This is my first Mother's Day without mama.*  So, it's natural that I would think about her probably more than in years past.  I didn't want to let the day go by without giving glory to God for the mother He specifically chose for me.  

                                                

I'm thankful, so very thankful, that my memories of Mother are filled with so many tender and sweet thoughts. Perfect? Heavens no! No family is perfect but the banner over our relationship, at the end of the day, was always 'love'.  

I've been studying the book of Titus for the past month and have meditated a lot on Titus 2:3-5 which teaches that the older women are to teach the younger women to love their husbands, children, self-controlled, keepers at home, pure, kind and subject to their own husbands. 

                                      

     

Mama taught us these things by not only her words but the life she lived. She loved my father not only with her words but her actions. We never doubted this as children. She served him, put his needs above her own, adjusted her life to what pleased him. She spoke kindly to him and respected him.  If she sensed Daddy didn't like something she was doing, she stopped. 

She loved us girls. She took us to church and taught us to fear and respect God. She cooked, cleaned and made clothes for us. She disciplined us fairly and consistently for our good. She taught us to respect others and to be kind to any living thing. She wanted us to not be ashamed to bring our friends home so she always kept a clean house. She put our needs above her own. Many a night I would lie in bed and hear her working to keep on top of the duties in the home. She laid her life down for her family. She was a wonderful example of the gospel... Jesus who came to serve and not be served... giving His life as a ransom for many. She was an older woman that taught me so many things that have blessed my own marriage and home. 

 

 So, today, I realize that even though Mama is not with us, the good things Mama taught will live on in all the lives that knew her...especially my sister and I.  Now the torch is passed to my generation. "I" am the older woman!! May God help me to teach the 'good things' He has commanded. May the way I love my husband, children, guard my home and treat others show the world that the saving power of the gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives, which changes homes for God's glory.

…so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

 Titus 2:10 NIV

* My mother left this world on September 3, 2021 after a 3 week battle with COVID. She now rests in the everlasting arms of God her Father. 

Our Tongue and the Family

I recently read a question that captured my attention.

Are you growing in how you love your spouse?

Right on the heels of that question I began reading a book called, The Hardest Peace: Expecting Grace in the Midst of Life's Hard which shared how their marriage was blessed by   speaking the 'law of kindness' to one another. 

I thought of what the opposite of kindness might look like. A cold shoulder? Distancing ourselves? A sharp, biting reply? Sarcasm? Standing up for ourselves with a cascade of unedifying, prideful words? Oh my! How many of us have given in to these temptations? I surely have at one time or another.


She opens her mouth with wisdom; and on her tongue is the law of kindness. Proverbs 31:26 KJV

Playing a new 'thrift' store game.

I've noticed how different seasons of life can tempt us to respond unkindly. I remember when my children were young and following a sleepless night there was the temptation to snap out a command instead of asking kindly. Sickness, retirement and growing older (the last 2 are my current season) can prove a temptation, too. We surely need the power of the Holy Spirit to respond kindly when we are in a weakened state.  

Jesus is the best reason to entice my heart to return a kindness for an unkindness. He showed the ultimate kindness by dying on the cross to pay for my sins... a death I deserved! While I was STILL a sinner.. undeserving of His kindness...an enemy...He died for my sins. The ultimate act of kindness!

Returning good for evil...a  kind word in response to an unkindness... is a beautiful opportunity to daily live out the gospel message to my family and others.  

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

It also shows my Savior how much I love Him by obeying His command.  


 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. John 14:15

      The grands and I playing Apples to Apples. (Can you see my cat on the back of the couch watching the neighborhood?)

"God, please help me to live by the 'law of kindness' towards others. I have often returned an unkindness for an unkindness. Help me by the power of your Holy Spirit that lives in me to deny myself and follow you.  In Jesus Name, Amen."

 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love KINDNESS, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,KINDNESS, goodness, faithfulness, Galatians 5:22  Galatians 5:22  ESV

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, KINDNESS, humility, meekness, and patience.. Col. 3:12 ESV


***

A TYPICAL FRUGAL DAY


1. Our ladies group at church is starting a new bible study in January. I found a used workbook through Amazon for half the price. 

