This Is My Father's World

by Maltbie D. Babcock

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.


This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.


This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus Who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.


This is my Father’s world, dreaming, I see His face.
I open my eyes, and in glad surprise cry, “The Lord is in this place.”
This is my Father’s world, from the shining courts above,
The Beloved One, His Only Son,
Came—a pledge of deathless love.


This is my Father’s world, should my heart be ever sad?
The lord is King—let the heavens ring. God reigns—let the earth be glad.
This is my Father’s world. Now closer to Heaven bound,
For dear to God is the earth Christ trod.
No place but is holy ground.


This is my Father’s world. I walk a desert lone.
In a bush ablaze to my wondering gaze God makes His glory known.
This is my Father’s world, a wanderer I may roam
Whate’er my lot, it matters not,
My heart is still at home.

 
 
I came to love this song as I was searching for my curriculum on the My Father's World website, although they don't have it playing anymore.  I love the whole song but the last verse is probably my favorite! 
 
You can hear the tune here.

Saturday Solutions: Carpet Spills & Stains

Here is one from The Hubs, we have a carpet cleaning business and he has been cleaning and restoring carpets FOREVER. 

This is a wonderful tip, a friend of mine who has faithfully used this tip has told me that it has truly saved her carpet.  If something spills on the carpet you obviously want to get it up IMMEDIATELY.  Do not rub it, pat it dry.  Now to prevent the spill from causing a stain, go get some baking soda, pour a little bit in a bowl (maybe 1/4 - 1/2 cup depending on the size of the spill) and then add a little bit of water until you end up with a paste.  Take the paste and rub it into the area where the spill was and let it sit until it drys.  After it has completely dried you can take a scrub brush to loosen the paste, vacuum up and be amazed that there is no stain. 

He also wanted me to add that white vinegar removes coffee and pet stains!

Homestead Blessings: The Art of Bread Making WINNERS!

The Winners are.....

Comment #2
Hello, I am a follower of your blog and would love to win The Art of Bread Making :-)
Comment #30
I found your blog through yahoo bloggers Haven. I am now a follower.


Comment #71
i would love the art of crafting!



Thanks to everyone that entered! 

TOS Crew: Buckets-O-Fun

We were very fortunate to be able to review for Buckets-O-Fun recently for the TOS Crew.  We were given 4 packs of Yuck to play with.  My kids were SO excited!  What kid wouldn't be excited to play with slimy, slippery, sticky stuff?!!

Yuck is, well not real sure how to describe it, I guess sticky, slimy, gooey and lots of FUN pretty much does it!

There are four types of Yuck:

• Chunky - It starts out looking like rock salt but when it absorbs water it looks like ice cubes.  Very Cool!
• Saucy - This Yuck is like powder then looks like clear applesauce once it has absorbed water. 
• Sticky - Is well, sticky.  I mean REALLY STICKY!  We thought this one was really neat.  It is like slimy snot.  Cool huh? 
• Snowy - This Yuck starts off looking like sugar then ends up looking like slushy snow after you add water.

Yuck can be used for lots of things.  It would be awesome on a Slip-N-Slide, to put in balloons, to use for a field day and Buckets-O-Fun has LOTS of game ideas for you.  Buckets-O-Fun also sells Yuck tints to color your Yuck AND a Yuckzooka.  Who wouldn't want a Yuckzooka?! 

Yuck gives us Moms (and Dads, The Hubs actually is the one who did this one with the kids) a chance to let the kids get a little messy and have a lotta fun!  See...

The ingredients are super easy, the Yuck of your choice (this one here is the Sticky Yuck), water, large bowl and spoon.

Place the Yuck in a bowl, now just add enough water to get it to your desired consistency.

Stir.

One at a time please.  Everyone will get a turn.

Ooohhh and Ahhh! 

Enjoy!

You can purchase your own Yuck from Buckets-O-Fun, it starts at $16.00 per pound depending on which Yuck you choose.  Please keep in mind that one pound of Saucy, Chunky or Snowy Yuck can make up to 60 gallons.  The Sticky Yuck makes 5-10 gallons.

We were given samples of Yuck at no charge for review purposes.  I was not paid in any way and the opinions here are mine.

