I think you will find her as lovely and kind as I do.  Without any further delay,  let’s hear what  Traci has to share about building the foundation of a home.

Hello there!

My name is Traci, and I blog at Beneath My Heart!

I am so honored to be guest posting here at Mrs. Hines Class! Sharon has done a wonderful job with this series.

If you do not know me, I am the mother of four sweet boys…

And I am married to one hunk of a handyman, Cy…

We have been married for almost 15 years, and during that time, we have bought and renovated 4 homes and are currently working on house #5.

It’s what we love to do.

Unfortunately, I’ve only been blogging the past three years. Man, I wish we had a blog during all of our other renovations! But I have been so blessed by my blog that I couldn’t be more grateful.

I find no greater pleasure than blogging about home and family.

Okay. I just lied.

Actually, here is the truth:

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One thing I know for sure is that life is not about a pretty home and fabulous décor.

It is so much more.

Life is about Jesus.

Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

I’ve known it all my life. I am so grateful for a mom and dad that taught me about the love of Jesus.

But never have I experienced that love more than when my mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 gastric cancer almost three years ago. Her faith in Jesus left me speechless. Her witness for the Lord touched my heart more than anything I have ever known.

Mom only lived 7 weeks after her diagnosis.

It was the hardest thing I have ever gone through.

But I am so grateful for how her death opened my eyes to so much more.

You see, my mom loved her home. She loved to decorate it. She loved thrifting, sewing, painting, and more. I got my DIY skills from her.

But when Mom passed away, her home stayed here. The pictures were still on the walls of her home. Dishes were still in the cabinets. Pillows still on the couch and sheets still on the bed.

She couldn’t take any of those things with her. Her faith in Jesus was all that she needed.

Only our faith in Jesus is what truly matters when we come to the end of our lives.

I love the scripture about the wise man who built his house upon the rock and the foolish man who built his house upon the sand.

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Here’s what Jesus himself said:

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

My husband and I want to be like the wise man who built his house upon the rock, Jesus Christ. So when the trials and struggles of this life hit us hard, we can remain standing.

I witnessed first hand how solid that rock is as I watched my mom stand strong on it during her last days on earth.

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We do not want to be like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. The sand represents the temporary things of earth and the lies that the world tells us. The things that do not last.

And when the storms of life come our way, just like a house built on sand, we will crumble.

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So how do we build our lives on a solid foundation?

By hearing God’s word and putting it into practice.

I’m not an expert at being a Christian, and I will never claim that I am. Honestly, a lot of the time I stink at it.

But I’m trying.

I am trying to lead my children to know the love of Jesus.

I do not have any perfect steps to take, but just practical things we do in our home to build that solid foundation.

1. We read God’s word.

I have bought my boys little devotional books (specifically for boys) to read at night before they go to bed. It allows them to read God’s word and apply it to their lives.

2. We attend church and participate in worship.

I have such great memories of going to church as a child. Going to church helped me as a child to build a strong foundation on which to stand. If you are not attending a church regularly, I would like to encourage you to find a place where you can worship.

3. We Pray.

This is an area that I can definitely improve on. I’ve been feeling the need to pray together as a family more often. More than just blessing the food or praying before bed. Prayer is more powerful than we could ever imagine. It’s an unlimited source of God’s power that we so often do not tap into. I am working on praying more. For me, I like to write my prayers down in a journal. It helps me to stay focused as I pray, and it allows me to see all the ways God answers my prayers. But I want to pray more with my children. Pray for children in their classes, for loved ones who are sick, for decisions they need to make, etc. It is so important for parents to pray with their children.

4. We praise Him through music.

Whenever riding in the car, we listen to KLOVE. It is such a wonderful radio station. I love when I hear the boys singing Christian music at the top of their lungs. And so many songs are full of scripture which my boys are memorizing without even knowing it.

