thankful for friends and family

i'm really blessed to know people that love, bless, encourage and hold on to hope and faith for their lives and for me and my family.
bless them papagod, and help me to be there and love them like i desire to, and you need me to..

hoping for the happiest of thanksgiving!

my thanksgiving countdown of who and what i'm thankful for~

god is my portion.. jesus is salvation to me and so much more~

the holy spirit reveals and restores and fills me every day.. my companion~

i'm thankful for my heavenly trinity that truly loves me, no matter what!

my thanksgiving countdown of who and what i'm thankful for~

i love my familia!!!!!!!! oh yeah!!!!!!!! thank you papagod for my family!

the incredibles!!!! chris, lauren, christopher and jaxon... :-)

i am a blessed momma!!

bookworms?!

my dear friend, amy, just tagged me!! woohoo!!

hope you join in on this different and neat opportunity to see what your friends are reading, and what the happenstance page will say! mine was out of the love dare book..

"defending your rights and opinions is a foundational part of your nature and make-up. it's detrimental, though, inside a marriage relationship, and it steals away time and productivity. it can also cause great frustration for both of you. "

(this love dare on pg 56 was: love lets the other win/do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. -philippians 2:4)

The rules for this award:

Pass this on to 5 blogging friends.

Open the closest book to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment, to page 56.

Write the 5th sentence, as well as two to five sentences following that.

hope your friday is blessed with joy, peace and rest..

here's the folks that get the tag from me:

eva: http://closer-than-your-heartbeat.blogspot.com/

cousin ryan: http://getinthenet.blogspot.com/

debs: http://lifenchaos.blogspot.com/

pati: http://patipakulis.blogspot.com/

noelle: http://noellemonteith.blogspot.com/

amy joy!

my friend amy... i met her on-line through a christian songwriters contest and then LIVE this summer, with my family!! her kids and hubby are so neat! really precious to me, because they are serving christ and seeking him daily.. she inspires me and brings me hope! blesses me...

she loves her god, her family, her friends.. she is real and gives love to so many.. i've known her a little over a year now, and am so looking forward to many years of friendship with her and her family~ so grateful that we met!

amy has a birthday today! she is my special dear friend, and i want to honor her today with a birthday song!!



love you amy! you send joy to my life... you have an amazing papa!!! ;-) thank you for our friendship!


so HAPPY you were born today!! love ya!!!!

soul thinking

i receive devotionals from alicia's website, and this one was truly a blessing.. thought i'd share~ ;-)

I wouldn't have written it this way

from alicia's book, Sitting in God's Sunshine

I wouldn't have written the script of my life this way Father God.
What would you have changed Child?

I would have deleted unnecessary pain.
What kind of pain is that?

Senseless misunderstandings, incurable illnesses, and undeserved injustice. These produce nothing but tears in my heart and aches in my soul. I could have done without them Father.

I too could have done without sin's shadows and pain's piercings. But because of choices made long ago and choices re-made every moment I myself had a choice to make: turn my back on sin's shadows or personally embrace pain's piercings.

What did You choose Father?
I chose the path of what you call unnecessary pain.

Why? How?
Actually, You helped me. Before you were born Child, I saw you and My love for you was greater than Life. Through sweat and blood I measured my love for you and its passion fixed My Life willingly to a cross. By embracing pain, I robbed sin of its power to crush you.

Then the shadows will not destroy me! But there are still tears in my heart and aches in my soul.
Yes Child. In Mine as well. But even there you can find a treasure if you allow the tears in your heart and aches in your soul to grow dependence upon Me in your spirit.

Reflection Questions

This tender dialogue between Father and Child reflects on soul-bruises. If we think of our lives as a movie, all of us have scenes we wish could have been deleted or edited. These are the bruising memories that cause us to wince, to ache, to question, to move faster. Consider the following thoughts as you reflect on this week's devotion.

One ~ In your memories of the more painful moments of your life, where is God? Do you picture Him watching? Sleeping? Helping? Absent? Protecting? Distracted? Critiquing? Where is Father God in your painful memories? Take a few moments to consider the truth that God was and is as near to you as a mother is to the child in her womb.

