It's all a matter of perspective

I enjoy the fall season so much!


Wrapping up in cozy sweaters!


The beautiful colored leaves!

Apples and pumpkins!


S'mores!

Actually, I am not a huge fan of s'mores...unless they're made with strawberry marshmallows! Have you tried strawberry marshmallows? Yum Yum!  But I haven't been able to find strawberry marshmallows this year. Drat!


I also prefer my s'mores made with the Keebler Deluxe Grahams. Now that's a good s'more!

I like unsticky fingers too. Hello Kleenex Splash wipes! (unsticky is not a real word, I know)


Once the s'mores are eaten it's so nice to sit and relax warmed by the bonfire!

There's so much to like about Fall!


Well, there would be so much to like about Fall, if Fall had hung around awhile and summer had not returned!


It has been in the 80s here almost all week! It should be in the 60s! The cool crisp 60s that make you want to snuggle up in a cozy sweater or around a fire. 


It should not be in the 80s, with everyone wearing shorts! NO, NO, NO!!


I wanted summer to go away!


Until yesterday.


Yesterday we had someone out to give our furnace a routine cleaning and inspection. It's been 3 years since it was last done. We figured we should have it looked at before we start using it this year.


I have never before had the furnace inspector begin the inspection with the words, "Oh no!"


Those words pretty much sum up the inspection.


It was not good!


Water has been leaking into our furnace!


It looks like this!

All of that rust...that's bad!


The poor inspector really tried to avoid telling me that we would need to replace our furnace.


He really tried to get me to grasp the need to replace it without having to say those exact words.


I was in denial! The furnace had been fine a moment ago!


He finally had to say it.


"You need to replace your furnace."


I was totally taken by surprise!


And not like a good surprise...like when my girlfriends gave me a surprise luncheon for my 40th birthday. No, not like that at all!


It was a bad surprise...like when you read a really good book, one you are really enjoying, and the end is terrible! So terrible that you read the ending again because you are not sure if you read it correctly. Like that kind of surprise! BAD!


The Husband and I had to go look at the rusted out furnace a couple of times to convince ourselves that yep, it's really how the story ends. Bummer!


Today I think it would be fantastic if the 80s continued for 2 or even 3 more months. What's not to like about summer right?


Christine


P.S. I think I know what I'm getting for my birthday this year! Surprise!!

In a word, loss SUCKS

I do not like loss! 


I did not like when as a teenager, I lost my car privileges! That stunk! But fortunately, I could earn them back.


I do not like when the remote is lost! Walking over to the television to turn it on and change the channel? What? That's really inconvenient!! For this reason, I keep close tabs on the remote!


I do not like when a friend moves far away. That is a very difficult loss! It's a loss that is a little easier to bear when the friend that moved returns for visits, or if I am able to go visit the friend, or if the friend and I make the effort to keep in touch. Facebook helps! It is a very sad loss though when the friend moves, and then moves again, and moves again, and we lose track of each other. The friend cannot be found on Facebook! I most likely will never see that friend again. It causes me great sadness!


In a word, loss SUCKS!


Though these losses can be frustrating, annoying and sad they do not compare to the deep heartache of the loss caused by death.


Miss Sofi Bug and her classmates have been coping with the tragic deaths of more than one student and more than one family member of students at her school this year. It has been heart wrenching! Families in our community are grieving.

by Ann Tristani

There is only one way to have peace and hope through the loss brought by death. It is similar to when a friend moves away. It is knowing that I will see the person again! Not only see the person, but knowing I will spend eternity with the person in God's presence!


Death has no sting, no hold on those who proclaim Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Upon death, those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior enter the gates of Heaven! Those of us who are left behind, who agree in faith, though we grieve, our grief is only the heartache of one who has to patiently wait until they get to see their friend again. It is not the heartbreaking grief of permanent loss.


I'm aware that there are some who do not agree with me. I realize there are some who may be very angry and no longer read the blog because I hold this belief. I will be sad if that is what you choose, but I will be heartbroken if, because I never shared this truth with you, we are separated forever. 


You see the gates of Heaven are not open to those who do not proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior. I know many find that difficult to accept. Many want to believe that a loving God would not shut the gates of Heaven to them because they believe they are good people. But how do we justify entrance into God's presence if we spend our lives with our backs turned to Him, refusing to acknowledge Him?


Have you ever witnessed, or maybe been, a child who angrily screamed at a parent the words I HATE YOU, I don't need you?


I don't think there is anything that crushes a parent's heart the way that phrase does.


Fortunately, most children when they shout those words shout them out of anger and quickly repent and mend the break it can cause in their relationship with the parent. 


Imagine if the child shouts this phrase in anger, turns their back on the parent, never to repent of the wrong or reconcile the relationship, then one...parent or child...dies. There is no longer an opportunity for redemption. For some, this is their relationship with God. They believe they don't need Him. They may even hate Him and those who love Him. Yet they think because He is loving it will not matter that they refuse to acknowledged Him. It matters! Oh how it matters! How can we expect Him to acknowledge us upon our death, if we refuse in our lifetime to acknowledge Him?


