Bartering

If you haven't rediscovered the art of Bartering then you are really missing out!

It goes like this:

I have a need

You have a need

I can meet your need and you can meet mine

So we trade!

Especially in an economy like ours bartering is top on my list of must dos! Just today I made an agreement to barter some materials goods I have to give for some manual labor I can't do.

The Proverbs 31 woman did it: "She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night" vs. 18

Now go out and give it a try!

Is this hard enough?

So the book "Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris is majorly popular around here currently. It's a book geared towards teenagers challenging them to rise above the stereotype for their age group and to excel in all things.

It's hard to believe, but I'm not a teenager any more; however I have been reading the book at my husband's recommendation and am trying to take it as encouragement rather than be discouraged that I didn't do more to prepare for my role as wife and mother.

I was thinking just yesterday..."why am I pressing so hard to have chickens, and grow gardens, and make bread, and so on and so on?" Cleaning the house and keeping three kids and a husband fed, bathed, and generally happy is a plate full already. If I wasn't so preoccupied with all of these extras I could just relax in my clean home with my fat and happy children playing contently all around me.

Then it occured to me that if these "extras" aren't preventing me from doing what I have to do and they are to the benefit of my family then they are like the "Hard things" Alex and Brett challenge teenagers to take on. Sure we could eat store bought bread and eat store bought eggs and veggies, but the things we prepare are better for us.

So I may not be in the teenage season of life, but kudos to Alex and Brett and all praise to God for challenging even the "seasoned" to "Do Hard Things."

Not so all alone in a big big world...

Have you ever thought that surely you must be the only one in the whole world that is experiencing the joys, frustrastions, confusion, heartache, and utter bliss of your particular season of life?

Me too!

I have been so blessed with mentors in every season of life. The most amazing thing I have found is that they without fail nod in knowing agreement at almost every tail of woe or excitement I share. They've been there...they have done that...and even if they can't fix the problem or encourage the excitement their understanding is priceless.

God is so faithful and I thank Him for making this scripture come to life for me:
"[Older women]...they are to teach what is good and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home kind and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled." Titus 2:3-5

Thank you: Ruth Ann, Colleen, Cindy, Carol, Melissa, April, Amy S and G, Anna Marie, Juli, Mommy, Pat, and countless authors that have stayed true to the teaching of the Word of God.

Chicken Scoop

Here's the latest venture of mine:

Chickens!

I can not tell you how many times I have been out of eggs and not realized it until reaching a crucial point of no return in a recipe.

So I have decided to revamp the old rabbit cage, put it in an outdoor doggie kennel (borrowed from my grandpa), and add chickens.

Here's what my homeschooled children and I have learned about chickens during our unit study in preperation for our feathered friends:

• Chickens are cheap ($7.25 a piece for ones that are already laying, $2.00 for chicks)
• They need fresh food, clean water, and not so much in the love department.
• Get more than you need because you'll loose a few to wild animals.
• There are over 200 different varities of chicken. Even ones with curly feathers called Frizzles.
• Chickens, like women only have a certain number of eggs. Once they've laid them all they are what you call "spent."
• Sometimes I feel like I'm "spent."

So here begins our journey to recreate a farm at the Ward Compound. Chickens today...cattle tomorrow!

Girl Talk Blog

I encourage you to visit this blog as they explore the seasons of life:

http://girltalk.blogs.com/