Temptation! Apple Pie Recipe

Ever been tempted?

Looking at a neighbors apple tree with the fruit hanging over the fence...it all looks so tempting!

Can't help wondering what that neighbor plans to do with his abundant crop of apples. Think of all those apple pies, tarts and goodies....

Well in the meantime here is a nice Apple Pie recipe...just in case you get a bunch of those delicious apples from somewhere...

Carmel Apple Pie

(If apples are sliced thicker than suggested they won't be done in the baking time allotted, reminds Carolyn Imig, award winning pie baker at Wayne's Family Restaurant in Ocanto, Wisconsin. She adds that this pie is "great warm or cold. with whipped cream, ice cream or on it's own." Prep time: 40 minutes. Bake 1 hour, 25 minutes. Cool 2 hours.

(Pastry for single crust pie, such as Helen's recipe is below.)

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 1/4 pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 6 cups)

1/2 to 3/4 dulce de leche ice cream topping or caramel ice cream topping, slightly warmed

1/2 cup coarsely walnuts or pecans, toasted

Whipped cream or ice cream (optional)

1. Prepare and roll out pastry. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Trim overhanging edge to even 1 inch all the way around. Tuck the crust under and flute the edge. Do not prick pastry. Line pastry with a double thickness of foil; add pie weights, if you like. Bake in a 400* oven for 15 minutes to partly bake pastry shell. Remove foil and pie weights. Reduce oven temperature to 375*.

2. For crumb topping: In a medium bowl stir together flour and 2/3 cup sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in cold butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar and cinnamon. Add apple slices. Gently toss until coated. Transfer apple mixture to partially baked pastry shell. Press fruit gently with your hands to provide a relatively flat, mounded surface on which to add the crumb topping. Sprinkle crumb over the apple mixture. To prevent overbrowning, loosely cover pie with foil.

4. Place pie plate on middle shelf in oven; place foil-lined baking sheet on lower rack beneath the pie. Bake in 375* oven 30 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 40 to 50 minutes more or until fruit is tender, filling is bubbly and crumb topping is golden brown. Cool on wire rack at least 2 hours before serving.

5. To serve, drizzle warm ice cream topping and sprinkle with nuts. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if you like. Makes 8 servings.

Note: To replace the dulce de leche ice cream topping, in a small saucepan, heat and stir 3/4 cup vanilla caramels and 1 tablespoon of half-and-half or light cream over low heat until melted and smooth.

Nutritional facts per serving: 710 calories, 27 g fat, 60 mg chol, 412 mg sodium, 114 g carbo, 3 g fiber, 8 g pro.

Pastry for single crust pie:

Helen's Single-crust Pie Pastry

(Helen Fletcher, owner of the St. Louis specialty bakery Truffes, shares her no-fail pie crust. The generous amount makes it easy to roll out.

Start to finish: 15 minutes.

1 3/4 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces

3 tablespoons shortening

5 tablespoons cold water

2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg or 1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar

1. In a medium, combine flours and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter and shortening until pieces are pea-size.

2. In a small bowl, mix 4 tablespoons of the water, the egg, and lemon juice. Using large fork, toss flour and egg mixtures together. If any parts are dry, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of water, gently toss to moisten (should be a mass of very large crumbs).

3. Turn crumb mixture out onto lightly floured surface. Using your fingers, gently form a ball. With a bit of flour, knead 4 or 5 times to form a ball. Flatten into a disc about 1 inch thick. If necessary, wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until easy to handle.

4. On a slightly floured surface, roll pastry from center to edges into a circle 12 inches in diameter. To transfer pastery, wrap it around rolling pin. Unroll pastry into a 9-inch pie plate without stretching it. Gently fit into dish.

5. Trim the overhang edge to an even 1 inch all the way around. Tuck the crust under and flute the edge. Bake as directed in indiviule recipes. Makes 1 pie crust.

Recipes from September issue of Midwest Magazine.

