Yeah, I'm a scrooge!

I know most of you really enjoy this time of year... but I don't. I think the problem is watching TV. That's where you're just thrown up on with commercial after commercial of the "gimmies." I don't watch that much TV, but it's still just enough to where I just can't take it anymore. We need the "givies" not the "gimmies". It just feels good. Time after time I'll finally get something that "I've always wanted" just to feel blech a month or so later. It doesn't matter how much you have you always want more. The only place where joy is found is in being contented with what you've already been blessed with. I'm not forgetting that true joy comes from Jesus - that's a given. What I'm saying is that little nagging "if I only had that or this" thought is a joy stealer. Once you learn to ignore that and hear the voice of God that tells us to be thankful, then your joy cannot be stolen.

I heard on the radio that we need to change our thinking even when it comes to taxes. If you're being taxed then that means you have an income! WOW! What a change in thinking - a real CHANGE we could all use and benefit from! I've sort of adopted the same thinking around the house. One evening while doing the dishes I realized that my dirty dishes were a sign that I have been blessed with food. If you don't have food, you don't have dirty dishes. If you don't have a family, then you're house isn't a wreck. If you don't have dirty clothes, that means you don't have any. So the next time you pay taxes or see dirty dishes, a dirty house, dirty clothes... change your perception to see where they came from. They came because you have an income, food, a family, clothes, a house, etc. God is good! In ANY situation there is something to be thankful for.

If you want something for Christmas, start seeing what you've already been blessed with. Food, family, clothes, house... now, those are great Christmas gifts! Thank you Lord, for blessing me with dirty dishes, clothes, house etc! You are so good to me.

You're probably wondering what does "yeah, I'm a scrooge" have to do with this. I don't know. I guess that's my first thought when I think about Christmas. The crazy black-friday people, kids whining in ever store for everything they see, the stupid Christmas music that starts way too early, the ugly Christmas trees (the dumbest one being the upside down tree). I just don't get it. Nothing about today's Christmas says CHRIST to me anymore. Christ isn't giving someone a gift because a day on the calendar makes you gift a gift. Jesus is a year-round giver. Wouldn't a gift in the middle of March or August for no reason at all have more specialness? I am not going to send out Christmas cards anymore. They just get lost in cluttered mailboxes and kitchen counter tops. Instead, throughout the year I am going to get out my address book and just led CHRIST lead me to whom I should send a greeting. That would mean so much more, at least to me it would. How about you?

Back to my thoughts on Christmas traditions - I do have a tree up but I try to convey CHRIST in it as much as possible. I tell the kids that the tree represents the tree that Christ died on. I use red lights to represent his blood. I also use some white to represent the washing away of our sins; being made white as snow! And there is no santa to be found anywhere in my home. I will not let the Glory of God be given to another. CHRISTmas has nothing to do with santa. (lower case "s" used on purpose).

So, there's my little haphazard rant. It went all over the place but that's okay. Have a great day!

Home Sweet Home

Today I experienced a death in the family. Not a human death, not an animal death but the death of a home. My husband's boy-hood home was lost. I won't go into those details but it was a shocking and horrible loss that came totally unexpected. There was no time to prepare; no time to digest the news; no time.

I'm learning A LOT through it all though. First, our family is so loved. The amount of people that mobilized in such a short time to move items from the house was absolutely amazing. Second, I learned that I never knew how a home can be like body part. In this case, you're born with it, it grows with you, you can rely on it to always be there, and it's so necessary. Then the day comes when you reach to touch that part of your life and it's just gone. It's heart-braking. It's even more then a body part, it's a family member. It's a priceless box filled with treasured memories.

Now that the house belongs to someone else, we can never go back; never immerse ourselves in a place filled with life times - good and bad. Times that shaped us and helped make us who we are today. But as great as this special place is, it can't even touch our heavenly home. This place is gone, but I know Someone special is watching over my heavenly home. He's tending the gardens right now. He's caring for my herd of horses right now. He's covering the walls in ever color of the rainbow and even more colors that we have yet to see. He's preparing a place for me.. and he's preparing a place for you.

If you've lost your earthly home, know that there is a heavenly home waiting for you. You just have to accept it. If you've lost your job, know that there is a King of all Kings that want to hire you to His kingdom, you just have to accept the job. If you've lost your strength, know that there is a Joy that will be your strength. If you've lost a family member, know that there is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother waiting for you, You just have to accept Him.  Best part - IT'S ALL FREE! Now that's an awesome Christmas gift!