My friends, each one of us gets a limited time on this earth. Each one of us will die. Do you know where you will spend eternity? Do you know if it will be with those you love? Will you spend it with Almighty God? I know I would like nothing more than to know I will spend it with you! 


When I say let's be best friends forever, I actually mean forever!


Christine


P.S. Not just because I said so. If you want to know more...Peace with God.

He said/She said 3

She's always been fearless when it comes to a new hairdo!


Bungee jumping...skydiving...TERRIFIED! Not going to happen! But a new hair style...a new hair color...NO FEAR! Let's do it!


He has always been completely supportive...encouraging even when she would say, "I think it's time for a new hairstyle!"


She said, "80's "BIG" hair?" 


He said, "Totally! For sure!"

She said, "Chin length bob?"


He said, "Do it!"

She said, "Straight hair with bangs?"


He said, "That'll look great!"

And if it will look great for one, why not all? We were matchers!

She said, "How about short? And red?"


He said, "Go for it!"

Paper hats were sold separately! They did not come as a deal with the hair!

She said, "Blond?"


He said, "Oh yeah!!"

Okay, so she couldn't find a single photo of her hair when it was this blond, but since she pretty much looked like this, she will use this photo for illustration! Yep, pretty much the same! Almost identical!!


Whether long, short, curly or straight, he has always been very supportive of whatever hairstyle she chose. She has loved him for it!


Recently she said, "I think I might allow my natural color grow out and see what it looks like."

He said, "You don't think you'll be bothered by the gray?"


A very reasonable question because she has complained and bemoaned her coming gray hair for a few years now.


She said, "You know, as it's growing out it really doesn't bother me."


He said, "I think you should get it colored." 


She said, "Why? Does it bother you that I would let my gray hair show?"


He was silent.


They have been silent since that conversation.


She will be making an appointment this week to get her hair colored, because until now he has always been supportive and she loves him for it!


Christine


P.S. He approved this post.


P.P.S. She isn't really upset. But she does find it amusing that he is the one bothered by her gray hair! And she will refrain from referring to his hair color as sparkly brown.

A weekend in pictures

The Family took a trip to the apple orchard Saturday afternoon.


I think I'll let the photos tell the majority of the story!

Sweet!

Stroll.

Cool breezes!

Abundant harvest!

Woolly Bear!

Unexpected daisies!!


Fall, practically perfect in every way!


Christine

Random or is it just variety

Emma Bean right before her last volleyball game.

Excited!


Emma Bean after she saw the other team. A team made up of girls all a full foot taller than anyone on Bean's team. A team of girls who clearly had more volleyball experience than any girl on Bean's team!

Seriously!?


Lilo who now curls up for her naps because it's Fall and the temperature is dropping and she's cold. She's cold because she's left all of her warm fur on my floor, and my furniture, and on everything else in my house!

Pathetic! Cute, but pathetic!

I've actually made time for some sewing projects.

JOY!

Fancy girls in fancy hats.

Too fun!

My fancy Dad in a fancy hat with my fancy girls in fancy hats!

Too funny!

My Dad, my girl's Papa, being silly with my girls in the fanciest hat of all.

Heart warming!

The after school treat I will be making for my girls today.

WHOOPIE!!

The Husband trying out a new look.

um...

ah...

I have no words!

Christine

A testimony

I share my faith with you because it is Jesus that gives me hope, fills me with joy, and carries me through life's hardships and He will do the same for you! 


Because loving others means sharing truth with them!


Because I have experienced God's goodness and want you to experience His goodness too! 


And because I once heard someone say that sharing how we have experienced God at work in our lives is the best testimony.


So, though it is difficult for me to write about and share some of my stories...I have a box of tissues nearby...here goes, because what good is a witness who does not speak?


This story includes Miss Sofi Bug. 

My beautiful, healthy girl with the rainbow colored braces. Rainbow colored until her next orthodontist visit that is.

I had received a phone call from a neighbor I didn't know very well. My family had only been living in the neighborhood for about 3 years. I had seen this neighbor when out for walks, we had chatted some. Her girls were older than mine. I was glad when I learned that she and her family belonged to the same church my family had begun to attend.


The timing of the call was perfect. Of course it was! God's timing always is.


My neighbor had called to ask me to participate in a group called Moms In Touch International to pray for my girls.


Had my neighbor called just a few days earlier, I think I would have said no. I had never participated in a prayer group before. I wasn't that comfortable with the idea. I had confidence in prayer, but why should I pray with a group? 


But my neighbor did not call a few days earlier. She called exactly when I needed her to call.


My neighbor called when the Husband and I were waiting to get the results of a series of medical tests Miss Sofi Bug had undergone just days before.


Miss Sofi Bug, who was then in first grade,

my little soccer star,

acquired a very significant facial tic.


The Husband and I were so worried!


I would hold my girl and pray.


I would hold my tears for when the Husband and I were alone so she would not see. And that is why my answer was yes when my neighbor called to ask me if I would like to participate in a prayer group to pray for my girls. I was in need of more support!


