A cord of three strands

We went to the best wedding I think I've ever been to last night. Our pastor was married to another dear friend of ours. My husband had the honor of being a groomsman and I was a server. This couple is so special to us, and obviously so many others. In fact, there wasn't a local church big enough to hold all their loved ones! They were married in a large community center in the heart of Amish country!

The bride and groom wrote their own vows and made a covenant with God and each other to love and serve God and others. Then, they served communion to each guest who wanted to partake. I know God has big plans for their ministry together, and I was deeply moved by the fact that they began this ministry on their wedding day.

The wedding was typical in many ways, and then different in so many others. I think it was the perfect day that the bride has dreamed of all of her life! It was such an honor and a blessing to be a part of this special day. I look forward to seeing God work in the lives of these two who love God, each other, and others so much!

"A cord of three strands is not easily broken." Ecclesiastes 4:12

Let's Talk: Vinegar!

Vinegar is such a natural and cheap product and I use it for many things. For instance, instead of fabric softener, I pour this into my washing machine for the rinse cycle. At first I was leery and knew I didn't want to walk around smelling like deviled eggs or something. But, it works great! Once the clothes are dry, it leaves no odor behind and it really works. No static cling, just soft, clean-smelling clothes. :-) And if you have stinky clothes, just put some vinegar in with the wash to get the stench out.

I also keep a spray bottle of vinegar and water mix under my sink. It's a natural disinfectant, so I use it to clean out lunchboxes, wipe down counters, etc. My mother-in-law taught me this many, many years ago. In fact, she also makes some great cookies, but you'd never guess the secret ingredient is vinegar.

Vinegar is known to kill mold, mildew, and germs. However, it's not registered as a pesticide, so they cannot make these claims on the bottle. And, unlike most commercial antibacterial cleaners, vinegar is non-toxic!

We've been working on getting some of the chemicals out of our home over the past couple of years. Vinegar has been one change we've made. There are so many more uses for it, and someday I'll share some more.

Any natural things you do in your home you'd like to share?

Free Pancakes!

Who can resist a free plate of pancakes at IHOP? This Tuesday, select IHOP's will offer this deal, in exchange for a donation to the Riley Children's Foundation. To find participating stores click here




Riley Hospital is a cause near and dear to our hearts and we travel there quite often - in fact, tomorrow! If you've never been touched by a miracle at Riley, think of this sweet face as you enjoy your pancakes.

The Trust Fall

Remember back in junior high days when at some point you tried the trust fall with a group? Where you cross your arms and fall, counting on those around you to catch you. The moral of the story is this is what God does for us, in every situation, if we simply trust. I remember being at a youth group lock-in and this happening. I shied away to the side and managed not to participate. Whew... dodged that bullet.

Faith has always come very easy to me. But I'm finding trust, not so much. Of course I say I trust God, and I truly do - to some extent. But there's that part of me that holds on to a bit for myself and tries to solve my problem myself. As if my solution is going to work better than His?? As if He really needs my advice. I'm pretty sure I could drop my voluntary service as adviser to The Great I Am. He doesn't need me worrying, but instead just handing things over for good.

This is a big lesson for me right now. Feeling a bit overwhelmed when I try to hold on to things. I always feel better when I let it go. But then I pick it back up again. Ouch! Why do I do that? I don't want God to be my co-pilot. Those bumper stickers always struck me as odd. If He's the co-pilot he's sitting in the wrong seat!! And He doesn't need a co-pilot anyways.

So, I'm trying to trust. It's a process, but I'm praying for peace as I once-again turn it over and trust.

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Been Awhile

It's been a long time since I've blogged. Part of that was being busy with the humdrum of life, but mostly it was feeling like I had nothing to really say. And who am I saying it to, anyways? No comments left me feeling like I was talking to myself in cyberspace, which is really a weird feeling.

But, I'm back, and hopefully have a bit of purpose to blog about now. I have joined up with Book Sneeze through Thomas Nelson Publishing. I will get to choose a free book, in return for posting about it. I like to read, so I am looking forward to getting free books.

There were only two options for this first round, so I chose the one most suited to me. It's "A Century Turns" by William Bennett. This is the description of the book:

"Author, historian, and educator William J. Bennett examines America’s last two decades.

Twenty years ago, John McCain was serving his second year in the Senate, and Colin Powell had just been promoted to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. There was no Fox News Channel, no American Idol. Saddam Hussein and the Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeni ruled Iraq and Iran, respectively. George W. Bush was the fairly unnoticeable son of the then-president. If you asked someone to “email me,” you would have received a blank stare, and “Amazon” was a forest in South America. Finally, 20 years ago a young man named Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. The two decades from 1988 to 2008 have proved to be some of the most pivotal in America’s history. Based on a lifetime of experience in government and education, William J. Bennett defines the events that shaped American history during the final years of the century."

Sounds pretty interesting and probably right up my alley. I have the rare gift of loving to read non-fiction. My 11 year old is the same way. The librarians at the public library always comment how unusual this is, especially for a child. I say, hey, it comes in handy when playing Trivial Pursuit. Pick me, pick me! I'm full of random knowledge. :-)