Heeding the Cautions

We see signs warning us.... Caution, Danger, and more.  They warn us to be watchful... to be extra aware... extra careful. Sometimes they tell us to keep out.... or no tresspassing.... sometimes they say the floor is wet.... or the bridge is out... or do not cross when water is on the road... or lake warnings that the water is too rough...

Many people pridefully disregard such warnings.... a spirit of rebellion drives some to do what they want.

Every year, many people put others in danger by such an attitude... people have to be rescued because of their own foolishness... from flooded rivers, from mountains, from construction sites... and sometimes those who rescue them end up dying.... all because of one person's foolishness in ignoring the cautions.... in not being wise.

Some signs are big, some are little....

Some are verbal, some are written... others are posted.




  Men working with big machinery is an area for caution... it isn't safe to play in the area... in fact, it is best to stay away... go around the area.... and stay safe.

 Such an area can be appealing.... it can look really fun.... but it is only an area for those trained to be there...

In fact, it is fashionable in our culture to push the limits... to test the boundaries... to say, "I have my rights!" There is even a law that says that features, like swimming pools and more.... on PRIVATE property can be called an attractive nuisance... and the owner can be held liable for injuries to the person who trespassed to get to it. It seems so silly... so ridiculous...... and it is really very sad. The rebellion of people who think it is okay to climb a water  tower... to trespass in an abandoned building... to climb on a roof ... to enter someone's home....  and more.... even when it is not theirs...  all because there was no sign posted saying they couldn't... or because a door was left unlocked.... or just because they wanted to. So sad.


 

More big machines moving dirt... kids love moving dirt and sand... and this is even better because it uses BIG scoops.... BUT the signs warn people to stay away.

Those who ignore the signs can run into problems.... and hurt themselves... or others.


Cautions.... Warnings... we get them and sometimes we ignore them.  Maybe it's a speed limit sign that is ignored and a ticket results... or an overdue bill notice... or a stop sign that we roll through.. or other warnings.  Wisdom would say to heed the cautions. Sometimes rebellion says "I can do what I want!"  "They can't tell me what to do." and more.

Some warnings come from our bodies... pain that warns of infection..... little health problems that if ignored, become big health problems.

 God gives cautions also.... lots of them.  He lovingly warns us to be careful.  He tells us to forgive... to guard our heart.... to not allow sin to control us.... to trust Him, to love Him, to obey Him.... He also tells us that a day of judgement is coming and only those who repent and trust Jesus will go to heaven... all others will go to hell. It is a warning... It is lovingly given.

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41

"Commit thy way unto the Lord: trust also in Him; and he shall bring it to pass." Psalm 37:5

We can look at the cautions God gives and rebel... or we can look at the cautions God gives and be thankful for the warnings. He wants the best for us... I hear people who say that God just ruins their fun... what an awful thing to say... or believe.  Maybe there should be a caution sign over our heart... oh, that's right... God already wrote one.  "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9  We have the ability to deceive ourselves... and we need to keep evaluating what we believe... is it true?  

God tells us to rejoice in the Lord... to let your moderation be known.... to be thankful... to praise Him... to be content... to flee temptation. Sometimes, we face troubles in life because of our own disobedience to God's Word... and we should evaluate to see if something is wrong in our life... and fix it.

God's Word needs to be our standard.... and we should be wise enough to obey it.  Are we heeding the Cautions?

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Home....

Home.... what is it?  We hear the sayings:

There's No Place Like Home........

Home Is Where The Heart Is.......... 

Turn Your Heart Toward Home.....

Love Begins At Home.....

Home Sweet home.....

 and more.... but what does Home really mean? 

Some definitions say that home is one's residence; a dwelling place with one's family; the heart of something; a familiar and usual setting..... and more.


We know home is special.... but why?  What makes home.... home? Is it just that building we live in?  Well, that is "home", but what makes it special.. what makes it important?  

It seems that the people make the home... Home is where we can be ourselves... where we feel comfortable. Hopefully, home is where we feel loved and respected. 

Home can be just a name for the place we live... or it can mean so much more....  Hopefully, it is the place we like to return to... the place where we feel safe.... the place we can be built up when we are "down".... the place we belong.

 It's nice to have a place where we can just be real.... and be ourselves... not have to put on a front. It is nice to have a place to just relax.

Hopefully, we are able to experience that without taking it too far. We want to maintain respect for others... and not just selfishly expect it.  We love to have others care about us... maybe asking how we slept... or how work was... did  we have a good day?  How nice to have someone care about us.

Do we show that concern for those in our home?  Do we build into their lives? Do we seek to lift up... to comfort... to enjoy?

Do we take? or do we give?  Do we make home a place to be cherished.... a place to be remembered... a place of hope and love?  

