THROUGH

 

What a CUTE picture!!!
This is my brother and I, circa 1957 or 1958.

I get to go visit him this week...haven't seen him in a very LONG time. Am just about beside myself. He's just moved to about 5 hours from here, to Colorado from WAY UP MONTANA WAY. Can't wait to lay eyes on him.
The kids have to work and cannot come. Pat's got a few more days off this week and is returning home from back East tomorrow. He and I will be traveling together. Almost left without him this weekend because I'm antsy and I can hit the road by myself ANYTIME!!

His name is Darel and stands about 6'5". Even though he towers above me, he'll always be my little brother! :)
About the time this picture was taken, he and I were flower girl and ring bearer in my Aunt Lottie and Uncle Jerry's wedding. When pictures that came back from the photographer Darel saw he and I standing side-by-side after the wedding -and began to cry saying "Sissy's bigger than me!!!" He has the same sweet heart he's always had.

I've always felt like I could shoulder about anything that comes my way, but I know that I'm not bigger than many situations that present themselves to me. The last TWO YEARS have tried to be overwhelming to me personally, and I'm thankful that God has reminded me that He's greater than it all, and that I'm GOING THROUGH THIS and will not be OVERCOME BY it. God has let us to know that we are to speak the same way HE DOES. He speaks those things that are not as though they are!!!!

There was a time a few years ago that I had my back against the wall with something else and while I was before the Lord He spoke some things to my heart and as He did, I penned them so they could encourage me whenever I would have need again, and they go like this:


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THROUGH

THE WORD FOR TODAY IS THROUGH

You are GOING THROUGH

What you are GOING THROUGH is not yours.

You are not stuck WITH it.

You are not stuck IN it.

You are GOING THROUGH.

While you are listening to all the whispers from hell, all the most convincing arguments to condemn you and lie to you I want you to remember that you are GOING THROUGH.

Even in Psalm 91 we're told that we are to dwell in the Secret Place of the Most High.

A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

No actual evil will befall you, BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING THROUGH.

Your eyes are not upon where your feet are.

Your eyes are up, while you are on the wings of eagles...you can look down knowing that just as you GO THROUGH a corridor and out the other side.

The tools of hell that would discourage you, and wear at you and bring you no hope, they lie. That's all they know to do.

YOU ARE GOING THROUGH.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My prayer partner and I were at the church house tonight praying and I want you to KNOW THAT I've C-O-M-E T-H-R-O-U-G-H.
I'm THROUGH ALL OF IT. IT IS FINISHED. I'VE COME OUT THE OTHER SIDE and I AM an OVERCOMER by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB and the WORD of my testimony!!!!!

HALLELUJAH!!!! GLORY TO GOD!!!! HE IS WORTHY OF PRAISE!!!! HOLY IS THE LAMB OF GOD!!!!! GOD IS FAITHFUL!!! WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him (satan) by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB and by the WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY, and they loved not their lives unto the death.

HALLELUJAH!!! The Word of God WORKS, ALL THE TIME.

AND everytime satan would try to bring these last two years up before me and what a TERRIBLE TIME I had....I'll decree to him OH NO.....that's not what I remember, I was DELIVERED OUT OF IT and WENT THROUGH IT by the POWER of MY MIGHTY GOD!

HALLELUJAH!!!



THANK YOU JESUS!!!!

God's intention for us.....

Aren't these BEAUTIFUL?!!!???
I've been looking for two months for a gift suitable for my Mother and Father-in-laws 65th wedding anniversary....to no avail. What do you get for someone who has everything they want? :) Had a lot of good suggestions, and we've tossed things about. My husband said that it would be his trip out there... I said that it wasn't enough. I've ALWAYS LOVED fresh cut flowers for myself, personally. Others about me think it's a total waste. They speak volumes to my heart. So I shot the WHOLE WAD on this geourgous arrangement. The kids here wanted to go in with the cost. Mary Beth and her family, Jeanie and Eddie are already out there. Pat arrives tomorrow. So I got these from all of us that did not get to celebrate with them tomorrow.








Jacqueline is our oldest grandchild. She was here today getting well (sports injury), and we were having fun with Emily's camera.