I wept openly through that first meeting.


The other women lifted my girl and my family in prayer. They cried out for healing. They poured out love. They groaned out loud with me to God. Their faith buoyed mine.


I learned the answer to my question, why pray with a group, that day!


I left that prayer meeting with such a grateful heart and a peace I had been struggling to find alone. I have returned for every meeting since. In fact, I now lead that prayer group.


When we meet, we moms pray for healing for our children who need it. We pray our children will treat others with love and kindness. We pray that we as moms will live out our faith well for our children to see and that it will become their own. We cry, we laugh, we are amazed by all the prayers the Lord has answered, and we continue to call on His name for those answers that have yet to come. 


We intercede on behalf of our children through prayer!

The Warrior

This morning my thoughts traveled along 

To a place in my life where days have long since gone 

Beholding an image of what I used to be 

As visions were stirred, and God spoke to me

He showed me a Warrior, a soldier in place 

Positioned by Heaven, yet I saw not the face 

I watched as the Warrior fought enemies 

That came from the darkness with destruction for me

I saw as the Warrior would dry away tears 

As all of Heaven's Angels hovered so near 

I saw many wounds on the Warrior's face 

Yet weapons of warfare were firmly in place

I felt my heart weeping, my eyes held so much 

As God let me feel the Warrior's prayer touch 

I thought "how familiar" the words that were prayed 

The prayers were like lightening that never would fade

I said to God "please, the Warrior's name" 

He gave no reply, He chose to refrain 

I asked, "Lord, who is broken that they need such prayer?" 

He showed me an image of myself standing there

Bound by confusion, lost and alone 

I felt prayers of the Warrior carry me home 

I asked "Please show me Lord, this Warrior so true" 

I watched and I wept, for Mother.... 

the Warrior--was you! 

Author Unknown

A few weeks after beginning to pray with my Moms In Touch International group, Miss Sofi Bug's facial tic began to disappear. 


The test results came back inconclusive. 


She has never gone back for further testing.


The tic has never reappeared!

One day I will learn whether God healed Miss Sofi Bug because we prayed for healing or if Miss Sofi Bug's tic was necessary to get me to say yes to participating in a prayer group because He had a plan to strengthen my faith and richly bless me. Maybe they are one in the same!


I am so grateful to be able to gather with moms who have hearts to cry out to God for their children!


I am deeply grateful for my neighbor who followed the Lord's prompting and called me to pray with a group of moms!


I am deeply grateful for a Savior who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the grave...death has no power over Him...promising me eternal life when I confess Him as Lord.


I am deeply grateful for a God who cares about my needs here on earth!


I am deeply grateful for a pastor who reminds his congregation of the importance of sharing our faith with others!


And I am deeply grateful for you and your willingness to read my story!


Today I pray that you too experience God's goodness!


Christine

I know it's Fall when...

...instead of a vase of flowers,

I put out a bowl of shiny, red apples.

Apples don't wilt, which is nice. They do have a tendency to disappear though!


The flower press comes out of hiding. We never seem to press flowers, only colorful leaves.

Would you look at that. Still full of leaves from last Fall. Time to search for a craft that requires pressed leaves!! Fun, fun!


A sure sign that it's Fall is when I bring out the William Sonoma mulling spices. No need to be mulling wine or cider, I just toss a handful of the spices into a simmering pot of water so I can enjoy the fragrance. Now that's the smell of Fall!

And the final confirmation that Fall has arrived is when I get the hankering to make donuts!


Homemade donuts. The Husband's Grandma's recipe, passed down to his Mother and passed on to me. 


He loves them!


They are a delicious treat filled with his childhood memories. Those are the best kinds of treats!


They are easy and fun to make!


Beat 2 eggs with 1cup of sugar. Add 4 tablespoons of melted lard. (Yes, lard. Use it!) 1 teaspoon salt. 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg. (yum!) 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup buttermilk.


Sift together 4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder. (sometimes I forget to sift...still good!) Add flour mixture to egg mixture to make a soft dough.


Roll out dough on a floured cloth (I use a dish towel) to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out donuts with a floured donut cutter.

Fry donuts in vegetable oil at 370˚-380˚until nice and brown. I don't check the temp of the oil. I test the heat with a donut hole. If it browns up nicely...not to quick...not to slow, I figure the temp is good. How's that for accuracy?

Just a quick hint...after frying up your donuts, change your sweatshirt. This will prevent the embarrassment of your husband saying, while you're at your child's volleyball game or wherever you happen to be later, "I wonder why it smells like a chinese restaurant in here." 


It will not be from chinese food...donuts! 


So unless you're planning to go to a chinese restaurant, in which case no one will ever notice anyway, change your sweatshirt! I'm just sayin'!


These donuts are practically perfect in every way! Golden brown, crispy on the outside, soft and cake-like on the inside. 


YUM! YUM!!

Ahhhh Fall!


Christine


P.S. Posting this recipe was Mother-in-Law approved!


P.S.S. Making more donuts was Husband approved!