  2. I've been off of wheat (except for an occasional indulgence) for over 3 years now. I normally don't miss it but lately I've been having problems with insomnia and find myself dipping into my husband's crackers in the middle of the night. I'm not sure why carbs are appealing to me at 2am in the morning... but they are! :-) So, I decided to be proactive and make some low carb crackers. I put them in the freezer for those 'I can't sleep' nights.

                             

Sunflower Crackers

3/4-1 cup sunflower seed flour (or almond flour)

4 tsp. Erythritol

1 egg white

less than 1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. onion powder

Mix together and then divide into 20-24 small balls. Place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Put a piece of Seran wrap over a small can to flatten the balls and then peel off the Seran wrap and place on the cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes. Watch closely the last 5 minutes. Edges should be brown, center will be light colored.

3. I had an old kitchen cabinet in bad shape that we hoped to use in our garage but we just didn't have room for it. I hated to have my son take it to the dump since he is so busy so I kept thinking how I could repurpose it. I finally came up with the idea to make it into a compost bin. The doors and the back were taken off leaving just the frame. It works PERFECT! 

4. I found a new game at the thrift store. The grands loved it! 

5. I was inspired by Crystal's post over at Homemaking on the Homestead on canning Chicken Noodle-less soup.  I didn't have 2 whole chickens but used a very large package of chicken thighs and breasts. I canned 5 quarts of soup. My husband said it was very good. I hope to can a lot of soup this winter. 

6.We had a big crop of hot peppers this year. I froze some but there was still a lot left. I decided to dry a batch. I'll use an old coffee grinder and pulse it into red pepper flakes. 

7. I made Pioneer Woman's Spaghetti Sauce. It's a keeper and I think the best recipe I've made so far. We put it over the spaghetti squash we grew in our garden. 

Pioneer Woman's Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients

• 5 pounds Ground Beef (I used 3 pounds)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 whole Large Yellow Onions, Diced (I used 1 onion)
• 2 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Diced (Omitted)
• 6 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 cup White Wine (or Low Sodium Beef Broth If You Prefer)
• 2 cans 28 Ounce Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 can (14 Oz. Size) Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 can (small, 4-ounce) Tomato Paste
• 1 jar Good Storebought Marinara Sauce (can Use Another Jar If You Like The Sauce To Be More Saucy Than Meaty)
• 1 teaspoon Ground Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Ground Thyme
• 4 whole Bay Leaves (omitted)
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar (I used Erythritol)
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper (optional)
• 1/4 cup Finely Minced Fresh Parsley (or 3 Tablespoons Parsley Flakes), More To Taste
• 1 whole Rind From One Wedge Parmesan (optional, I'm dairy free so I omitted)
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional, I omitted)
• 2 pounds Spaghetti, Cooked Al Dente And Tossed With Olive Oil
• Extra Minced Parsley, For Serving
• Extra Parmesan Cheese, For Serving

Preparation Instructions

IMPORTANT: This recipe can easily be halved! I just like to make a ton so I can freeze it.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until totally browned. Remove meat from pot with a slotted spoon and put into a bowl. Set aside.
Discard any grease in pot, but do not clean the pot. Drizzle in olive oil. When it is heated, throw in the diced onion and diced bell pepper. Stir it around for 1 1/2 minutes, then add the garlic. Stir and cook for an additional minute.
Pour in the wine and allow it to bubble up and reduce for about 1 1/2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and marinara sauce. Stir to combine, then add oregano, thyme, sugar, salt, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper (if using). Stir, then add cooked ground beef and stir to combine. Place the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add a little water or some low-sodium broth if it needs more liquid
After an hour, add the minced parsley and the rind from a wedge of Parmesan (or grated Parmesan if you prefer--or both!) Stir to combine, then put the lid back on and allow it to simmer for another 30 minutes or so. Discard bay leaves before serving.
Serve a big bowl of oiled noodles and spaghetti sauce so guests can serve themselves. Top each serving with minced parsley and grated Parmesan (or Parmesan shavings) and serve with a big piece of garlic-cheese bread.

My grandson's are getting so big!

8. I don't like to run out of an item and I especially don't like to spend extra money on a trip to the store because I ran out of something. So I try to keep a backup of most essential items. For instance, I save about a 1/4 of my hairspray and put it in an older bottle. It doesn't take long before I have a full extra bottle which then will become the next bottle I use. I also take out a roll of TP from the package and store it away. I keep an extra tube of toothpaste, shampoo and deodorant on hand, too. This also helps to not pay the highest price for these items so I can wait until they go on sale. 