These pictures just about sums it up for all of us, doesn't it? :D

GOD HELP US!!!!! This is what He intends FOR US. It's for our own safekeeping.

We've been told that we're not to let our eyes look upon what is evil.
He's also told us that the words of our mouth and the meditations our our heart needs to be acceptable to the Lord. The meditations of our heart is what we give thought to and either listen to the Lord or our enemy.

God we need You to HELP US LORD, in Jesus' Name.

Ahhhhh, wisdom teeth.

This is Emily WITH her wisdom teeth.



This is Emily WITHOUT her wisdom teeth. :)

Today is a better day.

GOD IS FOR US

One of our boys bought one of these. He's been coming home each evening HOPING it's arrived. Wished he'd found another way to put his engine into his Jeep, but the way he's talking, he'll be using it quite a bit.

He also bought a new top for his buggy. Before long it will be ready to hit the road, eh? :)

Today one of our girls is having all four of her wisdom teeth removed. She's looking forward to it, as they are causing pressure with the rest of her mouth.
I'm asking God to cause it to be a very speedy recovery for her.
Am very pleased with the surgeon we've found. He has a good spirit, and will do her well.

I am, however, having her Dad take her to her appointment. After all these years, he's so seldom been part of the difficult times of the kid's lives. It will work out well with his schedule. Give them something more to "bond" over.

Pat leaves out Friday night to catch his flight to Virginia. He'll be arriving Saturday in time for the festivities. His parents are being honored with a party celebrating their 65th anniversary. Today our oldest and her husband left town, their flight leaves very early in the morning. Mary Beth and her family will be leaving out Friday on their flight, only they'll be visiting there for a weeks time. Jeanie and Eddie have to return home on Monday and Pat will be doing the same.

We've got one of Jeanies girls...the oldest, for a few days. It's always fun to keep Grandchildren over. She and our youngest are only 7 weeks apart in age. They're close and don't get to see enough of each other. Jac goes to government school, and our youngest is home educated. Their paths go in different directions. I had to SEND THEM BOTH TO BED tonight. Too much to talk about and catch up on.

I saw a recipe that looks tasty and simple:

Smoked Salmon with Scallion Cream Cheese

Ingredients:
4 ounces of light cream cheese
1 scallion (the white and light green parts), finely chopped
5 slices of dark rye bread
3.5 ounces of smoked salmon (or lox) thinly sliced
1 head Belgium endive, leaves separated, washed, and dried well

Preparation:
1. Beat light cream cheese and chopped scallion together in a small bowl with an electric mixer or by hand. Spread the mixture thinly on one side of each slice of bread (all 5 slices).
2. Layer the salmon over the cream-cheese mixture on 2 1/2 of the slices (cut one of the slices in half). Then top the salmon evenly with the endive leaves.
3. Place the remaining bread slices (including the half-slice) over each sandwich and press down firmly. Wrap well, and keep chilled in refrigerator until ready to serve. Cut the rest of the sandwiches in half before serving.

Yield:
5 half sandwiches

Would make for a very nice lunch/brunch.

God is good to us all, is He not?

Romans 8:31 tells us: If God be for us, who can be against us?

Nobody can be successfully come against us because our Mighty God IS FOR US.
Thank You Lord. Your ear is not deaf, and your arm is not short towards us.
THANK YOU that Your mercy and grace follows us all the days of our lives.
Thank You that we are tender in Your sight, and the apple of Your eye.
Thank You that You give Your angels charge over us, lest we should even happen to dash our foot against a stone.
Thank You that You have our hairs numbered every moment of the day.
Thank You for Your watchful eye over us to keep us and deliver us from evil.
You make my heart full, Lord.

SOULS

A friend of mine phoned me this early yesterday afternoon and wanted to know if I'd go out to grab a bit of lunch with her. Sounded like a good deal to me. :)

After we had been seated and our drink was served, she began to relate to me the events of that morning....not long before she'd picked me up.

We live in a very small community. She'd seen a state troopers car at just about every turn she made that morning while running errands. That's unusual, because we don't just see troopers cars often, just local police.

