Iced Coffe {AKA Java Coolers}

Does anyone remember Java Coolers? I think maybe it came out at the beginning of the Iced Coffee Craze. Or maybe Iced Coffee has been in for decades and I just never realized it until I was around 13 when we found our first bottle of Java Coolers at a little Amish Bent and Dent store. Up to then my main coffee experience was drinking Dad's coffee after it got cold when I was...well at least a little younger than 13. {bleh!} 

Anyway, I remember us kids thought Java Coolers was the most awesome drink ever invented. It came in a bottle like Hershey syrup, but it was coffee flavored. And it made us feel really cool to drink it. I tried finding a picture of it but it must be totally outdated, because this is what I found:

Getting back on track...I had totally forgot about it until I found a recipe for an Iced Coffee concentrate Virgil had gotten from someone before we got married. When I drank the first glass I immediately felt like I was 13 again, back on our farm with bare feet in the hot Missouri sun. It was a whole rush of nostalgia, even though it took me a while to figure out why. And then I remembered Java Coolers. And now I'm going to quite rambling and just give you the recipe, in honor of the fact that Summer or at least Spring might be around the corner. :)

Iced Coffee Concentrate

2 cups Boiling Water

1 cup Instant Coffee

1/2 cup Maple/Pancake Syrup

1 cup Sugar

2 teaspoons Vanilla

Just mix it together, put a a tablespoon or 2 in a glass and add milk and ice to taste.

Resurrection Cookies

One of my favorite Easter memories is making Easter Resurrection Cookies. I am so glad Dad and Mom started this tradition with us. It is such a good way to "bring the Easter story home" to little - and not so little - minds. Mom would usually direct the mixing while Dad read the corresponding Bible stories. We can't wait to start making these with our kids when they are old enough!

To make the cookies you will need

• A mixer
• 1 cup of whole pecans
• 1 tsp. vinegar 
• 3 egg whites 
• pinch of salt
• 1 scant cup of sugar
• a gallon zip lock bag
• wooden spoon
• tape
• Bible 

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. 

Put the pecans in the zip lock bag and have your children take turns beating them with a wooden spoon while you read John 19:1-3. Explain how Jesus was arrested and beaten by soldiers.

When Jesus was on the cross he was thirsty, but was only given vinegar to drink. Have each of you children dip their fingers in the vinegar and taste it while you read John 19:28-30. Put the vinegar in the mixing bowl.

Eggs represent life. Jesus gave his life so we can have eternal life. Read John 10:10-11 and add the egg whites to the vinegar. 

Salt represents the bitterness of our sin and the tears of Jesus's followers when He was crucified. Let each of your children taste the salt before you add it to the bowl. Read Luke 23:27.

The sweet part of the story is that Jesus died for our sins so we can have eternal LIFE with Him! Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16 and add the sugar. 

Beat the egg whites on high until peaks form, about 12-15 minutes. Just like the beaten egg whites are pure white, our hearts are white in the sight of God because Jesus has cleansed us from sin. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold the pecans in by hand.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Each mound represents the rocky tomb were Jesus was buried. Read Matthew 27:57-60. 

Put the cookies in the oven and turn it off. Seal the oven door with tape, just like the tomb was sealed. We used to put so much tape on we had to cut it open. But one small piece of tape for each person works just as good. :) Read Matthew 27:65-66. 

Now go to bed! It is sad to leave the cookies in the oven all night - Jesus' followers were so sad when he was killed! Read John 16:20 & 22.

In the morning open the oven and give everyone a cookie. When they take a bite and see that they are hollow inside talk about the empty tomb. The friends of Jesus were amazed to discover Jesus is alive!! Read Matthew 28:1-9. 

Share the cookies with friends and have your children share their meaning with kids if they are old enough.

Jesus is alive!!!

The Modesty Debate

The modesty debate. It rages on and on around us with endless variations and bunny trails. Dresses. Skirts. Jeans. Leggings. Mini skirts. Tank tops. Yoga pants. Cleavage. Don't offend. Not my problem. Don't judge me. You're causing lust. And on and on and on it goes.

