Don't Quit - Never Ever Ever!

Happy Wednesday!
Are you ready to LEAP into Spring?

Things around Texas turned green weeks ago!   I have chickweed blooming everywhere, and now this
invasive weed called stick weed - so named because it sticks all over  you!   I don't know if it serves any purpose other than letting my dogs propagate it from one place to the other, because they come in from outside with it stuck all over their beards!  It's so funny to see!

I found this YouTube Video today, and it really encouraged me.  I hope it encourages you also!

Don't
Quit
EVER!





I will admit it...this time of year, every year, I get sort of discouraged. But I should not be for there is much potential to what I do. And what I dream of doing! So this year, I am not going to give into the discouragement, but just sit still, plan carefully, and keep plugging away!

Also, I am going to be retiring Cassia's Kitchen. That is why I have not written for a long time on here. Someone who I trusted told me Wordpress was way better, so I have been busy behind the scenes of my new blog. It will be called CassiaatHome.com So stay tuned!

So my friend, be encouraged this day! Discouragement gives way to hopelessness, and hopelessness to despair, and despair, well, we won't go there.

I love you, my friend.

Don't
Ever
Ever
EVER
Give
Up!

Peter Piper Picked a Peck of.....

Y'all know how we Texans love our gardens, right?   Well, I love me some peppers, but this year, my banana pepper plants yeilded a total of......drum roll......one (1) yes, #1 pepper!     

Sweet Banana Peppers

You may know that peppers of all kinds are one of the highest forms of Vitamin C around! An excellent way to spice up soups, curries, and sauces, green chillies provide the most vitamin C than any other food with 242.5mg (404% RDA) per 100 gram serving, 181.88mg (303% RDA) in a half cup chopped, and 109.13mg (182% RDA) in a single green chili pepper. Red chillies provide 144mg (240% RDA) of vitamin C per 100g serving, 108mg (180% RDA) per half cup chopped, and 65mg (108% RDA) per pepper.

A friend of mine came over with a big box of these beauties, and I was jumping for joy!~

Honestly, the thing I like about  Subway Sandwiches the most, are those bright yellow green sliced banana peppers they put on their sandwiches. At the grocery store, these beauties cost around $3.50 for about a pint, so I decided to pickle me some peppers faster than you could say Peter Piper!

Here's what you need:  

• 1/2 lb banana pepper, seeded and sliced crossways into rings

Pickling Juice

• 2 cups white vinegar
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Directions:

1. 1
   Sterilize 2- 1/2 pint jars.
2. 2
   Bring the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and celery seed to a rolling boil.
3. 3
   Place peppers in the 1/2 pint jars.
4. 4
   Pour on the hot pickling juice and bring liquid to within 1/2" of the top.
5. 5
   Be sure the edge of the jar has no juice on it.
6. 6
   Place lids and screw on bands finger-tip tight.
7. 7
   Seal jar and leave for 2 weeks.
   
   
   
   
   I decided to water process mine, just well because. You can see from the size of these quarts, that it will take a family of 3 awhile to eat them all!  So I want to preserve them to use later.
   
   
   For more information about canning your harvest, check out Ball Canning Jars.
   
   
   Have you ever preserved your food?  What kinds of things do you can?

The Response USA 08/06/11

Many of  you that read this blog and my facebook know how excited I was about The Response USA which was held at Reliant Park in Houston last Saturday.   None of us who attended (approx 40,000 present, 1400 hundred churches live-streaming the event, and approx 150,000 personal online viewers!) were one shred disappointed.   It was a truly glorious occasion, and I believe a history maker!

The purpose of The Response was to obey God's instructions in 2 Chronicles 7:14, to weep over our sins, our nation's sins, our blood guilty hands, our immorality, our faithlessness, our prayerlessness, our economy, and to pray for our President, for jobs, for rain, and for revival.   Look at this precious man.  There was not one dry eye in the place.

My daughter Casey and I attended together, and after having gotten lost in Houston via some funky internet directions, we eventually got inside the stadium exactly 19 minutes before the event began.  I mean!  Chills, thrill,s tingling all up and down me while walking up the ramp to enter the building.   The presence of God was so strong that I immediately began alternately weeping and laughing out loud!   That is how awesome the glorious Presence of our Jesus is!   This is my friend Leah; she goes to my church.