5. We talk about Jesus and how his love makes a difference in our everyday lives.

I think it is so important to take time during the day to talk about Jesus and His love with our children. When the boys tell me about a kid at school who is really mean, we talk about how Jesus wants us to act toward that child. How would he want us to love that child?

Or when one of the boys is scared about something, we talk about how God is always with us and how He is watching over us.

God isn’t someone we should talk about only on Sundays. He is an everyday God.

Deuteronomy 6:4–7

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Like I said, I know I don’t have all the answers, but I do have Jesus and His love.

He is our sure foundation.

A foundation that will remain standing no matter what trials come its way.

And believe me, they will come!

Building your life on the foundation of Jesus Christ does NOT mean that you will never have trouble or hardships.

It’s quite the contrary.

But building your life on the foundation of Jesus Christ DOES mean that you will be able to stand strong through those troubles or hardships. God can even create beauty out of it all.

My prayer for you and me is that we will keep our eyes focused on Christ and that we will strive to build our lives on His word.

Many blessings to you!

Traci

Thank you so much, Traci, for sharing the story of your mother, her faith and her legacy.   I am so very honored to have you share your heart here today.  I cannot think of a better message to reflect on as we start this Lenten season.

And to my readers, I hope you will visit Traci’s blog and get to know her if you don’t already.

Don’t forget, we are closing out this series on Wednesday, February 29th with a “All Things Home” link party.  Be thinking about what you can share that relates to this series such as family traditions, what home means to you, how you keep mama happy, home decor suited to your families needs, legacies passed down from past generations….

I can’t think of a better way to end this series than to hear your stories. It’s going to be hard to wait all the way til Wednesday.  :)

Until next time,

Sharon

If we were meeting in person, I think it would be fun to sit around in Kelly’s dream kitchen.

Can’t you just picture us gathered around the island talking over coffee?

Or, we could have a slumber party in Wendy’s master bedroom.

We could pretend we were all princesses in a fairytale. I can almost hear us giggling the night away as we share secrets.

Maybe Jen’s friend wouldn’t mind if we slip off our coats and get comfortable at her house.

 We could wander over to the living room and have some good ole girl time around the warmth of the fire.

If we were craving the comfort of friends just sitting in quiet familiarity, the serene view at Katherine’s place would be the perfect meeting place.

Such a peaceful promise of a new season.

How about a pool party?  I’m sure Betsy wouldn’t mind.

I’m always up for sitting poolside with the girls.

If you have been featured today, feel free to grab a button for your sidebar.

It all sounds like a good time to me.  In the meantime, I’m happy to host again.

So, let’s get together for another Show & Tell, shall we?

If you are not a follower, I would be delighted to have you join mrs. hines class as a Linky Follower, via RSS feed, facebook or email.  Just go over to my sidebar and find what option works best for you.

I hope you will take the time to mix and mingle…that’s what makes a link party fun.  Link up as much as you  like.  I want to see it all…inspirational words, photography, crafts, recipes, decor, diy projects, tutorials…anything that you want to Show & Tell us.

The more the merrier!  So I’d love for you to invite your friends by leaving a link back to the party.  Think of it as giving them directions.  ;)

Have fun!

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I was anything but content last week.  Sad, lonely, confused, disappointed, angry, but not content.  I rolled around in the mud of that pit for a while with the exception of last Tuesday when light, both literally and figuratively, shone on my darkness.

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I loved last Tuesday because it went according to plan.  It was the one day in a stretch of days, past and future, that was forecasted to be sunny and warm.  The perfect day to work in the yard.  I was invigorated by the sweat, the progress and the promise of a new season.

As you may have seen in the first post of my Making a House a Home  series, our household has gone through a lot of changes in the last couple of years.  Just when we were at the brink of seeing the desires of our hearts realized, the plan started unraveling.  So, I’ve been left to question… whose plan was this?  Ours, Gods, both, no ones…? Are we where we are supposed to be?  Are we at the end of the journey or at a crossroad?  Do we keep hoping for the original plan to eventually fall into place?  Are our current circumstances a “no” or a “wait” answer from God?

