Prairie Oak Homestead

Don't be robbed today of the simple joys of life... Don't be robbed of your home ---or angry with those in it, unhappy that things are not going your way or that your husband and children are not how you want them to be. Don't let Satan rob you of your happiness there, making you think that you don't have this or that. Don't compare yourself to others but be grateful for what you have and know they are a gift from the Almighty Himself. Don't be robbed of your time ---don't waste excessive hours with frivolous pursuits such as watching TV, being online, always being away from your home or other idleness that can spring up in a woman's life keeping her from truly caring for the very ones that you love. Guard your time carefully. Don't be robbed by lies ...the world will tell you that  you are wasting your time, that you need to look outside God and your home for true happiness. They will put you on 'their' path and lea...

"He knoweth the way that I take" (Job 23:10). Believer! What a glorious assurance! This way of thine--this, it may be, a crooked, mysterious, tangled way--this way of trial and tears. "He knoweth it." The furnace seven times heated--He lighted it. There is an Almighty Guide knowing and directing our footsteps, whether it be to the bitter Marah pool, or to the joy and refreshment of Elim. That way, dark to the Egyptians, has its pillar of cloud and fire for His own Israel. The furnace is hot; but not only can we trust the hand that kindles it, but we have the assurance that the fires are lighted not to consume, but to refine; and that when the refining process is completed (no sooner--no later) He brings His people forth as gold. When they think Him least near, He is often nearest. "When my spirit was overwhelmed, then thou knewest my path." Do we know of ONE brighter than the brightest radia...

I made some Pure Glycerin Valentine's Day Soap.  These are great gifts for kids for Valentine's Day. :)  They are fragrance free and dye free.  You can find them on my website. :)  wiseleyusedherbs.weebly.com I will also have Eucalyptus and Peppermint, Lemon Poppy Seed, Oatmeal Cookie, and an Odor Grabber that is made with coffee (a natural deodorizer) and great for use in getting kitchen smells off your hands, that will be available on Feb 23rd.  You can check out my website for updates. :)

Ryan is enjoying his time in Haiti.  He is happy to see old friends he made on his last trip.  They have been doing some construction work and spending time with the local people.  I miss him, but I am glad he is there doing what God has laid on his heart.  I hope to join him someday on a trip. My husband has a strong desire for God's work.  I am blessed to be married to such a man.  This morning, he went to a friends there in Haiti to enjoy some fresh coconut milk and some of the flesh of a young coconut.  I personally don't like the flesh of a young coconut, but the milk is good.  Yesterday he got to take a hike through some of the back roads in Haiti.  He said he really enjoyed that.  The first picture is one of him on part of that hike.  Thank you for your prayers for him and the people of Haiti.

"Walking in the midst of the fire" (Daniel 3:25). The fire did not arrest their motion; they walked in the midst of it. It was one of the streets through which they moved to their destiny. The comfort of Christ's revelation is not that it teaches emancipation from sorrow, but emancipation through sorrow. O my God, teach me, when the shadows have gathered, that I am only in a tunnel. It is enough for me to know that it will be all right some day. They tell me that I shall stand upon the peaks of Olivet, the heights of resurrection glory. But I want more, O my Father; I want Calvary to lead up to it. I want to know that the shadows of this world are the shades of an avenue the avenue to the house of my Father. Tell me I am only forced to climb because Thy house is on the hill! I shall receive no hurt from sorrow if I shall walk in the midst of the fire. --George Matheson

I am trying my hand at soap making...let me tell you, it's fun!  The above soap is a Eucalyptus and Peppermint blend.  They are drying on the rack and will be ready in about 4 weeks.  Today I'll be making Lemon Poppyseed.  I hope it turns out. :)  It's my first time attempting a cold process soap and it's not as scary as I thought it would be. I better get a move on...lots to accomplish today. :)

I had to say goodbye to my husband this morning.  He left for Haiti.  I dropped him off at church and standing outside in the drizzly cold waiting for him and the team to leave I couldn't help but think about what God is doing in our lives.  We have come so far from our lives being like the cold drizzle I was standing in to what the weather is like in Haiti right now, warm and sunny.  My husband and I have been together for 17 years and God has done a wonderful work in us.  Christ is the center of our marriage now.  He wasn't back then.  Things get hairy when we forget to keep Him in the center.  But, by God's grace, we are quick learners and straight away put Him right back where He belongs, as the head and center of our lives. My husband's best friend, who is also going on the trip, hugged me goodbye and I realized how sweet that hug was.  God was telling me how important it is to have godly people in our lives.  They are there to en...

