessed with another set of twins!! Marya is the new Mama. They are both girls! One is solid black and the other is black with some white spots. No pictures of either set of twins, yet ... but will post some when we get them.

I am so thankful to our Father for He is good, His mercy is everlasting and His truth endureth to all generations!!

Remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Ps. 122:6
Grace and peace be unto all you who love the Lord with all sincerity,

(Aunt Sally :-)

Update from Brown's Farm and OTHERS MAY: you CANNOT

2010-01-15T23:20:00.000-08:00

Greetings in the Name of our Lord Yeshua, Jesus Christ.

We have new arrivals coming to Brown's Farm!! Lambing season has begun!

Our newest arrival is Klahnsea, a sweet little ram. His Mama is Norianna. He is sweet, healthy and a very good size. Now we are watching all the rest of the ewes for their little surprises!! I love it when the lambs start coming. The above picture is Klahnsea and you can see a bit of Mama, Norianna. She is very dark brown.

We have been so busy around here. Even our one chicken has started laying eggs. Lord wiling, we will have more layers by next fall. But we haven't had much of a winter, like so many of you out there have been having. Our snow has nearly all melted and the horses are foraging on the pasture, as are the sheep. We have been having major puddles, more like ponds around since the ground is still mostly frozen and the thaw is mostly working above ground. The water just can't go down into the soil! The creek has been flowing over the driveway. Everything seems much like spring ... but winter isn't over, so we are just waiting to see what else the Lord will bring our way.

I also have found a new recipe that is really good!! It's PineApplesauce cake! It's moist and yummy! The first time I made it I used all the ingredients as called for in the recipe ... but when I tried to cut it, it was just a bit too hard to cut ... rubbery ... is that word? Well, the spell check didn't red line it! LOL So I tried cutting the xanthan gum by half and I did increase the crushed pine apple and the applesauce and it turned out so much better!! It was moist and easy to cut. Just plain terrific!! Only problem is that it does have a lot of sugar. So, I think I'll use xylitol next time, or at least for half the sugar. It's gluten-free, by the way.

A dear brother of ours forwarded this article/tract to us and I really wanted to share it with you. It might help you understand why things aren't for you as they are for others ... if you are truly walking with our Lord.

OTHERS MAY: You CANNOT
-by G.D. Watson.

If God has called you to be really like Jesus He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put upon you such demands of obedience, that you will not be able to follow other people, or measure yourself by other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other people do things which He will not let you do.

Other Christians and ministers, who seem very religious and useful, may push themselves, pull wires, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot do it, and if you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others may boast of themselves, of their work, of their successes, of their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, or may have a legacy left to them, but it is likely God will keep you poor, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence upon Him, that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day out of an unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hidden in obscurity, because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade. He may let others be great, but keep you small. He may let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more precious He may let others get credit for the work which you have done, and thus make YOUR REWARD TEN TIMES GREATER when JESUS COMES.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings or for wasting your time, which other Christians never feel distressed over. So make up your mind that God is an Infinitely Sovereign Being, and has a right to do as He pleases with His own. He may not explain to you a thousand things which puzzle your reason in His dealings with you, but if you absolutely sell yourself to be His love slave, He will wrap you up in Jealous Love, and bestow upon you many blessings which come only to those who are in the inner circle.

Settle it forever, then that you are to DEAL DIRECTLY WITH the HOLY SPIRIT, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that He does not seem to use with others. Now, when you are so possessed with the living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this PECULIAR, PERSONAL, PRIVATE, JEALOUS GUARDIANSHIP and MANAGEMENT OF the HOLY SPIRIT OVER YOUR LIFE, then you will have found the vestibule of Heaven.

-G.D.Watson (1845-1924).
SOURCE: Faith, Prayer, & Tract League,
Tract #76; Grand Rapids, MI 49504.

I will check in again when we have more news from the farm.

I hope you are all well and having a wonderful new year!
Grace and peace to all you who love our Lord with all sincerity.
Remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Ps. 122:6

(Aunt Sally :-)

Thirty Good Things About 2009 ~

2009-12-30T12:26:00.000-08:00

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." –James 1:17

A variety of consequential things occurred in 2009. The swine flu spread around the globe. Businesses failed and people lost their jobs and the governments of the world tried to spend their way out of recession. The world dealt with slaughter, nuclear proliferation and dead celebrities. However, 2009 offered us more than tragedy. There were excellent things too, things worthy of a second glance as we celebrate the successful completion of one more year on the planet.

In January:
1. One thousand people gathered at a Harlem church to pray for Israel. The Senior Pastor of the Bethel Gospel Assembly, who organized the event, also invited Israel's Consul-General to New York to attend the prayer.

2. An US Airways Airbus A320 bound for Charlotte, NC crashed in the frigid Hudson River shortly after takeoff, and except for a pair of broken legs, all 155 passengers and crew escaped with minor injuries. The incident became known as the "miracle on the Hudson."

In February:
3. America celebrated the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth (which took place on February 12, 1809), remembering the tall, lanky man who loved true liberty, who dreamed in his day "of a place and time where America will once again be seen as the last, best hope on earth."

4. A Gallup poll released just in time for Charles Darwin's 200th birthday (the same day as Lincoln's) found that a mere 39 percent of Americans said they "believe in the theory of evolution."

5. Benjamin Netanyahu was asked to be Israel's next Prime Minister after an extremely close race with Tzipi Livni. Netanyahu is a conservative well known for his commitment to a unified Jerusalem and his support for Jewish settlers.

6. In Operation Cross Country, the FBI and police rescued 48 teen prostitutes, some as young as 13, from illegal sex trade rings in a sweep in which 571 suspects were arrested.

In March:
7. The annual Christian Youth Film Festival was held at the Fox Theater in Bakersfield, California. Joe Brown, the youth pastor at Heritage Bible Church, started the festival 15 years ago to give kids a creative outlet for their energy, one in which they create films on any topic (in line with a Christian world view.)

8. Stephen Baldwin, the youngest of the famous four Baldwin brothers, slammed the garbage coming out of Hollywood. He told CNSNews.com that Hollywood's constant violence, vulgarity, and anti-family fare lead to all sorts of social decay. He added that pro-family films sell well and encouraged more conservatives to make their way into the industry.

9. Physicist Bernard d'Espagnat won the Templeton Prize for his concept of a "veiled reality" - one that lies behind the world that we can touch and see. His work in quantum mechanics involves experiments that demonstrate that the essence of reality goes beyond merely the three dimensions that we can directly experience.

In April:
10. Americans rallied at "Tea Parties" on capitol steps across the country on April 15, inspired by Rick Santelli's famous speech made from the floor of Chicago's CME Group. (For Americans, a "tea party" is a cheerful idea. It brings to mind the great glory of a bunch of grown men dressing up like Indians to toss the East India Company's tea into Boston Harbor. It's the fleshing out of a great "Huzzah!" to standing up against mad taxation and unfair political decisions. It bellows out a love for freedom and for self-government. )

11. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas phoned new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to offer him wishes for a good Passover. Netanyahu's office called the conversation warm and friendly, and both men spoke of their interest in cooperation and peace.

12. Dozens of Diplomats walked out of a UN anti-racism conference after Iranian President Ahmadinejad described Israel as "totally racist". While this isn't good news for Ahmadinejad or the UN, it shows that Israel has at least a few friends in the world.

13. Israel celebrated its 61st Independence Day on the 5th of Iyyar (April 29 this year) marking another year of Israel's successful survival in a hostile world.

In May:
14. The 58th annual National Day of Prayer was held on May 7th. Cities and churches throughout the nation held prayer gatherings to recognize God's goodness and to thank Him for the many blessings He has poured on America. Millions gathered to seek His guidance and protection for our national and local leaders, our communities, and our families.

15. Gallup released a poll showing that a majority of Americans now consider themselves "pro-life." This is the first time the majority has swung to the "pro-life" position since Gallup began tracking the data 15 years ago.

16. Gideons International celebrated a century of ministry. On May 31, 1899, two Christian businessmen decided to band Christian commercial travelers together for the Lord's service. By making Bibles readily available in major venues like hotels and hospitals, these businessmen offer hundreds of millions of people access to a Bible at least some point in their lives.

In June:
17. The people of Iran took to the streets to protest the results of the questionable Iranian elections despite the vicious backlash of the authorities. These protests demonstrate that the Iranian people are willing to stand up against tyranny, even at serious personal risk.

18. Stephen C Meyer's new book Signature in the Cell became available, showing that new discoveries about DNA provide modern scientific support for belief in an Intelligent Designer.

19. What is believed to have been an ancient Christian hideout was found in Israel's Jordan Valley. The 2000-year-old underground refuge may have served as a Roman army base or monastery or hiding place for Christians.

In July:
20. Scientists from the University of Manchester found cell-like structures in the skin of a hadrosaur, giving these scientists a view of the cell structure of dinosaur skin. Dr Phil Manning, Senior Lecturer in Paleontology at SEAES called the discovery "absolutely gobsmacking."

In August:
21. Texas high schools offer Bible literacy classes this new school year, in accordance with a 2007 Texas law finally going into effect. As expected, plenty of people criticized Texas for weakening the Church-State boundary, but others praised the state for working to brick-in an essential part of high school education in teaching, "students knowledge of biblical content, characters, poetry, and narratives that are prerequisites to understanding contemporary society and culture."

