Journal ~ Video of kitchen, speaking right, CHEA convention

Hello Sisters!

I'm sitting here nursing a baby in one arm and typing with the other, sounds familiar to many of you I'm sure. Last week we spent many days at the West Coast Believers Convention in Long Beach put on by the Copelands. You can see the entire convention via internet at .

Eric and I both can see areas where we have let things slip and so now we are in the {fun} process of taking things captive, making adjustments in our thinking and speaking. HOW important it is to make sure what we say lines up with what scripture says.

For instance, the scripture says "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." (I believe Jeremiah 29?) So, if this is what the scripture says, then WHY would we speak the opposite? Does God tell us ANYWHERE to speak contrary to His Word? Right away, what comes to my mind, are a couple of people who professed their own coming death by speaking the circumstances, and those who believed they would not (or who believed they would maybe) get their healing. Both camps got it alright, the ones who spoke death got it and the ones who spoke NO healing, sure enough, didn't get healed.

Can someone just speak over and over again "I'm healed, I'm healed" and get healed. I don't think so, not if they are not believing that they really are healed. It's the BELIEVING what His Word says (contrary to circumstances) and just agreeing (confessing) with what He said it ALREADY ours. It's the BELIEVING, WITHOUT A DOUBT that you have received what you asked for, that will bring manifestation into the physical realm. WHEW!!!! The Lord is MIGHTY!!!

I'm doing some praying about direction for our school year, we have been making freezer dinners like crazy and then we eat them all!!!, we have been going to bed late and getting up late which I hate but it seems like that's what happens in the summer! I haven't exercised in 2 weeks for various reasons all of which are excuses but they are good ones! My garden looks beautiful but the fruit is a little mushy from over watering, but I'm not giving up!

The days here in Southern California (Long Beach area) have been AWESOME! Weather has been about 75 degrees during the days with a nice constant gentle ocean breeze. There hasn't been a summer with such perfect weather in the last 5 or more years!

I'm going to be trying to work on my blog, but...it takes me almost forever to learn to do something, so for now things are a little ticky-tacky.

If any of you ladies are going to the CHEA convention, my hubby and I will be there tomorrow night for the Trojan Horse movie at 8pm (which BTW is free!) maybe we can hook up. :)

Blessings,
Shannon :)

Journal ~ Home Happenings

Cream cheese on top, whey falling into pitcher. 18 qt. bread bucket with a little sourdough from the last batch and 6 c. of whey instead of water.

Mikayla who is in charge of dairy products. Here she is making kiefer.

Hello Sisters'

Life is SO good isn't it?

As a believer we can be assured our family is TOTALLY safe under the Shadow of the Most High. (Psalm 91:1, & 10) Do you believe that? Can we know 100% that we will live a LONG and GOOD life? (Psalm 91:16) Maybe, maybe not?? If it's in the bible, we had better act and move in our daily life like we REALLY believe what it says. Our neighbors are watching us, not only our neighbors, but our children. And they will either giggle and roll their eyes when we talk spiritual, or they will nod their head in agreement when we are pressing onto VICTORY in a difficult situation.

I haven't been spending a lot of time in the Word, but I have been spending my evenings in the kitchen. :) I have been making bread, keifer, yogurt, sour cream, and freezer meals all with my girls. Usually they poop out around 8pm and I continue until the work is done. As I wash dishes, stir cooking beans, and stare with satisfaction on my sour cream as it separates from the whey, I pray. I have been praying for my husband and each of my children and for SPECIFIC requests and direction. After I pray for each member I usually sing a song or two. Tonight after the work was done, I opened up my bible to this scripture.

May my prayer be counted as incense before Thee; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering. Psalm 141:2

Pretty cool ay? THE LORD IS ALWAYS GOOD!!!!

Shannon

Some more recent pics...

Sophia Rose 1.5 years

Apron I sewed myself (first real project!)

Camping in Ventura Ca. a few weeks ago

Some Pics...

