Merry Christmas....

2 The people who walk in darkness

Will see a great light;

Those who live in a dark land,

The light will shine on them.
3 You shall multiply the nation,

You shall increase their gladness;

They will be glad in Your presence

As with the gladness of harvest,

As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4 For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,

The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.
5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,

And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;

And the government will rest on His shoulders;

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,

On the throne of David and over his kingdom,

To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness

From then on and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:6

“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:21

★Merry★* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★CHRISTmas★ 。* 。

...° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚

˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚

˛˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門｜ ˛ ˚ ˛♥ The Spencer family ♥

The Simple Woman's Daybook~~ 12/14/10

For Today.....

Outside my window~~ it is bitterly cold here in Mississippi and the animals just tend to be standing around miserably.

I am thinking~~ how quickly time flies by and that I need to make a better effort to try and make the most of every moment.

I am thankful for~~ the fact that we saw to homeschool 9 yrs. ago and that now I get to spend every moment of this glorious season rejoicing and sharing in the lives of my children. I can't imagine what it would be like if I missed all of this.

From the learning rooms~~ we are taking from now until the first of Jan. off of formal school. However, we will be cooking and crafting.

I am wearing~~ warm clothes, pink shirt and pants, and nice cozy socks. Remember it's cold outside today.

I am creating~~ an atmosphere of a cozy home.

I am hearing~~ the sounds of my children giggling at the Christmas movie they are watching.

Around the house~~ yesterday was a mountain of laundry day and today I get to finish the last two loads. We will also be tidying up and making goodies for a Christmas gift. I also need to work on my grocery list. Tomorrow is my big shopping day and I try to only go once.

From the kitchen~~ we will be working on cookies and I will be making homemade mac and cheese for dinner!! Yum Yum...

I am going~~ absolutely no where. Thank you Lord!!

Plans for this week~~ We have Christmas cards to get out, goodies to make for friends and neighbors, and last minute Christmas shopping. We are also working on our Jesse Tree every night. It's been a great thing.

Scripture thought~~
The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
Isaiah 9:2

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
My son's first deer of the season.

Enjoy 100's of other Daybooks at Peggy's Simple Woman's Daybook!

30 days of Thankfulness~~ Day 9

Well, I knew it would happen. I have missed a day. I could do day 8 and 9 together but in the reality of my life this is going to happen more than once. So instead I am going to do the day I can and be thankful for that.

Today, I am so thankful for the fact that I am home enjoying every moment of my children. We went for a run this morning, school this afternoon, and now we are working on different tasks. My Lindsey is busily making yeast rolls for dinner, Peyton has been digging holes for fence posts, and Katherine is working on some paintings for a birthday present. Life is good.

In one of my comments I was encouraged to be thankful in all circumstances and I hope that I am. This is not an easy life that we have chosen. There's lots of work to do and very little money to do it all. It would be so much easier if I worked and there were two incomes coming in but the trade off of being at home is worth so much more than the lack of money. Things don't always go right around here, and sometimes I get ridiculously stressed, but Lord willing, I am working on that.

16 Rejoice ever more. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.~~~ 1Thessalonians 5:16-18

30 days of Thankfulness~~ Day 7

Day 7 of my thankfulness journey will include a little about our "Journey".

About 6 years ago, Ronnie saw very clearly that we needed to begin a simpler lifestyle. So we left the nice new house, that my honey built, in the nice trendy neighborhood and moved to a little house, that we are constantly doing something to, on a small parcel of land. It was a huge jump but one that we have never regretted. Since that first initial move we have, Lord willing, moved to our final home on our little mini farm.

I am so thankful for this change in pace and here is a little snippet of why.....

We enjoy some of the most beautiful sunsets across the pastures.We get to see and experience God's creation up close. I love a mother hen with all of her chicks in tow. I hope we have more of these this year.

If the kids want a pot bellied pig, they can have one and I don't have to explain it to a home owner's association. Oh, and that's Lindsey's giant white rabbit in the cage. Ha Ha

The kids get to run through pastures and the garden if they want to.

The girls get to act on their passion for horses. I don't know if that's really a plus or not but they seem to think so.

We have also been able to truly experience neighborliness. Since moving to our little small town we have been able to be a part of a community that really looks out for one another. It's a neat thing to watch and be a part of.

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.~~~ Gen. 1:31

30 days of Thankfulness~~ Day 6

Whew, I almost missed it......

