Weekend Picks - 6/8/12

It's been another fun and interesting week of finding places of interest on the internet.

1) How about we start with Mason Jar Salads from I Love Pinterest? I love this idea and plan on trying it out the first chance I get!

2) I love keeping a nature journal and here's a cute idea for designing a cover for one from Handbook of Nature Study...

3) Here's some good advice from Frugally Sustainable on how to treat sunburn naturally...

4) How about Frozen Ice Pops for the hens? The gals from Fresh Eggs Daily shows us how mint helps the flock beat the heat!

(Note: I actually made some of these this week and my hens loved 'em! Thanks for the great idea, FED!)

5) Try your hand at making homemade tortillas with this post from Reviving Homemaking. She does a really neat thing by giving us a cost comparison chart between store-bought and homemade and there is a significance. Check it out!

Well...that's it for this week! Have a blessed weekend!

All My Love,
~Rebecca

Five Minute Friday - Expectation - 6/8/12

It's FRIDAY! That means it's time for another Five Minute Friday where, we, as our hostess and inspiration, The Gypsy Mama, puts it, write "For only five short, bold, beautiful minutes. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just right or not."

Want to join us? Then be sure and visit The Gypsy Mama today! 

Now...for today's assignment....

Go!

Expectation! The very word fairly rings with excitement! And it is with high expectation that, all too often, we dream about the future. 

As young women we dream with expectation of finding the perfect man, having the perfect wedding, living in the perfect house, and raising the perfect family, Oftentimes we set our ideals too high and our expectations crumble into depression as the realities of an imperfect life settle in. 

Perhaps it is the wrong thing in which we place our hopes...our dreams...our expectations. All too often I have overlooked the obvious and placed my own expectations into the hands of others...trusting and relying on them to fulfill my happiness and determine my destiny...instead of into the hands of God...the One Who knitted me together in my mother's womb...the One Who holds my eternal future. 

It is in Him that my expectation must lie...not people...not money...not circumstances...but in Him and Him alone!

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him" (Psalm 62:5).

Stop!


Be sure and enter my giveaway for a chance to win a copy of my first e-book Creating Romantic Moments. Contest ends Monday, June 11, 2012. Click HERE to enter.

Creating Romantic Moments E-Book And Giveaway

Well, I've done it! I took a booklet that I self-published back in 1988 and turned it into an e-book (to purchase click here). Creating Romantic Moments is not a big book, but it's packed with dozens of ideas to create romantic moments in your marriage and an atmosphere of romance in your home.

To celebrate I am doing a giveaway for my friends here. All you have to do is leave a comment below and you'll be entered in the drawing. I will select three winners on Monday, June 11, 2012. To get extra entries you may choose to do any or all of the following (please leave a separate comment for each entry):

- become a public follower of Rebecca's Hearth and Home
- share about my giveaway on your own site
- share about my giveaway on Twitter
- share about my giveaway on Facebook

I'm so excited to be able to share this with you! And I can't wait to see who wins the giveaway! Be sure and enter today!

All My Love,
~Rebecca 

This, That, And The Other

Today has been one of those days that are kind of relaxing, enabling me to get caught up on some of the things that I've been wanting to do, but never have time for.

The morning started off with a trip to Denny's for a belated birthday breakfast with our daughter-in-law and granddaughter. (It was my daughter-in-law's birthday that I missed...not the other way around.) After that it was a quick trip to Wal-mart where I picked up a new door mat and some petunias.

The reason for a new door mat? Both of our door mats are old and yucky, but one of them...the back door mat... was so old and yucky that all the fibers that were originally there to catch the dirt were gone and all that was left was the black, rubber backing. I finally threw it away yesterday and, today, moved the front door mat to the back door and put the new, pretty mat at the front door. I also arranged the petunias that I bought into two baskets...one for the front and one for the back. Neither basket looks like much now, but, with time and a little TLC, and as the flowers grow and fill in I'm sure they'll get prettier.

I moved this basket of impatients that my daughter and son-in-law got me for Mother's Day to the front porch as well.

