Am I the only one who…

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  • Wonders if having an adult dressed in a mascot costume waving at people in front of a business actually brings any more customers into a business?
  • Does NOT like roosters in decorating? I don’t understand that phenomenon. Ugly creatures.
  • Does not like flavors of one food in the texture of another? Like Taco soup. I love tacos and soup — but a soup that tastes like a taco doesn’t appeal to me.
  • Does not like bagels. The outside is too hard. I had one on a plane and dug out the softer innards and wondered what the appeal was.
  • Thinks pictures of babies with food all over them are only cute if it’s your baby?
  • Is tired of milk mustache ads?

I frittered away my morning with several fragments of thoughts for blog posts, but couldn’t seem to develop anything, so I decided to go with randomness. 🙂 Reading back over the list, a lot of it sounds gripy, and it isn’t meant to sound that way. It’s meant to be fun.

My primary focus this week was supposed to have been getting plans for decorations and favors for our annual ladies’ luncheon firmly in place so that we could work on them at the ladies’ meeting Monday, but I have been a little fragmented there as well. I’ve had some ideas and I’ve looked around online to see if anyone else had already done anything along the lines and found some neat stuff. I just need everything to coalesce in my brain and then make some samples and get materials ready.

I don’t know why I am feeling so fragmented and having such a hard time getting in gear this week, Maybe I am still recuperating from last week’s trip. Maybe it’s allergy brain — the pollen is the worst it has been here in a long time. This is a dark green car but looks yellow under all the pollen:

I’m not one who usually wishes for rainy days, but I am today. It would be so nice to have everything rinsed off, if only for a little while.

Then again, maybe I am just making excuses and need to take myself by the scruff of the neck and get myself going.

Maybe. But I think I’ll go see what we have for lunch first.

🙂

Book Review: Where My Heart Belongs

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Where My Heart Belongs by Tracie Peterson is a prodigal daughter story. Amy changed her name at the age of eighteen, demanded her inheritance from her father, and left home without another word for twelve years. Suddenly she shows back up on the old homestead doorstep wanting to renew family ties. Her older sister, Kathy, is understandably wary at first and wrestles with her own feelings of anger and betrayal.

Tracie does a good job with what could have been, but is not, a clichéd story (not that the Biblical prodigal story itself is clichéd — it is a marvelous parable of redemption.) I found myself empathizing with both characters as they worked through their various issues and alternately took steps toward and then away from understanding and forgiving each other. There were layers to each that I would not have originally anticipated.

My only quibbles were that the latter part of the book seemed a little rushed, and it ended maybe a little too perfectly, but on the other hand, every now and then it is nice to have things end in the ideal way we all really wish would happen, and after all the anguish both characters suffer, it is good to see things turn around for them.

Catching up…

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That’s the name of the game these days!

I mentioned that Jesse was out for spring break last week. What I didn’t mention (because, you know, of all those cyber-stalkers lurking about to find an empty home to burgle. 🙄 🙂 ) was that we went out of town for a few days.

We were in the Knoxville, TN area. It is beautiful country up there. Rolling hills, little streams and rivers, acres of pasture, etc. We passed so many valleys nestling little cottages or farms that Jeremy speculated that the Tennessee Department of Tourism put them there to look idyllic. 🙂 I imagine it is even more lovely in the fall when all those hills are covered with autumn color.

At one point I was admiring the bluish mountain range in the distance and wondered what they were called, and Jeremy said, “Probably the Blue Ridge Mountains.” Yep, I guess that would be them!

(Photo courtesy of Ken Thomas)

We met up with an aunt and uncle of mine that we haven’t seen in years, but we were able to plunge right in as if it had been only a few days. They took us to the Flatwater Grill for dinner one night, a lovely restaurant right on a lake. The whole outer wall is windows, so you have a view of the water, trees, etc. The food was wonderful, too!

