Prairie Oak Homestead

And my boys are out spending the day together shooting and having lunch. What am I doing while they're gone? Glad you asked ;) I crank up the country music and dance around the house while I dust. LOL It's a good motivator and no one's here to laugh at me. ;) They are leaving again tomorrow to spend some time together before Ryan leaves for Haiti, sooooo maybe I'll just be a dancin' again tomorrow. LOL But, I'll be hemming up some jeans for him and doing some more cleaning, like mopping the dog foot printed wood floors. Ugh.... I made some banana coconut bread yesterday that came out pretty tasty. We are running out of jam, so I may be making some while the captain is away in Haiti. I have big plans to keep me busy while he's gone so I don't go missin' him too much (not sure if that's possible) I am going to deep clean, take Hunter to a movie, buy Hunter some jeans because he has grown out of ALL of his pants since Christmas (wow), make

The sun is shining again today and I am thankful for that! :) What joy the sunshine can bring when it seems to have been so dark for so long. I had a very encouraging evening last night. I was able to witness the work of God in someone's life and it brought such glory to God. It shows that when we put self aside and allow God to work in us, amazing things can be accomplished for His glory. Communication was restored with a loved one last night. I am so thankful for that! And it brings a lot of joy to my heart. Here's what I've learned over several weeks of not having communication with this loved one...I found tremendous joy in that relationship. And when that relationship was cut off, I lost some joy in my heart. I've learned that that shouldn't be. I should have joy in my heart no matter the circumstances because Christ is my joy. So no outside influence should hinder my joy. That was a hard lesson for me to learn. But I'm glad I had the opportuni

Well, it's another cold, drizzly day here in Central Illinois....can't wait for spring. :) I look forward to beautiful flowers and birds singing and building their nests. (Just this year they can't build near my soffits) What a mess that was last year... I look forward to the new life that God brings forth every spring. Seeing all the baby animals warms my heart. I find A LOT of peace and joy in His creation. It's truly amazing. Had a wonderful meal last night with our small group. Had a good laugh, which helped take my mind off some things for a while. I've had a bit of fear in my heart still and I want to hand that totally over to Christ. Why is it so hard? I think it's hard because it's the fear of the unknown...not knowing if relationships will be able to be restored with full communication, not knowing what lies ahead for my sight and health, not knowing how my son's life will turn out, etc...BUT, I've come to realize more and more to

It's a sunny day so far here in central Illinois...I hear there may be snow in store though...I guess that's ok. :) More time to cuddle up indoors by the woodstove. I went up to the neighbors with my son to help with the chicken chores while they are out of town. It was a brisk morning, but the sun felt so good on my face and I just love to watch chickens run around. :) I like watching my own run especially in the summer while I'm gardening... My husband is leaving for Haiti in a little over a week. Please be in prayer for his safety and that God would use Him to do His work. Pray that while he is gone, nothing major happens here. His best friend that I normally would call if something happens when my husband is gone is going with him...I don't know who I would call at a moment's notice if I needed a man for something. So just pray I won't need to. :) Pray that I won't need a treatment while he is gone. I don't like to have them alone... I'

With the uncertainty with the future of my eyes, I have been more in tune with the simple things in life. I enjoy a sunrise all the more. I enjoy listening to the birds in late winter seeming to be getting ready for spring. I enjoy the smell of the fresh, crisp air early in the morning. There are so many things we take for granted... I have had a lot of adversity in my life, it's just the way it is. But, it has shaped me to be who I am. Through that, I have been able to allow the Lord to mold that shape. His hands are gentle in that molding. And, I've had to have a lot of molding... I want that my life would be a reflection of Him, even through hurt, pain, and confusion. I want my life to be full of love for Him and others. And I want that love to be known...it's up to me to let that love be known... I have joy and thankfulness in my heart for the love that He has allowed to flow through other people in my life. One way God shows His love in action is through Hi

I'll be the first to admit I don't have it all together. Today is a hard day for me. I have yet another migraine, which is really bothering my eyes. My muscles are weak and have had a difficult time swallowing the past few days. :( This is where I struggle today....I am really bummed. This, what feels like, constant suffering is getting me down...today. Before you gasp and say I'm not relying on the Lord enough...I am. I just don't like feeling like this. I'm sure I could be leaning on Him more than I am today, though. I wish God would allow me a week of feeling sooo good. Everyday, just about, I wake up suffering in some way. My mind says "Please make it stop." My heart says, "Do with me as you wish, Lord. If you have me to suffer, well please let me suffer with grace." I love the Lord with all my heart. I am not mad or disappointed in Him. I just don't like this fallen world we live in and have to experience. I know that God

