The Ways of Her Home

Embracing the homeward call

Getting More out of Sunday Sermons

Last summer I mentioned in a post that I'd tried a method of Bible study where you read a book of the Bible 20 times in a row to really absorb it. You can find that post with a longer explanation here. My husband and I read through Romans 20 times, and I really loved the experience. This year (beginning back in January) I've been reading through the Bible with the Bible Recap App for my daily reading. Since I have more time in the summer months, I wanted to also read another book of the Bible 20 times. I first thought I'd read through John but then when our preacher announced that his sermon series would be on the book of James, I decided that would be a more logical choice. I'm still ... Read more

Back to Kombucha! (and sourdough)

Any kombucha fans out there?! A few years ago, my oldest daughter started drinking kombucha, and then not long after that, my younger daughter got hooked on it as well. I'll admit that it wasn't my favorite at first, but after learning of its great health benefits (probiotics through fermentation) and trying different flavors, I grew to enjoy a cold glass of "the BOOCH" every now and then. But y'all! It's not cheap! So, it was reserved for treat days. Until.... Our friend, Beth, from church found me one Sunday and asked if I was interested in learning how to make kombucha. Well, yes mam! And knowing that I homeschooled my 2 younger kids, she invited us all over for a lesson. You ... Read more

A (late) Welcome to August and a Blog Challenge to Myself!

Good Monday Morning! Friends, after several winter and spring months of not blogging much, I was sure that the summer months would be my time to catch up here. While I have blogged more these last couple of months, I haven't really gotten on a good routine. Do you just ever feel stuck? As I turned 50 back in March, I mentioned to my husband (boy, I love that guy!) that I might not blog anymore. Maybe that was just for my 40s and I should move on to something new for my 50s, I wondered. Funny how turning a new decade makes you ponder so much! I prayed about it for a while and God not only helped me make a decision to keep blogging but also stirred up my enthusiasm for it again. Maybe I just ... Read more

Pup Cup at Home

Coffee shops are popping up everywhere and they are fun but so expensive! While on our trip to Texas earlier this summer, we enjoyed stopping at different coffee houses just about every day which began a habit. A few weeks after we came back home, we noticed that we were stopping at coffee shops around town more often than we had before and it was getting expensive. So, it was time to cut back again and to be honest, even though it's fun to get a coffee out every now and then, we've decided we really just like our coffee from home better than anything else anyway! And it's not just the people cutting back, the dogs are required to make some changes too. Pup cups are now being served at ... Read more

Little Neighbors are Big Blessings

My sister, Katie, was the baby of the family and she was such a cute little girl! The neighbors thought she was pretty cute too. One day the lady next door called my mom to tell her how much she enjoyed hearing Katie sing "Jesus Loves Me" at the top of her lungs while swinging in our back yard! So sweet. I think about that story now as I have my own little neighbors to enjoy, and they are just so precious. There are a lot of children on our street, and they sing and play and ride their bikes all around the neighborhood. Here a couple of the sweet ways they've blessed us lately. Sunflower Day! Our sunflowers have consistently stayed turned towards our neighbors' yard all summer. My ... Read more

Squash Casserole

There's a saying down here in the South during summertime that goes.... “Better not leave your car unlocked at church on Sundays--not because of crime but because a church member might leave a bag of squash in your front seat!” So funny! But let me just say I've never turned away squash--I love it! When I set out to start a garden this year, I decided to keep it small, and it's been the perfect starter size--just enough for our family to eat. Considering I'm the only one in the family who really likes squash (my husband thinks it's vile), I've been happy to eat it all up myself! My 2 squash plants began yielding in late May and I've been getting 2 or 3 squash a week and that's ... Read more

A Restful Sunday

I love Sundays! We rest our bodies, we enjoy good food, and we ground ourselves spiritually through worship before starting a new week. I thought I'd show what an average Sunday looks like for our family. This is our most restful day of the week so it's pretty low key. Some Sundays are different than what I show here but this is pretty much our typical Sunday. After I shower and get ready, I head to the kitchen to put muffins in the oven and do a little lunch prep while everyone else is getting up and going. Simple muffins and fruit have been our Sunday breakfast for years. It's easy for mom and fills us for the morning. I switch up the muffin flavors each week and some of my family's ... Read more

Lady Liberty!

Happy Independence Day from Lady Liberty! Well, not that Lady Liberty...... ....this Lady Liberty! Isn't she cute! My daughter got her exactly two years ago this week, the day before the 4th of July, so she named her Liberty. For the last several weeks she's been away at "good girl school" (the dog, not my daughter, haha) and we are so happy she's finally home! She came home so grown up and nicely disciplined, my daughter and I decided she deserves the title of Lady. My son helped me get the front porch cleaned up and a few patriotic touches added. I wasn't going to put out the fanned buntings this year because they're getting old. My son was disappointed and said it would ... Read more