Having such a great time, that we’re still fishing!
Gone Fishing
I’ll be back next week.
The Fear of the Lord, or the Lack Of
Here is a video from Richard Owen Roberts about the lack of the fear of God in the pulpit and in the church in general. It all boils down to one thing: pride. This one grabs at my heart. I’ve been watching it over and over.
In the beginning of Jeremiah God warns Israel and Judah of their wickedness and begs them to return. All they have to do is acknowledge their sin and repent. He right out tells them the problem: they are stubborn and no longer fear Him. God tells them that He will not overlook sin!
‘But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; They have turned aside and departed. ‘They do not say in their heart, “Let us now fear the LORD our God, Who gives rain in its season, Both the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us The appointed weeks of the harvest.” … ‘Shall I not punish these [people?]’ declares the LORD, ‘On a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself?’
Jeremiah 5:23-24, 29
We are no better. We are stubborn, rebellious, and prideful to the point that we no longer fear the Lord. Just as He was faithful and ready to forgive Israel, He is faithful and ready to forgive us as well if we acknowledge our sin and repent. God is so good, even though we are not!
The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor [comes] humility.
Proverbs 15:33
State Fair Bound
We had some very unexpected and exciting news earlier this week. Fabienne’s cake which she entered in the county fair through 4-H was selected to go to the State Fair. It was not marked on her entry card when we picked up her cake from the county fair, so it was a surprise to see her name and cake listed as a state fair entry.
We were also asked if she would write a one-page story about her project and include a photo with it in a binder. Evidently, there’s a gift certificate she could win. So, with just a few days notice, here we go! Oh, and the cake had to be repaired too! Yip, she made a unicorn cake with a gold horn and in bringing it home the tip of the horn got knocked off. The horn had been sprayed with gold, edible glitter, so we had to cover everything up except for the tip of the horn and spray it again. The horn isn’t as pointy or as long as it was, but it still looks pretty good.
Practice, practice, practice. 
The finished product.
Fabienne is also fighting an ear infection. So, this morning we got her paper written while she lay in bed with ear drops in her ear. I let her dictate to me what she wanted written, and I helped her by asking some questions and doing the typing. Here’s part of what she wrote:
This is my first year in cake decorating. I wanted to take cake decorating because I wanted to learn how to decorate cakes, and I like to eat cake.
I like unicorns, so I wanted to make a unicorn cake. I found a video on YouTube and I really liked the design, so I went with it. It was a unicorn cake by Rosanna Pansino.
To decorate the cake I first iced the cake with white royal icing. I used a tool to smooth the sides out, but I didn’t make it completely smooth so it would look like fur. Then I chose my icing colors which were purple, pink, blue, and yellow. I used rosettes to make a floral main.
I used fondant to make the horn and ears. I rolled out a long piece of fondant like a snake with one end thicker than the other. I then rolled it around a chopstick. I sprayed gold, edible glitter on the horn. I had to wait a few hours for it to dry before I could insert it into the cake.
For the ears, I cut teardrop shapes out of white fondant—two large and two small. The small ones I sprayed gold with edible glitter. I put the small teardrop on top of the large teardrop and put toothpicks in between the layers. I laid the ears in a bowl to let them dry to the shape I wanted.
I drew eyes using black icing to make my winking unicorn.
I am very pleased with how my cake turned out.
Can We Trust Our Food Suppliers?
I think we all want to eat healthy food. We also want to eat tasty food. Unfortunately for many, taste wins over health. We rely on food labels to determine whether a product will pass our “healthy” test, so we in turn rely on the manufacturers to label their food properly. Are they being truthful in their labels? How do we really know?
I’ve even heard someone say,
If it has a label, don’t eat it.
That would most likely be the best way to go. No label means you are buying what you see–no additives, nothing extracted.
Still, how do we know? How do we know what conditions that food was raised in? How do we know what chemicals may or may not have been used as herbicides or pesticides? If something is labeled “organic,” how do we know that it really is organic?
I’ve been saying for a while that I’m waiting for the day that we find out that the whole organic thing is a scheme. I’m reminded of the incident in the ’90s when it was revealed that Minute Maid’s apple juice wasn’t what it appeared to be. What was supposed to be 100% apple juice had actually been watered down.
A prominent businessman from northwest Missouri, Randy Constant, has plead guilty to wire fraud and faces a possible prison sentence of 20 years and a $250,000 fine for a $142 million grain fraud scheme.
Constant misled customers into thinking they were buying certified organic grain when it was not organic.
Prosecutors also say Constant admits falsely telling customers the grain he sold was grown on his certified organic fields in Nebraska and Missouri. Prosecutors say the certified organic fields were sprayed with unauthorized substances.
https://www.missourinet.com/2019/07/07/august-sentencing-date-set-for-missouri-businessman-involved-in-grain-scheme/
So, here we are. It has come to pass. The trust has been broken.
The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jeremiah 17:9
Electrolytes and Girl Talk
It’s amazing the difference a few days can make. Last Wednesday morning we had thunderstorms and some nice, cool weather moved in for a few days. Today, we are under a heat advisory with the potential of today being the hottest day of the year!
