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I have fallen in love with hummingbirds. I am mesmerized by their little motors~ I could sit and watch them for hours. This Spring we had so many it seemed they were at the feeder all day long. As the summer rolled along they became scarce ~ after all the flowers were in bloom. They had buffets all over the place. Well due to the drought conditions I think their well has run dry. They are frantically looking for food.

I like to create all I can from my well stocked pantry so today I am giving this Amish homemade Hummingbird  recipe a try. It cost pennies verses the store bought stuff. I will keep you updated just what my feathered birds on steroids think of it.

 I am hoping to enjoy them a bit longer before they migrate for the winter.


Hummingbird Food~
 3:1 Ratio

2 cups sugar
6 cups water
Red food color if you desire but not necessary. I kind of like the color.

Place sugar and water in a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 6 minutes. Watch and stir often so the syrup does not boil over. Remove from stove and let cool to room temperature. Add a few drops of food coloring if desired. Easy as 1-2-3.

This morning I woke up with some hurt in my heart. Sometimes you just can't share everything on a blog post for others to read but I know you know what I mean. At times we can only take our burdens to Jesus.

 Every day the reality is that we are focused on someone or something. It can be our work or chores as we remember Martha was in the Bible. She was a type-A person with an agenda. Or like me this morning~ maybe you woke up with some heavy burdens that you just can't share.  We all will be focused on something today. We can allow our thoughts to be consumed by troubles or trials.

Or~ today we could choose to be like Martha's sister~ Mary who was focused on sitting at the feet of Jesus.

 I am sick and tired of letting my focus be on the troubles and trials of this life.

 When I sit at the feet of Jesus and focus on all that He has done for me all those troubles and trials just fade into the background. The burdens are lifted and before long I have a song in my heart and joy in my step.

Only Jesus can bring balance to our life as we surrender our agenda and every priority to His plan. He can bring sweet peace even in the midst of trouble and trials.

We have a young man by the name of Jacob Yoder in our church. Our church has adopted him. He grew up Amish in an Old Order District. He and two of his brothers accepted Jesus as their Saviour and now are being shunned by their people.

 One of the brothers returned to the Amish due to the intense loneliness and pressure of the family. His name is Ananias and he still keeps in touch with his brothers.

 Jacob is faithful in church every service and is soaking up the Word of God as if it were a sponge. It is great fun to spend time with him and it is a joy watching him grow in the Lord.

Jacob's brother Samuel attends Bible College in Chicago. Last night he preached for us. I could sit and listen to his Pennsylvania Dutch forever. He apologized for not doing well with his words but I was mesmerized by his accent. I think he should be just who is is and not try to change at all. That is an Amish boy saved by grace.
Jacob once told me, " There are things about being Amish that I love. I will always be Amish in my heart." Yet~ accepting Jesus free gift of salvation is a forbidden thing in the eyes of his mother and father. He has accepted what Jesus did for him on the cross and that alone to get him to Heaven.


Jacob needs a job and is getting ready to start night classes to get his GED. It is so hard for them to live in the "fancy" world as the Amish would call it. They have so much red tape when leaving the Amish~ like getting a birth certificate, social security number and learning to drive. It is hard to learn to drive when you have never rode in a car much. So if you would ~ please add the Yoder brothers to your prayer list. This momma just wants to adopt them all.

I meant to snap a picture of them for this blog post but I did not get to them in time. They are  Amish in heart and still feel funny about getting their pictures taken.

I have a love for the Amish people. I always have. I admire how simple and hard working they are. I admire how they let the rest of the world zoom by at the speed of lightning. Yet ~ my heart is burdened because they think they must work their way to Heaven.

 I so enjoyed Samuel's message. I could still hear the simple~ to the point~ Amish way of thinking in Samuel's message. Now he preaches how simple it is to turn our whole lives over to God and accept his free gift of salvation.

Samuel brought a message about life. He used the book of Genesis as his text. He talked mostly about Joseph and how he did not know as a young boy just how hard~ and how lonely life was going to be. He went through some tough times.  It is not always God's will when horrible things happen in our life but God does allow it to filter through His hands for reasons our human minds can't fathom. Yet~ hearing this from a young Amish man who has had his entire family~ friends and community turn their back on him took on a whole new meaning for me.

He spoke about how life is real and life is full of decisions. That people try to force us into making decisions but it is our responsibility to make the right decisions as Joseph did. For we alone will face God with the decisions we make in life and the outcome of those decisions.

I can still hear his accent as he stated ~

"If only we would spend enough time with God each and every day until our hearts were softened, we would be a different people."

"There is never shame in getting right with God."

 Wow~ what a statement coming from him ~this means getting right with God makes him shameful in the eyes of his earthly father. Accepting Jesus has cost him a lot on this earth.

In his closing statement Samuel said this, "Everyone of us can turn a page and say my life is going to be different."

My soul was blessed beyond measure. I will be praying for Samuel Yoder because just like Joseph ~ I believe God has big plans for his life as he plans to reach his people.

I am in Corgi Love with Pippa Lou. Training is going great. I have stuck to my guns and stayed by the book. She is house breaking very well. She gets to run loose only when we can keep a constant eye on her. We let her run after each potty break for about an hour then she gets tied to her kennel in the kitchen where everyone seems to gather and play with her. That way if an accident should happen it will not be on carpet and an easy clean up. She truly has not had many accidents and is getting more freedom as we are beginning to trust her~ a little.  She has learned to go to the door and tell us now when she needs to go out. She is very smart~ I have to admit.

