Grandmother Bread

This is the only bread recipe that I use. Easy to follow and turns out perfect every time.  Not my recipe but I have to share it.

Grandmother Bread

Two-loaf standard recipe
3 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast (1 packet)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
7 cups all-purpose flour

One-loaf standard recipe
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 cups flour





In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Let sit five minutes. Stir in first three cups of flour with a heavy spoon. Add the next cup of flour a little at a time as needed, stirring until dough becomes too stiff to continue stirring easily. Add a little more flour and begin kneading. The amount of flour is approximate–your mileage may vary! Continue adding flour and kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. Let dough rise in a greased, covered bowl until doubled. (Usually, about an hour.) Uncover bowl; sprinkle in a little more flour and knead again before dividing in half. With floured hands, shape dough into loaves and place in two greased loaf pans. Tear off two pieces of waxed paper and grease with oil spray (to prevent it from sticking to the loaves as they rise) and cover loaf pans. Let rise till loaves are tall and beautiful! (About an hour, depending on the temperature in your kitchen.)
Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven.

"Tomato Butter"

Fall is unofficially here. The smell of pumpkin spice, apple pie, hot chocolate. The beautiful leaves changing colors before they begin to fall and bless us with a bountiful supply of endless fun to jump in and create memories with the children. 
My absolute FAVORITE? I can now run the oven without burning us all out of the house. In fact, the only thing that happens is we don't have to run the heat as much. 
Fresh veggies and fruits are being given to us by friends who are harvesting their gardens, fresh bread is constantly in the oven, new recipes being tried, and once again.... MORE MEMORIES are being made. I mean, no childhood is complete without memories of gathering around the table at dinner time with mom and dad and discussing the days happenings. Or, helping mama make a batch of bread (Home Economic for us home schoolers).
I seem to wait all year for this time of the year to come around. MY FAVORITE SEASON OF THE YEAR. Hard to find anything to complain about.
Today I made some fresh bread and tried a new recipe of Tomato Butter. (I didn't follow the recipe and made it my own AS USUAL)  So, I hope you enjoy it.

2 cups of tomatoes (Or Pint of cherry/grape tomatoes)
1 cup of unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (half clove )
1/4 tsp onion powder
1.5 tsp thyme.
1/4tsp pepper

broil the tomatoes for 6-8 mins until the tomatoes start to release their juices.  Let tomatoes cool to room temp.
Combine broiled tomatoes, thyme, garlic, onion powder and pepper in a food processor fitted with blade attachment. Pulse about 10 times, until tomatoes are finally chopped. Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes and add it to the food processor. Process until the butter is completely mixed in with the tomato mixture, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed for blending.

The tomato butter can be used immediately or placed in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to firm up first.

Will last in fridge up to one week. Or freezer up to 3 months.

"Blessed Inspite Of This Worlds Pain"

Recently, we received news that didn't fit into the picture that we had planned out for our future.  Just like many times in the past, we were told that there is a possibility of another diagnoses for our daughter looming over our head.  After each diagnoses I always say "I can't take any more. But, Gods grace is sufficient for this one."  Last nights news hit me hard, I won't lie. I won't pretend to be the "Ever Godly, ever strong, super mom" that is easy to come across as on social media.
Many tears were shed, and emotions were high. So many "What ifs?" And other questions...
But, as I lay in bed last night I got to thinking about Job and how much he lost. How blessed I am to get to raise my children, have a roof above my head and food in my cupboards.
Job lost EVERYTHING. And I mean everything. His friends, his children, his wife, his cattle and everything. 
I'm sure he would have done anything for one more day with any of his children. No matter what. Whether they had a diagnoses that wasn't expected.

There is so much in life that is unexpected.  Yet, we are blessed beyond measure.
We often look at the negative in life. Fail to look at the positive. 
How much better off we would be if we made a list of all of the blessings each and every day and focused on those, instead of focusing on the negatives.


One of my favorite songs below.

I Have Been Blessed

1.Whe He moves among us all that He does , all of His mercy and all of His Love.

And the pen of the writher could write everyday,even this world could never contain how

i have been blessed.

 

2.The warmth in the winter, the flowers in Spring, the laughter in Summner, and the

changing leavesl

 

CHORUS:

I have been blessed, God

s so good to me. Precious are His thoughts of you and me. No way I could count them, there's not enough time. So I'll just thank Him for being so kind. God has been good, so good. I have been blessed.

 

3.Arms that will raise, a voice that can talk, hands that can touch and legs that can walk,

ears that can listen, eyes that can see. Oh, I've got to praise Him as long as I breathe, I have been blessed.

 

4.I have been blessed, God's so good to me, precious are His thoughts of you and me.

No way I oculd cound them, there's not enough time. So, I'll just thank Him for being so kind. God has been so good, I have been blessed.