Not long afterwards, she turned a corner and saw a bunch of lights. The troopers had all gathered around the car they'd pursued and finally located.

While she was negotiating a turn away from the scene, she saw two very young men that were being cuffed and shuffled into an officers car. While they were on their way there, she saw the face of this young man, their eyes met.... was like that of one "caged" and forlorned, fearful, hopeless. His eyes met hers and it touched her heart so, she went to the nearest place to park and wept and wept. Everywhere she went afterwards, she had to pull over because she could not drive for weeping.

I asked her what God was showing her. She reminded what He's told us only days ago...

--Stand where God stands.
--See what God sees.
--Say what God says.
--Stay the course and not back off.

She said she was seeing what God sees. souls lost... He let her know that people are praying for finances and good health and those things are already promised to us....but people are not praying for souls.

While I sat there hearing that, my heart was touched so...she reached across the table and took my hand to say that that could have been our son, our grandson, our brother, daughter...etc. The Body is failing to pray for SOULS.

My heart was recalling a song that many of us have heard...remember....

"Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save."

That's part of an old old song that probably is not sung much these days, but my spirit recalled it....with sadness.

OH GOD!!! HELP US!!!!

We need to take God's promises that He's already given to us about the provision He's made in the New Covenant FOR US. RECIEVE them, receive our good - divine health, receive our monetary provision...and THE BLESSING we're suppose to be walking in and and then TAKE CARE OF KINGDOM BUSINESS!!!

This evening I was remembering Job...in 42:10 it tells us:
And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

I've always seen our lives as seed sowers. But when I remembered again what Job did, it brought again that if we will pray for HIS - HE will take care of us and ours.

The devil hates all of God's creation. he hates the trees, water, the beauty that God made. he hates those that are made in God's image whethere they are saved or not. He's out to kill, kill, kill.....destroy, destroy, destroy......steal, steal, steal.....EVERYTHING he can, particularly since he knows his time on this earth is short. OUR TIME ON THIS EARTH IS SHORT. The devil is out to havest and waste any and everything he can get his hands on.

When it comes down to the wire....the devil is after souls.
The Word of God tells us that Gods eyes goes to and fro all across the globe looking for people that will take His Word and stand in the gap and PRAY.

God loves the REDEEMED AND THE LOST.

He knows it takes divine intervention that and that WE CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE, because the effectual - fervent prayer of the Righteous avials much.

OH FATHER, I ask You to stir our hearts to SEE WHAT YOU SEE. I ask YOU to stir those slumbering chords in our hearts that will PRAY FOR SOULS. Lead us by YOUR SPIRIT, into intercession and warfare. Lead our hearts to SEE WHAT YOU SEE, Father, and be moved to MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Because we can by YOUR SPIRIT and YOUR WORD. You've equipped us, and taught our hands to war. I ask YOU to help us to see our great and precious promises, and walk in them all, so we are not always looking at our need....but will be Your eyes, Your hands, Your ears, Your feet, Your mouth as the ambassadors You've sent us here to be. In the Mighty Name of Jesus.

Atmosphere

Cool picture, huh? One of our daughters took it from the flight back East last fall.

I was going through some notes I've made, and the word atmosphere was coming up a lot.
The place in the Word of God where we're told not to be entangled in the beggerly elements after having been set free, that is the atmosphere that would destroy our faith.

Over in I Samuel 17 Israel was hiding out and the Philestines had sent their champion (Goliath) - he came out and spoke and created fear in Israels army.

Davids Dad sent him with a BUNCH of groceries to the army and after he delivered them to the supply officer, he went to see his brothers. Well, David took offence that this "uncircumcised Philistine" was defying the army of the LIVING GOD. Those SOLDIERS were all shaking in their boots.

Davids older brother got mad at his snot nosed brother and asked him why he came to begin with. Accused David of having pride and insolence in his heart, just coming down there to gawk. Told David to go back and take care of Daddys herds.

Davids response was: "What have I DONE? Is there not a cause?"
He let the gang know that God had enabled him to kill the lion and bear to protect the family business, and that Goliath was nothing.

