Study, Study, Study

As of right now, if no one sees this post I will be completely content knowing that I just was able to express myself.

College is mainly what I've been up two in the last two years. I've already completed two semesters of college, working on my third, and only one more to go in the fall. After that I will be able to apply to Penn Valley for their Occupational Therapy Assistant program. Lord willing, I can be done by 2016.... if I can make it through Chemistry and Anatomy & Physiology.

Currently, I am taking Intro into Occupational Therapy, Chemistry 100, and History 120. Not getting the chemistry very well, but loving the other two subjects.

For a long time Occupational Therapy almost seemed like a faint dream. I didn't think I could go for it seeing as it looked like I would need to get vaccines. But the Lord does provide. All I need are religious exemptions from a doctor. In taking my Intro into Occupational Therapy I see exactly how perfect OT is for me. It is client-centered with an emphasis on quality of life, holistic, research-based, and focuses on providing the tools for independence in daily life activities.

I am, just by the strength of God alone, trusting in Him to provide whatever it is He has planned for me.  

This upcoming summer (2013) will be my seventh summer out at Camp Del-Haven. Apart from my church home, this is my second home. I've been so challenged in my walk with the Lord as I witness to inner city children about who God is. I love getting to know the kids, teaching them Scripture verses, playing in the pool with them, singing in the chapel, and explaining about how God is eternal, loving, just, merciful, and good, unlike us. I sure do miss those kids when they are gone.

Camp also blesses me at other times during the year. So many times I am not walking as I should with the Lord, and suddenly a line or two of "Read your Bible, pray every day, and you'll grow grow grow" will convict me that I need to seek Christ more each day. Almost every week I'll reflect back on the verses I had to memorize so I could teach the kids the verse, like Psalm 86:5 or Psalm 139.

In 2012 I began learning how to sew. I have currently made two petticoats for Missouri Town, and finished my longest project, a completely hand-sewn 107 row corded petticoat, seen below. After making one more petticoat, I should be ready to try my hand at making a fitted period-correct dress (unlike the one I am wearing). That is, when I have time apart from homework....zilch.

Due to school I missed one or two events out at Missouri Town, but keep researching every once in a while. But I'm itching to put my hair up, tighten the corset, make some switchel, and get near the fires at the Tavern to teach the public about life during the 1850's.  

Anything new this year? Got glasses...all that schoolwork killed my eyes. So glad God's eyes never wear out... "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry."

Stopped using shampoo and now use the "no poo" method of baking soda. Works well, saves money, and less water wasted.

What has God been teaching me?

      He has taught me that I cannot base my hope in any career, human being, hobby, activity, or adventure. It must all be rooted in Christ. J-O-Y does start with Jesus first. Recently I have got into a rut of not having my time with God, and I truly hate it. I just want to delve into Scripture, be alone with God, and let Him teach me who He is and what He's done for me. Only when I have had my time with God do I feel ready to start the day, or that the day was even worth something. I know that my hard work towards my school is God's will, but I'm never truly as happy as when I can be with Jesus.

Another lesson God has taught me is I have no strength of my own. My weakest effort is not good enough, but with God working through me I can understand chemistry. I can study for long hours. I can love those who are hard to love. I can see my own sin. All by the works of Christ I am saved, by the Holy Spirit can I see truth, and all by God I was planned to be one of the elect. Praise be to God, who works through my weaknesses.

 

In Christ alone,
Kendle


Trust and obey,
For there's no other way,
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.  

Lizzie Brown Photos

Just had to share some photos of Lizzie Brown:

Lizzie Brown, aged 17

"I had an unusually heavy suit of hair and no one had ever combed it but Maria when I was home."

A note written by Mamie: "Mama in a red cloth jacket embroidered in white, white shirred shirtwaist, jacket had a fan tail in back, $5 to Mrs. Jones for embroidering it. Taken at Harrisonville while at home on vacation from school in Independence."