The moment we get anything from the Lord worth contending for, then the devil comes to seek us. When the enemy meets us at the threshold of any great work for God, let us accept it as "a token of salvation," and claim double blessing, victory, and power. Power is developed by resistance. The cannon carries twice as far because the exploding power has to find its way through resistance. The way electricity is produced in the powerhouse yonder is by the sharp friction of the revolving wheels. And so we shall find some day that even satan has been one of God's agencies of blessing. --Days of Heaven upon Earth It seems when anything is godly in our lives, satan wishes to remove it.  But, because it is godly, it is worth the resistance.  As the above says, we should consider that satan can be one of God's agencies of blessing...so if you feel as though you are facing much resistance, you may be headed in the right directio...

Yesterday I made homemade yogurt and it is so much better than store bought.  In order to make it you need 1/2 c plain yogurt from the store to use as a starter.  I used an all natural yogurt which only ingredient was cultured milk.  Of course you need to make sure the yogurt you use has live active cultures in it. :)  I hope you give this a try when you see just how easy it is! Homemade yogurt 1/2 c all natural store bought yogurt 1 qt milk of  your choice Heat milk to 110 stirring constantly with a whisk to make sure heat is dispersed throughout.  Take off heat and make sure the temperature reading is still 110 and then whisk in your yogurt starter.  Mix thoroughly.  Pour into jars and wrap with towels.  Set on shelf near woodstove for about 6 hours. (That's what I did)  Now you may pour it into a qt thermos and wrap with towels and leave on counter for about 6 to 8 hours.  Or you can pour it into smaller jars and put in a...

Ole Fashioned Corn Bread 1 1/4 c flour (I used gluten free blend) 2/3 c sugar 3/4 c corn meal 1 T baking powder 1/2 t salt 1 1/4 c milk or buttermilk 2 eggs 1/3 c oil 3 T melted butter Combine wet ingredients.  Add dry.  Bake in 8x8 (I bake mine in cast iron) pan at 350 for about 30 min.  Enjoy!  We do. :)  If you bake in cast iron, be sure to preheat your pan in the oven as the oven warms up.  Then take out and pour corn meal batter into it and put back in oven.

"As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange God with him" (Deut. 32:11, 12). Our Almighty Parent delights to conduct the tender nestlings of His care to the very edge of the precipice, and even to thrust them off into the steeps of air, that they may learn their possession of unrealized power of flight, to be forever a luxury; and if, in the attempt, they be exposed to unwonted peril, He is prepared to swoop beneath them, and to bear them upward on His mighty pinions. When God brings any of His children into a position of unparalleled difficulty, they may always count upon Him to deliver them. --The Song of Victory "When God puts a burden upon you He puts His own arm underneath." There is a little plant, small and stunted, growing under the shade of a br...

Homemade Chocolate Syrup 1/2 c cocoa 1 c water 2 c sugar 1/8 t salt 1/4 t vanilla Mix cocoa, water, and sugar in sauce pan.  Stir well.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil 3 minutes stirring to keep it from crystallizing. This is what you get...it's not the best picture, but you get the idea. :) It tastes really good!  Just like Hershey's, but without the corn syrup or preservatives. :)  Enjoy!

"It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good". (1 Sam. 3:18) See God in everything, and God will calm and color all that thou dost see!" It may be that the circumstances of our sorrows will not be removed, their condition will remain unchanged; but if Christ, as Lord and Master of our life, is brought into our grief and gloom, "HE will compass us about with songs of deliverance." To see HIM, and to be sure that His wisdom cannot err, His power cannot fail, His love can never change; to know that even His direst dealings with us are for our deepest spiritual gain, is to be able to say, in the midst of bereavement, sorrow, pain, and loss, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath, taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Nothing else but seeing God in everything will make us loving and patient with those who annoy and trouble us. They will be to us then only instruments for accomplis...

