A Sister's Gift

When we have birthday parties, they are rather simple affairs... no big parties here. We love each other and we like to spend time together, but we don't make things too elaborate. The birthday person chooses the meal, dessert and activity for the evening and we all give gifts. We don't spend a lot of money... but sometimes we buy gifts or make them. I encourage thoughtfulness and discourage throwing a lot of money at gifts.

Many times, the kids will ask if I have something they can buy from me for a sibling...like when the boys are stumped for a "girl" gift.... or when someone just doesn't know what to give. I try to watch at garage sales for special little gifts to have on hand.

I like that they care about giving each other something... the gift is not the important thing, but the love behind it is.... and the gift is fun too. :) 

Well, this son's birthday came at a super busy time... several had been sick, I was really weak and tired, etc.  My older daughter helped make the meal.. and I made the dessert. When we came to the opening of the gifts that night, this was a gift I had not seen or heard anything about. I was so surprised over this gift... and my heart was touched.  It was from our youngest daughter to one of her brothers who loves to play with the oldest brother's dog... Sherlock.

 I questioned her as to who helped her make this... no one did. I felt proud of her... and also sad that I had been too busy to help her.

I asked how she had done this... she found a board in the garage that was the right size.. and drew a picture on it.  She used a slotted screw driver to push into the wood to form the picture and then painted it... with markers. :)

She somehow made this hole in the back and it really will hold the picture on the wall... she has it deeper up inside the top, so that a screw or nail will nest up in there and stay secure. I am amazed that she figured this all out on her own. We are a family who does a lot of projects, but she has never done anything like this... or even worked in the garage. In fact, I would have said she would be unable to do it, if I had been asked.

I was so pleased with her initiative to go ahead and do something on her own, but as I said, I also feel so sad not to have been available to help her... or direct a brother to help her.  She is learning traits that I want her to learn... and she certainly put herself out to do this.  The gift is certainly precious to me... she really surprised me. By the way, Sherlock is a black lab... and she did a really good job of making the picture. I didn't even know she could draw this. Sigh. I am thankful that our kids learn what we teach them... and I am glad they take what we teach them.... and learn on their own also. :)

What a blessing to see our children grow and become capable...  Thank you for joining me today. I hope you have a wonderful week. :)

 
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Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls-Wow!

I have a large family and I cook and bake a lot. I also do a lot of "experimenting" and usually that leads to some new dish or way to cook something that we really like. There have been those that were not so successful, like the "Coconut Soup" which was an accident.. .the dried coconut from the Amish store looked too much like the mashed potato flakes and I was in a hurry and needed to thicken the soup... I was planning to put mashed potato flakes in and put coconut in instead.
Oh, it was pretty bad. My family valiantly ate it... and even said it wasn't "that" bad, but let me tell you... it was bad and they still tease me about making "Coconut Soup" even though that accident was several years ago. We sure laugh about it now.


This experiment, though turned out much better. I had made homemade apple butter the week before and my mind was conjuring up all different ways to use apple butter. The thought of putting apple butter in cinnamon rolls came that week. So, a few days later I tried it.

 First, I started out with my regular bread dough recipe, which you can find HERE.

Next, I floured the table and scooped the dough out onto it... my dough was not real heavy as I wanted it to be lighter this time... so it was a little bit sticky still.

 I just rolled it out... it doesn't look pretty... and I usually try to keep it more of a rectangular shape, but we had out of town company and I was in a hurry... and this was an experiment, so I just needed to get it done.

Life seems to be so busy here... I keep trying to slow things down, but it isn't working too well. Obviously, I need to work more on this... how nice to have a bit more energy to try something like this, though. :)

 I put butter on... I think the layer of butter was a little lighter than usual. Have you seen the price of butter lately?  Almost $4.00 a pound at Aldi's! We use a lot of butter here, so I am being a little more careful with it. :)

 I put a light sprinkling of white sugar and then a lighter than normal layer of brown sugar.