With Aunt Aggie and John Glascosk. My dress is shirred on the shoulders, the style called "The Southern Girl." 1865

A First Time for Old Times

Hello....really old friend. Life has been a little busy the last few months.

The last photo blog I did showed pictures of our garden starts. All of those are huge plants now in white pots...except for the slow cilantro. The squash and beans have blossoms, the basil is huge, the raspberries have already fruited, there are two baby cucumbers, and we've picked three vine-ripened Roma tomatoes off our plants already.

We finished putting up concrete blocks for three raised bed gardens, filled them with wood chips, and have since three days ago planted tomatoes, basil, cucumber, watermelon and squash. Our raspberries and sweet potatoes have been in the ground near our beds for a week now.

Basil and Tomato plants

Watermelon

So exciting! After we put the plants in, we could just hear them going, "Ahhhh! Thank you!" Many of them were not producing fruit, leaves were turning odd colors and dying because of the lack of nitrogen in the soil they had already used up.

I am Lizzie Brown. 

One day an email popped into my mailbox, and my name was listed as a reenactor. Somehow, I got pulled into reading a letter this young lady wrote to her cousins about the raiding and battle of Harrisonville. After reading through the information on Lizzie that Mrs. Bohl gave me, I realized there was too much good stuff to pass up NOT telling. So, using Lizzie's very own words she wrote from a long reminiscences later in life, I managed to write up 12 minutes worth, memorize almost all of it, and gave my very first first-person impression ever this Saturday. 

Taking a rest in the woods

I feel like I am Lizzie Brown...so much in common. Loves playing piano, but the outdoors call her name. Loves spelling. Hates wearing ridiculous high fashion clothing, and would rather run in the wind. Doesn't like evil, murderous men (Kansas Redlegs) but still shows kindness & a loving attitude to them because that is the Christ-like thing to do. Confident in God for her nation's status, because He will judge all deeds in the body on the Day of Judgment. Keeps bees and makes everything by hand.

Blessings: a garden, a fun hobby, and Jesus Christ!

Finally got my corset a month or so ago...love it! The steel boning does not bend like the plastic did, and keeps my back feeling very good. Gives me the right lines for the period but now my bodice doesn't fit so well in the waist. The one thing I'm stuck on is Gram's sewing machine: all the bobbins and foots are gone along with the instruction manual. I've got muslin to learn to make petticoats with but if only the sewing machine had parts. Oy. At least out at Mo-Town I can borrow two pettis and look the width I want. 

Even though I don't look as period correct as I yearn to be, I'm making tiny baby-steps. Just yesterday when doing my hair for the impression, I was trying to figure out how to hide my growing-out bangs ends even better...and figured out how to do under-rolling! Ladies did this in the 1850's for side width and usually pinned a hair rat underneath for more poof.

In Christ, Kendle

"For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:11-12

Garden Start Photos

I'm finding I like photo blogs. Hope you do too.

Cabbage

Tiny Genovese Basil

Almost all our garden starts + some yummy Pantry Garden Herbs Sweet Basil

My cat Benjy

Did you notice the white, flaky dots on the plant leaves? It is called DE, which is short for diatomaceous earth. I don't know the details for it, but its a diatom from a tiny, microscopic organism. When an insect lands on the plant and ingests this, the DE literally rips up the insides of the bug and kills it. My late Grandma Laycock who lived up North in WI mixed this with her water and sprayed it on her plants....the bugs wouldn't go near her organic garden. They'd get a few inches away, and then leave. I saw it with my own eyes. All-natural herbicide and pesticide. Yes ma'am, yes sir you better believe it. :-)

We also use it to de-worm our chickens, help with illnesses, preventing chigger bites, and it's in our face wash and toothpaste. We also lightly dust all our cans, bags and buckets in our food pantry in the basement with DE. Keeps the bugs out of it and from burrowing into the bags & eating our food.

In Christ alone....who shed His blood on the cross for my sins, and rose up again from the dead victorious,
Kendle Laycock

"The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life." Proverbs 31:13-14