This weighty burden thou dost bear, This heavy cross, It is a gift the Lord bestows, And not a loss; It is a trust that He commits Unto thy care, A precious lesson He has deigned With thee to share.  ~Annie Johnson Flint

My husband is leaving next week for Haiti again.  I'm really gonna miss him.  He is looking forward to doing work there and seeing people he hasn't seen for a while.  I am praying for him before he goes and while he is there.  Will you join me?  I am praying that God will use him in whatever way necessary while there, that God will do a great work there in Haiti, for his protection from disease, that God will bless his heart, and that he will be an encouragement to the Haitians.  Pray for us while we stay behind.  It is hard to be without him.  I will try to busy myself with things around the house, like finally get my quilt done, and get some rest in so I can be refreshed for when he returns.  I am hoping to someday, if the Lord wills, to go to Haiti with him.  But, only God knows if that will be possible or necessary. :) Yesterday I went to the doctor to officially find out about my pulmonary function tests.  Good news...it's is...

"And there arose a great storm" (Mark 4:37). Some of the storms of life come suddenly: a great sorrow, a bitter disappointment, a crushing defeat. Some come slowly. They appear upon the ragged edges of the horizon no larger than a man's hand, but, trouble that seems so insignificant spreads until it covers the sky and overwhelms us. Yet it is in the storm that God equips us for service. When God wants an oak He plants it on the moor where the storms will shake it and the rains will beat down upon it, and it is in the midnight battle with elements that the oak wins its rugged fibre and becomes the king of the forest. When God wants to make a man He puts him into some storm. The history of manhood is always rough and rugged. No man is made until he has been out into the surge of the storm and found the sublime fulfillment of the prayer: "O God, take me, break me, make me." A Frenchman has painted...

This book is a great read.  In delves into the lives of men and let's us peek into what they are really thinking.  The author is a Christian woman who went out and surveyed a lot of different men and wrote a book about it. To me it was a cross between Created to be his Helpmeet by Debbie Pearl and Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs. As you read it, you feel as if you are just chatting with the author.  It is an easy read and not so complicated to where you can't retain the material.  I highly recommend it... A peek inside... Ch 1--Lightbulb On! How I woke up to what I didn't know about men Ch 2--Your love is not enough.  Why your respect means more to him than even your affection Ch3--The performance of a lifetime. Why your Mr. Smooth looks so impressive but feels like an imposter Ch4--The lonliest burden--How his need to provide weighs your man down, and why he likes it that way Ch5--Sex changes everything. Why sex unlocks a man's emotions Ch6--Ke...

Garlic Overview: Garlic has been used as both food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years, dating back to when the Egyptian pyramids were built. In early 18 th -century France, gravediggers drank a concoction of crushed garlic in wine they believed would protect them from the plague that killed many people in Europe. More recently, during both World Wars I and II, soldiers were given garlic to prevent gangrene. Today garlic is used to help prevent heart disease, including atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries that can block the flow of blood and possibly lead to heart attack or stroke), high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and to improve the immune system. Garlic may also protect against cancer. While the science is not conclusive, research shows promise for garlic in the areas of cancer protection and heart-related risk factors for patients. Garlic is rich in antioxidants, which help destroy free radicals -- particles that can damage cell memb...

"He putteth forth his own sheep" (John10:4). Oh, this is bitter work for Him and us--bitter for us to go, but equally bitter for Him to cause us pain; yet it must be done. It would not be conducive to our true welfare to stay always in one happy and comfortable lot. He therefore puts us forth. The fold is deserted, that the sheep may wander over the bracing mountain slope. The laborers must be thrust out into the harvest, else the golden grain would spoil. Take heart! it could not be better to stay when He determines otherwise; and if the loving hand of our Lord puts us forth, it must be well. On, in His name, to green pastures and still waters and mountain heights! He goeth before thee. Whatever awaits us is encountered first by Him. Faith's eye can always discern His majestic presence in front; and when that cannot be seen, it is dangerous to move forward. Bind this comfort to your heart, that the Sa...