David changed the atmosphere of the place with his "faith filled words"

We're not suppose to move under the atmosphere of logic, just like the world.

If we are facing something that we cannot do ourselves, God will bring us up and out of the wilderness, while we are leaning on our Beloved.

This army was beat down. That's the atmosphere the enemy created.
If we're looking at some of the same circumstances, we're to bind up the devil in the atmosphere.

Goliath came out daily, and the enemy "ordered the battle".
We're suppose to order the battle in our lives.

Over in I Kings 20:13-14 we're told...
13 Suddenly a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, saying, "Thus says the Lord: 'Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the Lord.'"
14 So Ahab said, "By whom?" And he said, "Thus says the Lord: 'By the young leaders of the provinces.'"
Then he said, "Who will set the battle in order?"
And he answered, "You."

The devil has *champions* he brings against the Body of Christ today.
There's nothing new under the sun.

Do we not hear whispers from hell every day of our lives? Threatening us with defeat, creating fear, slapping our hands in the effort to put us in a corner where we belong.

The Word of God does not say: Is there any sick among you, let them call the elders and plan a funeral. He said: Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

David said that it shouldn't be like this.
They accused David of bring false hope, trying to give an atmosphere of faith. David came to disturb their unbelief.

Probably with the same stuff we might be hearing, like:
-You're always wanting to say what God can do.
-You're always saying that God is able.
-You're always wanting to anoint with oil.
-You're always wanting to create false hope.
-You're always wanting to us to agree with that Book, when we SEE what we're looking at.
-You're always wanting to declare victory, when we've already been given a "report".

I personally remember one time a few years ago, a woman we know was laying up in a hospital given a horrific diagnosis, and was told she would die a miserable death. Her sister and I went to get some red construction paper and used one page for each letter, and we printed on there for the devil and everyone else to read.. VICTORY.
We chose the report of the Word of God FOR HER. Taped it on her wall in her hospital room.
While we were loading her up in a wheelchair, the nurses attending were just going through the motions with the mouths hanging open. I told them them (laughing), "Yeah, you thought she'd be leaving here in a body bag, didn't you?" She looked at me not knowing what to say. Kandy still had a long way to total recovery, but GOD BROUGHT HER OUT. GOD BROUGHT HER THROUGH!!!

David was declaring "VICTORY", and it offended the gang that didn't think they could do anything about it and only saw their own demise.

They tried to put someone elses armor on him...but HE HAD ALREADY PROVED HIS ARMOR. We've gotta prove our armor. Have we?

You know what we should doubt? Our doubts!

We've gotta order the battle, create the atmosphere of faith...by calling those things which are not as though they were. God has and will continue to change things FOR us.

God said He'd make a way of escape.
He said that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but He'd deliver us OUT OF THEM ALL.

We need to remove the puppets of hell, everything that oppresses the Word of God, the Blood of Jesus, and His finished work.

The fear of God needs to return to us all, to the church. That's the beginning of wisdom.

When the spys went over and saw the giants, God says we are WELL ABLE.

David behaved himself rightly, and he couldn't have done that unless he was serving God.

Daniel didn't agree with any of his enemies..and God delivered him.

Joseph, his brothers, Potifers wife.....he just let them all know he wasn't in agreement with them.

Hannah was under reproach and would not give up her God and His Word.

Abraham - believed God, created his own atmosphere of faith.

Proverbs 21:30
30 There is no wisdom or understanding
Or counsel against the Lord.

God CAN take the Goliaths down if we're not doubleminded.
We've gotta CREATE an atmosphere of faith with God's Word in our own mouths.

No where in the Word of God would it please Him to doubt Him.

So I say, let the devil and all his plans and schemes and lies be what is damned - not my life. He's the dammer, not God...not His Word, and I certainly will not allow myself to be one with my words either. In the Name of Jesus. I WILL create an atmosphere of faith with God's Word in my mouth and bring down every assignment from hell against me. Nor will I allow others to discourage me in what I KNOW GOD'S WORD SAYS. David gave us a good example, eh? LOL

Hallelujah!!!!!