How can we build a home that God approves? Not the house, but the home. Do we live for God... IN our home? Do we treat our family....as God SAYS to? Do we love and forgive and build up? We can make such an impact with our families... what we do now... today... will be remembered. No, we aren't perfect.... we will get rushed and irritated... Do we confess sin and ask for forgiveness? Do we apologize? Do we make needed changes?  

Do we make our HOMES important?.... or do we make our blogs ABOUT home important... or the stories we tell others ABOUT home important? What will our families remember about home? That we were too busy for them.... or that we loved them and made time for them?

I want to honor God in my home, with my family. I want them to KNOW I love them... and respect them... and that they can come to me. I want them to remember home as a place where they are loved.  I want them to see that I love God enough to learn the lessons He sends to me... in humbleness. I want them to remember my kindness to them.... my patience... my cheerfulness.

 I want them to look back fondly on these years in our home... and I assume you do also.  What are we doing right now, TODAY, to make that happen? Not as a one time special time... but as a consistent ministry to our family. Loving my family is worth the work... and I want to be faithful to do it every day.  :)  I hope you do also.   Thank you for joining me today. 

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Think About It....

 Sometimes a quote... or a verse... can make us think....

Sometimes praise will pull us out of a slump.... and that praise should go to God....

Sometimes a word of warning or rebuke is helpful....

 Sometimes we need to be reminded of certain truths...





Sometimes we need a bit of encouragement... I hope you have found some here today. :)

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Hidden In The Holly Tree....

We noticed this guy out in the holly tree outside the window... and it was fun to watch him. He stayed on that branch for a bit and I was glad to get some pictures of him.

 The red berries are about all gone off of the holly tree.... before they were gone, the birds would perch in there and eat the berries... and it was a pretty sight. :)

It is amazing to see the birds quickly moving, flitting and flying around. God's creations continue to make me very aware of His creativity. 

It was a nice treat to see this bird today... a cheery sight. God sends those once in a while... and I am so thankful. 

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Two More French Braid Hairstyles

There are so many things to do with hair and we have been discussing braids.  We have talked about pigtails and double french braids, about wavy hair from braids and today's topic is a single french braid.


If you would like to read the first 2 posts, you can do that here:

Pigtails and French Braids

Easy Wavy Hairstyle

For my daughter, we like to start with freshly washed hair that is still damp.  I make sure it is all combed out nicely with no snarls.

Starting up near where the bangs are, just gather a portion of the hair, divide it into 3 parts and begin braiding them.... just pull a bit of hair in each time you cross the hair.  Continue straight back on the head and if the hair is long enough, finish out with a regular braid at the bottom, as shown here.

 You can see that it pulls the hair back and it is all woven together into one long braid.

If you are dealing with hair that is not all one length and if it doesn't all stay in place... combs or bobby pins can be used to help hold it.

If you would like, you can put some gel on the hair before braiding and it will help hold it. We don't use the gel at all because I don't like the hair getting stiff, sticky or heavy.... or having a hard time brushing it out afterwards, but if that works for you, go ahead and try it.

The style can be neat and tidy... a bow can be put at the bottom to cover the hairband, if desired... or when my daughters were younger, I sometimes put a big pretty bow up on the crown of the head, with maybe a thin matching hair ribbon at the bottom.  They probably wouldn't like that now. :)  

A french braid can also be done on dry hair... it still needs to be all brushed out with no snarls.

   The braiding is the same.... although the process is done differently when you do it on yourself. :)  

Some mentioned that they don't know how to french braid... and it can seem quite intimidating at first, if you've never done it.  It isn't very hard, though, once you get the hang of it... and practice will really help.

I taught my kids to braid with yarn... and ropes.  :)  It works for adults too.  The rope would only really work for a regular braid, and the yarn could work for french braiding. If it doesn't work right at first, just keep trying... it is a skill worth knowing.  Practice a little at a time... do a simple small braid on your hair... or a daughter's hair... and you will start to get the feel of doing it. 

Up close, you can see how the hair is gathered and woven into the braid.

As a completed french braid, it can be worn like this... just left down with a band around the end. It is great for keeping the hair out of the way when working, tending to children, gardening, cooking or whatever. It can help keep you cool in the summer and can also help to keep hair from getting as tangled in the wind.

That same braid from above, can be changed into a different hair style, with just a few bobby pins. 

I just rolled it up and tucked it under, then held it in place with hair pins. Sometimes I wear a hair decoration in it, usually not. This can be used for around the house, or for dressing up.

There are so many things to be done with hair... and it is fun to change styles sometimes. I keep my hair long enough to be able to braid, although sometimes it is several inches shorter than it is here... and I usually have it layered into long layers, as well.  The braiding still works.

Thank you for visiting today.  Do you use braids for the children? For you?  Have a great week. :)

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Baby Squirrel Out of The Nest.....