God trains His soldiers, not in tents of ease and luxury, but by turning them out and using them to forced marches and hard service. He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers and climb mountains, and walk many a weary mile with heavy knapsacks on their backs. Well, Christian, may not this account for the troubles through which you are passing? Is not this the reason why He is contending with you? --C. H. Spurgeon To be left unmolested by satan is no evidence of blessing.~Streams in the Desert I love when I seek the Lord when things are going on in my life that leave me restless and feeling down and I can always find Him...

I have been working on having a meek and quiet spirit. I feel like I am failing some.  I feel like I can't get it right.  I try.  I do. But, when it comes down to an opportunity to practice it, I fail more times than I succeed.  I will say that I am aware of such and I am thankful for that because now I can try harder when the next opportunity comes. I just feel like I have anger or sadness brewing inside me.  I think it's probably from a lot of stress that has occurred already this year.  I was hurt by my mom when she said bye to our relationship and that it was my loss, finances are a bit tight right now, feeling out of sorts with how well I'm doing at being a good wife, etc.  I feel like satan has been whispering so much evil in my ear and it's driving me crazy! I know, I know.  I need to give all that stress over to Him.  I do, but then I pick it up again. ;)  The blessing of this blog is that I can write it out and that helps me...

I made these today and they are yummy! They melt in your mouth. :)  I made mine gluten free, but you can use regular flour.  Try 'em! 1 1/2 c flour (I used gf flour blend) 1 t lemon zest 1/4 t baking soda 1/4 t salt 6 T butter softened 3/4 c sugar 1 egg 1/2 t vanilla 1/3 c buttermilk Glaze 3/4 c powdered sugar 1 1/2 T buttermilk 1/4 t vanilla Cream butter, sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Mix flour, lemon zest, baking soda, and salt. Mix with wet ingredients alternating buttermilk ending with four mixture. Bake 350 for 11 min and add glaze. :)

Today I am sharing 14 marks of a wise woman. She... Fears God, Proverbs 31:30 . “Openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness ,” Proverbs 31:26 . Is content to be a “keeper at home,” Titus 2:5 . (This doesn’t mean she never leaves her house, but her focus and the bulk of her attention is on her home and family.) Loves her husband and children, Titus 2:4 . Is focused more on inward character than outward adornment, I Peter 3:3-4 . Is modestly attired, I Timothy 2:9 . Is trustworthy, Proverbs 31:11 . Has a meek and quiet spirit, I Peter 3:4 . Is industrious, Proverbs 31:13-27 . Is giving, Proverbs 31:20 , Luke 8:3 . Is discreet, Titus 2:5 . (“of a sound mind, sane, in one’s senses, curbing one’s desires and impulses, self-controlled, temperate,”) Is chaste, Titus 2:5 .(“exciting reverence, venerable, sacred, pure; pure from carnality, chaste, modest; pure from every fault, immaculate; clean”). Builds up instead of tearing down, Proverbs 14...

Woke up to a winter wonderland this morning. :)  I love seeing fresh snow without any animal tracks in it.  Eventually, it's neat to see the animal tracks and to realize just how much "traffic" comes through your property. :) I slept much better last night, which felt really good.  Hard work makes for good sleep as they say.  I should be hearing back from the doctor's office today.  I am looking forward to hearing what they have to say and seeing what the next step is...I just want to feel better and I think when my breathing becomes normal, I will. Today would be a good day to stay home and be cozy, but the captain is taking me into town today for groceries.  We simply ran out of time yesterday.  Hunter has loaded the wood rack and the house has been staying nice and warm.  Ah, that word load...tis a good word. ;) In closing, can I encourage you to bless your husband today?  Ponder all the things he has sacrificed for your family....

Is there some problem in your life to solve, Some passage seeming full of mystery? God knows, who brings the hidden things to light. He keeps the key. Is there some door closed by the Father's hand Which widely opened you had hoped to see? Trust God and wait--for when He shuts the door He keeps the key. Is there some earnest prayer unanswered yet, Or answered NOT as you had thought 'twould be? God will make clear His purpose by-and-by. He keeps the key. Have patience with your God, your patient God, All wise, all knowing, no long tarrier He, And of the door of all thy future life He keeps the key. Unfailing comfort, sweet and blessed rest, To know of EVERY door He keeps the key. That He at last when just He sees 'tis best, Will give it Thee. Beloved, whenever you are doubtful as to your course, submit your judgment absolutely to the Spirit of God, and ask Him to shut against you every door but the right one. ~Streams in the Desert Th...

