Here is another free Facebook cover for you to enjoy. Please comment if you download, I love to hear from readers ;)
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Of Knights and Fair Maidens
I have always loved fairy tales and love stories. When I was a little girl I ate, drank and slept fairy tales. One thing that always stood out to me was that no matter how bad things got for the heroine of the story, she would always be rescued by her man. Her hero always saved her.
There is rarely a story you read that does not, in some way or another, feature a damsel-in-distress and a gallant knight in shining armor or a cowboy in a white hat rushing in to save her. There is always a villain after the lady and it is up to her true love to rescue her from the clutches of evil.
I think that deep down—even if she won’t admit it—every woman likes to be rescued. I think it is built into us and not something we can outgrow or become to mature or spiritual for. We were made to feel like we need to be saved or rescued and the hero in our lives was made to be be our husband, or our father if we are unmarried.
Men are wired to be the hero. They like to take care of the ladies in their lives. Men like to rescue and fix things. They like to save the day. You can see this even in little boys. They like to dress up as the hero and catch the bank robber and untie the girl from the railroad track in the nick of time. They like to be “the man.” This doesn’t go away when grow up—I think it grows worse ;)
Some women do not like feeling like they need saving. It makes them feel weak and helpless. (They are not, by any means, weak and helpless however.) They feel they have to be tough and do everything themselves and not depend on anyone. Even some married women are like this.
I feel sorry for the women who try to smother the need to be rescued. They are robbing themselves AND their hero of a blessing. Sometimes an area of perceived weakness can actually be an avenue to the greatest blessing you’ve ever had.
Sometimes we don’t realize that we need to be rescued. Our hero might see something that we can’t see and it is up to us to trust him enough and let him rescue us. When we put self aside and fulfill our roles as laid out in Scripture, contentment, joy and blessings will overwhelm us.
One of the advantages of a wife staying at home is less drama than if the wife had a job outside the home. Maybe not less drama so to speak, but more manageable drama. For example: (and I have seen this many times!)
The wife is having problems at the office. Whether it be issues with people, or a crazy workload, or whatever, she comes home and tells her husband about it. She is so stressed and sometimes distraught and she wants things to be fixed. Her hero—her husband—in most cases, can do absolutely nothing about it. This frustrates him because he can’t fix it. All he can do is sit back and watch his wife grow more frustrated and stressed.
On the other hand, most of the drama in a stay-at-home wife’s life is simpler. 95% percent of the time my issues and problems can be solved and handled by my hero. I’ve been rescued, he fixed the problem and feels macho. We’re both happy and all is well in the world.
In the end, we all need to be rescued—heroes and damsels alike. From the beginning of time Christ has been rescuing his Bride from the evil one, even dying to save her. Even when she was running from Him (her Savior!) and didn’t think she needed to be rescued, He had a plan that would wash her clean and draw her to him. In the end, He will carry us off to live in His castle in the sky. I can’t wait!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
How to Pray for your Husband
Here are two reminders of ways to pray for our husbands. It is very needful that we lift our men up before the Lord every day, that He would strengthen them and help them.
There is no difference between the two graphics, choose whichever one your like best ;)
There is no difference between the two graphics, choose whichever one your like best ;)
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Bluebonnets and Bittersweet Goodbyes
This morning I’m going to say goodbye to a very dear old neighbor and friend. She is moving several hours away to live with her daughter. For the first time in my entire life, Mrs. Davey will not be “on the Hill” (as we like to call the area where she and my parents live).
My parents have lived next door and across the street from Mrs. Davey and her late husband for nearly 27 years. She is like a grandmother to me and there are few memories from my childhood that do not include her. She was specially escorted in and seated with the grandmothers at my wedding. She is like family to us.
She has been the ideal example of a Proverbs 31 and Titus 2 lady to my mother and I throughout the years. She taught by example how to be a good neighbor. When someone is sick, you cook and take a meal to them. When you are going to the store, you call your neighbor and ask if there is anything she needs while you are out. When your garden produces more that you need (even if it doesn’t) you call your neighbor and share. When your neighbor is in the hospital or at the hospital with someone, you check with them to see if gardens need watering or stock needs feeding.