Valentine's Day is fast approaching. It's a holiday we usually don't pay much attention to. It's a bit commercial for us. But, this year I am trying to look at it in a new light. I am looking at it as a reminder of how Christians should love. God gave us a command to love one another. "A new command I give you: Love one another . As I have love d you, so you must love one another ." John 13:34. Love, as they say, makes the world go 'round. :) It is how we are known as His disciples. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another ." John 13:35. We are to spur one another towards love..."And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Hebrews 10:24 We are to love one another deeply from the heart. "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart." 1

isn't such an easy thing to do...but it must be done. We've all had some things happen in our lives that either hurt, wasn't fun, mad us angry, frustrated us, made us feel insecure, or confused us. It happens to everyone. It's how we handle it that sets us apart. Do we let our flesh control or do we handle it with grace... It takes a lot of effort to handle life with grace. It takes being in tune with the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to remind us to live by the Spirit. But, it's so much easier to just let our flesh run a muck. It takes little effort to do that. But, it's not godly. This application comes to me when my husband talks to "dad" on the phone and I get to see him enjoy that communication that I cannot enjoy anymore. It is very easy to be sad and disappointed. But, I choose to turn that around and have joy for my husband that still is able to continue that relationship. It gives me the opportunity to have patience, trust, and to be

to rest that is...I've been a bit tired today and had a nice list of things to do. I sure didn't get all I wanted done today. I think I just got laundry and dishes done... Isn't it interesting when you set out to do a lot sometimes God has other plans? I must need the rest. :) I'd rather rest here then in the hospital. ;) Ryan had vaccinations today for Haiti. He is asleep now after that ordeal...It was a longgggg wait. He has a couple more to go and then he's all set to go. He's excited about going to Haiti and I know it will be a great experience for him. It's snowing here...again. I don't mind it. I actually love to watch it fall. It's just so beautiful. The woodstove is so comforting on snowy evenings like this. I pray everyone is enjoying their evening. I've been thinking about loved ones lately and miss them a lot. Oh how I wish....oh nevermind. No need to wish. :) God holds us in the palm of His hand and comforts us, guide

It's blustery here in Cental Illinois. We didn't get a whole lot of snow yesterday, but what we did get is blowing all over. It's days like this we stay home in our "winter cave." Our home becomes a place of rest and coziness. I warm the house more with baking and take some time to sew. We even tackle some of the chores we've put off all summer, such as organizing the office. It's nice, too, just to sit inside and look out into the white wonder. It is so pretty. I love all the seasons really, beauty wise, not temperature. LOL On a different note...This is a picture of Glacier National Park, MONTANA :) I've always, my whole life, have wanted to go to Montana. The beauty I see from pictures is so breathtaking, it actually makes me emotional. God has created something so wonderfully beautiful! It is rustic, raw, wild, and just awesome. It reflects my personality (simple, yet complex, rustic, quiet but has a lot to say, and slow paced) I hop

Earlier this week, I lost a bit of sight in my right eye for a bit. The following day I decided to go ahead and go to the eye doctor. They did some tests and found that my cup-to-disc ratio in my eyes are not normal. I have a very large cup and very little disc. The disc is the nerve tissue in your eyes. Anyway, it means glaucoma. In both eyes. This glaucoma is not due to high pressure in the eye. They are not quite sure what has caused this. Possibly poor circulation to the eye. They just have no way of knowing why it's that way, just that it is and it's not due to high internal eye pressure. So I can't take drops to lower the pressure because it doesn't need it. I was told to take baby aspirin to help the circulation to the nerves in my eyes. I will start that tomorrow. There is no reversing the damage and I may have some dimness periodically. The good news is that the damage has not progressed. I will have a recheck in 4 mos or sooner if I have more v

Is your house built on sand or on the solid Rock? " The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock . " Matthew 7:25 Many of you know that we have had a large storm in our lives recently...Through that, we have been able to see what we built our "house" on and how strong our foundation was. We have built our house on the solid Rock. Although it has been whipped by fierce winds, it still stands. Our foundation is strong, but we did see where there may have been some cracks in it. So we reinforce that foundation. Our "house" suffered surface damage, shingles lost, siding ripped, and some broken windows. BUT our foundation was stable and there was no deep damage. Jesus can repair ANY damage that is caused in a storm. He is a master Carpenter. :) He can repair it to where it was better than it was before. We just need to give up our hammer and nails a