Can I just say I don't think it's about jeans or tank tops or the length of your skirt? It is about Jesus. What if we would quit applying men's opinions to our lives and just look at what the Bible says? I think there are 2 main questions we need to answer in a completely honest way and the debate could disappear.

1. What does "modest" mean?
2. Who am I glorifying/dressing for?

What does "modest" mean?

"And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes." 1 Timothy 2:9

Modest: unassuming or moderate in the estimation of one's abilities or achievements; free from vanity, egotism, boastfulness, or great pretensions.

If we put together the Bible command for modesty and the dictionary definition I think we can reasonably say that modesty is dressing in a simple, unassuming way that doesn't draw attention to ourselves - in an egotistical, look at me sort of way.

Who am I glorifying/dressing for?

I think maybe this question alone could answer the modesty debate. I personally don't like the "keep our brothers from lusting" argument. It is putting the focus on people. If we keep the focus on God the rest will fall in line. If a girl would ask herself in a brutally honest way why she chose to wear whatever she put on, then immodesty in the church just might disappear. 

Girls, we are the bride of a King!! The bride of an almighty God who died an agonizing death, with our sin on his shoulders. Shouldn't we always be conscious of this when we go in public? When you get dressed to go shopping you can choose to dress for man's glory and satisfaction or God's glory and praise. It's actually a pretty simple choice.

What will you choose?

DIY Fleece Sleeping Bag

A couple weeks ago I told some friends it would drive me crazy to do a diy blog because I wouldn't want to take the time to take all the pictures. So I don't know why I got inspired to do this post. But I did. And when I got started it was actually a lot of fun! I don't always have a lot of time for all the projects I want to do, but having one of my wonderful sisters around for a few days helps  lot! :)

I had seen this idea for a doll sleeping bag and just converted it to toddler/child size. So, here goes!

First step, get your fleece. I got 2 yards, 21 inches of my main fabric. {Because that's all there was. I was going for 3 yards. But I got the 21 inches half off of fleece that was already 60% off so I didn't complain. :) } I got 1 yard and 20 inches of the accent fabric. {for the same reason}

I was delighted to find some hedgehog fleece, because I think they're adorable and because Jakki loves all little forest animals. The only stories she tells are about bunnies and squirrels. They usually sound like this: "Bunny! Squirrel! Squirrel is sad! Him got an ouie. He fell off the train. Bunny fall of too. Squirrel is crying. Sorry squirrel." or "Bunny! Squirrel! Squirrel is playing. It's up in tree. Him is at Grammi's house. At the stream! I want to see him."

Anyway. I was happy to find this fleece because she is also fascinated with porcupines. :)

Next get a scissors  {the sharper the better!} and something to measure with and turn on some awesome music.

Trim off the white edges, because it will just look better.

Cut your accent fleece 40"x60" I used chalk to mark all my measurements.

Cut 2 pieces of your main color in the some size. I did mine on a fold to make it easier. You should have 3 separate pieces of fleece, each 40"x60".

Lay one of your main color pieces right side down. Place the accent piece right side up on top of it. The put your second main color piece right side up on top of that. Make sure it is all even on the edges.

Fold the top piece down about 14".

 Now you're ready to start cutting! I cut the tassels 5" deep. Start by cutting a 5" square out of the corners.

I didn't measure for the width of the tassels. They were about 1/2"-1" each. They don't have to be perfect. As long as they are within half an inch of each other I don't think you notice the difference.

Try to make sure the edge pieces come out the size of a full tassel. It just looks  little neater I think. I did use chalk to mark 5" all the way round to keep it uniform.

This is what it should look like when you're finished cutting.

Now for the fun part! Separate the tassels {there will be 2 at the the top part of the sleeping bag, 4 at the fold and 3 around the bottom half}

Tie them in a knot, like you're beginning to tie your shoe. Tie a knot on top of that. You want it snug, but not to tight or it will change the shape of the whole sleeping bag.