TOS Crew: PG Key

Through the TOS Crew we were given the PG Key to review.  The PG Key is a plug and play type device that plugs right into any USB port on your computer and blocks out inappropriate websites.

At first, I thought well it would be very simple for someone to just pull the Key out and move on, but the PG Key people are much smarter than that!!  If you remove the PG Key, after it is installed, the computer notifies you that the PG Key has been removed and that the "This User Has Been Temporarily Disabled."  I am telling you they are Smart Cookies!!  They totally has me impressed!

So then I was thinking, what if my 2 year old pulls the PG Key and flushes it down the toilet like he did with my Blackberry!!!  Then I am stuck and can't use the computer, right?!!  Well, believe it or not, they've got that covered too!  If you lose the PG Key or if it gets flushed down the toilet then you have to have the password to go any further. 

Here are some things that I like about the PG Key:

• The PG Key was SUPER SIMPLE it to set up!  I had it ready to go in just a few minutes.
• I love how it is a ONE TIME FEE for the PG Key and THAT'S IT!  In other words NO MONTHLY FEES!
• I was very glad that I could block specific sites and have the PG Key notify me if certain words were searched or typed in chat sessions.   
• PG Key has great customer service.   I had a few questions about the PG Key so I called customer service and the gentleman that I spoke with was very polite and helpful. 
• The PG Key includes a session recorder, which I thought was awesome!  It plays back the previous online session, in other words you can see a video of exactly what your children saw and what they were doing.  Your children may be on a game that is ok but the the advertisements on the page my not be appropriate for them to view.

There really wasn't anything that I didn't like or anything that I thought they could improve on, they pretty much seem to have everything covered.  This is a wonderful product and I highly recommend it! 

If you are ready to start keeping your kids computer time safe, you can purchase your own PG Key for $49.99 plus shipping and handling.

We were given the PG Key for review purposes.  The opinions expressed here are my own and I was not compensated in any way.  

Menu Plan

Here is what we have cookin' at the LSG house this week....

Monday
Chicken & Gravy over Stuffing with Green Beans and Cranberry Sauce

Tuesday
Taco Soup (Crockpot)

Wednesday
Breakfast Night - Oven Eggs, Waffles & Chicken Apple Sausage

Thursday
Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplin's

Friday
Pizza - I am going to attempt to make my own pizza dough, pray for me!!)  I think someone said they had a recipe that could give me, if you are that person I would love for you to post it in the comments or email me : )  Thanks!

Saturday
Spaghetti & Salad

Sunday
White Chili (Crockpot)

O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus!!

written by S. Trevor Francis

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!


O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!


O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!


We sing the this song is church the words are awesome and I love the tune.  The second part of the song is my favorite, I am thankful that my Lord Jesus died to call me His own!  I am also thankful that He intercedeth for me!  Listen here.

TOS Crew: Soli Deo Gloria Map Skills

We received a copy of the Map Skills from Soli Deo Gloria to review for the TOS Crew.  After reading over the book and printing out all of the pages necessary for use I was not really impressed.  BUT after working thru some of the lessons with the kids I changed my mind. 

The map skills book suggests that you purchase a separate workbook to complement the map lessons, we did not do this.  The girls and I simply worked thru the lessons.
Here are some things we enjoyed:

• I really liked how they Incorporated scripture into some of the lessons. 
• My girls really enjoyed using sticky notes to label north, east, south and west on the walls in our home.   The second time around I had them do it blindfolded, just for fun.
• The girls LOVED playing Directional Simon Says.  They had to do things like, jump 5 times towards the north, walk backwards going south and crawl to the west wall of the room. 
• They also liked making a "map" of their room.  I made them sit at opposite sides of the room so that there would be no copying.  It was so funny how the girls made their maps so differently. 
• I liked all the hands on activities that were suggested, like designing a playground, making an edible map and a treasure hunt.  I think these activities will really help them to retain what they have learned.
• I was glad the kids liked it.  Even when we were finished the map skills book the Lil Chef said to me, I hope that we are doing that map skills book again!

Things I wasn't real crazy about:

• I didn't like that it is only a 3 week study.  For the price, $14.00, I wished it was a bit longer. 
• I would rather that the map skills book suggest some living books that I could get at the library to accompany the study instead of a workbook I would have to purchase.