Avalanche City! Need to Come Clean....

OH NO!!! AVALANCHE!!!
What a mess! What now???

Of course you have NEVER experienced such a problem in your life have you? Just kidding! Of course you have.

I was just putting something on top of the pile on the coffee table when all of a sudden everything started to slide...pictures and notebooks and...
I had no choice but to clean up the mess. All those projects that I had been working on needed to be sorted out and put to some sort of order again. Not to mention pieces of junk that somehow found it's way between all that mountain of projects.

Sometimes we find ourselves having an "avalanche" spiritually, mentally or emotionally and we just need to take some time to clean up the mess that has accumulated in our lives.

We get so busy that we just keep piling things up until "WHAMO!" it just GOES and then we find ourselves forced to face reality. If this is where you find yourself in your "world" maybe Maxine's words of encouragement is for you too. I know it sure was a great reminder for me!

Maxine sure knows what she's talking about.

Got Coffee Jitters? Try Ours~~~

Maybe your coffee has you craving more because you have the jitters! Or you can't get your day started without getting your cup of joe first! Well whether it is some well known brand or just any ol' coffee will do sort of thing...that is coffee 1.0.

Now there is coffee 2.0 instead and not only do you get more energy, feel better longer and not get the jitters or highs and lows anymore you also would be more healthy in the process. Would that sound good to you?

Try our Gano Excell coffee. Check it out at https://www.myganocafe.com/selfstarters and contact us for a sample. You will be glad you did. I know we were pleasantly surprised ourselves. (There is tea, hot chocolate, mocha, and oatmeal too.)

Have a great day!

Catching Wild Pigs!

A chemistry professor in a large college had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab the Professor noticed one young man (an exchange student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if his back hurt.

The Professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government.

In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked him a strange question. He asked, "Do you know how to catch wild pigs?"

The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side. The pigs, who are used to eating the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd.

Suddenly the pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they forget how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept captivity.

The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America. The government keeps pushing us toward socialism and keeps spreading the free corn in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for earned unearned income, tobacco subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc.. While we continually lose our freedoms....just a little at a time.

One should always remember: There is no such a thing as a free lunch! Also, a politician will never provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it for yourself.

Also, if you see that all of this wonderful government 'help' is a problem confronting the future of democracy in America, you might want to pass this along to your friends. If you think the free ride is essential to your way of life you will probably want to ignore this, but God help you when the gate slams shut!

Keep your eyes on the newly elected politicians who are about the slam the gate shut on America!

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have." ~ Thomas Jefferson

Author Unknown

Bouquet of Roses!

Here is a lovely bouquet of roses, all on one branch! How can one bush produce so many blossoms all in one place at once is beyond me, but it makes me smile as I ponder their togetherness!

Our lives are like this too, if we think about it. Together we can make a beautiful "bouquet".

Here is our family, minus a couple of special people who were unable to be with us for this occasion. Together we make up a fun loving, tangly, goofy, and sometimes thorny bunch! But we all belong together and are but one branch. With the in-laws there are other branches that bloom in other ways and they complement our branch with their colorful personalities. Just as there are thorns that come with the roses, there is the beauty that blossoms out from each one of us in our own unique ways. God created us all to be part of His branch.

Jesus said: I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:5

Thank you Lord for the beauty of these roses and for reminding me of the beauty of the family that surrounds me. Without them I am nothing. We support and depend on one another in the good times and the bad. But our ultimate source is in You! In Jesus precious name, Amen!

Family Get Together On Whidbey Island!

Yesterday, our whole family enjoyed a day at Sandy Hook on Whidbey Island. The weather was perfect, nice and sunny and warm. We even had extra guests, Brian's three friends, Joseph, Andrew and Jonathan and Kevin's friend Jake and Linda's friend, John. Almost sounds like we had the apostles with us doesn't it?

We celebrated everybody's birthday and anniversary with, cupcakes almost too pretty to eat!