In September:
22. About two million students met at their schools' flag poles for the 20th See You At The Pole prayer gathering and asked God to bring moral and spiritual awakening to their campuses and countries.

23. Judge M. Case Rodgers ruled that Pace High School Principal Frank Lay and Athletic Director Robert Freeman did not violate a 2008 agreement with the ACLU when Lay asked Freeman to pray over a luncheon for Pace High's Field House dedication. Rodgers said the prayer was spontaneous, and there was seemingly no intent to violate the order. The men could have faced up to six months in jail and $5,000 each in fines if the judge had ruled differently.

In October:
24. Abby Johnson, the director of the Bryan/College Station, Texas Planned Parenthood, switched sides in the abortion debate in the middle of the 40 Days For Life prayer campaign. After having worked at the abortion center for eight years, Johnson's heart was moved for the unborn, and she resigned her job on October 6. The 40 Days For Life campaign started in Bryan/College Station five years ago and has spread across the entire country.

25. The FBI rescued more than 50 teens forced into prostitution and arrested 631 people, including 60 pimps, on state and local charges. The sting took place in 36 cities over 72 hours as part of the Innocence Lost National Initiative.

26. Brianna Cardwell wore a T-shirt with the word "abortion" crossed out and handed out literature during non-class time as a part of the Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity sponsored by Stand True Ministries. She was told by her assistant principal at Randelman High School in North Carolina to stop her activity and cover up her shirt. The school has since backed down after a pro-life legal group stood up for Cardwell's rights.

In November:
27. Louisiana's Choose Life License Plate Fund donated $64,421.20 equally to 20 agencies that actively help pregnant women and women with babies in need. The license plate fund has been a huge help to pregnancy centers that offer women alternatives to abortion.

In December:
28. A simple Jewish home from the time of Jesus was found in Nazareth, giving archeologists more insight into what it may have been like to live there when Jesus was a boy. "They say if the people do not speak, the stones will speak," smiled Father Jack Karam of the nearby Basilica of the Annunciation.

29. Five-year-old Natalie Flores was rescued on Christmas Day, seven hours after having been abducted from where she was playing at her apartment complex in Phoenix. That evening, Officer Mike Burns saw a truck that matched the description of the one driven by Natalie's kidnapper, and the local law enforcement were able to chase the man down and rescue the child unharmed.

30. "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." - Hebrews 13:8
Happy New Year to everybody, in the name of Jesus the Messiah, the great King of the Universe.

I thank Chuck Missler and K-HOUSE E-News for this list.
It's amazing to read his things, to listen to his messages and learn from this man who has trusted the Lord for years, studied the Word and knows science simply backs up the Scriptures. He is a literal 7 day creationist and has studied prophecy in Scripture, as well. He knows history and sees all from a Biblical world view. He believes that every jot and tittle has meaning in the Word of God. But when he says something, I do what he reminds everyone to do ... check it out against the Scriptures, like the Bereans did, to see if it is true.

I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for providing for us through this year.
I am trusting Him to continue to care for us through this next year and give us grace to endure whatever He has ahead for us.
His Mercy endureth forever! He cares for us, His children, the sheep of His pasture.
I pray He will mold me and make me a vessel worth His use.
I pray His blessing on you, my Brothers and my Sisters.

Grace and peace unto all my Sisters and Brothers in our Lord.
Remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6

(Aunt Sally)

There's a giveaway on Gluten Free Frenzy!

2009-12-24T22:45:00.000-08:00

Gluten Free Everyday Cookbook 2-day Giveaway!!

Gluten Free Frenzy is having a giveaway of this great cookbook ... go check it out and enter to try to win it! It looks like a great book and do I love cookbooks! I have a terrific amount of cookbooks but very few for gluten free cooking! I sure hope I win! :-)

Go check it out! The giveaway ends Saturday the 26th.

Blessings this Lord's Day

2009-12-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

Greetings on this beautiful Lord's Day!

Well, the canning of the bread turned out wonderfully.

And the Turkey sausage cabbage soup was delicious!!

I'm working on some other bread recipes so we have options, but to know we can travel with bread and have fresh bread without defrosting is a wonderful addition to our menus. I'm so pleased.

Today, Lord willing, we will have pepperoni pizza for lunch (on the new bread recipe I tried yesterday) and then for dinner, we are planning to have Gluten-free lamb & leek Koftas (falafel sized fried lamb patties), Gluten-free fried Mozzarella cheese sticks, a wonderful green salad, Butternut squash Latkes and Gluten-free Sufganiyot (Jelly donuts). Yum!!

Have a wonderful day! I have much to do for food prep! :-)

Grace and peace to all you who love our Lord in all sincerity,

Are you praying for the peace of Jerusalem? Ps. 122:6

(Aunt Sally :-)

Happy Hanukkah!

2009-12-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying,

I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,

but shall have the light of life."

John 8:12

Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Saviour, Yeshua, Jesus Christ, the Light of the world!

Tonight is the First Night of Hanukkah! Some of you already know that we don't celebrate Christmas anymore, but you may not know that we do celebrate Hanukkah. But then you may not know that we celebrate a lot more feasts and festivals that are also taught in the Bible.

We wanted to write this just to help you understand why we are doing this. No, we haven't converted to Judaism. We are saved by the shed blood of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We are saved by His Grace alone. So, why are we celebrating feasts that the Jews celebrate? (and many other Christians also celebrate)

We started studying the feasts and learned how they are a beautiful foreshadowing of Jesus the Messiah! This is a wonderful way to learn the Bible, by means of these powerful teachings using visual aids. We can celebrate the fulfillment of these holidays in Christ, pay tribute to what God felt was so important to remember, make long-lasting, heart warming memories for our family, as well as learn glorious secrets hidden in God's Word! Studying and keeping these holidays is such a special way to learn. It is the way God taught His people to remember His concern, love, mercy, and protective care for us.

Paul wrote to the Gentile believers in Colossians 2:16-17 that the holidays "are a shadow of things to come." Each of the spring holidays is a picture of Christ's first coming. Jesus was sacrificed for our sins on Passover, buried on the feast of Unleavened Bread, and arose on Firstfruits. The fall holidays are a picture of His second coming and the beginning of the Messianic reign.

We found it more than interesting that if you do the math, using John the Baptist's conception and birth, that Jesus would have been conceived during the Festival of Lights (Hanukkah) and born during the feast of Tabernacles, in September.

Jesus preached three sermons in which he declared himself the "Light of the world," and all three were preached during Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights.

Hanukkah is a celebration of God's miracle. After the temple was desecrated and the Jews went in to cleanse the temple, God kept the oil burning in the temple lamps for the 8 days necessary for the purification of the oil for the temple when there was only 1 day's worth of oil available.

Since we know that Paul directed the church at Corinth (which was mostly Gentile) to keep the Feast of Passover (I Cor. 5:8), and we know that Paul was continuing to keep the feasts 30 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus, we are very comfortable in learning about and keeping these feasts, as well.

It's a time of fun, but also a time to bring Glory to God! Isn't that what we are all suppose to do? Isn't that why He created us?

Glory and Honor to our Father!

Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again, I say rejoice!!

Grace and peace be to all you who love the Lord with all sincerity,

Remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Ps. 122:6

(Aunt Sally :-)

Another Giveaway on Gluten Free Frenzy!!

2009-12-11T13:33:00.000-08:00

Gluten-Free Frenzy is having another giveaway!! Can you believe it? And I won the last giveaway of REAL SALT!! I'm so happy!! But you have to check this out, whether you are gluten free or not! Imagine, cheese cake, pies, cookies and more! This company is called "Innocent Indulgences" ...

As it says on their website:
Wholesome ingredients packed with nutrition essential to radiant health:

Vitamins
Minerals
Antioxidants
Good fats and essential omega 3s
Vital, plant-based nutrients
No empty calories

Pure, whole foods — no chemicals and nothing artificial

Raw — prepared without baking or cooking to maximize nutrition and live enzymes
Vegan friendly — no cheese, no dairy, no eggs, no animal or its by-products

Health benefits for your entire body from whole-food ingredients which may help with:

Weight maintenance
Blood sugar regulation
Heart health
Improved digestion
Healthy immune system

Delicious, elegant treats without the effort!

Moist, creamy, chewy and crunchy desserts
Easy and convenient — just slice and serve
No mess, no fuss to fit your busy schedule
No cardboard box mixes to disappoint
No deprivation - only innocent indulgence

You are unique, and we want to cater to your personal needs and to expand your enjoyment of life! Innocent Indulgence accommodates most food sensitivities and compromised diets. All desserts are:

Gluten & dairy free — ideal for those with celiac, crohn’s, colitis, IBS and autism
Soy & egg free — great for those with food allergies and digestive challenges
Sugar free — naturally sweetened, a good choice for diabetics and perfect for kids…of all ages

So, everyone go check this out .. .it's a 3 day giveaway!!

Worthy News reports: AMERICA WATCH: U.S. School Workers “Forced to Pray In Closet”

2009-12-09T16:08:00.000-08:00

Brothers and Sisters,

I have seen this news report and simply want to pass it on to you. It begins ....

