Here in the Ozark’s, they say if you don’t like the weather…just wait five minutes. The other day a Cold-front swept through our town,dropping the temperature in an hour and a half, from about 58 degrees to about 32. We make sure to keep a watchful eye on the weather channel. If we know a storm is on it’s way, we head down to the market to stock up on food and other necessities just in case the highways become too icy to travel.The roads here are delightfully winding. They curve around old farms, with cows that snuggle together for warmth, penned in by rustic split-wood fences. The rollicking hills, with their take-your-breath-away storybook charm, always inspire me to praise and thank our Creator. Around each bend, boastful oak trees with centuries-old branches suspend a canopy overhead, offering a captivating skyward view for each season. But during a winter storm, the roads turn from enchanting to treacherous. So being prepared, is the best way of keeping your family safe and cozy at home. There is nothing quite like the feeling of being prepared for a storm. It’s a “good mom” feeling. To know that provisions have been made to keep your loved ones warm, fed, and protected is nurturing at it’s finest.
Proverbs 31, starting at verse 10, reveals the essence of the kind of woman we should strive to be. The kind of woman who is faithful, loving, exemplary, moral, wholesome, capable, intelligent, kind, and nurturing. She has a servants heart. She does not have an it’s-all-about-me mindset.

She does take care of herself though, she dreams her dreams, she loves to be creative and enjoys her life and she’s as cute as a cupcake, but not at the expense and neglect of her family.

Here are just a few things the Word of God says about the virtuous woman…”she’s up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day…she looks over a field and buys it, then with money she’s put aside, plants a garden…First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started…she senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day…she’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking…she’s quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to the poor…she doesn’t worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear…her clothes are well-made and elegant, and she always faces tomorrow with a smile…when she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly…her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise…” (Proverbs 31–the Message Translation—–and this is just part of the list!)

Well, this little ‘Ol Italian, pie-makin’, southern girl wanna-be, has a looooooong way to go to fit into Miss Proverbs 31’s cute shoes! But I’m trying!

Like today for instance, ever since the Holidays, my pantry has been a disaster…not a good thing when it’s out in the open for all to see. My motivation was the approaching storm. After clearing the clutter, discarding expired items, and wiping down shelves, I got my pantry all stocked up and organized for the winter season. It’s a mighty good feeling….in fact it makes me feel so good, that I go in there for no reason, other than, to see how clean it is now! I Love it! Now I can see what I’ve got, so I don’t go out and buy a fourth bottle of Ketchup!
So, if you need to come over to borrow a cup of sugar,

I’ve got it, and I can find it!

Plus the makings for soup… chili…

skillet baked spaghetti…

pancakes… cupcakes…

pie of course….

tuna sandwiches…blueberry muffins…

you know, emergency food…

just to name a few.

Getting my pantry prepared for the storm reminded me about preparing the pantry of my heart for the storms of life. When the icy winds of disappointment, discouragement and despair blow through our life, if we are not prepared spiritually and emotionally, they can really knock us down. We all face difficult times, in fact Jesus said “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Thankfully, we have our loving God and His wonderful promises to lean on:

“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you: He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid: do not be discouraged.” Deut. 31:8

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he shall direct your path.” Proverbs.3:5,6

“Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you. If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there. If you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.”
Psalm 34:17-18-The Message

I would like to share with you things that I do daily to stay prepared for what may come my way…so I can stand strong in the storm. Store them in the pantry of your heart:

• God’s Presence– Keep a moment by moment connection with Jesus… be aware of His presence… chat with Him throughout the day…thank Him for His goodness, mercy and grace. He loves you more than you could ever imagine!
• Prayer– throughout the day, release to God those concerns that are dear to your heart. Cover your family, and friends with prayer. Ask for wisdom. Spend time alone with Him daily.
• Promises- Read God’s Word…the Bible…highlight those scriptures that comfort your heart and give you strength. Hold onto those promises for dear life. By doing this you will receive wisdom, direction, and faith to trust God in all circumstances.
• Praise, Worship, Thanksgiving– Praise God for His awesomeness, and glory. Don’t focus on the storm, keep your eyes on the Lord, He is your rescuer and redeemer, He will carry you. He is not surprised by anything that comes your way. He’s got a plan for you. Thank Him for the wisdom, strength, and compassion you are going to gain, by having gone through it.
• Purity-strive to live an honorable life, obedient to God’s Word. As soon as you mess up, ask for forgiveness ( I pretty much have to do this daily), keep your slate clean. “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from God; your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2 Everyday I ask God to “search my heart” to see if there is anything that I am doing that displeases Him (Psalm 139:23-24).

So clear away the clutter of fear and doubt in your heart. Stock up on God’s Word by memorizing scripture (make 3×5 flashcards!) , listening to praise music, inspirational sermons….and then PRAY! Believe, Trust and Be Committed to do these things and you will receive God’s blessings.
I always tell myself:

• This Too Shall Pass!
• No matter what happens, I still get to go to Heaven! (because my heart belongs to Jesus)
• The Best is yet to come!

No one said the Christian life was going to be easy…but hey the benefits are out of this world!

“Keep company with God. Get in on the best.”

Psalm 37:4 The Message

Girls, you are in my prayers! I know alot of you (wherever you are) are facing hard times. Hang in there. The sunshine will warm your face again.

Warm Pie, Happy Home,

is all about giving your best

to those you love.

Thanks for stopping by for pie!

Hugs!

Ruthann

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On my last post I invited anyone to share one nurturing thing they could do to show their family how treasured they are. Here are those wonderful thoughts and ideas:

• Sparkling and Sweet Katie from Harrington House said “Something I have been working on lately is creating more meals at home, so that we are actually at home instead of out and about. Every afternoon, I email my husband the dinner menu for that day. Kinda silly, but we have fun with it! On another note…I got a new blanket for the bed…one that my husband has wanted for a long time (it’s one of those velour-type blankets – he loves ’em), so I am going to surprise him with that today! hehe :o)”
• Cute as a button Kim, said “Just wanted to share one of the small things I am doing to bless my family. My college sons are coming home today for a short visit. While I know they are enjoying living on their own, I also know that they miss home cooked meals. Sooo, I am setting a nice table , burning a fragrant candle, fixing their favorite dinner and to top it off I am making your “Dreamy Creamy Brown Sugar Crunch Apple Pie”. Can’t wait to taste it as it looks delicious!”
• Way too adorable Sandy, from 4 Reluctant Entertainers said “Last night we had a fun dinner party with great friends – even in the coldness of winter, it was warm and cozy in our home. Today there is no school so when my teen boys wake up, along with their 3 friends, I will make them my Mom’s traditional French toast :)Couldn’t agree with you more – about the family and importance of our home.
• Gorgeous Southern Belle Rhoda from Southern Hospitality shared “I totally agree too on creating homes of haven and keeping out the world from our nests. We have to work to do that these days & it’s not always easy. I admire other homemakers like myself who want to do that for God’s glory. I think cooking a meal every night is one way I keep the home fires burning. That’s important to my hubby and me.

Thank you girls for sharing! It’s interesting that one of the most significant ways we can bless our family is at the dinner table. In Time magazine it states “Studies show that the more often families eat together, the less likely kids are to smoke, drink, do drugs, get depressed, develop eating disorders and consider suicide, and more likely they are to do well in school, eat their vegetables, learn big words and know which fork to use.” Robin Fox, an anthropologist who teaches at Rutgers University in New Jersey, about the importance of the family meal ” If it were just about food, we would squirt it into their mouths with a tube. A meal is about civilizing children. It’s about teaching them to be a member of their culture.”

I believe the family meal is needed for relationships to bond, a connection to be made, a sense of belonging to be established. It is critical to remember though, in order to reap the benefits of dinner time, it needs to be pleasant and enjoyable, not only for good digestion but for a feeling of emotional safety and availability. It’s not the time to discipline the kids about their messy room. Use that time to praise your kids and talk about their day.

