Hibiscus

A new hibiscus graces our deck.

Blooms almost as large as my palm bless our view each day.

Hummingbirds enjoy nectar from these glorious pink beauties.

God's amazing creativity expressed in this stately plant bring us joy and happiness.  His attention to detail, just for my pleasure, leaves me speechless.

And amazed.

Just think, He made the hibiscus just for you and I.

Amazing.

Monday Musings

Here it is, Monday morning, and the weekend flew by so quickly!  We certainly accomplished a lot but it seems it was just Friday...

Friday evening we drove to A Bigger City to meet Kidlet One and Favorite-Son-In-Law for supper.   Kidlet Three brought along a friend and after eating, they raced around the indoor amusement park going from one ride to another.

Saturday was laundry day.  By 10 a.m. I think I had five loads of laundry washed, dried, folded and ready to put away.  Around 11, a friend called asking if she could stop by to pray with me.  It was embarrassing to tell her I was still in my pajamas, to which she replied, "You can pray in your pajamas"!  I did change and was ready by the time she arrived.  We spent an hour praying for friends and family situations.  I love the sensitivity in this friend to call and pray.

Dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing and sweeping were the activities for the rest of the afternoon.  The Husband went to the nursing home to visit with his father and on the way home, bless his heart, he stopped to get Chinese food.  Yum, yum.

Sunday's activities included:  pancakes for breakfast, church, out for lunch, picking out new carpet for the basement, learning how to sell books on Amazon, making stuffed shells for supper and killing brain cells.

In a future post I'll show you the hippie room we've had in the house.  It was brightly painted many years ago  by Kidlet One.  Kidlet two moved into the room and added posters and tape.  Oh, yes, and bumper stickers adhered to the walls.  As I prepare to paint in this room, the sticky adhesive left on the walls is massive.  So I am using a very potent adhesive remover that kills brain cells along the way.  Uff da.  Despite windows being opened and fan blowing, I was able to remove 15 pictures and posters from 1 1/2 walls before I felt sick to my stomach from the fumes.  The good news, there was a nice breeze last night so I sat on the deck and cleared my mind and hopefully, rejuvenated some brain cells.  Another good news item, the remaining walls don't have as many posters on them.

And after a long-soaky bath, it was time for a good night's sleep and here I am: ready to tackle an amazing week.  May your week be amazing, too!

Impossibly Easy Barbecue Beef Pie

From Betty Crocker, Impossibly Easy Barbecue Beef Pie.  Click the link for the recipe.  I didn't have cheddar cheese on hand so substituted with mozzarella.  Yum!

Kidlet Three and I gave this a 9 out of 10 for amazingly delicious!

Stop It

Proverbs 4:23 in the Easy to Read version of the Bible says:

Be careful what you think, 

because your thoughts run your life.

Max Lucado's devotional gives the following example of that verse:
Your coworker...needled you about your performance....  Why was he so hard on you?  You begin to wonder.  I didn't deserve any of that.  Who is he to criticize me?  Besides, he has as much taste as a rice cake.  Have you seen those shoes he wears?...
You need to make a choice.  Am I going to keep a list of these wrongs?  You can keep the list....Or you can...defy the culprit.  Quote a verse if you have to:  "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse" (Romans 12:14)....  You are not a victim of your thoughts.  You have a vote.

I am embarrassed how many times I allow my thoughts to 'play the tape' of wrongs done against me.  There was a time, about a year ago, that as I drove myself to work, I found myself clutching the steering wheel of the car.  My knuckles were white I was clutching so hard.  In the short drive from my house to work, I'd allowed myself to think on a hurtful situation over and over again until I was upset.  Walking into work, I'd already set my attitude.  There was nothing different between my attitude and the bottom of a grungy garbage can.

God is very clear in the verse in Proverbs...your thoughts run your life.

And Max Lucado writes that I have a vote as to what I think on.

The answer to controlling my thoughts, is very clearly explained in this clip from the old TV show, The Bob Newhart Show.  Click the picture to watch the You Tube video:

I have the power to say STOP IT to my thoughts.  Playing the tape of hurts or wrongs is not healthy.

S-T-O-P, space, I-T

With God's amazing grace, it is possible to say those two words.

Give it a try...

Change Is In The Air

 This computer hutch is in our kitchen.

When Kidlet One and Kidlet Two were younger, our one family computer was kept in this hutch.  The Husband and I decided the kitchen would be a central, public spot for the computer.

How times have changed.

I'm typing on my computer right now.  It is sitting on my lap.  In the livingroom.

The big, pig computer that used to live in the hutch is long gone.

The hutch became a I don't know what to do with this so I'll throw it in the hutch collector.

It is time to clean it up and move it into the office or move it out of the house.

