A Short Friendship Poem

Faithful Friend 

I want a warm and faithful friend, 

To cheer the adverse hour;

Who ne'er to flatter will descend, 

Nor bend the knee to power, - 

A friend to chide me when I'm wrong

My inmost soul to see;

And that my friendship prove as strong

For him as his for me. 

Poet - John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams, once wrote, "Could I have chosen my own genius and condition, I would have made myself a great poet."

 Although literary fame would escape the sixth president of the United States, throughout his life he was a serious reader and writer of poetry.

Home Sweet Home

We Celebrate!  Today marks the 15th Anniversary of being in our house, here in Walpole!!

For lunch, Christianna and Lydia made a special meal to celebrate.  Cranberry tip tops for the appetizer, fresh green salad, buttered finger potatoes, and herb crusted bake wild salmon...hmmm.  For a dessert(this was really special), chocolate mousse!!

We moved here to our home, on January 28, 1996 with seven young children.  Deborah was the baby, just five months old.  Within a couple of years we had two more daughters born to us in this very house. Over the years we have had many friends from near and far(Japan!! and the Ukraine!! just to name a few) to visit.  We've seen the children grow up, many have finished primary education at home. Courtships and weddings have taken place. Marriages have brought more people into our family. We  now have visits from grandchildren here in this house.

  Although our family is now quite different from the one that arrived here 15 years ago...each one of us makes the Pena Family.  Without each one...we would not be a family.  What a blessing to have a mom and dad with children under one roof in this house...but this house doesn't make it a home.  The people make the home.  The commitment, service, and love to each other, that is what makes us a family -that is what makes a house a home..

So this reminded me of 'the Church'.  As I grew up on Sundays we went to "church".  We had church on Sundays and Wednesdays.  But is that church??  

Over the years I learned that it is the believers that are the "Church" -- not the meeting place. So on the Lord's Day we go to the "meeting" to remember the Lord and the fellowship with the saints --who are the church.

  So when you look at it this way...it doesn't matter really where you meet...in a house, in a town office building, in a religious building...they are all buildings.  But we do meet with the Church -- the believers whom the Lord has ransomed and called out.  

As a house doesn't make us a family, the building doesn't make us a church.

 All though we celebrate our 15 years here in this house...it is the goodness of the Lord for his provisions here,  that we rejoice in!

  And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them... Acts 14:27

  

The Broadbent's

Eric and Amy

"When you live your life in the future you fail to see the hand of God in the present."...Mr. Broadbent

A Merry Heart

                                                                                           Sunday I took these pictures of a young lady at our meeting that has a "merry heart"!  Her countenance reflects the joy that is in her heart. It is such a pleasure to be around her as she brings joy to those she is with.  

Because Moriah had made the hat for Rachel, I snapped a picture for Moriah to keep.  But after loading these pictures on my computer, I thought about the genuine happiness displayed on her face.  It remind me of a few scriptures.

  

A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.  Proverbs 15:13a

  ...But he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast. Proverbs 15:15b

  A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. Proverbs 17:22a

Oh, that we would remember that the world (and Christians), is looking on our countenance...which should reflect the Joy of the Lord.

A Weekend Visit with the Bergeron's

Mr. Bergeron and Ben

Mrs. Bergeron

Jadyn and Hannah

What a blessing to have the Bergeron's visit for the weekend. Sledding, singing, talking, playing, eating, & worshiping filled our hours both day and night.

Candace and Jadyn

Trusting Jesus by Fanny Crosby

Simply trusting all the way,
Taking Jesus at His Word'
Simply trusting, when I pray,
Every promise of my Lord.

Trusting when my sky is bright,

Trusting when my heart is glad;

Trusting in the gloom of night,

When my every thought is sad.

Trusting when ’tis well with me,

Trusting whatsoe’er befall;

Trusting Jesus’ love for me,

Simply trusting, that is all. 

Simply trusting, simply trusting,

Trusting Jesus, that is all;

To the cross of Christ I cling;

Simply trusting, that is all.

Roberta and David Ross

Roberta, a very dear friend, has gone Home to Glory today!  Although we can rejoice that she is now free of pain and rejoicing with the Lord, we will miss her dearly! 

How We Are Known

“What you tolerate says a great deal about you. It identifies your loyalties and your love, and it classifies your nature clearly. Men are known, not only by their fruits, but also by their love and hate, their tolerance and intolerance.” – R.J. Rushdoony

Celebrate!

Today is National Popcorn Day!!

Pop Some Tonight!

Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Well...almost!

Ingredients:

2/3 Cup Raw Cashews

1/2 Cup + 1 Tablespoon gluten free oats

3/4 c of Raw Coconut Flour

1 tsp Sea salt

5-6 pitted medjool dates, chopped

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

5 Tablespoon pure maple syrup (or raw honey or Agave)

3-4 Tablespoons of dark cocao nibs or (mini dark chocolate chips)

1/3 Cup dark chocolate, melted, for dipping

Directions:

Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a non stick mat.  