If her face doesn't tell you enough, let me explain: the Bible expressly states that in His Presence is fullness of JOY!  Joy, unspeakable, and full of Glory!   Unspeakable joy!  I mean, who does not want JOY?  The Bible says that the Joy of the LORD is our very strength!

Here is her mom, Linda, who trained me to be prayer Captain over my home church.  I love Linda and just look at the joy on her face, as her prayers were, on that very day, answered to see an army of the Living God raised up to intercede until we see the return of our Lord and SAVIOR!   Yep, they are mom and daughter and I love each of them so much.

The whole weekend was just awesome.   On Friday I loaded up my Camry with my daughter, my best friend, her daughter, and my daughter's best friend, and we joined about 50 other silent siegers at the largest abortion clinic in the Western Hemisphere.   We are praying that God will move on our behalf to shut down this facility which is planted right in the heart of Houston's poorest of the poor.   They claim many "health services" but the largest "service" they provide is the murder of our most helpless of minorities, the unborn.  Sacrificed on the altar of money and convenience, America has killed over 52,000,000 million babies sine the edict of Rowe vs.Wade in the past 40+ years.   God is angry with us over this atrocity, and we act like it is nothing.

It's a peaceful protest and our main goal is to stand there, and pray, and let others know that we stand for LIFE!

For more information on this and other silent sieges, see the Bound 4 Life Website.

I wanted you to see some clips from our time on Saturday.   I hope you enjoy the videos!  I just don't have words to say what a wonderful time it was.  I do believe that God was so pleased, and that He heard from Heaven, and that He will turn the tide and heal our land.

Well, lovelies, now that this event is over, I need to get back to work!    I have almost

1/4 tons of fresh oils to begin making my Christmas Soaps!   

The first thing I will make is this since I am totally out of stock!

Rustique savon a la lavande francaise

Then after that, I need to make some more of this:



Cranberry Fig Cold Processed Soap

What do you think about The Response?   Yes, there were some angry people outside; about

100 people outside protesting at the approx 40,000 inside.   

My friend, this is a glorious day to be alive!   Jesus said, "Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His rightousness, and all these (other) things will be added to you!"  Matthew 6:33.   He said, "Do not fear, for I am going to prepare a place for you"! John 14   "In this world there will be tribulation, but be of good cheer; for I have overcome the world"  John 16.   

It is a day to seek the Lord.  To seek His face, and His favor.   To fear nothing but God, and hate nothing but sin.  It is a day to pray, and see God intervene in the affairs of men.   He has given US the earth, and He expects us to use His resources wisely.  He expects Kings to reverence Him; to honor Him. obey His laws, and to seek to reign righteouisly  over the people over whom He has given them authority.  Our duty is to Pray for them for wisdom, guildance, and divine fortitude.   

Soon, Jesus will return to establish His kingdom over all mankind.  There will be two kinds of people in two separate groups;  He mentioned them as "sheep" and as "goats".  The sheep hear His voice, obey Him and follow Him.   The goats go astray, and run around and disobey Him.   The sheep He gathers like wheat into the barn, but the goats he scatters like chaff which is burned up.   It is time to seek the Lord so that He can come and reign in righteousness.   

I love you, my friend.  Thank you for coming over for a visit today!

It a Cassia's Garden Giveaway!

Cassia's Garden Giveaway

So those of you that read my Facebook know that I had the honor of being featured on August 1 at Sonya's blog Kanelstrand Organic Living.

I am so pleased to meet awesome friends & fellow artists on the blogosphere, through Etsy and other handmade sites!  The mutual admiration and respect goes a long way in building relationships that hopefully will last a long time.  Sonya is a great blogger; only she is not so concerned with being a blogger that literally is only in it for the big bucks, with flashing whistles, lights, blinkies and other marketing approaches and endeavors.  What I see in her blog is an organic approach via a comprehensive plan to grow and expand her influence with content that delivers useful information, breathtaking beauty via her photography, her handmade organic beauty from Norway, and her giving back to the community through helping other young entrepreneurs opportunity to showcase their product.

When I get some spare mad money, I am getting this:  it's just too cute to pass up!

Organic Apple Cozy

 
I have sponsored her blog for three months, and she in turn is promoting a giveaway on her blog. Enter her contest and get a chance to "go shopping" on me!~ Yep, I personally would go on over there and enter today if I were you!~    Here are the contest rules.

