In Which I Explain...

Just a few things.


One ~ I enjoy blogging.

Two ~ I am thankful for all the wonderful friends
I have met in this bloggy world ~
Each one of you is a blessing to me!

Three ~ I wish there were more hours in the day.

Four ~ It might be good if there were two of me ~
Do you ever feel like that? :)

Five ~ Life has been crazy!

It has been my unspoken policy to visit all the lovely friends
who take the time to come and visit with me here.
I so enjoy visiting with you at *your place*.

I don't always get to return the visit
as quickly as I would like.
And lately, I haven't been getting to it much at all.
For that, I am sorry.

Life has been so full of family things ~
My first priority and calling.
After the LORD, of course.


One of our children has recently
been diagnosed with Crohn's Disease.
It is a nasty thing, but God is good.
All the time!

How precious it is to belong to HIM!
HE is faithful and leads us so gently along.

We have chosen to pursue a natural course
of treatment for the time being ~
with encouraging results.

Thank you so much for your continued friendship
and for your patience with me.
There are so many demands on my
time at the moment.

I do plan to continue to post,
but it may take a little longer than
I would like to repay your visit
or even to post your comments here.


I just wanted you all to know the reason why.

Many Blessings to you all!
In HIS Love,
Camille

Grain Free Nut Bars ~ Oh YUM!

Really, you HAVE to give these a try.
They are sooo yummy!
Like a candy bar, but without any of
the *scary* ingredients.
In fact, you can feel GREAT about having one of these.
They are soooo good for you!

How often does that happen?
Something that is good for you is also super duper amazingly good?

I found the recipe here.
And I tweaked it a bit to suit our tastes.
The result?

Perfect!

Now, you will have to keep them in the fridge or freezer,
they will be too soft at room temperature,
but, that seems a small price to pay for such yumminess.

Enjoy!



Grain Free Nut Bars

Courtesy of "Enjoying Healthy Foods" Blog by Lindsey
Thank you so much for letting me share these Lindsey! :)

~ The Ingredients ~

2 cups raw Almonds,
coarsely chopped

2 cups raw Pecans,
coarsely chopped

1/2 cup raw Sunflower seeds

1 cup raw Pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup dried Cranberries

1/2 cup Raisins

1/2 cup unsweetened
Medium or Shredded Coconut

1/2 cup Honey (liquid)

1/2 cup Coconut Oil
(Organic, Extra virgin, Cold pressed)

1 cup Almond Butter
(Natural, unsalted, roasted)

1 tsp Sea Salt


~ The Method ~

I make this in a 10 x 15 inch pan.
If you want to make less,
use an 8 x 8 inch pan and cut the ingredients in half.

Prepare your pan by lining it with parchment paper.

Coarsely chop the almonds and pecans.
Mix together all the raw nuts, seeds and
dried fruit in a large bowl.
Set aside.

Melt the coconut oil, honey and almond butter
together in a saucepan on the stove over low heat.
Stir the salt into it once it is melted and remove from heat.

Pour this mixture over your nut mixture.
Scrape all that yummy goodness out with a spatula.
Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

Pour into prepared pan
and set into freezer to harden.

Remove from freezer once it is firm enough to
cut into bars.
Cut and store in a sealed container
in the freezer.
Be sure to put parchment or wax paper between layers
so the bars do not stick together!

About 15 minutes prior to serving,
remove the number of bars you need from the freezer.

Serve without guilt!

Yum!!

Of Birthdays, Koala Bears and Chocolate Spice Tea

Mondays come and go.
The list continues to grow.
What a blessing to number the thanks
and engage in the moments of life.

Our lives are but a vapor ~
God's Word tells us that.

What are we doing with the days we have been given?
Do we rush through from moment to moment
without a thought to the ONE Who gives us
the very next breath we take?

We are upheld by HIM.
All things come from HIS hand.

What a blessing it is to notice.
The *little* things.

1266. Leaving the kitchen tidy at night with breakfast soaking
in a pot on the stove ~ ready for morning.

1267. Nebula flickering blue, green, red, yellow...
Wonder in the night sky!

1268. To bed at 8:30 pm!

1269. Boy-laughter at bedtime ~
Daddy tucking them in!

1270. Encouragement from Howie when I need it

1271. Sharing a secret with Emma ~
just us girls

1272. Her little organising ways ~
I found the bath all set up for me to wash
her hair first thing on a Saturday morning

1273. The *special* way that Emma set the table
for Daddy's birthday breakfast...
complete with balloons and straws and a Peter Pan placemat!

1274. My two journals on the kitchen counter

1275. Birthdays to celebrate!
Four of them in our immediate family in 7 1/2 weeks ~
LOTS of cake to bake! :)

1276. Too funny that Fraser thinks it would
be a good idea to have a Koala Bear for a pet!
He's been doing research and discovered that
they make good pets!
Option #2 ~ A Sea Otter...
and he was SERIOUS!

1277. Austin was able to get his former
violin teacher back...and along with that,
a spark of JOY!

1278. Heat from the registers and the taps...
so much we often take for granted!

1279. New glasses for Calvin

1280. Her running toward a flock of pigeons
and them flying away...over and over again

1281. Daddy jogging past me with the boys

1282. Boy-played Beethoven from memory

1283. Chocolate Spice Tea with cream and sugar ~ YUM!

1284. A lovely treat in the mail from a sweet friend ~
Thank you! :)

1285. Flowers from my Dad...*just because* ~
Love you! :)

1286. Another sunny day

1287. Long-ago, second-hand bought (mostly)
Playmobil still in use

1288. *Just because* special things Daddy does for
the children

1289. God's goodness always

1290. Crisp, fresh air coming inside through the slightly
open windows...refreshing!

1291. More and more and more papers to deliver ~
A wonderful job for the boys!

It's easy to count.
It begins with noticing the *little* things.
Noticing the moments.
Entering into them and writing them down.
It's as simple as that.

My journal sits on my counter.
I list as events unfold.
Sometimes many all at once,
and other times in a trickle.

Would you like to begin?
Just grab a pen and a journal,
set them out on the counter,
and list out your blessings.
Find the joy in the moments ~
As they arrive.

Enjoy the journey!

Many Blessings,
Camille

Prize-Winning Blueberry Muffins

D.E.F.I.N.I.T.E.L.Y.
There is a reason for their name.

These are
ABSOLUTELY the BEST
blueberry muffins ever!

They are sweet and tangy with a
satisfying crunch on their tops.
Just the right amount of blueberries are
added without being overbearing.


For the record ~
I didn't have the needful ingredients
on hand the other day to make these,
so I tried out another recipe.

Overbearingly BLUE!

And DENSE.

We all wished I had waited to make the *real* ones!
So, I speak from experience when I say a
blueberry muffin can have too many blueberries.
There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
These do not fall into that category.


They are PERFECT!

The children say they are like dessert.

What are you waiting for?
I'm craving more as I write.
YUM!

~ Prize-Winning Blueberry Muffins ~

As found in the Land O Lakes Cookbook ~
Treasury of Country
Heritage Meals and Menus

1/2 cup Sugar
(you may cut this by half)

1/4 cup Butter, softened

1 cup Sour Cream

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice ~
freshly squeezed

1 + 1/2 tsp Lemon Peel ~
finely grated

1 Egg

1 + 1/2 cups Flour
(you may substitute whole wheat pastry flour)

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 cup Blueberries ~
fresh or frozen (unthawed if frozen)

~ Topping ~

1 Tbsp Sugar and
1/2 tsp grated Lemon Peel


Heat oven to 375* F.

In large mixer bowl combine
1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup butter.

Blend in mixer until creamy.

Add sour cream, lemon juice, peel and egg.

Beat together until well mixed,
scraping bowl often.

In medium bowl,
stir together flour and baking soda.

By hand, stir flour mixture into
sour cream mixture
until just barely moistened.

Fold in blueberries.

Spoon into paper lined
(or greased) muffin tins.

In small bowl,
mix together topping ingredients.

Sprinkle 1 tsp of topping onto each muffin.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly browned
and a wooden toothpick comes out clean.


Cool five minutes in pan,
then remove to cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Error...Beware!

A little over a year ago,
a childhood friend and I had a discussion regarding the
paths we have taken in our Spiritual lives.
We hadn't been in touch with one another for many years.
I had no idea what had transpired in the years we were apart.
I was grieved to discover that she had abandoned her faith.

Through that conversation, I was exposed to some
very disturbing heresies put forward as truth by this friend
who had "grown up" and was "trained up" in the church.
We had gone to Sunday School together as children.
Her "testimony" began where the
Bible Believing Christian's would remain ~
with the Lord.

After abandoning that "fairy tale"
(her words...not mine)
there was more enlightenment and
"truth" reportedly discovered.
Unfortunately, this story is not unique ~
many have fallen away from the Truth.

How does this happen?
Were they ever really saved?
Can a true believer of the Lord Jesus Christ
ever be snatched away by the Evil One?
According to God's Word,
the answer is an emphatic NO!

"My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life;
and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
My Father, which gave them me,
is greater than all:
and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand."
~ John 10:27-29 ~


We are all sheep.