We were trying to decide what fun thing to do on Saturday — Dollywood, Gatlinburg, and other attractions were within an hour’s drive — but the guys all decided what they’d really love to do is go to the Apple store. 🙂 We don’t have one in our area, and the iPad was due out that day. So that’s where we went. There was a definite air of excitement, even though I’m not so much into the latest techno-gadgets! They enjoyed experimenting with one. I would have looked around the mall more, but it was uncomfortably noisy all over. Later in the afternoon Jim and I explored a street full of antique shops. I spied one little book by Henry Drummond called The Greatest Thing in the World. I had heard of both author and book, and the inscription in the front was signed by a Barbara! So I got that.

We did enjoy a beautiful Easter service at a church we visited in the area. The pastor there knows our pastor and has spoken at our church, so it was a little like visiting an acquaintance rather than walking into a totally new situation.

We were sad that Jason and Mittu weren’t able to go with us, but they checked in with Grandma, took care of the dog, got the mail, etc. for us, and I noticed that they did some vacuuming and folded a load of laundry left in the dryer, so that was wonderful. We had lamented that we wouldn’t get back until Easter evening and so would miss our usual Easter festivities, but when we got home, Mittu had set the table with fresh spring flowers and little Easter treats, and then she and Jason brought over a ham dinner with all the accouterments. It’s so nice to have such a sweet and thoughtful daughter-in-law! (And son, too. 😀 )

I may make the resurrection rolls next week since some missed them — after all, we celebrate the resurrection every Sunday, right?

Yesterday was spent not getting everything done that I had planned to, but making a dent in all those after-vacation tasks, like laundry, a trip to the grocery store, going through mail, etc. After this morning I think I’ll be pretty well back to “normal” — whatever that is. 🙂 I think I do foresee a nap in the near future, though!

Happy Easter!

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Dear Lord, I have no Easter flowers to bring,
No roses fresh, no lilies dewy sweet.
But still one offering I may gladly bear,
And lay rejoicing at Thy feet.

Enfold my weary love in Thy sweet will,
And keep it closely to Thy wounded side,
So shall I rest, nor sad and helpless mourn,
While safe in Thee my love and I abide.

~ Author Unknown

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. John 11:25

Happy Resurrection Day!

Friday’s Fave Five

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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.

My favorites from the past week or so:

1. Spring break! No alarm clocks!

2. Winning a comment contest at A Dusty Frame. The prize: $10 credit from her Etsy shop. Thank you, Lizzie!

3. I made this Chicken Pot Pie that I saw last year at Barb‘s.

I had been wanting to make it for a while, and finally reminded myself that I wanted to do so before the weather got much warmer. I avoid turning the oven on during the summer if I can help it! (I also got the idea from her of decorating the crust with little cut-outs!)

When I tell my husband we’re eating something I saw on someone’s blog, he says, “Blog food?” with the same intonation as if he were saying, “Dog food?” 🙂 But so far he has liked any “blog food” I have served. And everyone liked this.

4. Then one of my favorite things to do with the leftover pie crust is so sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar and a little butter and bake it just for a few minutes til done. Wonderful!

I also had this week another of my favorite little things to do with leftovers is to make a sandwich out of leftover meatloaf. Some time last year I started making a grilled cheese sandwich with leftover meatloaf in it — even better!

5. This little box:

Holds a little pump:

Which I hope solves a big problem.

I had mentioned before that our little patio area floods when we get a lot of rain, which then floods our sunroom. It’s become quite an ordeal to set the portable pump outside and get towels and the wet vac inside. The drain wasn’t keeping up, and we had roto-rooter guys who cleared a hole through it but said it was caving in and broken through with roots, plus it was not enough of an incline for gravity to really help the water drain. They wanted to dig up a corner of the patio and out a pump in for $1200.  My husband put this little pump in outside the patio (Isn’t he smart?) So far in testing it and in a small storm we had the other day it did great. It’s set to automatically come on when the water reaches a certain level. This will be a BIG relief!

I hope you all have a great weekend and a wonderful Easter.

