Weekly Rewind 11/23-11/29/08

Between painting our bedroom and celebrating Thanksgiving, this past week was busy. It was the kind of week when, at the end, you just want to collapse and take a deep breath. Once again, God showed us His mercies in the most generous of ways.

~Mountain Man and the boys worked hard to paint our bedroom in just one day! There was a lot of furniture-moving and a bit of paint-spilling, but they managed to complete it all. I did some painting as well, but by the afternoon, the smell was so strong that I had to exit and make snacks for everyone.:) The room looks great, and the color is growing on me. This was a perfect opportunity for me to practice contentment because I really didn't like the color as it was going on, and we had already bought four gallons! Mountain Man really likes it, though! We did buy some new lamps, but otherwise, we were able to hang up the same curtains, and I already had a comforter that matches perfectly. I'll post pictures after I finish getting the room put back together. Thank you, Lord, for how hard the men worked to bless me with a finished room, and for using this circumstance to teach me more about contentment, even in the smallest of things (which often offer the most difficult opportunities to be content!)

~Little Bit....aah, Little Bit. She moves so quickly that even in a house full of this many people, she manages to do the most dangerous of things! While we were busy painting, and the children were watching a movie (she was supposed to be watching, too), Little Bit sneaked into the bathroom and decided to empty out the contents under the sink. This meant lots of things in the toilet, and frighteningly, a razor in her mouth. It was by the grace of God that she didn't do anything more harmful to herself with that razor and that her mouth wasn't more cut up than it was. It took awhile to stop the bleeding, and she was soon eating and drinking, despite her injuries. Thank you, Lord, for protecting Little Bit. We praise you that we are always under Your watchful eye and always in Your tender care.

~Dear friends of ours, the Spencer Family, generously invited us to spend Thanksgiving Day with them. They were already having their extended family over, and yet, they kindly asked us to join them, too. It was such a delightful time, and what a treat it was to share in their celebration. The food was delicious, and everyone made us feel very welcome. Here are a couple of pictures....

Reaches Up loves Curtis! Here Curtis patiently gives him advice as he considers his next play in Uno.Whistler and Boo love to dress up when over the Spencers. Caity and Marissa are quite the seamstresses and make such lovely play dresses. Caity is also the resident beautician, fixing the girls' hair and painting their nails (clear polish, of course!:)) Thank you, Lord, for the kindness of friends who invite us into their homes and allow us to share in their celebration. Thank you for a day of laughter and great food and precious memories.

~I'll be having surgery this coming Friday, December 5th, and would so appreciate your prayers for the following: peace during the procedure, no fainting on the table (when you're pregnant, it's a great temptation!:)), and a quick surgery in which they would be able to close up the wound nicely. Thank you, Lord, for the peace that only You can give.

Love to you all,

Queen Mom

Advent~A Time of Preparation

Our family is new at this. Yes, we've celebrated Advent for the past several years with various books such as Jotham's Journey, or by creating a Jesse Tree and following those readings, but I don't think we've emphasized the "preparation" part. For this we must be even more intentional, and as my Mountain Man reminded me last night, "anything intentional is hard." We eagerly accomplish most of the tasks you'll see mentioned below, but have been slack in taking time for the "inner housecleaning" that George Grant refers to. So, while we won't be "there" at once, I am thankful for the opportunity to grow in this area and impart to our children even more meaning and understanding of this Yuletide Season. Here are some thoughts about Advent to encourage and inspire you.

"Advent is that period of great anticipatory joy--it is a time of preparation for the celebration of Jesus' arrival in Bethlehem as a helpless infant. In the Western liturgy, Advent begins four Sundays prior to December 25th--the Sunday closest to November 30. (Today is the first day of Advent for 2008!) The annual commemoration of Jesus' birth begins the Christmas cycle of the liturgical year-- a cycle that runs from Christmas Eve to the Sunday after the feast of the Epiphany."

"The four weeks of Advent are often thought of as symbolizing the four different ways that Jesus comes into the world: 1) at His birth as a helpless infant at Bethlehem, 2) at His arrival in the hearts of believers, 3) at His death, and 4) at His arrival on Judgment Day. Because Christmas falls on a different day of the week each year, the fourth week of Advent is never really finished; it is abruptly, joyously, and solemnly abrogated by the annual coming again of Jesus at Christmas."
~from a booklet given to us containing readings for Advent, Twelve Days of Christmas, and Epiphany...complied by various pastors

"Advent is a season of preparation. For centuries Christians have used the month prior to the celebration of Christ's incarnation to ready their hearts and their homes for the great festival. While we moderns tend to do a good bit of bustling about in the crowded hours between Thanksgiving and Christmas--shopping for presents, compiling guests lists, mailing holiday greeting cards, perusing catalogs, decorationg hearth and home, baking favorite confections,a nd getting ready for one party after another--that hardly constitutes the kind of preparation Advent calls for. Indeed, Advent has been a time of quiet introspection, personal examination, and repentance. A time to slow down, to take stock of the things that matter the most, and to do a thorough inner housecleaning. Advent is, as ancient dogma of the Church asserts, a Little Pascha--a time of fasting, prayer, confession, and reconciliation. All the great Advent stories, hymns, customs, and rituals--from the medieval liturgical antiphons and Scrooge's A Christmas Carol to the lighting of the Advent candles and the eating of the Martinmas beef are attuned to this notion: the best way to prepare for the coming of the Lord is to make straight His pathway to our hearts."
~from Christmas Spirit by George Grant and Gregory Wilbur

Comfort Food~Chocolate Chip Muffins

Chocolate Chip Muffins

(from the Inn at the Park Bed and Breakfast in Louisville, KY)

2 c. all purpose flour

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/3 c. granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2/3 c. milk

1/2 c. melted butter

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 pkg. chocolate chips (about 11.5 ounces)

1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and grease muffin cups or line with cupcake liners. In large bowl, stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, mix together milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla until blended. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add milk mixture, stirring until just combined. Add chocolate chips and nuts.

Spoon batter into muffin pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Dust with powdered sugar.

I bake these at 375 degrees, and we top ours with butter and haven't tried the powdered sugar, yet. I also don't use as many chocolate chips as suggested, but, as witnessed to by Little Bit, there are still plenty of chocolate chips to be found in those muffins!

Don't Let the Title Fool You....

Spiritual Depression by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones is probably not a book many of us would buy. I started reading it with hopes that it would help me Biblically counsel a particular person in my life who continuously struggles with depression. Wanting to avoid the very popular psychologized approaches that are rooted in man's foolishness rather than God's wisdom, but have the "Christian" label attached to make them more palatable for us, I came across this book after much searching. I was surprised by how edifying and encouraging it was for me. As I continued to read, I was reading for myself, not just to benefit another.

