Memory Lane

My friend Erica is walking through Memory Lane today and I am joining her .... a little late but nevertheless.

This was us back in 1998. We went to our church Harvest Fair and most of the men were so upset with my husband because he dressed up (doesn't he look thrilled?) LOL..... We had soo much fun and our little dog ToTo aka CORKY went along with us :) We had soo much fun and our kids talk about this still today!




Love and Blessings

A book review

This week the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance book tour is introducing A Slow Burn by Mary E. DeMuth



This is the 2nd book in the Defiance Texas Trilogy.

Emory Chance is a mother who is filled with regret. Her daughter, Daisy has been murdered and her killer is still out there. Emory is a woman who allows no one in her life or her heart. She lives life on her terms, trying to escape feeling any sort of emotion or owning up to the fact that she was a very neglectful mother. She has a drug dealer, Angus who keeps her stocked with marijuana or pills to help her forget. Even though in her mind she thinks that these pills are an escape, they prove to be visions of her sweet daughter or even worse ~ her own rejection day after day of not spending time with her daughter, sharing even a simple hug.

Hixon, an uneducated black man has been given a word from the Lord ~ Marry Emory Chance. Hixon does everything he can think of to woo Miss Emory and is rejected each and everytime. Hixon loves Jesus and it shows in everything he does. He cares for an elderly woman Muriel, who is suffering with cancer. Muriel and Hixon have a sweet friendship and Muriel is the only one who knows of this call from the Lord. Hixon is a precious man and his character will make you want to be a better person, to love as he loves and draw nearer and nearer to Jesus no matter what life throws at you.

Jed Pepper, the son of Hap, the towns pastor, was Daisy's best friend and also the one to find her body (in a clearing) after 2 months of searching. Jed carries guilt for being the last to see his friend alive and longs for Emory's forgiveness.

These characters along with others will take you on a journey. A journey of forgiveness. A journey of grace. A journey of perseverance.

I did not read the first book in the trilogy but I plan on it and look forward to reading the final book when it is released. I recommend Slow Burn to anyone. Slow Burn reaches into your heart and you will be surprised at all the layers it will touch.


Disclosure: Christian Fiction Blog Alliance sent me this book for free and asked that I give an honest review of this book. I receive no other compensation and the opinion is my humble but honest review.

Love and Blessings

My Daybook

October 27, 2009



FOR TODAY...

Outside my window... raining. cold. just makes you want to snuggle up with some books!

I am thinking.....how very blessed I am

I am thankful for... The love of the Lord. The hope that is in HIM. Family who love unconditionally. Friends who care and show an example of Jesus!

I am wearing..pj bottoms and a hoodie

I am remembering...pressing leaves in wax paper as a child in my Nanas glassed in porch in Missouri in the Fall. So many trees and soo many colors....what precious times those were!

I am going... to begin walking and watching my calories. I have done nothing but sit it seems for the last 6 months and oh my!

I am reading...Shades of Blue-Karen Kingsbury, Finding Purpose Beyond our Pain- Paul Meier My Thomas Nelson review book
The Proper Care and Feeding of our Husbands- Dr Laura and Tell Me Something True -Leila Cobo

I am hoping... things work out for me to work a couple of days for my husband doing inventory and that my Dad starts feeling stronger.

On my mind... Dad. As you all know he is always positive and encouraged. When I spoke with him this morning he sounded weak and frustrated at not knowing what was causing his weakness. He had chemo last week and each one is 3 weeks apart so he isn't due until 2 more Mondays.


Noticing that... we are getting back to the simpleness of Life.

Pondering these words... God discover Himself to the "babes" and hides himself in thick darkness from the wise and the prudent. We must simplify our approach to HIM. We must strip down to essentials (and they will be found to be blessedly few)
We must put away all effort to impress, and come with the guileless candor of childhood. If we do this, without doubt God will quickly responds. T.W.Tozer ~ The Pursuit of God

From the kitchen... Working together with my husband....low calorie salads, grilled chicken, steamed veggies

Around the house...quiet evenings reading together with a warm crackling fire

One of my favorite things~ planning, anticipating the Holidays ahead :)

From my picture journal

Today is Nerd day at school ~ did pretty good didn't he....LOL






Love and Blessings

Manic Monday

It was a nice weekend this weekend. Gorgeous weather on Saturday and yesterday well, it was cloudy but still the temperatures were nice and we still have the windows open and are relishing in this Fall weather.

My daughter wanted to earn some money to purchase an Iphone since her contract was up and she was eligible for an upgrade. So since she was paying we told her she could get one. So she asked her nanny what she could do to earn some money. Only grandma's would come up with something like this! "I know what you can do! I want you to take some pictures ~ some fall foliage shots and then I will mat and frame them!" My daughter loved this and well, she has such an eye. So we all went out as a family and she took some shots for her nanny. She will have to go out again but here a just a couple of shots she got.










She wanted to take a few pics of her Bubba so he got to model for her



Isn't this funny!


On Sunday we cleaned out closets. I held on to summer as long as I possibly could!!! Here is a silly pic of my DH. He was working on the coat closet and asked me if this was his jacket or mine??? LOL What do you think?



and finally today is crazy hair day at my Sons school. We woke up early and we sprayed, and we sprayed, and we sprayed.







Have a Blessed Monday!

Spiritual Sundays

I love Spiritual Sundays. This week it seems as though there were many heavy hearts and I want to share one of our favorite worship leaders and one, just one of his MANY beautiful songs with you. His name is Jason Upton. I pray that the words
You're Not Alone will minister to your hearts and you will be comforted and know that the Lord is with you ALWAYS. HE loves you and longs to carry your burdens, rejoice in your happiness and just share in your every day things.....


