Fall Pumpkin Muffins

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For those of you who have never been to New England in the fall, you're missing out. All around us, the world bursts forth with color in a stunning visual symphony.  Every year at this time, as we begin to feel that fall crispness in the air, certain things get set in motion. First, the familiar smell of wood burning begins to come from chimneys as local homes are warmed within. Things like summer decor and patio furniture are being put away and homes are being decorated with pumpkins and cornstalks. Lawnmowers are put away and snowblowers are being tuned up.

But the very best part of fall in New England is the food. Around this time I start craving all those hearty fall recipes; beef stew, apple pie and pumpkin flavored anything. So this morning I made one of my favorite fall recipes: Fall Pumpkin Muffins. These are delicious! 

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Whenever I bake, I double or triple the recipe. I do that for a few reasons; first, there are six of us, and because if I am going to bake, it doesn't take any more time to make a bigger batch and then I have some to put in the freezer or for us to eat later or the following day (they don't usually make it to the freezer).

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Fall Pumpkin Muffins

1  2/3 Cup Flour

1/2 Cup Sugar

1  3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 large eggs

1 Cup Pumpkin

1/2 Cup melted butter

1 Tbs. grated lemon peel

Add some mix ins:  1 Cup Walnuts - chopped,  1/2 Cup Raisins, 1/2 Cup Chopped Cranberries, etc. 

Grease Muffin cups. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together all dry ingredients in bowl. In separate bowl whisk the eggs then whisk in the pumpkin and the melted butte and the lemon peel. Stir in the dry ingredients and the mix ins.  Spoon into muffin tins and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. 

Now, I must admit I don't make anything like the original recipe says. The above recipe is the muffins as I make them. The original recipe called for 1 cup of sugar, but in an effort to keep my family eating better, I reduce the sugar in anything I bake by at least half, and I don't use white sugar but usually use evaporated cane juice crystals or other raw type of sugar. Also, for the mix ins, you can use what ever you want. Today I used chopped cranberries because it's what I had on hand, you can omit the grated lemon peel if you don't have any handy. If there is something you are trying to sneak in to your family's diet, this is a great recipe for that, you can add things like sunflower seeds, flax seeds, or other things. Make these tomorrow, your family will be glad you did, if you do, let me know how you made them and how your family liked them.

 

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Go Have Fun! Scripture Says To!

Yesterday we took the day off to go to the Fryeburg fair. Yup, smack dab in the midst of a work and school week, we took the day off and went to the fair...and wow did we need it.

 

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fair 2

As a result of taking the day off, I woke this morning ready to face another work and school day head on (although my feet sure were tired last night). Do you ever go through times when all of a sudden you realize you just have to take a break from the routine of life or you're going to snap. I know I've taken breaks before, or a vacation and only in the midst of it do I then realize how badly I needed it.  Things can get overwhelming if we never take time to slow down and enjoy life.  No matter what your work is; whether a job, housework, or dare we say, even ministry, it is easy to get totally consumed with work. As I mentioned in another post (here), we can get so consumed with work we neglect quiet time with the Lord,

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 but the other thing we can neglect is just slowing down enough to enjoy life and the people around us. Do you know scripture speaks on just this subject?

"So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under then sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun."  Ecclesiastes 8:15

Who doesn't enjoy eating and drinking and being merry? In fact this verse says there is nothing better under the sun, but as I was reading this verse today one other part stood out to me; "for this will remain with him in his labor". I thought, "what does that mean?" Then I thought, I think I just experienced what that means. I worked hard, as scripture encourages, then we took time off and enjoyed life and enjoyed each other, as scripture encourages. Then when I got up the next morning, I was ready to face more work because the time of rest "remained with me in my labor" just  as this passage says. I think God knew how we would tend to work and work and work and then burn out, so He, in His wisdom put in scripture a reminder for us to take time to enjoy life; "a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink and be merry" then He added, a note telling us if we enjoy life, we would be able to face the next work week because we would be refreshed, "it would remain with us in our labor".

 

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fair 1

Do you know what being "merry" is...it's having fun, enjoying life, or as Merriam Webster says "being happy and cheerful".  So go take some time to do that. Go take time to have fun, play and be merry, and do it with those you love, those blessings the Lord has put in your life, and do it today. 

 

Free: 31 Days of Journaling Through Scripture

Are you looking for faith based journaling prompts? .

We have a new downloadable PDF available for free called: "31 Days of Journaling Through Scripture".  This download is perfect if you need something to help keep your journaling focused on the Word of God. Each day you will be given one key word and an accompanying scripture. In addition you will be given instructions on what to write about. Each day you will be guided in your journaling with prompts which will

  • build your faith
  • fill you with praise for the Lord
  • challenge you to confess things to the Lord
  • and more.

As an example this is day #7 journal prompt from the download:

 "Caring: Philippians 2:4 “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”  Today make a list and write about all the people who come to mind for whom you could do a caring act. But remember, a list is no good without action following the creation of the list."

If you want to spend 1 month journaling through scripture,  "31 Days of Journaling Through Scripture" is just the thing, download and enjoy.

Also: As this is our original content, please feel free to post information regarding this on your own blog or website, however, please link back here for the download. Thanks so much.

You are Loved...Just as You Are

You are truly, deeply loved, really. Why do we all have this desire to be someone else or to have what someone else has? If we are to be honest, I think we all have a current "I wish..."?  I wish I was thinner? I wish I was prettier? I wish my skin was more flawless? I wish I wasn't divorced? I wish I was better at...? I wish...I wish...I wish.... The other day I was talking with a pastor friend of ours and in talking about another pastor he said "I wish I could preach like him.". I immediately stopped him and told him, that was the other pastors style, and God gave him his own style. I've been spending a lot of time lately thinking about this desire so many of us have because it is the topic and one of the reasons behind the study we are currently putting together called "Because Liada".  So here's what I want you to know, you are loved for who you are right now today. And from the lyrics from an awesome song by JJ Heller "not for what you have done or for what you'll become". You are loved for you, just as you are at this very moment even if who you are right now is...fallen, sinful, overweight, divorced, depressed, lonely, etc. I'm not saying we need to settle in to where we're at and stay there because it is always good to work towards being the best we can be. But we need to learn to be the best of ourselves, not of someone else. We need to learn to love ourselves just where we are today because Christ is not waiting till you lose weight to love you. He did not wait to die on the cross for you till you accomplished something great.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35-39 NKJV

Isn't it incredible what we do to ourselves? We try to separate ourselves from the love of Christ by thinking we are unlovable when He has said nothing can separate us from that love. We think He would not want us and we are unforgiveable when He has said He has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west.  So if you are doubting your worth, if you are feeling unloved, lonely, unbeautiful, etc. focus on Him who loves you without end, who's love fails not and who loves you today...just the way you are.

Plum Bars...oh my deliciousness!

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My kids made these today and oh my are they good. We took a recipe and tweaked it to use ingredients we had on hand, they came out awesome. We used plum jelly because it's what we had but they would be equally as delicious with raspberry jam or whatever jam you have on hand. 1 1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

2 cups ground almonds

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup of your favorite preserves

Cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Beat in egg. In separate bowl mix flour, ground almonds and cinnamon. Gradually beat dry into creamed mixture.

Press approx 2/3 of mixture into bottom of greased 13 x 9" pan. Spread preserves over dough. Crumble remaining dough over preserves.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes or till browned slightly on top.

Cool completely and cut into bars.

Are You Listening? God's Whispering.

As you know ...life is busy, it really is, and the more 'advanced' we get as a society, the less time we seem to have. When we do have some time, we go and fill it with more busyness, work will expand to fill whatever time we give it. Amidst all that busyness, below the hubbub of our days, if we take the time to listen, there is God whispering to us. Whispering, why does He whisper?  I mean, if God would shout at us as we keep working, it would certainly save time and we could accomplish just as much for Him as when we slow down and take time listening for His whisperings, couldn't we?  Well, thats doubtful, and God knows it. I'm not saying God never shouts to get our attention because there are times He definitely does just that. And I'm not saying it's impossible to spend time with the Lord while we work, because I've definitely done that too. However, we all need to be spending quiet time listening for the whisperings of the Lord. Scripture reveals many ways in which God communicates with His people, whispering is just one of them, so what's so special about a whisper?  The depth of your relationship is often discovered in whisperings because the whisperings are the easiest to miss.

In 1Kings 19: 1-14 is the story of Elijah hiding in a cave from Jezebel who was seeking to kill him. God sends a very strong wind which broke the rocks, an earthquake, and a fire but the passage says "God was not in them". All these things were followed by a whisper from the Lord, and Elijah heard it. Again, as I read this I wondered, why a whisper? As I compare this passage to my life, I know in times of busyness if God sent an earthquake...I'd notice, if He sent a fire (which He did at one point in my life), I'd notice that too (and I did). But when He sends a whisper, if not attentive, if too busy filling my days, I could miss it, and that is exactly the point. It's an issue of faith, "Was that You Lord?" "Did I hear You correctly?" I think God wants to find out just how in tune we are to His voice. Just like in the 1 Kings passage, if we can only discern the earthquakes and fires from the Lord and not the sweet whisperings, we can miss out on so much the Lord has in store for us. Elijah was in tune to His voice and God had work for him to do. Elijah had a journey to take and a King and a prophet to annoint.

There is one other thing I notice about this passage, Elijah had distractions going on in his life. First, there was the distraction of running in fear from someone who wanted to kill him, then there was the distraction of natural disasters going on all around him (wind which sounds a lot like a hurricane, earthquake and fire). Unfortunately, it is often during extreme trials in our life, when we let ourselves get so consumed by the trials that we neglect taking time to listen for His voice and yet it is during those times we may need to hear the whisperings the most. God has great and mighty things planned for you, listen for His whisperings. What is He saying to you today?

Lord,

I want to recognize every intonation of your voice.

Every inflection.

Every sigh.

Every whisper.

I want to know you so closely that I can tell by just your voice if you have a smile on your face over something I've done or even...disappointment.

I fail You

Am unworthy.

Yet You're always there-ready for me to come to you.

And yet You do chase after me...

You don't let me go so easily, do you?

That's You're voice isn't it?

If only I was listening.

I do recognize it and heard it over the busy hubbub of my days

But I could have missed it...and kept running.

But I heard, and I'm here, safe in You'r embrace.

Why? Why do you love me?

Why do you forgive me over and over?

You tell me...because I am yours.

Precious.

Even when I feel like a wretch.

Even when I act like a wretch.

Sinner that I am.

Fallen.

But saved.

I Love You, Lover of my Soul.

And I do think I hear a smile in Your voice.

Whisper to me...sweet nothings.

A .75 cent Fall Wreath

ImageToday I made a fall wreath and it cost me a whopping .75 cents. For real just .75 cents. I had found this fall garland at a yard sale for .75 cents, you can still see the price tag on it in the photo. Image I then went off into the woods to find some vines. I pulled some bittersweet vine down out of the trees, it kills all the trees anyways so it's good to get it down out of the them. I twisted the vine into a wreath by tucking all the ends inside each other and wrapping them around each other. Then I spray painted the wreath a nice pumpkiny orange color with paint I had left over from another project. Image

I only did this step because my front door is real dark and vine wreaths don't show up well on it. I thought if I started with a base of orange color, any vine which showed through the leaves and things on the wreath would be orange and add to the color of the wreath instead of disappearing into the door.

Then I used my glue gun to glue on all the pieces which I had cut off of the fall garland. I added about 10 more fall leaves which I had left over from a project from last year, I think I got them in a package at the dollar store.

Then to finish it off, I added a bow made from bailing twine and some orange gingham ribbon I had left over from another project. Isn't it wonderful when you can pretty up you world through frugality?

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Because Liada

Because Liada logo

What does Because Liada mean?  It comes from a quote from Helen Keller who said, "Life is a daring adventure, or nothing at all."  I love that quote and I think it pretty much sums up how God wants us to live this life He has given us. He wants us looking for that wow in every day. He wants us living an abundant, fulfilling life. But He also wants us to move beyond our pasts and be the child of the King He created us to be.  Why? Because Life Is A Daring Adventure, Because Liada.

 Because Liada also is the name of a bible study we are in the process of putting together. It is a creative, bible based, journaling and artistic adventure. I am so excited about this study. Each lesson has a creative project which goes along with it. If you have feelings of inadequacy in regards to your creative or artistic abilities, there is no need to worry, anyone can do these projects, and all instructions will be included. While this study has been fun to  write, it has been even more fun to play with all the art supplies as we work through the lessons and match up the perfect creative project with the bible lesson. This study will challenge  you as you discover the awesome authentic, unique individual God created you to be.

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journal page 4

If you are interested in hearing updates as Because Liada progresses or possibly on being part of the launch team please email us using the form below. We will be looking for a select group of people who are willing to trial run this study and report back to us on the lessons and the art projects etc.

My Wee Girl Graduated

This past weekend we celebrated my daughters graduation with a open house / party. My lovely daughter has been homeschooled her entire life, she is our second child to graduate from homeschool, we have two more to go. So far, each time one of them has graduated the Lord has given me a verse which is significant for them. The bible verse the Lord gave us for her graduation was 1 Sam 7:12 "Then Samuel took a stone, set it up between  Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”  She and I both felt this verse was appropriate for a time of transition in her life and significant as the Lord had helped her to get to this point. Using this verse as the starting point, we went with a rock theme for her party...rock as in rock (stone), not as in rock n roll. My daughter led us on a hike to the woods to a favorite rock formation of hers for a graduation photo shoot...here are a few shots.Image

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Ok, yes I know these are not typical graduation or senior photos, but this kid is not your typical senior. Most of the clothes she is wearing in these photos she made and she pretty much lives her life barefoot.

I used these pictures to create the invitation to her party. For a keepsake for her we collected rocks from the beach and we had the guests write a note on them. I purchased a pretty glass jar for her to keep them in. Image

My aunt told her that her future husband will curse me years down the road when he has to move a jar of rocks every time they move, but I think it makes a nice keepsake.

And of course for favors she wanted to give out what else but....rock candy.

Mixed Media Journal Art Page - I do not remember crayons being this much fun!

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journal page 2

My daughter and I have been having a blast trying out different art techniques. The bible study I am in the process of writing has a different mixed media art journal page which you create to go along with each lesson. We've had fun experimenting with the art mediums and techniques to find which ones go best with which lessons in the study and well, you know, just playing with art supplies. But...Oh my goodness did we have fun with this new technique...and as I said before, this makes crayons even more fun as an adult! Then to top it off, I had these vintage ledger pages from a  tobacco manufacturers cigar ledger which I purchased and they have that oh so perfect vintagy discoloration which is just delightful. I am really excited about this study, it walks you through the process of learning about yourself, about learning who you are as a child of the King, finding out what your spiritual God given gifts are, embracing your life story and giving God victory over past hurts. In the process of working through the study, you create a mixed media art journal which is uniquely you, uniquely your life story. I can't really get into how this page was done right now, but all the directions will be in the study. I will also post directions on the blog for a couple of the techniques eventually.

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 It has been fun to work on creating my own book, to lay out my life story in this manner and really think about who I am as a beloved child of Christ, but it's been especially fun to figure out the techniques for you all to use to create your own personal journal.

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journal pic 1

God does not want us living stuck in a rut being dragged down by our pasts, He wants us living a victorious life. He wants you to know about all the awesome, unique, hand selected gifts He has put inside you and He wants you using them. He wants you to believe you can do it, because you can through Him, and He wants you to be free to be you, to take flight and be all you can be. If you are interested in hearing when this bible study is finished, just email me and I can put you on the email list. In the meantime....go...live life abundantly, and if you haven't been living that way, start today.

What's Your Excuse?

What do you want out of life? What dreams are you not pursuing and why? Is it fear? finances? routine? too many "I don't know how to do that's"? or maybe it's your past, your dreaded past.  Well, I think it's time to put all that stuff aside and take the first step toward whatever it is you have been putting off. God does not want us living stuck in a rut, He wants us living an abundant, full life. Now I am not of the "name it, claim it" "prosperity preacher" mind set. But I do believe that as long as we have prayed about something, waited patiently on God for the right timing, and believe He has given something a go ahead, then we are to move forward in faith and with a “whatever it takes attitude” and take the first step, and then the next...and the next... So often, we don’t even give God a chance to let something happen. When we constantly make excuses for why things don't happen, and we constantly say things such as "I can't start that business because I don't have the money", or "I can't do that because of my past (divorce, substance abuse, abusive relationship, etc.)", or even "I don't have the skills to do that", are we even giving God a chance?  I'm glad Noah didn't say "I really don't have the skills to build an ark".

God does not ask us for perfection, He just asks us to trust Him. It is time to take the first step into whatever it is you are feeling called to. It is time to stop living in our past, our fears, or whatever is holding you back and it's time to give God the victory. He has so much planned for you. He sees so much worth in you and He knows you can do it. So do I.

When our family began down this path of starting businesses, there were so many things which could have held us back. There were so many things which we were going to have to do which we had no idea how to do. There was also the financial issue. In the past three years we have had to learn how to design websites, learn SEO, design tradeshow booths, figure out how to get a homecare agency licensed by the state (two states), come up with all of the marketing material for a homecare agency and two other businesses, all while moving into and rehabbing a house. Now you may not have to move into a not habitable house, and you may not have to design your own website, but you may have to do other things which I have not had to do. My point is, with God in charge and with a "whatever it takes attitude", you can accomplish incredible things.

So I challenge you, take the first step. Have faith, move forward, and give God the victory.

The things which are not seen are eternal

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While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:18 Yesterday I went hiking with my husband and two of our kids, it was a beautiful day and the forest was lovely. We brought the puppies with us. When we arrived at the top of Great Hill, I could see through a small opening in the trees, a gorgeous view which included the awesome NH mountains and lakes, but when I turned back around to look at where we had come from...just woods, trees and trail. We sat at the base of the fire tower refreshing with a drink of water, then we moved about to get a better glimpse of the view through the openings in the trees. Then, after resting from our hike it was time to climb the tower. 

Guess what, at the top of the tower, there was a 360 degree view. Mountains and lakes as far as the eye could see. Little did we know when we were resting below that  just above our heads was a full perspective view of where we were.

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360 view

This got me thinking about this passage from 2 Corinthians 4:18. It says "While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

How often do we focus on the things which are seen when God sees the whole picture? How often do we focus on the trials at hand when God has the whole situation in the palm of His hands? How often do we attempt to move about from side to side to get a better glimpse of the view instead of trusting Him, who has the 360 degree perspective?

God wants us focused on Him, not on the view ahead. The view ahead can sometimes look great, yet from our limited vantage point, we can't see the whole picture. If we could see the whole picture we'd see trials coming from each side and even the path which we have walked in the past which might pull us back and slow down our growth.

Focus on Him who knows you best, for only He has the 360 view. For "the things which are not seen are eternal."

My own Feast of First Fruits

Because it's a new season in our lives, a new beginning. I had mentioned on my old blog that the Lord had led me to pray for rain. Here's a link to the post on the old blog regarding rain. http://hisabundantblessings.blogspot.com/2009/02/let-it-rain.html

My praying for rain and my studies of rain in scripture have caused rain to become something of a special symbolism for our family. Through my studies of rain in the Bible, I also was led to studies of the latter rain and the former rain, and to studies on the feast of first fruits. The feast of first fruits took place at the time of the first harvest of the year. It was the time of the barley harvest which coincided with the spring rains. It was the time to present a wave offering unto the Lord, it was also a time of celebration, a celebration which looked forward, celebrating things to come. At the time of the barley harvest, the first harvest, there was excitement in anticipation of the harvests which would follow.

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  This sign hangs above my kitchen window.

Our move to NH has for me become kind of my own feast of first fruits. My celebration in anticipation of things which the Lord is doing in our lives. It's a new beginning, a new harvest season, a time for us to celebrate God's goodness as He brings down the rain. Thank you Lord for the rain, Your faithful rain which always falls in due season.

"Ask the Lord for rain In the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, Grass in the field for everyone". Zechariah 10:1

Beginning to Unravel the Story

House 1

House 1

Where to begin? There is so much to say, so much to tell. I promised all of you that I would fill you in on all that has transpired over the last three years, on our move to NH, on purchasing a not habitable house (again) and this time moving into it in that condition. Well, I guess that's it, that's my starting point. Three years ago our house in upstate NY sold. It had been on the market for what seemed like forever, truly. It took 2 1/2 years, and many price reductions before it sold. Needless to say, it was a very long 2 1/2 years. During the time our house was on the market, if I am completely honest, I must confess, we questioned God. We were tired of being wage slaves to large corporations who were making huge changes which greatly impacted my husband's salary. We had been praying about self employment and had asked the Lord for guidance. We felt He was leading us down the self employment path. So, when we put our house on the market and it didn't sell for 2 1/2 years, we had plenty of time to ask God, "Are you sure we were hearing you correctly?" And each time we asked God, we heard Him say "Yes, you heard me correctly, wait on Me." And again, if I am to be honest, I would have to say, my waiting was not always pretty, if you know what I mean. For those of you who have read "The Humidity Makes My Hair Frizz and It's Really Starting to Stink in Here", you are probably thinking, "what do you mean, the waiting wasn't pretty? haven't you learned that by now?"  Well, the honest answer is, "No, not completely, do we ever, really?"  I've come so far in my learning to wait on the Lord but as the saying goes, old habits die hard.

So, we waited and waited for the house to sell, and then we waited some more. We had the house listed with a realtor for almost all of the 2 1/2 years. Then around the 2 year mark, I began taking things into my own hands. Now mind you, sometimes if you are taking things into your own hands, it is not a good thing, at those times, it is you taking control of things and taking it from God. In our situation, I believed, and still do, that I was doing it with the Lord's guidance, there's a big differenc. This is a difficult thing to discern and all I can say about it is, pray a lot! The renewal time for our contract with our realtor was approaching. We asked her if she would still list the house with the stipulation that we could also list it and market it ourselves (for sale by owner), as long as we  never listed it for less than she had it listed while we were under contract, she agreed. We were fortunate in that regard because many realtors will not agree to this. However, the house didn't sell during that contract period. So the next renewal time came and the realtor was pressuring us to drop our price, again. We had prayed about this and felt we could not drop the price any further, pay the realtors commission, and still pursue the things we were feeling led to. So, when the contract ran out, we set the house up as "For Sale By Owner" exclusively, we had a contract in two days, I kid you not, two day! Because it was for sale by owner, we were able to drop the price one more time (because we would not be paying the realtors commission) and evidently that was the magic number. Tom and I had prayed a lot about the price we could or would accept for the house. A couple called us, came to look at the house and they returned with an offer. They came, sat in our dining room across from us, and slid a paper across the table with their offer on it. Tom and I excused ourselves to the other room to review and discuss it and when we opened the paper, it was the exact number we had been given from the Lord. We never counter offered, we never haggled, we never felt led to. We signed offer paperwork, shook hands and they left.

Shortly after, we received a phone call from either them or their attorney, I can't remember, asking if we could be out in 1 week, no joke, 1 week. The house had been on the market for so long, I was afraid of rocking any boats, so I said "yes". During that week I was a crazy woman, I packed up a 3000 square foot house, a barn, a large 2 car garage, a 16' x 23' studio, and a 16' x 16' screenhouse building. I cleaned, I scrubbed, I hauled things to the thrift stores, but best of all, I corresponded via email with the woman who would be purchasing our home. I asked her if she would like the curtains in the living room, I asked if she would like my piano and other items. In addition, I put together a gift basket of goodies to welcome them to their new home. I also drew a map of the flower and herb gardens (as I had promised her) to tell her what was in them and where.  These are not things which generally happen when you sell your home through a realtor. I feel so blessed to have sold our home through a "for sale by owner" situation. I know not everyone has had the same experience when selling "FSBO", but the Lord was without a doubt working in the sale of our home.

So then I called my mom in MA. Now keep in mind, my mom has one of my brothers living with her. In addition to that, when I called her, my other brother who had lost his job, and his wife and their two children, and their dog, were staying at my moms house as well. So, I call her and say, "Hi, Mom, we're coming."  That's right, all six of us and our dog, going to my mom's house where there were already six people living. My mom has a large house, but this would be really testing everything. By everything, I mean, her septic system, her hot water heater, her patience, my two brothers patience, my patience, cousin relationships, dog relationships, and even our trust in the Lord, yup, all of it.

So we showed up at my moms, tired, homeless, jobless, and yet with a renewed excitement for what the Lord had planned for our future. We were walking away from the comfort and assurance of a weekly paycheck and putting it all in the hands of the Lord.

Because it had taken so long for our home to sell, we had plenty of time to research, and we researched everything. We had decided upon starting a homecare agency and were planning on another business as well. But in choosing the area for our relocation many factors played a part. We began looking for a home in the area we felt led to, and we left the housing situation entirely up to the Lord. We looked at single family homes,  multi-family home and we looked at two family homes.  We totally left it up to Him. We did know that the house did not have to be forever, that it could be a stepping stone.  I can not stress this point enough, that we left the choosing of the home entirely up to Him, because it was and continues to be such a huge factor in our relocation.

One day we looked at a house and when my daughter and I walked onto the property, before even stepping inside, my daughter and I looked at each other and said, "I think this is the one". To this day, I can not tell you why other than it was the Lord. There is really nothing about this house which feels like "me" and yet I know it is where I have been meant to be. The other thing is, our house is in a neighborhood, and living in a neighborhood would not have been my first choice. Moving to a house with just a drive way between us and the next house was going to be a real change for us who had been living where the nearest neighbor was 1 mile away.

So the realtor tells us before we see it, "It's in really bad shape, I don't think you're going to want it." Generally it is not a good sign when your realtor tries to talk you out of a house. But in the end she was wrong, we wanted it, or should I say, it's where the Lord wanted us.

So we purchased an 1880 home in not habitable condition and moved in. For our prior home we had purchased a not habitable home as well but there we fixed things before we moved in. With this one, in a huge test of our faith, we'd be moving in, as is. This house was in another state from where we were living with my mom, so the option of traveling back and forth to do fix ups was not really an option. So we moved in. And this house was in really bad condition. This house was almost totally gutted. It was so gutted to the point that when you walked inside, you were looking at the back of the exterior siding. In addition, the prior owner had ripped out most of the wiring. There was no heating system, no hot water heater, and the pipes had burst. In addition it was also completely covered in asbestos, even the roof, as you can see in the pictures below. Evidently, back in the 1950's, some asbestos siding salesman had really done his job well when he knocked on the door to this house.

One amazing thing about this move was we found, purchased, and were moved into this house within 1 month of leaving our prior home. That to me is a true testament to the work of God. Things just don't generally happen that fast with house purchases.

I have had some women comment in regards to this move how they could never do something like this. They have hinted at my being so strong to be able to do such a thing...well, I'm not going to paint this as though looking through rose colored glasses, this was hard, real hard and was an enormous test of my faith. I'm thankful to the Lord that it was summer when we moved here and we could be outside a large amount of  time because we were  pretty much living in one room, all six of us.

Here are a few pictures of the house. They are all before pictures. I will share some after picture with you soon.

House 2

House 2

The house was completely covered in asbestos, even the roof.

house 3

house 3

This is what most of the inside of the house looked like the day we bought it. This picture is looking into the room which would be our office.

House 4

House 4

This is our future living room. 

house 5

house 5

 This is the room on the first floor which we would all call home for at least 4 months.

house 6

house 6

This is the area which would become the kids rooms

house 7

house 7

 and this is the space which would become our bedroom and a bathroom. I know, it doesn't look like much now, but I'll post after pictures soon so you can see the finished result.

So there you have it, the beginning portion of the story of our move to NH. I will continue to fill you in on the story over time.

Many Blessings,

Shelley

Welcome to my new home on the web

For those of you who so faithfully followed my old blog for so long before I seemingly dropped off the planet, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I also apologize for my absence as our family made huge changes in our lives. Our move to NH has been one big, time consuming adventure. It's an adventure which has been exciting, scaring, faith building, and challenging in ways you can't imagine. I have decided it's time to reconnect with the world and share the adventure as well as other things which are going on around here. It is on this new site where I will begin to unravel the tale.  Thanks for visiting, Shelley