Today, I am thankful for my extended family. I have a wonderful mother who raised 3 kids all by herself. It was HARD. We had a tough., tough, time making it on my mother's tiny salary and my non existent father's measily little child support. However, each of us have turned out pretty well (in the "worlds" standards), if I do say so myself. After my siblings and I all finished school and were married, my mother went back to college to get a degree in nursing. She now works harder than ever so that she can spend just about every dime she has extra on the grandkids. It use to drive me insane but now I am at a place that I realize she couldn't do this for her own kids, so now she does it for all of ours. My mother is about to be grandmother to her 10th grandchild, so her giving is spread out pretty good. Ha Ha She is also enjoying life by going on trips and such. We are so glad that she is really getting to enjoy herself now. She deserves it!!

I also have a sister, who I talk to just about everyday. She and I are totally different on the way we raise our children (homeschooling) and such but we agree to disagree and have a great relationship. Then there's the baby brother. We don't talk often but when we do it's like we haven't missed a beat.

I also need to include my inlaws in on this post. My husband has really good parents and I am so thankful for that. They are part of the reason why he is the great man that he is.

God has blessed us abundantly with family!!

30 days of Thankfulness~~ Day 5

Now there will be no paticular order from this point on but today I am thankful for my home.

It's not a particularly large house at about 1800-2000 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms/2 baths, but I am so thankful for this home. It's nice and comfortable and Ronnie has done so much to really make it ours. We have taken down walls to make it a more "open" floor plan, painted walls, laid wood and ceramic floorings, and the list goes on and on. We have a lot left to do, like gutting my kitchen, but more and more it is home. We have made many great memories here and hope to make many, many more.

When I write about our "home" I am constantly reminded that the King of Kings, sent to save the world, did not even have a pillow to lay His head upon.

Jesus said to him," The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."~~~ Matthew 8:20

So no matter what the state of our home, we should be content!!

And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.~~~ 1 Timothy 6:8

As a wife and a mother, I should be working diligently to have a home atmosphere that is pleasing to my family and to the Lord.

Proverbs 31:10-31

Titus 2

This is what I am striving towards and to raise children to do the likewise.

30 days of Thankfulness~~ Day 4

Todays Thankfulness should be ever so obvious.....

I am thankful beyond measure for these 3 blessings.

God is so good.

I can't believe how much Peyton has grown since this picture was taken, just over a year ago.

They are each so different and God has given each of them some really neat qualities.

Katherine is 19 and has now graduated from our homeschool. She is taking advantage of some great opportunities in her life right now and praying for God's will for her future. She is an amazing young lady and I am so glad to be a part of her life.

Lindsey is 16. She matures in her walk with the Lord daily. There's still lots of room for growth (for me too) but it's amazing to see what all He has done in her life as of late. She is so much fun to be around and just draws people to her. We call her our "social one".

I love this picture. It is so typical. She can be girly girly and still carry a big gun.

Then you have Peyton, 13. He is 100% boy. If there is something to get into, he is on top of it, but he is also such a big help to his dad and I. We are so thankful for this huge, 5'7", 200 lb., boy. He, too, is growing leaps and bounds in his walk with the Lord. He has a great character.

These two can be the best of friends at times. I am so thankful that they are all together, all day, everyday, and count on each other the way that they do.

This is from our trip to New Orleans this summer. They are priceless.....

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth.
How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed, When they speak with their enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:3-5

30 days of Thankfulness~~ Day 3

Well, as I expected would happen, I almost missed day 3. We have had a very full day and I am just now getting a split second to sit down at the computer. However, day 3 is one of my most important thankfuls. Today and everyday, I am thankful that God saw fit to bless me with Ronnie Spencer.

There are so many things I am thankful for in him but one is his overwhelming desire to serve his family and country. He is one of a breed of men to be admired for his sacrifice to leave his family so that we can freely live. I hope my children understand the great sacrifice that he has made on their behalf.