Compiled from a series of sermons that Pastor Lloyd-Jones preached, this book is easily read in chapter order or randomly. The chapters are all related in their connection to a Christian's lack of joy, but each can stand alone.

Lloyd-Jones opens the book with "general considerations" about spiritual depression. He explains that this is a condition "which has afflicted God's people right from the beginning, for you will find it described and dealt with in the Old Testament and in the New." He began preaching this series of sermons because "there are large numbers of Christian people who give the impression of being unhappy. They are cast down, their souls are 'disquieted within them.'

He clearly points out that we should always "start with the Bible, where there is explicit teaching on every condition, and he asserts that there are five main causes for a Christian's lack of joy...

1) Temperament~he doesn't mean here that you should take a personality test and go from there. He's simply addressing that we're all different and react to circumstances differently. Some of us are introverts and some are extroverts. Some of us can be morbidly introspective. He reminds us that we should be aware of these things and be careful about our strengths and weaknesses.

2) Physical condition~Lloyd-Jones warns us not to dismiss the part that physical condition plays in spiritual depression. He includes in this group "tiredness, overstrain, illness, any form of illness." We're reminded that "the greatest and best Christians when they are physically weak are more prone to an attack of spiritual depression than at any other time and there are great illustrations of this in the Scriptures."

3) A reaction~"A reaction after a great blessing, a reaction after some unusual and exceptional experience." He cites the situation of Elijah under the juniper tree and Abraham in Genesis chapter 15.

4) Satan~"The adversary of our souls...he can use our temperament and our physical condition." Satan's methods of producing spiritual depression are endless, Lloyd-Jones tells us. "The devil's one object is so to depress God's people that he can go to the man of the world and say: There are God's people. Do you want to be like that?"

5) Unbelief~He describes this as the "ultimate cause." "That is why psalmist keeps on saying to himself: 'Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise Him...' He reminds himself of God...because he had forgotten God, so that his faith and his belief in God and in God's power, and in his relationship to God, were not what they ought to be."

He goes on to address the issue of spiritual depression more deeply in the twenty chapters that follow, which include topics such as "Mind, Heart, and Will," "Vain Regrets," "Feelings," "Weary in Well Doing," "Trials,", "Chastening," and "That One Sin." This is an encouraging and convicting book that not only helps you consider the lack of joy in your own Christian walk but also equips you to minister Scripturally to others in your life who are struggling. There are several chapters that I will be having our children read as well, for I think there is much wisdom in guarding ourselves in this area instead of being suddenly surprised by a lack of joy that results from the many little things we've carelessly let seep into our hearts and minds.

"Rejoice in the Lord alway, again I say rejoice!" (Phil. 4:4)

Pressing On,
Queen Mom

*Note: I'm just a sinful human being...remember that when I recommend a book. Always read with discernment, measuring everything by God's Word. If I ever recommend something contrary to God's Word, TELL ME! As iron sharpens iron....

Happy Thanksgiving!

"We Plough the Fields, and Scatter.."

He...gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."

Acts. 14:17

We plough the fields and scatter

The good seed on the land,

But it is fed and watered

by God's almighty hand;

He sends the snow in winter,

The warmth to swell the grain,

the breezes and the sunshine,

and soft refreshing rain.

All good gifts around us

Are sent from heav'n above;

then thank the Lord,

O thank the Lord

For all His love.

He only is the Maker

Of all things near and far;

He paints the way-side flower,

He lights the evening star;

The winds and waves obey Him,

By Him the birds are fed;

Much more to us, His children

He gives our daily bread.

All good gifts around us

Are sent from heav'n above;

Then thank the Lord,

O thank the Lord

For all His love.

We thank Thee, then, O Father,

For all things bright and good,

The seed-time and the harvest,

Our life, our health, our food:

No gifts have we to offer

For all thy love imparts,

But that which thou desirest,

Our humble, thankful hearts.

All good gifts around us

Are sent from heav'n above;

Then thank the Lord,

O thank the Lord

For all His love.

~Matthias Claudius, 1782

May you cheerfully remember that every good thing you have comes from the Hand of God, and may you thoughtfully praise His name today and everyday!

We love and miss you all!

The Poff Clan

Holiness - Chapter 3 "Holiness" Part 1

Last week we read chapter 3, titled "Holiness," in J. C. Ryle's book Holiness. In this chapter, Ryle presents many key, Biblical points on how we are to be holy, and how true holiness will manifest itself. In this post, we'll just tackle the first part of chapter 3, in which Ryle adresses "what true practical holiness is - what sort of persons are those whom God calls holy."

(a) "Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find His mind described in Scripture." In other words, we should hate the things He hates, love that which He loves, and make sure that we measure all things, no matter how great or small, by the infallible standard set in God's Word.

(b) "A holy man will endeavor to shun every known sin, and to keep every commandment." That is not to say that he will always, in every single instance, succeed, but he will struggle, fight, persevere in earnestly trying to do what God says. "He will", Ryle states, "have a decided bent of mind toward God, a hearty desire to do His will - a greater fear of displeasing Him than of displeasing the world, and a love to all his ways." See Psa. 119:128; Rom. 7:22

(c) "A holy man will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ." We should love others as He loved us, forgive others as He forgave us, be selfless even as He was selfless, and in all ways try to walk as He did. See 1 Pet. 2:21; 1 John 2:6

(d) "A holy man will follow after meekness, longsuffering, gentleness, patience, kind tempers, government of his tongue. He will bear much, forebear much, overlook much, and be slow to talk of standing on his rights." How many of us will be the first to speak against an infringement of our "rights", instead of showing humility, and preferring others over ourselves! Instead, we need to be like David when he was mocked and cursed by Shimei (2 Sam. 16:10), or like Moses when his brother Aaron and his sister Miriam rebelled against his authority and spoke against him (Num. 12:3).

(e) "A holy man will folow after temperence and self-denial." In essence, we should crucify the desires of the flesh and keep in subjections sinful passions, putting off that which is old, and putting on that which is new. See 1 Cor. 9:27; Luke 21:34

(f) "A holy man will follow after charity and brotherly kindness." As Ryle says, one who is truly holy will "strive to adorn his religion by all his outward demeanor, and to make it lovely and beautiful in the eyes of all around him." Actions do speak louder than words! See Rom. 13:8; 1 Cor. 13

(g) "A holy man will follow after a spirit of mercy and benevolence toward others." Like Ryle says, one who is truly holy will not just be content with doing no harm; a holy man will try to do good! Dorcas gives us a good example here, for she went about doing good works (Acts 9:36). Paul also counted it a gladness to "spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love you the less I be loved" (2 Cor. 12:15).

