We have probably all heard of the importance of rehydrating our body with electrolytes after sweating and strenuous activities in the heat. But instead of reaching for Gatorade or your canister of fancy electroltye powder, let’s take a look at a simple method for mineral and electrolyte intake! Have you heard of the benefits of Sole?(pronounced so-lay). Sole is simply a concentrated water/salt solution. It is water that has absorbed unrefined sea salt to its full capacity. By making a strong infusion of salt and water, it packs a punch of minerals like potassium, iodine, zinc, copper, mag ..read more

Guest post written by Jerald Rhodes i.e. my husband Have you ever pondered the crown of thorns that was placed on Jesus’ head on this day several thousand years ago? If you’re like me, you read it in the crucifixion story, make a mental note that it would’ve been painful, and then move on. Recently, I acquired a crown of thorns through the dispersal of my grandfather’s estate (the late Jonas N. Schrock) and decided to do a study into the crown of thorns that was placed on Jesus’ head at his trial. Following is a brief synopsis of what I discovered in that study (followed by the back story on ..read more

Gratefully, our family has been spared severe sickness this winter. When I hear of the flus and fevers ravaging other communities while we were hardly touched with illness, I feel blessed indeed! We are, however, coming down with fever. Spring fever that is. Dappling sunshine and 70ish temperatures beg us to be outdoors.   This weather has teased us with pleasantries of summer. With this sort of malady comes the mood for outdoor parties…. fire up the grill and bring on the sweet tea! But common sense tells us to “hold our horses“; I dare say we will have a cold snap or two yet. And s ..read more

This week marks the anniversary of our first date! Come along for the story…. How many of you caught your first glimpse of your future spouse at an international airport? And then boarded the same flight for the far north- The Last Frontier? That was Jerald’s experience.  I never saw him until baggage claim in Anchorage.  And I thought he looked a little fierce. I had never, in all my 23 years, ever saw such blonde eyebrows and eyelashes like this fellow had! In September of 2008, I flew with my parents to Anchorage, Alaska, with our final destination being at a small church in Ster ..read more

It’s January, folks! Who’s housecleaning and decluttering this month? Clutter free, restful  spaces are so worth the effort it takes to achieve them! In fact, if your house is cluttered, there’s a very good chance your life and brain are cluttered as well. You can read more about decluttering and minimalism here. Years ago, I was reading a book on organization. The writer brought out the point of how necessary it is to have margin in our spaces if we want things to be organized. This thought has always stuck with me. The dictionary defines margin as a spare amount or measure allowed ..read more

Some weeks ago, I was shopping in Hobby Lobby. This is one store that can rapidly bring on ‘needs’ that we were quite unaware we had before entering. The store also has a sly way of bringing on discontent, if we’re not careful. (Yes, discontent, not discount as my auto correct thought I wanted!) Although they have that as well, which tends to increase the ‘needs’! I wasn’t looking for much; I wanted to browse their Christmas decor and look for placemats  to make pillow covers for the couch. I was pleased to find some on sale with a touch of Christmas color. To transform from placemat ..read more

With the rapid approach of the biggest holiday of the year, how many thousands of people are spending millions of dollars on gift giving? Gift giving is not wrong. In fact, a giving heart is a character trait of God’s children. Giving gifts doesn’t automatically make one a Christian, but as God’s children, we will be giving people. Who doesn’t love kindhearted, generous people? Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17 Our heavenly Father loves to bestow His children with ..read more

Here’s to a quick post about the gluten-free cup-4-cup flour mix I have been using for quite some time. I use it in so many recipes because it can be replaced cup for cup for all purpose flour! How wonderful is that?! This recipe is not original with me, and I give credit to Tina Hershberger, author of two wonderful cook books, Simple Foods and Simple Cooking. She has very worthwhile information in her books, besides many simple, tasty recipes! I also like that she spells out the recipes in a simple manner. I despise complicated looking, mile long instructions or ingredient lists for recipes ..read more

It feels like the playful temperatures of Indian summer have indeed left us for the fierceness of winter. Still, the dreary, chilled days make it feel cozy inside with warmth of heat and the ambiance of candles. I’ve started burning my favorite Welsh Mountain Candles.  I love their clean wax and essential oil scents. My stomach ulcer has been flared up considerably the last 2 months. Anytime I have too much going on, it gets worse. My brain tells my body I can’t handle much stress. We have intentionally needed to cancel some events and plans to lighten things up for me. It feels rath ..read more

What better way to celebrate Fall than getting together to make fresh apple cider?! Last Friday night our church did just that. We  got together for a big evening of pressing apples. There were truckloads and many buckets filled with apples! The weather was crisp and clear, making it perfect for the event! There isn’t a recipe or scientific method for making the cider. Each family simply makes it a point to gather up apples the week leading up to the event. Many of us scavenge our neighborhoods gleaning from old neglected apple trees. There does seem to be an abundance of them around here ..read more