9. I'm picking broccoli and Swiss Chard from my winter city garden. The cabbage is almost ready along with the collards. Just planted a kale plant but it won't be ready to pick for quite a few months. We're still getting some raspberries and the oranges should be ready within the month. Now if I can just keep that rascal of a gopher out of my garden! Ugh!

10. It seems I'm always wanting a bag of cranberries to enjoy with that last turkey in the freezer but after the holidays they are hard to find. This year I've purchased 3 bags and hope to purchase a few more. I keep the bags in the freezer. I dried one bag in my dehydrator and used the other bag to make sugar free cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. I hope to make some low carb Orange Cranberry Muffins soon. 

Drying Cranberries

Praise Report:

~ A friend called and said she had some free turkeys and food to share.

Saved, Re-used and Make-Do

- I saved the cotton from my vitamin jar to take off fingernail polish.
- I'm raking and saving leaves to put in the compost pile.
- I saved tea bags (3 make one cup of tea)
- Repurposed a cabinet for a compost bin.
- I saved chicken bones and a ham bone to make broth.
- Broccoli stalk and grated it for a salad. 
- I saved/washed the rubber band from the veggies I bought at the   
  store to to reuse. 
- Newspapers to use under the cat box. 
- Grocery garbage bags to line my garbage cans. 

I hope you all have a wonderful, Christ-filled Christmas! 

Blessed to be home!

GEORGENE

Husbands, Submission and Budgets

My husband and I have taken turns handling the finances throughout our marriage.  I've been handling them for the past 10 plus years. I began handling the finances when he started having health issues. It was one way I could help take the pressure off of him.

"Dragon Tales" by the driveway in my front yard

I've learned a lot about my own heart since I've been handling our finances. One challenge is to remember that it's not 'my' budget BUT 'our' budget. My husband does not want to be involved in most of the budget making or decision but I acknowledge that I am acting on his behalf as his helpmate.  Budget making and keeping is only one of many ways I can fulfill my God ordained role as his helper.

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”   Genesis 2:18  ESV

Here is where I have to watch my heart: A few years ago he said it would be nice to have a cup of Earl Grey tea or some coffee in the morning. He didn't demand it or insist. He just made a comment. Sadly, my first response to myself was, 'Doesn't he realize how hard it is to stay within my budget and yet he wants me to add one more thing?!'  But, I wanted to meet his needs (and even wishes) so I set out to find the best prices.

Thankfully, the Lord does not leave me in the muck and mire of my own selfishness and begins His gentle process of revealing the truth of what is going on in my heart. Eventually, it was brought to my remembrance that I spend money on food items that are not essential. How many times do I pick up a a small bag of nuts at the check out counter? Or grab an item off the dollar menu for lunch while shopping? Or even spend money on low carb treats? My husband never holds me accountable for these small expenditures. He gives me more grace than I give him at times. So now...

The Lord is helping me to see my husband's requests (and even his wishes) as an opportunity to bless him. Now, I find myself looking forward to the joy it brings him.

Spaghetti squash and baking pumpkin from our garden

One night around 10:30 pm he said, "I'm craving a frosty from Wendy's". My first response (to myself) was that we shouldn't be spending the money and secondly we shouldn't be eating that much sugar. But, thankfully the Lord gave me grace and the words that came out of my mouth were... LET'S GO! And you know what? We had so much fun and made a special memory that night. It was so 'out of the ordinary' that it filled us both with joy looking at all the other 'crazies' who were out late at night. We chatted on the drive over to Wendy's and thoroughly enjoyed our time together.

And guess what? We made it through the month without going in the hole financially! Imagine!

How often has God given me something I've longed for... something unnecessary... something other than the norm? And how much joy did it bring to my heart? And oh how I rejoiced knowing He cared enough to bless me! I've shared  many of those blessings with you over these past years. I'm allowed this same privilege and joy when I look for opportunities to bless my husband and those I love.

What joy is found in bringing joy to others!

  ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.' Acts 20:35


 *Note* I don't want you to think I'm ALWAYS so self-controlled because there have been times I have voiced my concerns to him. I don't think it's always wrong to do so. Much depends on our motives. Sometimes, it can even be wise to speak up because possibly our husbands have missed seeing a consequence that we can see clearly. But, I'm talking here about a very small expense that would bring him some joy and comfort to his heart in the mornings.