"Christian school employees in Santa Rosa County of the U.S. state of Florida are forced to "hide in closets" to pray under a controversial court order, according to a non-profit public interest law firm.

Please, take care and pray... and do whatever you can do to stop this type of legislation and don't hide, but stand up and take on the battle." .... read the rest yourself, please.

Prayerfully, with sword and shield in hand ... no, I'm wearing the whole armour of God!

Real Salt 2 day give away

2009-12-09T15:49:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!!

Gluten Free Frenzy is having another wonderful giveaway!!

Win REAL SALT!!

See the Difference!
Compared to RealSalt brand salt, regular “table salts” and also many sea salts appear stark white because they have undergone harsh bleaching and refining. By contrast, RealSalt is an all-natural, kosher-certified sea salt, extracted from deep within the earth, crushed, screened, and packaged without any bleaching or refining. RealSalt’s unique “pinkish” appearance and flecks of color come from more than 50 natural trace minerals, (including natural iodine!).

Take the RealSalt taste test. First taste RealSalt, then try any other salt.
The difference will amaze you!

"Experience the goodness of Real Salt!"

Go check this out and enter!

This blog does wonderful giveaways and has great recipes and information for everyone, but for the Gluten free, especially!

Thanks, Chandice!

Bits and Pieces ...

2009-12-08T11:36:00.000-08:00

Greetings in the Precious Name of our Lord and Saviour, Yeshua, Jesus Christ.

What a wonderful day this is! We had a very blessed Thanksgiving and then it got very cold!! The farm wasn't really ready, and neither were we, but we trust the Lord will get us through this winter. Not all the snow that has fallen has stayed, though we are expecting more very soon. How are everyone's temperatures going? We are having highs in the low 20's. Burrrrrr! Last night it was blow 0. We didn't stay up to see how low it went. :-)

We froze some of our leftover turkey after Thanksgiving for more turkey soup and turkey pot pie. Our turkey was so good this year, we went and picked up another just so we could do another a little later on. We don't like having one turkey a year and so we try to buy a few each Thanksgiving. I think we will be raising some turkeys this coming year, though. We have about 65 chickens in the freezer and I know having a few turkeys in there would be wonderful. I really prefer to know what our food ate as it grew up, too.

I am doing a batch of bread right now. Gluten-free bread goes stale so quickly, so we have to freeze it to keep it fresh. But I just read about canning the bread ... so I'm giving that a try this time. It would be nice to be able to open a jar and cut it, not having to toast it or defrost before we can use it. And it will be great, if it works for me, that we could take it with us when we travel. Fresh bread for any meal!!

We've been having Borscht, Lentil and Kale soup, Sausage Cabbage soup (with our homemade turkey sausage), Chicken soup and lots of other chicken dishes with our fresh, farm raised chickens. God has blessed us so much!!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Important, please take note.
Victoria Rebecca posted Greg Gordon's '95 Theses to the Evangelical Church' on her blog "Searching for My Savior's Perfect Will." I hope you all take the opportunity to read all of these. It's so sad to know that what he has written is true. But it all is. Below is a bit of what it says, but then please, go to her blog to read all 95 in total. Thank you, Victoria, for posting this and bringing it to my attention.

To the Evangelical Church

"I have been writing this volume while residing in Germany for a teaching trip. I am humbled by penning these 95 theses in the same country as Martin Luther did many years ago. I submit these to the evangelical church of our day and pray that God would allow anything of truth in these pages to bend and change men's hearts back to God." - Greg Gordon

Thesis 1 - The evangelical church at large has forgotten that the chief end of man is to glorify God.(Romans 16:27, 1 Corinthians 6:20, Mathew 6:9).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Did any of you go and listen to SM Davis speak on defrauding and betrothal? I'd love to hear what you thought of it. I hope you still will, if you haven't.

Well, Friday night is the first night of Hanukkah! We really enjoy celebrating Hanukkah. No, it's not an ordered Biblical Feast. But our Saviour celebrated it. I'll post about that in a few days. I hope you'll be interested in why we celebrate Hanukkah.

I hope and pray that you, my readers, are centering your hearts and minds on our Lord and Saviour as you go into the season that so many use to celebrate His birth. So many are in need of prayer right now ... I am praying for you. I appreciate your prayers, as well. Let's center our attention on HIM and lean not on our own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge HIM and He will direct your paths. How I rejoice in knowing that our Lord cares for us so much and takes our needs seriously!

The bread is nearly ready to go into the oven. I think I'll make some Apple cake with cranberries when the bread comes out. It's made with sorghum, buckwheat and tapioca flours. Yummy!

Grace and peace to each of you who love the Lord will all sincerety.
Please, pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Ps. 122:6

(Aunt Sally :-)

Giveaway on Gluten Free Frenzy!

2009-12-04T16:04:00.000-08:00

Greetings all!

Everyone should check out the great giveaway on Gluten Free Frenzy! I know it sounds great to me. Be sure to stop on over there and enter if you are interested!

~ Mrs. Brown

Betrothal ... but WHY?

2009-11-21T16:48:00.000-08:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Yeshua, Jesus Christ.

I have been doing some very interesting reading and studying about some things and there is one thing I feel very important to share. I also have just heard a vital message that I think needs addressing. It's about the necessity, yes, necessity of betrothal. I know I posted about betrothal a while back ... but in this post I want to share something I didn't share before, about the vital need to do away with the boyfriend/girlfriend relationships and even the so called 'courtship' practices.

I have seen more and more how courtship has been 'practiced' and how it has resulted in defrauding one or both young people. These parents that think they are doing the best for their children when they enter into these courtship relationships are just building a faulty foundation for the future marriage, if the marriage even happens. (and so many times, the courtship is called off, anyway)

I have been listening to SM Davis and he has much to say about how to get to the marriage alter. The Lord has shown him great and mighty truths in the Bible that we all need to hear and understand. Read I Thess. 4:3-8. "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that everyone of you should know even as the gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: Because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but until holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us His Holy Spirit."

Do you realize that this passage is about how to get to the marriage alter? "How to posses his vessel" is "how to get his wife."

Do you realize that the way that God has given for the men to find and get a wife is by betrothal? There is no courtship or dating in the Bible. And do you know why? Because when you go into betrothal the way the Lord has shown us in Scripture, it avoids defrauding anyone.

But we have, by leaving Scriptural truth and direction behind, taken on the practices of the world and entered into the practice of defrauding. I'm talking about the young people that date or go into what they call 'courtship' (which is really just Christian dating if they don't enter into the courtship with a date set for the wedding) and even the parents that condone the dating and courtship relationships.

Do you know what it is to defraud someone? Defrauding is to cheat or take something wrongly. We don't think we would do that to anyone, do we? Well, I think we best think again.

I want to relate to you why God would want us to get to the marriage alter by betrothal. It is the first and foremost way to protray Christ's relationship with us. When you see a young man become betrothed to a young woman, you are seeing the same relationship that our Lord and Saviour has established with us, the Church. We are betrothed to Yeshua, Jesus Christ. This young man and young woman are a perfect witness to the world of Yeshua and the Church. Actually, this is the only witness that the world will see.

I hope you will all really seek out to study defrauding. Jonathan Lindvall and SM Davis have some wonderful messages about the dating game, the boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, courting and the the Biblical choice of Betrothal. If our Father planned and created betrothal for our marriage to His Only Begotten Son, how can we choose to go with a different way to get to the marriage alter? (the world's way!)

Go HERE to listen to SM Davis' message on defrauding and betrothal ... and check out his site for more messages he has available on the subject. I have only touched the surface of his message. Please, hear it for yourself ... and go HERE to see Jonathan Lindvall's messages on the subject of betrothal.

Grace and peace to you and your homes, ye who sincerely love our Lord.
Remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Ps. 122:6

(Aunt Sally :-)

Apron Survey ~ for both male and female, please

2009-11-16T23:03:00.000-08:00

Men, hold on, please ... would you ask your mother and/or sisters to give answers to these questions, even if you don't wear or want to wear an apron? And I would love to have you read the whole post and see the note toward the bottom that would refer just to you! :-) I would love to have you make comment on that part of the post, even if you don't respond to my questions about the aprons. And by the way, men DO wear aprons!

Who wears aprons anymore?

Or should I ask, who should wear aprons today? Everyone?

Do you wear an apron?

Do you know what an apron is for?

What I really would like ot know is what kind of apron YOU like to wear, or that you would like to wear.
.

Can you describe it for me? There are very few apron patterns out there that really suit my fancy ... how about you? I like designing my own patterns. What would your ideal apron look like?

What would you like to have as an apron?

~ Long? below the knee?

~ Shorter?

~ A pinafore type? Remember Sarah's aprons in "Sarah, plain and tall"?

~ Tied at the waist or more loose, just secured behind?

~ A half apron? only from the waist down?

~ With straps over the shoulder or more coverage?

~ Strap around the back of the neck or down the back to a waist tie?

~ Full front of just a bib?

~ Do you like the apron to cover just the front of you? ... or ...

~ A bit more around the sides? ... or ...

~ All the way around?

~ Do you feel a pocket is essential? or just for decoration?

~ A Mamasan style? full coverage with sleeves?

~ A cobbler's apron?

~ Would you like a hand towel attached to the apron?