Here is Kevin with niece, Sarah. They are in matching color pink! And get a load of those really cute pink boots she has on.

We enjoyed the scenery and the picnic area. The kids enjoyed the play area out beyond the picnic tables. We hope to do an annual family get together in the summer instead of getting everyone together over the winter holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Here at Sandy Hook we could Bar-B-Q, swim, beachcomb, go boating, kids have a nice play area, and there is a basketball court nearby as well as other activities. The cabana is a nice place to serve the meals from or just to get in out of the hot sunshine. It is also a nice place to view the sunsets from as well.

Last evening there was a gorgeous sunset though we left before the really crimson and spectacular part.
This was the best I could do before we left as far as the sunset is concerned. It got much redder than this. God just paints such beauty into the sky for us to enjoy. Wow! What a beautiful end to a beautiful day with our fun family. Thank you Lord Jesus for all your blessings you have bestowed on us this day.

MY HAPPY PLACE !!!

Roberts Creek, B.C., Canada

Roberts Creek has always been my "Happy Place". My grandparents had a small cottage there near the beach and this is "our" beach! We would spend our two weeks vacation there with Gram and Grampop every summer from when I was about 9 years old until a couple of years after I graduated from high school. They sold the place and moved to Haney, B.C. when Gram's sister was widowed and became ill. But the memories of this place and of my two cousins, Pene and Poppe and aunt and uncle and all the many friends we made up there are forever imbedded in my mind.

Typical of the rocks found on the beach!

The beach is very rocky, but we made a lot of use of the sandbar when the tide was out.


Here I am sitting on one of the big rocks out front of Gram and Grampop's place looking north. You can tell by the look on my face that this IS indeed my special "Happy Place" on earth.

Just a little to the left of me in this picture is Gull Island seen in the picture to the left. It is, I was told, where the Sea Gulls have their young. The only way to get up to Roberts Creek is by boat. But that is all I will say about it. Already too many people have discovered it and it is not the private beach it once was when we used to go there.

And here is a sample of some of the rocks on this beach. Great for beachcombers. But I never found any agates on this beach.

I used to stand on the big rocks and sing to the waves and just praise the Lord for this beautiful place. Many inspired writings were borne out of this place...what I call Heaven on Earth!

Thank you Jesus for giving me this place to remember! Amen!

Wonders Never Cease!

I had long ago given up ever seeing a bloom on this rosebush that my daughter, Linda had given me a long time ago. It is an English Rose. So Saturday when I got ready to go out I noticed this pink rose hanging out and it caught my attention. (Course anything pink will catch my attention anyway!) I looked at it and wondered, hmmm, what rose is that one? Then as I looked at it some more I realized...to my utter surprise, that it was that English Rose that Linda had given me at least 9 years ago anyway. It bloomed a few times and then just got spindly and didn't do anything. Course if I had maintained it better it might have done better! Well I must have pruned it this year when I pruned a bunch of my other roses and lo and behold...IT BLOOMED!!! So the lesson here is we all need to be "pruned" now and then so we can "bloom" better or even just grow into what God would have us be. Look at how lovely it is and to think I have been missing out on it's beauty all these years because I neglected to prune it. It is lovely and so delicate too. And the fragrance is sweet. May our lives be like a rose that, even if we are "pruned" back by adversity, we can bloom even more beautiful than before. Or still bloom where we are planted.

Thank you Lord Jesus, for the adversity that came into my life to make me into the person I am today. I hope the fragrance of my life will be a blessing to others and that my legacy will be one of beauty and of hope. In your precious name, Amen!

Isaac's First Birthday !

Isaac's First Birthday Party! (via Skype)

My Hiding Place

Boy, sometimes I just kind of feel like crawling into a nice quiet place to get away from all the "noise" of this world. The evil that I see all around us in the news. I relish the tranquility of a peaceful place where only the birds can be heard, or a breeze or even the rain sometimes. It is healing to the soul.