Click here to see A TYPICAL FRUGAL DAY

1. I can save the most money by finding ways to stretch my grocery money. I keep praying for God's help and trying new things. I went back to using a designated 'leftover shelf' in my fridge. That way I have one place to look and see what needs to be used up before it goes bad. I continue to throw many of my leftovers into the freezer,too. 

I put snail bait around my lettuce and chicken wire over the top so the animals stay out.

2. I'm trying a new homemade laundry detergent recipe that is dry instead of liquid. I've been making liquid detergent for more than 8 years and I always dread making it. I don't know why because it doesn't take long once I actually do it. But, the dry recipe was so simple and I like the fact that I don't have to heat anything on the stove. So far it seems to work as well as The Duggar's laundry soap recipe. I have found this recipe in quite a few places on the web:

You will need:
5 gallon bucket with a tight lid
1 box of Borax (4 lb. 12 oz)
1  3.7 lb. box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 4lb. box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda  (Now I'm wondering if I used this???? )
2 bars Fells Naptha Soap (grated)
1 3lb. container Oxiclean Versatile Stain Remover (I only used a 1 lb. container)

Use gloves and a mask and stir together and put into 5 gallon bucket. I use 1 tablespoon for average loads and 2 tablespoons for extra dirty loads.

3. Grocery prices continue to rise and I am looking for more ways to cut back. I had freezer bags on my shopping list but as I started to throw them in my cart I decided this was one area I could cut back. I have a drawer full of washed storage bags so I'm going to use those instead. They are not as convenient because I have to use a twist tie and you can't see through them but I've found if I use permanent marker on masking tape to mark the package then they work fine. A penny saved...

Lots of Habanero peppers that will end up in soups this winter!

4.  I got a notice in the mail that our electric bill would be increasing by 10% which will mean a $10- $15 dollar increase. I'm always working on keeping my electric bill low but I want my husband to be comfortable so he controls the window air conditioners or heaters. But, I can work on the water usage to save some money. I've written about how I save the first of the water from the faucet while I'm waiting for it to turn hot. I started filling up gallon jugs with the cold water and then placed them next to the lettuce on my back porch step so I wouldn't have to water them with the hose. I'm also using the jugs to water the new vegetable seedlings.

5. I needed Cajun seasoning for a new fish recipe but I didn't want to spend money on buying a new spice. I checked one of my favorite recipe sites ALL RECIPES and found this one:

Simple Cajun Seasoning

2 1/2 TBSP. salt

1 TBSP. dried oregano

1 TBSP. paprika

1 TBSP. cayenne pepper

1 TBSP. black pepper 

6. Shopping once a week (and sometimes every other week) works best to stay within my grocery budget. I know once a month shopping works great for so many people but I just can't seem to make it work for my budget. This month I bought one large package of meat each week and all of them were under $2 a pound except the hamburger which was $3 a pound. I found that spreading the purchase of the meat over the month helped me not overspend weekly. I'm also using less hamburger since it's more expensive than chicken and pork.

A few 'winter' veggies of broccoli and cauliflower are going in the ground.

7. I bought some hot dogs for .50 a package. I know they are not the healthiest meat out there but .50 a pound is too tempting to pass up. I made a recipe I loved as a child. Mother used to put it over rice but I skipped the rice it since I'm low carbing. I don't have a name for it.

4-6 hot dogs or 1 can of Spam or 8 oz. of baloney
2 tbsp. oil
4 lrg carrots (I used only 2 to keep carbs down)
2-3 stalks of celery
1 onion (I used 1/2 an onion)
Garlic powder, salt and pepper
Cooked rice (I omitted)

Heat oil. Add veggies and stir fry for 5 minutes. Cut hot dogs in nice size chunks. Add to skillet and saute until brown. Add 2-3 tbsp. water to skillet and stir quickly. 4 servings.

You can also add 2-3 cups of finely sliced cabbage instead of rice.