Here are some little herb-garden markers that I got last week on sale at the Hallmark store in Lamar. I had forgotten that I even bought them until today.

Speaking of herbs...I've got mint drying in the oven now and have a batch of mint and strawberry top Frozen Ice Pops  going in the freezer for the hens. Yes, you read that right...for the hens. I got the idea from Fresh Eggs Daily. We'll find out how they like them shortly! :)

And my son helped me out today by repainting this wind chime that was given to us by a neighbor as a going away present when we moved from Blue Springs to Liberal 16 years ago. Originally it was white, but, over time, it had rusted. All we had on hand was black spray paint, so that's what my son painted it. Either way, I still think it's cute!

Well, that's my day thus far. How's your Tuesday going? Have a blessed rest of the week!

All My Love,
~Rebecca

Weekend Picks - 6/2/12

It's been another interesting week of beautiful finds on the internet. I think you'll like what I've come up with for you this week!

1) How about this beautiful fairy cake from Homestead Survival? Isn't this absolutely delightful? I love it!

Photo Credit

2) You can clean your home and create a healthy environment by using essential oils instead of harsh chemicals. Learn more by reading this article from Harmony Home Cleaning...

Photo Credit

3) Looking to buy local hens, chicks, or eggs? Check out Local Hens a place that helps you do just that!

My Own Flock From A Couple Of Years Ago

4) Speaking of eggs...

    Have a surplus? Fresh Eggs Daily offers a variety of ideas on freezing and using them!

Photo Credit

5) Make the world's easiest boiled eggs using a great method from Mom on a Mission.

Photo Credit

6) How about a complete guide to freezing berries from Pick Your Own?

Photo Credit

I hope you enjoy this week's finds. Have a blessed weekend!

All My Love,
~Rebecca

Five Minute Friday - 6/1/12 - See

 It's FRIDAY! That means it's time for another Five Minute Friday where, we, as our hostess and inspiration, The Gypsy Mama, puts it, write "For only five short, bold, beautiful minutes. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just right or not."

Want to join us? Then be sure and visit The Gypsy Mama today! 

Now...for today's assignment....

Go!

 The word for today is 'see' and my first thought was...the thing I want to see most is...Jesus! 

First to mind comes the words to the old hymn O I Want To See Him...

  

As I journey through the land, singing as I go,
Pointing souls to Calvary—to the crimson flow,
Many arrows pierce my soul from without, within;
But my Lord leads me on, thro’ Him I must win.

Refrain

O I want to see Him, look upon His face,
There to sing forever of His saving grace;
On the streets of glory let me lift my voice,
Cares all past, home at last, ever to rejoice.

When in service for my Lord dark may be the night,
But I’ll cling more close to Him, He will give me light;
Satan’s snares may vex my soul, turn my tho’ts aside;
But my Lord goes ahead, leads whate’er betide.

Refrain

When in valleys low I look tow’rd the mountain height,
And behold my Savior there, leading in the fight,
With a tender hand outstretched tow’rd the valley low,
Guiding me, I can see, as I onward go.

Refrain

When before me billows rise form the mighty deep,
Then my Lord directs my bark; He doth safely keep,
And He leads me gently on thro’ this world below;
He’s a real Friend to me, O I love Him so.

Refrain

Then, of course, I immediately think of the words to the chorus of What A Day That Will Be...

What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon his face,
The One who saved me by his grace;
When he takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

The Bible tells us that the day is coming when "...every eye shall see him..." (Revelation 1:7), that "...every knee..." shall bow to Him (Philippians 2:10), and that "...every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord..." (Philippians 2:11). 

That includes you. Do you know Him? When that day comes will He know you? 

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:21-23). 

If you don't know Jesus today and would like to, or if you do know Him and you just need someone to pray with you, or for you, in a specific area, please, feel free to e-mail me privately at proverbs31heart@yahoo.com. I would be more than happy to help you in whatever way I can. Please put PRAYER on the subject line so I don't miss it. 

And have a blessed day!

All My Love,

~Rebecca