Just found something really cool to share with you -

This is a new website I found this morning with loads of fun activities on videos for kids and their parents:

http://www.activitytv.com/default.aspx

Different categories include cartooning, cooking, crafts, dance, jewelry, origami, music, paper airplanes, room projects, summer fun, family gifts, juggling, puppets, science, seasons like Easter and Thanksgiving, and MORE!

Under the Room Projects, you'll find a cute activity for making a window flower box with tissue paper, a beaded curtain, drawer pulls, and a pirate lampshade. And that's just a sample!

You watch the video, print out instructions, and then do it yourself with your family! This is definitely a site to check out and bookmark!

Have fun!

Molly

Nationwide Volunteer Opportunities

Here is a list of places you and your family can volunteer throughout America:

Operation Shoe Box: Support our fighting men and women deployed overseas. Send "goodies" to the troops. Check the website for info on what to send and how to send it. http://www.operationshoebox.com/

Operation Post Card: Send postcards to our troops overseas. For info: http://bluestarmoms.org/postcard.html

Charitable Sewing Projects: A list of projects that helps those in need: http://www.sewing.org/enthusiast/html/e_charitysew.html.

Head Huggers - Sew for someone who has undergone hair loss due to Chemotherapy: http://www.headhuggers.org/

Knit for Kids - Guideposts has partnered with many leading organizations including, World Vision and Feed the Children to clothe needy children here in America and around the world in places like Romania, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Kosovo to name a few. Here's how you can participate: http://www.dailyguideposts.com/help/sweater.asp

Care Wear - a nationwide group of volunteers who knit, crochet, and/or sew, providing handmade baby items to hospitals. All Care Wear items are given free to infants, children and their parents. http://www.carewear.org/

Diapers for Hondoras - http://www.nemnsynod.org/diapers.html

Sew Much Comfort - Sew "adaptive clothing" for wounded troops: http://www.sewmuchcomfort.org/

Benjamin Smiles Pillows - sew pillows for young cancer victims: http://www.gailbrown.com/articles/Ben_Smilesinstr.htm

Project Linus - provides love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans. http://www.projectlinus.org/index.shtml

Rag Dolls 2 Love - Their goal is to pu a soft cloth doll in the hands of children in countries ravaged by war. They also ship to children infected with HIV/AIDS, children in orphanages, children rescued from a life of prostitution, children affected by natural disasters.. http://www.ragdolls2love.org/

Sewing Charity - an alphabetically list of charities that need sewing volunteers: http://www.dotdigital.com/sewingcharity/alphabetical.html

Snuggles Project - provides more than 500,000 Snuggles to shelter animals around the world. Crochet, knit, quilt or sew cloth blankets for cats, dogs, and small animals in shelters. http://www.snugglesproject.org/

Annual Christmas Stocking Project: The Newborns in Need national office donates full size Christmas stockings to different emergency rooms (hospitals), social service offices, law enforcement offices, health departments, etc. for use with children who would otherwise go without during the holiday season. http://www.newbornsinneed.org/html/stocking_project.html

Patterns for Preemies. Patterns that can be used to make clothes for preemies and donate to your local hospital: http://project-angel-kisses.150m.com/1memberpatterns.html

Quilting Angels! Creates quilts for children with critical, terminal or life-long illnesses. Each quilt is designed and made specifically for a child by women and men all over the country by donating one block at a time. http://www.quiltingangels.org/

Sojour Bears. The organization's goal is to make cancer bear-able by providing inspiration and comfort to cancer patients through the distribution of original hand-made teddy bears. http://www.jmjgifts.com/SojournBears.html

Free Summer Science Fun - NEED TO SIGN UP SOON THOUGH!!

Space is limited, so if you are interested in this, don't procrastinate. I tried to get my children in this last summer and missed it.

Summer Club and Kid's Club are designed for Christian Homeschool kids from age eight to eighteen, but all are welcome. Last year there were over 1000 kids who signed up and boy did we have fun. Learned a lot too!

Summer clubs, like all Quick Study Labs programs, are designed to focus the imagination and interest of our kids on the wonders of our world through scientific discovery, math, and physics! Kids are naturally curious, they just need a little direction to put that curiosity to work.

For more information look under CLUBS at the bottom of the main menu of www.quickstudylabs.com (If this link does not work, copy and paste it into your browser).

Joel Phillips
Teaching Technology to Homeschool Youth
Think Quick------Quick Study Labs
www.QuickStudyLabs.com

Footprints in the Sand

Just wanted to share this poem with you. This has definitely been true in my life in recent months.


One night a man had a dream. He dreamed He was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from His life. For each scene He noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One belonging to Him and the other to the LORD.