Celebrating Love

Did everyone have a nice Valentines Day?
I wanted this post to reflect the date the - 15th, but am not going to stay up LATE to do that! LOL

A lady I know said that she liked to think that she and her family spread the LOVE all year long....not just to make a big to-do on ONE day a year. That's good.

Kinda like CHRISTmas, I like to celebrate CHRISTmas all year long....not just in December. LOL LOL

My husband has been detailed out of town for this week and phoned me last night to say that he was going to be traveling home to take me to a nice lunch. It was good and out of character even for him...he's becoming more thoughtful in his older age. :) We stopped on the way home to get some nice meat for the kids this evening for Valentines. It was nice. :) Aubrey made a good potato dish, Michael grilled the meat, and made veggies. Emily made a very nice carrot cake to top off a good supper. :) Actually it's a better than nice.

Carrot Cake Supreme

Prep: 25 min. Cook: 30 min. Chill: 3 hours.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrot
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (3 1/2 oz) can flaked coconut
1 cup choped pecans

- Grease a 9 x 13" cake dish

- Stir together first 4 ingredients. Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pan.

- Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

This cake is moist enough to enjoy without a frosting or glaze. But if you wish a nice Cream Cheese recipe would be a traditional choice.

We seldom make a dessert, and enjoy them primarily on special occasions. UMMMMMM carbs! :)

By the way, Lou and Chuck married today at noon, and are now in NYC on their honeymoon.

Romans 5:5
And hope makes not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us.

I John 2:5
But whoever keeps HIs Word in him truly is the Love of God perfected, hereby we know that we are in Him.

Father, thank You for bringing us YOUR Love in our hearts by Your Spirit.
I ask YOU to help us to KEEP YOUR WORD...demostrating that Your Love is perfected in us. I WANT TO BE IN YOU!! I don't want to celebrate LOVE just on Valentines, birthdays, anniversaries....want to celebrate Your Love every day of my life, for all of my days, in the Name of Jesus.

King Louie sang "I Wanna walk like you, talk like you..."

 

I don't know whose child this is, but he's angry...showing a temper.

There IS something worse than watching a child throwing a temper, it's an adult doing the same. Haven't we all seen it?
Doesn't matter if the person is 3 or 93, it's uncomely, makes those around them cringe and uncomfortable. They are not desirable employees, they are abusive wives/husbands, mothers/fathers, rebellious teens, people that don't respect authority anyplace they go....all because they were not "trained" when they were very young children.

The Word of God tells us in Prov. 22:6:
Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he'll not depart from it.

I've heard people say that this Scripture is telling us that the children WILL walk their own way...but will eventually return to God. Well...if any of ours should happen to do so, we can pray and God will retore.
HOWEVER, I see this passage saying that while we are training our children in THE WAY (translated from Hebrew's HIS WAY) they should go, even when they are old, they'll not depart from it...THE WAY.

Prayer and intercession plays a tremendous part at keeping our enemy at bay, and following the leading of the Holy Spirit, being the garden keepers of our own homes.

Just because our children may be raised in a Christian home...go to church...have Christian surroundings does not mean that they will aquire a Christian life by osmossis, eh? :)

When people come to the Lord as adults, there are still principles that need to be learned so they'll not be making use of spiritual pacifiers for all their lives, and cut a wide swath wherever they go with unresolved anger.

We're told in God's Word that we're to "Put On Christ".
The way we do that is by being obedient to the Word of God, submitting to Him and DOING what He tells us. Walking in His LOVE. LOL LOL It's also known sometimes as "dying to ourselves".... :) so He can be formed IN US.

This reminds me of the song in "Jungle Book" (the animated one) where the orangatang King Louie, was singing to Mowglie (the boy) saying "I wanna walk like you, talk like you.... oooo oooo ooo! Remember that cute clip? GOD I WANT TO WALK LIKE YOU AND TALK LIKE YOU!!!! HELP ME!!!!

There's GREAT PROMISE, in God's Word. He's told us that we will never be ashamed of our hope in Him.