In food processor, process the cashews and oats until a fine crumble.  

Add flour, salt, and dates...process until fine.

Add vanilla and maple syrup and process until mixture comes together in a ball.

Transfer to a large bowl and stir in Cocao nibs.  

Roll into balls and stick with toothpicks.

Put the in the freeze while you prepare the melting chocolate.

In a double boiler, melt 1/3 cup of dark chocolate in a small bowl.  Be careful not to burn and heat to just melted.

Roll each ball into the chocolate and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Freeze for 1 hour to set.  We make these and keep in tins for weeks-- in the freezer or refrigerator.

Makes about 30!!

Keziah was the cook for these yummy balls!

Family Portrait -- 2011

Most current picture ...especially for all you Floridians!

Since it has been so long since we have seen you,

  I thought I would remind you of the characters in our family!!!

From left to right:  The Dad(Steve), the Mom(Mandy),
 Keziah, Moriah, Deborah, Lydia, Christianna

If you want the details of this creative photo, look at Christianna's blog post.

Note:  All rights reserved!!

Special Evening!

We received an invitation for dinner on Thursday night! 

 I have to admit we haven't been to dinner with friends up in NH in a very long time...so this was a very special invitation. The invitation came from a young lady, Rachel, at our meeting that lives with her Grandparents in Claremont, NH.

Two other young ladies, Jessica and Julia, that we know, live at the farm with Rachel.  

They are special care givers for Rachel's grandparents.  

Grandpa and Grandma Haynes and Rachel 

The young ladies put on a beautiful dinner that seemed fit for a fine celebration!

...complete with a lovely dessert!

Then we spent time singing around the piano.  We had such a lovely evening. 

 Nothing deluxe...just friends being together --we really enjoyed our visit.  

Keziah, Christianna, Julia, Moriah, Deborah  sing

With Lydia on the piano, joined by Jessica, Christianna, Julia

Deborah and Moriah singing 

Grandpa Haynes

  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Colossians 3:14-17 

Serving as unto the Lord

A Bit of snowfall - 2 inches or so.

Driveway beautifully covered.

Problem..the 15 passenger van doesn't back up well on snow especially up hill.

We need to drive to the church meeting!

Servants of the Lord...

Lydia, Christianna, and Steve go out early Sunday morning to clear the drive for the van.

A special thanks for the willingness to go out in 10 degree weather just to serve your family!

 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24 

Quilts in Progress

This one is Deborah's. (She is 15 years old)  She has all the blocks made, now to sew them together. 

This one is Moriah's.( She is 13 years old)  She also has her blocks together...waiting to be put together for the quilt top.

Each girl picked out their own colors to make this Crazy 8's quilt.  Color scheme's are so different, just like the girls themselves.

Let it Snow!

Inside I have plenty of snowmen decorating our house...they can be warm without melting!

We sit out bowl out to collect a bit of snow for Snow Cream! Hmmm...(can you see the bowl under all the snow?)

Snow Cream

A bowl of Clean fresh snow

Whipping cream --whipped till just thickened

Sweetner: We use Maple syrup or Agava, you could use sugar

vanilla

Mix all together in the big bowl, serve in smaller bowls, then

Enjoy!

Our driveway after the plow came and we shoveled on the sides. 

 Isn't it beautiful. 

 Lord God said 

  While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. Genesis 8:22

Since winter shall not cease...it might as well be beautiful!  Thank you Lord!

Who Do We Murmur Against?

And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full;

which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.
Exodus 16:8

· He that condemns God’s ministers condemns God himself.
· When men murmur against others for doing what God commands, instead of blaming men only, they are in reality blaming God.
· Are you thankful for the good things that God is working in you, your spouse, and you children – even if things seem difficult?
· Are you willing to offer to God the “sacrifice of praise” and thank Him for the gift of the people in our house even if there are some things that you would like to change?
· When in a season of contentment and blessing, be thankful for that. It is easy to take the good for granted. Be thankful in every season, whether good or not-so-good.


I put this on our refrigerator this morning...to be a constant reminder to me.

Puzzles of Blessings

As a young girl growing up, my mom would set up a puzzle on the card table in the family room just before the holiday break...then we would work on it a little here and a little there until the puzzle was completed.  So like mother, like daughter --winter is for working puzzles!

  All these years that Steve and I have been married we have not just one puzzle to do during the winter, but often 3 or 4.  Well, after 32 years, one starts collecting more puzzles than will fit on the puzzle shelves!

Right after Thanksgiving I decided we had to reduce the amount of puzzles that were piling up.  Hmmm...we could give them to people that enjoyed working puzzles! So we made a list...with plenty of people on it.  But, we couldn't send the puzzles unless we knew ALL the pieces were in the box.  