Two ~ In this story, the Father speaks of how His love for Child fastened His life to the cross. As a child, my daddy would ask me, "Do you know how much I love you?" Then he would stretch out his arms as far as he could and say, this much.
Ask God how much He loves you. Hear Him whisper, "This much child," as he stretches His arms out wide, upon the cross. Know that His intense love for you strengthened Him to endure pain so that you could embrace freedom: For God so loved the world, that He gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3.16

Three ~ I call dependence a 'treasure.' How can dependence be valuable when we live in a culture that applauds independence? Choosing to be dependant upon God is not a vote for passivity or weakness. Choosing to be dependant upon God is a vote for active reliance by dependence we intentionally immerse ourselves in God's strength.
Remind yourself often in the coming days that even in pain you can find treasures if you avoid the path of bitterness and choose the path of dependence.

http://www.truthportraits.com/
© alicia britt chole ~ onewholeworld, inc. ~

love dare

we are all 4 learning about love.. the love dare!

i bought the book a few months ago.. left it sitting there, glancing at the words on some of the pages. challenged, and fully charged, i dated the first dare, so i could look back years from now (ha!) and remember when.. ;-) but, instead of going on with each 'dare', i thought it would be really cool and a blessing to share with laur and bud and chris! (adapting it slightly with the kids/and having the marriage part for chris and i) so we started last week.

first dare: LOVE IS PATIENT

here are some really neat lines we liked and boy! are we submitting to papa to help us all!!!!!

and to allow his holy spirit to guide us and to change our way of thinking, even, when we start serving out cold love to each other, and to strangers, and friends/family.. and to Him....

we are born with a lifelong thirst for love.

love changes our motivation for living.

love is built on 2 pillars that best define what it is.

those pillars are patience and kindness.

patience brings an internal calm during an external storm.

patience is where love meets wisdom.

patience helps you give your spouse/friend,etc.. permission to be human.

it gives you the ability to hold on during the tough times in your relationship rather than bailing out under the pressure.

what would the tone and volume of your home be like if you tried this biblical approach: "see that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another" (1 thessalonians 5:15)

http://thelovedarebook.com/

father.. thank you for filling our hearts with your love, and we seek you, you alone! lead us, lead our families to love each other, so that people will know you!

i want to speak these words you spoke, today, for us, that we may be transformed and washed by your holy words and that you, jesus, will lead us to love.. no matter what! "Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other." (John 13:34-35 (The Message)

i love you lord~

HER CAUSE

i was thinking of my friend, debs, in arizona this morning... she is walking for a special reason this weekend. her love for life and her caring spirit reaches out and demonstrates strength and courage for women with breast cancer. besides being so involved with her 2 beautiful teen girls and husband and church, she's reaching out and standing with many other folks this weekend to keep on keeping on and to believe for a cure for this enemy, cancer.

U GO GIRL!!! WOOHOO!!!!!! (debbie, noelle, and tricia kellogg)


here's debs website: http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/Walk/ArizonaEvent?px=1314658&pg=personal&fr_id=1180&et=kTMivmbP003diCBBF11haQ..&s_tafId=1322

i found several 'finds on debs' and her cause today when i was looking up articles and info on the walk! (since i'm over in texas, i can't be there.. boohoo! so i'm trying to find pictures and anything on this special moment)

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101066 (i copied/pasted the part where they quoted my friend!) :-) coolness!!
One woman, Debbie Evans, got involved because she met women with breast cancer and her children.
“It’s so hard for me to imagine, because I have young daughters, what it is like for these women to know that they may not be around to watch their daughters grow up and to protect them,” Evans said. “I’m walking for those women, and their children.”
Evans had a shirt made for the walk with the pictures of women who sponsored her, and said she wants them to be with her as she walks in some way, since she they can not walk themselves.

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/calendar/articles/2008/07/31/20080731sr-arts0801taste.html (back in july this year)
SCOTTSDALE - Under different circumstances, Noel Monteith might participate in the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk across Arizona.
Monteith is a 38-year-old woman who loves life.
But she is undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
Chemotherapy days exhaust her.
So two of her friends, Debbie Evans and Tricia Kellogg, are making her a "virtual partner" when they join the walk Nov. 14-16.
But first, on Saturday, they're hosting A Taste for a Cure, a wine tasting at the WineStyles wine and gift boutique in Scottsdale to raise money for Monteith's entry fee and a $2,200 pledge.
All proceeds will be donated to the Breast Cancer 3-Day.
"Noel was a woman full of life," Evans said of her longtime friend who was diagnosed in March. Both are members of Grace Chapel of Scottsdale. "Now she's had to put her life on hold."
Monteith also has put her job on hold as she undergoes cancer treatment. She is not married and has no children. Evans and Kellogg wanted to show their friend she has a support system.
They and other friends have become her family.
"It's been a very rough road for her," Evans said. "I want her to know people are praying for her across the country."
Evans will carry a pair of Monteith's walking shoes during November's walk and hopes to bring them to closing ceremonies.
When WineStyles owner Kara Lewis heard Evans' story, she was eager to help.
"I thought that was really cute, so we're hosting the wine tasting," she said.
Among wines being sampled are a Two Brothers syrah and a riesling, and a Mewsling riesling in a cat-shaped bottle.
Dozens of prizes also have been donated for a raffle and silent auction, including items from all of Arizona's sports teams.
"Everybody has stepped up to he plate," Evans said.
WineStyles will provide appetizers.
"We want people to donate and feel they're coming out with something," Evans said. "They're not just giving money."