Winter veggie seedlings

8.  If I'm not 'praying as I shop' then I'm often tempted to toss items into my cart that are not on my shopping list.  So, I've tried to make it a habit to stop and review what is in my cart before I get to the check out counter. I ask myself if I can get by without any of the items in my cart. More times than not I'm able to pull one or two items from the cart. This practice gives me a little time between wanting of the item (lust of the flesh) and being able to think objectively about it. 

9. My 'Snoopy' cat loves to sleep on the top of my couch and look out the front window. He watches the other cats in the neighborhood. We call it his 'kitty tv'. :-) His hair gets on the curtain and normally I will use a 'tape brush' to clean off the hair. But, I noticed the curtain was looking dirty. The curtains have to be dry cleaned, which is expensive, so I tried to spot clean it instead.  I had some upholstery and fabric spray cleaner that I used by gently rubbing it into the curtains with a wet rag. It worked great and saved me a lot of money.

Snoopy keeping an eye on the neighborhood!

10.  Occasionally, I will purchase a product my husband and I don't care for. A lot of times I can use a small amount of the product mixed in with a another product we do like and it's not noticeable. That way I don't waste money by throwing it away. I have some cinnamon coffee that my husband doesn't like so I use 1 tablespoon mixed in with 2 tablespoons of his regular coffee.

Items I didn't throw away:
- Low carb tortilla bag with zipper (washed and reused as a storage bag)
- tea bags (saved in a container in the fridge. 3 bags are reused for 1 cup of tea)
- candy bags (washed and reused as baggies)
- toilet paper rolls (torn up into small pieces and put into compost)
- Outdated paperwork (torn and put into compost)
- cotton from vitamin jar (used to remove nail polish)
- plastic grocery bags (lining for kitchen garbage can)
- tin can tops from dog food (I put these in a small bucket in the garden with water. Then use the rust
  water to fertilize my grapes or roses).

Well, that's it for this week! Be sure to check out 'A Frugal Day' at the beginning of this list for my daily frugal routine.

What are you ladies doing in your homes this week? I love learning from  you!

Blessed to be home!

Georgene

Our Marriage: A Testimony to God's Grace

Today is our 27th wedding anniversary! If you had known us the first five years of our marriage you would doubt that we'd ever make it to 27 years. But, what did we expect? We were two sinners committing to a lifetime of love and serving one another. Did we think our flesh and the enemy of our souls would just lie down and cooperate? I think not!

I look back on these 27 years and marvel at the grace God has shown us. Kevin was not a Christian when we married and I was a young Christian. I remember the first time I actually turned to God's Word for help. I had left Kevin after a huge fight and was sitting in a park with my bible. I found a passage in James on strife and thought to myself, 'yep, that is his problem Lord' when suddenly I was convicted that the Lord was talking to ME through those verses. Me? I had thought the entire problem with our marriage was HIM. That was the beginning of a long, long journey of imperfectly learning how to confront the BEAM in my own eye. (Matthew 7) A journey that never stopped and continues to this very day although there are still times that I deceive myself and put the blame on him.



I believe one of the biggest lessons I learned in the earlier days of our marriage concerning living in peace with my husband was not to stay offended at his words or actions. (1 Cor. 13:5) I had a habit of getting offended at something he would say or do and then would make him pay for his sins by either giving him a 'look' or the cold shoulder. I haven't obeyed that Scripture perfectly and at times I still struggle with it but I'm learning more and more how the glorious Gospel applies to my everyday living which is helping me in this area of my marriage.



A holy God who WAS offended by my sin and had reason to be ... yet loved ME (and you) so much that He sent His "ONLY" Son (think long and hard about that) to die in "MY" place so that there would be peace between us. Christ took the wrath "I DESERVED" instead of making me pay the price for it which is death! Now, in light of what Christ did...how can I turn to my husband (but.. oh my... I still do at times) and hold any of his sins or offenses against him when I have been forgiven of so very much!?!



I'm thankful as a Believer that I didn't enter into a binding marriage covenant with my husband alone. I'm so eternally grateful that my God entered that marriage covenant with us because if I know anything at all I know that this marriage would not have worked if God, through His Holy Spirit, had not been constantly working in us to conform us into the image of Christ through every single fight and every single offense. (Romans 8:28,29)



"I love you my husband and I look in hope to our God to continue the work He began in both of us 27 years ago when this young, naive girl saw stars in her eyes when she looked into yours. I'm so grateful to have you as my husband. Thank you for loving me.. warts and all!"