Our world needs so much of what God has to offer it. But our world is rejecting Him and I realize that our days are numbered. I am so grateful for each day God allows me to wake up in the morning and to live another day of life. To see the beauty of His creation around me. But the evil of our society spoils the scenery with it's ugliness. I so need more of God's love to overcome the offensiveness of the filth around me in this world in order to reach out beyond the filth to the heart of those who need Him. But I find it so hard. When I see the evil that some people are capable of every day in the news...I am so overwhelmed by it that it takes me awhile to catch my breath in order to gain perspective. I no sooner gain perspective on one set of circumstances when more just keep coming at me until I just want to run to Jesus and hide. He is my refuge and my strength. My hiding place. I do a lot of praying for these people, but sometimes even that seems too hard to do. Where to start?

I have always been repulsed by sin even as a little child. I have a lot of intolerance for injustices. I can see why God hates sin! I have to say, that I am just glad that I am not God or I would just want to annihilate the whole world. It humbles me to see how Jesus took all mans ugly sins, past, present and future upon himself on the cross...and forgave all of us. Something that we just don't even deserve.

I try to do good. I try to follow Jesus. But I know I fall short in so many ways. Lord thank you for loving me and for forgiving me of my own sins...of judging others, of being impatient with the shortcomings of others, for being so critcal, for letting others down.

When I Survey The Wonderous Cross

When I survey the wonderous cross
on which the Prince of glory died;
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it Lord, that I should boast,
save in the death of Christ my God;
all the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them all to his blood.

See from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did 'ere such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so devine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.

This is all I can offer to Jesus right now.
Amen!

Happy First Birthday, Isaac!

Today is our little grandson, Isaac's first birthday! He is such a happy little guy and so busy discovering things in life. This picture was taken of him at 11 months old standing up at Auntie Lisa's. Trying to take a few steps without realizing it. : )

Now he chatters like a magpie and trys to say words and a few do come out like "Dad-deee" and "Doo-eee" for his "Huey" sock monkey, his favorite "friend".

Happy First Birthday, Big guy! We love you so much! You are a delightful young man! And we are enjoying watching you blossom out as you are growing up.

Love and hugs and kisses from Grammy Lynn and Grampa Bob!

Our 49th Anniversary!

Today is our 49th Anniversary!

Looking forward to celebrating our 50th next year!

I remember my Grandparents celebrating their 50th anniversary and thought, wow, that's a long time! I hope I can do that someday. My other grandparents were married nearly 65 years and that was amazing to me! So with that in mind we still have some living to do yet and I hope we can do as well as my grandparents did!

Here's to us! We have endured so far!

Having six wonderful kids and five wonderful grandkids, we have been blessed!

Thank you Lord for bringing us this far through the tough times as well as the good ones. In Jesus name. Amen!

Taking Time Out!

Ah, much cooler today! Kind of the lull before the fun begins next week when Kevin arrives for a long weekend visit. He is bringing his friend, Jake with him. Too bad that the wives aren't coming with them this trip. I am sure the time will go all to fast.

Tomorrow is our 49th anniversary! Being the middle of the week however, Bob will be working as usual. We don't have any plans at this point but the week isn't over yet either.

We hope to see our little grandson, Isaac's first birthday party on Saturday via Skype. All these modern inventions that make such a thing possible. Next best thing to being there. Now if I can just get my weekly grocery shopping out of the way in time to get up to Julie's to see him on her computer. (At our age we don't move as fast as we used to. )

Here is Isaac with his beloved "Huey" sock monkey he got at the Snohomish Farmer's Market when they were up in June!

I am kind of "celebrationed" out at this point... too much of a good thing can also get old fast too. No wonder we get the nasty hot weather...so we can appreciate the cool weather when we have that. And no wonder we get the bad days...so we can appreciate the good ones. There is always that silver lining that comes along after the dreary stretch in life. So I am grateful for times to just rest and enjoy the peace and quiet. Truely grateful! In fact I enjoy the tranquilty of being older and less rushed. Time to just enjoy watching the birds, watching the clouds roll by, watching the moon shine brightly at night through the trees casting shadows across the yard at night. Time to just reflect on life, on the day, on memories of the past, on people in my life both past and present. Time to think about Jesus and all He has done for me and all that He means to me! Time to just count my blessings!