~ Would you like a sewing apron? (to wear while you sew or do handwork, padded with a pin cushion area on the apron)

~ what other features would be your preference?

My Gramma always wore an apron. She was Russian and made aprons that had this amazingly Russian look, if only from the fabrics she chose. I never really liked the pattern she made all her aprons from, but they were Gramma, through and through. My Mama rarely wore an apron. I love wearing them, but I usually wear pinafores over my dresses and they work for my aprons. I still have some of my Gramma's aprons but Lizzy wears them more than I do. She is coming into her own style though, now. She makes her own and I love seeing her in them.

I saw this on the internet attibuted to an email, but with no other credit given as to the author.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's aprons was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children’s tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy children.

And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that ‘old-time apron’ that served so many purposes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For women, I think aprons are just so very feminine. And they are something our children will remember us wearing. I think they are a wonderful habit to give to your children. And, they really do protect the clothing! And I still think it's easier to wash aprons than our day to day clothing!

Bibs are the aprons we put on our babies and growing children. If we, as mothers wear aprons, the children will think it natural for everyone! :-)

And men, I promised something special for you …

Did you know that it is Scriptural that men help, at least, with washing the dishes.

What say you?

II Kings 21:13

“And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria,

and the plummet of the house of Ahab:

and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish,

wiping it, and turning it upside down.”

I am looking forward to any and every comment, just to help me know what you all really like.

Grace and peace be unto you and your household.

Remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6

(Aunt Sally :-)

The images in this post are not mine and I make no claim to them. They are for reference only in the hope that everyone will be able to use ideas from these pictures to make suggestions for the apron selections that they desire. There is no intent of any copyright infringement.

He Giveth Snow Like Wool

2009-11-14T11:45:00.000-08:00

Psalm 147:12-20

"Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.

For He has strengthened the bars of thy gates;

He hath blessed thy children within thee.

He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.

he sendeth forth his commandment upon earth:

His word runneth very swiftly.

He giveth snow like wool:

He scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.

He casteth forth his ice like morsels:

Who can stand before his cold?

He sendeth out his word, and melteth them:

He causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.

He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.

He had not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments,
they have not known them.

Praise ye the LORD."

Praise ye the Lord!! It has snowed and it is beautiful. Beautiful are the Words of the Lord! Beautiful are His mercies and His commandments! Beautiful is His creation!

We don't know when our snow will come that will really be the start of our winter snow, but it's wonderful to see this just to be reminded of how much whiter we are when we are washed by the Blood of the Lamb!!

Psalm 51:7-13
"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou has broken may rejoice. Hide they face from my sins, and blot out all mine inequities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto Thee."

Isaiah 1:18-20
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."

I hope you have as wonderful a Sabbath as we are blessed with.
Grace and peace to all you who love the Lord with all sincerity.
Remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6

(Aunt Sally :-)

Happenings on Brown's Farm

2009-11-11T18:13:00.000-08:00

Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field;

and afterwards build thine house.

Proverbs 24:27

Greetings in our precious Lord's Name, Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, Jesus Christ Messiah.

As the Scripture directs us, we must make things ready in the fields. We have been so very busy around the farm. We have been butchering chickens. We are getting ready to have our bull, Top Round, butchered tomorrow morning. He was suppose to be butchered last week, but the butcher couldn't manage it in his schedule. It's been a hardship for my dear husband, since we auctioned off our two milk cows and Top Round has been lonely, so to speak. :-) So, the bull has been going over to our neighbor's farm to see the cows over there. That isn't good for neighborly relations, but when a bull wants out, he doesn't even notice fences, no matter how strong they are. He hasn't been out of our field at all! ... until this last week. At least 3 times a day, my husband has been trying to stop Top Round from going over there, or just going to retrieve him. So, tomorrow the 'visits' will stop, Lord willing. (as long as the butcher shows up this time! :-)

Some of our sheep are suppose to get butchered, as well. Not sure if this will happen though. We'll have to see how the time and money goes. This is Darrin and he will be the first to go. He is mutton already, so he will be first. He is so sweet and gentle, though. I hate to lose him, but we need the meat and then we also won't be feeding him! That will be a big plus! We still need to build a new sheep house for this winter. I pray the Lord will give us the time, materials and energy to get it done before the snow falls and sticks. The 'barn' they have been in is just not going to make it through another winter.

We still have so much to do to get ready for winter, as well. We've had our first snow fall and more is expected tonight. But it didn't stick last time and it's not suppose to stick this time either. I love to see how our Lord gives us these little reminders that we best get busy if we want to be ready. I think we are coming up with a much better plan for feeding and watering the sheep and horses this winter. That will be a blessing if it works out.

I've been making Borscht, Butternut Squash soup and more wonderful Cauliflower salad (like potato salad but no potatoes). I love cooking in the fall and winter. It's so comforting, soothing and yummy, too! Tonight we are having lamb roast with asparagus. There was an amazingly great price on asparagus! Better than in the spring!

We have been having some family issues to deal with that have been taking a lot of prayer, planning and thought. It's amazing how just praying, thinking and planning can take up so much time and energy. But our Father is in control as long as we don't hold on to the problems and issues and we leave everything in HIS Hands.

So much is going on in our country and in the world. So many people are getting into a panic about everything around them ... and I sit here, wondering why. Our Father is All Powerful and we have such a precious place of refuge under His protective hand. We can have total peace! The peace that passes all understanding!

Philippians 4: 7-9 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever thigns are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."

Psalm 122:6-8 "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within they palaces. For my brethren and companions' sake, I will now say, Peace be within thee."

There is much and many things that we can do to make a stand for right and for our Lord. Let's pay attention to what the Lord brings before us and take whatever action HE wants us to take. We must be very sure that we don't get so tied up in 'doing' that we don't spend time with HIM and continue to grow in Him to be like Him and transformed by the renewing of our minds. We must conform to HIS image.

Take heart. If you are truly in our Messiah's hand, then you are safe in Him. The only things that can touch you are allowed by Him and He will bring you through. We praise Him for His power and plans for us. We give thanks to Him in all of it. Please, we covet your prayers for wisdom and discernment to know what HE wants us to do ... and that all will be as HE sees best for us.

Grace and peace be unto you and your homes, with God's blessing.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6
(Aunt Sally) :-)

Giveaway on Lizzy's Blog!

2009-11-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

There's a spectacular giveaway on Lizzy's Blog!! (We can all thank Miss Bailey for this lovely graphic in honor of the occasion, :-) Yes, Thank you my dearest girl!) There are great prizes! From the stand-by of A Great Audio message, to the choice between a Journal and a Pocket Tool Kit! Head on over and check it out! Don't forget to read the rules and enter!!!

Grace and peace be unto you and your homes, with God's blessing.
Please, remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6

(Aunt Sally) :-)

Wonderful Giveaway from the Nov. Issue of "Challenging Femininity"!

2009-11-07T14:10:00.000-08:00

There's a lovely giveaway HERE for a 32oz. jar of Virgin Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions!! Everyone should go read the rules and enter!!

Grace and peace be unto you and your homes, with God's blessing.
Please, remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6

(Aunt Sally) :-)

"One Anothering" (part 2)

2009-11-01T13:42:00.000-08:00

"Salt is good, but if the salt have lost his saltness,
wherewith will ye season it?

Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another."

Mark 9:50

Greetings in the Precious Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

I thought I might go through a few more of the 'One Anothering' commands.

More directions on how-to 'One another':

Be hospitable one to another ...

Forgive one another ...

Comfort one another ...

Pray for one another ...

Bear one another's burdens ...

Greet one another ...

Be hospitable ...

"Use hospitality one to another without grudging." I Peter 4:9

Be Forgiving ...

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Eph. 4:32

"Pur on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." Col 3:12, 13

Comfort ...

"Wherefore comfort one another with these words." I Thess 4:18

"Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." I Thess 5:11

Pray ...

"Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you. And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for men have not faith." II Thess. 3:1, 2

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all me, for kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to testified in due time." I Timothy 2:1-5

Bear one another's burdens ...

"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

Greet one another ...

"Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that in Christ Jesus. Amen" I Peter 5:14

There are more ... but I will save them for another post. Have you been asking the Lord to show you opportunities to 'One Another' someone? Have you been seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I want to make sure that you all go see Lizzy's "100th post"!! In honor of this post, she is having a GIVEAWAY!! Go see it and make sure you comment and do whatever else she has listed to get your name in for more chances of winning! There are some great items up for grab! Go see Tinker Girls Blog.

Grace and peace be unto all you who love the Lord with all sincerity.
Remember to please, pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
~Mrs. Brown

Autumn in full bloom

2009-10-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful Lord's Day!
Greetings in His Precious Name!

Autumn is here in full force ... in fact most of the leaves have even already dropped. The stock tanks are freezing and my dear husband is having to get out the stock tank heaters. Oh, we have so much to do before winter hits and the snow falls and sticks. Everything was frozen this morning and when Lizzy and I took a walk night before last to go out and check the horses, we even saw a few snowflakes falling in the beams of the flashlights. I love Fall!

We have been eating more of the Fall foods ... for me they are comfort foods. We have been having Butternut Squash soup and Spaghetti, using Spaghetti Squash for the pasta ... tastes so much better than grain pastas, too! I have have also made a nice cold salad for lunch that is much like a potato salad, but not using potatoes! I made a Cauliflower salad that is wonderful and it is very much like potato salad, but as I said, no potatoes!