If you would like a fun, simple unit study on Mapping Skills, look no further.  You can purchase Map Skills from Soli Deo Gloria for $14.00.

Homestead Blessings: The Art of Bread Making Reveiw and Giveaway!

I've been hanging out with the West Ladies again this evening as I watched The Art of Bread Making (for the third time).   They are so talented when it comes to kitchen wisdom!

They showed me how to make homemade bread from scratch, a sour dough starter, cornbread, CINNAMON ROLLS and a meal in a loaf!  I know, I know, I am getting hungry just typing! 

I decided to make their recipe for homemade bread.  I have made my own bread before but only in my bread machine.  I have heard that there is an art to making bread and have never felt confident enough to try it on my own in the oven, until now.

Here is what I did...

In a large bowl I mixed 2 1/2 cups of Warm Water (not hot) and 2 cups of Wheat Flour.  After mixing the four and water together I added 1 tsp of Salt, 1/2 cup of Honey, 1/2 cup of Oil and 1 Tbsp of Yeast. I made sure that I mixed everything together really well. 

Then I added 3 more Cups of Flour.  I mixed and kneaded the dough with my hands, for about 5 minutes (or until the dough is formed and nice and soft).

I put a little bit of oil in the bottom of my bowl, sat the dough back inside and covered with a towel.  I left it to rise at room temperature for an hour and a half. 

We punched it down a bit and kneaded the dough a bit more. 

2 

We separated the dough into two parts and then placed them in our oiled loaf pans.   Once we formed them nice,and poked a few holes in them with a fork they sat in the oven to rise foer another hour.

As you can see, after rising for a second time the dough is really starting to look like bread.

After baking the bread at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, this is what we ended up with.  The bread smelled so good!! 

This bread tastes great!  It is a bit more hearty and filling then store bought bread, in my opinion.  It made a great tomato and humus sandwich.  The hardest thing about this recipe was waiting for the bread come out of the oven to taste it!

You can purchase Homestead Blessings: The Art of Bread Making from Franklin Springs, which is currently on sale, for only $12.00.

Franklin Springs Family Media is allowing me to GIVEAWAY 3 of the Homestead Blessings: The Art of Bread Making Videos to 3 LSG Followers! 
 
Please leave a SEPARATE COMMENT for each way that you enter and PLEASE DO NOT FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!  The giveaway is going to run until October 29, 2010.  Here is how you can enter to win Homestead Blessings: The Art of Bread Making:

• You must be a Follower of LSG to Win!  Please leave me a comment and let me that you do.
• If you have just become a new Follower, please tell me how you heard about this giveaway.
• SPREAD THE WORD!  If you blog about this contest please come back and leave me a link to you post.
• Please visit the Franklin Springs website, let me know which other Homestead Blessings videos you would be interested in.
• Facebook or Twitter about this giveaway and leave me a comment to let me know about it.
• Like Franklin Springs Family Media on Facebook.
• Like Homestead Blessings on Facebook.

We received these products free of charge, from Franklin Springs Family Media, for review purposes. The opinions stated in this review are our own and we were not paid in any way.



The See It & Sign It Game Winner is..........

Shanna said...


I 'liked' PlayAbility on FB.



Thanks to everyone that entered!  Sorry for being a day late, I lost track of time : )

The Hubs Dream Come True.... Homemade Hamburger Helper!!

If you have ever read any of my menu plans you probably have read how The Hubs LOVES Hamburger Helper.  While I do aim to please my husband's palate I just can't bring myself to buy a helper in a box mix, much less make one.  Again, not to offend anyone but it grosses me out!  I am also not a food snob, I just try to made things minus all the preservatives, additives and funky stuff that manufacturers feel so inclined to add to their foods.

The other night while I was menu planning I decided to Google  Homemade Hamburger Helpers and I was very excited with the results.  I came across another blogger who came up with a recipe, well several, "homemade helpers."  Don't you just love Blog World!! 

So, tonight for din din I made the Chili Cheese Hamburger Helper and as Paul Tripp says, Wowy Zowy!!  The Hubs gave it a 10.5!!  The only other recipe that has earned a 10.5 in the LSG house is the Crockpot Sloppy Joe's. 