Sometimes we can just be on the go so much, that we savor none of it. Today take time to reflect. Take time to say "Thank You, Lord" for all the blessings! Time to just enjoy the music and let it float you to the moon and back with it's lilt. (And I don't mean that hard rock stuff either!)

Take time to enjoy the LIFE you live! You only have one time to live it, but if you cram too much of a good thing into it you will remember none of it. It will all just become a blurr. Savor it and make it quality instead of quantity!

"Only one life, twill soon be past! Only what's done for Christ will last!"

Forgive Me Lord!

Wow, another hot day again today. I am getting the message Lord. If this is what Hell is like, I NEVER want to go there! And of course in this place I was convicted that my "yelling" warnings about the national health care plan probably wasn't a good idea. Forgive me, Lord, it is just that I was so convinced myself that it is a bad thing that I just wanted everyone to see it too. But I didn't mean to insult their intelligence. Sometimes I just get a bit carried away and empassioned about something and I just go off. I'm sorry. I will try to do better in the future. Life isn't just about these things here on earth, though we do get into battles over them, don't we Lord?
Help me, Lord, to be more sensitive to others when I get all wound up about things and am sensing the urgent! I need to remember that you are in control over all things and you don't need my help to fix the problems of the world. So I give this health care situation over to you Lord and know that you have my best interests at heart. Help me to trust my life and health and future to your keeping.
In Jesus precious name,
Amen

Heaven Help Us!!!

I woke up with this verse going through my mind this a.m.

"For there will come a time when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."

II Timothy 4: 3-4

Yesterday I sent out some pertinent information about the new Obama Health Care plan for everyone to read and I got not ONE response from anyone!!! Maybe they just hadn't had time to read it yet as it was a nice day and perhaps everyone was out and about. But I would have thought that even one person would have had some response to it. I know it sure shook me to the core as I read the overview. I am not going to go into the details here. But I will put the link to it if you care to look at it. ( http://www.liberty.edu/media/9980/attachments/healthcare_overview_obama_072909.pdf )Personally I was appauled at what this socialistic health care is about. It is SO not what this country is about plus it is UNSUSTAINABLE and we tax payers will be digging our own graves financially if we THINK this is the answer to health care.

So since it is looking like we are heading into "ObamaCare" anyway against our will...I think this is the ideal answer to it...

The Perfect Solution to Senior Health Care

While discussing the upcoming Universal Health Care Program with a friend the other day, I think I have found the perfect solution. I am sure you have heard the ideas that if you are a senior, you need to suck it up and give up the idea that you need health care. A new hip? Unheard of. We simply can't afford to take care of you anymore. You don't need any medications for high blood pressure, heart problems, etc. Let's take care of the young people. After all, they will be ruling the work very soon.

So here is the solution: When you turn 70 (I just turned 73), you get a gun and 4 bullets. You are allowed to shoot 2 senators and 2 representitives. Of course, you will be sent to prison where you will get 3 meals a day, a roof over your head and all the health care you need!!! New teeth, great!!! New glasses. No problem. New hip, knee, lung, heart? Well bring it on. And who will be paying for all of this? The same govenment that just told you that you are too old for health care. And, since you are a prisoner, you don't have to pay income tax.


If you really want to make a difference please contact your representitives and even your senators, even though apparently they have already passed this monstrosity as of yesterday.

Do whatever you can to make your voice heard loud and clear to our illustrious leaders. They don't have to experience what they are forcing on us. Why, then, should we accept this garbage they are thrusting on us? I for one vehemiently am opposed to this. In my 73 years of history in this country this is NOT FREEDOM and NOT THE AMERICAN WAY folks? We are being sold down the tubes. I am angry!! And for good reason. I want better than this for my grandchildren and future great grandchildren. Or Lord PLEASE COME QUICKLY!