(h) "A holy man will follow after purity of heart." He will flee all unclean thoughts and desires, and shun everything which might lead to his falling into evil. Ryle states that "few Christians are ever too watchful and too particular about this point". See Psa. 119:9

(i) "A holy man will follow after the fear of God." This is not the fear that a slave has of his master, but rather like that of a child who loves his father so much he always moves as though his father were watching him. See Neh. 5:15

(j) "A holy man will follow after humility." We should prefer others before ourselves, and, as Ryle puts it, "see more evil in his own heart than in any other in the world." Jesus says that the meek are the ones who will inheirit the earth (Matt. 5:5), and the Apostle James writes that God resists those who are prideful, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).

(k) "A holy man will follow after faithfulness in all the duties and relations in life." Well does Ryle put it when he says, "He will not try merely to to fill his place as well as others who take no thought for their souls, but even better, because he has higher motives, and more help than they." We should work diligently and to the best of our ability, as though our Heavenly Father were right there watching every single task we set our hands to; and indeed, He is watching us, and it is sinful of us to groan and gripe as we work. We should, rather, be thankful that we have work to do, and that we are able to do it. See Col. 3:23; Rom. 12:11

(l) "... a holy man will follow after spiritual mindedness." We should always keep our eyes on heavenly things, and, as Ryle puts it, "hold things on this earth with a very loose hand. He will not neglect the business of life that now is; but the first place in his mind and thoughts will be given to the life to come."

Now I'll close this first part with a few remaining thoughts from Ryle.

"And this I do boldly and confidently say, that true holiness is a great reality... It is light: if light exists, it will show itself. It is salt: if it exists, its savour will be perceived. It is a preciuos ointment: if it exists, its presence cannot be hid."

"I do not say for a moment that holiness shuts out the presence of indwelling sin. No: far from it... But it is the excellence of a holy man that he is not at peace with indwelling sin as others are. He hates it, mourns over it, and longs to be free from its company. The work of sanctification within him is the like the wall of Jerusalem - the building goes forward 'even in troublous times' (Dan. 9:25)."

"Sanctification is always a progressive work. Some men's graces are in the blade, some in the ear, and some are like full corn in the ear... And sanctification at its best is an imperfect work. The history of the brightest saints will contain many a 'but,' and 'howebeit,' and 'notwithstanding,' before you reach the end. The gold will never be without some dross - the light will never shine without some clouds, until we reach the heavenly Jerusalem."

"I dare not call anyone 'holy' who makes a habit of willfully neglecting known duties, and willfully doing what he knows God has commanded him not to do. Well says Owen, "I do not understand how a man can be a true believer unto whom sin is not the greatest burden, sorrow, and trouble.'"

Persevero,

Scribe

"If You Give a Mom a Muffin" and Other Absent-Minded Musings

This past Sunday we had friends over for lunch, so Mountain Man grilled hamburgers for us. (Yes, the weather was beautiful enough to do that.:)) There were supposed to be 18 burgers in the package I bought from Costco. After grilling the first 14, Mountain Man wondered where the rest were. I insisted that was all that came in the package, and boy, did we get cheated!

Well, Monday morning I discovered the other four hamburgers...in the microwave. I was defrosting each batch briefly Sunday, after having thawed them in the refrigerator overnight. And, in that short time of getting the rest of the lunch together, I had completely forgotten the other hamburgers. Not even Mountain Man's comments triggered my memory! Such are the crazy things that happen to this highly distractable Mom! So, of course, those hamburgers made me think of this little story based on the popular children's book, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.

"If You Give a Mom a Muffin"

If you give a mom a muffin,
She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
So, she'll pour herself some.
The coffee will get spilled by her three year old.
She'll wipe it up.

Wiping the floor, she will find some dirty socks.
She'll remember she has to do some laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer,
She'll trip over some snow boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper for tonight.

She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things to Make with a Pound of Hamburger)
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill which is due tomorrow.
She will look for the checkbook.

The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two year old.
She'll smell something funny.
She'll change the two year old.
While she is changing the two year old the phone will ring. (Of course!)
Her five year old will answer it and hang up.

She remembers that whe wants to phone a friend to come over for coffee on Friday.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
She will pour herself some.
And chances are,
If she has a cup of coffee,
Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

~Kathy Fictorie

Weekly Rewind 11/16-11/22/08

It's always a great week when you finally do those projects on your list that seem easier to avoid..this was one of those weeks when we tackled some of those very things.

~Each year, I make a note to participate in Samaritan's Purse's "Operation Christmas Child." And each year, the deadline for turning in your shoeboxes comes and goes. The task is simple..you choose a boy or girl in one of three age ranges (we chose a boy and girl in the 5-9 category) and fill a shoebox with the recommended toys, arts and crafts, toiletries, etc. Finally, you drop off the boxes at one of the designated sites during a particular week and then Samaritan's Purse delivers them to children in other countries.

So, we finally did it this year! This children had a great time shopping for the items with which to fill the boxes. It was a great reminder to cherish even the simplest things that we often take for granted, such as toothpaste or a piece of chewing gum.

The night before Mountain Man dropped these off, we prayed that God would bless those children who received these boxes and that He would give them new hearts that would rejoice in the gift of His salvation. The drop-off was at a Calvary Chapel, and Mountain Man wasn't sure he was going to get out of there without attending their Wednesday night service. He said an alarm must have sounded when he walked in because everyone greeted him and wanted to know if he'd be staying for the service. How's that for a friendly welcome! :) Thank you, Lord, for the opportunities to bless others while showing them the love of Christ. Thank you that You've called us to be servants in so many different ways.

~My sweet Beloved promised to paint our bedroom last year as an anniversary present, and we finally bought the paint this weekend! Yippee! I'm so excited...though I am cautiously waiting to see what the color will really look like once on the walls. You know those fancy names on the paint swatches never quite reflect the imagination of the person who created them...or rather that's all they reflect...the imagination of someone else. Ours is titled "Oatlands Gold Bluff," and it has some yellow undertones. The painting starts Wednesday, and I'll post before and after pictures later. Thank you, Lord, for the many sacrifices my Beloved makes everyday for me.

~Well-known for my tendency to read about great ideas and never implement them, it was great to get our "Ebenezer Box" finished. (see previous post for details) The children are already filling it up, and I say we'll have quite a few pieces of paper to read on Thanksgiving Day. Thank you, Lord, for great ideas that inspire us develop the habit of giving You praise and honor.

~I had two doctor's visits this week. Both went well, and Next Girl is great. The perinatologist said it would be fine to go ahead with the MOHs surgery (to remove the skin cancer), and I'll return in a few weeks to check baby's growth again. My visit with my OB went well, too, except for my learning that he'll be out of town briefly around my due date! One of his medical assistants shared with me that she had the MOHs procedure done on her nose as well. Her advice..don't look at your nose before they stitch you up...um, I wasn't even considering doing that! Thank you, Lord, that Next Girl is growing and this pregnancy is going well.