We keep her on a feeding schedule with a strict diet. Corgi dogs are a low maintenance dog. They are originally from England and are herding dogs. That is why they have such short ~ chunky legs. They tend to gain weight for this reason. So to protect Pippa's joints as she ages she will always have to be on a strict diet. That is so hard~ no human food. Once Brian snuck in a piece of bacon and he was in big trouble. It truly is hard not to want to treat her. We are spoiling and training her with healthy treats.


She is very spoiled and loves to herd just about anything. The cats and chickens are not real fond of her herding them . The cats have smacked her a time or two so she is learning to herd her toys. And momma is not letting her herd the chickens. Poor girls are scared to death!

Having a puppy takes a lot of work~ just like having a new baby in house. Just in case I am making it sound easy ~on the contrary. But the hard work~ 3:00 AM potty breaks and and consistency are beginning to pay off. Whew~ I am so thankful. This momma is worn out.

 This is my view this morning in Southern Missouri. It appears that I have brought the Washington rain home to Missouri. We so need it. So no complaining will you hear from me. However ~ I have a day of outlet mall shopping planned. I am getting my Easter basket shopping done.  It's going to be a very bad hair day~ they tend to make me grumpy. My Brian and I are enjoying a couple days away.

I am watching the rain and observing the ducks below my deck squabbling at each other. Then to stir things up a fat beaver shows up~ my he has been eating well. What a fun sight to see. I marvel at the Creation that God has created.


 As I sit here enjoying the rain I am reminding of a song I sang a long time ago.

When the wind begins to blow.

And they never, never cry

When the rain begins to fall.

Oh, it's wet and oh so cold, 

Soon the sun will shine again.

Then they'll smile unto the world, 

For their beauty to behold.

When the clouds begin to gather

And the wind begins to blow, 

Little flowers don't complain, 

Though they're tossing to and fro.

Oh, I guess they've learned the secret, 

They don't fret because they know, 

If it never, never rained, 

Then they'd never, never grow.

So, let it rain, let it rain, let it pour, 

Little trouble keep on knocking at my door, 

If we'll learn the right from wrong, 

It will help to make us strong.

Lord, please help us learn the secret, 

Even little flowers know, 

If it never, never rains

Then we'll never, never grow.

Yep~ it's true. If it never rained we would never~ never grow. Not only do the flowers need a little rain to grow but so do we. Love even takes a little rain to grow. When the rain stops and the sun shines again the grass is a little greener and the flowers start to bloom. So~ today I am praising God for the rain even if it means a bad hair day.

Hello Blog Friends~

Are you are as busy as I am? It seems like the hurrier I go the farther I get behind. That means we are alive and that is a very good thing. I am celebrating that today for sure.

Yesterday~ I woke up and drove my baby girl to Kansas City because we had been told by her doctor some scary could be cancer news. This momma has been stewing for a couple of weeks now. I have been praying and placing it in God's hands but the hot rocks have been churning in my inner being. I know all you mommas know what I am talking about.

 My Hannah has handled the deployment of her new husband like a true Military Wife. They have missed their first Thanksgiving, Christmas and soon to be their first Anniversary. Not once has this girl complained~ not once!

She knows the love of her life is in harm's way each and every day. Then to face this just seemed like to this momma that maybe God was asking too much. So I questioned and fussed with God. I know it is not right to question God ~ but I did it anyway!






I am not sure if you are having a sunshine and roses kind of day or you have hot rocks churning.  Either way~ I am here to tell you that God can and will help you handle life today. You just have to turn it all over to Him.

I would love to hear from you. If you have a prayer request ~ I would love to pray with you and for you.

Have a blessed day~

carrieshindorf@yahoo.com

 When I opened my mailbox and found this cute recipe book I was thrilled. Don't you just think it is an adorable book? Well the whole entire book is filled with bright pictures and illustrations that are easy to follow.

This book is full of recipes, crafts and ideas from the Six Sister's blog. These girls are sisters and love to cook and create. However~ their passion is not being a chief but making a homemade meal that brings everyone to the dinner table each evening.

The recipes are very affordable and down to earth but hearty. I can't wait to try some of them. The pictures are tempting for sure. I will be trying them all before you know it!

 The book contains crafts and ideas also. My favorite craft is staining mason jars~ they are adorable in Tiffany blue.

What an amazing book.  I give it a 5+ rating~  I love it!




The Six Sister's are putting out a challenge for families to eat dinner together at least four nights per week for four weeks.  Eating dinner together each day has always been a rule in our home and I am here to tell you it makes a difference in the well being of your family and it makes lots of memories.

The girls are also giving away two of these sweet books. You can go here to join the contest. Here is what you have to do to enter the contest.

Jewish Sweet Bread (Challah)
This bread is so delicious and so pretty because it is braided. It's not terribly hard to make, but takes a few hours because it has to rise twice. You can easily double the recipe and actually make 6 loaves by separating the dough into smaller parts. Also, the butter is very important. If you use unsalted butter, the flavor isn't as good.

1 pkg. yeast
1 1/4 c. warm water (as hot as you can comfortably touch it)
1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. oil
2 eggs
4 1/2 c. flour

Mix yeast, water, and sugar, set aside. Mix the other ingredients together, then add yeast mixture. Lay out on floured surface and knead 5 minutes. Put into greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise, double, punch down. Cut dough into 3 parts (there will actually be 6 parts because the recipe makes 2 loaves). Make 2 braids and let them rise on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 20 min. or until golden brown. Pour 1/2 cube of melted butter over bread before baking and 1/2 cube of melted butter just after baking.