She taught me to crochet, and taught me much about sewing and crafting.
One of the things that sparked the friendship between Mrs. Davey and my mother was actually me ;). When I was a wee little thing—under a year old—Mom was about to mow the yard. She was on the riding lawn mower and had me in the her lap. Mrs. Davey saw all this and came over and offered to watch me while Mom mowed. That’s just what neighbors do.
Mrs. Davey is a flower gardener extraordinaire. Her potted plants thrive! Her yard is always full of fragrant blossoms and bushes. Love of flowers is something else that we have in common. There is a grassy hillside on her property beside the highway and when I was around 5 or 6 years old, Mrs. Davey decided to plant bluebonnets, our state flower, on the hill. Bluebonnets can be difficult to get started, the seeds are finicky and you have to be careful to mow where they are planted at the right time, etc. Mrs. Davey had one plant come up and bloom. That was her hope for a blue hillside the next year, unbeknown to five year old me. One afternoon while Mama and Mrs. Davey were drinking coffee, my brother and I were outside playing. Me, ever the flower enthusiast even at that young age, spied a blue flower in the pasture. I knew that Mrs. Davey loved flowers, so I had to share this one with her. It wasn’t as easy to pick as I thought it would be—bluebonnets have tough stems!
I finally plucked the flower and proudly carried it in the house to give to Mrs. Davey. I’m sure her face fell when she saw her hope for a blue hillside in my hands, but I don’t remember. I do remember that she thanked me for the flower and placed it in water, but also gave me a firm, but gentle reminder to ask before picking next time. She explained to me that some flowers—like bluebonnets—were hard to grow and get started. To this day, every time I see a bluebonnet I think of Mrs. Davey and her patience with little me.
Mrs. Davey and her husband Dock were married for 61 years when he passed away. She was a wonderful example of a wife and helpmeet. She kept him at home and cared for him until the very end. She never had anything but praise for him.
Today I’m going to go and say goodbye for a little while, hopefully not for the last time though. Even though I don’t see her very often, just know that she isn’t on the Hill makes me miss her more. Mrs. Davey is in her eighties and her health is fading. She is moving in with her daughter and I know that now, after years of taking care of others, she will be pampered and taken care of very well. As sad as I am that she is going, I am so glad that she will be in such good hands.
I am so thankful for the Godly influence this lady has had on my life.
My parents have lived next door and across the street from Mrs. Davey and her late husband for nearly 27 years. She is like a grandmother to me and there are few memories from my childhood that do not include her. She was specially escorted in and seated with the grandmothers at my wedding. She is like family to us.
She has been the ideal example of a Proverbs 31 and Titus 2 lady to my mother and I throughout the years. She taught by example how to be a good neighbor. When someone is sick, you cook and take a meal to them. When you are going to the store, you call your neighbor and ask if there is anything she needs while you are out. When your garden produces more that you need (even if it doesn’t) you call your neighbor and share. When your neighbor is in the hospital or at the hospital with someone, you check with them to see if gardens need watering or stock needs feeding.
She taught me to crochet, and taught me much about sewing and crafting.
One of the things that sparked the friendship between Mrs. Davey and my mother was actually me ;). When I was a wee little thing—under a year old—Mom was about to mow the yard. She was on the riding lawn mower and had me in the her lap. Mrs. Davey saw all this and came over and offered to watch me while Mom mowed. That’s just what neighbors do.
Mrs. Davey is a flower gardener extraordinaire. Her potted plants thrive! Her yard is always full of fragrant blossoms and bushes. Love of flowers is something else that we have in common. There is a grassy hillside on her property beside the highway and when I was around 5 or 6 years old, Mrs. Davey decided to plant bluebonnets, our state flower, on the hill. Bluebonnets can be difficult to get started, the seeds are finicky and you have to be careful to mow where they are planted at the right time, etc. Mrs. Davey had one plant come up and bloom. That was her hope for a blue hillside the next year, unbeknown to five year old me. One afternoon while Mama and Mrs. Davey were drinking coffee, my brother and I were outside playing. Me, ever the flower enthusiast even at that young age, spied a blue flower in the pasture. I knew that Mrs. Davey loved flowers, so I had to share this one with her. It wasn’t as easy to pick as I thought it would be—bluebonnets have tough stems!