Bekah and Mikayla doing some late night quilting while Elias looks
on wondering if he should go to sleep or stay up so that he
doesn't miss out on ....... whatever it is 6 yobs think everyone
else will be doing!

I forgot I had a blog! and family picture...

Hello Sisters!

I haven't been here in such a long time, even as I type "sisters" my daughters laughed and said, "Mom, no one even goes to your blog!" O.K., so that maybe true. I don't really have anything to say lately as I have been spending many many months focusing on the physical (recipes, sewing, cleaning the home, gardening, etc...). I'm in a season where I've been spending not so much time digging into His Word, but rather I've had short readings, and have been singing and talking to Him throughout the day. I plan to keep you up on what I've been doing with pictures, but at the present, I can't find my camera cord. I will do that real soon!

I've made a beautiful apron and my garden is huge! Pictures of those to come. :)

Shannon

Journal ~ Joy and Children

Hello Sisters!

Sometimes, I get on here, ready to write and do not know what to say. Do I tell you how pretty my home is? Do I tell you when I sit at my dining room table I can look out at my garden, orange tree, bird feeder/ waterer, and abundant green shrubs? Do I tell you how nicely my daughters keep the home clean? Do I tell you how BLEST I am?

When I begin to write, I don't know what I'm going to say. Usually I sit here for a good 10 minutes thinking, "how can I say that without sounding like I'm bragging?"

But brag I will, because everything I am, everything I have, is ALL BECAUSE OF JESUS, nothing is about me, it is all about Him and is GOODness!

Do I have my "don't want to brag, I'm ticked off, nothing is good in my life moments?" Sure I do, I had one just recently, but I *choose* not to stay down for long. Usually a bad day, is just that, only a day to lick my wounds, (and shame on me for even allowing that!) but I usually re-group at night when the children are asleep. I re-group by going back into the Word and renewing my mind to HIS way of thinking, then I realize how silly I was, THANK Him for His forgiveness and then I'm back on track!

Things are blooming here at our house! One of our apricot trees is just full of sweet, orange, juicy apricots. Just this afternoon my 6 yob grabbed my hand and said, "Mom, you've got to see how GOOD God is! You've got to see what He has done!" He then led me to our apricot tree, told me to close my eyes, and placed a ripe fruit into my hands and told me to eat up. As I was enjoying the fruit and his excitement of God's handiwork, be began to tell me how he had also been praying for our neighbor. Wow! That's what parents want to hear!

Mattias 14 yob, just went out for his "very first" boy's night out without a parent (not sure what to call it.) He went out with the 18 yob neighbor who is a strong believer and they went to the Mighty Ducks Playoff game at the Anaheim Pond. Mattias has his own business mowing lawns so he paid for it all himself.

Hanna 16 yog, who is attending Cerritos College will be singing her own song tomorrow night at their Spring Concert.

I, 38 yog, am working on sewing a beautiful flower print with pockets apron. I bought it because it said, "sew today, wear tonight." So far I've had it almost 3 weeks. I'm a little more than half way finished.

I'm been feeling lots of joy lately, hmmmm, I thought, that's funny because I'm not one to be motivated by feelings (unless the words Starbucks or bookstore are in the topic), anyhow, I have just been THANKFUL that He would allow me to experience these feelings! THANK YOU JESUS! When they come on me, I just stop for a moment, smile, and acknowledge Him and THANK HIM that I can be in the place of JOYFULNESS. There are a few circumstances in my life that don't look to good, but JOY pulls you up to a higher realm and makes light of your concerns. JOY casts ALL your cares on Jesus, lets Him work them out so that we can JOYFULLY, with SMILES enJOY our home, husband and children. :)

THE JOY OF THE LORD, WILL BE MY STRENGTH!

Blessings,
Shannon

Some Spring Pic's

Elias cutting up some old vegs for the compost bucket.

Tender Green Leaf lettuce.

1 of 2 of our Fig trees.

Chicken coop.