Who or what are we following?

I am so thankful that my husband patiently walked
with me through this process and
directed me to portions of Scripture that
settled and calmed my soul.

What a blessing that God's Word is "quick and powerful"!
That word "quick" could also be translated living.
God's Word is Living ~
the only book in the Universe of it's kind!

The verses to follow are what my
Precious Saviour used to minister to my heart.

"But there were false prophets also among the people,
even as there shall be false teachers among you,
who privily shall bring in damnable heresies,
even denying the Lord that bought them,
and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
And many shalll follow their pernicious ways;
by reason of whom
the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of."
~ II Peter 2:1-2 ~

"While they promise them liberty,
they themselves are the
servants of corruption:
for of whom a man is overcome,
of the same is he brought in bondage.
For if after they have escaped the pollutions
of the world through the knowledge of the
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
they are again entangled therein, and overcome,
the latter end is worse with them
than the beginning.
For it had been better for them not to have
known the way of righteousness,
than, after they have known it,
to turn from the holy commandment
delivered unto them."
~ II Peter 2:19-21 ~


And, regarding the infallability of the Bible,
(which was another attack made),
the following verses were a comfort ~
They address the inspiration of both
the Old and New Testaments.

"That ye may be mindful of the words which
were spoken before by the holy prophets,
and the commandment of us the
apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
Knowing this first,
that there shall come in the last days scoffers,
walking after their own lusts."
~ II Peter 3:2-3 ~

And regarding the apparent "contradictions"
among the writings of Paul and even the Gospels,
the following verses were a comfort ~

"And account that the longsuffering of
our Lord is salvation;
even as our beloved brother Paul also
according to the wisdom given unto him
hath written unto you;
As also in all his epistles,
speaking of them of these things;
in which are some things hard to be understood,
which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest,
as they do also the other scriptures,
unto their own destruction.
Ye, therefore, beloved,
seeing ye know these things before,
beware lest ye also,
being led away with the error of the wicked,
fall from your own steadfastness."
~ II Peter 3:15-17 ~

**In all the Scripture quoted above,
the emphasis is mine.**


My husband began writing his blog as a direct result of these
charges brought forward against God's infallible Word.
He patiently and graciously worked through this knotty subject
with me and my precious childhood friend.
What a blessing!

Are you interested in reading more?
His posts are much more *in depth* and thorough
than my treatment of the subject here.

Click here
to get to the series he
diligently laboured over.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to get to the first post
and read up ~ typical blogger style.

May the LORD guide you each one to
HIS perfect and infallible TRUTH.
And those of us that belong to HIM ~
May we boldly proclaim the LORD Jesus Christ
as the ONLY Way of Salvation
for this lost and dying world.


Many Blessings,
Camille



**Sheep photo in this post is
courtesy of my friend Christa @
Country Hearts at Home
Thank you so much!

Where My Brain Lives

Some girls keep fancy journals.
They make them really pretty ~
Creative works of art.

I would *love* to do it that way,
but for now, my style is simple.


Two journals sit on my counter
between the fridge and the stove.
There is a pen there too...for recording things
as they happen or pop into my head.

I have a little joke.
It goes like this ~
*My brain lives on paper/in the drawer.*
Really, I believe it must!

I rely on my calendar in the drawer to
keep track of upcoming events.
I keep a running grocery list on the fridge.
And then, there are these two journals on the counter.

Little checkboxes are inked in for keeping track.


One journal contains my gratitude list.
The other is a running list of things to do.
I used to keep *things to do*
lists on all kinds of papers.
I would consolidate and
rewrite and transfer the items ~
over and over and over again.

Well...no more!

This list is continual.
The checkboxes help keep me accountable.
And the list does get consolidated,
but within the same book.
I do not tear out pages.
If there are too many pages to keep track of
(my list is long) ~
then I consolidate on the most
recent pages and carry on.
Does that make sense?


It feels like my brain is (mostly)
in one place now!
I *love* it!

*To do list* journal idea
is courtesy of my precious husband.
What a great idea!
Thank you Sweetie! :)

What about you?
Do you keep lists?
Do you have a journal (or two or three)?
How do you keep track of all you have to do?
And of all you would like to remember?
I'd enjoy hearing about the methods you use.


May the LORD bless each of you
as you seek to keep your homes for
HIS glory!
Enjoy the journey.

Many blessings,
Camille

Life...As it Happens

The rhythm of life as it happens ~
As it ebbs and flows.

Day in.
Day out.

We seek daily to turn
our attention to the
E.T.E.R.N.A.L.

