Hymn for Sunday

Does Jesus Care

Words by: Frank E. Graeff, 1860-1919
Music by: J. Lincoln Hall, 1866-1930

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth and song;
As the burdens press and the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?

O yes, He cares- I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when I've tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief I find no relief,
Tho' my tears flow all the night long?

O yes, He cares- I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when I've said "good-bye"
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks-
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?

O yes, He cares- I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

A Few Verses

I thought I would share a few verses that have encouraged me in my walk with the Lord. Each time I read them, a thirst to know the Lord and to praise Him for everything is put into my heart. May I truly thirst after Him ever single day...

Psalm 63:1-8
O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee: my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is:
To see Thy power and Thy glory, so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary.
Because They lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee.
Thus will I bless Thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in Thy name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness: and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips:
When I remember Thee upon my bed and meditate on Thee in the night watches.
Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy winds will I rejoice.
My soul followeth hard after Thee: Thy right hand upholdeth me.

A Delicious Dessert

It's at this time of year when the harvesting of fruit is at it's peak, that we get to implement some of our favorite fruit recipes. Recipes that refresh and bring back memories from the previous summers.
Fruit Pizza is one of these recipes. Found, we believe, in a Perennials magazine quite a few years ago, this is one our favorite ways to use up extra fruit that we may have. It's the perfect ending to a hot day and oh so refreshing with all of the fruit on it. Oh my mouth is watering for it as I type!!!
This is just to good to keep to myself.....

Crust:
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. lemon extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar; beat in egg and extracts. Combine flour, baking power, baking soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture. Beat well. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Press dough into a greased 12-in. or 14-in. pizza pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until a light golden brown. Cool completely.

Spread:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup whipped topping

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add whipped topping; mix well. Spread over crust. Add your choice of fruits; our favorites are strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, peaches, bananas', or anything else that we may have handy.

Glaze:
1/4 orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup hot water
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar

Combine glaze ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Brush over fruit. Store in the refrigerator.
Yield: 12-14 servings

Hymn for Sunday

Singing I Go

Words by: Eliza E. Hewitt, 1851-1920
Music by: William J. Kirkpatrick, 1838-1921

The trusting heart to Jesus clings,
Nor any ill forebodes,
But at the cross of Calv'ry sings,
Praise God for lifted loads!

Singing I go along life's road,
Praising the Lord, praising the Lord;
Sing I go along life's road,
For Jesus has lifted my load.

The passing days bring many care,
"Fear not," I hear Him say,
And when my fears are turned to prayers,
The burdens slip away.

Sing I go along life's road,
Praising the Lord, praising the Lord;
Singing I go along life's road,
For Jesus has lifted my load.

He tells me of my Father's love
And never slumb'ring eye;
My everlasting King above
Will all my needs supply.

Singing I go along life's road,
Praising the Lord, praising the Lord;
Singing I go along life's road,
For Jesus has lifted my load.

When to the throne of grace I flee,
I find the promise true,
The mighty arms upholding me
Will bear my burdens too.

Singing I go along life's road
Praising the Lord, praising the Lord;
Singing I go along life's road,
For Jesus has lifted my load.

For my Daddy..

Today is my Daddy's birthday!!!

I hope your day is a wonderful day, Daddy!!! I love you!

My Daddy is a terrific Daddy. He thinks things through and gives us advice based on what the Bible says. The Bible is his guidebook. That is what I really appreciate my Dad.

Summer Fun for a Little Boy- #2

Being the oldest of six children I have been able to watch Momma and she trains and brings up the younger children. This is especially true with Sawyer; he's twenty-one years younger than me, so I can actually remember what all Momma has done and things she's teaching him. This truly a opportunity I have, one that I greatly enjoy and appreciate! I'm learning for the future!

A Special Breakfast
One of the things Momma does with Sawyer is to create memories in the simplest way. A friend of the family, whom Sawyer really enjoys being with, brought him some Dunkin Donuts one day!!! This created the perfect memory making time for Momma!

"I Love Donuts Ashey!!"
She and Sawyer had breakfast in his room!!!! Oh how he enjoyed this treat!!! He really enjoyed eating the sprinkles off the donut before eating the bread part!!
A memory was made and a bond was formed.

Catching chicks...
One of Sawyer's favorite things to do these days, is to come into the chick pen and catch a chick!!! He's find a spot and sit oh so still while the chick sits quietly in his lap. After he has sat for a while, the chicks will begin to cluster around his feet and check him out! He thoroughly enjoys this!

Contemplating...