(And now I am beginning to sound just like my sister!!)

Still Celebrating....

It was a fun day with Brian taking me up to Karen's today in his new car. Runs great too! We had fun with Rebecca and Sarah too. Rebecca wanted Grandma to read several stories to her which Grandma was happy to do. Little Sarah reminded me of my own curly hair when I was a little girl.
We had a nice supper with them and then came home to find Linda here waiting for me. She had brought me a lovely bouquet of flowers and a nice necklace she found at the Farmers Market in Snohomish today. Also got a lovely card and note and gift certicate to Olive Garden from Kevin and Rachel and Isaac.

Isaac has a birthday coming up next week. So is our 49th anniversary. Julie's birthday is on the 3rd so we have been having lots to celebrate lately.

Karen had a nice strawberry short cake for us after a nice supper this evening. I am afraid that had she put any candles on it it would have looked like Bob's ...about to burn the house down. So thankfully she didn't put any on it.

And thankfully the temps are going down slowly. Whew! At last a breath of fresh air in sight.

I am grateful for all the nice greetings I received for my birthday and I am just grateful for my life. Life is fragile and I am well aware of that, so you know, we only have TODAY! I am living life with joy and gratitude. Each day is a gift from the Lord. I know I say that a lot, but it is so true. I don't take it forgranted. And life is too short to waste any of it on being negative, grouchy or angry or bitter. I give all my disappointments over to Jesus and let Him carry them for me. He wants me (and you too) to have life to the fullest and to make use of the time we have here on earth to His glory!

Lord, I Give You My Heart

by Steve Murray

This is my desire, to honour You

Lord with all my heart I worship You

all I have within me

I give you praise

All that I adore is in You!

Chorus:

Lord I give you my heart

I give you my soul

I live for you alone

Every breath that I take

Every moment I'm awake

Lord have Your way in me.

(Repeat chorus)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

Me and my cousin, Lleana

Today is my birthday...73 today! (Not the temperature either). And I am hoping for 73 more....7 + 3 that is...= 10! Gotcha on that one didn't I? It is really a hot one today setting a record for this year. Some were reporting temps from 101* to 107*.

But I am just happy to be alive and grateful for another day to enjoy life. God is so good.

Lleana and I went to the Olive Garden for lunch today and enjoyed their delicious salad and air conditioning! Their wait staff sang their Italian version of Happy Birthday to me and it was amazing how the whole restaurant got quiet all of a sudden. They said they hoped they didn't embarrass me too much. Me? Embarrassed? Nah! I was having a great time. Then afterward we went over to Michaels and shopped their bargains. And then came home. She wanted to get home before the traffic got too bad. And because her house is cooler than mine today she wanted to get where it was cooler.

Julie called first this a.m. and I answered the phone: "Happy Birthday to me!" and she laughed and said "Mom, you are stealing my line" or something to that effect. She thinks I am incorgable. Then Kevin called right as I was trying to hang up from talking to Julie.

Later Bob went off to work and I thought I had better make a pit stop before Lleana got here. So wouldn't you know....IT JUST NEVER FAILS...ya get in the durn bathroom and the phone rings...well I thought I heard it anyway but the fan was making a noise so I wasn't quite sure until I heard Bob saying something about "Aren't you going to get the phone?" and then I am thinking "Why is Bob home...I thought he went to work!" Well it was Brian on the phone so Bob told him that his car got stranded about 3 or 4 blocks from home and he hadn't taken his cell phone with him either so had to walk home to call work to let them know that he might not be able to get in today...So I see Brian coming into the driveway ...that familier red car you know... and so I went to greet him at the door and then I looked ....and said "That....isn't....YOUR....car....!"

and Brian smiling said "It is now...as of yesterday!" I said " YOU bought a new car????" We had to go out and take a look at it.

