Do Not Lose Heart ...

¹⁶Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4)

For my girls in the 6 a.m. club (and others that may find encouragement in this): This was in my Bible reading this morning. It encouraged me! This is a familiar passage to us all, I am sure, but I felt in my spirit that God spoke to me, to us, though it. We may not yet see an outward result from our commitment (other than tiredness, cranky children, etc.), but our obedience is making a difference. And no matter how we feel, our spirits are being renewed by spending time with Him and giving Him the priority each morning. His Word will not return void. So let us not lose heart. Let's fix our eyes on Him and believe an eternal work is going on.

Raisin Bran Muffins

I recently got a craving for muffins that my mom used to make using Raisin Bran cereal. This recipe makes 4 dozen muffins, but the batter can be stored in a tightly covered plastic container in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. I have not tried freezing the muffins, but I bet they would freeze with no problem.

Raisin Bran Muffins

15 oz Raisin Bran cereal
1 cup oil
4 eggs
1 qt buttermilk
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups sugar
5 cups flour
3 tsp baking soda
4 tsp baking powder

In a large mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients. Fill paper lined muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-16 minutes.

Clint doesn't like raisins so I picked out most of the raisins and substituted craisins and the muffins tasted great!

(Sorry no pics...I will try to remember to have the camera handy next time!)

Rejoice!

I received a text this morning from another member of the 6 o'clock club (I assume) and it said: "This is the day the Lord hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." My first thought was "what an encouragement" and secondly, thought with as much sarcasm as I could muster up at 6:10 am, was "wow, I bet today is going to be a great day!" Rather than rejoicing, my mind starting thinking about all of the things that could go wrong today that would test my faith and give me the opportunity to grumble or, if I was "holy" enough, to rejoice!

Rather than anticipate troubles, I am going to expect to have a great day!! If troubles do come along, then I will seek God for strength and peace, acknowledge that God is in control and REJOICE!

Just Plain 'Ole Vinegar ...

I love my bathroom sink. I think it's pretty. It makes our insanely small bathroom quite likable. It caught my eye when we bought our home ... it had a pretty base and fancy handles. Nothing like our duplex had! But about a year ago, I noticed hard water deposits growing around the base of the handles and in the corners. Water seems to sit there. And once it evaporates it leaves gunk. So, I kept putting up with it. Well, attempting to clean it off, actually. With Comet. Bleach. Soft Scrub. And numerous other cleaners. Nothing worked! I've mentioned to Eli several times that I needed to find something that would work. So last week I Googled it. Apparently there are products that should work, but most websites suggested trying vinegar. Go figure. I should have known! Since I had that readily available in my pantry, making it a cost-free alternative, I decided I would give it a go. And since Wednesday is my "bathroom cleaning" day each week, today was the day to see if good 'ole vinegar was to be my savior.

Starting out ... can you see that little ring around the faucet handle?

And look - there's more on the other side - yuck!

1. First I poured small amounts of vinegar around the handles and in the corners of the sink. And let it sit for about 10 minutes while I cleaned the shower and the toilet.

2. I then took my faithful "scrubbing purpose" toothbrush to the task once again. Right away I could see the deposits flaking off the sink.

3. The toothbrush scrubbed some more.

4. After I washed off the vinegar and gunk with plain water, I thoroughly cleaned the sink as usual with my trusty disinfectant cleaner (although I can't say that vinegar and bleach combine to create an alluring scent).

Look! No rings!

Okay, just look one more time. All white. Once again. I'm sold. And hello, why didn't I try this a long time ago! My sink now looks clean when it is clean. Sigh. You should try it.

6 a.m.

Hello 6 'o' clock.   My how dark you look through my squinty sleep filled eyes.

Welcome Ladies to the 1st day of the 6:00 a.m. club.  I trust that all of you made it out of bed and into the word at 'o' dark hundred this morning .  I know that all of us won't be able to post daily (myself included), but I was hoping that every once in a while we could write down triumphs, struggles or things that we are learning.

My triumph, this morning, is that I actually got out of bed after a rotten nights sleep!  My struggle (I can tell already) is going to be my attitude.  All awake, and no sleep, makes Jeni a GRUMPY girl.  I am trying to lay that down and remember that dying to my flesh is kinda the point, but I am addicted to my pillow and it's hard to let go.  What I'm learning...hmmm...that this cannot, and will not happen without the Lord.  And that His grace is all sufficient.

Also I encourage you guys to sign up here.  It's completely unnecessary, but I signed up and they already sent an e-mail, that I found to be really encouraging.

I'm going to try and pray for you each morning, starting tomorrow heh..heh.  If you have specific prayer requests feel free to e-mail or call me.

I love you guys and I am so excited that we are in this together!