Spring break and April Fool’s Day

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Hi all,

Spring break is this week, and I didn’t think that would affect blogging much…but it is! I have my Friday Faves post all set, but otherwise I don’t know if I will be here much for the next few days. I’ve been keeping up with Google Reader as much as I can, but my word, you all are prolific when I am only checking once or twice a day as opposed to off and on through the day! 🙂

We’re doing ok. Jesse has a humongous Spanish project due the first day back at school that he has been working on for weeks, and thankfully he got it done Monday.

If you want to see the cutest Easter cake, click here at i am baker. Be sure to scroll down for a glimpse of the inside — that’s the most clever part! She’s having a pretty nifty giveaway, too!

We have never done much for April Fool’s Day, but I have always wanted to try some of these fake-out food dishes at Family Fun. Maybe some day….:-) (Watch out fellas!)

I hope you are having a great Easter week.

Book Review: Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter

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Over the last couple of years, I saw the book Come Thou Long Expected Jesus mentioned on several blogs. It was compiled by Nancy Guthrie and included excerpts from the writings and sermons of godly Christians through the ages. I read and enjoyed it very much last Christmastime, and then when I saw Nancy had put together a similar book for Easter, Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter I got it to read this Easter season.

The preface says:

Oh, what we miss out on when we rush past the cross of Christ.Oh, the richness and reward when stop to linger before it, when we take the time to “consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself” (Hebrews 12:3). In a culture where crosses have become commonplace as architecture and jewelry, how we need to truly gaze upon the cross of Christ in all its ugliness and beauty, in its death and in its healing, in the painful price paid there, and in its free gift of grace. Jesus, keep us near the cross.

And that is just what the book endeavors to help us do. Each of the twenty-five chapters is an excerpt from a book or sermon from various, mostly well-known Christians throughout the ages, from Augustine, Luther, Edwards, and Spurgeon all the way to John Piper, John MacArthur, J. I. Packer, and others. There were a handful of names I did not recognize, so please don’t count this as an endorsement of everything ever written or said by every author, but for the most part I agreed with everything in this book.

The chapters all deal with Christ’s death and resurrection, some in general, some on a particular aspect, such as C. J. Mahaney’s chapter on “The Cup,” exactly what was meant, what cup Christ was talking about when he said, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt’ (Matthew 26:39), or an exploration of some of the things Christ said from the cross, or J. I. Packer’s treatment of what was meant in Christ’s descent into hell and ascension into heaven. Just yesterday I found here a list of all the chapters and authors with a quote from each chapter, but today that link brings up a window about exceeded bandwidth: hopefully that will be rectified soon. Each chapter is 3-5 pages long, and it was very manageable to read one a day. I wouldn’t recommend reading more than that at a time: just soaking on one chapter and thinking over it through the day is rich meditation.

All the chapters did not resonate with me equally, but that may have been due to sleepiness or distraction on my part on given mornings. Probably my favorites were C. J. Mahaney’s on “The Cup,” C. H. Spurgeon’s “Then They Did Spit Upon His Face,” and Raymond Ortlund’s on “The Most Important Word in the Universe.” I shared several quotes from the last one yesterday, but two that impacted me were:

In human religions, it’s the worshipper who placates the offended deity with rituals and sacrifices and bribes. But in the gospel, it is God Himself who provides the offering.

And:

The God you have offended doesn’t demand your blood; he gives his own in Jesus Christ.

Overall the book did fulfill it’s purpose set out in the preface: it did cause me to slow down and meditate on what Christ did for me, to appreciate it anew, to revive my love for Him and thankfulness to Him. I plan to make this book a regular part of my Easter preparations in the coming years, but of course the topic is not confined to Easter: this book will help you contemplate the cross and what it means for you any day of the year.

The Week In Words

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http://breathoflifeministries.blogspot.com/2010/01/announcing-week-in-words.html Melissa at Breath of Life hosts a weekly carnival called The Week In Words,which involves sharing something from your reading that inspires you, causes you to laugh, cry, or dream, or just resonates with you in some way.

Here are some of the words that stood out to me this week. I’m not going to comment on them: they speak for themselves, and I don’t want to take away from the power of them.