We've all lost things at times, but God know what it feels like to lose, too. Jesus lost his heavenly home and all that went with that, he lost friends who couldn't even pray with Jesus for one hour, he lost a mother, he lost a Father when God had to turn His back on His son. He knows what your feeling and is well acquainted with grief. Run to Him. He's more than a home, He's a strong tower. He doesn't hate you. He CHOSE to lose it all to gain YOU!

Portrait of Joy

Digital sketch pad, portrait of my daughter.

Latest Labor of Love

Walk out of the gates. Get going!
   Get the road ready for the people.
Build the highway. Get at it!
   Clear the debris,
   hoist high a flag, a signal to all peoples!
Yes! God has broadcast to all the world:
   "Tell daughter Zion, 'Look! Your Savior comes,
Ready to do what he said he'd do,
   prepared to complete what he promised.'"
Zion will be called new names: Holy People, God-Redeemed,

   Sought-Out, City-Not-Forsaken. 

Isaiah 62:10-12 msg

This is one of my latest creations. It's based on Isaiah 60:10-12. Enjoy!

Wondering what these things are? Well, they're yuca roots. Back in 1995, when I went to Colombia, South America, I was served yuca. It looked a little strange on the plate and it took a little coaxing to take a bite. Everyone was laughing and saying who knows what in Spanish because I was chicken! But eventually I gave in and took a bite. Oh - My  - WORD! YUM! It's basically a very flaky and light potato. At least that's what I remember. Yesterday, it was "grocery store day" and lo and behold what was in my local Martins store - YUCA! Some were huge and others quite small. I selected a small root to experiment with. I have some green onion, cilantro and garlic that I think I am going to put on it for lunch. Below is a basic recipe:

Oven-Fried Yucca

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh yucca (cassava), cut into 3-inch sections and peeled (or 1 pound peeled frozen yucca)
• Nonstick cooking oil spray

Directions:

1. In a kettle, combine the yucca with enough cold water to cover it by 1 inch.
2. Bring the water to a boil, and slowly simmer the yucca for 20 to 30 minutes, or until it is tender.
3. Preheat oven to 350F.
4. Transfer the yucca with a slotted spoon to a cutting board, let it cool, and cut it lengthwise into 3/4-inch-wide wedges, discarding the thin woody core.
5. Spray cookie sheet with the nonstick cooking oil spray.
6. Spread yucca wedges on cookie sheet, and spray wedges with cooking oil spray.
7. Cover with foil paper and bake for 8 minutes.
8. Uncover and return to oven to bake for an additional 7 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings--Serving size: 1 piece (2 1/2 inches long)

Nutrition Facts
Per Serving:
Calories	91
Sodium	3 mg
Total fat	1 g
Saturated fat	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Calcium	66 mg
Iron	3 mg

Good grief!

Well, I was in Wally-World today. I'm strolling up an isle; hearing awful, pitiful wails of crying. I'm thinking, "Some sweet child is not having a good day today." As I get closer to the source of the wails I thought I was sure to see a mother caressing her child because of an accidental boo-boo of some sort. Yeah, I saw a mother caressing her child alright but not because of an accident. This poor baby was being forced to have her ears pierced! The mom was strapping the poor kids head down on her shoulder amidst shrieks of pain while the sales associate performed the unnecessary procedure.

Yes, yes... I'm a girl; I like earrings. But no baby should be put through that. Vaccines - fine. Hospital procedures that save lives - fine. But EARRINGS!?!? It was awful to hear and witness. It felt like child abuse. Other onlookers were not happy with it either. It just all reinforced my opinion that girls should decide when they want their ears pierced. Earrings do not make babies prettier! God made them beautiful just the way they are.

When I was seven years old, I CHOSE to have my ears pierced. No, I am not against ear piercing but in an age of out of control feminism, a girl of any age should be able to CHOOSE when to have her ears pierce - if at all. Girls should be little girls. Let's not try an make them grow up too fast.

Top 10 List for December 1, 2010

1. Rain with warm temperatures is more bearable than sunny skies and a blowing cold wind.
2. Coats don't work if you don't wear them.
3. Dogs will jump on you for no apparent reason. Always be on your guard.
4. Food always tastes better when someone else makes it.
5. When doing a Bible study, you should probably do the Bible study first and then talk later.
6. No one is perfect, even that person you think has it all together.
7. Daniel had way more resolve at such a young age than I think I'll ever be able to attain.
8. With God, all things are possible.
9. When dealing with people, there will always be someone who rubs you the wrong way. Learn to deal with it.
10. Coming home to a meal already cooked in the crock pot is AWESOME!