Country Boy!!!
Of course, the ultimate in summer fun for Sawyer is filling the stock tank!! He stands there and holds the hose or splashes it all over (including himself!) while the tank fills. He is becoming a big help and wanting to do all sorts of 'big boy' things now that he is able too!!

He's a very special blessing to our family!

Hymn for Sunday

Jesus, I am Resting, Resting

Words by: Jean S. Pigott, 1845- 1882
Music by: James Mountain, 1844- 1933

Jesus, I am resting, resting
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
And Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by Thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.

O how great Thy loving kindness,
Vaster broader than the sea!
O how marvelous Thy goodness,
Lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved,
Know what wealth of grace is Thine,
Know Thy certainty of promise,
And have made it mine.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,
Satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings
Meets, supplies its ev'ry need,
Compasseth me round with blessings:
This is love indeed!

Ever lift Thy face upon me
As I work and wait for Thee;
Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,
Earth's dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father's glory,
Sunshine of my Father's face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting,
Fill me with Thy grace.

Of the Garden and Chicks...

It's high time that I did an update on these two things. Allot has taken place in regards to the garden and the chicks... let me share some of it with you!

Gifts from a dear lady at church
I knew zucchini could get big, but the one on the left was a monster!!! Since there has been such a plethora of these fruits at church (one lady is giving them away), we've been enjoying them in stir fry, soups, and zucchini bread. They are really good!! Momma and I are already planning on growing one or two plants in next years garden!

Squash
The squash is also in production mode now which has been wonderful!!! I'm not sure which I enjoy more, squash or green beans. Anyhow, with so much squash on hand, we're trying our hand at blanching and then freezing it all. From what we've been told this is the best way to preserve it so we shall see how it goes with it. Ours usually gets a 'freezer/ rubbery' taste and feel to it...
Do any of y'all have suggestions as to how to preserve it?

Out in the watermelon patch...
Oh I can't tell you how thrilling it is to see watermelon growing out in the garden!!! I don't particularly enjoy this fruit (I know, I'm different!:o) but I sure do enjoy watching it grow! We have two varieties out there with one mound of each. I shall be interesting to see how much those eight plants produce!

Flowering okra..
We are growing an heirloom variety of okra that is purple in color... so far we haven't cut enough to eat, but we're slowly getting there. These plants like hot dry weather, so it will be the end of this month at the earliest before it starts producing in earnest. I think these flowers are very very pretty. Not exactly the kind of flower that I would expect to find on a vegetable plant.

A mass of vines...
My gourd plants are doing very very well and I'm tickled pink over them!!! It looks as though I have varieties one of which is kind of knobby and completely white... I do hope it changes color very soon!!!

Harvest
We've been harvesting cucumbers, green beans- which have petered out now, peppers and tomatoes in addition to the squash. Momma made up some pickles yesterday from our stash of cucumbers and the above picture was all that was left after her efforts. What is it about fresh vegetables from the garden that satisfies like nothing else can??

Rays of sunshine...
One plot of sunflowers is in FULL bloom and is absolutely beautiful!!! Their cheerful faces nod in the breeze and can be seen one when is walking towards the garden. Oh I love these flowers!!

The chicks have done some growing of their own since the last time I posted pictures of them...

A Speckled Sussex and a Barred Rock
They are right six weeks old now and are developing their personalities. The Barred Rocks are definitely the friendliest of the bunch and are always curious about what we're doing! The Sussex are becoming more curious and bold with each passing day; both breeds put up a fuss when we pick them up, but as soon as they are settled into our hands they quit peeping and enjoy the attention!

Australorpes
These birds are by far the skittish but we're working on that. For quite some time they have looked like adult 'baby sized buzzards(if that makes a lick of sense!) but have just recently begun to 'grow into' their bodies. They have some of the longest legs...

Staying busy
There is never a moment of no movement with the chicks. They are always busy doing something, unless they are sleeping. I love to sit out there and watch them scratch around, pick at the scraps that we through out for them (they love corn!), or chase the bugs that come flying through. I've had several jump and walk up my back or even jump into my lap! It's always a treat when they do that!

The garden and the chicks are two of the things that I spend time working in. Both things bring a sense of peace and purpose with them. I love living out here!

Summer Fun for a Little Boy- #1

During a recent shopping trip, Momma decided to pick up a 'slip and slide' for Sawyer and as Saturday was a rather warm day, it was decided to show Sawyer how it worked!! Here are the results from it!

First time for everything
We discovered that our water pressure was not equal to what this slide required to make a person 'slip' down it. Daddy and Sayre had to push him down!! :o)

His smile says it all!