Change is in the air.

Sorting, throwing out, or putting into boxes the absolutely-have-to-keep items.

Hutches contain a lot of memories.  It was a good feeling to have the memories tucked into a Keep-It-Box and the Someone-Else-Must-Need-This item packed in the give-away box.

Once emptied, I wiped down the shelves.

An amazing task completed.

Change is in the air.  I wonder where the hutch will end up.

Rain

It is dry in The Frozen Tundra.  Our grass is turning brown.  Unfortunately the beautiful petunia basket I got as a Mother's Day gift has been fried.  I tried keeping it watered but I lost the fight.  

A friend in the The Far North sent me an email asking for prayer.  She said many cornstalks have no cobs of corn on them this year.  They are in a drought.

We need rain.

Much of our country needs rain.

Lord, have mercy on the United States.

Send us a soaking rain, please!

We need rain.

Out of curiosity, I went to www.Biblegateway.com and did a search on the word 'rain'.  In the New International Version of the Bible, that word appears 107 times.  In The Message version, rain appears 115 times.

This word must be important to appear so many times in God's Word.  As I read through some of the verses, I found most of them speaking of rain being withheld until I these two verses in Psalms.  How refreshing to read these verses after the verses of doom where rain had been withheld.

Would you consider joining me in crying out to God to have mercy on our country and to send rain?  And then please acknowledge His greatness.  He is the One to be praised.  He is the One that is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.   Nothing in our lives should be given more love and attention than God Almighty.  

Read these Psalms and sing a song of thanksgiving.  Praise Him from the mountaintops.  Praise Him at your desk at work.  Praise Him as you throw yet another load of laundry into the machine.  Praise Him at all times.  Praise Him in all seasons.  

Praise the Lord.  

Praise the Lord.  

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 147:7-11

Sing to God a thanksgiving hymn, play music on your instruments to God, Who fills the sky with clouds, preparing rain for the earth, Then turning the mountains green with grass, feeding both cattle and crows. He's not impressed with horsepower; the size of our muscles means little to him. Those who fear God get God's attention; they can depend on his strength.

Psalm 148:1-5

Hallelujah! Praise God from heaven, praise him from the mountaintops; Praise him, all you his angels, praise him, all you his warriors, Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, you morning stars; Praise him, high heaven, praise him, heavenly rain clouds; Praise, oh let them praise the name of God— he spoke the word, and there they were!

Oh Lord, speak the word and send us rain!  

Garden Party

The invitation read:

You are invited to a bridal garden party and please wear a hat!

It was a beautiful afternoon.

The bride was blessed.

Hats and even gloves were worn.

Fancy sandwiches and cake were enjoyed.

Laughter and chatter filled the air.

It was an amazing garden party.

Don't Worry

Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer

Don't Worry - July 12

For You make him to be blessed and a blessing forever; You make him exceedingly glad with the joy of Your presence.  Psalm 21:6

It is a learning process to keep the devil from stealing your joy, because he constantly tempts you in new ways to lose your peace.  If Satan gets your peace, then he will get your joy.  Be strong and resist his temptation to make you worry.

The Word says that God gives riches and possessions, and the power to enjoy them.  To accept our appointed lot and to rejoice in our work is the gift of God.  We won't remember seriously the days of our life, because the tranquility of God is mirrored in us (see Ecclesiastes 5:19-20).  Determine that from this day forward you will do everything you can to keep your peace and enjoy your life.
**********
Enjoy the peace and joy He offers up each and every day!

I Lost The Car

I lost the car.  Gosh.  It is so hard to admit this but it happened and it could have been a Lucille Ball episode.

One of our cars is a Honda Accord with no cruise control, power windows or power locks.  Shoot, when we got the car it didn't even have a radio but we added one.   The option of pushing a button on a key to cause the horn to beep is not available on this car.

Thus, it is easy to lose the car.  I actually  have to remember where I park each and every time I drive that sweet car.

Recently The Husband had a GI bleed and needed to go to the hospital for a scoping.  On the day of the procedure I dropped him off at the door and drove into the underground parking ramp.  There was a poky car in front of me and I remember following this car from one end of the ramp to the other end. We turned the corner to start down the next side and I was pretty sure I drove half-way down on this side before pulling into a parking spot.  I jumped out of the car and walked just a few steps to the elevator door.

There are two levels in this parking ramp.  I was so happy to realize that level one, where I parked, was the purple level.  Purple is a favorite color of mine and level two was the red level--red isn't a color I would call a favorite.

The Husband made it through his procedure without any sedation and received a good report.  We walked to the purple level in the parking ramp and walked straight out from the elevator to where I parked the car.  But the car wasn't there.  The Husband started walking to the right and actually walked all the way to the end of that side of the ramp.  I was so sure that I had parked across from the elevator that I only walked four to five cars to the left of where I parked the car.  It was not there!