Hurry now; the contest ends on August 10 in european time, so don't delay! You may enter up to 6 times!
Tweet, facebook, comment, away!

Then, go check out Cassia's Garden on Etsy.com and decide what you will get when YOU WIN!  It's easy to Heart my items; go to the upper right hand corner of the item listing under where the Price is, right next to the Green Add to Cart Symbol and click on the favorite.

That will bookmark your wish list for later shopping!

Hurry now, and don't miss out!   Hurry on over to Kanelstrand Organic Living today!

Response to a Nation in Crisis

crisis A crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point.An unstable situation, in political, social, economic or military affairs, especially one involving an impending abrupt change.

1. A sudden change in the course of a disease, usually at which the patient is expected to recover or die.
2. (psychology) A traumatic or stressful change in a person's life.
3. (drama) A point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved.

My friend, it is really late but I wanted to write to you from my heart tonight.   It is not  my desire to be harsh, or to be doom and gloom, but to speak candidly and with passion about something so near and dear to my heart.

It is not necessary to re-hash what any major network can tell you vividly what is befalling our nation and the nations of the earth at this present time. We have been called to prayer this Saturday for our nation and for the mighty hand of God to have mercy on us and to heal our land.  We believe the summons is serious, and we believe the time is NOW. I want YOU to join me!  I want you to have the joy of being involved in something so powerful!

I want to invite, no, in fact URGE you to watch this video, to follow the links, and to register for this meeting.  To join me and hundreds of thousands of other concerned Christian Americans to fast, seek the face of God on behalf of our nation.  Even if you live nowhere near Texas, you can still register online and view a simulcast of the even in live streaming just by clicking the links!


The Response Promo from The Response USA on Vimeo.


I am so glad that we have a God in Heaven who is looking person by person, city by city, church by church, state by state and nation by nation.  He is more than willing to hear the prayers of His children as they cry out to Him for mercy for our land, and to pray and repent of the atrocities that we have performed as a nation.  His desire is to be merciful to His creation, and to heal our land.  IF we will BUT PRAY....

 2 Chronicles 7:14 says this:
"When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer [made] in this place.

For  more information, please click the link below!   Thank you my friend!

The Response
http://theresponseusa.com/

Governor Rick Perry has called for a day of prayer for our nation. Churches from all over the nation will be gathering together in Houston at Reliant Stadium for a day of pray for our country.  This is an extremely important event. If the Governor is asking for us to come together and pray, he shouldn't have to wonder where all the Christians are.

You MUST register in order to come into the stadium. Registration is free. Register here: http://registration.afa.ne​t/

We believe that America is in a state of crisis. Not just politically, financially or morally, but because we are a nation that has not honored God in our successes or humbly called on Him in our struggles. According to the Bible, the answer to a nation in such crisis is to gather in humility and repentance and ask God to intervene. The Response will be a historic gathering of people from across the nation to pray and fast for America.

Peridot

The dog days of summer when you long again for the fresh green and coolness of early spring!  I love these greens, and I love the Peridot.  My baby sister Erin was born on August 10th and I want to bless her with something wonderful from Etsy.      What do you think I should get her?

The Lovely Lilac.....

Down here in Texas we don't have the lovely lilac that the North has. So what do we do? We improvise! If you have never smelled this ethereal fresh alluring lilac, have we got a treat for you!



Do YOU love LILAC?   Now that I am acquainted with the loveliness of this scent, I made a whole array of product in it!  I used the best fragrance that I could find that is phthalate free, and all the reviews I read said this is the most true to the real, blossoming, flower that graces the northern US!   Reminiscent of verandas of old, warm summer nights, and LOVE.  Lilac is a legendary fragrance, and those who are fortunate enough to live in climes where it flourishes know that there is nothing quite like the lilac bush when in full bloom.

Lilacs in Bloom Shea Butter Soap

Lilacs in Bloom Perfume Oil

Lilacs in Bloom Soy Candle

In other news, the next FIVE days are going to be really busy!   I've had lots of  orders!  YAY! Joe's daughter Robyn and  our granddaughter are coming to visit for a few days.   It's Faith's 7th  birthday and we are going to do it up big!   Then we have The Response USA with Governor Rick Perry and a silent siege at the largest abortion clinic in the western hemisphere.  So it will be hot and busy!   But I am super excited!   

