Africa??

So I know a lot of you on here are my friends and strong Christians, so I just wanted to share my thinking on something that God has been dealing with me about. About four or five months ago the idea of "I should go to Africa kept popping into my mind. Well I can be completely honest with you and say that this is NOT something that has ever crossed my mind as something that I would ever do, because, well mostly the reason is that I have a fear of flying. I'll admit it, and some people probably think that's an absolutely ridiculous fear to have, but since I was a little kid and had a bad experience in a small plane, it's just not something I ever thought I would do again in my lifetime. So When the thought popped into my head, the first thing I thought of was that I must be going crazy, and the next thing that popped into my head was that song by Scott Wesley Brown that says, "Please don't send me to Africa...I don't think I got what it takes..."

Well then the first of January came around and a friend of mine whom I'd lost contact with for awhile, found me on Facebook again, and started talking to me! I was so excited because Watulo and her family, and the orphanage where she cares for the children and teaches them school, consider me their American family, and we use Messenger on FB to talk, call each other, and video chat, where I can even talk with the children and watch them dance, play, and do their schoolwork! I love being able to talk face to face with Watulo and the children!!

I have been in a quandary over this because this is NOT like me to want to go too far without my husband or one of my kids with me, the thought of flying is truly beyond even explaining, but I have even checked into shots I would need, what a passport would require, and even looked into flights! Like I said, this is NOT like me, but God continually keeps bringing it to mind over, and over. I would stay 2 - 3 weeks and work in the orphanage. I don't have a clue why God would be bringing this up or even how on earth we could afford airfare!! And on top of it, I feel I want to take Sheyenne, our 13-year-old, with me, because she has seen some of the children over Messanger, and has a penpal at the village there that she writes to. What an amazing experience that would be!! But 2 days, and 35 hours flying time?!?! Me? Go to Uganda, Africa? I wish I could just be there now with them! Just skip the flying part and all...But daily I want to go there more and more!! The airfare?? Where would we get that kind of money? If God wants us to go, then somehow, HE will have to provide, as this is a dream of a lifetime!! ME? Go to AFRICA? How Lord? It will HAVE to be through God's provision!!

As Watulo said, "I know God will provide, He is the Alpha and Omega, He knows you are traveling for a good cause and to serve Him. ...He will provide, nothing is difficult in God's presence."

But ME????  Would God really send someone like ME??

                    My sister in Africa & some of the children.

                                   I already love them all!!

For a non-profit charitable donation, go to:
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(Reference - godshandsdaycare.blogspot.com)

Spiritual Gifts Inventory Test

Have you recently done a Spiritual Gifts Inventory Test? If not, you really ought to. God gives us each our own gifts, to each and everyone of us. Has yours changed, grown, developed even deeper, or do you even know what YOUR very own gift is?? If not, you really should do so? 
Go to: http://giftstest.com/test

I got my top 5 in this order - 

1) Pastor/Shepherd
2) Exhortation
3) Mercy
4) Service
5) Discernment

I know what these each are, except the exact meaning of Exhortation.  So, I got out my book, "Discover Your God-Given GIFTS," by Don & Katie Fortune.  I looked up the Characteristics of the Exhorter.  It says, "that the teacher aims for your head, while the exhorter aims for your heart.  It is not so much the content that the exhorter wants to impart as that content can be made effective in peoples' lives. 

Everyone of the gifts can teach, but the exhorter makes the most interesting and palatable teacher.  All of his gifts are geared toward edifying and encouraging other people. We could have called this person the encourager.  In fact, the Greek word paraklesis means a calling to one's side to aid denoting both exhortation and encouragement.

The exhorter wants everyone to have a full, meaningful life.  Exhorters are builders, not of buildings, but of people.  They want to help people live up to their full potential.  Their greatest joy is being an instrument to help another live victoriously."

The expressions on people's faces, listening for reactions, and analyzes body language to know that he's really communicating, and that this person is listening and valuing the input of the exhorter.  

So this is what I found out, in short, of what an Exhorter is.  I plan to keep researching it, and reading all scripture related to my five highest Spiritual gifts.  Who knows, maybe this has something to do with the New Year...2017?!      

Teaching Parents to Teach Their Children Charlotte Mason Writing

The class I wrote for parents wanting to learn about Charlotte Mason writing to, so they can now teach their children, is published!!

https://schoolhouseteachers.com/2016/07/learning-to-write-with-the-charlotte-mason-method/

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

I am so excited to see one of my articles in an actual magazine!!  Please, take time to read it, and enjoy this beautiful magazine!!

http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine-digital.com/thehomeschoolmagazine/2016x3/MobilePagedReplica.action?pg=50#pg50.

I have one of my articles on page 47 - 48!!

An Oily Adventure

I am on a new adventure!  Not new to thousands of people, but new to me.  Really, it is out of necessity for my family, as with our high deductible ($6000.00 person), starting from June 1st to June 1st, we have only met our deductible 4 times in the 28 years that my husband has been working at his job in 28 years.  At any rate, I have begun researching Essential Oils.  I have researched myself silly into confusion in fact!  There are so many Essential Oil Companies out there, and finding the ones that are legitimate, certified therapeutic, organic ones out there.  And if they don't follow those guidelines, as well as only contained in dark bottles, then they are cheap, artificial knockoffs.  There are hundreds of them out there, but if you don't find the true ones, you won't have the true beneficial benefits the "real" essential oils that God provided us through the flowers, plants and trees He provided us as natural
medicines.

Did you know that there are over 300 references in the Bible about essential oils?  Frankincense and Myrrh are two of the most popular ones that were used for many, many years.  Just think, did they open their medicine cabinets and pull out prescription medicines, or did they pull out essential oils from the plants and flowers around them?

So while on this journey, I really desire to put together as much information about essential oils as I can, and pray that God will guide me to the best, purest ones that HE would have me use for my friends and family.  So if you will, pray with me so that I am able to find and make only God's best essential medicines and creams and butters that HE would have me make.