God I ask You to deliver us from evil. Help us to dig into Your Word to find Your Great and Precious Promises, and give us the confidence to stand upon them. Help us Lord, to FOLLOW YOU, as Jesus did. Father I ask You to help us to help our children, our grandchildren and those about us to become like YOU. Lord, YOU are the Potter and WE are the clay, help me to hop up on that wheel to be designed by You. YOU MAKE MY HEART FULL OF JOY, I desire my LIFE to be a joy to You and those about me. Greater are YOU who dwell on the inside of me that he that dwells in the earth. You have created us to be overcomers, right now in this life, and I thank You for helping us be just that, in Jesus' Name.

Is It Spring Yet?

 

One of the girls showed me a picture on her laptop and it caught my eye, it was pleasing to see, then I recognized it.
It's a heating stove, of days gone by, sitting at the end of our front porch with a vine growing around it. The vine wasn't in bloom, or I don't see any in the picture...is it called Clementis? Seems like. The blossoms always look so perfect.

Have been looking at a few things I've considered planting this Spring. I really want some heather, and have been looking for the right place to put some.

Do any of you plant veggie or flower beds in the Spring?

Last year I planted tomatoe and pepper plants in my LITTLE place in the southeast corner of the back yard. I was away for a time while we had three digit temperatures, and when I came back I found them all DEAD. Nobody had pity on them to offer them a drink while I was away. ARGH!!! This year I want to plant some tomatoe plants and peppers and lettuce. It's not much, but will contribute to our table during the season, and hopefully put a few items in the freezer.

Thought about putting carrots around the evergreen bushes....we have a LOT of those, but the carrots would make a colorful border around the yard, you think? :)

While I think about all these SEEDS for the garden and yard, I'm reminded about the SEEDS in our lives that we plant EVERY SINGLE DAY. They are planted, and will grow for sure, but are they seeds that will compliment our lives and bring a sweet fragrance to folks around us?

The Word of God says:
Genesis 8:22
While the earth remains seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

We have seedtime and harvest in our LIVES and I ask God to help us to plant the right SEED in our lives. His Word.

In Isaiah 55:11 we're told:
So shall My Word be that goes forth out of My mouth, it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing where I send it.

Thank You Lord for helping US to plant Your Word in our lives and those around us. Help us to remember that Heaven and Earth will really pass away, but Your Word will NEVER. Your Word is a wise investment in our lives, help us to sow it all the days of our lives...EVERY DAY, so we can enjoy it's fruit and we will not be ashamed of our Hope in YOU Lord. Thank You, in Jesus' Name.

Aunt Clara

This sweet lady is my Great Aunt Clara, a sister to my maternal Grandfather. She went home to Jesus on Sunday.

She and her family lived far away from us, but to Mama and Aunt Lottie, she was their "Beloved Aunt Clara". I met one of her daughters, and her husband, last summer at a family reunion. Had known about Lola all my life, but it was good to put a face and a heart to a name.

Aunt Clara LOVED God and lived like it. She lived a lively 91 years.

One of the most impressive things my family remembers about her was her infectious laugh. Aunt Lottie said that when Aunt Clara laughed, she laughted with all of herself...and it sounded like bells ringing.
Isn't that FUN!!!???

I thank God that Aunt Clara is deposited into heaven and look forward to getting acquainted with her.....we'll have many good laughs together. LOL LOL LOL

The Recipe Swap Box

I found a blog that is sharing recipies.

This FUN starts at http://ihavetosay.typepad.com/

There you will find a number of folks sharing.


My contributions to this event is as follows:

#1 Pink Lemonade Salad - one of my Grandmothers desserts.
Ingredients:
About 40 Ritz crackers
3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 stick of butter or margerine
1 - 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 - can of sweetened condenced milk
1 - 6oz can of frozen pink lemonade
A few drops of red food coloring (optional)

Directions:
--Put the crackers in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

--Add powdered sugar and melted butter to the crackers and press them to the bottom of a 8" X 8" cake dish. Reserve a portion of the crackers to sprinkle on top of the dessert.

--After having the cream cheese at room temperature, mix it with an electric mixer until smooth with the condensed milk and lemonade, and food coloring.

--Sprinkle the reserved crackers on top and allow to chill for a couple of hours.