I will be back in touch soon, lovies!  Thanks for visting today!  You just don't know how much it means to me!

Google + - Do You Need It?

I've been watching from afar my oft referred to friends, the techno-savvy-guru-geeky-in the know-digitized  very smart ones talking about Google +.  I mean that with all the reverence my little heart can muster.  If I call you a techno/savvy/guru/geek, please know that this is a term of Highest Designation and Affectionate Awe!  


Apparently...it's WHO you know, folks!

So I go on Google + and am informed that I am not eligible but will be informed when it's open to the public. #rejection. So I consider Who I can Grovel To to ask for an invite just to be cool. Finally! Last night my wonderful new friend Mary sent me an invite!  Wiping the sweat of rejection off my diminished ego, I shout "Yes!" to no one in particular and go on there.   First off, "Mary" is nowhere to be found and my inbox is indeed full of people who quite awhile ago had already invited me into their inner sanctums.

Alas, I am still working my way through SEO on my Shop and am nowhere near being finished with that!
So I go on there and discover that it is quite like facebook, which took me awhile to master but now my friends think I'm quite the guru myself. Ha!  It's all relative, folks!

So now we're dealing with "circles" and I can see how they might indeed be effective especially for privacy settings.   But I am not especially happy about my old Picasa photo account with all my ancient blog posts with dirty kitchens being aired.  So, we might have to hold off airing ourselves to all cyberspace and business networks until we can get tidied up just a tad.

Have you heard about Google Plus?  Will you use it?  If you aleady are, what do you think?  Should you switch over and work less  on Facebook?  How is it helping you to grow your business or blogging?

I would love to hear!

In other news, I had a new wholesale account inquiry buy a bunch of fall and Christmas samples from me, so I am hoping and praying it all pans out.   The lady has 3 stores that must be doing quite well, so that's good to hear!  And my Etsy Sales have picked up and I am recovering from my dismal feelings of obscurity, rejection and disheartenment.   It's just so hard to plan sometimes when you just. don't. know.

In other news, Don is trying to bust his blustery way into the Gulf with landfall tomorrow night.  We've been praying about that one.  No thank you, we will take the Rain Only but Hold the Hurricane Force Winds!

Next month will be very busy for me so it's time to get the kitchen all cleaned up and organized, and get our new fall schedule buttoned down!  

We still want to get out of town for a few days and are looking for a deal of some kind for us as a family.  We feel we need to get away for just a few days before school starts.  If you know of any deals, please be sure to holler!

Well, just a quickie post friends!  Wanted to get your take on the new Google Plus!

XO!

I just love the sound of the name of Cassia!   It's soft, feminine and appealing.   I just love that herbs, aromatherapy, and nature's plant essences are so good for us! It 's truly a delight to work in tandem with nature to create healthy alternatives to harsh chemical products.  I love working with plants, essential oils, natural vegetable oils chocked full of nutrients!  I found these beautiful videos of Cassia plants: I hope you enjoy these videos and learn something new! This one from India.




And this one from Tampa Florida!


Well, I have to go run make dinner.  Goodness; it's so late already!
Let me know if you enjoyed these videos!
Hugs to you, dear friend!

Orange You Glad?

I just love love LOVE fiery orange, especially when it is coupled with my favorite.....royal majestic Purple! Look at the talent of my fellow artisans on Etsy.    It's pretty fun to curate and love other artists, and making Treasuries is a way to spread around the love!

I've met some pretty cool and amazing people on there!

Oh, and speaking of Orange and Purple, did you know that my Lavande et Citrouelle Soap is a real hit?  Yep, it is.  Believe it or not, it is a combination of spiced pumpkin soap with real pumpkin puree in it, combined with a sweet spicy lavender fields fragrance and lavender essential oil.   My customers at the boutiques really love it!

Don't forget, we are still having our Christmas in July sale, where everything in my shop has been marked down 20% with no coupon necessary!   It's a great time to stock up and save!   Local customers, just may get door to door service!   ; wink wink!

Providing exceptional customer service is just what we do!   And be sure to keep up with all that is happening in our studio/kitchen, by "liking" us on facebook!   Come on over and give you imput, suggestions, feedback or ideas!

Well, I just wanted to drop by and share this fiery and beautiful Treasury with you!  I hope you had a splendid weekend, and a peaceful and restful sleep tonight!