Love to you all,

Queen Mom for all of us

"McSabbath"

"McSabbath is here--worship services that are quick, easy, convenient, and user-friendly. No muss, no fuss. Little or no sacrifice required. Consumers can be in and out in under an hour. McSermons may not be as nutritional as the real thing, but, like Big Macs, they have a predictable quality that fills a void at least for a while. The question is, however, do they fulfill the purpose of worship, which is to please God?"

~Celebrating the Sabbath by Bruce Ray

(italics are the author's)

Contentment in All Things

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."

Philippians 4:11

It's often hard to teach your children what you yourself have not mastered. Yet, in spite of my own struggles, I can't cry "disqualified!" and think the Lord would accept this as a worthy excuse for failing to train our children in a certain area. Instead, my very weakness should drive me all the more to mature and grow in His wisdom and strength, that I may not suffer weariness in teaching our children and spurring them on to more and more reflect the image of their Lord and Savior. I don't want to cause my little ones to stumble, yet, so often as a Mom, I feel like the main character in Stepping Heavenward, when she lamented, "I mean that I am in a disheartened mood, weary of going round and round in circles, committing the same sins, uttering the same confessions, and making no advance."

The question is how to teach my Little Bit to be content with that one serving of cookie when I myself want at least three brownies...to teach my sons to be content with the size of their bedroom when I often grumble about the lack of space in our home for all of our "things"...to teach my children to joyfully complete their chores when I complain that "I just cleaned that up!" How do I tell them to be satisfied with having some item later when there are so many things I want NOW? "Don't you have enough of "fill -in- the- blank?" I say, as I search Amazon for just one more book..because you know I don't have enough of those. And so it often is that the sins that so frustrate and grieve me in my children are the very ones that have a firm place in my own heart.

To teach our children to have that quiet rest inside when their circumstances aren't to their liking, to teach them to have peace when God's will is painful, to teach them to surrender their wants and desires for that which God has provided...these are hard things, but without such peace and contentment, they'll live their lives constantly waiting "for the next thing," never able to enjoy and delight in where God has them now.

A couple of books have inspired me in their practical exhortations for cultivating contentment, Stepping Heavenward by Elisabeth Prentiss and Spiritual Depression by D. Martyn Lloyd -Jones. Reflecting the wisdom of God's Word, the following points offer helpful instruction, but I am the one who has to apply them, relying on the grace of God to help me to "walk in the spirit" and not fulfill the "lusts of the flesh." No quick and easy fix here, just Godly encouragement based in the Word of God.

"Four Steps That Lead to Peace"~ from Stepping Heavenward

1) "Be desirous of doing the will of another, rather than your own."
2) "Choose always to have less, rather than more."
3) "Seek always to the lowest place and to be inferior to everyone." (Is anyone cringing at that one?)
4) "Wish always, and pray, that the will of God may be wholly fulfilled in you."

In his chapter titled "Learning to be Content," in the book Spiritual Depression, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul had learned to be content "by working out a great argument" that reflects the following truths.

1) "Conditions are always changing, therefore I must obviously not be dependent upon conditions."

2) "What matters supremely and vitally is my soul and my relationship to God--that is the first thing."

3) "God is concerned about me as my Father, and nothing happens to me apart from God. Even the very hairs of my head are all numbered. I must never forget that."

4) "God's will and God's ways are a great mystery, but I know that whatever He wills or permits is of necessity for my good."

5) "Every situation in life is the unfolding of some manifestataion of God's love and goodness. Therefore my business is to look for this peculiar manifestation of God's goodness and kindness and to be prepared for surprises and blessings because 'His ways are not my ways, neither His thoughts my thoughts.' What, for example, is the great lesson that Paul learned in the matter of the thorn in the flesh? It is that: 'When I am weak then am I strong.' Paul was taught through physical weakness this manifestation of God's grace."

6) "I must regard circumstances and conditions, not in and of themselves therefore, but as a part of God's dealing with me in the work of perfecting my soul and bringing me to final perfection."

7) "Whatever my conditions may be at this present moment they are only temporary, they are only passing, and they can never rob me of the joy and the glory that ultimately await me with Christ."

Pressing On,
Queen Mom

(I highly recommend both of the above mentioned books and will post a review next week of Spiritual Depression)

"A little heavy, perhaps?"

Little Bit thought she was going to march out with the best of 'em...

Until she realized that her army pack was a mite heavier than she'd expected!

~ ~ ~
(Note: NO, we are not advocates of women in the military, but this foto was just too good to pass up!)

Comfort Food~"Buttery, Buttery Garlic Bread Sticks"

No, that's not the original title for this recipe, but after making some changes, it seems more appropriate. Now these are not some fancy yeast-based breadsticks, so, if that's important to you, read no more. This is just a "put-it-together-quickly" recipe that tastes simply delicious! I've served it the past two nights with very different meals (beef roast and spaghetti and meatballs), and it's been a hit both times. Even my "don't-care-for-bread-too-much" children have asked for seconds! (Can you believe I actually have children who don't care for bread?)

3 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 T. dried parsley

1 T. baking powder

1 c. milk ( I used 1-1/2 c. the second time and liked that better)

1/2 c. butter (the original calls for margarine)

1 more tsp. garlic powder (to be mixed with melted butter)

1/2 tsp. salt (to be mixed with melted butter)

Mix flour, salt, garlic powder, parsley, and baking powder together. Add milk, and stir well. Knead about 5-6 times in bowl, and then put on floured surface. Roll out with a rolling pin to make a rectangle to fit into a 9x13 pan. Melt butter in the 9x13 at about 375 degrees. Mix the garlic powder and salt into the melted butter, and then fit your dough into the pan. Cut the dough in half with a pizza cutter and then each half in half, etc. until you have a lot of narrow strips of dough. Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes. They'll be slightly brown and crispy when done.

~My changes:

I actually mixed the additional amounts of salt and garlic powder in with more melted butter and brushed the top of the dough with it before baking. I then sprinkled a bit of parmesan cheese on top. Finally, I brushed more melted butter over the finished breadsticks. Note, too, that I added more milk than stated and found the dough easier to work with and not as dry.

~This recipe from the "Hillbilly Housewife" blog.

Our Ebenezer Box

" Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us."

(1 Samuel 7: 12)

I posted some time ago a link to an article explaining a family thanksgiving tradition. The author shared that her family would decorate a box, paste an appropriate Scripture verse on the front, and inside leave notes of thanks to God throughout the year. These notes cames in many forms...post-its, envelopes, scraps, etc. Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the family would then gather for a special time to read through these praises, remembering God's faithfulness throughout the year. Finally, they would burn the notes and sing a hymn of praise.

