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You are worth more than rubies

Published on March 28, 2017March 28, 2017 by Susie @ Pollywog's Place BlogLeave a comment

She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. –Proverbs 3:15

I am writing this for my beautiful daughters but it really could be directed to all of the women out there, young and old.

First and foremost, I want you to know how much I love you! I have loved you since before I even met you. I don’t want you to ever doubt that in any way. As your mother it is my responsibility to protect you and look out for you. Please don’t ever think that I am trying to be critical or trying to discourage you. I only want the best for you and if I say something about a guy you are interested in I am only being honest because I have learned some traits to look for and some traits to avoid. In the end I will be there for you no matter what and I want you to know that.

I want you to know how wonderful you are. Everything about you is perfect and I don’t want you to ever feel like it isn’t. How do I know that? Because God was your creator and He makes no mistakes. He has lovingly created you and He only wants the best for you because before you were my child you belonged, and still belong, to Him.

I know life is hard and especially when it come to the romance department it can be really tough. I want you to remember that you deserve the best in whoever your partner is. I want you to set your standards high because you don’t need to settle. You should never settle because God has someone in mind for you and that someone will not only meet those standards you set but he will exceed those standards. How do I know that? Because God has a plan for each of us. He loves us and truly only wants the best for us. He can do the impossible.

You deserve to be loved, but not just loved like the general idea of love, you deserve to be cherished. You deserve someone who is loyal and honest. You deserve someone who longs to be with you just as much as you long to be with them. You deserve someone who will look after your heart as they look after their own. If you will take your requests to God He will supply. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but according to His timing which is always right on time.

So for now I want you to take things slow. Learn to be patient and trust in the Lord. Develop your relationship with God because His love is the only perfect love. When you have a close relationship with God everything else will start to fall into place.

Use this time wisely. Ask God to help you and to show you the areas that need improvement. He is molding you and training you into the person He wants you to be. When we don’t give Him control then it makes this process so much more difficult.

Don’t just pray for yourself but pray for this future partner. You may not know him right now, you may live in different zip codes, or you may know him and not even think of him as ‘the one’. God knows who He is. Ask God to work in His life as He is working in your life. When you both are ready God will reveal him to you.

Don’t chase guys or waste time on guys who refuse to meet your standards because when God puts His plan into motion the right guy is gonna find you! I promise! I joked before that the guy for me would have to be driving the UPS or FedEx truck as I never went anywhere for anyone to find me. I was wrong. God put me where I needed to be and He will do the same for you.

Don’t let these guys tell you that your standards are too high! Don’t let them make excuses! Your standards are your standards and they have no right to judge them. This is just a sign that they are not the one for you. When you find the one God intends for you then you will be just what He was looking for, just as He will be just what you have been looking for.

Don’t settle because you think that you will be able to change them! That kind of change can only come from above. It is possible that the guy you like right now may be the guy God has chosen for you but it may be that God is not finished with him yet. God is working on the perfect man for you.

I may not be a relationship expert but I have made my fair share of mistakes when it comes to not waiting on God. I don’t want you to make those mistakes and deal with the heartache that goes along with them. Every heartbreak will leave a scar and will make it that much harder for you to love someone in the future.

I have faith that there is someone out there who is waiting for you. He has made his list and he knows what he is waiting for. You are worth the wait!

Daughters, you are beautiful, smart, funny, and wonderful. Anyone that thinks otherwise or puts you down is not someone you need to be with. Please remember that you are a daughter of the king and He wants what is best for you. If you trust in Him He will provide you with so much more than your heart can imagine.

I am praying for each of my children and their future/current spouses. Times are especially hard right now and it will be so much harder for our children to remain pure and to keep their focus on God.

Lord, I ask you today to watch over these young women. Show them how beautifully and wonderfully made they are. Lord, guard their hearts and keep them pure. Be with them as they wait on you and help them to develop the character traits that they will need for their roles as wives and mothers in the future.

Please watch over their future partners and protect them. Keep them pure, guard their hearts, and help them to keep their focus on You, Lord. Help these young men to develop the character traits that they will need to be the husbands and fathers they will need to be in the future.

Thank you for you mercy and grace on all of us. Amen!

Below are some links that young women and their parents can check out:

Traits of a Godly Wife

Having the Right Perspective When Praying for a Future Husband

Praying for Your Future Husband: Preparing Your Heart for His

How to use the Bible to Pray For Your Future (or Current) Spouse

6 Prayers For Finding A Godly Spouse

12 Ways to Pray for Your
Child’s Future Mate

Five Prayers for Your Daughter

Prayer for my daughter who seeks a relationship.

A prayer for my daughter to find a godly husband.

** Featured image is from Mr. Amari Soul on Facebook.

April Holidays

Published on March 28, 2017July 11, 2018 by Susie @ Pollywog's Place BlogLeave a comment

I will try to update this list with some fun activities as well. Feel free to click the links to find out more about the origins and meanings behind these special days. I plan to incorporate a few of these into our normal homeschool routine to add a little fun and excitement to our days. Have fun and maybe make up your own personal family holiday or tradition for the month!

This month is also know as:

National Humor Month
International Guitar Month
Keep America Beautiful Month
Lawn and Garden Month
National Kite Month
National Poetry Month
National Pecan Month
Stress Awareness Month
Sexual Assault Awareness Month

The weeks are known as:

Week 1 Library Week
Week 1 Read a Road Map Week.
Week 2 Garden Week
Week 3 Organize Your Files Week
Week 4 Administrative Assistants Week
Week 4 National Karaoke Week

(Links will be updated closer to the dates of each holiday.)