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I don’t have any of those answers.  I just know that I’m weary from being in transition.  I want to grow roots, settle down and nest.  My husband says I’m to do that regardless of expected change.  He’s right.

Why, after 43 years, would I expect or even hope for a life without dark days?  I know better.  I am intimately acquainted with trials, tribulation and dark nights of the soul.  As all of us are.  We are not promised a trouble free life.

But I have such a hard time embracing this season in our lives.  I am disappointed in the dull, dreary days.  So, I’ve asked God this past week, what is this Winter season for?

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Well, wouldn’t you know it?  I was flippin’ channels late last night and found myself watching Oprah at a Tony Robbins event, and Tony Robbins happened to address the very topic of the winter season…that we all have them in our lives…it is a season to be expected.  One that we should take advantage of by spending time cuddled up with our families and recharging for the coming Spring.

I don’t know anything about Tony Robbins, and I’m not all that thrilled at how such a multitude of people look to Oprah as a spiritual mentor, but I do think that God used that particular program to give a voice to His answer to my prayers.

And the answer was this:  there is nothing new under the sun.  There are seasons: seasons in nature and seasons in our lives.  It is my prayer that I will be able to find peace and contentment in this season of my life.  That I will appreciate it, find the beauty in it and learn how to recharge.

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God has continued to answer me and encourage me through sermons, scripture and even other’s blogs.  I’m very grateful.

How are y’all doing with your Word of the Year?

Until next time,

Sharon

Here’s the menu:

~baked chicken

~amatriciana sauce over angel hair pasta

 ~salad tossed with cracked pepper vinaigrette

Directions:

Chicken

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preheat oven to 375 degrees ( I prefer to cook chicken at this temperature)

line a baking dish with foil

season boneless, skinless chicken breasts with poultry seasoning

place breasts, thick side down, in the pan

set pan in oven

Amatriciana Sauce

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Once chicken is baking, you are ready to prepare the sauce.

heat a tbsp or so of olive oil in saucepan

cut 4 strips of bacon into pieces

chop about a 1/4 cup of onion-add to bacon in pan

mince 2 – 3 cloves of garlic

Add bacon to heated oil and saute, next add onions and then garlic

add 1 14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes to pan

pour 1 cup of red cooking wine into mixture

add a dash of sugar, cracked pepper and red pepper flakes

stir and set to simmer uncovered

Pasta

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Once the sauce is simmering, set water on stove to boil

Salad

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while you’re waiting on the water to boil,  prepare your salad

toss together 1 can drained mandarin oranges, 4 oz. of crumbled feta cheese, lettuce ( I used bag of spring mix)  and abut 1/4 cup of cracked pepper vinaigrette ( I use a prepared dressing by Cookwell and Company)

set the salad to chill in the fridge

Back to Pasta

add your pasta to boiling water and cook according to directions

When the chicken is done, you can slice each breast to serve over pasta, if desired.

Enjoy!

Until next time,

Sharon

I’m linking to:

Link & Greet @ Country Momma Cooks

Tagged: home cooked meals, italian food, recipe ]]> http://mrshinesclass.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/company-worthy-restaurant-style-meal/feed/ 18 sehines http://mrshinesclass.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/a-rose-ere-blooming/ http://mrshinesclass.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/a-rose-ere-blooming/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:27:00 +0000 Sharon ت http://mrshinesclass.wordpress.com/?p=2179 ]]> Last night, as I was despairing over the lingering, gloomy weather, I wondered, “Where is my sunshine on a cloudy day?”

This morning as I glanced up from the computer to admire the fresh cut roses across the room, I realized I had my sunshine.

These roses have been the bright spot of my week.  I brought them in to put in a vase after trimming my knock out roses earlier this week.  I’ve delighted over the fact that I have fresh cut flowers from my very own yard.  I beamed with pride the other night  as I cut the stems, trimmed the leaves and whipped up a d.i.y. solution for the water.