We love this idea and decided we would begin this tradition. We decorated an empty oatmeal canister, and the children chose a verse related to giving thanks..."Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" (Psalm 107:15) We decided to call this our "Ebenezer" box, reflecting the memorial stone that Samuel set as a reminder of God's help, for this, though a simple box, would hold many reminders of how "hath the LORD helped us" throughout the year.

We're looking forward to having this wonderful written record of God's mercies, and I'm hoping we'll have to make several boxes to hold all of our notes of gratitude! We'll most likely go through our notes on Thanksgiving, and instead of burning the notes, I'll copy them and make treasured scrapbook pages from them. I'm always regretful at the end of the year that I don't remember all of the mercies God has shown us, and this is a wonderful way to capture at least some of them and make them available for generations to come, that they, too, can rejoice in God's faithfulness and be encouraged in their walks with Him.

Love,
Queen Mom

(Go here for original article. )

Be Inspired

My Reaches Up inspires me...I do wish I had his youthful brain cells and that I had started memorizing God's Word when I was younger in such large passages as he is doing at 6 years old. It's never too late, though! We hope you'll be inspired to hide more of God's Word in your hearts as you watch him recite all of James Chapter 1. To God be the glory!

Weekly Rewind 11/09-11/15/08

Both Mountain Man and I thought this past week was a bit exhausting, but we're not really sure why. For me, it might have something to do with approaching my third trimester, and for my Beloved, well, his driving schedule alone would make me tired! Once again, it's wonderful to reflect on the mercies God has shown us throughout the week.

~This past week, we were especially blessed to have Daddy home Mon. thru Wed. So, we found ourselves easing our way back into lessons. This is the most challenging time of year for me to keep everything on schedule. Between the Mountain Man rendezvous events, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, there always seems to be some reason that we aren't able to consistently stay on track. And when Daddy's home, being with him is the priority. Thank you, Lord, for those interruptions in our schedules that remind us to submit our plans to You and rest in Your provision.

~Tuesday night found us enjoying dinner at my favorite restaurant, The Melting Pot. We were supposed to go for our anniversary this year, so we were just a bit late, but it was wonderful! For those of you not familiar with this place, The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant, and to enjoy the four course meal (you can choose other options), you really should allow yourselves about three hours. It's quite expensive and quite the treat. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of delicious food and for those special nights out with my Beloved.

~God's provision never ceases to excite me, whether it be large or small. Needing to repair our kitchen faucet, Mountain Man sought the advice of the experts at Lowe's. Unfortunately, they advised him to call Moen, the manufacturer of our faucet, and talk with them directly. I say unfortunately because Moen said they would get back to him in 1-1/2 hours.....well, my Beloved is just waiting in town for their call, so he knows which part to buy. Moen did call Mountain Man back, explained the faucet was still under warranty, and told him they would be sending out the replacement parts for FREE. Thank you, Lord, for the many ways you supply our needs. May we never take for granted the provision of Your loving Hand.

~Our children and I had fun Saturday evening baking (Queen Mom's part) and decorating (our children's part) cookies for our Sunday fellowship meal. Here's a picture of their creations...

I love the icing recipe we used...3 T. whole milk, 1 T. cream cheese, softened, and 1-1/2 c. confectioner's sugar. Thank you, Lord, for the treasure of homemade treats, and the opportunities to make memories together.

~We had the honor of having the Pastor of our overseeing church in Phoenix, AZ, stay with us this weekend. He was a delightful guest and blessed us with a couple of wonderful reads before he left, Is Christianity Good for the World? (a written debate between an athiest and a Christian) and a collection of readings for Advent, the Twelve Days of Christmas, and Epiphany! Yippee! I was thrilled, especially, to receive this collection of readings since we're learning more about Yuletide this year. His sermon about unity in the Body of Christ was especially encouraging and convicting. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to serve your Body, for the ability to practice hospitality, and for the many ways we can build up our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We hope you, too, are able to reflect on your past week with thanks to the LORD!

Love,

Queen Mom for all of us

The Sabbath~"Just Too Busy"

"Many people see the Sabbath, or Lord's Day, as an infringement of their personal liberty--a day that God has taken from them instead of a gift that He has given to them for rest, worship, and celebration. The modern world, they argue, is too complex to set apart a whole day for rest and worship. There is too much that we need to do and too much that we want to do to give up one day in seven for God. We are just too busy."

~from Celebrating the Sabbath by Bruce Ray

"...Praying Always For You"

As the Littles and I were doing our "Kitchen Sparkle" last week, I came up with an idea for more consistently remembering to pray for other family members and friends. While I do record prayer requests, I can easily get slack about praying for everyone and doing it diligently. I also wanted to encourage the children to pray for others on their own, independently of our prayer time together.

The refrigerator seemed like the perfect spot to display a reminder to pray for our family and friends. I decided we would focus on one family each week and made a title of "Remember to pray for...," using card stock, scrapbooking scissors, and magnet tape. I put a Scripture under the title that reminds us to pray for one another, such as Colossians 1:3, "We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you." I'll periodically change the Scripture, as there are many to choose from.I then listed various Scriptures to pray when thinking of the family pictured. There are so many possibilities, but here are just a few of the ones I listed...

~that you would be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Col. 1:19)

~that the Lord would make you increase and abound in love toward one another, and all men (1 Thess. 3:13)

~that the Lord would stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God...(1 Thess. 3:13)
(I'll change these occasionally as well, using Scriptures I've noted in my Bible study time or using others from the Nave's Topical Bible.)

I've been amazed at how often I look at the picture posted and pray these Scriptures for the particular family. Think about how many times a Mom is in the kitchen, opening and closing the refrigerator door! If we don't have a picture of a particular family member or friend, I'll just type up the name in a pretty font and slip it inside the photo holder. I do remind the children to remember to look at the family and pray for them at least once at day.

Of course, we pray the standing requests for good health or salvation or other specific petitions for that family, but having these Scriptures in front of us reminds us of just how much richer and more specific our prayers can be, and I know I would love to have someone praying, for example, that God would make me or my husband or my children "perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ." (Heb. 13:21)

Love to you all...we're praying for you!

Queen Mom

Little Bit's First Shower...

...a hair-raising experience!

Sanctification-Part 4~Practically Applying What We've Learned

At the closing of his chapter on sanctification, Ryle explains some practical applications of what we've studied thus far.

1) These reflections should wake us up to "the perilous state of many professing Christians." Remember Hebrews 12:14, "Without holiness no man shall see the LORD." When we consider that "without sanctification there is no salvation," we must acknowledge that there is an "enormous amount of so-called religion" that is "perfectly useless." We should be grieved at the thought of so many "church-goers" who are walking the "broad road that leads to destruction."

