Prairie Oak Homestead

   Today is our 16th anniversary :) I hope to get to talk to him today as he is in Haiti and we are not sure of the communication yet.  These last 16yrs have been good times, bad times, richer, poorer, sickness, and health. We have traveled to foreign lands together, done ministry together, been through the deaths of our fathers, welcomed a bouncing baby boy (still can't believe he is 15 now), and he's been there when I nearly died (twice). I love him with all my heart! God has surely blessed me with a loving leader whose desire is to be a better man for Him. What more could a girl want? ♥ Follow @titus2baker

to be so in love...For my husband and I, it gets better with every passing year. I cannot wait to grow old with him...oh wait, we are doing that now lol. I hope we get to be married for at least 65 yrs. A good marriage doesn't come easy. It takes work and it takes being intentional. My husband does this by attending a small group called Family Shepherding where he gets to talk with other men and encourage one another to lead their family in a godly way. He also does sweet things. Yesterday he sneakily went and got a Scentsy warmer that I have been wanting. It was quite a surprise and I loved his thoughtfulness. For me, it takes being intentional, also. Such as not getting upset when he has to work late, or forgets to do something I have asked him (a lot) to do. It's being gracious when he snaps because he has had a hard, long day. It takes me being soft and loving. It's fixing his favorite foods, special treats, rubbing his shoulders, being tender. And always being av...

Follow @titus2baker

Today is bittersweet. One  year ago today, I lost a great father/daughter relationship. I miss that man tremendously. Even though it's been a year with no contact, for some reason it hasn't gotten easier. (well maybe a tiny bit) I hope he is doing well and his life is better/easier/more peaceful now. I think about him often and hope he knows some things never change. Today also marks 18 years of my husband and I being together. 18 years ago, my husband presented me with a rose at my locker at school and asked me to be his girl. :) We have been together ever since. Together in sickness and health, good times and bad, richer or poorer. :) God has bound us together with His love.  I hope you all have a great day today and hug and kiss someone you love. This life doesn't last forever... Pin It

My husband is leaving for the Dominican Republic on Thurs morning.  I'm going to miss him. It will be lonely and life will be more difficult here without his loving leadership, but we will get by until he returns a week later. :) My son is a great young man and likes to be the head when his dad is gone. Good practice. ;)  My husband and I were watching a show the other night called Alaska: The Last Frontier. It was about a few different families homesteading up there. There was one couple in particular that he connected with. They were high school sweethearts (like us and about our age) and loved living off the land. As we were watching, he pointed out something she (the wife in the show) had said about her husband. The wife was talking highly of her husband about how resourceful he was and and how he could do anything. That there was nothing he couldn't do. My husband turned and looked at me and said, I thought you'd like how she spoke of her husband. I smiled and said I...

Please turn off the music at the bottom of the page before viewing. :)

From Tonya at Humble Homemaker...She put into words what my heart feels.  I Am A Wife Too often I sense myself slipping from my God appointed role as feminine Queen of my castle to masculine warden of my domain. Because this season of my life demands more of my time, energy, and patience I need to remember my priorities and put them into practice. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world -- how she can please her husband. ~ 1Corinthians 7:34 God is my Well where I soak up His goodness to give me the strength to go forth into my future with passion and purpose. I commune with Him to have a relationship built on true love because I know Him and spend time with Him. I can then set the stage in my home for my children to enter into genuine relationship with their Creator. Ushering them into His plan. However, I ...

When we get married, we come under the protection and leadership of our husbands. Let's face it, they have a big job. Being a leader, protector, and provider of a home can be stressful at times. They carry a lot of responsibility on their shoulders. They may become discouraged some days. As a helpmeet to him, we can bring sweet peace to them in their discouragement. And even if they are not discouraged, we can still bring the comfort, softness, and ease with how we manage our home. When he comes home from work, don't dump your days frustrations on him. Greet him with a smile and follow him to where he goes and sit next to him and ask him how his day was. Listen... Have a warm, wholesome meal waiting for him when he comes home. Good homecooking is always an encouragement. :) Make food he enjoys. And dessert never hurt. ;) Make sure the house is in order. Having a house in disarray can subconsciously lead to irritation. You or he may start to feel jumble inside because of t...

This wonderful post comes from The Humble Homemaker. Great tips! See him out the door in the morning. (Something very special about this. It's very hard for me because my hubby is gone by 4:30 AM, then I can't get back to sleep, but I think it's SO sweet.) Cook his favorite meals often. (You know the old saying: The way to a mans heart is through his belly =) Look neat and clean when he comes home from work. (Being dressed up may not be reasonable depending on the time he arrives, but combed hair and smelling nice is a sure blessing!)  Handle family gathering details with in-laws. (In our family we're a bunch of women and he appreciates not having to confuse himself in our details. There are usually many details =) Spend alone time with him. (If you have small children, it's wonderful that you delight in raising them and care not for leaving them behind. But one day they will be out of the house, and there you will be with your husband. Do you ...