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As I so often find, nature has pointed me to our Creator.

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming, as men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
Mary we behold it, the Virgin Mother kind.
To show God’s love aright, she bore to us a Savior,
When half spent was the night.

The shepherds heard the story proclaimed by angels bright,
How Christ, the Lord of glory was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger they found Him,
As angel heralds said.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere;
True man, yet very God, from sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.

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Until next time,

Sharon

linking to:

Potpourri Party @ 2805

Fridays Unfolded @ Stuff and Nonsense

So far we have defined home, talked about making sure “mama is happy”, and discussed the value of establishing traditions in the home.  (click on the links to read past posts in this series)

I’m struggling to pull together my thoughts for this weeks topic: Decorating Your Home.  Maybe that’s because I struggle with decorating my own home.

Arrange.  Rearrange. Repeat.

That’s how I’ve been spending my time this week…way into the night wee hours of the morning.

My family is dumbfounded.  When they ask, “Why?”, I say,”I’m going for optimal.”  And therein lies my problem…striving for the perfect design that satisfies my desire for a pretty room with consideration for the way we use our space.

This new living room arrangement involved moving the piano into another area of our home.

Although it would probably be considered too big for the entry , I like it there.

However, I’ve been plagued with thoughts like, “What will friends think when they walk into our home and are greeted by a piano?”  or,  I hear my Mom’s voice saying, “There’s something so warm about a  piano in the living room.  You will lose that feel if you move the piano.”  And my husband’s questions ring the loudest in my ear, “But what if someone wants to play the piano?  They’ll have to sit in the entry to play?”

Well, yeah.

 (cue harp playing daydream-y music)

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So the entry now doubles as a piano room.  I let my imagination roam to magazine editors who love the whimsy of a piano in the entry, and ask to do a photo shoot of my unique home.  The magazine feature boasts about how I make my house my own by throwing design rules out the window, and how I’m such an inspiration to others to follow their instincts and really live in their homes.

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Okay, so maybe I got a little carried away, but  there is a moral to the story.   I will get to that in a moment.

I want to share something else with you real quick.

While helping a friend who had asked for some decorating advice, she went into her closet and pulled out some beautiful fabric intended for curtains.  The fabric had been sitting in my friend’s closet because she’d been told  by a third party  that the fabric wasn’t the right look.

I was burdened for my friend.

And I know there are so many like her, including me, who need encouragement to trust their instincts.

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My husband has said to me repeatedly this week, “You keep rearranging the room over and over and every time it looks really good.”  What I think my husband wants me to understand is the same point that I’m trying to make here today.

Please don’t let the opinions of others, trends, design rules or even perceptions of the  picture perfect home steal your joy in making your house a home.

I wish you all of the comforts of home!

We will continue next Thursday with a guest post from  Traci at Beneath My Heart. (Yea!!)

Then, we will finish out the series on Wednesday, February 29th with an “All Things Home” themed link party.  You can share your traditions, home decor, routines, special memories of home, tips, advice, anything that relates to making your house a home.  I can’t wait to see what you have to share!

Speaking of sharing, this week’s Show & Tell party is still going on.  I’d be honored to have you join in the fun.

Until next time,

Sharon

I’m sharing this post at:

Country Homemaker Hop @ My Simple Country Living

Crafty, Scrappy, Happy Me @ Crafty, Scrappy Happy

Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop @ Katherine’s Corner

And welcome to those who are joining us for the first time.  I’m so very glad to have you.

I just have to brag on these two ladies who poured their hearts into these projects for their kiddos.  I’m sure you will be as impressed as I was.

Kelly went out of her way to throw a fun Valentine’s Day party for her girls and their friends.

What a treat!

Amy learned to knit just so that she could make these gloves for her daughter.

Such a labor of love!

