Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts a “Friday Fave Five” in which we share our five favorite things from the past week. Click on the button to read more of the details, and you can visit Susanne to see the list of others’ favorites or to join in.
1. My Swiffer Wet-Jet. No, this is not a paid product placement. It doesn’t totally eliminate the need for an occasional deeper cleaning, but it is great for a quick mop-up.
2. This bug zapper.
It smaller than a tennis racket but larger than a fly swatter, which is nice because that makes it easier to actually connect with the bug. You press a button on the side while swinging at a bug, and when it connects it zaps it. Jesse even saw smoke ascending from a wasp he zapped. 🙂 That may sound cruel, but it is probably better than drowning it in bug spray or whapping it with a fly swatter and having it flail around til someone can grab it with a tissue and flush it.
3. I know I mentioned Texas Sheet Cake last summer when Jeremy made one for my birthday last summer, but I had a hankering for it again, so I made one. So good. Officially my favorite cake. I need to find or figure out a way to make a smaller version, though. It makes a cake the size of a cookie sheet, and though it’s flat, it’s very rich. It was all too easy to cut off a little square every time I went into the kitchen. To cut it down to just enough for everyone to have one serving would be perfect.
4. Ladies who extend themselves to my mother-in-law. She is friendly when people speak to her but has never been one to initiate friendships. She’s uncomfortable around a lot of people and has always been content to have just a few special friends. So it has been nice since we moved her here that a few ladies at church make a special point to come over and hug her and talk with her, and a couple of them go to see her about once a week. That’s a blessing to us as well as to her.
5. Fun family conversations, especially when we’re all together. This was a while back, but Jeremy was showing us some of these photos resulting from a man who gets up in the wee hours of the morning to take pictures of sleeping bugs covered in heavy dew. Though the shots are amazing, Jason remarked how odd it would seem to be on a date with a girl and try to explain doing this for a living.
I wish I could remember the exact words, because the conversation was so funny, but it developed into a scenario of the guy then throwing water on the girl so he could take her picture and the date not ending well.
I love my family! ♥
And just one more: I know I have mentioned this before as well, but I am amazed and grateful that the Lord meets our needs for the day so aptly in His Word. I was reading something a while back about how the writer preferred church services that were spontaneous and wanted the preacher to say whatever came to him at the moment rather than studying and planning ahead, as if the only way the Holy Spirit works is by spontaneity, giving someone what they need in the moment. He may do that sometimes, but He also works through preparation, planning, and study as we seek Him through the whole process. And this is a perfect example, when a passage I am reading in the course of progressing through the Bible, written thousands of years ago, or a devotional book written decades or even hundreds of years ago, has exactly what I need today when no one but the Lord could have known what my particular needs for the day would have been. Marvelous!
Happy Friday, and I hope you have a great weekend!
Stray Thoughts 
Smiling over Jeremy’s comment.
Thinking we need to get a bug zapper before summer sets in (those things are amazing!)
Wanting Texas sheet cake because I know exactly what you are talking about! =)
Hope you have a great weekend!
Your LAST thing is sO true! Our young Vicar – he prays and has our whoooole congregation praying that the words he speaks to us on Sunday mornings will BE the words of God’s choosing! This young man is going to be such a GREAT Pastor one day! I just wish we could KEEP him! However… he is being trained to be a church planter – and he will do very well at THAT too!
I love my swiffer jet mop too! They are very handy little contraptions! Not sure I’d care as much for the zapper. I “usually” prefer to just wait until they get near the door and then shoo them out. But occasionally I do whap ’em with the fly swatter.
Family conversations ARE the best! I totally agree! My kids crack me up ALL the time!
Oh! Couldn’t you cut that cake in half and freeze half of it?
I like your story about your MIL. (Mine is similar… ie. not a social butterfly.) We’re all different aren’t we?
Blessings, e-Mom :~D
What an interesting bug zapper. I’ve not seen one like it. I love your #4. It is so nice when other people help take care of the people we love!
We had one of those bug zappers and the kids got a hold of it and tried to zap each other. Kids will be kids. They thought it a riot. The adults were not amused. I’ve seen the smoke rising from that thing when ya zap a bug also. It’s awesome 🙂 Morbid I know. Love the family conversation. Nothing better. Have a wonderful Friday 🙂
Barbara,
What a sweet week you have had… in relationships, and in that Texas Sheet Cake! I adore Texas Sheet Cakes!!! 😉
Barbara, I know just what you mean about the last one. This is probably my fourth year through the Daily Light and I’m still amazed at how often the verses will be absolutely targeted to where I am today.
Do you have a half-sheet pan? Would the sheet cake work if you simply halve the ingredients?
I love my Swiffer wet jet too. I never thought I would but for the quick clean up it’s awesome.
I have got to get me one of them bug zappers.
On your last point, I am of the view point that study and preparation must happen on the part of the teacher. But then if the teacher is open God can speak through that message. I believe like Melli stated prayer is key, seeking God for what that congregation needs that Sunday. And then within that God can speak spontaneously. I’ve found that a lot of time if it’s all spontaneous with no prep, there’s lots of stories and bunny trails, which is fun and good, but no real meat of the Word and I’m a Word girl. I like lots of scripture in a message. Anyway, just my opinion.
LOVE that bug zapper..I need to get me one of those!
LOVE your words about the Holy Spirit…I am much more into the study and prep part….but I do know that sometimes the Holy Spirit moves in such a way that the pastor’s notes “go out the window” so to speak…sometimes it is a beautiful thing. But I prefer organization, planning and preparation…..and then see what the Lord might do with His servants.
Happy Weekend!
Barbara, that recipe should be very easy to cut in 1/2
The 1/8 tsp salt would be 1/2’d to a pinch I guess.
Everything else looks pretty cut and dried to 1/2 it.
You may have to sit down with a piece of paper and write out the 1/2’s so you don’t get confused while making it. Some of the ingredients would have to be switched to tablespoons or teaspoons perhaps.
I’ve used a bug zapper on several occasions and it’s pretty addictive… I hope you’re having a good weekend, Barbara!
God is good. All the time!
I love my Swiffer. It helps keep me tidy between moppings.