Our gluten-free eating has really changed our menus but I am very pleased with the results. We have been cooking and eating gluten-free for more than a year and a half. Yes, we still think about the old foods ... okay, we sometimes really WANT them! LOL But we can't have them if we want to keep Lizzy well and improve my health.

We are preparing the house for Thanksgiving with our fall decorations. It's so much fun to get the house 'in the mood'. We are so thankful to our Father through the entire year, but it's a wonderful thing to dedicate this time just to Him, as a time of giving thanks.

A couple days ago I posted about the Purity Locket site being opened again, but Blogger didn't post it to the notifications list. Wonder why that messed up! You might want to go check it out, if you are in the thought process of getting one of these for your daughter. Young people, if you desire to make a covenant with your parents and with the Lord, talk to your parents and see if they would be willing to do this with you. There are covenants for both young ladies and young men.

Grace and peace be unto you and your homes, with God's blessing.
Please, remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6
~ Mrs. Brown

Purity Lockets ~ 'A Covenant for a Lifetime'

2009-10-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the Powerful Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

I have wonderful news! The Purity Lockets and Crosses with Covenants are available, once again, on the Heart to Heart Lockets site! I'm sorry that the price is a bit higher, as the price of gold has soared. But they are well worth the cost.

These are a promise with your child to help protect their youth and prepare them for marriage. Please, check them out for yourself. They are beautiful and of highest quality.

We gave a locket to our Lizzy when she turned 13. This meant so much to her and to us. She signed her covenant and wrote a note to put into the locket for her future husband. She put it in the locket and gave us the key to her heart to hold until her wedding day. At that time, my husband will give the key to her husband so he will have the key to her heart and will find out what she wrote on that wonderful day she gave us her heart to hold until that precious day in the future.

She gave us her heart to hold until she chooses to give her heart to the one the Lord has for her.

This is the perfect symbolic way for your child to give their heart to you, his or her parents. You will, Lord willing, help guide your child in their future choices. With your blessing you will give this key to their wife or husband when they give their heart to their 'future'.

Go to Heart to Heart Lockets to see them for yourself.

Grace and peace to you and your families.
Prov. 23:26: My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

~ Mrs. Brown

"One Anothering"

2009-10-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the Glorious Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Do you realize that we are commanded throughout the New Testament to do certain things for our Brothers and Sisters ... for the Body of Christ? I love the term 'One Anothering' and I think it fits perfectly. Just a few examples ...
Exhort one another ~
Edify one another ~
Be kind one to another ~
Submit one to another ~
Love one another ~

Exhorting ...
Hebrews 3:13 says, "But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."
Hebrews 10:25 says, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

Exhort means to encourage and to embolden, to cheer and to advise, to excite or to give strength, spirit or courage.

Are you an Exhort-er? An Encourager? An Adviser? When you see one of your brethren low or doing wrong, do you come along side them and help lift them up?

How about Edifying?
"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. " Romans 14:19
To Edify is to build up in Christian knowledge, to instruct ... particularly in moral and religious knowledge, in faith and holiness.

Be Kind ...
"And be ye kind one to another..." Ephesians 4:32

Submit ...
"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God." Ephesians 5:29, 21
"Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." I Peter 5:5

Love ...
"And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment." I John 3:23
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." Romans 13:8
"Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." I Peter 1:22, 23

I hope we will all think about these things the rest of this week and see if the Spirit is guiding us to reach out to someone to "One Another" them.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jaime, I am so warm! Thank you, again!! I love my scarf! :-)
Bailey, you will be online tomorrow, once again. How pleased I will be! You have no idea how it feels to have Lizzy doing a daily countdown ... only 20 more days ... only 18 more days ... only 10 more days ... only 7 more days ... only 5 more days ... only 3 more days ... only 1 more day ... until Bailey is back on the computer! LOL We have missed you!!
Lizzy, I'm so excited and thankful that you like your new place. Enjoy!

Oh, my first batch of soda (peach) is finished and bottled! I hope the blueberry turns out well, also. Lizzy, would apricot soda be worth a try? We have lots of apricots.

(Sorry this didn't get posted yesterday as I had intended ... as I was typing, we lost our internet! :-( But when you finally see this posted on my blog you will know that we got it back! High speed internet is just a wonderful thing ... as long as it's working! LOL)

My dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Let's seek to obey Him and one another each other.

Grace and peace be unto all you who love the Lord with all sincerity.
Remember to please, pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
~Mrs. Brown

Testimony

2009-10-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the Precious Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the One who was crucified as the last and final sacrifice, whose shed blood washes us clean of our sins, who rose again on the 3rd day and now lives forever seated at the right hand of God, our Father.

By the time I was just seven years old my parents had already been searching for God's truth for quite a while. I remember going with them to one church after another. Then, one day, my Mama came home from doing errands and shared with us how a woman had talked with her in the post office and had shared the truth of God and how she now knew she was forgiven and saved by the grace of God. She had invited the woman to our home to share the Gospel, the Good News, with the rest of us.

When she came to our home, my sister, brother and I sat on the couch and listened to all she said. When she was done she asked if we wanted to confess our sins and have our sins forgiven. I said, "Yes" as did my older siblings. She asked other questions and spoke further with us to make sure we really understood what she was saying. We all prayed and I knew right then and there that I was saved. I was saved by the shed blood of my Saviour, Jesus Christ. I was bought with a price.
I Corinthians 6:20 "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
I Corinthians 7:23 "Ye are bought with a price: be not ye the servants of men."

I don't remember exactly what day it was when I was redeemed. But there is a general time when you 'know' you have been redeemed. You will remember the place, how old you were and what happened. If you don't know the general time you were redeemed, you probably haven't been redeemed. I have heard some say that they 'gradually' became Christians. Really?? I'm sorry, but there is a point of turning ... a specific time when you make the choice. You don't grow into being a Christian ... you will grow in Christ and become more like Him after you have 'become a Christian'. You must realize you are a sinner and you must repent, with the understanding that only the shed blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient to pay for your sins, to wash them away, to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. If you won't willingly and openly acknowledge that you are a sinner and repent of your sins, then you won't be able to be washed by the Blood of the Lamb ... you can't be paid for or redeemed by the saving grace of our God and Father.

Growing up in a 'Christian home' doesn't make you a Christian. You aren't saved because your parents were Christians. You aren't saved because you go to church. You aren't saved because you were baptized. You aren't saved because you take communion.
I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Acts 16:31 "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

Once you have been redeemed you will grown in Christ. There will be fruit that will show in your life.
Galatians 5:22-25 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."
If there is no fruit, then you probably aren't connected to the Vine ... no life or Spirit is flowing through you.

Are you willing to share your testimony here? I would love to know when and how you came to the saving knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. There is power in your testimony. And if others will be able to read it, you will be sharing with them how our Saviour has given you the gift of Salvation. Let us all hear and rejoice!
Matthew 10:32 "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before me, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."
Luke 12:8 "Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We have just finished the Feast of Tabernacles. We were blessed with much fellowship through last week. Simchat Torah is also just past. This is the time to "Rejoice in the Torah," or Law. We, and those who joined us, covenanted to read the entire Bible through, this year. For some, it's the first time, for other, we have done this before, but we are rejoicing to be able to do this.

Why do we celebrate the Biblical Feasts? Because Jesus did it ... because God tells us, in the Scriptures, to do this ... because it is a joy to be able to do them! ... because we love our Saviour, Jesus Christ ... because we love our Father who is in Heaven. We are not Jews. We are not mainstream 'Christians' either ... we are Biblicists ... this means that we believe the entire Bible, we accept it as God's Word and we believe we are to obey His Word! We don't want to just take bits and pieces that we like and do them and leave the rest behind ... we take the whole counsel of God and believe that He gave it all to us by His inspiration and that it is profitable for doctrine, for correction, and instruction in righteousness ... (I Timothy 3:16) We don't believe in just the New Testament ... we don't believe in just the Old Testament. We believe the whole thing. We want to use these feasts as God intended, to teach our children about HIM and to remember what God has done and what Jesus has already fulfilled and look ahead to what our Lord is going to do and continue to learn more about HIM for just ourselves. We are not under the Law but the perfect Law of Liberty.
James 1:25 "But whose looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this many shall be blessed in his deed."
James 1:22 "But be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

I hope to hear from all of you, in sharing your testimony.

Grace and peace to all you who love the Lord with all sincerity.
Remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6
~ Mrs. Brown

*The photo above is not mine. I make no claim to it, and intend no copyright infringement.*
Painting by Ron DiCianni

L'Shana Tovah!

2009-09-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the Name of our Precious Lord and King, Jesus Christ.

It has been a while since I posted but I hadn't realized just how long! Rosh Hashanah has now come and gone ... and we celebrated my dear husband's birthday as well. It was wonderful that Rosh Hashanah and his birthday came at the same time.

I want to wish you all L'Shana Tovah!
I wish you all a happy and sweet new year!

I got a devotional Friday morning that I would like to share at least a part with you.

Dear Friend, heed the sound of the shofar!

Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet (shofar in Hebrew) in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

Today in Israel begins the feast of Rosh Ha Shannah, or Yom Teruah - the Feast of Trumpets. At the end of the summer the Hebrews are commanded to blow the shofar - the ram's horn, all day long. The sound of the shofar was a sound of alarm - it told the people to get ready. It marked in the calendar that the summer harvest was over and the day of atonement was near and it was time to stand before God.

The Feast of Trumpets is amazingly prophetic. Right now we are in the midst of the great harvest and the next major event is the sound of the trumpet -- just before the great day of the Lord. Within the feast of trumpets contains a personal message for us. It's God's wake up call: We don't have forever! We only walk through this life once -- and as quickly as steam rises from hot water and quickly disappears, so it is with our lives. Soon it will be past and we will stand before our Maker. If we are going to do great things for Him -- now is the time! If we need to repent for anything -- now is the time. The Lord command us to arise and shine and let our light shine throughout the world! The shofar is sounding, the summer harvest is nearing completion, and the day of the Lord is near.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rosh Hashanah ....
The Feast of Trumpets
The Beginning of the New Year
A Spiritual New Year
The Day of Judgment
The Day of Remembrance
The Birthday of the World, the Creation
The time for the sounding of the Shofar

Have you ever seen a Shofar?
It's a goat's horn ... it's curved ...
It has a sound like you've never heard before.

God commanded Moses to speak to the sons of Israel, saying,
"In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation." Lev. 23:24
That is now called Rosh Hashanah.
This is the day of awakening!

Romans 13:11 "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."

Eph. 5:14-17 "Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."

Awake and watch for His coming. Are you ready for His return? Is your lamp full of oil? Or are you one that must run and find oil for your lamp? Do you really know Him? Do you know He said He will be coming to take us home ... with a shout and the trump?

Do you all realize that when we hear the shout from our Lord and sound of the last trump or shofar, we will be called and taken to the wedding feast? Our betrothal will be over and our time to meet with our Lord and Saviour face to face will begin!

What ... am I talking about betrothal again? I do love this subject! This is our time of betrothal to Jesus. He is the Groom and we (the church) are His bride. He went to prepare a place for us ... and only His father knows the day and hour when He will come and snatch us away to the wedding feast. During this time, as we wait for Him, we are suppose to be getting know Him and love Him. He already loves us and paid the bride price with His life and resurrection.

God set up the betrothal and wedding traditions for the Jews as the picture of how He planned for the Church to be betrothed to Christ and then be taken up and the wedding and wedding feast to happen for us.

Why do we, as Christians, follow the way of the world and do the 'dating' boyfriend/girlfriend relationship stuff or even the 'courtship' which is just parental approved dating? Betrothal is God's choice for us ... and it's a wonderful and perfect witness to the world when a young man chooses betrothal to possess his vessel ... to get a wife ... to get to the marriage alter. He, through betrothal, is portraying Christ's relationship to the Church. This is the best witness to the world ... and it is the best and only God ordained way of getting to the marriage alter ... so, it will be the way that marriages will succeed, if done as God shows us in the Bible.

God set up a system for getting to the marriage alter ... betrothal. But we, as a society have taken betrothal out of our lives and the Bible. We despise what the Lord has already set up for us as a given practice and a witness to the world. We would rather practice dating or courtship. May God forgive us and lead us in the right path.

Satan is doing everything he can do to draw us away from God's best and lead us down a different path ... away from the straight and narrow ... to a broad way that leads to destruction. Let's not follow the world's ways.

I pray that we will all choose to walk as God has given to walk, as is shown in the Scriptures ... not as the world walks. What kind of witness are we? Are we walking with and the same way as the world? Or are we walking a different path as a witness to God's saving grace, showing what He wants? Are you ready to hear that last trump?
L'Shana Tovah!
Happy New Year!

Grace and peace to all you who love the Lord with all sincerity.
Remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6
~ Mrs. Brown
*The photo above is not mine. I make no claim to it and intend no copyright infringement."

My Daddy ... Gone to be with our Lord

2009-08-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

My Daddy, the most wonderful man God ever made.

1990 at one of my sister's wedding

Daddy was first the most wonderful husband and father.

During the war he was a sailor.
He was the radar man on the aircraft carrier "Cowpens".

When he finished his tour of duty in the Navy he and Mama were married and he trained to become a watchmaker and jeweler. He was a man that could make anything from creating jewelry to building a house, making fine furniture, fixing cars ... oh, he could do ANYTHING!

I grew up knowing that he had all the answers. It was only about 15 years ago that we talked about it and he admitted that he didn't always have the answers ... but he always gave me an answer and that was obviously good enough for me. He did have Godly wisdom.
I think that is where his answers came from.

He loved his family.
He loved me.
I loved him more than tongue could tell.

Daddy and me at my wedding 1978

He was 84 years of age this year.

Daddy died last month of the complications of Parkinson's.

I miss you, Daddy.
But I'm thankful to know that I will see you when God decides it's my time to go home, too.
I love you.

My girl Lizzy is really missing her Gramps. I would really appreciate your prayers for her. They were SO very close. Both my parents (her Grams and Gramps) lived with us for a while and it was so hard when they moved back to California ... then Mama died and though Daddy came up here a few times after her death, it was too hard for him to keep coming up due to his Parkinson's.

Mama and Daddy at a caravansary in Saudi Arabia.

"Behold, I shew you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So whom this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this motal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is witten, Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, foras much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." I Corinthians 15:51-58

Some people think that the Lord may come to get us, sounding the trump during the feast of trumpets! Maybe this year? Maybe then?

Please, rejoice with me that my Daddy is now with our Lord, without any suffering. He is with Mama, who went to be with the Lord nearly 4 years ago. It was so hard on Daddy, to be without her for these years. But still, how I miss them.

Praise be to God!
Grace be unto all you who love our Lord Jesus Christ with all sincerity,
Remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

~ Mrs. Brown

Hope you had a Happy 4th of July

2009-07-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the Name of our Precious Lord and King, Jesus Christ.

I do hope you had a really special 4th of July. Patriotism seems to have waned so much since I was much younger, but even more since my children were small. It's so sad. Shouldn't we remember and commemorate our beginnings and our freedom? Is it waning because we all feel we aren't so free anymore? Then let's all stand up, get that patriotism built back up and get to fighting for what freedom we have left and try to regain what we have lost!

We were having our yard sale again ... but we invited lots of people to come over for fireworks and 'red, white and blue' cupcakes and punch after the sale closed for the day. The picture above is from last year. We didn't decorate like that this year, but only because we had yard sale stuff all over the place and just couldn't do it. But the people, fireworks and patriotic colored food was suppose to make up for decorations! LOL

We might yard sale again next weekend, as getting some more money in here will be a help. And of course, we didn't sell everything. So, I think we will keep trying.

The next holiday? I guess it's Rosh Hashana! The Feast of Trumpets! That will be starting the evening of September 18th. Is there anything important before that?

Grace and peace to all you who love the Lord with all sincerity.
Remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Psalm 122:6

~ Mrs. Brown

Life abundant

2009-07-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the Precious Name of Jesus Christ.

Our Heavenly Father is so loving, gracious and merciful!

I’m so thankful for all He has given me … Praise His Holy Name!

I wanted to share something my daughter gave me for Mother’s Day … yes, I know it’s been a while, but I wasn’t blogging then and I love this picture so much I just had to show it off. This is a drawing (above) of a picture I took of Prudence (Lizzy) when she was two years old. We had just moved out here to the farm and it was a whole new wonderful life. What a perfect gift for her to give me 16 years later! Thank you, my precious girl.

We just had a yard sale and we all had so much fun, even with all the hard work. We're going to have another sale this weekend, as well. We had to restrain our ‘little lawn ornament’ (Briaka) so that she wouldn’t run around underfoot while people were here. I hated hearing her maaaaaa out in the back yard while we sat out front. Have you all heard of Briaka? She is the lamb that was stepped on by one of the cows on the day she was born. Her leg was broken at the thigh, bone broken in half. Our vet came and set and sort of ‘cast’ it. We had to have her in the house until the cast came off. It was still winter and she couldn’t be out in the snow. Now, she won’t leave us, won’t stay with the flock of sheep and even follows us when we walk out to the mailbox. I think she thinks she is a dog. Our sheep dog Fly has gotten very tired of her. When we send Fly out, Briaka follows her around and tries to do everything Fly does. She is so funny. Maybe I can get Lizzy to get a new picture of Briaka and I'll post it later.

Last night I tried a new recipe … Stinging nettle soup! It was wonderful! I modified a recipe I got from a great blog, The Nourishing Gourmet. Ours was much less watery ... my Denny went out to the woods and gathered the stinging nettle. I am so thankful for him doing that. We weren't sure what we would think of it, but let me assure you, it was so good! Who would think that an herb, with stinging nettles, would make such a terrific soup. I love making such healthy recipes and using the herbs that God gave us for our health and life.

Stinging Nettle Soup
1 onion, chopped

Olive oil for sauteing onion

3-4 cloves of garlic

4 cups good chicken broth

3 very large red potatoes, washed and diced

3-4 cups stinging nettle (the smaller tender top leaves) washed and removed from the stems.

cut into smaller pieces if desired.

