Tempt My Tummy Tuesday!!! Fudge Brownie & Cookie Dough Cake

Fudge Brownie & Cookie Dough Cake from Rasperri Cupcakes!!!

This looks so scrumptious!!! I might have to make this one day soon :)

Check out more Tempting Recipes at Blessed With Grace!!

A Prayer Acronym

Prayer is communicating with God. Quite simply, prayer is speaking to God, just like you would to your closest friends.

God wants us to spend time with Him. We just need to respond.

Even the disciples asked Jesus how to pray! And this is how He responded!

This gives us a framework for what to pray about - To address our father, pray for God's will, to present your requests, Glorify God,  Ask for forgiveness, Ask for protection. God cares about the BIG things and the small things!

 

Pray in belief and faith for ALL things! Pray from your heart. Pray humbly. Pray alone and pray with others.

Be persistent in prayer, pray with confidence, approach His throne of grace.

Prayer doesn't need to be complicated, just pray simply from your heart! Be authentic...pray how you are feeling, pray in the Spirit.

Pray before all that you do! Pray as you wake, before school, going out or important meeting, pray before meals...there are many! Pray 1st!

End prayer with In Jesus Name! There is power in ending your prayer as Jesus instructed.

Yesterday at church they shared this acronym of prayer and it really was encouraging to me, so I wanted to share it :)

Prayer Acronym

Praise God (eyes off self and onto God)

Repent (sorry)

Ask

Yield (letting go and surrendering to God's will)

Enjoy God (listen, explore, Stop)

Respond (Thanks for direction, enjoy His presence)

If you have never committed your life to Christ or would like to renew your relationship with Him, you can say this prayer below to Him now, from your heart.

I would encourage you to connect in with a local Christian Church so they can encourage you in your walk with God.

God Bless You 

Anne

As For Me and My House We Will Serve The Lord...

Last week God placed on my heart a need to be focused on the role that he has placed me in...

Joshua 24: 15

Where is your heart? Where is your daily focus? Who do you serve?

God has shown me that my focus needed to be redirected. So what was I serving? Facebook, friends, internet, my oven, busyness!!!??? In fact all of these!

God showed me that all of the above and more had distracted me from serving Him through my family. He has set me as Daughter of the King, Wife to Derek and Mother to 4 beautiful children. But where was my focus?

I wasn't seeking God enough about challenges in my roles. I was seeking my friends opinions or Christian blogs for direction. And yes, God can use these but I wasn't spending enough time reading God's word and spending quality time with my King. He is the source of all life and all power. He knows the best way forward. He is perfect!

I have been spending more time researching ways to teach my kids about God, then actually doing it!  I have been distracted by the busyness of life, tasks that need completing, using the computer to tune out from my home, kids, demands of life! Can you relate? Lots of great intentions but little action!

God showed me that I should switch off the computer. It shouldn't be the centre of our lives! God should be!   

And I have to tell you it made a huge difference in my day. I learned to refocus on my kids and their needs (putting them before the computer!). I realised that I needed to implement some organisation into our lives (still working on this) - have a firm plan for the week, house work, school etc.. This way life runs more smoothly and we have a goal to achieve. This way there is more time to love God and love those around you. We are not caught up in the chaos of what next! Or  it becomes too much, so we run to tune out on Facebook! And the kids really notice when mum is present in their lives.

What we put first really shows where our hearts are. Do we run to God in crisis? Or do we run to our friends first? Do we awake to a new day and think first of God? Or do we run to the computer, breakfast or other things? Do we thank God for our food first before eating? How else can we put God first in our days, our lives? We need to put God where he truly belongs.

Another strategy God pointed out was that my role at home needs to be my priority before anything else. He has placed a husband in my care to come alongside of as his helpmeet. God has placed 4 children in my care to raise to serve Him. I need to honour God through how I relate at home with my family.

But it is so easy to overfill your day, put off your responsibilities in preference to the busyness of life outside of the home. God pointed out that I should not overfill my days. That I should not rush through my days but focus on what is in front of me. He showed me that I need to seek Him and His direction each day. It is so easy in the busyness of life to forget to give God our days and seek His direction. Sometimes we are so busy and over committed that when God places something on your heart, we are too busy to act in obedience to it! Instead we place it to the back of our minds to act on later. We need to leave our days in God's capable hands.

We need to seek God's guidance to build our families foundations on Him, to serve Him and shine as a light in this world for Him! We need to be present, organised and supportive in our families, to honour God in our roles as Wives and Mothers, not distracted by different media and busyness of life. Slow down, be present and available for God to work through you in your everydays!

Our Family Scripture:

Why I love Homeschooling...our week!!!

I really love homeschooling, not only do I get have to have heaps of quality time with my kids, I also get to watch all of their accomplishments and be a part of it!!

This week Avril and I started to read The Burgess Book of Animals. Whilst I read Avril coloured in her picture of a Cottontail Rabbit.

Then we had a snuggle as she told me all the interesting facts she had learned about Rabbits and Hares. During the week I had done my own research to find Australia's equivalent to the rabbit (yes, we do have rabbits, but they were introduced). I came across an animal called a Bilby.

We really enjoyed finding out more about this burrowing animal, who has a pouch and ears like a rabbit!

Bilby

Avril enjoyed showing me where the Bilby lives - here in Australia!

She then made a bilby mask.

She loved her bilby mask and we had to take turns burrowing. I also had to buy her from a pet shop and take her home :) I love that their learning becomes their play! They play out all the facts they are learning :)

Avril continues to work on her reading and she loves every accomplishment!! And I love being the one to lead on this path.

I love that learning at home is so relaxed...here is Adele enjoying the spring sunshine, whilst sitting on a trike, doing her maths :)

And the kids can be kids...no homework, so lots of time to play!!

And cook!!! The girls decided whilst reading Little House in The Big Woods, that making bread would be fun. It became even more fun when they decided to make marshmallow bread rolls!

And when they bit into their creations they were pleasantly surprised!!! Gooey marshmallows (just like toasting on a fire!).

We had lots of fun cooking this week!

Later in the week we made some more bread. This time the kids decided to make their own shaped rolls.

Even packing up was fun!

Josef continued with his treasure theme! This time we made binoculars to help us find the treasure. And when I was busy Josef and Avril decided to play find the treasure and lost Josef's bible for 3 days!

 I am sure you have heard the myth about unsocialised homeschooled kids! And it truly is a myth!!  Homeschooling allows for many different types of socialisation experiences.

We get to catch up with friends for a play and just enjoy them, not disturbed by a bell! And not limited to the same age group. They have lots of opportunities to serve in helping the younger ones, learning from the older ones and helping out the adults.

 Our family has been sharing Holy Communion at home and it has been a wonderful addition to our days, remembering what Christ has done for us.

 Another thing I love about Homeschooling is the relationship that is built between sister and brother.

 This week the homeschool community gathered for our annual sports day. Everyone joined in, mums, dads and toddlers!!

Adele and Avril gave every activity their best and had a great day! And they were pleased to also bring home some ribbons.

 Another thing I love about homeschool is that the kids can make some really close friends, from a wide variety of kids.

Josef spent the beginning of the carnival eating all of our strawberries!

 And then cheering on the racers..

 But then even Josef had his turn at racing!!

He also spent lots of time playing on the playground..

The boys making music with the batons!

Even I had a race!! Adele begged me to join in, so I kicked off my shoes and raced off in the mums race!

 Socialisation as a homeschool has not been an issue for us..

 Look at them all!!! All ages together!!! Enjoying their sports day!!


 But back to events...Long Jump!

And look at them as they wait for their turn..all playing gymnastics..

 The Sack race..

 The Three Legged Race..

 The mini hurdles..

 Right at the end of the day Josef decided it was time for his afternoon nap!

 Until he heard the announcement for the Mintie and spoon race!! Lollies!!!

Homeschooling sure is an adventure, an adventure I get to share with my family :)