A Friendly Promotion

Suzanne Woods Fisher, one of my favorite authors, is gearing up to release a new book.

And not just a new book, but the first of a new series! Click below to watch a trailer about the book due to be released in January 2012.




Suzanne is the author of several Amish fiction books, including books from the Lancaster County Secrets: The Choice, The Waiting, and The Search.

She also recently released a book titled A Lancaster County Christmas.

If you haven't visited Suzanne's website, please do so by clicking {here}. If you like Amish fiction, you won't be disappointed!

Mama Has a New Toy!

WOW! A few days ago I saw that there was a HUGE deal on a FoodSaver product. The retail price was $69.99, and I was able to get it for $9.99 S/H. (Just so you know, as of this date, amazon.com has it available for $29.99.

I've always wanted a FoodSaver but had always put it off because of the price. Let's face it; in today's economy, every penny counts! For this stay-at-home homeschooling mom, I do as much canning, smart shopping, and freezing as I can. Freezer burn is something I deal with on a regular basis, since one can only manually force so much air out of a plastic zippered bag. When I got my box in the mail, I was so happy and itching to try it out. Thankfully, I'd stumbled onto a nice sale of chicken breasts this week, so I was able to try this puppy out today.

Here's what was inside my box:

There are two containers (which I probably won't frequently use because I prefer bags), two gallon sized bags (pictured left) and two quart sized containers (left), and of course the vacuumer (top right).

To use the product, you simply grasp the portion that is green, slowly bring it away from the base, and put the rounded portion on the circle on the bag, like so:

I love my new little gadget, and I just had to share it with you!!

I did not receive this item for free, and I am not being paid by FoodSaver to tell you about this product. My opinions are my own.

A Heartfelt Reminder

Last night I filled one side of my kitchen sink to soak and sanitize my dish drainer. While the sink was filling with hot, sudsy water, I busied myself with cleaning the counter and putting dishes in the dishwasher. When I walked over to the sink to shut off the water, I looked down and saw this:

If you can't see, the suds formed into a heart. I chuckled and asked my eldest son, who was in the next room if he wanted to see something neat. He walked into the kitchen and I told him to look down at the suds and tell me what he saw.

"It's a heart," Daniel responded. And then he said, "But it has a hole in it."
Indeed, it does. That troubled me. When we think of a heart, we think of a whole organ, pumping lifeblood into the rest of the body.

A few years ago, my doctor thought she detected a murmur and she sent me to have an echocardiogram done. The technician then thought she saw something abnormal and asked for the cardiologist to come in. He told me that it looked like I might have a hole in my heart. Fear crept in, and I was frightened. I sought out a heart specialist with an excellent reputation. The result was that I'd had a false positive; I had no hole in my heart whatsoever and was told that my heart was in great condition.

However, let's think about another hole--a void. What I'm talking about isn't a physical hole. It's that void, that missing puzzle piece, that part of your life that is not complete. Have you ever felt like something was missing in your life? Maybe you have a nice vehicle to drive, a home with all the things one might ever need, a decent-paying job, and family and friends to entertain you. But it's not enough.

It's not enough to know that you have what you need. It's not enough to know that your future looks promising. There's something in your life that is still missing. Even when things are going great, bills are paid, and your tummy is full, there's still a portion of your life that is incomplete. What is it?

If you can relate, you might be trying to fill that void with stuff. Girls, you know what I'm talking about--clothes, shoes, purses, makeup. You try to fill your life with stuff, or you eat, or you try to stay busy, or you go from guy to guy looking for that perfect love.

But you're still not happy. It's not enough, is it? You probably know where I'm going here, but stick with me. Yes, I'm one of those Jesus girls, and yes, I'm going to encourage you to be one, too. You see, your life is not going to be whole and complete without the love of Christ. God created us in His image. He created us because He wanted to be around us. He wanted to hang out with His creation in the Garden, to talk, to laugh. You were created for that purpose, whether you believe that or not. If you really think about it and are honest with yourself, you'll know that I'm right. You might think I'm wrong, and you might even tell me so. You don't need to convince me; you need to convince Him. "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." (John 6:35) If you call out to the Lord, He will fill that void; your soul will not hunger or thirst anymore.

Or maybe you know the Shepherd but have lost track of Him. Are you the one sheep out of the hundred who has strayed? (Luke 15:4-7) The scriptures tell us that His sheep know His voice. Maybe you've strayed far enough that His voice is inaudible now, and you feel lost. Maybe your praying has slackened and your Bible reading has slowed. Or maybe you feel that God has let you down and you've avoided Him. Communication with God is key to this relationship with Him. Just like any relationship, if you cut the ties, the relationship suffers. However, this is one relationship that we don't want to dampen. There is a way back to the fold! Just as David was the apple of God's eye (Psalms 17:8), he also sinned against God. His repentance (Psalm 51) brought about God's forgiveness, and God honored David (I Kings 14:8).


If you've fallen away from God, you know that you're experiencing a loss in your life. You're probably longing to feel that love again. There's a joy that God gives when we have that relationship with Him, that friendship. And when we're away from Him, that joy becomes dim. You know that your life is empty without Him. The material things of this world are not enough.

Don't waste a moment in turning to God, whether you know him or whether you've fallen away. Each day that is spent without Him is a day that is lost forever. And if you're not a Christian, you're putting yourself at risk for an eternity without joy. Don't delay. Today is the day of salvation; and for you who have lost your first love, today is the day of rejuvenation!

It’s Not Enough (click the link to go to the composer's site)

There was a Shulamite girl, loved a young shepherd boy. 
When the King’s call brought her to His throne
He said I’ll give you everything if you will give your love to me
What I offer your no other can afford
She said I love the shepherd boy he gives me so much joy
And your right he can’t afford all of your things
And even though my love is poor he still gives me so much more
Right now he wears no crown but He’s my King
It’s not enough---- It’s not enough
It’s not enough to trade away my shepherds love
When this worldly treasures gone he’ll still love me just as strong
When it comes to this worlds stuff It’s not enough
Just like the Shulamite there’s a Shepherd in my life
And the love He’s given me there’s so much joy
And though the world has often cried I’ll give you things that satisfy
The price I’d have to pay I can’t afford
If you had ever met the one who has captured my hearts love
Then you’d understand the reason I refuse
When a million years are gone He’ll still love me just as strong
You see I’ve won the prize that I just can’t lose
Written by Billy Fields

Book Giveaway

When I have 25 followers, I'll be doing a book giveaway!!

Nicknames

I've had several nicknames during my life, just like most people do. A nickname can be a shortened name, an adjective to describe someone, or simply a name derived from a moment in time.

When I was born, my fraternal grandfather nicknamed me Peanut, because I was little. He later gave all of his grandchildren a nickname, and it seemed like most of them fit my cousins quite well. My maternal grandfather nicknamed me Bo when, as a small child, I mispronounced "Papaw" and instead called him Peep. (Get it? Bo and Peep?)

When I was a little older, my aunt called me Jamerson Jones. I've no idea where that originally came from, but it was a play on my name Jami, and so it was.

When I was in high school, a few friends called me Jamles (pronounced Jay'mulls); once again, it was another play on my name.

A bookmark that a friend made for me.

Then a few years ago, there was a lady who worked in our local library who never could pronounce my name. My name is pronounced just like someone named Jamie or Jaime, but that lady could never make the connection. Instead, she pronounced my name like Jammy (like jam). After some of my friends knew that story, they changed the nickname to Jammers, and so now it's stuck.

Isn't it bizarre how nicknames come about? If you have a unique story about a nickname you've acquired (whether willingly or not!), please share!