I finally plucked the flower and proudly carried it in the house to give to Mrs. Davey. I’m sure her face fell when she saw her hope for a blue hillside in my hands, but I don’t remember. I do remember that she thanked me for the flower and placed it in water, but also gave me a firm, but gentle reminder to ask before picking next time. She explained to me that some flowers—like bluebonnets—were hard to grow and get started. To this day, every time I see a bluebonnet I think of Mrs. Davey and her patience with little me.
Mrs. Davey and her husband Dock were married for 61 years when he passed away. She was a wonderful example of a wife and helpmeet. She kept him at home and cared for him until the very end. She never had anything but praise for him.
Today I’m going to go and say goodbye for a little while, hopefully not for the last time though. Even though I don’t see her very often, just know that she isn’t on the Hill makes me miss her more. Mrs. Davey is in her eighties and her health is fading. She is moving in with her daughter and I know that now, after years of taking care of others, she will be pampered and taken care of very well. As sad as I am that she is going, I am so glad that she will be in such good hands.
I am so thankful for the Godly influence this lady has had on my life.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Just checking in…
So, where have I been? This little blog has been silent for a couple weeks, not intentionally though. I’ve been busy being a wife, homemaker, seamstress and babysitter. With everything going on I had to let something go and writing—though it pained me to be away—was something that I could let slide.
We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend that began with a graduation party for a dear friend and ended with a BBQ at my parents’ home. When we came home from all the festivities we discovered that our upstairs neighbor’s drip pan for their A/C unit had overflowed and soaked one of our bedroom walls and part of our carpet. Thankfully the damage is not such that we will have to move. The repairs will be minor and fast, praise the Lord. As soon as I discovered the dampness I put fans blowing on everything, and things were nearly dry when the carpet man got here. Thankfully we didn’t need new carpet padding, he checked everywhere for dampness and it was fine. I did get some of my carpet steam-cleaned ;) Now I’ll have to go rent a steam cleaner so it will all look nice ;)
Hopefully the sheetrock and painting repairs will be just as simple and painless.
Last night I learned how to do something I’ve never done before. When Jacob worked at his old job (an electrical supply company) he did a variety of things, one of which being building terminal boxes. Since he left there was no one there to build them, and it is cheaper to build them in-house than order them. They called Jacob last week and asked if he could start building the terminal boxes for them again as a contractor and last night he built half of the needed order for this month. I got to help and actually did two all by myself.
My absence from blog land has not been intentional, though until things slow down a little, I can’t guarantee how much I’ll be here.
Til next time,
Rebecca
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Mother’s Day
We had a wonderful Mother’s Day on Sunday. We were blessed to be able to spend it with both moms at the same time and all of the extended family. My parents hosted a crawfish boil Sunday evening and family and in-laws on both sides came in for it. We have been so blessed that all of the in-laws on all sides get along and enjoy being together. It makes things so much easier and so much fun.
Sunday morning we surprised Mama by showing up to go to church with her. She thought we were going to be at our church and drive out as service was over. That was very fun surprising her and it was so good to see everyone at my home church.
My Dad preached an awesome lesson from Proverbs 31. I enjoyed it so and was fed by it.
Here are a few photos from our day. Hope you enjoy!
Me and my wonderful Superwoman Mama.
Daddy, Lydia and Jacob starting to set things up. Lyddie couldn’t find her shoes so she just grabbed Wendi’s.
Almost time to put the crawfish in!
My grandparents and a little cousin. He’s going to be a big brother in a few weeks. We are all so excited.
We have always used this huge cast iron pot for crawfish. It was my great-grandmother’s wash pot. It is so heavy it takes two men to move it.
Time to eat!