2) Our knowledge of sanctification should encourage us to "make sure work of our own condition," and not rest until knowing we are sanctified. Ryle asks us to consider, "What are our tastes and choices and likings and inclinations? This is the great telling question. It matters little what we wish, and what we hope, and what we desire to be before we die. Where are we now? What are we doing?" (emphasis mine)

3) We must remember that sanctification begins with Christ. We must come to him declaring our "utter need," and cry out to Him for "mercy and grace."

4) "If we would grow in holiness and become more sanctified, we must continually go on as we began, and be ever making fresh applications to Christ." For He is "from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part making increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." (Eph. 4:16) (As Matthew Henry sums up that verse....Christ is our Head and gives influence and nourishment to every member.)

Ryle admonishes us to live out our faith daily and draw fully from the promised "grace and strength which Jesus has laid up for His people." This, he states, is the "grand secret of progressive sanctification." For, "believers who seem at a standstill are generally neglecting close communion with Jesus, and so grieving the Spirit." Ryle reminds us of Christ's prayer, "Sanctify them," the last night before His crucifixion, and Christ's infinite willingness "to help everyone who by faith applies to Him for help, and desires to be made more holy." (emphasis mine)

This last statement caused me to reflect about my own and our children's desire for holiness--are we earnestly praying about it...is there a passion, a hunger about being holy because He is holy?

5) Finally, Ryle cautions us not to expect perfection here on earth. "Let us not expect too much from our own hearts here below. At our best we shall find in ourselves daily cause for humiliation, and discover that we are needy debtors to mercy and grace every hour. The more light we have, the more we shall see our own imperfection. Sinners we were when we began, sinners we shall find ourselves as we go on; renewed, pardoned, justified--yet sinners to the very last. Our absolute perfection is yet to come, and the expectation of it is one reason why we should long for heaven." Amen!

Of course, anyone following along with our reading of Holiness thus far knows that Ryle's statement is in no way an endorsement of being slothful in our walk with the Lord, but rather it is a frank assessment of the battle we have while still in this sinful world and in our sinful bodies.

We'll next be looking at Chapter 3 (ok...can you believe there's so much more to study...we're only now covering chapter 3!) which addresses "Holiness."

Return of the Mountain Men - Part 2

Well, folks, in dis post, I'll chronicle what we mountain men (Mountain Man, Little Big Man, and yours truly) did on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!

On Friday mornin', the camp cook (guess who?) shot a couple o' praerie chickens, skinned 'em, chopped 'em up, and threw 'em in a skillet along with a slab o' wild boar sausage I had jest killed at dawn. I also added some wild herbs I found, and- hey, watch it! Ouch! Oooh! quit hittin' me with that horse whip! Yow! Ow, ow, ow...

(Editor's note: Scribe is currently undergoing a well deserved thrashing in the coal shed for that outlandish lie he just told. The truth is that Scribe used eight eggs from a carton bought at the local supermarket and a package of sausage meat he procured from a friend to make breakfast. The "herbs" he used were simply bits of parsley, garlic, and salt which he had brought along from home. I trust that Scribe will have learned his lesson from here on out, and that the reader will no longer be bothered by such nonsense.)

..Oookay, folks... just let me sit down real slow like... phew, am I sore...(sigh)... well, I best get on with da story...

After breakfast, which were perty good, if I may say so myself, we got together our powder, balls, and da like, and set off to go ta war with da injuns - okay, okay! Don't hit me again! I'll tell da truth! Truth is, we jest went off ta shoot the last fifteen targets o' da rifle walk... don't think I much like the thought o' bringin' home dead steel fer supper... (sigh)...

The shootin' was fun but challengin' (the targets ranged from 'bout 30 ta 150 yards away), and when all was done, I had twenty-three out o' thirty, Mountain man had twenty five, and Little Big Man had fifteen. Over all we brought home 'bout sixty steel figures fer supper. However, when we started ta think about things, them steelthangs didn't look to appetizin'... nooo sirr, we decided we would have something, ah, less crunchy fer lunch: meat and cheese... again. :)

Along 'bout 2:30 PM, we gathered fer da hawk an' knife contest, run by Many Scars. Little Big Man wowed everybody (what's new :)) and all but ate out ter heart o' da log. Ha! That day we did two of the contests, cuz Many Scars planned ta do da third on Saturday.

Later (afore it was dark), I went to camp, grabbed my gun, went inter da woods, found me a nice buck, aimed, and - ahh, never mind. If da editor finds I colored da facts a little, me hide won't be very comfy... Fer dinner I cooked up steaks with garlic salt an' italian seasoning (da camp cook never forgets his herbs an' seasonins). Boy, was they good! Wouldn't mind makin' dat a meal to eat at every rondy-voo.

Later dat night, we curled up in our warm wraps, made us some warm drinks, and sat 'round da fire listenin' to a friend tell stories and songs and jokes and all. Along about 8:30, we hit da sack. Only dis time, both Little Big Man and I crawled inter da same bed roll so as ta keep each other warm. It worked, but near mornin', Little Big Man scooted about an' managed to get da bag all ter himself, leavin' me with only a pile o' blankets on me head and da rest o' me body as frigid as da waters of Alaska...

Saturday mornin', we woke up an' got a fire goin'. Our friends Many Scars, Longtongue, and Pack Mule whipped up burritoes again and invited us over. We accepted (of course), and also cooked up a slab o'f bacon and brought it over as a contribution to da meal. Needless ta say, breakfast was good! The only problem was that the burritos contained a significent amount of green peppers. As a result, our sinuses were, ah, cleared (to say da least).

After dat wonderful meal, Mountain Man went off with some old timers to shoot a fusil, or flintlock fer da first time. Little Big Man and I followed along with our rifles to shoot da targets again jest fer fun.

At noon, we ate a brief lunch, and had a rest, before hurrying off to compete in the last stage of the hawk an' knife contest. In this contest, we had ta throw double turn, (which be about twice da usual distance you throw from). It was challenging, but we pulled through all right. However, it ended with a throw off between Little Big Man and the reigning state hawk and knife champion, Lazy Horse, for first place over all da camp. In da end, Little Big Man beat Lazy horse by two points! Dis was da first time at dat rondy-voo dat someone that age (Little Big Man be 11) had whopped all da camp! Huzzah!

After that, we participated in an archery contest. That were great fun! The only drawback was this: you know, the bows Little Big Man and I have ain't nearly as powerful as doze toted by da men. Sooo... the target ended up bein' a rather long distance away, and thus, to allow for distance and lack of shootin' power, Little Big Man and I had ta aim way above da target to have any hopes o' hittin' it! Ha!