#2 Chicken with Duck Sauce
Ingredients are as follows:
Chicken parts of your choosing.
1 envelope of powdered onion soup mix.
1 small bottle of Catalina salad dressing.
1 small jar of apricot jam.

Directions:
--Bring out your favorite retangular cake pan, and lay the chicken parts closely together.

--Mix the powdered soup, salad dressing and jam together in a bowl, and pour over the meat, but not too liberally. Not to leave the sauce too deep on the bottom of the pan, it will not allow the meat to glaze well. If after you see you may want more sauce added during the cooking, just use your own judgment.

--Leave the dish uncovered (this will allow the sauce to glaze nicely), and place it in a 350* oven for close to an hour, or until the meat is "fallin' apart done".

--When you retrieve the meat from the oven it serves nicely atop prepared rice. After dipping the extra fat off the sauce, pour the "drippings" over the meat and rice, or serve it on the side.

This dish will be a winner, even for the hardest to please at your table! We have a granddaughter that will avoid chicken at ALL costs ...but will enjoy this dish anytime it's served.

The sauce also compliments pork and beef as well.

If you wish, there is a delightful Fruit Sherbet just below. :)


Enjoy!

Pamaw's Fruit Sherbet

While I'm looking out my window at all the snow and ice, I was wishing it were Spring already.

A couple of summers ago our oldest daughter phoned me and wanted me to enter our "favorite" home made ice cream in the local Chamber contest during the week of the 4th of July. It's a big to do in our little community.

She said she would buy the ingredients if I would pull it together, so she could enter it for us. I thought she was so funny.

Well, I made it, she entered it, it placed FIRST and I shared the $100 with her. She got fuel for her van and some other necessities....and I took our grandchildren out for some fun with mine. LOL Albeit there weren't many entries that summer, we still won. LOL

Here is the recipe, and it really is quite good. I've tweeked it over the years some, but it's still a good sherbet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pamaw's Fruit Sherbet
4 Quarts

Juices:
Juice of 8 oranges
Juice of 3 lemons
1- 12 oz. can of apricot or peach nectar (I like apricot most)

Blend in blender:
1- 20 oz. crushed pineapple
3 ripe bananas

Have on hand:
2 pints heavy whipping cream
3-4 cups simple syrup

Simple Syrup
Put 2 cups of sugar in a pint jar. Fill with water and stir until dissolved.

Combine juice mixture, pineapple, banana mixture and simple syrup. Stir in whipping cream. Pour into ice cream freezer and mix to the desired stiffness. An adequate time for an electric freezer is about 15 minutes. Pack well until serving.

Yeilds: 1 gallon of Sherbet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What I like to do is to make it up ahead of time, put it into covered containers and put it in the freezer to cure for a while.

I have a 6 quart crank freezer and use it to make enough for all of our gang. Probably need a two gallon freezer, but have not been able to find one.
Right now I need to replace a part on the freezer to get it ready for the Spring/Summer....well, actually as much ice cream as our gang eats all year long, I might just consider using it during the winter months also. Gee, I think I'll get that part delivered so I can do just that!!! :)

It's flavor is almost addictive...but you know, God knew what He was doing when He made FRUIT for us, didn't He? LOL

God's Love IN US

This is a young Hannah Litzenburger, shortly before she became Hannah Schlegel. She's my maternal grandmother and has been in heaven for quite some time, and I really miss her being here. She's a love of my life.

She and my Grandfather homesteaded a farm/ranch in Kansas I believe in the '40's and lived there together until her death. My Grandfather lived several years more before his death. Their home was one of my favorite places in the world.

When I would awaken and come down the stairs for breakfast, she would call out to me, tell me "Good morning Suzie Q!".

I loved hanging clothes on the clothes line with her...working in her veggie garden with her. I'd sit on the counter in her kitchen and watch her cook/bake. Sometime in the summer months I would help her strip her BEAUTIFUL wood floors and rewax them. My brother and I could dash from her kitchen in our socks on and slide almost the entire length of her dining/living room. Sometimes I'd help her can produce from her garden.
She was a very accomplished seamstress, and did wonderful work with embroidery. Grandma had a smile that would melt my heart, and her eyes would dance so. I always believed that she was perfect. Well, as I became an adult, I realized she was not, but I DID recognize a perfect heart, sweet and tender before the Lord and without malice, FULL of love for those around her....not just those fortunate enough to call her OURS. She LOVED God.