When the last scene of His life flashed before Him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of His life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of His life.


This really bothered Him and He questioned the LORD about it. "LORD you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."


The LORD replied, "my precious, precious child, I Love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

Please pray for Baby Stellan

Click on the picture of this beautiful baby boy who needs our prayers and it will take you to the blog that you can read.

Thanks for praying for him!

Molly

Cutting Your Grocery Budget in Half

The Hill Billy Housewife has a free e-book you can download. I'm sure we can all use some tips on cutting our grocery budgets. There is also a free menu planning guide you can sign up to receive.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/half/

Can I trust God?

With the recent news of me having lung cancer, there have been many times I've asked myself, can I trust God? To be real honest, it's the ONLY thing I can do in my situation. God is not concerned about my comfort, but He is wanting to mature me through this trial. I can truly tell you that since all of this has happened, I have complete confidence that He is so very trustworthy. He has orchestrated every single step in this journey. What a precious Father He has been to be so faithful! He requires me to walk by faith and trust and to give Him complete control, not just in this situation, but in every area of my life. Please take a take a minute to read Alabaster's Box blog today. It's a really good one on trusting the Lord. I don't think I could've said it any better. Here's the link: http://www.alabasterboxblog.com/

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. --Colossians 3:12-14

Blessings,

Molly

I haven't forgotten you all -

I'm sorry my posting has been negligent lately. You might remember me posting that I have been having some health challenges the past few months. Well, I was diagnosed with lung cancer a month ago. I've never smoked ever, but lived with two parents who did. I've been away from that atmosphere for 23 years, and have dealt with some other health issues, that more than likely caused this problem. Needless to say, priorities at our house have changed and now I'm spending my days taking care of my health. I'm eating healthy, resting when needed, taking care of details as they arise, trying to not get stressed, learning more about how to trust the Father, learning to give up control of my own life. Our life and times are truly in His hands. The Lord has been so faithful to guide us through this whole situation. As we look back over the past year, we can see His hand in this. You know, we make plans, but God orders our steps. We have been so blessed by the Body of Christ, in ways we have never experienced. Some days, all I can do is cry, because His love has filled our hearts to overflowing. Tears are healing though and God is working on our hearts and drawing us closer to Him. What better place to be in? Walking by faith and trusting in His plan, that's all He desires for us. I'm praying about starting another blog about this cancer journey. If I decide to go with it, I'll let you know. Right now though, I challenge each of you to make sure you take time to sit down with the Father every day, spend time with Him and let Him help you align your priorities according to His plan. He's writing HIStory in each of us! May He be glorified in all that we do. You are welcome to add our family to your prayer list and share this with anybody you know. I'll finish radiation on my back this Thursday, see the oncologist to start chemo next week. The cancer did spread and it was eating my bones in my lower back. Thus, the reason for the back problems that never got resolved. The primary cancer is lung cancer in my lower right lobe. Praise God that the radiation is working and for the first time in a long time, my back is not hurting and the medicine I take can be stretched out further. We are believing that God will heal me completely. I'm a fighter and intend to come out on the other side, healthier, stronger, full of the Lord and ready to give Him all the glory. We're not going to be just another statistic. The God we serve is BIGGER than that and He is more than able! One of the songs on my playlist (#2) has become a favorite of mine this few months. If you have time, take a few minutes to listen to this. It will definitely minister to your spirit.

Hug your family members, tell them you love them, and enjoy every single minute of every day!
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." ~ Psalm 91

Valentine Terra Cotta Pots

One year, my children and I painted a 4 inch terra cotta pot white and then sponge painted heart shapes in pink, red, and purple over the white paint. After the pots were dry, I put some pink, red, or purple tissue paper in the bottom to cover the hole. We poured the Valentine colored M&M's in for the "dirt". We then cut out Valentine shapes, which were our flowers. They have to be big enough to write on or glue a picture of the child on to it. We used red, pink, or purple drink straws for the stem and planted our "flowers" in the "dirt". Or you can spray paint some dowel rods white like in the picture. In this picture you see tissue paper for the dirt, that's because I forgot to buy the M&M's at the store the other day! :-) I wanted you to see a picture so you could visualize what we did. It really was a perfect gift for the grandparents.

So, you'll need:

4 inch terra cotta pot
white spray paint - let dry completely before sponge painting the hearts
red, pink, or purple acrylic paint
three heart shaped sponges
red, pink, or purple construction paper cut into "Valentine flowers"
red, pink, or purple drinking straws
red, pink, or purple tissue paper
1 bag of Valentine M&M's
color markers to write your message on the "flowers"