Pat's Front Porch Thoughts!

I chose this one because I love the verse and I love sharing a cup of hot tea and sweet conversation with friends so this graphic and verse is perfect.  I will be drinking of hot tea today and thinking of all my bloggy friends.





 http://internetcafedevotions.com/
God bless, Pat

The weather in my neck of the woods:
Cool and damp, oh where oh where did my spring go? :(

One of my simple pleasures:
Spending time outside with my grandkids and snuggling on the couch with hubby!

On my bedside table:
Women of the Bible by Ann Spangler and Jean E. Syswerda

On my TV:
Cartoons for my youngest granddaughter ZZ

On the menu for tonight:
Chicken breasts, mac n cheese and lima beans and cornbread

On my To Do List:
Finish schooling for the day
Finish house and laundry
Cook supper
Attack my VERY cluttered bedroom

New Recipe I tried last week:
I hope to try some this week to change things up some-report on how that goes next Monday

In the craft basket:
Sewing that needs to be done and a card I need to make for a friend and pictures that need to be picniced

Looking forward to:
Spring and being able to get outside more

Homemaking Tip for this week:
Don't get behind cause catching up is SO hard

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
Missionary Monday-Living Water at http://www.j…

 Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Lord, this is my prayer today, that you will direct my steps and the path I go on in life.  I want to surrender my steps and life to you. Where you lead I will follow.  I love you Lord and am so glad you are my Savior and my Friend! 
God bless, Pat

I love hot tea-now I am not like some, I don't like alot of flavors-I am pretty simple in my tastes.  However I do love to sit and relax with a cup.  I also like to enjoy a little snack with my hot tea on occasion.  One recipe I like to eat with hot tea is Monkey bread.  I recently found a recipe for mini monkey breads and I think this would be ideal to eat with hot tea.


      The recipe is so simple and quick-
Mini Monkey Bread 1/2   cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2   cup packed brown sugar
1/4   cup granulated sugar
2      teaspoons ground cinnamon
2     cans (7.5 oz each) refrigerated biscuits

Grease or spray 12 regular-size muffin cups. Mix butter and brown sugar; spoon 1 tablespoon mixture into each muffin cup.

Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in 1-gallon bag

Separate dough into 20 biscuits; cut each in 6 pieces.

Add pieces to the bag and shake to coat. Place 10 pieces in each muffin cup.

Bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool 1 minute; turn up…

. The purpose of Word filled Wednesday is to share God’s word through a photo and a verse! Go to the Internet Cafe, at http://internetcafedevotions.com for more uplifting scriptures and pictures.
God bless,
Pat

I feel like my life is just overwhelming.  I look at my house, my relationships, my responsibilities and I just don't even know where to start.  I used to sort of have a schedule and it made my life so much easier, but somehow along the way my schedule got wadded up and threw away like a discarded piece of paper.  Now you may be one of those that can do just find without a schedule but I need one.  I set down to try to make one and I realized that before I can make a schedule I need to figure out what I want and need to accomplish in my days, weeks, months, life.        I started then thinking about my goals and I realized that in the past my goals have been too broad.  I would for example say I want to lose 50 pounds, or organize my house but I didn't know how to reach these goals and then I read a great article.  In this article, it said, set your goal and then make a plan of how to reach this goal, work on your goal, stick to it when it gets hard and if you do then you …

I think spring fever has hit my husband, he has bought me a new covered swing, and now 4 new patio chairs.  He has started passing out the jobs on getting the yard cleaned up.  T, is supposed to get all the trash and stuff that has accumulated over the winter.  Hubby is planning out the garden area and where he hopes to set everything.  He is planning to build a cover for over the pool area and finishing the kids playhouse.My job is to sort and clean off the porch, now this may not sound like much but my front porch could be featured on Clean house or even better, Hoarders.  I really hope this all comes to be but sometimes hubby plans more than he does.  We shall see what happens, for today, T is cleaning up on either side of the house and the front yard(very tiny).  I will post pictures, some along the way and some when done, I am not sure you can handle it if I took pictures now.  What are your plans for spring, any cleaning or fixing in your yard.  I would love to hear what yo…

I love my children and I try my best to make sure they know it but I got this in an email today and it made me stop and think so I thought I would share and once a week every Friday I will share the others in the list.  Children grow up so quickly-make good memories while you can.....

50 Things You Can Say to Make Your Child Feel Great(11-20)

11. I remember when I _____. I felt so _____. I don’t know if that’s like what you’re going through, but it    was a tough time for me.
  12. I’m sorry. Will you please forgive me for _____?
  13. I got you this, just because.
  14. Lately I’ve really seen you grow in the area of _____, like when you _____.
  15. Yes, there is food in the house.
  16. I admire the way you _______. In fact, I could learn a lot from you in that area.
  17. That was a really wise choice.
  18. No chores today.
  19. I trust you.
  20. You’re really growing into a young man/woman of character. I can’t tell you how exciting that is!