Later, at de awards ceremony, da prizes were handed out. Little Big Man were awarded a brand new Bomboy throwin' knife (he done got three already), and boy was he ever happy! Hee-haw, ye should a seen his face! Huzzah!

Fer supper dat night, Pack Mule, Longtongue, Many Scars, an old timer named Hookeye, and us done got together and made a big feast! There was beans, corn bread, potatoes w/ onions, pepers and seasonin's, venison, and pheasant! Boy was it a big meal! Da only thing was that every now and then, as I ate a bit o' pheasant, I'd come across small, hard little balls in da meat. I thought nothin' o' it, thinkin' they was bones. So it was to my chagrin that I later learned those "small, hard balls" was shotgun pellets from when da bird was killed! Later that night we drank hot cider around da fire, listened ta stories and songs (again), and then, tired from da long day, went ter bed.

Next mornin' (Sunday), we commenced ter packin' up once more. It were kinda sad that the rondy-voo was over, but we were glad to be goin' home. So, after all was packed, we fired up that metel wagon we rode up in, and started fer Edgewood.

About three hours later, we got home, and after a lovin' hello to Reaches Up and da women folk, we got showers! Ha! Wasn't it good to get cleaned up! Then we sat around and talked about what we did up thar in the Capitan Mountains, and learned what had gone on while we was gone. Ahhh, it was good to be back.

Next thing we knew, we was climbin' inter our nice, comfy beds, pullin' da covers up, and.... ZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZz...And so ends da chronicle o' our doin's at da "Frozen Toes" rondy-voo! Until next time, dis be Scribe sayin', so long!

~Scribe

Slicin' & Dicin'

Shootin' da bow

Da Council Fire

A Mountain Man Feast!

Little Big Man grinnin' as he receives his new throwin' knife

Yuletide

Ok, ok, I know....it's not even Thanksgiving! I'm truly not trying to rush through the holidays. In fact, Thanksgiving is one of my favorites. However, if I waited even a couple more weeks, you might think it too late to try to get a copy of a book I received yesterday, Christmas Spirit by George Grant and Gregory Wilbur.

This book addresses so much more about Christmas than most of us have experienced. Yuletide actually encompasses Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. The authors explain..
"The holiday season--what we generally just call Christmastime--is actually a long sequence of holy days, festal revelries, and liturgical rites that are collectively known as Yuletide. Beginning with Advent, a time of preparation and repentance, proceeding to Christmas, a time of celebration and generosity, and concluding with Epiphany, and time of remembrance and thanksgiving, Yuletide traditions enable us to see out the old year with faith and love while ushering in the new year with hope and joy. It is a season fraught with meaning and significance. Unfortunately, it is also such a busy season that its meaning and significance can all too easily be obscured either by well-intended materialistic pursuits--frenzied shopping trips to the mall to find just the right Christmas gift--or by the less benign demands, desires, wants, and needs that are little more than grist for human greed. The traditions of Yuletide were intended to guard us against such things--and thus, are actually more relevant today than ever before."
I'm excited to learn more about Yuletide and begin celebrating the Christmas season in a much deeper way. So, I'll be devouring this little book for ideas and see what I can begin using this year. I'm sure it will be a process, but I'm amazed I have never understood all that "Christmastime" encompasses.

One new idea we'll be trying this year, which I haven't noticed mentioned in this book, yet, is "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Our friends, the Allisons, did this with their family last year and really enjoyed it. Instead of giving all the gifts on Christmas Day, you would give the larger gift on Christmas and then a gift each day for the next eleven days. These gifts don't have to be expensive! The idea is to enjoy celebrating the Season on a deeper level and remembering it doesn't just end on Christmas Day.

I was reminded by my sweet friend, Linda, that Amazon sells this book in paperback for less than $9.00. Currently, they are out of stock of the hardback,though, which I was able to buy through a used bookseller for $3.49 total, including shipping. It's like new, too! If you're looking for a used copy, www.bookfinder.com is a great way to see all of your options.

Love,
Queen Mom

Every Mom Needs A....

..mother's helper! Of course, I already have six of these precious blessings living with me, but I'm actually referring to something slightly different. I have personally been blessed to have six more mother's helpers in my life, coming from three different families, the Allisons, the Heckendorns, and the Spencers. Each of these families has two lovely, older daughters who have blessed me with their time and talents when I've needed them. This past weekend, while my Mountain Men were away, the delightful Spencer girls spent time with us, helping me tackle those many jobs that never seem to get done!

Marissa came over on Friday and cheerfully worked alongside me and played with the children.
We got quite a list of things done, and I felt a weight lifted by the time she had left. We managed to:

~unpack and put away the girls' fall clothes and pack away the summer and spring outfits
~move Boo's clothing, which was in our room, to her own room
~sort through and dispose of puzzles with missing pieces
~enjoy a lovely lunch together
~straighten up the Master Bedroom
~have playtime with the Littles (Marissa did this by herself while I finished up some things. Just knowing that Little Bit wasn't eating toothpaste or clogging up the toilet was a huge help!:))

They couldn't get enough of their time with her. Sadly, I don't have one single picture of her time with us because the Mountain Men had the camera (how difficult it was to not have my camera for 5 days! I'm quite spoiled by instant pictures!)

Caity joined us on Saturday, with camera in tow! So, we took a few pictures of our adventures. While I ran a few errands, Caity and the Littles whipped up this beautiful batch of my favorite scones...chocolate chip toffee..Mmm! I even have extras waiting in the freezer for me, thanks to Caity's willingness to double the recipe.

Well, any mother knows that if you give your Littles scones, they'll want a tea party. So, after lunch, that's what we did, fine china and all. I was so thrilled with the extra help that I shocked the Littles when I told them they could have TWO scones, without even the slightest hesitation.

We also tackled my ever-growing magazine basket and managed to clear it out by two-thirds. Caity had playtime with the Littles, and then, as I thought she was heading home, she generously offered to help me get the car cleaned out. I think she felt sorry for this big-bellied Mama, knowing I'd have a difficult time getting to those back seats and realizing the vacuum needed to be used with more strength than the Littles could offer. Here she is with Boo, cheerfully cleaning up our dirt.
Why is all of this such a blessing to Moms?
~you tackle those never-ending jobs that you just don't seem to have time for
~You're humbled by having others come in and see you in "real life" (dirty vans and all!)
~you hopefully encourage these young ladies in the blessing of family life
~you benefit from the youth and energy that you often don't have as a Mom with Littles..these older girls just come in and start working...no task seems too big or overwhelming!
How can the daughters who are helping benefit?
~they see the different ways families function
~they can sharpen their skills of servanthood
~they can see the imperfections of other Moms and hopefully be encouraged when they face their own challenging days of Motherhood
~they can delight in knowing they've blessed a Mom beyond measure as they've joyfully helped her while being Godly examples to the Littles
The list goes on and on, but I'm so grateful to the Moms of these beautiful daughters who have unselfishly shared them and have taught them the importance of serving others. I look forward to the day when my own daughters, Whistler, Boo, Little Bit, and Next Girl, can cheerfully bless another Mom, helping her not grow weary in doing good.