What better way than
to fully attend to the
N.O.W.


We are called to this.
Called to live fully for HIM ~
in ALL we do!

Life in our home is never dull.
There are many things to occupy our time.
There are many people to minister to.
Never a lack of things to be done.

In the here.
In the now.

Might we all really live.
And live really well.
For HIS glory!

"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
~ Colossians 3:17 ~

1241. Boy vacuum-er who smiles at me!

1242. Sugar in the cupboard

1243. Butter melting on the stove

1244. Emma creating at the table with a
"Make and Do" book

1245. Trees in the woods pointing to the Heavens ~
and us looking up in the middle of the trail

1246. Blue beyond

1247. Fresh air

1248. The children chattering and clattering on ahead

1249. Being *crowded out* by one on the walk
who comes along between us...so glad they *want* to!



1250. Boy-Man greeting me at the door

1251. Sun warming the car in winter

1252. Chocolate Mousse Royale

1253. Praline's and Cream


1254. Two hours alone in the morning...rare!

1255. Howie taking time off work to take the children
to the climbing gym

1256. Emma taking it upon herself to do dishes without being asked

1257. Finding the floor of the laundry room and sweeping it!

1258. Pushing buttons on the washing machine and it
working, working, working ~ WONDERFUL!

1259. The Doctrine of the Preservation of the saints ~
PRECIOUS Truth!

1260. Warm towels straight from the dryer

1261. People to pray for

1262. Wonderful God Who hears!

1263. Hunger pangs and the resources to satisfy them

1264. Morning quiet

1265. Steaming cup of tea

It's easy to count.
It begins with noticing the *little* things.
Noticing the moments.
Entering into them and writing them down.
It's as simple as that.

My journal sits on my counter.
I list as events unfold.
Sometimes many all at once,
and other times in a trickle.

Would you like to begin?
Just grab a pen and a journal,
set them out on the counter,
and list out your blessings.
Find the joy in the moments ~
As they arrive.

Enjoy the journey!

Many Blessings,
Camille

Take Time to Worship!

Have you taken the time to ponder the
Greatness of the LORD this day?
HE alone is worthy of all our praise!
I'd like to share with you a favourite hymn of mine.
The words are so powerful and full of Truth!

May the LORD bless each of you this weekend,
kind friends, as you celebrate HIM and HIS goodness!

** Photo credit ~ Calvin

I lay my sins on Jesus,
The Spotless Lamb of God;
He bears them all and frees us
From the accursed load.
I bring my guilt to Jesus,
To wash my crimson stains
White in His blood most precious,
Till not a spot remains.

I lay my wants on Jesus,
All fullness dwells in Him;
He heals all my diseases,
He doth my soul redeem.
I lay my griefs on Jesus,
My burdens and my cares;
He from them all releases,
He all my sorrow shares.

I rest my soul on Jesus,
This weary soul of mine;
His right hand me embraces,
I on His breast recline.
I love the Name of Jesus,
Immanuel, Christ, the Lord;
Like fragrance on the breezes
His name abroad is poured.

I long to be like Jesus,
Meek, loving, lowly, mild;
I long to be like Jesus,
The Father's Holy Child.
I long to be with Jesus,
Amid the heavenly throng,
To sing with saints His praises,
To learn the angels' song.

Horatius Bonar, 1808-89

The Dishwasher Blues

Do NOT put this...

into this
(rinse-aid dispenser)...

OR you will get this!

AND...it will keep on happening until that
rinse-aid dispenser is cleared out!!
(How DOES one accomplish THAT??)

The child who did this remains anonymous to protect the innocent.
They were, after all, trying to help!
Note to self ~ Teach thoroughly so they don't have to guess!
And learn to chill out so I don't have to apologize! LOL!

Probiotics?

Short and sweet and to the point.
That's what this post is meant to be.
For your health.


If you (or your children) have taken antibiotics,
it is so important that you replenish the good
bacteria that was killed along with the bad.

Antibiotics are sometimes necessary.

But, they are not selective in what they destroy.
Our bodies need good bacteria to help us
digest our food properly.
Many of the *good guys* are wiped out with
the *bad* when antibiotics are taken.
If this happens over and over, problems can develop.

It's a nasty thing!

You can find a good brand of restorative probiotics
at your local health food store.
They can help you to determine the course of treatment
best suited to your particular case.
Please do not neglect this very important step
in restoring your body to full health!

Many blessings,
Camille

**Disclaimer ~ I am not a physician.
I am just a Mum trying to learn all she can about
caring for her family in a wise way.
The dosing amounts would best be decided with
a Health Care Provider.