Later that evening Jacob, Faith and I went to check our cows. One of our heifers had a calf the night before and I wanted to see it. Faith loves to see the cows. She usually falls asleep before sh gets back home. Sunday evening was no different.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Homemade pasta
Yesterday I whipped up some homemade lasagna and spaghetti noodles. I made lasagna for supper and dried the spaghetti noodles for later use.
Here are a few pictures ;)
Jacob loves to take pictures of me cooking. He loved how everything turned out. He’d never had fresh, homemade pasta before.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Surprises, Sourdough, and Sewing
This week has been busy, fun and very full. The thought of quiet weekend at home—complete with sleeping in—sounds so appealing and lovely right now.
Last Friday a friend and I went to my parents to visit and pick mayhaws for jelly.
On Saturday we helped move Jacob’s grandmother from our city to live with her daughter about an hour away. We were in the truck a lot and I was able to get a lot done on a doily I’m working on.
Tuesday was my mother’s birthday and I managed to surprise her early that morning for her birthday. Since we had seen each other on Friday she did not expect to see me again so soon. She also knew that I’m covered up in sewing jobs right now. I headed out early when Jacob left for work. About 10 minutes before I got to her house I called her to wish her happy birthday and we visited for a minute. Long story short, I was in her kitchen before she realized I was there. It was so much fun and we had a great day together.
Also this week I rediscovered my love of sourdough bread. On a whim last week I started some sourdough starter. The last time I tried that it was a disaster and I ended killing the starter. So I tried again. Monday was the first day I was able to make bread with the starter, and oh my goodness, I’m an addict now!
I made a loaf of bread and used the rest of the dough for pizza crusts. I don’t know if I can ever go back to anything but sourdough bread again. I’ll be sharing the recipe for the starter and my bread soon.
And once again I am busy with a wedding. I believe this is my third wedding in six months. I have projects and commitments lined up until almost September.
I am also about to start on a dedication dress for this sweet angel Ellie:
I made this little dress for her and we were trying to get a picture of it for my business’ Facebook page, but she didn’t feel like smiling and her hand tasted too good. Drop by her mommy’s (my good friend Kristin) blog to read the amazing story of how the Lord kept her and gave her to us. She is truly a miracle!
Last Friday a friend and I went to my parents to visit and pick mayhaws for jelly.
On Saturday we helped move Jacob’s grandmother from our city to live with her daughter about an hour away. We were in the truck a lot and I was able to get a lot done on a doily I’m working on.
Tuesday was my mother’s birthday and I managed to surprise her early that morning for her birthday. Since we had seen each other on Friday she did not expect to see me again so soon. She also knew that I’m covered up in sewing jobs right now. I headed out early when Jacob left for work. About 10 minutes before I got to her house I called her to wish her happy birthday and we visited for a minute. Long story short, I was in her kitchen before she realized I was there. It was so much fun and we had a great day together.
Also this week I rediscovered my love of sourdough bread. On a whim last week I started some sourdough starter. The last time I tried that it was a disaster and I ended killing the starter. So I tried again. Monday was the first day I was able to make bread with the starter, and oh my goodness, I’m an addict now!
I made a loaf of bread and used the rest of the dough for pizza crusts. I don’t know if I can ever go back to anything but sourdough bread again. I’ll be sharing the recipe for the starter and my bread soon.
And once again I am busy with a wedding. I believe this is my third wedding in six months. I have projects and commitments lined up until almost September.
I am also about to start on a dedication dress for this sweet angel Ellie:
I made this little dress for her and we were trying to get a picture of it for my business’ Facebook page, but she didn’t feel like smiling and her hand tasted too good. Drop by her mommy’s (my good friend Kristin) blog to read the amazing story of how the Lord kept her and gave her to us. She is truly a miracle!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Snappin’ beans
Thanks to Mama, we have garden-fresh green beans! I can’t wait to cook them and taste the country in them ;)
Still more Facebook coverphotos ;)
In case you have missed my previous Facebook freebie posts, here is the link to the album where you can download all of the coverphotos I’ve created. I hope you enjoy them, and please comment and let me know if you use them. It makes my day ;)
Prettiest Smile--Click Here to Download
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