Here, I have already put a layer of my homemade apple butter on it. Yes, the whole thing does look like a big old bear. :)

I rolled them up.. and it was so messy. I didn't get any pictures of that step, sorry... my hands were a mess and I had already gotten flour on my camera.  Anyway, I rolled it up into one long log and it was so messy... some of the apple butter pushed as I rolled...

 I cut the cinnamon rolls and they flopped over... they were a mess! They didn't even look like regular nicely shaped cinnamon rolls... I was determined not to waste this though, so just put them in the pan. You can see they look a bit strange. I also scraped the excess apple butter off of the table and smeared it on top.

 I figured the family would eat these anyway and I would have to "go back to the drawing board" for any future attempts at making these. They just flopped over and looked awful.

 Here they are set to rise with the loaves of bread.

 I remembered that I had forgotten to put cinnamon inside the rolls. sigh. Why do I try something like this with company, painting decks and everything else going on?

There is cinnamon in the apple butter, but I wanted more, so I sprinkled cinnamon all over the top... then sprinkled cinnamon and sugar also. Hmmm..

 Here they are after rising... they look a bit better, but still not like usual.

This is the pan after baking.....rather messy.

 I made a glaze using powdered sugar, salt, butter and milk and drizzled it on with a fork. The pan of rolls was still warm.

Well, they are looking better! :)

 My daughter cut a cinnamon roll for each person... people can't wait long to try cinnamon rolls at my house and they especially like them warm from the oven. :)  Plus the cinnamon-apple smell had been teasing our taste buds.

They sure weren't pretty, perfectly formed cinnamon rolls.... but they were good! They were REALLY good.

They were very very moist, which we all liked. The tiny bits of apple from the apple butter added a little burst of flavor and the apple flavor was strong enough to be tasted. These really were very good... and so much better than I had expected when they just flopped over and wouldn't stand nicely in the pan.

I kept hearing comments of "These are the BEST cinnamon rolls you've ever made!" and more. They were a total success with the family that was home at the time. When my husband came home and we gave him one... he was very complimentary and was sad I had only made one pan of them. He kept saying, "Oh... these are SO good!"

Will we make these again? Yes, absolutely! In fact, my family keeps asking me to make them again..  SOON. I need to buy more apples (I hope they go on sale.) to make more apple butter... I can tell we will be using the few jars I have already made,  rather quickly.   :) 

Whenever I do one of these posts of some loved food that we had ... but do not have now... the kids groan when they see the pictures on my computer and start asking when we will have it again. I suspect I will be hearing that today... and when I told my husband this morning that I was working on this... he asked when I will be making them again. :)  Thank you for visiting today.... I hope you have a great week and that you can see God's hand of blessing in your life.

You may also enjoy this new post... another wonderful new way to make cinnamon rolls... tested and winning rave reviews in my house. :) 
Apple-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls










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Just A Cup Of Tea....

As I have shared recently in both blogs, my heart has been heavy... so heavy over the state of our world... over the apathy and easy acceptance of evil. My heart is heavy over the sadness, fear and terror many are suffering.... and yet, I am thankful. God has a plan. He is not defeated. Though I don't understand His plan... or even like it sometimes, I know He is trustworthy... He is worthy to be praised.






Yesterday, as I grappled with some heavy heart issues, I got out a pretty tea cup and had a cup of tea. I have two of these cups, but I do not have the saucers, so I used a pretty hand-worked item under the cup and it looked nice. A cup of tea tastes good and also is a bit uplifting. I especially liked the blue reflections in the tea and behind the cup... it just looked pretty.





God encouraged me....and I am thankful. We are so blessed... and I want to keep that in mind and be thankful each and every day. I don't want to take these days for granted. I want to honor Him.

Anyway, I sure enjoyed that cup of tea... it was just a cup of tea... but it was actually even more than that.










It is funny how a simple cup of tea can help me to slow down, to think a bit, and to notice the beauty of a tea cup. Little things like that can help to change our perspective.

I just realized that a cup of tea sounds pretty nice right now. :)  I am choosing to trust God today... I am praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ, who are suffering terribly, and I am going to make this day count.... and I am going to go make a cup of delicious tea.