Having a son who loves you and loves the Lord is such a blessing! He is growing up so fast... He has a heart for those that are hurting, the underdog...much like I did/do when I was his age. He will make a good husband someday. :) He visits the widow up the road who is 85 yrs old and spends hours talking with her, helping her around the house, and just being a joy to her. He loves little kids that "aren't quite right." He has compassion for them and spends time with them. He likes to be around the outcasts and give the the benefit of the doubt. We may have a future missionary on our hands...only God knows. I am thankful to have him around this old homestead to help me... I am so blessed to be loved by such an awesome son! I pray God continues to work in his life and that we continue to raise him up with a love for God and His people...

"Home is the true wife’s kingdom. There, first of all places, she must be strong and beautiful. She may touch life outside in many ways, if she can do it without slighting the duties that are hers within her own doors. But if any calls for her service must be declined, they should not be the duties of her home. These are hers, and no other one’s. Very largely does the wife hold in her hands, as a sacred trust, the happiness and the highest good of the hearts that nestle there. The best husband—the truest, the noblest, the gentlest, the richest-hearted—cannot make his home happy if his wife be not, in every reasonable sense, a helpmate to him. In the last analysis, home happiness depends on the wife. Her spirit gives the home its atmosphere. Her hands fashion its beauty. Her heart makes its love. And the end is so worthy, so noble, so divine, that no woman who has been called to be a wife, and has listened to the call, should consider any price too great to pay, to b...

Hmmmmm....what do all those things have in common? Vow renewal! My husband doesn't know it yet (don't worry, he NEVER reads my blog lol) but we will be renewing our vows in Venezuela for our 15th wedding anniversary in October. Our anniversary is October 19th. I wanted to surprise him with this as he would never expect me to do something like this.  We have come very far in our marriage and I am so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man. A man who has grown so much closer to God in the past few years, even the past few months. I wanted to celebrate our love by renewing our vows and rededicating our marriage to God. What a blessing to do it while we are serving Him in Venezuela. We are so blessed to have one of our best friends to the honor. I called our friend who happens to be the pastor that is taking us on the mission trip to Venezuela and asked if he would do the ceremony for us. He said yes. :) We get to renew our vows in front of our friends on the mission field...

"Beside my cottage door it grows, The loveliest, daintiest flower that blows, A sweetbriar rose. "At dewy morn or twilight's close, The rarest perfume from it flows, This strange wild rose. "But when the rain-drops on it beat, Ah, then, its odors grow more sweet, About my feet. "Ofttimes with loving tenderness, Its soft green leaves I gently press, In sweet caress. "A still more wondrous fragrance flows The more my fingers close And crush the rose. "Dear Lord, oh, let my life be so Its perfume when tempests blow, The sweeter flow. "And should it be Thy blessed will, With crushing grief my soul to fill, Press harder still. "And while its dying fragrance flows I'll whisper low, 'He loves and knows His crushed briar rose.'" ~Streams in the Desert

According to the recent poll on my blog, most of you ladies are either trying to be submissive to your husbands or are already doing this on a daily basis.  Way to go! :)  In our society today, it can a difficult task.  Women who don't understand biblical submission swear we are ruining what they fought so hard to accomplish...individualism.  They feel like they don't need to rely on their husband.  But, that is not how it was set up to be.  We were created to be a helper suitable for our husband.  And his role was to be our leader, provider, and protector.  From the beginning, we were supposed to be under the protection and leadership of our husbands.  Eve allowed sin to distract her from the leadership and protection of Adam.  She stepped out from under that umbrella.  We all know what happened after that... It is a blessing when our husbands are godly.  We can put our trust in Him who created our husbands to be our lead...

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...

"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...

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...

 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...

Stopping in today to say Merry Christmas!  We will probably be busy tomorrow to post. :)  We start off the morning with scripture then cinnamon rolls. :)  The rest of the day is spent as family time just enjoying the peace and awe of the day. I want to say Merry Christmas to those I cannot verbally wish a Merry Christmas to.  I pray your Christmas this year is as wonderful as the others.  This year is different for us, but the base is the same...Jesus. Enjoy eating all the goodies that were made for you. :)  I know I will. :)  I love that part of Christmas... I will end this sending my love to you all... Keep Christ close to your heart...

Wow! What a vacation that was! No phone...no internet...no responsibilities...Just fun, food, and relaxing! We went on a cruise to the Caribbean.  Our stops were Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.  We had a great time. The first two days our ship hit rough water so it rocked and rolled quite a bit.  There were several people that got sick including our friend, Jenny.  It was difficult to walk as you would stumble around due to the waves rolling the ship.  I over heard several people say that they never had a cruise that was that rocky.  Usually you can't even tell you are on a ship.  After day two it settled down and we got off in Puerto Rico. This was a night excursion.  We took a van ride for 1 1/2 hours to get to where we needed to go.  Before we left I had some, what I thought was decaf coffee.  Turns our it wasn't and I had to pee (sorry) really bad on the way.  We were only 20 minutes into it and I thought I'd die....