PLEASE visit Charlotte and Ginger and see more posts here! You will be blessed ~

.


Love and Blessings

Friday Funnies

Ok so my very popular and Oh SO FUNNY Friend Kim shares her blog with us on Fridays with her Friday Funnies! Today in keeping with her theme ;) (no theme really but I seem to finding funnies that go along with hers so there ya have the theme) I am reminding you all NOT TO DRINK AND DRIVE OR FOR SOME WALK! AND DRIVE ENJOY :) THIS IS FUNNY



HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE :)

Thankful Thursday

O0h how I love Thankful Thursdays. I can sit and read some of the Thankful posts and just cry for the Goodness of the Lord just consumes me. Today has been one of those days! As I sit in the quiet and see outside of my window the beautiful colors of Fall and the precious Deer that are grazing along through my backyard and the squirrels attempting to eat the seed from the beautiful and oh so colorful variation of birds ~ I am just amazed at my FAther.

Today we are encouraged to share the things that make us go hmmmm. I'll be honest ~ that would be a post for my Husband because he is a deep thinker as all melancholies are. They look at something like The Grand Canyon and say hmmm, How did the Lord do this. Or how about when the Lord was a pillar of Cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex 13:21) that seriously makes me go hmmmm. What about manna falling from the sky ~ isn't that awesome! but really don't you just wanna say hmmm to that?? I could go on and on !!! We serve a MIGHT GOD who is STILL IN THE "HMMM" er I mean MIRACLE making business today!! I am so thankful to have a relationship with HIM, to know HIM, to share my heart with HIM, to lay my burdens at HIS feet, to see HIS Goodness and His amazing work that makes us go HMMMM.

I would encourage you today to spend some time quieting your mind, your heart and allow HIM to speak to you. Remind yourself of the amazing things He IS, or has done. For you or in HIS Word! I promise you will be Moved, Encouraged, and mostly you will be Thankful


Go visit Lynn and you will see some pretty awesome and thankful posts here

Love and Blessings

PUMPKIN BARS and my little Pumpkin :)

Ok who likes to get new recipes? I know I do and that is why I am entering my friend Diana's giveaway. Go here to find some new recipes and learn about the giveway but hurry it ends this Friday. Plenty of time but please if you go visit TELL HER I SENT YOU ok :)

Here are my ingredients



Blend them all together



and bake for 25 min. CAN YOU SMELL THAT PUMPKIN SMELL.....MMMMMMMMM


Now, put on a pot of coffee and enjoy





Here is what you will need: Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs
1 1/2 T cinnamon
1 - 16oz. can pumpkin
1 tsp. salt
1 c. oil
2 c sugar
2 c flour
2 t soda
blend all ingredients together with mixer and pour into 9x13 baking dish (greased slightly) bake 25 min. or until done.
cover with cream cheese icing. ENJOY

now here is my favorite part! THIS IS MY LITTLE PUMPKIN.....our sweet Rylee


Isn't she adorable!!


Happy Baking!

I want to break free

Today Instead of sharing my Simple Womans Daybook (which I am not sure I will continue with) I am just going to share from my heart the ramblings that are taking place.

I spoke with my Dad yesterday. He had his first round of chemo and sounded good. This was a talk about life ~ what's going on in our lives, what we did over the weekend, how are the kids instead of the status quo...".the dr said this, we are going to do that"
It was so sweet and it spoke volumes to my heart. One time this summer my dad said to me as he was leaving a message for his brother ~ there he is all caught up on what is going on. I said "Dad, people don't just want an update~ they want to hear your voice, your heart, how you are doing ~ not what is the latest report!" It breaks my heart that he doesn't know that we genuinely just care about HIM and not just the FACTS of him. Anyway when I got off the phone I just cried and thanked the Lord for the precious conversation.

It seems everything I am hearing or reading is about slowing down our lives. You know when the Lord is trying to tell you something.....that message seems to be the theme in everything you hear, read, or talk to others about. But seriously how much slower can it be? I have been DOWN for 3 weeks now and am asking the Lord what exactly that looks like?

I am going to spend the rest of the day in the kitchen....I am going to join my new friend Diana at To Everything a Season and enter her giveaway and also get some really great fall recipes! So if you want to ~ go visit Diana here and come back tomorrow for my entry :) PUMPKIN BARS....YUMMY

May the Lord bless you and keep you and cause His face to shine on you, may He turn his face towards you and give you Peace!

Number 6 24-26

Update

After 3 long (VERY LONG) weeks of sleeping in a recliner due to the rotator cuff surgery I am officially back in my own bed~
Can we get a HALLELUAH? PRAISE THE LORD? a WAHOOOOO!!

I told my DH that I really wanted to try so he packed me like a fish on ice :) putting pillows on my side and he stayed real close to me so I wouldn't move or turn over on my shoulder and it worked like a charm. Now that he is leaving :( and I am praying I can stay there (in the bed) but will have to see. I am still having alot of pain and will see the Dr. this Wednesday and he will tell me if I need to have an MRI done to see if I damaged it or if I am just slow healing. Hopefullly it is the latter!

Today is the last day of Fall Break. We all had a good time and spent some really good quality time together! Today, the kids and I are just cleaning and getting back in gear for school. What are you all doing on this Monday? Did everyone else have fall break? How was is it?

Love and Blessings