@ 5am this morning the sky was dark and no clouds were noticeable in the sky. The wind blew roughly through our window all through the night and was still blowing. I love to pray in the darkness, before the signs of a new day appear.

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Homemade Beauty Products

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Yesterday I heard a sermon by Chuck Swindoll based on a Bible verse in the OT book of Micah. It basically says,
What does God require of you?
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
If people intentionally focused on making these three things important in their lives, people would awaken to who God is and that He is holy, the creator of life and hates sin.
Swindoll also referred to another passage. It is from Proverbs 6:16-19. It tells of things God hates very much. The verses say this list of seven is an abomination to God. Have you done any of these? on a regular basis? without shame? From time to time I will go through the list:
These six things doth the LORD hate:
yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
1. A proud look,
2. A lying tongue,
3. Hands that shed innocent blood,
4. An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations,
5. Feet that be swift in running to mischief,
6. False witness that speaketh lies,
7. He that soweth discord among brethren.
~King James Version
Then Dr. Swindoll spoke of one more verse. I can use these verses as I pray for a Great Awakening to come to America and the World. He said we should follow the words of Phillippians 4:8:
Finally Brethren,
whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of a good report,
if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise,
think on these things.

Theodore Roosevelt spoke of the important job of a dedicated mother:
“The woman’s task is not easy—
no task worth doing is easy—
but in doing it, and when she has done it,
there shall come to her the highest and holiest joy known to mankind;
and having done it,
she shall have the reward prophesied in Scripture;
for her husband and her children,
yes, and all people who realize that her work lies at the foundation of all national happiness and greatness,
shall rise up and call her blessed.”

Yesterday two storms finally came through later in the day.
In the afternoon I made some homemade wheat rolls. I’ve made this recipe for about 10 years. When I have made them for holiday get-togethers people comment how they like them. I make them as healthy as I can. I make them with honey instead of sugar and use unbleached flour, butter and the wheat bran. (I would like to figure out how to make them with whole wheat.) They taste great right out of the oven with honey and a dab of butter!
Since I started cooking more, my children whine how I cook (healthier than what they used to have) a lot. Yesterday I got the biggest compliment over my rolls. My 15 year old mentioned a couple of times about how much he liked them and then my family ate the whole batch. They filled themselves with the rolls more than our main supper dish:)

The bold face of the sun was turned away today but his presence was still known because the morning day brightened as it always does.
The weather forecast is stormy. I can’t wait. I like stormy days. It adds excitement and I like to hear the bold thunder rumblings and then listen as the rain, at any unexpected moment, will begin to pour itself out of the sky.
I went and looked outside. There are big clouds completely filling the distant sky and thin see-through clouds hang low and more near. The dark cloud-filled sky makes me imagine there’s a big bucket, heavy and full of water and about ready to spill out over the earth.
Last night the weatherman said there would be storms in the morning. So it’ll probably rain in a few hours and then be cloudy with no rain for the rest of the day.

I like the innocence of Becky who has an unselfish and not jealous attitude toward her fellow competitors at her piano recital
At Becky’s Piano Recital
~Carl Dennis
New and Selected Poems 1974–2004. ©
Penguin Poets, 2004 from The Writer’s Almanac
She screws her face up as she nears the hard parts,
Then beams with relief as she makes it through,
Just as she did listening on the edge of her chair
To the children who played before her,
Wincing and smiling for them
As if she doesn’t regard them as competitors
And is free of the need to be first
That vexes many all their lives.
I hope she stays like this,

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Here is a reading site for children that gives important biographical information about the composer Mozart. I found it on a storytelling link site on Webgrammar.com.

Do you know on which day of the week you were born? I found a site called 10,000 year calendar that will tell you. You can also learn about all the many occurences that occurred on your birthday on the encyclopedia page.

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Today at the Back to the Bible website, I read a devotion by Elizabeth Elliot in which she discusses a Christian’s attitude toward fear. Here is a few quotes:
Courage is not the absence of fear but the willingness to do the thing we fear. ~Elizabeth Elliot
Fear is faithlessness…. A perfect faith would lift us absolutely above fear. It is in the cracks, crannies, and gulfy faults of our belief, the gaps that are not faith, that the snow of apprehension settles and the ice of unkindness forms.” ~George McDonald from his book, Sir Gibbie.
Joshua 1:9~
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (NIV)