Sawyer sized waterworks
At the bottom of the slide was a pool of water that Ham-man enjoyed playing in. He really liked throwing water at me.

In mid-jump...

Finally...Success!!!
Daddy drug the other hose out to get some extra water going down the slide, and Sayre proceeded to push Sawyer down!! Ohhhhh how he loved landing in the pool at the bottom! :o)

This picture speaks for itself!

Splashing
We also got the pool out for him to enjoy! He was really wound up that afternoon; he was jumping into every puddle of water he could find even if it was just the little amount that had accumulated in the bottom of the pool as I filled it!!!

It was a delight to watch him play in the water! I can remember playing in pools and going down slip 'n slides as a kid and no summer was complete without either of these things. Water.... the main attracting for children each summer (well ok, so maybe children aren't the only ones who are attracted to it!! :o)

The Fourth of July

Here at the Castlebury's we tend to stick around home for the summer holidays. While we enjoy going places/events during this time of year, often times things come up (such as house projects that need finishing up or being to tired or getting to late for us to go anywhere; time has knack of getting away from us over here!!) This Saturday, the 4th., we were planning on doing something during the evening hours; a nearby town had a festival and fireworks and a neighboring church had a celebration as well. But something came up... I mean seriously came up. Tristan had plans to round the bull up and take him back to Mr. T's farm BUT, seeing as how we don't have corrals, gates, or anything necessary to load cattle into trailers, Daddy and the boys had to round the beast up by 'hand'. Rounding him up took all day, several tries, lots of patience, and nimble legs to get out of his way when he ran at you. By the time everyone got back home it was simply to late to do anything; I'm sure the boys have quite a few interesting memories though!!! :o)

Thankfully, Momma had planned a special Fourth of July lunch which was heartily enjoyed by all of us!!! I think this 'celebration' was more memorable than ones from past years! Here are a few reasons why...

The newlyweds
Just a year ago, Trevor and Thelma had just began courting and now, a year later, they've been married for three months!! WOW!! The time has flown by!
It's always fun when they stop in. Trevor brings goofy, thoughtful, and interesting conversation with him while Thelma brings practical (well, to us ladies anyway... we usually wind up talking about sewing, books, or anything related to the pursuits we're all involved in) and fun times with her!

Laughing at Trevor
We out under the Pecan Tree, which is out by my garden, with the 'skeeters and flies. The conversation was quite interesting and never lagged a bit!!!
I'm not sure what's going through Sawyer's mind at the moment... he was having a great time!

After the meal
The menu was 'steak done on the grill, boiled corn on the cob (YUMMM!), veggies from the garden, fruit pizza, sweet tea, and homemade ice cream'. It was delicious!

Pitching in to help
Collin was a huge help at getting everything toted outside as well as making sure we all had dessert! Of course it helped that he was hungry or ready for dessert!

Everyone pitching in or offering assistance made the day even more special. Our family was all together and enjoying each other to the fullest!

Brothers
As disgusting as this may sound, the conversation at the point this picture was taken, was in regards to the best way to put a chicken down. Yes, we have some very interesting meal time conversation! :o)

Having our family all together, the terrific conversations, the way everyone pitched in, and just being together made this years 4th of July a memorable one!

Hymn for Sunday

O Say, But I'm Glad

Words by: James Patrick Sullivan, 1876-1948
Music by: Mildred Sullivan Lacour, 1916-?

There is a song in my heart today,
Something I never had;
Jesus has taken my sins away,
O say but I'm glad!

O say, but I'm glad, I'm glad,
O say, but I'm glad!
Jesus has come and my cup's over-run,
O say, but I'm glad!

Wonderful, marvelous love He brings,
Into a heart that's sad;
Through darkest tunnels the soul can sing,
O say, but I'm glad!

O say, but I'm glad, I'm glad,
O say, but I'm glad!
Jesus has come and my cup's over-run,
O say, but I'm glad!

Won't you come to Him with all your care,
Weary, and worn and sad?
You, too, will sing as His love you share,
O say, but I'm glad!

O say, but I'm glad, I'm glad,
O say, but I'm glad!
Jesus has come and my cup's over-run,
O say, but I'm glad!

I've Been Tagged...

Earlier this week, I was tagged by Rebekah to post the sixth picture out of my sixth folder so here it is.

Trevor being ganged up on...
This was taken quite a while back but I really enjoyed seeing how Thelma and Sayre are making it possible for Sawyer to tickle Trevor! They all ganged up on him and it was a sight, not to mention a noise, to behold!!!

There you have it; the sixth picture from my sixth folder. Hmmm... I now tag... anyone who wants to do it!! Just leave me a comment if you do!