He is a kind man who loves his me in a way that I do not deserve and oh, how he loves his kids. He will always be known as a great soldier but we know him best as an outstanding husband and father.

~~~

He reads the Word daily and has been reading through the Bible yearly for quite some time now. As a result, he leads us with wisdom.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.~~~ Proverbs 3:5-6

His wisdom in handling issues that come up is amazing. Some of his main verses when dealing with the children are:

But I say to you, That you resist not evil: but whoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.~~~Matthew 5:39 (we just recently had to revisit this one and we are still working on it but we have seen Ronnie walk this one out many times)

In the multitude of words there wants not sin: but he that refrains his lips is wise.~~~ Proverbs 10:19

Abstain from all appearance of evil.~~~ 1 Thess. 5:22 (whooo, this one's tough)

I could go on and on.....

He is firm when dealing with us but just, as well. My children have his ear anytime they need it and that is priceless. I am so thankful.

Well, I think I have gushed enough over how thankful I am for this man. He is not perfect by any means (neither am I, ha ha) but he is one of the best men I have ever known!!

30 days of Thankfulness

I never ever participate in these kinds of things because I have a hard enough time blogging as it is but I really want to do this......

I have already missed day one, so I will have day 1 and 2 in the same post. See I told you I am really bad at this kind of thing.

Day 1

I am so thankful for the salvation that the Lord gave to me about 20 yrs. ago. The great sacrifice that Christ gave on my behalf, I will forever be thankful for. Thank you Lord.

If you would like to be saved and experience a love greater than I can ever explain, please go here:

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/taste-see-articles/a-summary-of-the-gospel-to-help-you-enjoy-it-and-share-it

O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endures for ever. Psalm 107:1

Day 2

I am thankful for God's Word given to me to instruct me on my life.

Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. 2 Tim. 3:16

About 9 yrs. ago, way into our salvation, we started really seeking God's Word and path for our lives. In this search we found Deut. 6:5-9.

5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
6 "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
7 "You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
8 "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.
9 "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

These verses led us to homeschooling.

Then Titus 2:3-5:

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,
4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

These verses led me to being at home and doing my work in the home. They also led me to being more under the authority of my husband. Which I still work at daily.

We work hard at seeing a scripture and applying it as best as we can to our daily walk.


Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

Longing for the simplier days to come....

Wow, this school year has started out with a bang. We have been driving quite a distance twice a week, in order for my girls and my not so little man, to play volleyball and flag football for the last couple of months. It has been really tough on us all but worth it for the kids to get to spend time with their friends. It all ends next Tues. and I have to say I am ready to be home and living our more simpler life.

When we have not been on the road we have been accomplishing a great deal of this......

My oldest has now taken on the job of helping her brother with his Teaching Textbooks Math. I have to say I love, love, love, this program. The kids have also enjoyed the occasional board game. Oh, how we love board games. This is an exciting game of Pictureka shared with a cousin.

When we are not schooling or playing we have done our fair share of work around the farmette. Here's the man of my dreams and my not so little man making much needed repairs to our very old barn. It's not much to look at but oh, we are so thankful for it!!

We have moved old hay around and gathered new hay for the animals to eat through the winter.

And here we have our first square foot garden planted with all kinds of fall produce. It's our test plot. The lettuce is doing great but we are still waiting on the broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower.

The real star of the show is a little black pig. She has grown so much and we really enjoy her around the homestead. She loves all of the fallen pears on the ground from our pear tree. Who would have known we would like a little pig so much. However, Katherine is not positive that she won't be going to market in the spring too. Ha Ha

And here you have our princess Phoebe doing what she loves best.....

She loves a good belly rub. Who would have ever thought that a man who shoots very large guns for a living would be caught giving a pig a belly rub? All I have to say is he is so good to us!!

Here's our, what we call, real pigs. They are being raised for our freezer. We normally get a pink American Yorkshire but we have the hardest time sending a nice pretty pink pig to market. So the man of my dreams found these not so pretty brown Duroc pigs. I am thinking it's going to be a little easier to see these go. Oh, and yes, that is one of our barn cat's visiting. He spends the majority of his day in there. Who knows what that's about........ Last but not least, we found this little guy/girl in the barn this week. We are thinking it is a white dove. He has bands on both feet. He has been hanging around our barn for the last few days.

He lets us get close enough to throw food to him and take pictures. Very strange but really neat.
Oh, and our big news around the home is that this amazing girl will be 19 on Monday. Oh, where does the time go. She is one of the most amazing young women I know. Her walk with the Lord is something to be marveled at and I am so glad that God chose me to be a part of her life. Happy Birthday Sweet Katherine. We love you more than words can tell.
Life should be calming down around here and we will be back on a track of truly Keeping the Home. The only way for me to really keep my home is to be at home!!!

~~~

1 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.~~~ Titus 2:1-5