Prairie Oak Homestead

Taking a break from blogging this weekend...I have a lot on my mind and I can't really gather words together to post. See ya Monday...

These are Gooey Turtle Bars I adapted from "Eat at Home's" blog. I made mine gluten free and took them to small group. They turned out pretty good so I thought I'd share... 1 Box gluten free yellow cake mix 1/3 c milk 6 T melted butter 1/2 c pecans choc chips caramel sauce Preheat oven to 350. Mix box mix, milk, and butter together. Pour 1/2 of batter into an 8x8 pan. Bake for 15 min. Take out and sprinkle with choc chips, 1/4c pecans, and caramel sauce. Spoon other 1/2 of batter on top and bake for 15 more min. Take out and sprinkle more choc chips, pecans, and caramel sauce on top. Let cool then cut. Wives, I want you to know just how much influence we have on our husbands...good and bad. God created us to be our husbands HELPMEET. We are to support, love, care for, nurture, and submit to him. When we fall out of line with what God has created us to do/be, there are dire consequences. We become overpowering, bitter, and hardhearted. Not a good place to...

“We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength.” Charles Stanley It can take all we have to fight where it seems we just have an ounce of fight left, but GOD sustains us and fills us with the strength to keep going. I have experienced this many times during my life. Each thing fought for was worth the sheer exhaustion of the fight. I have fought for my life, my health, love, family, and convictions. I would like to encourage you to not give up. There may come a time where you feel like that's the only thing left to do. I have felt like that, too. But, we must press on. We can gain more strength from God. Like Charles Stanley said, we can do that by spending time alone with God. That quiet alone time can refuel us. Being alone with God gets our minds refocused to His will. It helps us remember what we are fighting for... We replaced a ceiling fan today...which ...

Woke up to another dreary day. :( It's kinda weird, really. The sun has been hidden for about 2 weeks. The same amount of time my heart has been saddened. Oh, don't worry, there is Sonshine in my heart. Of which I am truly thankful. But, there are also clouds. Clouds of confusion, clouds of anticipation, clouds of wondering. But, there is Sonshine of hope, Sonshine of comfort, and Sonshine of love, also. :) My heart will be so glad when the sun begins to shine again. I appreciate the beauty of a sunrise even more so after I lost my sight for a bit. I will wait eagerly for it to return. I have learned that I wouldn't make it in say Washington or the East Coast. Give me the West. :) Like Montana (Big Sky) :) I will visit there someday, Lord willing. That's something I've always wanted to do. Not a whole lot going on today...just folding laundry and then this afternoon we are headed to Champaign for a concert with friends. There will be Third Day, Newsboy...

I am a fighter...I have fought for a lot of things and I still continue to fight for some things...I will continue to do so until the good Lord says I need not fight anymore...The Lord is a fighter, too. He is a warrior and mighty in battle. He fights on our behalf so much. I continue to get up everyday and face weakness. I continue to strive to be a good wife and the woman God has created me to be. I continue to strive to be a good mom to a quirky 12 yr old boy. ;) And I will always continue to strive to be a good daughter... I still have a lot to learn...I'm glad that He has put in me a heart to learn and a heart to love. Faith, hope, and love. The greatest is love...

Ever feel like you're in a haze? The past week and a half, I have felt like that. My husband has asked today that I move on for now and snap out of my haze. I took some steps today to do just that. I don't like for him to feel like I'm overwhelmed so much. I am getting better at dealing with it, but it is just so unreal that it feels like an awful dream. But, it's not and I have to deal with it whether I was ready for it or not. I have just felt so lost and my actions have reflected that. I'll just walk around the house and forget what I was doing or just stare off into space for a bit. I'm coming out of the haze to the gladness of my husband. I know he was getting worried about me... The weather here has just been dreadful! It has been foggy still and now today is icy rain, too. :( A fire has been started in the woodstove this morning after being out for a day due to a repair. So glad to have it up and running again! I feels sooo good. Tomorrow I...