Another post that comes from the quiet whisper of the early morning...sharing what God has put on my heart. If you have ever been encouraged by someone, you know how much good it can do for the heart.  It is like a soothing salve on a bruised spirit. In turn, you know how important it is to encourage someone else. "Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people." ~Philemon 1:7 This verse talks about encouraging people with love .  The act of showing love refreshes the hearts of the Lord's people.  When we use a kind word, we show love.  When we give a much needed hug, we show love.  When we hold the hand of the one we love, we show love.  When we build someone up with encouraging words, we show love.  When words of wisdom are used, we show love.  When we make a meal for our family, we show love.  When we kiss a booboo, we show love.  When we are there for ou...

"I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time- waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God- it changes me." ~C.S. Lewis

I know this post is a little early as there are no flowers growing this time of year.  But, did you know you can eat some of those flowers?  What a great way to use some of them up! Flowers can brighten anyone's day. :)  I like them in salad.  For a quick pick-me-up this spring and summer, give these flowers a try....but make sure they are not sprayed with any pesticides! Daisies Roses Hibiscus Dandilions Violets Pansies Nasturtium Honeysuckle Lilac Clover Sunflowers Daylilies and Zucchini and Squash blossoms

Sit still, my daughter! Just sit calmly still! Nor deem these days--these waiting days--as ill! The One who loves thee best, who plans thy way, Hath not forgotten thy great need today! And, if He waits, 'tis sure He waits to prove To thee, His tender child, His heart's deep love. Sit still, my daughter! Just sit calmly still! Thou longest much to know thy dear Lord's will! While anxious thoughts would almost steal their way Corrodingly within, because of His delay Persuade thyself in simple faith to rest That He, who knows and loves, will do the best. Sit still, my daughter! Just sit calmly still! Nor move one step, not even one, until His way hath opened. Then, ah then, how sweet! How glad thy heart, and then how swift thy feet Thy inner being then, ah then, how strong! And waiting days not counted then too long. Sit still, my daughter! Just sit calmly still! What higher service could'st thou for Him fill? 'Tis hard! ah yes! But choicest thi...

 This post is really just a hodge podge of stuff today...I've been pretty tired lately, I believe from my shortness of breath. (still waiting for final test results) So bear with me. ;) It's a gloomy day here in central Illinois...but, there is sunshine in my heart. :)  It's cold outside, but it's warm in the house. I am hoping to get the chicken coop cleaned later today...when it "warms" up. ;)  It's not my favorite thing to do in the winter, but it needs to be done. My husband stayed up late last night to keep the fire going in the woodstove.  When he came to bed, he woke me up to tell me how much he loves me and appreciates me.  He said it was neat to him to see God work even in the beginning of our relationship.  We were not Christians then and he is in awe of how God blessed him with a godly wife anyway.  God can do great things! :)  And He does. That is truly a blessing I don't take for granted... This year has started out painful, b...

"Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints" (Rev. 15:3). The following incident is related by Mrs. Charles Spurgeon, who was a great sufferer for more than a quarter of a century: "At the close of a dark and gloomy day, I lay resting on my couch as the deeper night drew on; and though all was bright within my cozy room, some of the external darkness seemed to have entered into my soul and obscured its spiritual vision. Vainly I tried to see the Hand which I knew held mine, and guided my fog-enveloped feet along a steep and slippery path of suffering. In sorrow of heart I asked, "'Why does my Lord thus deal with His child? Why does He so often send sharp and bitter pain to visit me? Why does He permit lingering weakness to hinder the sweet service I long to render to His poor servants?' "These fretful questions were quickly answered, and through a strange language; no interpreter was ...