Running in the heat has its challenges. One of those is electrolytes. What are electrolytes?
Electrolytes are certain nutrients (or chemicals) present in your body that have many important functions — from regulating your heartbeat to allowing your muscles to contract so you can move.
https://draxe.com/electrolyte-imbalance/
As you can see, electrolytes are very important for your body to function properly. It’s important to drink lots of water on hot days. Since electrolytes are excreted while sweating, you may need to replenish electrolytes on hot days or after vigorous exercise.
Thankfully, I have found a great electrolyte resource at Seeking Health. Most electrolytes are flavored and have added sweeteners to them. Seeking Health has those, if you’re looking for something that is flavored. I was excited that they have now formulated a “plain” flavor that has no added flavorings or sweeteners. It’s nice to get the things your body needs without anything else added to them. If you’re looking for an electrolyte or not excited about the one you have, I recommend giving this one a try.
For the ladies . . .
A few months ago I discovered seed cycling. I do not remember how I ran across it. I was able to find a way to get it to fit into the BLE lifestyle, so I decided to give it a try. It has made a huge difference for me. Read on, because it may be worth giving a try.
Seed cycling integrates different seeds into the diet at different times in the menstrual cycle to support optimal hormonal balance (Jesswein, 2012). The idea is that seeds carry certain oils, vitamins, and nutrients that can help support the body’s production, release, and metabolism of hormones. The seeds used in seed rotation are flax and pumpkin seeds, and sesame and sunflower seeds.
https://theherbalacademy.com/seed-cycling-for-hormonal-balance/
It’s so simple, you won’t believe it. The first 14 days of your cycle, you eat a tablespoon each of flax and pumpkin seeds. The second 14 days of your cycle, you have a tablespoon each of sesame and sunflower seeds. Of course, you want your seeds to be raw and organic. They are not difficult to find at your local health market.
Since I prefer weighing my food over using measurements, I was able to determine that one tablespoon of seeds equals about half an ounce. So, I have a half an ounce of each seed a day. This fits perfectly in within the BLE food plan since you can have one fat at lunch and one at dinner. For seeds, you can have half an ounce, so these seeds are my fat each day.
Flax seeds need to be ground for the body to digest them. Most websites I visited recommended that all the seeds be ground. I’m assuming it’s for easier absorption. For this I use my cup blender, and I grind two days worth of seeds each time so that I don’t have to do it every day. I weigh out an ounce of each seed into the cup blender and then give it a whirl on my blender.
The ground up seeds go great with most meats and vegetables. If I’m having hummus, I stir it into my hummus. I’ve also stirred it into tuna, cottage cheese, eggs, and other meats. Sprinkling it onto your vegetables and salads works fine too.
How do I know this works? All I’m saying is that it has worked for me. If you are suffering some of those awful symptoms that only women get, it might be worth a try. The cravings, tenderness, puffiness and other symptoms have completely subsided for me. I feel like I’m more on an even keel instead of a roller coaster ride. As always, do your research first and consult your doctor if needed.
Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;
Genesis 1:29
Fourth of July Recap and Beyond
Good Wednesday afternoon! We are starting the day off with thunderstorms, so who knows what today is going to bring. Hopefully they will move on and we can go on with the day.
Here’s hoping you had a great Independence Day. We started the day off with a 4-mile race that benefited a local hospital. It’s a small race in a small town, but always lots of fun. It’s the third time I’ve ran this race, and it was my second best time, so I felt good that I was able to take four minutes off of last year’s time! The race starts off with two pretty steep hills. This was the first time I’ve been able to run up both of them!
This year we were blessed with cloudy skies for the race. Even though it starts at 7:30 in the morning, it’s still always a hot one. The last two years it was hot and humid with the sun shining and the heat was pretty intense. This year we just had hot and humid. It’s amazing what a difference it makes.
Nice and fresh before the race! 
Finished! 
We all made it! 
First place in her age group!
As always, we had a great time, and Fabienne got first place in her age group!
Later that evening we had a great time with friends celebrating the Fourth with hamburgers, hot dogs, and the fixin’s including homemade ice cream. The kids were also able to light a few fireworks and best of all, the Blue Angels flew right overhead! The precision these guys fly with is incredible. It looked like their wings were inches apart.
This week, we are getting ready for the county fair, so there are lots of projects going on at our house right now. Of course they all have a deadline, so things get a little intense sometimes. This weekend will be spent getting our things judged and helping with the fair. By Monday, we will be ready for some quiet time!
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28
Independence Day 2019
It’s hard to believe that it is July already. Summer just got here, but it seems like it is slipping away so quickly. Before we know it, summer will be gone, it will be fall, and we’ll be slipping into winter. After that comes the new year! Sigh.
Tomorrow is a big day here in the U.S. It is our Independence Day celebration. What are your plans for Independence Day? Growing up it meant a block party! There were five houses on our street. In the evening people would begin to gather. We had all kinds of homemade treats to sample. The most exciting treat was always the homemade ice cream. There was often a strawberry sauce to put over it if desired. There was always homemade hot fudge sauce. Once we had our fill of ice cream, cake, brownies, and fudge sauce it was time for the fireworks. Most of the time the weather cooperated. I can remember times that it was so cold that we were sitting out in the yard in our sleeping bags.
