So it looks like I have sticks in the dirt and some with jars over them. It just makes me laugh, but it’ll be fun if the Lord causes some plants to grow from them. What do you think? Will it work, or am I just silly?

Filed under: Gardening ]]> http://mrsrachel.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/roses/feed/ 1 Rachel IMG_0688 IMG_3132 http://mrsrachel.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/book-review-feminine-threads/ http://mrsrachel.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/book-review-feminine-threads/#comments Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:34:15 +0000 Rachel http://mrsrachel.wordpress.com/?p=1367 ]]> This is the first book I’ve finished in quite some time. It takes me just a bit longer to read these days. Anyway, I enjoyed reading this history of women in the church by Dana Lynn Severance.

Feminine Threads reads almost like a history textbook, so I don’t think every reader would enjoy it, but I did. I like history, especially church history, and I always want to learn more about women of the faith. So this book’s content appealed to me a lot, even if the writing was more academic than engaging. I learned about a bunch of new women that I’d never heard of before, and about many different historical movements in Christianity. The learning was fun, but my heart was also encouraged to read of these women who loved Jesus and have gone before me.

I was encouraged to read of the steadfast faith of many martyrs, and of the Puritan understanding of the importance of family worship. My desire to stay home with my boys and raise them in the fear of the Lord was strengthened when I read of Victorian women who took their families to new, strange, and dangerous places hoping that the family would testify of the Gospel in cultures where family relationships obviously differed from what the Bible teaches. I live in a godless culture, and by choosing to honor my husband, and stay home to care for my boys, I can testify that I value what God values, that I have been changed by the Gospel from seeking my own way to seeking the good of others. This was a new, and so encouraging, perspective for me on how a Christ-centered family can be a tool for evangelism.

All in all, I’d recommend this book to you if you like history and aren’t daunted by a more factual writing style.

We are praising the Lord today for a lovely rain shower. It started raining during the night, and continues on this morning. What a great blessing after this very dry summer! Luke couldn’t wait to get out in the rain; he had a great time just running and running through the drops. At least one of these pictures is fuzzy; it’s really difficult to get a good picture of a 3-year-old running as hard as he can. Levi and I enjoyed watching and being able to feel the fresh air without getting sweaty.

Luke loves to do “projecks” with me, so this week we’ve had out some fingerpaints. He enjoys mixing the colors and the messiness of using his fingers.

My little man has produced dozens of masterpieces. I’ve really loved seeing what he makes! This is my favorite painting so far.

I was thinking of making homemade fingerpaints, but all the recipes use food coloring. Does anyone know if it will stain after it’s been heated and cooled?

Someone please tell me how that happened! My sweet baby is getting so big! We had his 9 month check up earlier this week. He’s 20 lbs, 13 oz, and 29 inches long. So the Creator is growing him up really well!

Levi is such a happy, sweet, hilarious baby. The Lord adds such joy and gladness to my day through this smiley baby. He’s crawling and cruising along the furniture. He loves to clap and make singing noises. He has discovered books, and likes to eat look at them or be read to.

He loves stuffed animals, and coos and laughs whenever he sees one. Then he tackles it and chomps on it with his six teeth. Everything goes in his mouth, even the crumbs off my never-quite-clean floor. He eats almost everything offered to him, and he’ll eat things he doesn’t really like, even though he makes a terrible face.

Daddy and Luke are still two of his favorite people, and he’s started saying Ma ma and Da da, which is super sweet. He loves to wrestle and play with the guys, but I still get lots of snuggles, too.

We were so blessed to get to spend most of this week with my dad. Luke especially loved spending time with Grandaddy! They read books, played, and washed dishes together. One of my favorite things they did was make up a Grandaddy – Luke language. Hilarious! The first thing Luke did each morning was ask where Grandaddy was. Levi got in on the fun with lots of cuddles and tickles.

I’m so thankful that my boys have such a wise, godly man to learn from and to respect. I’m so grateful to God that we got to have this sweet, unexpected visit with my dad! What a blessing!

You need a 13×13 pan for this recipe, which is not a common size. I haven’t had success when I’ve tried it in a different size pan, but you might be able to adjust the temperature/cooking time, and make it work.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. cocoa
• 1 c. butter
• 2 c. sugar
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 1/2 c. flour, sifted
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 c. chopped pecans (I use 1 cup, and walnuts are okay too)
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter, and stir in cocoa and sugar. Beat eggs in mixing bowl, slightly, add chocolate mixture and beat well. Sift together baking powder, flour, and salt. Add to chocolate mixture and mix well, slowly at first. Add vanilla and nuts and stir in. Bake about 20-30 minutes or until flattened out and firm. Don’t overbake.

Icing

• 2 c. powdered sugar
• 2 rounded Tablespoons cocoa
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• a little milk

Mix dry ingredients well in a small pot. Add milk a little at a time. Make it creamy, but not runny. It does not take much. Melt over heat, stirring constantly. Add vanilla. Spread evenly over brownies while they’re still warm. Let cool as long as you can stand it before eating them!