El Roi

Been a hard week here. It's at times like this I cry out, "Father, what do you want from me? What I am to do now? " I listen in the silence for an answer. That voice in the stillness...

I try to rationalize life. Maybe now? Maybe this is why? It was because.. For sure now.....
But rationalizing gets you nowhere. You end up on the same road stuck at the beginning. Your feet haven't moved.

I listen to the stories of old. Of faithful men & women. Comparing their lives to mine. Trying to understand. To find the answers to those questions my heart is full of.

And today I read words that resonate deep within me.......they bounce off the corners of my mind.....ring with Truth.

".......those who limp know how to see." (Ann Voskamp- One Thousand Gifts)

Those with wounds can truly see. We have wrestled with life & pain. We have walked a road riddled with trials.....we limp just as Jacob of old after wrestling with the Father.  But now we can SEE.

Glory.  His name.

And so I continue to ask my questions.....I lay them at the cross where all my answers can be found.  And if I seek Father promises me I will find..  I will find Him.. the Answer.

El Roi ~ The God who sees.....the One Who sees me..    

Homeschooling..

I did have a separate homeschool blog but for time's sake I am going to use LivinginLilliput for daily life and homeschooling. When life is so busy doing those things that save time is a plus. :)

Gabriellia & Quentin have been studying the Pilgrims and Early American History, while Micah is reading Robert Fulton and notebooking each chapter as are Gabby & Quentin.

These 3 are also Lapbooking which they really enjoy. We just finished a Lapbook on Earthquakes & this week began a new one on Rocks & Minerals.

There is always the wonderful sound of music in our home! Zeke, Micah & Josiah are taking lessons to become better equipped to play glorious music that makes its way to the Father's ears!

We also do alot of baking and cooking. My children have days during the week that they cook our supper meal. My younger children love to make goodies and you can often find them in the kitchen working on cookies and the like!

More to come...

Lately..

Alot of things happening in our home. We keep pretty busy!
Here are just a few...

Daddy has been making the kiddos yummy treats on the weekends. He uses jello to make these and then they go in the freezer.

The kiddos LOVE them!!

My oldest dd decided to try a totally new hairstyle. She looks so cute and it will be nice for those hot summer days coming soon.

At my son's speech therapy earlier this week there was a company selling books and I found these! They are awesome!  

I also found a really neat deck of cards at a garage sale. They are giant size!

The kiddos spend many hours playing with them!

Today baby boy was too quiet. I found him with the raisin container. His chubby little arm had gotten stuck when he tried to fish out some raisins.  

I love this sweet cutie pants!

Sabbath Supper; Healthy & Good!

In my effort to eat healthy I have created some yummy and easy recipes. This past Sabbath supper I decided to make Stuffed Red Peppers.
I used onion, garlic, canned diced tomatoes, basil, sea salt & fresh parsley-to spice the lean ground turkey.

 I also added fresh zucchini.

I sliced the red peppers in half and put them into a glass casserole dish.

Once the turkey was done and the seasonings had time to flavor the meat I then spooned the meat mixture into the red pepper halves. Then into the oven for 30 minutes.
Along with the stuffed peppers I made brown rice & Sesame Stir-Braised Kale. We also took a jar of canned Chow Chow out of the pantry & my dd Morgan-Britney made Challah.

It was a delicious Shabbat meal!

And to be environmentally conscious we ate on paper plates meant for the compost!

Long overdo pictures!!

Wouldn't you say it's time for some pictures?? Well, I certainly would! So let's go!

 My baby boy: KianAdley..He is such a cutie pie!!

 JaidenNoah (4) My sweet little man.

 Micah & Gabriellia working so hard on school work.

 KianAdley..his silly smile..

 JaidenNoah on the trampoline..

ZaraLayna..see what the trampoline does to her hair!?

 Morgan-Britney on the trampoline

 Quentin

 My 3 girls: Morgan-Britney, ZaraLayna & Gabriellia

My little guys..Isaac with KianAdley on his back, JaidenNoah on Micah & Quentin

Josiah

Zechariah

Isaac & ZaraLayna inside the big cardboard box they turned into a fort.

My sweet man & Mo..they are silly!

I LOVE my family!!! I feel so blessed!!!

Let Go

Father ~

Amen.

the lyrics tell the story...

I feel..well, these songs say it so much better than I can..

Everyday's Choice!

Today is not a good day. I am feeling sorry for myself. I have come a little ways in my thinking. I can admit it. I can admit to having a temper tantrum directed at the Father. I can admit to being angry at Him. 


I have a choice everyday. I can choose to be dependent on Him or I can choose self pity, anger, giving up and perhaps walking away. 


Very rarely, at least for me, life goes exactly as I picture it. Most often my plans end up being discarded. My days don't fit the detailed itinerary I have wanted for them. My life doesn't go according to plan. My prayers, as seems to be happening lately float somewhere in space and the exact opposite of what I asked for is given. 


My first inclination is to throw my hands up in the air and give up. My second is to get angry and yell, (yes I did do a bit of that this morning). My 3rd choice? Dependence on Father to guide me through my disappointment, hurt, anger, grumpiness, frustration, etc.. To surrender my ways to His ways and boy, does that never get old! This is what is constant in life isn't it? Choosing Him and His plan?    


So today as I realized I am finally willing to choose Him; of course after my self pity, anger, wanting to give up, frustration, etc..Father gives me these verses. 

 ²⁴Up to this time you have not asked a [single] thing in My Name [as ^[b]presenting all that I AM]; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete. ~ John 16:24 (Amplified)


¹⁷Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly] ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:17


Now to fully understand just how wonderful our Father is you would have to know that this morning during my moments of anger, frustration, self pity, (sounds like a fit, doesn't it?) I said out loud, mind you, that I wasn't going to pray anymore about this certain thing. And what good could it possibly be doing??


Yes, it's true I said that!  


Those scripture verses were Father's answer plain as day! Couldn't have been any plainer even if He had sent a lightening bolt along with them!


Did I ever doubt He is hearing me or my prayers?? Well, obviously I did. Do you see the smile on His face?  


BLESSINGS by Laura Story- 

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights 
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights 
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise