Riverbend Ramblings

http://riverbendramblings.blogspot.com
~Riverbend Ramblings~
The days are long, but the years are short.
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
Wednesday, November 21, 2007

From our house to yours, may you have a very blessed Thanksgiving!

I'll be back December 3rd. :)

Psalm 107:1
O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Look Who's Turning 6 Today...

Happy Birthday, Curly Girl!

Labels:

Thursday, November 15, 2007
Sharing the Gospel

It's been a busy week around our house. We've been hosting two missionary families and having church services each night during our Missions Conference. Our hearts were stirred as we listened to the missionaries share about their ministries. There is such a need for the gospel all around the world!

One of the visiting missionaries has some severe health problems and is no longer able to serve on the foreign field. This man is in tremendous pain 24 hours a day and has to take several medications just to function, yet I never once heard him complain. He cheerfully went out soul winning each day he was here. When we took him out to eat at restaurants, he never failed to hand a tract to the server or invite a cashier to our church services. I have to admit, I felt a little bit ashamed of myself as I observed him. Often I'm so focused on my errands when I'm out and about that I neglect to invite folks to church or hand them a gospel tract. Sometimes I just lack the courage. With the Lord's help I'm going to make more of an effort to reach out to people that I come into contact with as I go about my daily tasks.

I tried to do that today as I ran a few errands. I had mentioned our church's Reformer's Unanimous ministry to one of the stylists at the hair salon on my last visit, and today I took her a poster and several brochures for her to give to some people she knew were in need of such a program. I was also able to give her a gospel tract. These are simple things that take just a few extra moments, but they can make a tremendous difference in someone's life.

Are there some people you come in contact with on a regular basis that you can reach out to? Ask the Lord to put people in your path to whom you can be a witness.

Labels:

Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Giving Thanks ~ Tuesday
Kelli has been posting all kinds of wonderful ideas during this special "Giving Thanks" week, so head over there and check out all the goodies. Blogger is behaving badly and won't let me upload any pictures, so you'll have to use your imagination as I count some more of my blessings. :) ~~My Handsome Husband He's been my best friend since we started dating 14 years ago. I could never have imagined how wonderful a life with him could be. If I had it to do all over again, I'd still pick him. ~~Christian Parents Both Mr. C and I were raised in Christian homes. I appreciate the values that were instilled in us during our growing up years. With the Lord's help we are endeavoring to pass this wonderful heritage on to our children. ~~America No matter what the liberal media tries to portray, I still believe that we live in the greatest nation on earth. I am thankful for the freedom I have as an American, and I will continue to pray for revival in the hearts of Americans. ~~Church Family It is such an encouragement to be able to fellowship with like-minded believers. We are able to bear one another's burdens and grow together under good Bible preaching and teaching.

Labels:

Monday, November 12, 2007
Giving Thanks ~ Monday

Kelli is hosting a wonderful week of ideas with the theme "Giving Thanks". I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is next week! The last two years our parents joined us for Thanksgiving here in Georgia, but this year we'll be going to Florida to spend the holiday with them. I plan on being away from the computer next week, so each day this week I'm going to count my many blessings and share them with you.

Today I'm thankful for:

~ Missionaries
We're having our annual missions conference this week at our church, and my heart is always stirred as I listen to reports from dedicated missionaries serving all over the world who are striving to win the lost at any cost.

~ The King James Bible
Do you treasure God's written word? We have quite a few Bibles around our house, and I'm guilty of taking The Book for granted. Here in America we can walk into any discount store and purchase a Bible for just a few dollars, yet there are people all over the world who cannot afford a Bible, and even if they could it may be against the law to own one where they live. Many have put their lives in danger just to have a copy of the Bible. I am thankful for God's inspired, preserved Word.

~ God's Creation
I love living in a beautiful area. Today as I took this picture out by the lake I was once again in awe of how all God had to do was speak and the earth was formed.

~ Thoughtful Friends
Today one of my friends gave me this candle (the scent is called Bobbing For Apples) just to let me know she cares about me--and that's one of the best reasons to give a gift. Is there someone you know that you can bless with a "just-because-I-care-about-you" gift?
----------------------------------------------------

In addition to counting my blessings today, I followed Kelli's example and tackled an area of my kitchen in need of some special attention: the refrigerator. Part of my monthly cleaning in the kitchen is to clean it out to keep it from getting nasty in there. I've been trying to use up the food we have on hand before we go out of town, so for once the fridge wasn't crammed full and overflowing. It's much easier to clean it when it doesn't have anything in it! :)

I started out by removing all of the condiments from the door baskets and washing the baskets out. Next I emptied the shelves, removed them, and gave them a good washing. I wiped down the inside walls before I replaced the shelves and food items. I cleaned the door gasket with a damp rag and then wiped down the front of the fridge. All done! :)
Tomorrow I'll be working on another cleaning project and counting more blessings, too. ;)

Labels: ,

Saturday, November 10, 2007
Leaves and Things

I don't usually post much on the weekends, but it's nice and quiet in the house right now, so I thought I'd share a bit with you. I finally have some lovely pictures of the fall leaves in my neck of the woods! I took some of these pictures just down the road from us, and one is from my yard. We have a lot of yellow leaves around our house, and they are falling faster by the minute.