Continue around the whole sleeping bag. When there is just 3 tassels hold 2 in one hand and one in the other to tie the knots. When there is 4 you will hold 2 in each hand. {Obviously ;) }

And you're finished! I was hoping to have enough left over to make a pillow too, but I have just enough for a scarf or 2 for Jakki.

Jakki is absolutely delighted with her sleeping bag. I think it will be perfect for weekend trips to Papa and Grammi's to visit the squirrel that lives in the tree and plays in the stream with his bunny friend, when they're not falling off of trains. :D

A Cup of Water

I have been reading a lot of "weary Mom" blog posts lately. They are so good.

They are so...true. Mommy work is never done. Mommies are tired, because they are super-vigilant. Mommies don't hear very many {unprompted} "Thank you's" Stay-at-home Mommies don't get very much credit from the world. Some Mommies don't get very much support from friends, parents or even their husbands. A Mommy house is often cluttered with toys, laundry and dishes. Freezer meal boxes lay out on the counter all day. 

Exhaustion. Should I even go there? Being a Mommy is exhausting.

 But the good news is: We are needed. We are loved. We are important. So important. We are shaping little lives that will shape the future. Our little tiny people we work so hard to teach and train and love are the future.

All these blogs are such a balm to my heart and soul. They give me the strength to keep going and going and going. And going.

But...I do think there is something missing in them. Do you know the real reason our work is so important?

We work, not just for our husbands. Not just for our children. Not just for the future.

We work for Jesus.

Jesus said "If you give a cup of cold water in My name, you are doing it for ME." The cups of water we give to our children are countless. And that is only a tiny part of being a Mommy.

I believe every thing we do for our children, through the love of Jesus, is being done to Him. We are serving Jesus every day of our lives, every minute of our day, when we care for our children. Perhaps even when we wash their faces and put lotion on soft, baby skin it is a reflection of Mary, washing Jesus' feet and anointing him with oil. Is that too radical of a statement? I don't think so. Children are so close to the heart of Jesus.

Mommies...It doesn't get any better than that. There is so much joy and purpose in this wonderful journey.

So go...give your children ever ounce of love and strength that you have today, because you are doing it for Jesus!

It's Ok To Be THAT Mom.

I just want to take a shower in peace. Before the sentence had even fully formed in mind I was trying to erase it. "No! Don't think that! Don't be that Mom." 

Because when I used to hear Mom's say that I would think "But being a Mom is a calling - a very special calling - from God himself! How can you think you need a break from it? Why aren't you just enjoying every second of it?" I determined in my heart I would never allow myself to start thinking that way.

So I purposed to enjoy ever bit of Mommyhood. I enjoyed deciding what to feed the kids. I enjoyed picking out their clothes. I enjoyed making sure they got their vitamins. I enjoyed singing with them. I enjoyed teaching Jakki how to do little chores. I smiled when I cleaned up a mess because I know I am lucky to have children and be able to take care of them all day long. I smiled when they interrupted my work and my "me" time. And I even smiled when little voices called through the shower curtain. 

I love being a Mommy. So why would that thought find it's way into my mind? I didn't like it. It made me feel guilty. It made me feel like a bad Mom. It made me feel selfish. 

But then in the midst of all the guilty feelings I felt God telling me that it's ok for Mommy's to want a little time to refuel. It means that we are functioning just like we're supposed to. We are pouring our heart and soul into these little people. Just like a car needs to refuel after a while, so we need to stop and refresh ourselves every now and then. We need to take some time to rest our mind and let God refill our love tank to pour out again. 

So Mommies, tomorrow...

Cuddle your little ones when they wake up.

Feed them breakfast.

Comb hair, find clothes.

Read books.

Wash dishes.

Clean the floor.

Play peek-a-boo.

Fold another load of laundry.

Make lunch.

Fix another bottle.

Plan supper.

Color another picture in the coloring book.

Read another story.

Sing another song.

And lots more in between.