~ Heat oil in large pot, add onion and saute until you are pleased with the onion. I like our stuff closer to raw so that more nutrients remain in the food. Add the garlic and let saute just for another minute or so.

~ Add the broth and potatoes and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat and cook low for about 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Salt to taste.

~ Add the stinging nettle leaves and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Kimi says you can puree for a smooth soup, but my family likes to eat their soup. :-) They have always preferred 'stewp'. (stew/soup) But to hide the greens, some might do well to puree the soup. Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!!!

Grace and peace to all you who love the Lord with all sincerity.

Remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Psalm 122:6

~ Mrs. Brown

Obedience vs. Conviction

2009-06-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry."
I Samuel 15:22

Greetings in the Precious Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

I've heard that God didn't give us His Word for our opinion, but for our obedience. I agree with that. Don't you?

I've also heard, so many times, from so many people, that when the Lord convicts their hearts about 'this' or 'that' that they will do it. This has been during conversations about things clearly stated in the Scripture. I can't really agree with that. Do you?

We are told, throughout the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, that we are to obey the voice of the Lord, obey the Commandments of the Lord, obey our fathers and mothers, and obey the truth that is given. There are more examples of what we are to 'obey', but even these few seem enough to me.

If the Word of God tells us that we are to do 'something', aren't we simply suppose to obey? Or are we to read it, then wait for the Holy Spirit to convict our hearts and minds to 'get us to do it'?

If you tell your child to make their bed, should they make their bed? Or should they wait until you tell them again, or go in and talk to them, trying to convince them that you really want them to make their bed and why?

"And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." I Thess. 3:14, 15

"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." John 15:10,11

I beseech you to consider the Word of God to be worth of obedience.

Grace be unto all you who love our Lord Jesus Christ with all sincerity.
Remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

~ Mrs. Brown
I would like to add a prayer request ... I would be so thankful if those who know my Lizzy would pray for her. She has been 'gluten-ized' and she isn't well physically, but it also effects her emotions and spirit in general. Thank you all who care and will pray.

Out of the Crescent Shadows

2009-06-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the Name of our Precious Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Have you read about what is going on in Iran?

My heart is breaking over this horror.

Why? You might ask ... well, let me share a little of my history with you.

More than 31 years ago I was blessed to visit Iran … I was also blessed to visit Israel during that time abroad. My parents were living and teaching in Iran and I went over to stay with them for a short time. The people I met were precious souls. I fell in love with Iran … well, I fell in love with the Middle East.

I was there before the Shah was ousted … before the Ayatollah Khomeini took power in the Islamic revolution of Iran … before the American Embassy was invaded. I was able to see all the beauty of the country … but while seeing the beauty, the buildings, the carvings, the mosaics, I saw the emptiness of the hearts of the people. I saw some of the ‘freedom’ that the Shah had given his people, but they were still in bondage to an empty religion that was totally their lives … the way they dressed, the prayers that many and maybe ‘most’ would stop and pray when the call was made over the loudspeakers throughout the country from the minarets. The ‘call to prayer’ was amazing to hear the first time after I arrived in Tehran … very eerie.

Something that impressed my Mama about the Muslim people was how much of their life was religious. She spoke often about the quotes from the Qur'an they had about them in the mosques and their homes and how the women wore their hijabs and chadors ... she was impressed. I remember seeing women in their chadors swing their legs over the back of a motorcycle to get a ride behind their husband (I would assume, as I don't know if they were allowed to have that close of contact with someone they weren't married to ... I know they can't do that sort of thing now with a 'boyfriend'). But they were wearing jeans and high boots, They were totally westernized in their dress ... they just covered it all with a chador. Down in Shiraz (southern Iran) the women wore the most beautiful clothes under their chadors ... the long, huge, full skirts, of all colors and the chadors

couldn't cover the skirts sufficiently! But they wouldn't let the chadors come away from their heads ... only faces could show, either hands holding them closed tight at their chin or they would grab the edges of the chadors with their mouth if they needed to use both hands to do shopping or whatever, and you could only see their eyes and nose. Things have changed so much since then. I have no idea if they are even allowed to wear western style clothes beneath the hijabs and chadors, now, but I know they don't allow the women to 'let' their clothing show at any time.

I have had a burden for the Iranians since I was there. I have had a burden for the lost of the Middle East. I got to know some of the Iranian students in the state college once I came home from that trip. It just increased my burden for their souls.

Shortly after that time overseas I met my future ... my Denny. We got married just before the revolution took place. We got my family to come out of Iran just before it all fell. God had His timing. My heart cried for those who were hurt during the revolution and for those that didn't desire that harsh extremism that the revolution brought forth. And things have just continued to get worse. Now, anyone who desires to convert to Christianity is kicked out of thir family and punished in cruel ways, or they are just killed. We are told that we must be tolerant of other religions. How can we just idly sit by and watch innocents being tortured and killed?

I would like to recommend some books for you who wish to know about Muslims, what they believe and how you can share Jesus Christ with them. First, there is an amazing DVD available that shares the conversion stories of some Muslims ... one even being a terrorist who the Lord appeared to in a vision. God is doing wonderful and marvelous things to touch the hearts of men and women around the world. The DVD is called 'More than Dreams.' I highly recommend viewing this.

For me, my faith is my way of life. As stated in my 'about me' I am a Christian, a Biblicist with Messianic leanings. I live 'under cover' ... I wear a headcovering as an act of obedience to my Lord and my husband (I Cor. 11:1-17). I wear dresses and pinafores or skirts and blouses ... dressing modestly (I Tim. 2:9). I guess you could say this is some of the outward evidence of my faith. I take the Bible literally. I believe in living in obedience to the Word of God. I love having Scriptures about us on the walls of our home. Whenever I can have verses of Scripture in sight I am reminded more of the precious Word of God. It's easier to memorize it, as well (Ps. 119:11 and Deut. 6:6-9). This is just a bit of what my life is like. I have come into contact with more Muslim women since I started wearing the covering about 15 years ago. They seem to be drawn to a lady that is covered ... they smile at me and will at times just approach me to talk. But with this more open attitude from them, I found these following books very helpful and I think very vital to each of us as we find ourselves probably more surrounded by Muslims, as they are more open and prevalent than we have ever seen before, right here in our own home towns.

Out of the Crescent Shadows,

by Ergun Caner and Emir Caner

Unveiling Islam, by Ergun Caner and Emir Caner

Voices Behind the Veil, by Ergun Caner

The Muslims believe they are obeying their god ... and I guess they are. Their god is not our God, no matter what anyone says. If you believe they are a peaceful people, you are deceived. Have you ever read the Qur'an? The Iranians have their own plans for destroying Israel, but they are supporting both Hezbollah and Hamas in and around Israel. They are supporting and building up the Shahada to destroy Israel. Do you know what Shahada is? It's the indoctrination of Palestinian (and other) children to seek death for Allah. They are teaching the children, starting even while the children are still in the cradle, to "Ask for Death." These are the children that are being sent forth as bombs, to die, with their parent's encouragement and joy. Yes, these children are taught to desire to be Shahida ... they say that to die is better than having peace in this life. Do you understand why there will be no peace in the Middle East? The Muslim leaders and those that follow them don't want peace. They want Israel gone.

What are we called to do? We are called to preach the Gospel to every creature. I think it would help to know more about the ones we are called to share the Gospel. We must pray for them and ask the Lord to use us as He wills.

Grace be to all you who love the Lord in all sincerity.

Remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

~ Mrs. Brown

Betrothal: The Lost Romance

2009-06-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the Precious Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

II Chronicles 16:9
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.”

Our Heavenly Father wants to save, to redeem those that seek after him. He wants to do wonderful things for those whose hearts are perfect toward him. Dr. S.M. Davis says that the word 'perfect' in this verse is ‘mature’ toward Him … who wants to please God, to seek after God … who wants His blessings.

One of the things that God uses to show Himself strong to us is to give us the right mate. This is where betrothal shows itself as God doing a mighty thing for us.

Betrothal … have you heard the word before? Oh, yes, in the Scriptures in Exodus and Deuteronomy, right? And Joseph and Mary were betrothed, as well, in the New Testament … the word used was espoused, but that is translated betrothed.

What does that word stir up in your heart and mind?

Old fashioned? Out dated? Doesn’t happen nowadays? Wouldn’t work?

I am pleased to share that it can and does work … for MANY!

When my husband Denny and I met, 30-plus years ago, we were only familiar with the conventional method called ‘dating’. We are so very sorry now that we didn’t know about ‘betrothal’. We didn’t even know about or consider ‘courting’. After our first child was born, I sat there on the bed looking at this newborn and said to myself, how can I ever put this child on a school bus to send away for someone else to teach and not have him with me all day? God shortly after introduced us to home-schooling. That was really our first break away from the standard way of American life as ‘we’ had known and been brought up. (Though we already had a different view of birthing our children.)

After finding the wonderful ease and real success of home-schooling, God brought us to see ‘courtship’. We vowed that our children would never enter into the dating scene. As we looked more at courtship, it seemed merely a more ‘careful’ version of dating- just Christian dating? The reason we didn’t want dating is because it’s just perfect practice for divorce. The young people attach hearts and then break it all off. Courtship is just more cautious, parentally watched, getting to know you until you know if you really want to get married. At least that is how most people practiced courtship. We didn’t want that either. There is still that time of getting emotionally attached with the chance of breaking off and breaking a heart.

