Not a Type "A"

When I was filling out this survey, I was afraid *it* would call me Type A...Phew! Do you want to fill it out? If you do, let me know what *it* says!! :)
The Link is at the bottom. Just click where it says: "Do you have a Type A Personality?"

You Have A Type B+ Personality

You're a pro at going with the flow You love to kick back and take in everything life has to offer A total joy to be around, people crave your stability. While you're totally laid back, you can have bouts of hyperactivity. Get into a project you love, and you won't stop until it's done You're passionate - just selective about your passions

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

Saturday's Sights

There's nothing like a day off!


Robin is working hard on the roof today. The kids saw him up there through the skylight and yelled, "Santa's here!" LOL!


He's never to busy for a smile...


Pretty hostas.


The menfolk check out the mower to see if it's ready to do it's Saturday duty!


Dash is keeping an eye on things, watching in case something needs a good barking!


The lilies came in strong this year, both peach and pink.


Rachel's doing a bit of fertilizing in her garden.


The appearance of mums shows me how fast summer if flying by! Savor each day!

Friendship Garden

Recently Rachel read a Historical Fiction book about a young girl named Rachel. This story was set in the time of the Old Testament. In the book, the little girl planted a friendship garden. She planted flowers and labeled each with the names of her dear friends.

Rachel decided this sounded like a fun idea so she began to make plans. I was enthusiastic but concerned about the costs. Well, boy were we blessed!! We decided to try for a raised bed since our soil is poor. We outlined the small area with rocks. Our neighbor offered us rocks from his yard that he did not need. Then we found out that our home association sells loam very inexpensively so we ordered plenty for her and for some of our projects. Next we hit the greenhouse. Late July is late for buying annuals in Maine. We hit the jackpot! All the annuals were heavily discounted!! So, we pick through the dead ones and found all the good ones and headed home happy!! I think we'll need to hit one more greenhouse to fill in some holes. :)

Here she is, laboring away...



The sun was gleaming off the flowers so the pics aren't the best. I plan to take more pics today! For now picture yellow marigolds, red and white petunias, purples petunias, red tuberous begonias, one red guinea impatien, and white salvias. More pics to come!

She is so happy with her garden. All she needs to do now is to make the labels with her friends' names. She can't wait to show her garden to the friends she has honored. I just know that they will be happy in the way she chose to celebrate their friendship!

Lovin' Comments

(Kettle Cove in Maine, one of our favorite places)

I just wanted to say how much I love comments and appreciate each and every one of my visits from friends near and far! Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to posts or tell me that you have visited! I don't say it enough. You ARE appreciated!

Simply Complicated

This is my mint which is trying to take over my garden! But it sure does smell good especially in the hot humidity of summer!

I got to talk to my good friend,
Sylvia, yesterday about the topic of Simple Living. Talking to her really helped me to "flesh out" my thoughts. Isn't it great to have other godly women to talk to? "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Prov. 27:17 The funny thing is we both wrote on the same topic on the same day!! Check out what she said: Christian Homekeeper article "Simplify"

One of the things we talked about is that we can all agree to the roots of simplicity, those roots of being at peace with God and at peace with man. We can all seek God as to how our own lives can be simplify, less cluttered and quieter. But as we seek God he might show us completely different ways to work that out as we all live out a different life. We might have different convictions or preferences.

It is important that we do not try to press our convictions and preferences into another. These preferences are areas that are not addressed in Scripture and therefore not commands. A command is "thou shalt not kill," or "thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor". A preference is, "I would like my family to eat all organic food and no packaged foods." Though it may be healthier to do so, it is not a command.

There is a grave danger in having the attitude that, "because I grow my own organic veggies and hang my clothes on the clothesline and recycle, etc, etc, I am more spiritual and godly than those who do not." And we may not say that outloud but if we force others to feel they need to conform to those standards, we are in danger of communicating an "I'm better than you because I do *this* attitude.

I am not aiming at anyone here, just fleshing out my thoughts and my own warnings to myself!! Even in my reading of "how to's" from others, I have to be careful not to add burdens to my shoulders that don't need to be there. I need to take what I can use and safely let the rest sit. Do you know what I mean? That would not lead to the Simple Life I am striving for but the Complicated Life I am trying to avoid!

"Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 'Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!' These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have the appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence." Col. 2:20-23

"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." Gal. 1:10

It's Simple!

Kids are so good as resting when they need to, aren't they?

I have been thinking all summer about how to simplify my life and what a simple life means. Summer is always a time for me to think about my life and evaluate where I am versus where I want to be. It's a time to think about what I want our family life to look like too.

There is so much online right now about the simple life. There are many definitions of what that means. I think that our modern culture has become so complicated with too many opportunities and too much stuff. We are all exhausted physically and sick of tripping over *stuff*. (If you don't believe we all have too much stuff, announce in church next Sunday that you are looking for clothes in all sizes. See if by the end of the next week you can't fill a room with all you receive!)

I think simplicity roots grow from two places: loving God and loving my neighbor. I think discontent comes from not being at peace with God and man. I think when we are not at peace with God and man, then we go searching for *things* and *busyness* to fill that void and bury that guilt.

When we have a right relationship with God it breeds peace and contentment in our souls. Then we can have the attitude of: "take it all, but give me Jesus." We can "set our minds on things above and not on earthly things." Col. 3:2. We don't need the stuff or the busyness. We can be still. We can love quiet. If God fills us, we are full indeed and don't need to be full of stuff and busyness.

Jesus said that the first commandment is to "Love the Lord our God with all of our heart and soul and mind." The second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Mt. 22:37-39 Then in Romans 12:18 it says: "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

First of all, I can't love God and hate my brother at the same time. God tells me this in 1 John. So, my peace with man is linked to my peace with God. If I am making trouble with man, I am making trouble with God. In a very practical sense, if I have all these issues with people, my time is spent arguing and feeling miserable and that is not very peaceful. (But remember the verse says, "if it is possible" so "as much as it relies upon me, I will be at peace with all men." Some don't want peace, then I must try and pray.)

So, to wrap up what has been on my mind, as I look to God and say "how can I have a simple life?" The answer starts with my relationship to Him. I need to strip all of *it* away and look to Him to show me all He wants me to do. I don't hinder my relationship to God by being at enmity with others. Then He can show me, bit by bit how to fill my day and my life. The extras can safely fall away.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3

This blog 'o mine!

This is the camp we will soon rent!

Does anyone happen to know why my side bar has gargantuan sized print??? I have NO idea what to do about it!!

Summer is rushing by! I can hardly believe we are in the middle of July! We are busy swimming and visiting friends and family. My mom is here from Florida for the summer.

I had sooo many projects I thought I would complete this summer...but now if I can keep up with the laundry and watering the plants I am happy!!

I have accepted a ministry at church. I am the new Children's Ministry Director. I am really having a blast with it and it is keeping me quite busy! I am working as hard as I can now so that I have lots in place before school starts. It is exciting to see God work. When God works I always feel like I am running a sprint just trying to keep up! When I step out where He is not working it is like banging my head on a wall; nothing gets done and I get frustrated!!

Speaking for school, I really need to start focusing on our plans for fall. I have purchased some curriculum and I need to research how much I can find at our library. It's time to cut back my school budget with oil prices as they are! It's time to cut back on lots of things. But I believe God is using this time. The worst that will happen is we will stay home more. There plenty of blessing in that! I love to be home anyway!! :)

How's your summer going?