Off to ND

Well, it's here again!! The 2019 ND Homeschool Convention. Looking forward to seeing some of you there over the next few days!

   If you happen to be in the area, be sure to stop by. There will be many workshops by people like Chuck Black, Sarah Young, and more, as well as an awesome vendor hall with many family favorite booths.

  If you think of it, you can pray for safety traveling for us, and all the other people attending the convention.

Tea Party With Some Nieces . . . And A Nephew

Aunt-life is never dull, and babysitting is a frequent event. Usually, things flow about the same, but every once in a while, you gotta spice things up a bit. Like we did the other day by hosting a tea party with some of the kids!

We don't very often use the china, so it was extra special.

I just had to put this picture on here! I love her little wink!

And the whole party. Including the nephew in his chef hat. :)

Valentine Baking

So, my older sisters used to always make these Valentine cookies, and this year, I tried my hand at it. I'm not very steady handed with the decorating part . . . but I had fun! 

Then, I had these cherries in the fridge and thought I should use them, so I made these Coconut Macaroons. It was a slight process because we didn't have any sweeten condensed milk. So, I found a recipe, and made my own sweeten condensed milk, then proceeded with the recipe. They turned out okay, but I don't think they were quite as good as when I use the store bought. I'll have to work on that recipe . . . but it did turn out better than I was expecting! 

16 Ways to Avoid Getting a Valentine Date

And it's nearly here. Valentines Day. For some, this day is full of love, flowers, chocolate, and a special someone. But many of you reading this, don't have a special someone in your life. First, I've got to say, that's okay! If God hasn't given you a special relationship yet, then you don't need it yet! Enjoy the freedom of singleness and celebrate the love of family and friends. And most importantly, the love of God. John 13:34-35 says . . . "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." So, the following post is NOT meant to distract from the love of God.

   Last year, I did a post on 18 Excuses for NOT having a Valentine Date. This year, I'm doing a list of ways to AVOID getting a valentine date. You probably all know at least one guy. That guy who likes you, but you can't stand! That guy who tries to get your attention, but you try to avoid. Here are some ways to avoid him.

   Honestly, I ALMOST didn't post this because I don't want you guys to get the wrong impression. No, Priscilla is NOT against love and Valentines! No, Priscilla is NOT sitting here pining for a special man in her life. Yes, Priscilla is single, and open to God's leading in the direction of a relationship, but TOTALLY content where God has me. So, I apologize if this comes across wrong. I don't mean this to be rude, sarcastic, cruel, hopeless, or any other such nonsense. This is supposed to be purely comical. DISCLAIMER - I do NOT recommend doing all the things in this list, nor do I advise that you chase all men away!
   For those of you who have relationships, you may not find this the least bit humorous, but I hope all of you singles out there will let this bring a smile to your face. Think of that guy who drives you nuts, but always seems to be there. And this is written for girls . . . sorry guys, you're on your own. :)

  So here it goes.

16 WAYS TO AVOID GETTING A VALENTINE DATE

     1. Sing off key in public. A lot. Make yourself embarrassing to be around.

     2. Wear ugly clothes.

     3. ALWAYS go places with your brother as an escort.

     4. Cry a lot . . . in public. Maybe add some screaming too. Guys don't want a screaming date.

     5. Avoid mechanic shops. If you have vehicle trouble, get your Dad's help.

     6. Don't respond to texts from guys. If you have to respond, give dumb answers.

     7. Buy a costume engagement ring and wear it ALL the time.

     8. Never be seen alone. If you have to attend an event alone, spend most of your time hiding in the restroom.

     9. Stay home.

     10. Always talk about your latest diet. Pretend you hate normal food and only eat kale.

     11. Always talk about past relationships. Even if they're imagined.

     12. If you must go shopping, always pick a checkout line with a woman cashier.

     13. Get a job at a quilting shop. Or other location that men don't normally frequent.

     14. Avoid older ladies. They all have single grandsons that they want to introduce you to.

     15. Make sure you have other plans for that night. Volunteer to babysit if you have too.

     16. Go on vacation to Saudi Arabia. They banned Valentines Day.

You Become Like the People you Hang Around . . .

  As most of you know, I've just returned home from a trip to Northland Camp in WI where we were doing some winter projects.
   
    On the way home, I was humming/whistling. (Making music in a really weird way!) And my sister said . . . "You've been hanging out with so-and-so too much! You sound just like her!"

   Later, looking at pictures, I realized that I am VERY influenced by the people I'm with. If they're smiling, I'm smiling, if they're climbing walls, I'm helping! If they're drinking coffee, I drink coffee. If they're working hard, I work hard.

When you have friends who love God, hanging out with them is an AWESOME adventure of exciting expeditions and surprises, but also, it's filled with encouragement. Your friends can help you seek God more. Help you understand HIM more, and help you Love HIM more. And that's a GOOD THING!!!!! But what if the people around you aren't living for God?

  Have you ever had anyone say something similar to you? "You sound like ___________!"

The people you hang around with, affect you. A lot. If you hang around people who use slang, you'll probably start using it. If you hang around with people who complain, you'll probably start complaining, if you hang around people who are ALWAYS cheerful, you might find yourself being more cheerful. If you hang out with hard workers, you'll start to work harder.

In a later text conversation, TOTALLY unrelated to my thoughts on friends, I mentioned that I wished I could be more like Jesus, and he responded. "Maybe you should hang out with HIM more."

   I'd NEVER thought of it like that before. If we want to be like Christ, if we want to demonstrate HIS love, if we want HIS joy to shine through, we've got to hang out with HIM! Just like I become like the people I hang out with, I can hang out with Jesus to become like HIM. Now . . . 'Hang out with Jesus' isn't the kind of phrase I would usually use, but I think it gets an awesome point across! We can become like Jesus simply by spending a lot of time with HIM!

    My question for you is . . . Who are you hanging out with? Are the people around you going to drag you down? 1 Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Or are you striving to be with people who will encourage you to do right? Sometimes, we have to seek for good influences around older people instead of our peers. And MOST IMPORTANTLY, are you spending time with Jesus? You can NEVER live the love of Christ, the joy of Christ, and the peace of Christ, if you're not spending time WITH Christ.