We wanted something that was more protected and God given. It only made sense that ‘something’ would be betrothal. As you see in the Bible, betrothal is not an ‘arranged marriage’ where only the parents make the choice. The young man sees a young woman he wanted as his bride or the one his father said he wanted :-) . He would approach her father with a marriage contract, a true legal agreement, a covenant. The most important consideration in the contract was the bride price. Then, once her father agrees, the young woman must desire it and say yes by accepting the cup of wine from the man who is asking for her hand. She has the choice to refuse. But I think that betrothal is much more dependent upon our God … once He gives the parents the knowledge and assurance of the other young person and the parents approve of them, both the young man and woman must know in their hearts, now, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that this is the forever mate for them … before they have attached their hearts to the other. They don’t need to spend all that time together to go on dates and do things so they can ‘get to know’ each other and see if they are compatible. They trust God and their parents. They don’t need to have that close time where one or both can ‘fall in love’ with that danger of such hurt when one decides to ‘break it off’. (divorce practice) In betrothal, the couple makes the decision, the choice, that they are God’s best for each other. They make the commitment and proceed from that point.

As Pastor S.M. Davis says, “Betrothal is a secure public relationship, sought by a young man, responded to by a young lady, and supervised and approved by their parents.” And … “The best marriages aren’t based on love, but commitment – and love grows from those marriages.”

I love to look at our Heavenly Father’s example of Betrothal in our marriage to Christ. (Christ and the Church) We are in the betrothal phase at this time. He has already paid the Bride Price … on the cross … and we are waiting for Him to come with the blast of the trumpet, to call us to the wedding feast. We have accepted the cup of wine and we are in the time when our love is growing as we get to know our bridegroom. Our Heavenly Father will tell our Groom when to come get us. He is preparing a place for us, right now.

Once the betrothal is agreed upon, the two are essentially married. They know one another in all but the physical manner of husband and wife. The Groom prepares a place for his Bride. They bind their hearts and mind together until they are at last one, both mentally and spiritually. This allows for a much closer relationship than either courtship or dating would allow, what with true commitment and unyielding trust.

This is the building block on which easily kept vows, and faithful marriages are built. Why make the future harder for our children by sliding by with popularly accepted convention, when the Lord clearly laid out the proper biblical pattern.

I challenge all my readers to seek out the truth concerning this, and without preconceptions and tinted vision, to look into the method the Lord handed His servants for reaching the marriage alter, and not come out with a new mindset.

For some major information sources, please see:
www.solvefamilyproblems.com (Dr. S.M. Davis’ website.)
www.boldchristianliving.com (Jonathan Lindvall’s website.)
and A Christian Love Story by Zola Levitt www.levitt.com

The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you.
Remember, pray for the peace of Jerusalem,

~ Mrs. Brown

Another Cool Spring Morning!

2009-06-09T09:42:00.000-07:00

Good day!
Greetings in the Precious name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The Snow Ball bush, the Bridal Wreath and the wild roses are in full bloom and the air is full of their essence! It’s so beautiful and everything smells so good! The Forsythia has finished it’s blooming, already. The Forsythia bush is outside the kitchen window and it was so enjoyable to watch those yellow flowers bud and bloom. The wild roses always bloom just in time for my Mama’s birthday… and sure enough, they did this year as well. I love it when my Lizzy brings a Snow Ball blossom in and puts it on my desk. The roses are so strong of essence; I can’t take many of them in the house, though I get the scent flowing through the windows on the breeze.

Our small flock of sheep has been all over the place … and they have been eating some of our wild roses, so the blossoms aren’t flowing over as in previous years. They are still beautiful, though.

These last few days have been cooler and perfect for food prep on the wood stove. I’ve been busy making chicken stock and cooking beans for refried beans. I have rendered all the chicken fat from all the saved scraps stocked up in the freezer for Shmaltz (rendered chicken fat). I learned to make Matzo Balls with Shmaltz and they are so good!!!! But now I must find the perfect recipe for Matzo Balls for the non-gluten diet. That’s what we are now. So, life is different. That bit of Shmaltz makes the food taste soooo good! And we have been dehydrating onions that were close to going over the edge. We nearly have a gallon of finished onions! It’s just terrific and they smell so good, too.

Everything we make now is gluten-free. We have been doing this for more than a year. Our kitchen is gluten free from top to bottom. Nearly yeast free, as well. Though I still do some yeast breads … it’s just so different from my old whole-wheat yeast breads and other doughs. Life is so different. But I love learning a new way of baking and cooking and it’s fun.

The dandelions have been blooming and I love making gluten-free Dandelion cookies, too. I just use the beautiful yellow petals. But dandelions greens are so good in salads, as well. The chickweed is growing well, too. The comfrey is coming up as well. We have so much good stuff from God’s green earth. He gave us every plant and every herb of the field for our food and for healing. We need to use them.

I am thanking our Lord for such a wonderful day …
Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.
Mrs. Brown
Remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6

Preparing Catholics for Eternity ... a MUST READ!

2009-06-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the Precious Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,

This blogging is a new thing for me and I'm excited to have a place where I can share what is going on in my life and talk about things that are important to me ... the salvation of the lost is of vital importance to me. Many people believe that they are 'saved' and that they will spend eternity in the presence of the Holy God, but they are sorely deceived. The problem is that they won't know they are unless someone shares the truth with them.

What a subject to start my blog!! But it's of utmost importance!

I recently got my newsletter from Mike Gendron (his ministry is called "Proclaiming the Gospel". Please, go to his site HERE and read the important information about Roman Catholicism. And you can pick up the DVD series and book Preparing Catholics for Eternity while you are there.

Please, to all you who are Catholics ... I care so much about you, but I know from Scripture that I don't need to be brought into the Catholic church to be fully saved (contrary to what the Catholic Church is saying). Praise God, I am fully and completely saved only by the shed blood of my Savior, Jesus Christ. From all I have learned about the teachings, requirements and orders of the Catholic Church it is deceiving it's followers. I am not trying to put you down or condemn you. You matter to me ... I just want to make sure you do hear the truth so you can make a clear choice, on your own.

And are you aware of the Vatican’s relentless strategy to unite all of professing Christianity under the power and authority of the pope? Ecumenical unity just doesn't and can't work for real Christians! I Corinthians 1:10, 12a "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment ... Is Christ divided?" We aren't suppose to unite with unbelievers and those that don't believe the complete Scriptures just aren't believers of the true Gospel.

There is another book that I believe is a must read ... well, there are a bunch of things at Mike Gendron's site that I feel that way about ... but this one is not available at his site ... it's The Gospel according to Rome (comparing Catholic tradition and the Word of God) This book, as is stated on the back, "provides: a side-by-side comparison of Scripture with the first new worldwide Catholic catechism in 400 years. ... a summary of how modern Catholicism views grace, works, and heaven ... 24 ways the Catholic plan of salvation still stands in contrast to biblical truth .... a balanced overview of how the authority structure of the Roman Catholic Church compares with that of the New Testament church ... and an explanation of how participation in the Mass and other sacraments is inconsistent with faith in Christ as Savior." I have been so impressed to read this and see what the real differences are.

Both Mike Gendron and James G. McCarthy are former Catholics. They do know what the Catholic church teaches and requires of their followers. They give such a careful and truthful view of the differences. I've read reviews from many and even the Catholics said that the books were accurate of the beliefs of the Catholic church.

I pray that this post doesn't bring about contention, only real heart searching on all our parts. What do we believe? What is the truth? Who's truth are we believing? Which gospel?

Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.
Mrs. Brown
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" Psalm 122:6

Pentecost 2009

2009-05-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the blessed Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!
Pentecost is upon us!!

Welcome to my blog! I guess my "about me" explains much of what I and my family are about. So, I will just dive in to chat about what is happening right now on the farm.

This will be our first time celebrating Shavuoth or Pentecost. We have been celebrating Passover and Tabernacles for a while now ... and adding other of the Lord's feasts as we can and as we learn more about them. We have been using quite a few books to learn what we can as we don't have any others around here that keep the feasts. (though we have friends that sure do enjoy celebrating with us!) We have used Celebrating Biblical Feasts by Martha Zimmerman and A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays by Robin Sampson and Linda Pierce the most, but have a few other books for resources as well. If any of you have any special resources or personal ideas that you would be willing to share, I would love to have you let me know in your comments.

My daughter, Prudence, better known to her friends as Lizzy, has written a book where she has included descriptions of the people keeping the feasts. I have so enjoyed watching her develop the special things they have done to celebrate and make it special for the children. So, we are going to try to incorporate one of their ideas in our celebration ... I'll post about it later, if it works out in our plans.

We are trying to get the farm cleaned up and the lawn mowed ... it's growing so fast, we can hardly keep up with it. We have a building that we have to take down since the roof collapsed under the heavy weight of the snow. But the building is still full of stuff and it's going to be quite the challenge!! Then we will have to find a way to store what was inside ... guess we will need to build a new building! We are moving and will have to sort and sell and pack everything anyway, so I guess the Lord is just helping us get to the things that we would put off to the last normally. LOL We needed to take the building down before we moved, so it's half done already!

There is so much work to be done, so I best get to it.
Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
Sally