has settled in again today. Wow...who knew the refiner's fire could take so much out of you. My eyes have been extremely dim/weak today starting this morning, which wasn't good because I had to be at church for an extended period of time entering in data on the computer. It proved to be difficult, but it got done and without a hitch. The remainder of the time we stuffed end of the year envelopes. I'm pretty wore out, but not near as bad as Tuesday. I woke up Tuesday almost unable to walk. My arms and legs were just so weak. I had a very difficult time breathing, too. I told my husband I might have to go to the hospital if it didn't get better. Thankfully, as the day went on it got better. Whew! I had a lot of uncertainty in my heart and I think it got the better of me that day. I am thankful today that my heart was eased knowing through all this chaos, some things still remain the same. The weather here the last few days has been dreadful! It has been foggy...

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Ralph Waldo Emerson I pray I have made a difference in someone's life in my 34 yrs. And as my life continues on through the years (Lord willing and the creek don't rise) that I may continue to reach people with the love of God and my life was not for nothing. I pray the love I have shown to others has made an impact on the Kingdom. I pray that simplicity of my life has opened the eyes of others to see the beauty of the Lord and to slow down and enjoy all He has for us. Each one of our lives can impact so many. What difference are we making? What are we learning? Who are we impacting? What are we teaching with our lives? Many good questions... Are we open enough to learn from what God has put in our lives? Are we strong enough to withstand trials that produce a refining? Because gold is only refined by fi...

I'm done with expressing what's on my heart. I don't want to be a stumbling block. I don't expect everyone to understand why I hurt as much as I do. But, its simple. I had a someone step in the gap and be the dad I never had and now I don't. I may have been a little over expressive with my feelings...I'm a human being. I believe you can hurt and lean on God at the same time. You can hurt and forgive at the same time. (Which I have forgiven) I realize maybe I shouldn't have hurt as much as I did after losing a dad again. He is just a dad. After all, it's not the end of the world, right? I will get over this whole ordeal with the Lord's help once again. God is good...always. I don't like what happened. But, it's not about me anyway.... Moving on.... My husband is out hunting today. He didn't see anything this morning while he was out. He's hoping that will change this afternoon. We took Hunter to camera club last night...

I think I got a lot done today despite my weakness. I cleaned the chicken coop, which took 7 trips to the garden with the wheelbarrow. That tuckered me out and caused some shaky weakness, but I'm feeling better. Taking Hunter to his first meeting at a camera club. He's pretty excited about that. He has struggled with the past events with confusion and sadness. Poor guy is praying all the time for him to have a grandpa again. I keep telling him if it's the Lord's will...He seems in better spirits today... It is hard not knowing how my dad feels. I can't talk to him. I don't even know if I should be calling him that anymore to myself. I don't know if he even wants me anymore due to the circumstances. I don't know how he feels in his heart about it all. That's the hard part. I know in my heart he will always be my dad even if it comes to him not being able to anymore. I would be happy with any relationship I could have with him. I'm p...

I got to spend some time with friends tonight and I came away with peace. God has given me wisdom and peace tonight about this situation. I have joy that can only be given by Him. It surpasses all understanding. I need to put the interest of others before my own. I need to understand where she is coming from and be open. I'm going to allow for time and space in this matter and let God do His work. I will be patient and be at peace with whatever decision is made in the end. I know God is in it and He will reveal His purpose in this situation and how he wants the father/daughter relationship to proceed or if it should cease. Only He knows. In time, we all will know. I do know this, I have been blessed with a peace about it whichever way He chooses for it to go. I am so thankful for that comfort that He has given. He is good. :) Thank you all for your prayers. I feel the comfort and wisdom they have brought...

I have hurt more in the last few days than I have in a while. It's a hurt that I can't understand, but I have no choice but to accept. It is hard to understand how being loved as a daughter in a Godly way that has brought tremendous joy to my life can be taken away so fast it would make your head spin. One minute, ok. The next, disaster. It just sent me reeling. But, if what I feel God has put into motion has caused upset, then by no means do I want to be party to someone else's upset. I don't want to cause strife. I will sacrifice the love I can show to my dad so someone else can be happy. I still believe in my heart that God has orchestrated this relationship to bring back the years the locust have eaten from me not having a dad and for so many other reasons. I have found in him what I didn't have in my dads. Love and a father/daughter bond. If God so chooses this to change and become whole again, then it will. Otherwise, He has only given it for a ti...