 

5.We live in a country, the greatest on earth. Our flag stands for freedom, and what it is worth. She stands in the harbor, Miss Liberty calls. All have gave some, but some gave all. For me to be blessed

 

6.He's my shoulder to lean on when I'm down. The rock where He leads me when I'm overwhelmed. The place where He hides me under His wings. He's not just a song. Hi's the reason I sing. I have been blessed

Bre Shafer

"Musings From My Time Away With God." Hosea 4

Do you have a time set aside to focus on spending time with God?
For me, that time is after I get both children laid down for naps. About the only time I can enjoy the silence and concentrate on time in His word.
Today, I was doing just that. Reading in the book of Hosea. A book that isn't that common to read. In fact, even I have a hard time finding it when the Preacher says "Turn to Hosea... For our Bible reading this morning/evening." And I can't say that's something I am proud of at all.... But, here I am on a rabbit trail....
Anyway, the book of Hosea is about the sins and filth of Israel (Gods People).. How they had taken to sins that were horrible even in today's day and age. (Hard to believe I know.)  Chapter 4:6 says
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I also will reject thee....."
We see there that He IS talking about HIS people. Not the heathen. But, His people ISRAEL.
That becomes important in just a moment.  Also notice, that they lacked knowledge in the first part of that verse. But, why did they lack knowledge?  It, wasn't because they hadn't been taught right from wrong.  It wasn't because they didn't have the mental ability to understand and receive that knowledge. Was it? NO.
If you read a few verses before that. Verse 4 talks about how they are as people that strive against priests. YIKES. That in and of itself is very dangerous. 
But the reason they lacked knowledge was because they HAD been taught right from wrong and they shut their eyes and ears. They REJECTED it. They refused to hear it. Wanted nothing to do with the ways of God. 
Verse 6 is hardly the verse that stuck out to me. Although it has such deep meaning in and of itself.
Chapter 4:10 is the one that got me.
"For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord."
I found it interesting to note the contrast between Psalm 37:25
"I have been young and now am old; yet have I not seen the RIGHTEOUS forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." (Emphasis mine) And Hosea 4:10.
Both Passages are clearly speaking of God's people. The Psalmist is speaking of the child of God who is living in close fellowship with God. (Living Righteously) God Takes care of those living for Him.
In Hosea sin has taken over. (by choice of each individual) God who cannot even look on sin has turned His back on His children. (Take note that nowhere in this passage does God DISOWN His people. Turning ones back, punishing is far different than disowning) 
By choosing sin Gods people have cut off the hand that supplied all of their needs. Emotional, Spiritual and Physical. 
Too many people take Psalm 37:25 and use it as a crutch. Like we tend to do with a lot of scripture. We take out the word "righteous" (Well, we may say it. But, it really has no meaning) We expect God to meet all of our needs in every area just because we are His child. Just because we are a born again Christian.
In reality, nobody can live however they want and get away with it. There will always be consequences.  
How do you restore that relationship with Christ when you are already a born again Christian?
There is but one way. Turn from your wicked way. REPENT of that sin that doth so easily beset you.
simply praying and asking for the desire for that sin to be taken from you, isn't enough. It doesn't work that way. Certainly prayer helps. But, you have to make the first step. You yourself need to turn. Throw the cigs away, the porn away, ditch the drugs, pour the liquor down the drain, move out of the house that you are living in with your boyfriend/girlfriend until you are married......
Any sin can be overcome. And yes, I mean addiction, alcoholism, porn... No matter how big the sin. You can repent and be forgiven. That relationship needs to be nurtured and restored daily and sometimes on a minute to minute basis.  YOU CAN BE FORGIVEN AND YOU CAN HAVE THAT SWEET RELATIONSHIP AND WALK WITH JESUS CHRIST!

Maybe this was just a little bit of a DUH moment for me. But, I'd never seen this passage and it spoke to me. I just wanted to take a few moments and share what I had learned.


^"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."
Hebrews 12:1




Bre Shafer

"Can I Be Trusted?" (The Godly Wife. Pt 3)

"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. "
Proverbs 31:11-12

What do you think of when you read those verses? There are certainly a lot of possibilities when it comes to trust.

I am sure that there are no right or wrong answers. In fact, a lot depends on certain circumstances within each couples marriage. (Within biblical principals of course)

With each generation, certain things have become more and more of an issues. What was once kept behind closed bedroom doors is now publically displayed in the way we dress and the way we speak outside of the bedroom.

What was once only conversation for ones husband (Okay and the gossips of the town) now has a much broader platform. THANK YOU SOCIAL MEDIA.

I'm not going to harp on any one of these issues as being "wrong" in and of themselves. As, I believe that everything has it's time and purpose. I do however want to ask you one question.....