God bless, 
Pat

I have had a similar conversation with several women lately and I just don't "get it".  In the course of these conversations, it goes like this, "I don't even know when he gets up in the mornings", "I am not getting up, he can fix his own breakfast or stop and buy something", "I don't want to cook supper, so we can just go out to eat, "I don't cook, he can fix something if he is hungry".      I get up every morning and pack my husbands lunch and see him off to work, he doesn't like to eat early so I also pack him a snack for break.  I make sure he has clean clothes and everything he needs.  Almost every night I try to make sure he has a good hot supper.  We do go out or grab something  occasionally.  When I tell people this, they call me "little Miss Betty Crocker" or "Miss Suzy Homemaker".  I tell them, no, I am a wife and mother, and they look at me like I am an alien.      Now, I will tell you I…

Blessing giveaway winner or should I say winners?  Me and T decided we would have two winners.  The winner of the 2 calendars is Jackie Kennedy and then we also are sending one to Laura Geese to give her friend, Romayne.  I hope ya'll enjoy your calendar and Jackie, you get 2 so you can pass the blessings on by giving one of yours to someone too.  Thanks to the ones who commented on here and on facebook.  Glad I could be a blessing to others as God blesses me so often.
God bless, Pat

This is the Arender family-Justin,Angie,Laken,Lauren,&Laci (with our Pastor Bro JD Weido) at our church for the last service before they head to the Philippines tomorrow.  They will be joining his Moma, Mrs. Diane Arender as Missionaries to the Philippines. They are missionaries out of our church, Bible Baptist church in El Dorado, Arkansas.
     Mrs. Diane has been on the filed alone since her husband and Justin's Daddy, Bro. Duane, was called home to heaven.  I know she is so excited about having them join her on the field.
     They will be flying out tomorrow, please join me in praying for safe travels and for what God has for them to do over there.  We will miss them but know they are in God's will for their lives.
      God bless, Bro Justin, Angie and the girls, we look forward to hearing what ya'll experience and what God has to accomplish through your family.

God bless,
Pat

I love my children and I try my best to make sure they know it but I got this in an email today and it made me stop and think so I thought I would share and once a week every Friday I will share the others in the list.  Children grow up so quickly-make good memories while you can.....
50 Things You Can Say to Make Your Child Feel Great(1-10) I’m proud of you. And even if you weren’t so fantastic, I’d still be proud. I believe you. The way you _____ is such a perfect addition for our family. God knew just what we needed when He gave us you. I know you and I haven’t been seeing eye-to-eye lately. But I want to let you know that I accept you whether I agree with you or not, and I’m committed to working on our relationship so we both feel understood and secure. I can’t believe how _____ you are. I can’t imagine the plans God has for you! You know, you may not feel very _____, but God knew exactly what He was doing when He made you the way He did, and it was jus…

I have been trying to count my blessings more and be more thankful.  Yesterday I posted on here about being a blessing to others and how you will be blessed.  I have been blessed by so many people in so many ways especially these last few months while hubby was unemployed.  
     I have been challenging others to be a blessing also.  So I decided to do a blessings giveaway on here.  I have two purse sized calendars 2011/2012 with stickers to mark special days and pens to write down stuff in them.  To win all you need to do is this-comment on my blog or on the post on facebook where this posts and tell me someone you would like to be a blessing to or someone who has blessed you and how.  If you post about this on your blog or on facebook you get an extra entry and if you post on both  and comment you will get 3 entries.  On next Thursday March 17th I will draw a winner from all entries and you will win both calendars and pens, one for you and one for you to be a blessing to someone…

We all love it when we receive a little unexpected blessing....maybe it is a letter in the mail, a phone call from a friend you haven't talked to in a while, a hug from your little one or even your big old teenager....whatever it is, think about how good you feel.

     My challenge to you today is to give a blessing...take a little time to.....give the gift of your time.....

1) Pray for a friend and then let them know

2) Send a card to someone who might be sick, down or just needs to know someone cares

3) Send a card or quick email to a missionary

4) Cook your hubbys favorite meal

5) Surprise your child with time outside, homemade cookies or just a few minutes of your undivided attention

     Think about it, come up with your list, give someone the gift of your time.  You will be a blessing to them and you just might find out you feel pretty blessed yourself too.

God bless,
Pat

This is my prayer today, Lord! God bless, Pat

Hubby lost his job last August, due to company selling.  He has been unemployed since then. He has done odd jobs and also been able to be a blessing at church doing things that needed to be done.  Although it was okay, just not the same as having a job.        I do want to say though that God really blessed us all these months though and we always had food to eat and all bills got paid.  Now some of this was done through people that allowed God to use them to be a blessing.  We could not have made it without God, family, friends and our church, but make it we did!      But praises to God and with some help from friends again, hubby started a new job this morning.  I am praying it goes well.  He was so nervous but so EXCITED this morning. We are so blessed and I will share another day how it all goes.  Thanks to everyone who prayed for this day to come.....
God bless, Pat