And if you need 30 minutes to take a long hot shower every now and then after Daddy comes in, savor it. Don't feel guilty. Open yourself up to rest and peace from Jesus and let Him fill you up to do it again. It's ok to be that Mom. <3

My Favorite Books

I love books. I absolutely adore a good story. True stories, fictional history and a good medieval type tale are some of my favorites. I can get so wrapped up in a book I'm reading that when I glance out the window after a story I'm surprised to not see snow on the ground if the book was about Christmas. I have almost had to look twice when I look out and see the highway full of cars after reading a story from a couple hundred years ago.

Books have done so much to inspire me and help me grow and change in my personal life. I never like to not be in the middle of some good read. So I thought I would share some of my favorite books here and I hope everyone that read this will share their favorite books in a comment so that I can have some new books to look up. :) 

Here are a few of my favorites {in no particular order} and why I like them. I hope you will find some new books for these rainy fall days!

The War for Mansoul: 
I think some of the best books are old books, and this one has been around for a very long time! It was originally written by John Bunyan and called "The Holy War" It has been rewritten by Ethel Barret and is absolutely wonderful! It is an allegory of the battle for our souls in the spiritual realm. "Mansoul" is a town portraying man and is run by Lord Mayor Understanding with the help of Will be Will and Lord Conscience. The story is intriguing, convicting, eye-opening and humorous. It's a very easy read and would be a great book to read to your kids.

The Kingdom Series and the Knights of Arrethtrae Series: 
Knights, ladies, evil lords and a call to take up arms for the King of Kings! These series are amazing. The Kingdom Series is an allegory of the Bible and the Knights of Arrethtrae is a series of allegories pertaining to the Christian life and the battle between the angels of light and the angels of darkness.  The Knights of Arrethtrae are definitely my favorite of the two as they are easy to apply to my personal life. The best part of these books...they're fully dramatized. Perfect for road trips!

Stepping Heavenward: 
This is another old book, written by Elizabeth Prentiss. Stepping Heavenward is the journal of a young girl and it chronicles her struggle to make Jesus the center of her life in a very real way. It has had me crying through one journal entry and laughing at the next. The author "Kate" is very obviously an outgoing "sanguine" person and her ups and downs with friends, family, marriage and children are so true to life. I have lost count of how many times I have read this. I may or may not have claimed Mom's copy of it. ;)

The Jerusalem Chronicles: 
I don't like a lot of the Biblical novels that are out there, but I do love the ones by Bodie and Brock Thoene. The Jerusalem Chronicles is a new series they are working on, with only 2 books out so far. I have only read the first one When Jesus Wept. They portray all the characters in such a real way, not nearly as stereotypical as many Bible novels are. They also have a series out called "A.D. Chronicles" and I love those, but there is a lot more gruesome details in those books and they can be a little bit hard to read.

Kisses From Katie:
If you want to read about someone applying themselves to Jesus in a very real way read this book. It is written in such a captivating way and the author makes herself very vulnerable in a sweet way by sharing bits of her actual journal at the end of every chapter. Katie Davis gave up her entire life for the African people while she was still a teenager. One of my favorite parts is how she was in the process of adopting 13 girls by the time she was 21. This book is popular right now for a reason!

Safely Home:
This is a very well written novel about Christians in modern day China. It's a very hard book to put down! Ben Fielding and Li Quan were college roommates in the States. Ben was the strong Christian and Quan the atheistic skeptic. 20 years later they reunite in China and find their roles have switched. Ben quickly learns that things in the large oriental country are not as they seem on the surface.

When A Man's A Man:
I love this book! Harold Bell Wright is one of my all-time favorite authors. This is the story of a mysterious and determined "greenhorn" {Patches} who becomes an all around cowboy on a ranch and learns what it means to be a true man on the way. If you like the wild west, suspense and interesting characters you will love this book! 

So here are 7 of my favorites books and series. My top 10 books list switches around quite a bit but these books have always been on it. Now, your turn to share your favorites with me! :)