 Jen  earns a gold star for completing a sewing project that was not “no sew.”

I hope you stop by her blog for the tutorial.

These next two features just go to show that ingenuity and perseverance pays off.

First we have Kim’s upcycled chandelier.

Love the way it turned out!

And, next is Tera Leigh’s framed chandelier.

Simply elegant!

If you have been featured today, please grab a Show & Tell Star button for your blog.

Now it’s time to shine at this week’s

I really enjoyed the freedom of not having rules last week.  So, no rules…link up as many projects as you like and have fun visiting other blogs.  I do ask that you link back to the party so that other’s can join us.

Have fun!

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Until next time,

Sharon

I’m sharing today at:

Knick of Time Tuesdays @ Knick of Time Interiors

Sometimes I do a little soul searching to ask myself, “why?” do I want my blog to grow.  The answer that I always come up with is this:  I love to write and I want to feel like I am writing for someone other than myself.

Also, I love the sense of community that comes from having readers and blog friends.  And, the comments and feedback that I get from my readers not only builds relationships, and I get a charge from being with people, but it also goes a long way in encouraging me.

But the main reason that I want readers is that I feel a call on my life to encourage women in their daily lives.  As I get older, I realize that I can now be a bit of a mentor to my younger friends and an encourager to my peers.  Encouragement and Hospitality are my God given gifts.  If I can invite you into my world and encourage you in the process, then I feel like I’m exercising those gifts in an honorable way.

All of this to say, that Brent with his creation of Linky Followers and with his diligence in making sure wordpress bloggers can host linky parties, has helped me to continue and grow my vision.  So, in appreciation and with gratitude, I have joined in on the awesome linky followers party hop that started with Cheri at It’s So Very Cheri.

I cannot install the actual blog hop on here due to wordpress restrictions with javascript. But, here is the party button and a link to the party.

The party is happening here.

Until next time,

Sharon

This week, I had planned on talking about establishing traditions in your home.  And, when I had originally planned my series, I was going to discuss a topic  called “The Kids Are Alright” about providing structure in your home.  Well, as I have been mentally writing this post, the two topics seem to keep intermingling.  So, if it’s alright with you, I’m going to blend the topics together today.

As I kept thinking about traditions, I couldn’t help but be of the opinion that the reason people find so much comfort in tradition is the structure it provides.  It gives you a known, and we all love knowing what is going to happen next.  We are, by nature, comforted by predictability.

I think family traditions conjure up feelings of well-being and a sense of belonging.  Something we all long for.

I have to confess, that while I have been well-intentioned, I have not done a very good job of establishing annual traditions….you know…the ones centered around holidays and special occasions.

I wanted to have a tradition of setting up our Christmas tree on the day after Thanksgiving every year.  Well, then one year, I decided  I wanted to Christmas shop on the day after Thanksgiving.  Honey, after fighting the crowds and going from store to store all day long, there was no puttin’ up a tree in the same day.

Then the tree tradition turned into, the weekend after Thanksgiving.  And in more recent years, our tradtion has become “get the tree out of the box and set it up and look at it in its natural state for a few days”…maybe even longer…until, after being begged every day by my daughter, we finally decorate the tree.

 I’m not earning any nominations for Mom of the Year, am I?  

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Okay, so if I can’t get that right, maybe I can get all of the presents wrapped and under the tree by the first week of December.

Reality check…I start wrapping presents right before we walk out the door for whatever family party we’re attending.  And it ends up being Christmas Eve before my daughter’s presents are under the tree.

I’m takin’ a beating here.  I need to move on…

I’m sure most people think of traditions in the annual sense, but what about daily traditions? or weekly traditions?  I’ll tell ya a tradition that I insist on, and that is eating our dinner together around the table.  It doesn’t happen every night, but it does happen at least a few times a week.  We get to hear about each other’s day, find out what is going on in our teenage daughter’s world, guide her in her thoughts and decisions….that part of it ends up being kind of a natural devotional time as we try to help her see and apply God’s Word to her daily life.  Those moments are irreplaceable.