My hubby and kids are outside raking the leaves together. Tonight they will sleep soundly after a day of fresh air an exercise. They'll be leaving shortly to go visit our bus riders, and then it will be dark before we know it. I'm still getting used to the time change and shorter daylight hours.

This morning I went to town to run a few errands and gather some goodies for our Missions Conference (which starts tomorrow!) while Mr. C had the kids with him. Usually when I'm in my car I always have a CD of good gospel music or hymns playing, but today I turned the music off and spent some time in prayer. While it's good to have a quiet place to pray with no interruptions or distractions, I think that the Lord still hears our prayers just the same when we're on the road. :)

My heart has been heavy this week as I have received prayer requests from several friends who have family members with major health problems, some even life-threatening:
**a 36 year old father of four underwent emergency surgery for blood clots and has been given just days to live;
**a faithful Christian man is experiencing serious heart trouble;
** a young mother, 8 months pregnant with twins, just found out that both of the twins will die at birth from a genetic abnormality;
** a youth pastor was diagnosed with leukemia
.

That list sounds filled with hopelessness and despair, but we serve a great God who is able to perform miracles. The good news is that all of the people I just listed have trusted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, and they have a secure future with Him even if God does not choose to give them physical healing on this earth.

Still, in our weak flesh it can be overwhelming to look at the circumstances around us and see the light at the end of the tunnel. When we don't know where to turn or what to say, we can boldly claim the promises found in God's Word. Sometimes I read from the book of Psalms when I can't even find the words to pray. We can maintain an attitude of prayer throughout the day as we go about our duties and lift up those who are hurting.

There have been times in my life when I've been on the receiving end of prayers lifted up on my behalf, and it is a privilege for me to be able to pray for the needs of others. I hope that the Lord continues to burden my heart to pray for those who are in need.
Psalm 61:1-4
Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

Labels:

Thursday, November 08, 2007
Good News
Many of you prayed for Nathan and Melanie Maxwell earlier this year when their baby girl went home to heaven. Nathan and Melanie are requesting our prayers once again as they share that Melanie is expecting a baby. You can read their exciting news here. I wanted to share a quote from Nathan's post that was such a blessing to me.

The road before us might not be easy. Lots of people have told us it will be, but we’re not so sure. We wonder what this pregnancy will be like, how things will progress, what will June of next year be like. . . we don’t know. God showed both Melanie and I yesterday that we were going to need to trust Him during this pregnancy. Without directly thinking it, in many ways we had been hoping we wouldn’t have to this time - that things would go so smoothly and without challenges. And yet, we are called to trust in all areas at all times, this pregnancy is no exception. I guess that’s what abiding is, resting and trusting. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5

Please add this young couple to your prayer list. Those of you who have been unable to conceive a child or have lost a child can certainly relate to what they are feeling. Their testimony of God's grace and sufficiency has been an encouragement to so many.

Labels:

My new best friends

Yesterday I brewed a cup of tea every hour and added 1/4 teaspoon of vitamin C crystals and a dropper of echinacea & goldenseal. I started feeling better almost immediately. Our local grocery store just started carrying this honey vanilla chamomile tea, and it is delicious.

I'm going to try this prescription again the next time I start to feel under the weather. It's an inexpensive alternative to a trip to the doctor's office. :)

Labels:

Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Of my four children, Curly Girl is the toughest when it comes to getting sick or hurt. She hardly cries at all and never complains when she's sick. It's been just about a year since she burned her arm, and this summer she was stung over 30 times by ferocious yellow jackets. I didn't even blog about it when it happened. Too much drama!

Anyhoo, yesterday afternoon Curly Girl was playing on the floor in her room and split her eye lid open when she bumped it on the edge of the bed. I didn't even realize it was split at first, because there wasn't much blood. I laid her on my bed and debated what to do next. My husband was preaching a funeral service about 50 miles away, so he wasn't here to help. This was one of those times that I really miss having my mom and mother-in-law just a few miles away. I can still call them on the phone for advice, but they can't hop in a car and drive over to watch the other kids while I run one to the E.R.

I made up an ice pack for Curly Girl, and she held it on her eye...for an hour! I couldn't believe how tough she was. I told her that if her face felt too cold that she could take the ice pack off for a while. She replied that it felt just fine. She's such a trooper! I called our pediatrician's office, and the nurse told me to bring her in. She said that I would have to leave the other three kids out in the waiting room because their office policy doesn't allow more than one child in the exam room. Well, I didn't feel comfortable about leaving my kids unattended in what I knew would be a very crowded, crazy waiting room, and I prayed and asked the Lord to give me wisdom to handle the situation the right way.

As I pulled in to the parking lot of the doctor's office, guess who pulled in at the same time? My hubby! He was able to give hugs and kisses to Curly Girl before taking off with the other kids. An hour and a half later, we were finally seen by the doctor. He carefully examined Curly Girl's eye to make sure that there was no damage to the eye itself. He felt that steri-strips would work just fine to close the cut, and I was very relieved that stitches weren't needed.

I dropped Curly Girl off at home in time to turn around and head back to the church for our monthly ladies' fellowship. I enjoyed a sweet time with the ladies and gave a short devotional on thankfulness. With the earlier events of the day behind me, I was in an especially thankful mood. After the meeting was over I stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few needed things. I don't like to go to the store at night, but with gas here right at $3 a gallon, multi-tasking when I'm in town is a necessity. I love my Suburban, but it sure is a gas-eater! I was one tired momma when I finally arrived home at close to 10:00.

I wasn't that surprised when I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a headache. We cancelled school today. The kids played together and drew me some pretty pictures. By late morning I felt a bit better, so I decided to clean out the little girls' closet. Completely. I took everything out. There were too many outgrown clothes and shoes in the closet--even my wedding dress was in there. The closet is long and very narrow. I'm going to look for an extender to make better use of the space.

I piled everything in the middle of the room and began the sorting process. Of course, I started to feel really bad in the middle of the project. Thinking that something warm would help me feel better, I had a bowl of potato soup that had been simmering in the slow cooker all morning. It was delicious, but unfortunately I continued to feel worse.
I left that big mess in the middle of the girls room, and off to bed I went for a long nap. Mr. C fixed supper while I was resting: fried chicken and pizza. :)

The headache is just about gone, but the sore throat is lingering. I'm going to take some more herbs, turn in early tonight, and pray for healing. I haven't told the kids yet, but tomorrow will be another "sick day" for their teacher. I think they'll be rejoicing in the midst of my discomfort. :) We've had a bumpy start to our week, but I'm trusting the Lord to see us through.

Labels: ,

Monday, November 05, 2007
Giveaway Winner
I had so much fun participating in the biggest-ever bloggy giveaway carnival! This random number generator selected comment #97, and I'm pleased to announce that the winner of my giveaway is...Denise at Shortybears Place. Congratulations, Denise! I'll be contacting you via email to arrange for the shipment of your prizes. Thanks so much to everyone who played along!

Labels:

Friday, November 02, 2007
Discount Coupon

I discovered a wonderful store about a year ago: Christopher & Banks. I have found some of the cutest outfits there. The clothes are high-quality, attractive, and modest! I have found many skirts and dresses that are just the right length and fit. The prices are pretty good, too. Unfortunately, they don't offer online shopping.

You can receive a 40% discount throughout the store on November 3 & 4 if you present an email coupon at the time of your purchase. If you'd like a coupon, please email me (over in the sidebar), and I'll get one to you. Hurry! The sale is only good this weekend. You can check here to see if there's a store in your area. The same discount is available at C.J. Banks which carries size 14 and more.

ETA: It's Saturday morning, and I'm heading off to shop with a friend, so I won't be near the computer today to send any more coupons. I hope those of you that requested one find some great deals! :)

Labels:

For all of you "Kindred Spirits"
Today while I was browsing through the list of Fall, Yall! Bloggy Giveaway participants I came across something I had to share with you. If you are a fan of Anne of Green Gables, which I know many of you are, you just have to go check this out. I had no idea such a store existed. Oh, I could spend all day in there! Imagine a bunch of us girls getting together there and sampling some yummy chocolates. Wouldn't that be a blast! If I ever visit Canada, a trip to Prince Edward Island is a must! :)

Labels:

Thursday, November 01, 2007
Ding Dong Cake

I've had so many requests for the recipe for the cake that I made this week for our covered dish fellowship at church, so now I'm passing it along to all of you! I'm thinking about renaming it Chocolate Dream Cake. That just sounds so much more romantic. :)

My friend Gwen originally shared this recipe with me, and I've made it countless times. I always get lots of complements on this cake, and there are never any leftovers. The picture above actually came from here. My cake turns out pretty much the same, but I usually just let the frosting drizzle down over the sides of the cake so that the white filling can still be seen. There's also a recipe for this cake made totally from scratch, but I'm all for shortcuts if the end result tastes great. :) I use a Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker mix, as they seem more moist to me than the store brand mix. You can use whatever you prefer.

Ding Dong Cake

1 box Devil's Food cake mix
1 tub chocolate fudge frosting
1 8 oz. tub whipped topping (I use Cool Whip Light--it still tastes the same.)
1 box white chocolate instant pudding mix


Prepare the cake mix as directed on the package for 8" or 9" round cake pans. Allow the layers to cool completely.

Fold the pudding mix into the whipped topping. Spread the topping on one of the cake layers. Place the other cake layer on top.

Microwave the tub of frosting until it stirs easily. All microwaves heat differently, but it should take 30-60 seconds. Pour the frosting over the cake. I let it drizzle all down the sides.




Labels:

We've been blessed with lovely fall weather this week. It's been chilly each morning, but the sun has brought just the right amount of warmth each afternoon.

Yesterday Bookworm and Lil' Nut worked on their clubhouse. Check out the broom that Bookworm made.


I caught Curly Girl taking a rest. She piled up a bunch of clippings to make a nice little bed.


Here's my challenge to you today: if the weather is nice in your neck of the woods, head outside and enjoy it! :)

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Labels: ,