TOS Crew: Talking Fingers

We were given the opportunity to review Read, Write and Type by Talking Fingers from the TOS Crew.  This program, as the title implies, teaches child not only to type but to read and write as well. 

At first I thought this program would be only for Computer Girl (7) and maybe Alpha Boy (4) but The Lil Chef (9) seems to really enjoy it as well.  While the children have played the games on Read, Write and Type I have been off to the side watching them.  What I have noticed is, they really enjoy the program and they are learning! 

With fun games and an adorable cast of characters the children are learning how to read and type.  The phonetic sounds that they already know are being reinforced.  So far, the children have been working on the individual letters, one by one they are taught the sound of each letter and it's placement on the keyboard.  Then they take a fun trip to the park for some typing fun, Computer Girl says this is her favorite part. 

As they learn each letter stories are also formed, for instance after learning the letters F,A, J, T and C they were taught a story about a fat cat.  As the story was told the kids had to type out parts of the story.  Two of the characters in the game are Lefty and Right way, these helping hands assist the children along the way by showing them which fingers to use to type each key.

I would recommend this program as a phonics supplement and a typing program.  Even if one were only looking for a phonics program, why not get the added benefit of the typing program along with it or vice versa.  You can purchase the Read, Write and Type Home Edition two ways, the CD version is $79.00 or the online yearly subscription ranges from $33.00 to $100 depending on how many students you have.

Please check out what some of my other crew members are saying about Talking Fingers.

This product was provided to us free of charge to review for the TOS Crew.  I was not paid in any way and the opinions expressed here are my own.

In The Garden

by C. Austin Miles

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.

Refrain

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.

Refrain

I’d stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.

Refrain


This song was sung at our wedding almost 13 years ago by some dear friends in the Lord.   It is such a beautiful song.  You can listen to it here. 

I have a picture hanging in our foyer that has the words to this song with a really pretty garden scene.  See, check it out....
 

Saturday Solutions: DVD Storage

We love movies, so a while back I decided that I was tried of all of the dvd cases lying around here.  The cases just take up too much space in my opinion.   I tried the cd case idea for a while but now I have a new, hopefully improved, way of storing the dvd's.

I got this cd storage box on Amazon for about $10.  It holds 330 discs. 

Then I ordered the colored cd sleeves to color code our movies. Blue & Green are for cartoon show like Veggietales, Thomas the Train and Diego.  Red & Orange are for family movies like Facing the Giants, Uncle Nino and Flicka.  The White cases are for movies that we don't feel are appropriate for the kids, the kids know that they are not allowed to watch these, PERIOD!  

Last but not least, the Yellow cases are for exercise videos that the kids can us for PE. 

 We also have a video cabinet as well, that I store our VHS in and some dvd sets in.  Yes, we still have and USE some VHS tapes! 

Friday Blog Hop

I am joining Mama to 4 Blessings & Homegrown Families in their Friday Blog Hop again this week.

I love seeing all the different blogs out there!  You ladies  are so creative and always have such great ideas to share!

So come on, let's hop...

See It and Sign It Game Review & GIVEWAY!

I have another wonderful product from PlayAbility to tell you about.  I can remember being interested in sign language when I was a child.  My cousin and I used to talk to each other using the sign language alphabet and no one even knew what we were saying, we thought we were soo- cool!  I still to this day remember the alphabet!   More important than being cool, knowing sign language is a wonderful skill to have, whether you know someone that is deaf or not.  Enter the See It and Sign It Game.


  

In this game the kids think they are just having a good old time yet they are actually learning a second language.  We parents, especially the homeschooling kind, are always on the hunt for things that are fun and educational.  We all know that things seem to "stick" better when the kids are really enjoying what it is they learning.  My kids already remember many of the signs that they learned just in the short amount of time that we have had this game.  Very impressive!

Each time we have played this game, the kids have really had a great time!  First, you start off by watching a video that shows you how to sign the alphabet, numbers and 60 different words.  After watching the video you are ready to play the game.  The game is geared for kids 7 and up but everyone has played, except for Little Bits.  We even had The Hubs playing it with us!

The girls were playing together one day and the Lil' Chef took these pictures.

Another picture by my new photographer, the Lil' Chef. 