Times have certainly changed. We’re all much older now. Some have passed away, others have moved away. None of us have the metabolism or the stomach to eat pounds of sugar in one sitting.
Tomorrow I’ll start my day with a 4-mile race that goes to benefit a local hospital. This is the third time I’ve done this run. It’s a small race in a small town and lots of fun. Afterwards, I’ll have my BLE muffins for breakfast. They’re really good, but nothing compares to homemade ice cream and Mom’s hot fudge sauce! (Hot fudge sauce on a blueberry muffin? Now you’re talking!)
Later, we’ll get out our copy of the Declaration of Independence and give it a read. It’s a nice reminder once a year. I often do it in the car–it’s easy to hold everyone’s attention there.
Freedom is a valuable thing. We’ve had so much of it, that we often take it for granted. We have reaped a bountiful harvest yet are not cautiously storing up for the famine around the corner. We don’t even recognize when our freedom is slowly being taken away. Our founding fathers understood the value of freedom and what it was like to live without it. They and their families were willing to give up everything to guarantee that you and I would have the luxury of living in freedom. Let’s honor them, as we should, on this carefree day.
Physical freedom is a great thing. Let’s not forget where the most important freedom, spiritual freedom, comes from.
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. John 8:36
Lee’s Birdwatching Adventures has a nice Independence Day post. Hop on over there and check it out!
Related posts:
It’s Summer!
Yes! Summer is here! It’s my favorite time of year. What’s yours?
I feel like summer is a time to be free and enjoy the outdoors. As a school-age child, summer meant no school and lots of time to play outdoors. As a homeschool mom, it’s almost the same feeling! It’s a time to lighten up on the academics and to concentrate on being outdoors and preparing for the next school year. Planning the next school year and seeing what we’re going to be learning is always exciting.
Summer is a time of lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in season. Lately we’ve had blueberries on sale in the grocery store. I love blueberries and have been able to have fresh blueberries instead of frozen with my BLE breakfast every morning.
I love going to our local farmers’ market and loading up on local produce. I take my fold-up wagon and buy what’s available–corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, eggs, fresh made bread, and the list goes on and on.
June 21st is often referred to as the “longest day of the year.” I know it’s not actually the longest day of the year since all days have 24 hours in them. However, it is the day with the most day light. That is the one drawback of summer–the days are going to start getting shorter in terms of daylight.
Our summer started with thunderstorms, a possible gustnado, and torrential downpours this morning. There were 18,000 people without electricity due to high winds and lightening strikes. There were over 25 water rescues due to flash flooding. However, tomorrow is bringing us warm, 90 degree weather. After a morning run, we are planning on being poolside!
What are your summer plans?
He made the moon for the seasons; The sun knows the place of its setting. Psalm 104:19
A Huge Disappointment, Second Quarter Update
April’s race was the Tortoise and Hare. This is a small race in a small town. I was not able to do this one last year due to a conflict, but I did run it with my two daughters in 2017. We had quite the weather change, and it was my first warm race of the year!
Transitioning from winter to summer is always difficult for me. It takes me longer than it should to shed the extra layers, so I often end up too warm. That was the case for this race as well. The forecast was for it to be foggy and cloudy that day, and I was counting on it. We were lined up at the starting line waiting for the gun to go off, when the fog lifted and the sun came out. I could immediately feel the warm sun on me, and my first thought was that this was not good.
I was wearing my running jacket that I really, really like. I quickly looked for a place to ditch it, but didn’t see one where I thought it most likely would still be there when I got back. Instead, I ended up taking it off and running the entire race with my jacket tied around my waist. It was aggravating, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
May’s race was the Brandon Russell’s Flash Dash 5K. I ran this race last year as well. This race is on a very flat course that zigzags through town. Last year it rained and rained until the race started. This year the rain started right before I got to the finish line. It was warm, so it felt good!
June’s race, the Hero Hustle, was a welcome surprise! I had a friend that had registered for a race but was going to be out of town, so she transferred her race entry over to me. She ended up canceling the trip and registering for the race again so we could run it together.
We have had the wettest May on record–ever. The original location set for the race is now under water and has a bridge washed out making it impossible to hold the race there. The race coordinators were able to find another location for the race. The race was held in a park with a walking trail. It rained and rained the night before the race, making it hot and humid. The shaded trail of the park was very much appreciated. My time for this race was not lightening fast, and I don’t expect it to ever be, but it was the best time I’ve had in a long time!
I mentioned in last week’s post that the Couch to 5K program was going to be kicking off this week and that I had been asked to help coach. We did not have enough people sign up for the program, so it has been canceled for this season. I cannot tell you how disappointed I was to hear this. However, our coach has offered to go ahead and meet with anyone that wants to, so we are still meeting! None of us are new runners, and we’re all training for various races and distances, so we are getting together and working on speed and distance. It’s going to be a great summer with lots of hard work ahead!
The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9
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