What about meal times in general…some of the things that you cook for your family that will always remind them of you when they’re older?  I think my daughter will always associate Chicken and Dumplings with her childhood.  It’s her favorite meal.

I gotta tell ya, my sisters, brother and I bonded over Mom’s cookin’.  She would cook things like beef tips and stroganoff, brussel sprouts, okra, greens…stuff no kid wants to eat.  The rule was, “you finish what’s on your plate or your gettin’ a spankin’” and Dad always followed through.  So, we encouraged each other to finish our dinner…even shared a few tricks for making it look like we ate more than we really did.  There may or may not have been food strategically hidden under the trash in the trash compactor…;)

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Would you consider family vacations a tradition of sorts?  I do.  When I was young, my family mostly vacationed in New Braunfels, TX.  So, it was a bit of a tradition to go there.

And my sister and I get together with our kids every summer to spend the day at the beach in Galveston.  The kids have come to expect it, and miss it if we skip a year.

Do you have a regular vacation spot?

 I’m even going to go so far as to say that daily routines offer a sense of tradition.  I remember coming home from school every afternoon to unwind to a little t.v. before homework time.   ABC used to run a feature called “million dollar movie” at 3:00 p.m.  and they would always have an Elvis week.  Loved Elvis week!  All four of us loved Elvis week.  We bonded over Elvis.

swoon

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I’ve carried that afternoon tradition of unwinding before homework time into my own home.  Even though it’s only 30 minutes, my daughter really looks forward to her down time in the afternoon.

When I was growing up, Saturdays were usually reserved for road trips to see grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  So much fun.  We never unwrapped our toilet paper casts off our arms so fast as when mom and dad would announce that we were going to see PawPaw, or Granny or Aunt Barbara…

Bedtime was 9:00 p.m. even when I was a senior in high school.  I thought it was so strict and a rule that came from my parents being “stuck in the ” ’50′s”, but it provided structure, a routine, and a sense of being well cared for—even if I didn’t realize it back then.

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Bedtime around here is 10:00 p.m, and now I get to play the role of unreasonable parent.

I’ll leave you with one last anecdote.

When my daughter was little, I insisted on getting to spend the majority of Christmas day in our own home.  Family could wait til the evening. It was more important to me that the three of us get to have a relaxing morning together and that Hannah have time to enjoy her new things.  I also wanted time to make a special breakfast without having to rush to prepare the dish that I bring to the family get together.

I’m sure family felt inconvenienced, but this was very important to me.  So, everyone obliged.

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Just this past Christmas, my SIL, who has a two -year- old and a baby under one, told me that now she totally understands why I used to insist on having Christmas morning in my own home.

I was very glad to know that it not only made sense to her, but that she wants it for her own home.  I have every intention of coming alongside her to support her next year.

I’ll be her advocate because this is precisely the point that I’m wanting to make today.    You might be considered strict.  You might be thought of as controlling.  Your kids may be resistant.   Your family may disapprove.   But you know what?   It’s okay.  Everyone, especially the kids, will be alright.  Whether you’re establishing annual traditions or setting a daily routine, you are providing something very necessary to your family’s well-being: structure.

My siblings and I all grown up and doing alright.

What routines and traditions do you have in your home?  I can’t wait to hear about them!

Until next week, when we talk about decorating your home,

Sharon

Please stop by and link up to this week’s Show & Tell party.  I’m celebrating my 10th party…the more the merrier!

I am linking up to:

Country Homemaker Hop @ My Simple Country Living

Cowgirl Up @ 1 party at 4 blogs: Cedar Hill Ranch, The Farmhouse Porch, The Ivy Cottage, and Craft Texas Girls

It’s A Woman Thing @ Cindy Adkin’s Whimsical Musings

Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop @ Katherine’s Corner