I woke up this morning with my stomach in knots. Well, it's been in knots really ever since Sunday. I'm trying really hard to keep it calm. My heart just aches so much. I don't wish this sort of pain on anyone. It's just hard for me to understand that someone can allow unnecessary insecurities to devastate other's lives. I feel like my heart has been ripped from my body. My heart aches to be able to talk to my dad and hug him. I'm praying that her heart will see the truth and not the lies satan has deceived her with. I pray she will grow spiritually through this and come to know that him being a dad to us is ok. It's Godly. It's purposeful. It's love. Please continue to pray that my heart won't ache so much and that I can have peace in my heart. Yesterday was good and I had most of the day with peace and comfort. I know this can be worked out if hearts are open. Hoping that someday soon I'll be able to talk to and hug my dad a...

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to all of you that have prayed for me and my family during this hard time. I am hanging in there. I find comfort in your prayers and a lot of scripture that I have found. My heart has been torn, but I have hope that God will allow me to have my dad back. He gave me this gift and I don't believe He did that just to take it away. BUT, if He did, I will still praise Him and thank Him for what He did give. I pray that the relationship between my dad and I will be restored and his marriage will be stronger through this ordeal. I know I can't contact him and I miss him. :( Praying for a mighty work to be done in our lives...

I am going to be real.... I am having a bit of a hard time right now... There are some things going on with family that is confusing and it is breaking my heart. I don't know all the details, but we are praying through it. My heart aches for the unknown and I've just cried. I am leaning on the Lord for him to comfort me during this time of uncertainty. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Ps 34:18 *UPDATE* Found out tonight that I can no longer call who I've come to love as a dad "dad" anymore. His wife has become uncomfortable with it and it has worn on their marriage. I respect her wishes. It's been a really emotional, hard night. I know God will be there even if I don't/can't have a dad anymore. :( My heart is just broken into a million pieces. I have lost a dad all over again. (praying it's temporary) I wish she would/could understand. For a while I got to be a daughter again...I will c...

Yesterday I pasteurized some milk and cream. It is really easy to do yourself. You just heat up the milk to 161 degrees and hold it for 15 sec and then immediately cool by putting the pan in a sink full of ice or do like I did and set it out in the snow where it's only 5 degrees out. :) Going to make cheese and butter today...

I'm just curious as to what others strive for... Do you have something in mind? Think about it... Do you reach what you are striving for...or do you fall short of your goal? Like I said, I'm just curious... I'm striving for Ephesians 4:22-24 22" You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Can I reach this goal? I would like to hope so...Have I reached it yet? No...but, I am striving for it. It is very difficult to be made new in the attitude of your minds. Our minds can get into such a habit of negative thinking or "same ole" thinking. It takes effort, it doesn't just happen. It takes acting instead of reacting...It takes hiding God's Word in our heart that we might not sin against Him... And how do we know if we...

January is here and it's a time of a slower paced life for us. These last couple months have been a whirlwind...I enjoyed them a lot , but my nature is for a more slower paced, simple life. When I say slower paced I mean staying home, relaxing, puttering around the house, trying new recipes, making cheese, making good wholesome warm meals, chatting with friends and family (love facebook :)), thinking about what to plant this year, etc. When I say simple, that doesn't mean easy...it's getting wood gathered for the woodstove, cleaning the chicken coop, making cheese, etc. Simple is no overindulgence, no fancy meals with weird ingredients, using what you have, saving for what you don't, not being too busy for the Lord, and no hustle and bustle. Just enjoying life and taking it in and not letting it whiz by. It's loving others deeply and growing closer to them. God has created in me an old fashioned personality and I am really glad for it. :) I am very content. :)...