He had driven down to Portland, OR. to look at this car, but by the time he got down there his car was heating up in this hot weather and he wasn't even sure he would get home in it...so he ended up negotiating and finally bought the car. So his old one is still down there and he has to go back down to get it...Remember...this old car of his has around 520,000 miles on it and is literally falling apart. He went against all his own good senses and bought this car without checking it out first...fortunately it is in great shape and he got a good car. Yup...another red Acura Integra...And here is Brian with his new car! Way to go Brian and YEAAAAA! Now we don't have to prop up the glove compartment with a stick anymore. Plus a bunch of other stuff.

It has been a whacky, sunny hot and wonderful day full of surprises and greetings and I couldn't ask for a more wonderful day than today! Thank You Jesus!

Discerning The Difference...

There is no doubt that the weather is on everyones mind today. We all feel like a puddle of sweat. The last I checked it was 92* by around 6 p.m. this evening. My fingers are still so sticky that it is hard to type without making a ton of mistakes. My fingers stick to the keys and then I can't move on to the next ones with out first having to "unglue" my fingers from the first ones.

Maybe this is just a little taste of what hell is like. I don't need to be convinced that it isn't a place I would want to spend eternity. I think God gives us days like this and experiences that are unpleasant so that we can appreciate the good days and experiences and circumstances when they come along. Without the contrast how would we be able to discern the difference? Or how would we be grateful unless we have bad experiences and days to make the good days look even better?

So whenever you go through a bad time in life just know that you are being given a glimpse of what hell is like so that you will appreciate the good times even more. And better yet, that you praise God for those good times as you envision what Heaven will be like.

Here is a poem that seems to tell it better than I can...

The Weaver

by Unknown

My life is but a weaving

Between my Lord and me.

I cannot choose the colors

He weaveth steadily.

Oftimes he weaveth sorrow

And I, in foolish pride,

Forget he sees the upper

And I the underside.

Not 'til the loom is silent,

And the shuttles cease to fly,

Shall God unroll the canvas

And reveal the reasons why...

The dark threads are as needful

In the skillful weavers hand

As the threads of gold and silver

In the pattern he has planned.

May God reveal the pattern in your life and help you appreciate the process as you go through life.

Heavenly Father,

Sometimes it is hard to accept the frustrations, the discomforts and the pain that comes into our life. Help us to accept it as part of your plan for us that we can't see right now as to how it will all play out in the final pattern. It will be more beautiful than any of us can imagine. Help us to trust you for the outcome.

In Jesus precious name..

Amen!

Hot Predictions! OH MY!

Just when we thought it couldn't get any hotter here. HA! Guess what I get for my birthday! 93*! Yup! Sunday was suppose to be the hottest day and then it was SUPPOSE to start cooling off but then something shifted and now Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be the build up days to 93* ON my birthday.

So, ok, why am I complaining?

Well for one thing my cousin and I do our annual "birthday celebration" (it's the day I get to be older than her) on my birthday every year and one year it was 90* when we were at Country Village and the best the shops could do was use fans which hardly made a dent in the heat. We were wilting and looking for any place that had some air conditioning. We headed to my son's house but he wasn't home so we ended up at Denny's for a cool drink and some recovery time.

So to think about 93* on that day is daunting to say the least. Now where do we go for a nice cool lunch and where do we go for our shopping expedition? We don't "DO" malls. We like the thrift shops or antique shops the best. Most of the places we like to go don't have air conditioning...but...we might just get lucky.

Well I will let you know how it turns out!

Memo From God!

To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: GOD
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE

This is God. Today I will be handling All of your problems for you. I do Not need your help. So, have a nice day.

I love you. And, remember....if life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do Not attempt to resolve it yourself! Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. I will get to it in MY TIME. All situations will be resolved, but My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed in the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now. Should you decide to send this to a friend; Thank you. You may have touched their life in ways you will never know!

Now have a nice day.
God