Each Day Is A New Beginning...

Some people hate wild honeysuckle.  I love it.  This is one of the photos I took yesterday and added the quote.  Enjoy your Saturday!

Jackie

Early Morning Dew...

I was out in the backyard around 5:45am taking these shots this morning...the light was extraordinary!  It's quite possible my neighbors think I'm nuts.  They might be right.

For all the choices we make as a Moms...

I don't know who wrote this, but a co-worker showed me this today and it's a perfect reminder that we're all doing the best we can no matter what choices we make as Moms.  Enjoy...


Jackie


To the Mom who's breastfeeding:  Way to go!  It really is an amazing gift to give your baby, for any amount of time that you can manage!  You're a good Mom.

To the Mom who's formula feeding:  Isn't science amazing?  To think there was a time when a baby with a mother who couldn't produce enough would suffer.  But now?  Better living through chemistry!  You're a good Mom.

To the cloth diapering Mom:  Fluffy bums are the cutest and oh, so friendly on the bank account.  You're a good Mom.

To the disposable diapering Mom:  Dang those things hold a lot, and it's excellent to not worry about leakage and laundry!  You're a good Mom.

To the Mom who stays at home:  I can imagine it isn't easy doing what you do, but to spend those precious years with your babies must be amazing.  You're a good Mom.

To the Mom who works:  It's wonderful that you're sticking to your career, you're a positive role model for your children in so many ways, it's fantastic!  You're a good Mom.

To the Mom who had to feed her kids from the drive-thru all week because you're too worn out to cook or go grocery shopping:  You're feeding your kids, and hey, I bet they aren't complaining!  Sometimes sanity can indeed be found in a red box with a big yellow M on it.  You're a good Mom.

To the Mom who gave her kids a home-cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past week:  Excellent!  Good nutrition is important, and they're learning to enjoy healthy foods at an early age.  You're a good Mom.

To the Mom with the kids sitting quietly and using their manners in the fancy restaurant:  Kudos, it takes a lot to maintain order with children in a place where they can't run around.  You're a good Mom.

To the Mom with the toddler having a meltdown in the cereal aisle:  they always seem to pick the most embarrassing places to lose their minds, don't they?  We've all been through it.  You're a good Mom.

To the Moms who judge other Moms for ANY of the above?  

Glass Houses, friend.  Glass Houses.

 

Spring Is Here...

Glad to see that Spring is finally making it's way to our part of the country.  To celebrate, here are a few spring/summer photos I've taken in the last year.

Hope you are enjoying some warm weather wherever you are.

Until Next Time,


Jackie

{Winter Snow}

Backyard Photos During A Winter Storm on February 26, 2013

{Kindness}

How Shall I Pray?

One of my favorite books is Guerrillas of Grace by Ted Loder.  His prayers in the book on so many days get right to the heart of what I'm feeling.  Today is no different.  Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday.

How Shall I Pray?

How shall I pray?
Are tears prayers, Lord?
Are screams prayers,
or groans
or sighs
or curses?

Can trembling hands be lifted to you,
or clenched fists
or the cold sweat that trickles down my back
or the cramps that knot my stomach?

Will you accept my prayers, Lord,
my real prayers,
rooted in the muck and mud and rock of my life,
and not just my pretty, cut-flower, gracefully arranged
bouquet of words?
Will you accept me, Lord,
as I really am,
messed up mixture of glory and grime?

Lord, Help me!
Help me to trust that you do accept me as I am,
that I may be done with self-condemnation
and self-pity,
and accept myself.
Help me to accept you as you are, Lord:
mysterious,
hidden,
strange,
unknowable;

and yet to trust
that your madness is wiser
than my timid, self-seeking sanities,
and that nothing you've ever done
has really been possible
so I may dare to be a little mad, too.

Ted Loder

{A Run-of-the-mill Sinner}

Are you a run-of-the-mill sinner? Am I?

Reading from Luke 6:31-34 (The Message)...

"Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that's charity? The stingiest of pawn-brokers does that."

I did ask myself what I want people to do for me. I came up with this...I want them to be my friend. Even if they don't think I'm worthy of their friendship...or not good enough...young enough....wealthy enough...driving the right kind of car...living in the right neighborhood...just enough.

When I turn it around I realize sometimes I'm not reaching out to people for much of the same reason that I feel that I'm not reached out to by others. Maybe they aren't who I would think of when I think of someone that I could be friends with. It doesn't seem like we would have anything in common. Yes, I'm real and not perfect...I'm laying it out here today. What happens then is that I miss out on friendships that would probably enrich my life. The same way I feel that I would probably enrich others lives when don't reach out to me.

Luke 6:35-36 (The Message)...
"I tell you, love your enemies (or people who act they are too good for you). Help and give without expecting a return. You'll never--I promise-- regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst. Our Father is kind, you be kind".

I hope you enjoy your Sunday and spend a little timing reaching out to others this week. I'll be working on this in my own life.

**photos taken today from my back deck and taken with my iPad.

Garlic Infused Honey {A Cold & Cough Remedy}

I have always steered away from over the counter medication when I'm fighting a cold or sore throat. Most of the time I will take large amounts of vitamin C (3000-5000 mg at the first sign of a cold) and I use home-remedies, teas and natural substances as much as possible. I will resort to OTC medications and antibiotics if necessary, though. This remedy is a new one to me and I decided to try it this past weekend.

I really liked the idea of doing this since I had the garlic and the honey on hand. Garlic is supposed to be a natural immune booster and raw honey is also supposed to be very good for you. The two combined should be a winning home-remedy. I only made a small amount to begin with since my honey supply was low. I will be making a larger quantity this week. Have you made this at your house? How did it work for you?

Here is the recipe:

Garlic Infused Honey

Ingredients:
24 cloves of garlic
Raw Honey

Directions:
Place peeled garlic in a jar and pour honey over the the cloves. Store in a jar for several days until cloves are infused with the honey. Keep in your refrigerator.

At the first sign of a cold or sore throat eat a clove every hour or two for a couple of days. Aim for 6 cloves per day. You can also take the honey on it's own as a cough syrup. A teaspoon of the honey with apple cider vinegar and hot water will make a good "wellness" tea. Add a dash of cayenne pepper to help clear your sinuses.

I hope you are all staying healthy this winter and if you try this please post here on the blog your experiences with it.

Have a great Monday,

Quiet Sunday {Psalm 66:1-2}

I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!