There are 6 different games that vary in difficulty and it can be play alone or with a group.  The games seem to each last about 15-20.  There is a easy 3 card version and a harder 6 card version that you can choose between depending on the age of your children and the amount of time you want to play.

The things I love about this game:

•  I LOVE how they have handy dandy flashcards on a RING for you to use during the game if you run into trouble and need some extra help. 
• The kids love the red decoder that they get to use to check to see if they picked the right card or not.  They think it's cool and all "spy like."
• The game is fun, even for adults. 
• It's big time educational!!
• I love how the game doesn't get old because there are several ways to play.

So, who wants their very own See It and Sign It Game of their very own??  PlayAbiltiy has offered to give away a See It and Sign It Game to ONE of YOU!  The GIVEAWAY will run until October 16th.  Please leave a SEPARATE COMMENT for each way that you enter and DO NOT FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!  Here are the ways that you can enter:

• You must be a Follower of LSG to Win!  Please leave me a comment and let me know that you follow.
• If you have just become a new Follower, please tell me how you heard about this giveaway.
• Spread the word!  If you BLOG about this contest please come back and leave me a link to you post.
• Please visit the PlayAbiltiy's website, take a peek around and see what other toys would interest your family.  Let us know your what's on your wish list.
• Facebook or Twitter about this giveaway and leave me a comment to let me know about it.
• Like PlayAbiltiy on Facebook.
• Follow PlayAbility on Twitter.

You can also purchase the See It and Sign It game for $29.95 directly from PlayAbility.

Please check out some of the other reviews we've done for PlayAbility, we have reviewed Buddy the Dog and The Whole Picture Game.

We received this product free of charge for review purposes. The opinions stated in this review are our own and we were not paid in any way.

Menu Plan Monday

In order to help me be more faithful in posting a Menu on Monday I am actually posting my last weeks meals.  You see, the way my life works best is I REALLY menu plan and write my grocery list on Wednesdays.  Thursday is my new grocery shopping day.  I usually go to Trader Joe's after the kids have choir because my church it only a hop skip and a jump away. 

So here is last weeks meal plan, which we are still working on...

Monday
Chicken w/ Cream Cheese and Turkey Bacon over Brown Rice with Broccoli on the side - this is such a fabulous stand by meal. 

Tuesday
Pork Loin w/ Sliced Peaches (canned or jarred, with the unhealthy fruit juice included), Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Wednesday
Breakfast Night - Pancakes, Eggs and Chicken Apple Sausage

Thursday
Spaghetti Pie - Freezer Meal (can I just say WhooWho!)

Friday
Stuffed Green Peppers w/ Mashed Potatoes and Corn - I had not made these babies for a while but they were yummy!  I doubled up an have 6 in the freezer.  Freezer meals are like money in the bank! Love'em, love'em, love'em!!

Saturday
Pizza Night- Homemade Pizza w/ Pepperoni - The dough was premade from TJ's, and yes I am that lazy.  I am sure if I made my own dough just once I would probably do it forever more.  Maybe next time.  Anywho, once I rolled the dough out the girls hooked the pizzas up, and they did an awesome job I might add.  Thanks girls!

Sunday
Taco Bake & Chicken Enchiladas - We weren't piggin' out, honest!  We had a family over for dinner after church.  It was a great time of fellowship.  The church that we go to is not a mega church but it is pretty big and it is kind of hard to get to know people SO I decided that I was going to start having families over for dinner once or twice a month to meet new folks.  I'll tell you what inspired me tomorrow.

The Prodigal

by Meghan & Ryan Baird

You held out Your arms, I walked away

Insolent, I spurned Your face
Squandering the gifts You gave to me
Holding close forbidden things
Destitute, a rebel still, a fool in all my pride
The world I once enjoyed is death to me
No joy, no hope, no life

Where now are the friends that I had bought
Gone with every penny lost
What hope could there be for such as I
Sold out to a world of lies
Oh to see Your face again, it seems so distant now
Could it be that You would take me back
A servant in Your house

You held out Your arms, I see them still
You never left, You never will
Running to embrace me, now I know
Your cords of love will always hold
Mercy’s robe, a ring of grace
Such favor undeserved
You sing over me and celebrate
The rebel now Your child

 
This song was sung at my church today, I got teary eyed as I listened to the words.  It is really a beautiful!  You can listen to a sample of it here.