There's a place over in II Chronicles 16:9 that tells us:
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

I Kings 18:61 says:
Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

It's a posture of the heart. Ahhhhhh.............I desire that for all my days.

Keeping His commandments is a piece of cake....
Over in Matthew 22:37-40 we're told:
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

He told us here that if we LOVE God with all our whole being and love our neighbor as ourselves then we're obeying all the commandments. Well, if we love God, then we'll not do the things that will displease Him, and if we love our neighbors as ourselves....we'll not lie, steal, covet....you get the picture. It's called the Law of Love.

Romans 13:10 says it this way:
Love works no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

In I Corinthians 13:4-7 (Amplified version) tells it this way:
4Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.

5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it (it pays no attention to a suffered wrong).

6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

7Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything (without weakening).

So what I do now is make this into a prayer -

Lord, I endure long, and am patient and kind. Your LOVE IN ME is not envious nor does it boil over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, Your Love in me does not display itself haughtily.
I thank You Lord that Your Love is not conceited arrogant and inflated with pride; it is not rude unmannerly and does not act unbecomingly. Your love in me does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it (it pays no attention to a suffered wrong).
Your Love in me does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
Lord, Your Love in me bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything without weakening. In Jesus' Name.

Thank You for Your LOVE!

I'm One of God's Favorites.

This is a FUN picture that only a few can really appreciate! LOL It was taken over 40 years ago on my Grandparents staircase. Of course it was during the CHRISTmas holiday. Don't remember the EXACT year, but I do remember that the skirt and top was mine after the death of my Daddy. A guestament would be around 1966.

This is of my brother, myself, and all the cousins from my Mothers side of the family. Grandmas house was always a haven for me personally. Well, it really wasn't the house, but everything that my Grandmother made it for us. She was such a Honey.



This picture was taken about 40 + years later. It's our oldest daughter Jeanie, sliding down the stairway with our oldest granddaughter Jacqueline just behind. Isn't that fun?
We'd gone there for a visit about a year ago to see the old family place as it had been sold, and my Uncle Vernon was preparing for an auction of farm equipment. They had already moved to Texas, and with this visit I brought dinner and ALL of our family went out to see Uncle Vernon and to hang out for the day, one last time.

While I was occupied in another part of the house, the girls gathered all of our grandchildren on the SAME stairway for a quick picture of them all and had it produced and framed for my Mother's Day gift that year. It sits in our living room.



They had a good idea didn't they? Was thoughtful and they were careful to make it a surprise gift to me.

The picture below, is a place just South of the farm house - roughly 1/4 mile. It's a small quarry where, for many many years, family and friends from far and wide would carve their initials and witty sentiments into the stone. I believe it is mostly limestone. I wish I'd had the forethought to bring part of it home. It would have been a very special addition to my small rock garden.



There's just something about seeing our own names, isn't it? Be it on stationary, certificates, business cards, engraved on a precious piece of jewelry, on a newborns cup, bronzed baby shoes....even in an OLD piece of rock from years gone by.

While seeing this picture and all it means to me, personally, I was remembering a Scripture that says God had placed the names of all of His own on His hand. He's written our names on His hand. His thoughts are toward each of us. His LOVE for us is full to overflowing and He expressed adoration by writing OUR NAME on Himself.

Now I cannot begin to equate this to a young person or soldier going into a tatoo parlor to have the most recent "love" inked upon their body parts. There is nothing Divine with this. ;)

The Creator of Heaven and Earth, the One Who knitted us together in our mothers' belly, and invested the Life of His Son Jesus into us, so God could buy back His family from the clutches of His enemy, satan. This God is so passionately in Love with His Family that He's placed our names on His hand.

I don't understand all that, but it warms my heart. Don't think we understand the magnitude of God's Love towards us, but I WANT to. It causes me to feel giddy, like a child, sheer delight in knowing that I'm ONE of God's favorites.