Thank you for joining me... I hope you are also able to enjoy some tea even as you remember others in prayer.



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Is It Really Just Innocent Fun?

For the past few weeks, I have felt the Lord pushing me....  pushing me to write a post about a difficult subject. I have put it off since I have been busy... and tired.... and there is so much to do....  and a part of me wanted to avoid this. You see, I am new to blogging and have been at it less than a year. My blogs have grown wonderfully well... I have been so blessed by comments from readers... and I am working to make my blogs grow even more. So, writing a post like this means that I may lose readers... I may upset people.... and I don't like to do that for a lot of reasons. After all, my blog name is Gentle Joy.

However, God continues to put a burden on my heart and I want to be obedient. I have prayed much about this and have studied and today, it is time to just get started.

As a Christian woman who wants to honor my Lord, I seek to follow scripture and to teach my children to do the same. I encourage them to follow Him and His ways. I teach them that God hates sin. I teach them that God holds us responsible for our actions and even the thoughts of our heart. Yes, He forgives, but He also expects obedience.... and there is a price for disobedience. All through scripture we see that sin is rebuked, not excused... and sin is dealt with very strongly.

In our culture, the lines are blurred.... good is said to be bad and bad is said to be good.... people call these "gray" areas. I often hear such comments as "My convictions are just different from yours." Sometimes, this is used appropriately, but many times it is used to deflect justified criticism or rebuke. God calls sin sin and He gives us many clues as to what sin is... and how to avoid it, in His Word. Our culture says we can't "judge" and that we are supposed to keep our convictions to ourselves so that we don't offend others. The Bible is disrespected for the most part, so we are expected to keep it quiet and not be too strong in our convictions, since that may be "offensive" to others.

God and Christians have become the target of jokes, ridicule, criticism, disrespect, and hatred. Many Christians try to "win" the lost by softening their own views, and  by giving in a little on issues so as not to offend.  Eventually, "convictions" are not based much on the Bible, but on what is popular.. or what will be accepted... and all this does is to show the lost that there isn't really any strong conviction. Ground continues to be given... parts of the Bible are ignored... or explained away. The standard we are to keep and follow becomes vague with such treatment. Also many Christians rarely read their Bibles. They may listen to a pastor or speaker or they may watch a "Christian" movie and they absorb some Bible talk.... but there is no substitute for reading, studying, knowing and following God's Word.

I am teaching my children that it is not my job to save people; nor is it theirs. Our job is to obey and to tell others of Christ and His Word ... it is up to God to save those who are willing to repent. We are to obey scripture whether we like it or not... whether it is popular or not. It is sad that we will try to manipulate people into heaven and doing so means we really don't have a right understanding of Scripture. The terrible thing is that some people may become convinced they have become Christians when they follow some watered down version of "salvation".... and they remain condemned to a Christ-less eternity, yet are convinced they are "saved" because someone told them they are. We dare NOT do this.

This season is always troubling to me... so much evil is present and is very openly celebrated. It is almost impossible to avoid it, but we do not have to participate in it. Our family has been able to function well as we have trained ourselves to ignore such even though it is all around us.

I have hated the whole death look and obsession with death in our world... and it gets worse each year. I have been greatly saddened over seeing pictures of cute little girls and boys dressed up and painted to look like gruesome specters of death.... and I wonder why anyone would ever want their precious child to look so hideous. I have been horrified over desserts or "fun" treats being shared online - the recipes excitedly passed around and I wonder WHY anyone would be interested in treats that look like severed body parts..... especially Christians... and I feel ashamed of the shame being brought on the name of Christ by such activities among Christians.

Every year the ugliness seems to increase. For many years, babies have been savagely murdered on a regular basis here in our country and throughout the world. This is done to celebrate "choice" and "rights" and it is a child sacrifice in the worship of self. The pictures of these murdered children are sometimes shown to draw attention to the horrible wrong being done and people who share these are strongly criticized as being "insensitive", yet the gruesomeness at this time of year is defended and the ongoing exposure to such hardens hearts more and more.