thank you debs! i am grateful that i met you through your little sister, amy (a beauty dear friend of mine!!) you inspire me and you bless me! i am thankful that you are with my abuela delma today! (on your shirt!hehehe) thanks... i'm tearing up a bit, and just remembering her today. bless you for carrying HOPE for so many women! love you~

thank you!

veteran:

an experienced person who has been through many battles; someone who has given long service.

thanks be to GOD for so many americans that gave their service to this amazing country.

thank you, thank you, thank you!

abe and andrew

abe and andrew were two amazing united states presidents, according to christopher and lauren!

tuesday night we enjoyed the presidential projects, and watched the election coverage on tv for the next president.

they each presented their choice (one of the 43 presidents from our past u.s. history), to be the 44th, the next president, commander and chief of the united states of AMERICA!!

my kids chose these men: abraham lincoln (14th), and andrew jackson (7th)

christopher presented his in a bob-the-builder 'tent' and pop held the buzz lightyear flashlight as the spotlight!! hehehehehe it was pretty entertaining!

lauren read to us about mr. jackson.. what an interesting man, and how he chose to serve.

abe on the penny and andy on the twenty!!! hehehehehe (my corny rhymes!!)

it was fun, and i enjoyed having my in-laws there as well.. we ate turkey chili and cornbread together.. ahhh.. the joy of just being. just loving. just because.. :-)

i loved this memory.

i know that we have had presidents that have made good choices and sometimes not-so-good. but overall, we celebrated the real blessings of living here in the U.S.A. and how god is our real president.. in our hearts, souls and minds!! thanks be to HIM for this country, AMERICA~

GOD BLESS AND FILL AMERICA WITH THE REAL LIVING HOLY SPIRIT!

His promise

this picture may seem a little corny in that it's just a picture.. but it's true.. i read a lyric from sara grove's new christmas cd.. 'it's true' is the tune.. made me think of how REAL it was when he first arrived and how amazing it will be to ride with my king someday, for real! the one true GOD, and the only savior! woohoo! revelation 22:20 says.. he who is the faithful witness to all these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!" amen! come, lord jesus!

i would like to share what i thinking and reading today... god has given me, all of us, many many promises.. when he speaks, i try, we all try, to listen, and hear; when i read his words, hear others teach/preach/share, and just his spirit in my soul and mind, i am hopeful, encouraged, blessed and so much more ... his promises are true!

in john 16 i read again about hope of his holy spirit, his name, his desire, HIS hope to have relationship again with us, his creation!! wow.. i'm very humbled and very grateful.

John 16
“I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith. 2 For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. 3 This is because they have never known the Father or me. 4 Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer.
The Work of the Holy Spirit 5 “But now I am going away to the One who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
12 “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’
Sadness Will Be Turned to Joy 16 “In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.”
17 Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does he mean when he says, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but then you will see me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’? 18 And what does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.”
19 Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. 20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. 21 It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. 22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. 23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. 24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.
25 “I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. 26 Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, 27 for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. 28 Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.”
29 Then his disciples said, “At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. 30 Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.”
31 Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe? 32 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

frederick buechner writes: ...."the whole life and ministry and death of jesus is in a way a figure of speech for god, a metaphor for the love that was in him; and what jesus is telling the disciples is that up until now they have seen only the metaphor.... but the time will come when they will see the god in him plainly. the time will come when they will see plainly for themselves his love itself..... shadows, echoes, dreams, odd moments in our lives that speak at best ambiguously and brokenly of him-they are the most we have seen of jesus." (from a room called remember-a little while)

It's True
by Sara Groves

In your heart you know it’s true, though you hold no expectation

in the deepest part of you

there’s an open hesitation
but it’s true

kingdoms and crowns

a God who came down to find you

it’s true

Angels on high sing through the night alleluya

heard it told you think

it’s odd the whole thing fraught with complication

the play begins with baby God

and all His blessed implications
but it’s true

kingdoms and crowns

a God who came down

to find you

it’s true

Angels on high

sing through the night alleluia
alleluia, alleluia
Oh it’s true

kingdoms and crowns

a God who came down to find you

it’s trueAngels on high

sing through the night allelu

while many voices speak to us about promises, my heart leaps!! because i KNOW his promise(s) are true!! thanks be to god!

ELECTION CELEBRATION!

well... we like food! what can we say.. yeahoo!
i found this recipe after i bought the lucini plum tomatoes last week.. yummmmy! looking forward to this tonight along with the cornbread.. ;-)

our 2 older kiddos are presenting their president projects tonight! for the family, including pop and gan! woohoo! they each chose a president (from the 43 past presidents), that they thought would make a great president for this election, for this time in history, for our nation, under GOD...
more to come on this, i hope!!