That meant we had to work them -- all of them!

We started with the small ones...all the pieces were there -- so we mailed them out to the happy puzzle people!

Then we started on the harder ones.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five...1000 piece puzzles we worked All with missing pieces....into the woodstove.  Would we be able to give another one away this year?  We worked a couple more puzzles that we really like..but thought we would keep those. Like the puzzle of Tampa, with several missing pieces, --but my Hubby grew up there..so we will ignore the missing pieces.  Then there's the Answers In Genesis puzzle that we purchased at the Creation Museum last year...can't get of that one just yet. Then there's the Robert E. Lee puzzle we got at Gettysburg a few years ago. My Southern spirit won't let go of that one!-- The grandchildren will need to know their true roots!!

  So we are still putting puzzles together this winter, trying to find a few to bless others with!

So if you get a puzzle in the mail...just know that you are are neighbor...Love they neighbor!

So What Shall I do???

Quilt!

These colors are so wonderful together!  

Stay tuned to see the beautiful quilts that Deborah and Moriah are making!!! 

  And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Happy Six Months

Stephen is 6 months old today!!!!

It is wonderful to be a Grandma!

First Day -- A Blessing Day

Several years ago, we started a little tradition...First Day! First Day is a day to bless others...at least for us to shower others in the family...or that might be staying with us...blessings:

Little notes

Special breakfast

Special dessert

Small gift

Burdick's Chocolate!!!!

Special activity.

The "Special Blessings" are not big items...they are small.  I originally thought it was a good way to start off each month! A new month, a new beginning, a new adventure!  

Christianna and Lydia blessed me this First Day of the New Year with a delightful Kangaroo and her little Joey!  

With all the excitement of the Celebration the night before -- I completely forgot about First Day- but they didn't!  

I am truly blessed!

Love your Neighbor

I have been collecting snowmen over the years.  I have felted ones, hand painted ones, ceramic ones, cloth ones, small ones, large ones, inside ones, and outside on the deck ones..I have LOTS of snowmen!  Each year the girls try to build me a really nice REAL snowman outside. Each year they seem to have built them bigger and better!  Even others passing on our road have commented how wonderful they are!  They enjoying doing this...but they like to do it for their mom!

This year we have not had a real snowman(yet)...snow too dry...not enough wet snow.

I was out running errands the other day when the temperatures were in the low forty's, just high enough to be able to pack a good snowball!

Later after I had arrive home and began cooking dinner...I opened the freezer door and behold...

Three little snowmen  created by a 12 year old daughter who wanted to surprise me with real snowmen!  

Just lately I have been emphasizing to the girls  the importance of loving our neighbors.  The question I always ask is "Who is our neighbor?" We may not even know our neighbor, but we need to be ready to serve when we have opportunity -- looking for ways we can bless others.  

I was Keziah's neighbor that day...I was the one being blessed!

 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

 Matthew 22:37-40

My Hubby

Just a perfect Host and Farmer for the evening!! 

Celebrate!!!

   Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.  Psalms 128:1

New Year's Eve

Years ago we hosted a New Year's Eve Celebration for 3-4 years in a row.  We had between 80-120 people for the evening.  The evening started with an appetizer dinner,followed by skits, games, ice-skating, singing, conversations,  desserts, and a New Year's Eve devotional and prayer time(usually at midnight). But it has now been about 9 years since we have had a Celebration.  

This year the girls thought...Let's have a Celebration again!

So after Thanksgiving we began to plan:

*Invitations

*Games

*Food

*Activities

* Devotions

First, we just invited our church family.

But one week before the event:

Then Rebecca thought they would like to join us.

Then less than one week before the event:

Then Chris invited a friend of his(who is also our friend) and his sister.

Then a young family we know here in town came to mind so we invited them.

Then the night before the Celebration...while looking at Rebecca's wedding album...we saw someone we had not seen in several years...so we call and he said"Yes! I will come."

This year we have 26 precious souls Celebrate God's Goodness with us.    The evening was a blessing to all!

 Food

Jessica and Julia "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"

 Moira sings "In my Weakness"

 Jack plays and sings (Abigail Helps!!)

 Seth and Joel "Top Secret Penguin Project"

 Lydia, Moriah, Christianna, Deborah

Jesus Loves Me --a round

"Amazing Grace" to the tune of "When I read my Title Clear"

 Noah  on the guitar

There's a hole in the bucket, Dear Liza!

 Christine and Alan Chidester enjoy the entertainment!

 The Linder Family

Our Grandson.. Stephen -- what a cutie!

It is such a blessing to Celebrate with other Believers the wonderful works that the Lord has done.  

We ended our day with a fast game of Catch Phrase

Looking back on 2010 with thankfulness and looking forward to what the Lord will do in our lives this year!

  I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

 Psalms 104:33