Seen at ivman’s blague:

“To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals.” – Benjamin Franklin

I forgot where I saw this, but I have seen it before:

Upon a life I did not live,
upon a death I did not die;
anothers life, another’s death,
I stake my whole eternity.
-Horatius Bonar

From the March 27 reading of Our Daily Walk by F. B. Meyer:

A quiet heart. I do not say a quiet life—that may be impossible, but a heart free from care, from feverish passion, from the intrusion of unworthy ambition, pride or vanity. The habit of meditating on God’s Word helps to induce the quiet heart and devout spirit which realizes the Lord’s presence. The Bible is like the garden in which the Lord God walked in the cool of the day; read it much and prayerfully, and you will meet Him in its glades.

From a chapter of Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter titled “The Most Important Word in the Universe” by Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr.:

God’s anger shows how serious His love is.

His wrath is the solemn determination of a doctor cutting away the cancer that’s killing his patient.

In human religions, it’s the worshipper who placates the offended deity with rituals and sacrifices and bribes. But in the gospel, it is God Himself who provides the offering.

He detests our evil with all the intensity of the divine  personality. If you want to know what your sin deserves from God, don’t look within yourself, don’t look at your own emotions. Look at the man on the cross — tormented, gasping, bleeding. Take a long, thoughtful look. God was presenting something to you there. God was saying something about his perfect emotions toward your sin. He was displaying his wrath.

The God you have offended doesn’t demand your blood; he gives his own in Jesus Christ.

Who qualifies to enjoy the liberating power of the death of Christ? Sinners. They’re the only people he died for. If your problems are always someone else’s fault, if you come to God standing upright and ready to make your own case, the cross condemns you. But if you’re far from God, if you’ve sinned and you keep on sinning and you’re ashamed and wish you could trade in your record for a better one, if your conscience knows that you deserve the wrath of God and your only hope is God’s mercy in Christ, then he longs for you to know…he sees you through the death of Christ…He longs for you to know that your sins have been nailed to the cross.

The Face of Jesus

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The face of Jesus:

For my salvation.

A glorious face, now.

Let its light shine on me, O Light of Life.

Let Your radiance fall on me, Sun and Savior,

Lighten my darkness.

Then grant me this by Your grace:

That I, in turn, may give

“The light of the knowledge of the glory of God” (2 Cor 4:6 AV)

As I see it in the face of Jesus Christ.

~ Elisabeth Elliot, A Lamp For My Feet

Laudable Linkage

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Here are some great things I’ve seen around the “Net and thought some of you might enjoy as well.

Tim Challies shared a link to an incident that brought tears to my eyes: The Contagious Comfort and Mercy of God at Wrestling With an Angel. It begins this way:

One busy Saturday afternoon I was patrolling the local mall parking lot in my police cruiser. It was warm, so I had my windows down enjoying the fall air. As I drove though the lot I heard a loud piercing cry echoing like a sound bite from a horror movie.

After reading that post I clicked around and read a few other posts there. Very good, rich reading.

A Biblical view of self image and way of dealing with self-doubt by Laura at Outnumbered Mom, a new blog friend discovered through the Friday Fave Fives. Though it deals with self-doubt as a mother, the truths there are applicable to anyone.

Political angst by Wendy at Practical Theology For Women deals with a few pet peeves, such as angst in Christianity “over something the individual perceives as righteous or unrighteous but that Scripture itself only addresses in either very general terms or doesn’t address at all.”

The Marriage Bed. Be sure to read til the end! I’m sorry I forgot to note where I saw this one.

Respect within marriage.

How to Pray For Missionaries.

The Paradox of Parenting Boys. This made me smile.

A live web cam of a nesting owl, HT to Lizzie. It will be really fun once the babies hatch.

A refurbished vintage sewing cabinet. Lovely!

A video library of hand embroidery stitches. Great resource!

Paper silhouette art. These are very creative — I’ve never seen silhouettes like this.

If you need any ideas for cute Easter decorations or goodies:

Eggy Baskets.
Little nests.
Free printable cupcake toppers.

Have a great weekend! We start spring break this week!