Years ago, the Romans cheered the violent deaths of Christians while they sat and watched with an endless thirst for blood and more violence. Christians have been hated and have been "fair-game" for attacks for many years. Christians have been torn asunder, their bodies have been burned, they have been killed in vile ways.

 In other countries, Christians are tortured just for being Christians... and this year things have greatly escalated as evil marches onward in the name of what is defended as a "peaceful" religion, yet it is one that wields the sword and induces terror. Unspeakable atrocities are being carried out against our precious brothers and sisters in Christ. Blood is being shed.

In our world, video games are popular.. even ones that show violent deaths and ugliness and the desensitization of our people continues. Violence in schools or workplaces follows and it seems that some people have no conscience at all. Panic sets in as frightened people say that this has to stop... no more bullying... no more school violence, etc. People are only learning what they are being taught.... selfishness is rampant... others are seen as less important... God's Word is ignored when it contradicts personal wishes.

The decorations and treats and the activities are defended as being "all in fun". How can such "fun" be defended as "family friendly".  I have been shocked at the abundance of things offered as party ideas... things that are in poor taste, at best... and things that are exceedingly gruesome. I wonder WHY such horrible "treats" can gain any kind of positive attention... especially from Christians. Why would anyone allow their child to consume fake body parts as part of holiday "fun"(or even to SEE them)? Do they not know that evil people REALLY do this... with REAL body parts? Why would anyone think this is funny? People are REALLY being dismembered, so why is that funny? Such hideous things should not even be spoken of... and I am using the most careful words I can to get my point across without glorifying the ugliness.

There is so much to appreciate about this time of year... fall leaves, changing of the seasons, beautiful colors, bountiful harvests, bonfires, family times and more. Yet, the thing that dominates this time of the year is a celebration of evil. Those who love evil, love this time of year... sin is more tolerated and they say that evil spirits are more active. There is a desire to scare people more and more... costumes are used, terrible displays are glorified and the dark side is prevalent.

The Bible says that bad company corrupts good morals... and such behavior is definitely "bad company".  Even the so-called "innocent" things of halloween have definite bad connotations... you can look them up. The jack-o-lantern is a symbol of a soul lost for all eternity... not so innocent after all. Trick or Treat has had various uses in history... but it all seems to be a form of extortion. One source said the "trick or treat" idea is from a time when evil men went to homes demanding a "treat" and if it wasn't given... the "trick" they gave, was death.
 

I want my children to learn to know and love God... to learn to follow His ways... and in Him is no darkness at all. Whether it is politically correct or not, I want to honor God and follow Him. Being a light in a dark world means more than naming the name of Christ. The light grows dim when evil is mixed with it..... and many are fooling themselves and need to search their hearts to see if they even know Christ as their Savior.

May we learn to evaluate what we think and allow ... in the light of God's Word and may we be courageous enough to eliminate whatever doesn't match up with Scripture. May we make sure our salvation.... and grow in Christ as we follow His Word and His way. May we reject anything that doesn't honor or please Him - no matter what is going on around us in the world. May there be a distinct difference between "Christian" and non Christian practices...

 # halloween  #haunted  #evil  #scary   #wicked   #trickortreat


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Tea On A Chilly Morning

We are in the fall season.... and we haven't turned on the heat yet. Yes, it is a bit chilly, but not too bad. In the house in the mornings lately it has been about 60-65 degrees when we wake up, but we are glad to do without the furnace until we need it. We tend to dress quickly and go to the kitchen for breakfast and warmth.  The warmth comes from the stove being used to heat water, make eggs and from the toaster being used. As we get the day going ...and some days we have the wonderful little heater going in the living room for a bit, we are fine.  We do a lot of our homeschooling in the living room or the adjoining dining room, so taking the chill off in those rooms is all we need.