I found this list and more here:

April Fool’s Day (1st)

**see April Fool’s Day for more activities

National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day (2nd)

** be sure to check out Homeschool: April on Pinterest for some interesting recipes.

Caramel Popcorn Day (7th)

** see Microwave Caramel Popcorn for an easy recipe

Draw a Picture of a Bird Day (8th)

** how to draw a bird for kids on YouTube, also see my Pinterest board linked below.

Palm Sunday

**see Palm Sunday for more activities

Passover

**see Passover for more activities

National Siblings Day (10th)

**see National Siblings Day for more activities

Barbershop Quartet Day (11th)

**barbershop quartets for kids on YouTube

Good Friday (14th)

**see Good Friday for more activities

Easter (16th for 2017 but the date varies)

**see Easter for more activities

National Cheeseball Day (17th)

National High Five Day (3rd Thursday)

Look Alike Day (20th)

Earth Day (U.S.) (22nd)

**see Earth Day for more activities

National Jelly Bean Day (22nd)

National Zucchini Bread Day (23rd)

** see Zucchini Bread for a recipe

Pig in a Blanket Day (24th)

** see Pig in a Blanket for links to recipes

World Penguin Day (25th)

**see Penguin Awareness Day for more activities

National Pretzel Day (26th)

** see Easy Soft Pretzels for a recipe

Arbor Day (last Friday)

**see Arbor Day for more activities

National Honesty Day (30th)

**see Honesty for more activities

Also check out:

Homeschool: April on Pinterest

Smothered Pork Sandwiches

Published on March 27, 2017March 27, 2017 by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog1 Comment

My family loves this dish. The ‘gravy’ can also be used on burgers to make what we call a ‘smothered burger’. This dish can also be served over rice or noodles instead of in buns.

Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs pork loin, cut into thin strips
4 T.butter or margarine
4 T. oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 c. mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 – 2 c. beef broth
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. soy sauce
3 T. cornstarch
1/2 c. water
8 – 10 hoagie rolls, or hot dog buns

Directions:

Heat 2 T. butter and 2 T. oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook until starting to brown, add the mushrooms and cook 3-5 minutes more. Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat the remaining butter and oil in the same skillet. Add small portions of the pork and cook until done. Cook the remaining pork in batches. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the broth, mustard, and soy sauce in the same pan. Use the whisk to scrape up any little bits in the pan. Mix the cornstarch and water together and add to the pan. Heat until slightly thickened. Return the onions and mushrooms to the pan. Heat through.

Fill the buns with the pork and spoon the gravy mixture over the top.

-Or-

You can also add the meat to the gravy before serving.

Enjoy!

March 26 – April 1, 2017 Meal Plan

Published on March 24, 2017March 27, 2017 by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog1 Comment

This is our basic meal plan for the week. Sometimes we will switch the days around if I forgot to set something out or put something in the crock pot. Please feel free to use this or change it around to suit your family’s needs.

I have started trying to do easier meals on days that I have square dancing obligations. This helps me to be able to put a nice meal on the table without feeling guilty about having some much needed ‘Mommy Time’. Some of these meals may also help with those that have busy or irregular schedules due to work or extracurricular activities.

I do have ‘Snacks/Desserts’ listed as well. I always try to keep a bowl of fresh fruit out on the counter or table for the kids to snack on. Sometimes I will make a special snack or treat for us to enjoy.

Sunday

Breakfast:

Homemade Amish Cinnamon Rolls ** new recipe

Lunch:

soup, grilled cheese

Dinner:

Pintos, hoe cakes, greens

Snacks/Desserts:

Easy Apple Dumplings

Monday

Breakfast:

Cereal/Oatmeal

Lunch:

Tuna salad sandwiches, veggies

Dinner:

Sloppy Joes, French Fries, Cole Slaw

Snacks/Desserts:

root beer floats

Tuesday

Breakfast:

French Toast

Lunch:

hot dogs, fresh veggies

Dinner:

Breakfast for dinner

Snacks/Desserts:

Fruit

Wednesday

Breakfast:

Basic Muffins

Lunch:

PB & J Sandwiches, Fruit

Dinner:

Mississippi Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, veggies

Snacks/Desserts:

Muffins

Thursday

Breakfast:

Pancakes

Lunch:

leftovers

Dinner:

Crockpot Taco Soup, Rice, Chips

Snacks/Desserts:

Lazy Dazy Cookie Cake

Friday

Breakfast:

Cereal/Oatmeal

Lunch:

hot dogs, fresh veggies

Dinner:

Briarpatch Casserole, Salad, buttered bread

Snacks/Desserts:

popcorn

Saturday

Breakfast:

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread, eggs, fruit

Lunch:

egg salad sandwiches, veggies

Dinner:

Land Your Man Baked Beans, Cole Slaw, rolls

Snacks/Desserts:

Sopapillas

Waffle Day

Published on March 22, 2017March 21, 2017 by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog4 Comments

There are actually 2 calendar days to celebrate waffles. National Waffle Day is March 25th and International Waffle Day is August 24th. Click here to learn more about these holidays.

Listed below are some links to various waffle recipes. I have even included one for pecan waffles as March 25th is also Pecan Day.

My Pancakes recipe can also be used for Waffles.