As sure as I was that I had not parked on the red level, we went to that level and we walked all the way around the ramp and there was no car.  Finally I admitted defeat and I went back to the main lobby of the hospital and told the doorman that I'd lost the car.  He reassured me that I probably had not lost the car and he offered to go to the purple level with us and help us look.

Mr. Doorman had me walk to the spot where I parked the car.  He then asked me to walk all the way to the left and look for the car.  The stupid stubborn side of me just knew that I wasn't going to find the car but I felt I had to follow his suggestion.

Have you figured out the ending?  About 25 cars from where I left the car (snicker snicker), I found the car. As I stood there looking at how far I actually did walk to get to the elevator, I realized that perspective is really an important part of my life.  The thought that I actually walked farther than what I remembered caused me to stop dead in my tracks.  I really must have been pre-occupied to not have paid attention to where I parked.

My new friend, Mr. Doorman, was so kind.  He looked me right in the eye and said "you would not believe how many times a day I get told by people just like you that they have lost a car.  And you would also not believe how many laps I make each and every day in the ramp helping people look for their lost car".  Somehow that did make me feel better.

The day I lost the car I also lost perspective.  Both are scary to lose.  Finding the car was important but I honestly think gaining back perspective will be more important.  Anyone know how to find it?

Chocolate Revel Bars

For an extreme chocolate craving, this amazing bar is just what you need.

Chocolate Revel Bars will make you revel in delight!

 Mix butter and brown sugar until fluffy.

 Add eggs, flour, oatmeal, soda and salt.

 You will end up with a thick, stiff dough.

Two-thirds of the dough is patted into a jellyroll pan.

The remaining third is held aside to plop later.

 Where is the chocolate you are asking?

Hang on...take a look at this...

 Chocolate chips, evaporated milk, butter, vanilla and salt

are melted in a pan.  Are you smiling?

 Pour the chocolate mixture over the

patted-into-the-pan dough.

 Now you can plop the remaining dough

on top of the chocolate.

 The baked delight is simply beautiful. 

 Grab a glass of milk for the generous portion

in this picture!

Chocolate Revel Bars

1 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

2 1/2 cups flour

1 t. salt

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

1 t. soda

2 cups oatmeal

Mix together.  Dough gets stiff.  Spread and pat, with wet hands, 2/3 of dough in a jellyroll pan.

Filling:

12 oz package chocolate chips

1 can condensed milk

2 T. butter

1/2 t. salt

2 t. vanilla

Heat and stir until all is melted and blended.  Spread on top of dough.  Top with remaining dough.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Calm Day

The Husband has had some GI bleeding lately.
Nothing new for his unique, surgically re-created innards.
The bleeding got worse, however, so he called the doctor.
Finally.
An appointment was made to scope and hopefully
cauterize the bleeding area.
A black cloud rolled in over me during the waiting for
the appointment.
Sleep didn't seem to give me rest.
My thoughts were pretty much out of control.
The longevity of his illness seemed to be on my shoulders.
But my friends were praying for us.
And on the day when I felt really undone, my dear friend
Prairie Woman, sent me the daily devotional she'd read just
that morning.
The devotional was from the book I had given to her as
a birthday present.
Jesus Calling:  Enjoying Peace In His Presence by Sarah Young.
Here is what she sent me:

Stay calmly conscious of Me today, no matter what.

Remember that I go before you as well as with you into the day.

Nothing takes Me by surprise.

I will not allow circumstances to overwhelm you,

so long as you look to Me.

I will help you cope with whatever the moment presents.

Collaborating with Me brings blessings

that far outweigh all your troubles.

Awareness of My Presence contains joy

that can endure all eventualities.

So Amazed.

I was so amazed at the words printed in the book for

that very day.

The words I needed from the book shared as a gift.

Words that brought me to the Truth.

God is my Calm.

His Presence changes everything.

In His Presence I was able to have a Calm Day.

Amazing!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Here are the ingredients and equipment I used recently for banana chocolate chip muffins.  This is a great muffin to freeze and pull out for a breakfast treat.

Mash 3 large bananas in a small bowl.

Transfer the banana mush into a mixing bowl.
Add 3/4 cup white sugar.

In a separate small bowl, crack 1 egg and beat slightly.

Add the egg to the mixture.

I used a rubber spatula to combine the ingredients.  

Add:
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup applesauce (or 1/3 cup melted butter)

Stir in chocolate chips (to taste)

Spray muffin pan.

Spoon batter into muffin pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Amazingly moist muffins that are sure to fill any chocolate craving!  Enjoy!