Comfort Food~"Big Beautiful Muffins"

"Big Beautiful Muffins"
~from America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

We love muffins, and this recipe is one of my favorites. Not only are these delicious, but the batter, poured into muffin pans, frozen, popped out and put into a large ziploc, bakes beautifully when you decide you want to make another batch. Simply thaw on the counter for 30 minutes in a greased muffin pan and then bake for 30-35 minutes. From this recipe alone can be made many variations..Lemon-Blueberry, Lemon-Poppy Seed, Mocha-Chip, and Raspberry Almond, just to name a few.

3 c. all purpose flour

1 c. sugar

1 T. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1-1/2 c. whole or low-fat plain yogurt (this makes these SO moist!)

2 large eggs

8 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

~Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan. (So, I usually double this recipe and freeze a batch for another morning.)

~Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt and eggs together until smooth. Gently fold the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined, then fold in the melted butter.

~Using a greased 1/3 c. measure, portion the batter into each muffin cup. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan half-way through baking. (I don't always rotate the pan, and the muffins are just fine.)

~Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes and then on wire rack.

~Top with lots of butter and enjoy! (That's Queen Mom's additional instruction.:))

Love,

Queen Mom

The Return of the Mountain Men - Part 1

Well, folks, the mountain men (me, Mountain Man, and Little Big Man) have returned! Yeehaw, boy did we have a rarin' good time up thar in the south... the frozen south, or at least it seemed that way to us while we been up thar! An' on top o' that, Mountain Man done got mauled by a bear, Little Big Man got wounded in a hand ta hand fight with a Souix warrior, and I done got myself shot durin' a gun battle with some renegade trappers... oh, alright, maybe I were exageratin' a mite... (sigh)... guess I'll get on with the real story...

Well, in this post, I'll record what we mountain men did on Wednesday and Thursday...

Soooooo, on Wed. mornin', Mountain Man, Little Big Man (boy, that's one looong name ta write out), and yers truly packed and loaded our belongings (in da freezin' wind), and then, after makin' shure dat Reaches Up had enuff powder and round balls to protek de woman folk, we was asayin' goodbye to all o' dem, and den we fired up the metel buggy and drove off. By da way, it be perty funny how dem newfangled travelin' devices choke an' sputter afore dey decide to move... ol' Bill (de mule) never made dem noizes ... hee hee hee...

After drivin' in dat thang fer about two an' a half hours, we arrived at our destination: Frozen Toes rondy -voo 1838... okay, okay, 2008...

Now, unfortunately fer us, we didn't get on da road real early at all, and this, with the time change, resulted in our gettin' ter the camp site at dusk... when de sun were settin'... and the wind were blowin'... and the cold was gnawin'...

Anyhoo, we scrambled ter set up da tent, and after dat were accomplished, we decided to get in the bed, feelin' too tired and cold to care about anythin' save our bed rolls. It was dark, anway, and as da mountain men usually retired when da sun set, we crawled in our beds. Mountain Man happened to look at the strange long distance talkin' device modern folks call a cell phone, and saw it were only 6:30 PM... hmmm... we ain't really used ter goin' to bed so early... so we lay in our beds fer a time watchin' the walls o' the tent flap in da wind... listenin' to the howl o' da wind... gettin' our toes froze off by the cold drafts o' da wind... (sigh)...

That were a miserable night... couldn't get warm... couldn't get ter sleep... (sigh)... o boy, it was a long night, an' no mistake (jest in case yer curious, the tempreture each night dropped to 'bout 16 degrees F.). And when the sun did come up on Thursday mornin', it weren't much better, cuz the tempreture only rose a couple degrees. Well, we got up anyhoo (one can't stay in bed ferever), wrapped up in gloves, coats, scarves, and hats (we still never got totally warm), and got a fire goin'. We was so miserable that first mornin' (seein' as how we hadn't quite gotten used to dis frigid weather), that we was about to fall into dat pit dey call sheer desperation, and were goin' ter break out somethin' people nowadays call instant oatmeal (instead o' fresh oatmeal, it came inter someone's head ter dry de oats an' stick 'em in tiny baggies... humph, dem puny thangs don't hold enough oatmeal to fill a chipmunk, much less starvin' trappers o' de ol' times...

However, we was saved from dis abominable act by our friends Longtongue and Many Scars (who I mentioned in the Cashe Le Plew posts). They invited us over ter have burritos with them, and boy were we glad to accept! :)

After breakfast, we sat around awhile, listenin' to the old timers swap tales, and den, when that were over, we got our smoke poles an' gear, an' after a long and drawn out spell when we were checkin' our shootin' bags to make sure we had da right stuff, we went off an' shot the first 15 targets o' da Rifle Walk...

30 minutes and a pound an' a powder or more later (we burn lots o' that stuff when there are three shooters in da family), we went to camp to have meat an' cheese fer lunch. After lunch, and a brief respite (all that shootin' makes ya kinda tired), we jest mosied about the camp, sittin around in da sun, listenin' ta stories an' mountain man songs... some o' the stories were true ta life, but then there was a percentage o' 'em that were, well, concocted, you might say, fer amusement - not that any o' us really believed 'em! Ha! But it were fun, anyway.

Fer dinner on Thursday, it semed that everybody in camp had brought some kind o' chili! QueenMom done whipped up a container o' homemade meat chili with corn, an' beans, an' a whole mess o' other good tastin' stuff. That night at least, we didn't eat our own cookin'! Ha! But anyway, there is one thing that goes in our favor when we do cook fer ourselves an' it jest happens to be awful: usually we eat in da dark, an' ya know dat in the dark, ye can't hardly see things as well as ye can in da light (boy, dat tookn a genius to come ter that conclusion). Usually, we can't even see what we're eatin', either! So if, as is often the case, bits of ash an' dirt find there way inter our vittles, we won't know it. And most o' the time, we don't taste it, cuz we be so monstrous hungry after a day o' fightin' injuns an' cougars dat we really don't mind what we be eatin'. On da other hand, a mite o' dirt an' ash never hurt nobody... leastways, I ain't died as yet from the sideeffects o' eatin' 'em in me food every once an' a while!

After dinner, we sat about toastin' our feet near da fire. Then Longtongue called us over ta his fire, an' we sat around with him awhile afore we retired to rest. All in all, I'll say dat da first day went perty well!

~Scribe