I do understand how hard it is in our busy life to get everyone together for a family meal, especially with kids in school activities ( football, soccer, dance, etc, trust me, I know from experience with 2 boys and 2 girls!) but it really needs to be a priority at least a few times a week if you want to preserve your family, even if that means cutting an activity out.

Up until three years ago, all of my kids were living at home, and we had dinner at the table at least four times a week. I remember my son J.J. told me, his friend asked him “Does your family have dinner together often?” and when J.J. told him yes, he said “wow, that must be nice.” His friend lived with his mom, but usually ate dinner by himself in front of the T.V.

It does not matter what meal you prepare…. hey, it could be a hot bowl of Campbell’s Soup and a BLT sandwich, just as long as you have a few nights a week to gather around the table and get to know your kids.

It’s Question and Answer Time!
Also, in my last post, I invited any question on any subject. Here are the answers!

1. What are the color of your walls? Burnt Almond-Home Depot-Behr Paint



2. Where do you find the little pies and written signs that you display on or near your little toy stove? The little pies are actually candles under the top of the pie and I got them at Hallmark a few years ago. I also found a cherry pie timer (not shown in this picture) on Ebay. The signs in my home are from craft shows. The apple pie sign on the stove I think is from Primatives By Kathy.
3. Is there any chance you will be sharing some Italian recipes? Yes, in a future post!
4. Will you be sharing pie recipes? Of course! Pie is what I do. Keep checking back!
5. What made you choose Missouri as your relocation destination?

It’s a bit of a long story so I will try to cut to the chase! Back in the early 1990’s we came to Branson Missouri on vacation and fell in love with it. I remember being at Silver Dollar City, an 1800’s theme park….it was a glorious autumn day, I was eating crisp apple slices with warm Carmel dip (food is always an important memory maker!)…under ancient trees blazing with fall color…bluegrass gospel music danced in the air…friendly folks cookin‘ up fried potatoes and onions in enormous black cast iron pans on an open campfire…it was a step back in time…and I looked at my husband and said “wouldn’t this be a wonderful place to raise our kids?” Little did I know that within a year we would be making plans to move there.

My husband and his dad built homes in California, but during that time period the housing market had gone flat. We were looking at the possibility of building in Southwest Missouri. But business plans changed one weekend when my husband and his father flew out to Branson to scope out some opportunities when I got the call from Gary…it went something like this…

“Hi hon, well, guess what we bought?”

“Ummm…matching Missouri sweatshirts?”

“Close! A Music Theater and a Motel.”

“You bought what???”

So began our adventures in show business!

For three years we lived in Branson and ran the Great American Wild Wild West Show, complete with singing and dancing cowboys and cowgirls …..and a horse named Buckshot. Then in the winter of 1998 I found out I was expecting baby #4 at 41 years of age, and the housing market was booming again in California. Gary’s dad encouraged us to move back to take advantage of the upswing in the market. It was a bittersweet decision, we loved Branson, but we also missed our extended families. We sold the Theater and moved back to Cali.

It turned out to be a God-Thing because Gary’s dad / best friend died of cancer three years later. He had three years working side by side with his father that he would have missed if we had stayed in Branson.

But the story does not end there…almost every year since we moved back, we would vacation during the 4th of July in Branson, and each time the beauty would take our breath away….trees were greener here….fireflies twinkled in the bushes….katydids and cicadas buzzed their summer song…. and the 1950’s small town feeling of this magical place, was so charming we would always say “and…..why aren’t we living here?”.

But the timing was not right until last summer. We had to wait until my three oldest kids graduated High School, got through College and get married. (J.J. is still in College, not married yet)

We built our home and one of my favorite things to do is sit on my rocking chair on the front porch during a warm summer evening watching the sunset, eating a slice of ice-cold lemon pie with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Can’t wait until summer!

Well, I hope I answered all of your questions! If I missed one, feel free to ask again!

Thanks for stopping by for pie!

Hugs,

Ruthann

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