All night long last night, the winds blew strongly and some drafts were felt... and it was chilly.  Lots of covers on the beds... and a nice warm rice bag (See the post on how to make rice bags here), made things quite cozy while we were in bed. It was so nice to linger in those nice warm covers. :) 

This morning; however, when it was time to leave the bed...  the little heater and a cup of hot tea sure sounded good. :)

My tea cup, (or mug cup! :)  is one of a pair that was given to me by a friend from church. I have had these for several years and I sure enjoy using them.  They are beautiful, a nice reminder of my friend and I really like the cups.

As I have said before, tea tastes so much better in a pretty china cup.... or mug. :)  If I have to, I will use a plastic cup, but that is so rare that it almost never happens. Even when we have gone camping I have taken a china tea cup with me.... and endured the teasing. :)  I did enjoy my tea... or hot cocoa, in it though. I have even taken a more masculine version of a china, stoneware or ceramic mug for my husband and he has enjoyed it.

I would not take these cups camping or stashed in my purse, as these are special and I do not want to break them. I have found cute tea cups at garage sales that are not special to me and though they are pretty, I won't be too upset if they get broken, so those are the ones I take to such functions.  My husband likes a big heavy cup and doesn't mind the thick rim of the cup, but I prefer a smaller rim... a thinner cup... not so thin and delicate that I am afraid to drink from it, but thin enough to feel comfortable drinking from it. 

 The first thing I do in the morning is to have time with the Lord as I read my Bible.... and I do enjoy having a cup of tea as I read sometimes. Other times, I have the tea after I am ready for the day.... regardless, there is usually tea somewhere in my day. As the days get cooler, the hot cups of tea are even more appealing.  After a few days of rain and gloomy skies, the sun is out so brightly this morning and I am enjoying my second cup of tea now.  I hope you have a wonderful day and that your day includes time with God... and maybe even a cup of tea. :) Thank you for visiting my blog today. 

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The View From My Window...

This is the view from the dining room and kitchen.  We live in the city, but our hearts are in the country. For now, we can't afford to move to the country and I am so thankful for where the Lord has us and I enjoy the beauty He gives us right here. I love the view from my windows as I work in the kitchen.  We call our property our "homestead wannabe". This picture is from last year... and this year we have added 4 new built in garden beds.

I love the way the sugar maple leaves and the river birch leaves come together in the yard... and create such a lovely mixture of colors.

Every year, I have to persuade my guys to leave the leaves on the ground for a while. They look so beautiful... but my guys love to get out their big leaf blowers and blow all of the leaves into a big pile, then mow and mulch them. I am thankful they do that... but I don't let them do it right away. :)

When the kids were little, they loved raking "roads" in the leaves and they would walk them, play tag in them,  ride their bikes in them, build pretend cities and more. They had hours and hours of fun playing together and I love it... and it is good for them. I even want them to have fond memories of raking leaves instead of just the high powered blowers doing the job. Don't get me wrong... I am thankful to have my guys use their blowers to clean up the yard... later. :)  First, I want the kids to have time to play in the leaves... and I want us to be able to take pictures of the colorful beauty.

You can see our weather station in this picture... it is on the back deck. We enjoy watching the weather and we like our weather station - we use it for school. The view from inside of the house is so pretty when the leaves are changing. I love how the view changes and how the house seems to glow as it reflects whatever colors the leaves are.... the yellows, oranges and reds make it so uplifting and bright inside of the house. 

I love the reflection of the beautiful fall colors in the cabinet doors - it makes is so much nicer to work inside when I would really like to be outside. :)  

Here are the leaves under the tree... so pretty... and I am guarding them to prevent my guys from cleaning them up. Now, how often does that happen?  It is actually kind of funny that Mom is asking the guys to leave the yard "messy" (in their words!)  :) 

Our trees are not quite to this point yet, and maybe they won't be quite this vibrant this year.... every year is a little different, but it is already so pretty... as we enjoy the spectacular display before the tree go to "sleep" for the winter. This bright burst of color is so appreciated by us.... and so looked forward to.  Even when the yard is messy with the ladder, wheelbarrow and more, the leaves put a coating over all of it and turn the plain into something very special. God seems to do that in so many ways... and I am thankful. I am also thankful that you came to visit my blog today... I hope you are able to enjoy the beauty around you...

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