I have a "bit" of an attitude toward squirrels... they are certainly a nuisance and can cause damage... and they steal my tomatoes!!!  

This little guy caught our attention, as he was much smaller than the adult squirrels... and though he is a rodent, he was cute....

 He moved quite fast, but seemed a bit unsure of himself. We stood out there and watched him.

We have too many squirrels and they are such pests. Our squirrels get to be about 18" long or so. I read that squirrels range in size from 5" adults (African Pygmy Squirrel) all the way to almost 3 FEET long!!!! (Indian Giant)  Wow, that's a big squirrel and I am very glad we don't have those here. I didn't realize there were any squirrels that big....and they can jump 20 feet.

 Our little guy was much smaller.... and not of the same kind, thankfully.

 He zipped up the tree and down it... then back again.... he had originally come from the pines, which is where we think the nest was.... and it seemed that he wasn't sure where to go on the Birch tree.  He was extremely hyper, taking little tiny jumps and almost falling sometimes... then running some more.

This was one of his quieter moments... watching us watch him. He didn't stay like this long... and then he was back to racing here and there... taking little jumps... then more running.


The first (and last) picture on this page.... reminds me of a koala bear except for the head. Strange and interesting. 

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The Beauty of Being "Known"

My husband brought this rose home... I am enjoying the soft delicate pink color. I know that many people like the dark dark red roses.... and he has given me many of those over the years-not often, but now and then. I appreciated them, but something about those dark, almost black velvety roses grew tiresome for me. When asked, I expressed a preferance for pink roses... dark or light pink... or peachy pink.... or creamy pink two toned..... or yellow... or light red... or something other than dark red, but dark red was the main color I received... and they were beautiful and I enjoyed them.  Sometimes there would be a few roses... and a few pinks among the reds and sometimes just yellow or pink.

 Don't get me wrong.... I appreciated any of the roses he brought...and I told him so. This one is special though, because... he gave me something that I really like.... rather than what he wants me to like... or what he thinks I should like or what he knows is the color "they" say, is the love flower.

This gift went way beyond the flower... and the sweet baby's breath with it.... this one said that he knows ME... and gave a gift to me, for me. Precious.

 See.... the deep red roses are the flowers of "love"... so he was expressing his love to me and I am thankful.... but when he knows me and gives me a flower... in a color that HE wouldn't choose, but does because he knows I like it... well, that is special and I feel much more loved as a result. Silly, huh?  You know what else is funny? I enjoy those dark red roses so much more now, if they come... or any other color... or none at all... because he knows me more than he used to... and expresses that love sometimes. If I had all pink roses, I am sure I would get tired of them... I guess I enjoy variety also.

It takes time to get to know someone... and marriage is a good place to do that, but sometimes we shy away from being real... from expressing strongly what our desires are... and try to just please our mate. That isn't all bad... but it does make it harder for our mate to really know us.  At the same time, life isn't all about "me"... and it would never be right to expect a list of my likes to be consulted before any gifts are given... that would be silly. Marriage takes a lot of work... of negotiating.... of learning... of caring and adjusting... of loving... no matter what.

I have had to learn many things about my husband over the years... he does NOT like saurkraut.... gets nauseated from the smell. The kids and I like saurkraut... and it is so good for us. Early on in our marriage, I helped him to eat in a more healthy way... and he found he likes more than just the foods he thought he would like. There were a few though... saurkraut, sweet potatoes, and more... that he hated. Some he has adjusted to... others he tolerated.... he has recently said he loves sweet potatoes. :) I don't cook them with sugar and marshmallows, but rather just as baked sweet potatoes with butter and cinnamon... or sweet potato casserole with pineapple, butter, cinnamon, onions and apples....and he liked that, but it took years before he realized... he "loved" sweet potatoes. :)  Saurkraut will never fall into that category... and I stopped trying a long time ago. We have saurkraut for lunch when he is at work and when the smell will be totally gone before he gets home.

I did not want to have a budget early in our marriage... I resisted it.... and he insisted. I didn't like it... but finally grudgingly went along with the idea.   I finally gave it a chance... and found that a budget was so freeing. I had thought it would mean that I would be restricted even more than I already was... but found that knowing exactly how much I would receive for the time frame... was very freeing. I found that I liked knowing what the parameters were of what I needed to work with for groceries, household expenses, clothes, etc instead of him just giving me some money to use and having to ask him if there was enough for this or that.

We keep learning... and accepting.... and loving .... and growing. I am thankful for the beautiful pink rose... but even more than that, I am thankful that my husband showed he loves ME... in a sweet and special way.  God loves us even better than that... and His love is always perfect. Do we always see or recognize it? No, but we should... and we need to look for it... and we will find it if we look.

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