Domenica's Savory Turkey Chili

2 tablespoons Lucini Italia Organics™ extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 to 3 teaspoons red chili flakes
3 tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped
1 lb. ground turkey breast
1 tablespoon organic soy sauce1 jar Lucini Italia Organics™ plum tomatoes (whole or diced)
2 15 oz. cans organic black beans
2 15 oz. cans of organic kidney beans
1/4 to 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth
Optional: Jack or cheddar cheese, chopped fresh onion or sour cream for topping

In a heavy-bottomed pot, sauté onion, cumin, and pepper over medium heat with extra virgin olive oil. Do not let onions brown. As onions become soft, about five minutes, add garlic and cook about two minutes. Add ground turkey. Stir and smash up turkey. Add soy sauce. Add tomatoes (if using whole rough chop into quarters). Add beans and water or broth. Bring to a boil, turn down to medium heat and cook for 10 minutes. Serve with grated sharp cheddar or Jack cheese, chopped fresh onion and sour cream

Best Cornbread Recipe

1 cup pastry flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 egg
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup milk
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then mix the flour, cornmeal and baking powder together in a medium sized bowl until the mixture has a yellowish tint to it.
2. In a seperate bowl of the same size, stir the egg, oil, honey, and milk until fluffy. Scoop the flour out of the first bowl into the bowl with the liquids.
3. Mix the flour in thoroughly until no flour chunks are visible and the mixture is light and fluffy. Oil a cake or brownie pan and pour the mixture in. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. When the cornbread is done it should be golden brown and when you peirce it in the middle with a fork if the fork comes clean then it’s done. If the fork comes out with dough on it, then it still needs to cook longer.

taken from on-line:
http://www.lucini.com/seasonalrecipe.php?sec=recipes&rcat=17&recipe=70 (chili)
http://www.easybakingtips.com/index.htm (cornbread)

thankful

november is really my favorite fall month! love the changes, and the beauty that our creator chose for this glorious season.

thankful for this time, i thought about what was spoken this morning in worship, about what malachi, a prophet, spoke to the people back in about 430 b.c. long time ago! whew! ;-) but still relevant today...
he was the last of the old testament prophets.

the first line in the book.. "i have loved you deeply," says the lord. (malachi 1:1)

i am pretty sure this gave those people at that time, a message of hope; and for all people in every year after, and through every season they go through.

this is such a 'short-read' for an OT book! but wowza! what meat it truly brings to the table!

as i listened to the teaching, i was reminded of ALL that god has done for us all. he did and still does everything WELL. he gives his BEST. do i? this can be: challenging? convicting? redeeming? loving? oh yeah! and soo much more, i believe.

towards the end of this book, the lord says in ch. 4, v. 2.. "but for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. and you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. " that picture is amazing to me!! :-)

as i read the notes in my life application study bible.. they apply to this 4th chapter..

'these last verses of the OT are filled with hope. regardless of how life looks now. god controls the future, and everything will be made right. we who have loved and served god look forward to a joyful celebration. this hope for the future becomes ours when we trust god with our lives.'

as god helps me evaluate and look closely to my committment to him, to the body of christ, his body.. and in my sincerity and heart of my worship, and then.. the direction or purpose of my life, i pray and ask him to heal and continue restoring my spirit and my relationship with him and others on a consistent basis.. and like malachi shared with those people, god is still using that 'voice' then, to speak into our hearts and minds today.

i am thankful for god's LOVE and Forgiveness.. thanks be to HIM!! forever and ever!!!

i have this song on my playlist. thought it was cool for this entry..

bless you!! god is SO fond of you!!!

"Thankful"

Somedays we forget

To look around us

Somedays we can't see

The joy that surrounds us

So caught up inside ourselves

We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for

What we know can be.

And on this day we hope for

What we still can't see.

It's up to us to be the change

And even though we all can still do more

There's so much to be thankful for.

Look beyond ourselves

There's so much sorrow

It's way too late to say

I'll cry tomorrow

Each of us must find our truth

It's so long overdue

So for tonight we pray for

What we know can be

And every day we hope for

What we still can't see

It's up to us to be the change

And even though we all can still do more

There's so much to be thankful for.

Even with our differences

There is a place we're all connected

Each of us can find each other's light

So for tonight we pray for

What we know can be

And on this day we hope for

What we still can't see

It's up to us to be the change

And even though this world needs so much more

There's so much to be thankful for

(here's the connection for some info/teaching on malachi/that i heard today: http://www.theoaksonline.org/members--attenders/red-oak-fellowship/)