"As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (2 Cor. 6:10). The stoic scorns to shed a tear; the Christian is not forbidden to weep. The soul may be dumb with excessive grief, as the shearer's scissors pass over the quivering flesh; or, when the heart is on the point of breaking beneath the meeting surges of trial, the sufferer may seek relief by crying out with a loud voice. But there is something even better. They say that springs of sweet fresh water well up amid the brine of salt seas; that the fairest Alpine flowers bloom in the wildest and most rugged mountain passes; that the noblest psalms were the outcome of the profoundest agony of soul. Be it so. And thus amid manifold trials, souls which love God will find reasons for bounding, leaping joy. Though deep call to deep, yet the Lord's song will be heard in silver cadence through the night. And it is possible in the darkest hour that ever swept a human...

I feel like I'm walking around with a burden on my back.  I know I need to lay it down. After telling my mom how I feel, she said that if that's how I feel then bye. I don't even know what to say.  She told me to look in the mirror, but then I'd be shocked at what I saw. It wouldn't hurt as much if she didn't say she was a Christian. Painful times... Frankly, I'm tired of all the hurt in that situation.  I'm ready to be unburdened and soar with the eagles.  I am thankful for love I do have that is shown to me.  I don't take any of it for granted.  I want to be more purposeful in showing love to my family.  I want God to be glorified in my life. I am going to pick myself up and continue on towards the cross.  I hope to love and encourage others along the way and I hope to be loved and encouraged along the way, too.  This walk can be difficult alone.  But, I know I am not alone.  I have a God who will never leave me nor forsake ...

I wish, brothers and sisters, that we could all imitate "the pearl oyster"—A hurtful particle intrudes itself into its shell, and this vexes and grieves it. It cannot reject the evil, but what does it do but "cover" it with a precious substance extracted out of its own life, by which it turns the intruder into a pearl! Oh, that we could do so with the provocations we receive from our fellow Christians, so that pearls of patience, gentleness, and forgiveness might be bred within us by that which otherwise would have harmed us. ~Charles Spurgeon

Today starts Hunter back to homeschooling...it was a good vacation for him, but he's not ready to start back yet. ;)  It's time to take care of business and reset our routine.  I go into church today to volunteer for a bit.  This afternoon I have an appointment for pulmonary function tests.  I'll be glad to get those over with. When I return home, I have a lot of cleaning to do. I filled the sink with dishes yesterday and started them soaking and forgot all about them!  I've been pretty tired.  Today I'd like to do dishes, dust, vacuum, and mop.  I switched my grocery shopping days to Tuesday because Monday's were so hectic to me.  If you know me, you know I don't like hectic. ;)  Things should be slowing down now that the holidays are over. In the spring, I will be making soap.  I'm looking forward to making my own natural soap.  I will also be making natural lip balm. Things I use myself, but would love for it to come from my...

"Glorify ye the Lord in the fires" (Isa. 24:15). Mark the little word "in"! We are to honor Him in the trial--in that which is an affliction indeed and though there have been cases where God did not let His saints feel the fire, yet, ordinarily, fire hurts. But just here we are to glorify Him by our perfect faith in His goodness and love that has permitted all this to come upon us. And more than that, we are to believe that out of this is coming something more for His praise than could have come but for this fiery trial. We can only go through some fires with a large faith; little faith will fail. We must have the victory in the furnace. --Margaret Bottome A man has as much religion as he can show in times of trouble. The men who were cast into the fiery furnace came out as they went in--except their bonds. How often in some furnace of affliction God strikes them off! Their bodies were unhurt--their ...

Today dear friends, we stand upon the verge of the unknown.  There lies before us the new year and we are going forth to posses it.  Who can tell what we shall find?  What new experiences, what changes shall come, what new needs shall arise?  But, here is the cheering, comforting, gladdening message from our Heavenly Father, "The Lord thy God careth for it." "His eyes are upon it away to the ending of the year." (Duet:11:12) All our supply is to come from the Lord.  Here are springs that shall never dry; here are fountains and streams that shall never be cut off.  Here, anxious one, is the gracious pledge of the Heavenly Father.  If He be the Source of our mercies they can never fail us.  No heat, no drought can parch that river, "the streams whereof make glad the city of God." The land is a land of hills and valleys .  It is not all smooth nor all down hill.  If life were all one dead level the dull sameness would oppress us; we w...