Can you be trusted? Not just on the outside. Not just for a few minutes.... Can you truly be trusted by your husband.  Forget your girlfriends, your children, your Sunday School class. Ask yourself that one question while placing yourself in your husbands shoes as we continue through this for the next few minutes.

When my husband and I were first married, I was very hot tempered. If he said something I didn't like, There was one place I took everything.... FACEBOOK.  Every time we had a disagreement, he had to work one of his long 7 days a week, 12 hr shifts. Literally anything he did that I didn't like. (Same things he did that I doted over when we were dating.) Went on Facebook.
Eventually it started to drive a little wedge into our marriage.  He'd stop talking to me. Wouldn't tell me how his day was at work, spent most of his days in the garage...... And again I found comfort in Facebook and other sources.
This went on for almost 2 years. A vicious cycle.. 
Why? I had easy access to Facebook. I prioritized social media over my marriage and my husband.  Why did my husband stop talking to me? Because he could no longer trust me.
If I stopped for a moment and placed myself in his shoes, I wouldn't have trusted him either. I wouldn't have wanted to tell him anything I thought, did or even dreamed. Why would I tell him my future goals. I mean.. If something that was only meant for his ears was potentially going to end up in front of a whole audience of strangers just because he was "bothered" with me..
Is that a problem for you?
I know it is for many, many ladies. We fall into the trap of "nobody to talk to" and grasp at straws hoping that someone will listen on social media.
The problem is, someone always is listening, watching... Your husband is.
Are you raising him up? Or, are you tearing him down by posting every little issue on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or whatever other social media platform is there?  Are you tearing him down to your friends and neighbors?
Even if your husband isn't seeing or listening, God is.  Who's getting the glory in what you are saying and doing each day?

I know there certainly wasn't much scripture here. But, when I read these 2 verses the rough patch that my husband and I went through because of my foolish desire for approval from people who do not matter.
In so doing almost costing me my marriage.
Please, don't make the mistake that I made. 
Strive to have the heart of your husband safely trusting you in all that you do.  It's work. But, God wouldn't have it in there if it was impossible. 

"But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."
Matthew 19:26


Bre Shafer

"Vacation Bible School Night One"

SUCCESS!!! Summed up in one word.
WOW, what a night.  The willingness and open hearts to learn was amazing.  And the heart and spirit of the evening was just...... WOW, is all I've got.  Well, Besides a lot of pictures.
And, I am going to leave it at that. The pictures sum up the fun of the evening.

The teens enjoyed shooting marshmallows with their "marshmallow guns" . Which is what they are doing in a few of the pictures. As well as what my husband is doing.
The one picture is of my little mans class (Joshua Jr) playing their outdoor games.
And of course the last picture is both of my children ready of VBS.

Please continue to pray for all of us as we continue this week.



Galatians 6:9
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."


Bre Shafer

A Day Spent In Gods House

As we close out yet another Sunday, I thought I would share a little bit of how our day has been.
Ups and downs as usual. Serving God is never promised to be a smooth day. And our days usually represent that just fine. LOL

We started by getting up and around early enough to get to Sunday School on time.

By the time we got half way to church (15 minutes away and still 15 minutes away from church.) I realized we had not given Leah any of her morning meds. Since one of her meds is a blood pressure med, the dose cannot be skipped or it could be very dangerous. So, back home we go. 

By the time we got all that squared away and back to church. We had missed Sunday school. STRIKE ONE. But one can only look at It in a positive way. What may have happened had we continued on our path this morning? Was God protecting us from something? Or, was there a lesson to be learned? You know, like PLAN AHEAD BETTER!!😊

Morning service went well and was a message that both Joshua and I will be putting into practice as we strive to "train up our children".  Little man who's been learning to sit during church had a rough morning in his class. A little too active shall we say?

Through the afternoon we had a few more rough issues and back to church. This time with grandma. :) Which the children loved.  And Leah DID NOT want to go to nursery tonight.

Do Sunday's usually go like this? NOPE. But, today was one of those days.

We are not perfect. No day is smooth sailing. And I just wanted to show that we are not that perfect put together family. But, even in the midst of a rough day with one issue after another.... You can and should keep going.

Our series on "The Godly Wife" is going to be put on hold until Friday. (Unless I find a few extra minutes before then.) Vacation Bible school is starting this tomorrow and this week is going to be a mad house.

I will share as many pictures as I can.



Following is a few extra pictures from today.
The children had their first motorcycle ride today. (only past the building and only as fast as you can walk.) But, they were thrilled.

Leah's Church Outfit today. (Her hair was done.) WAS being the key word.

Joshua riding the motorcycle with daddy.

Leah riding the motorcycle with daddy.

Praying you had a blessed weekend.

Bre Shafer