Fabulous Friday

Today is going to be a fabulous day. We get our new grandson sometime this afternoon. I will post details tomorrow or later tonight.

In the meantime, I wanted to share something that one of my contacts has on her website. Deb, this is especially for you because I know you will love it:

Credit: http://trufflesfromheaven.com/



Shortcuts

I love to bake from scratch, but I don't always have the time. Over the years, I've adjusted many of my recipes to allow for the time factor. While I always bake from scratch for the holidays, throughout the year I will fix some of my favorites with minor adjustments.

One of my favorite cakes in the whole world is a Texas Sheath Cake. I bake it in a jelly roll pan or as a 9 x 13 cake. The light touch of cinnamon in the chocolate cake makes the taste supreme. If you want that flavor but don't have the time to make it from scratch, here is a easy way to get the same flavor:

Buy Duncan Hines Swiss Chocolate Cake Mix (do not substitue the Swiss chocolate mix as it is the only one that has a similar taste to the Texas Sheath Cake) and mix per the directions on the box.

Add 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon to the batter and mix well. Bake per the instructions on the cake mix box.

When cake is done, fix the icing immediately so you can pour it on while the cake is still warm.

Icing

In mixing bowl, pour in 1 box of confectioner sugar and 1 tsp vanilla and sit aside

In small sauce pan, mix:

1 stick of butter

4 tbls cocoa

6 tbls milk

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and bring to boil. Remove from heat and pour over

confectioner sugar mixture.

Beat until smooth and pour on warm cake.

Nut Option calls for 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts. I have made it with the walnuts and with pecans. Both ways are tasty. On the nuts, you can beat them in the icing or you can just sprinkle them on top after you pour the icing on the cake. If you are ever attending anything with a country/western theme, chop the nuts until they are a fine consistency and sprinkle across the top of the cake. This is the Sawdust Sheath Cake version.

Well, I'm going to go bake some chocolate chip, walnut cookies since I've made myself craving something warm from the oven.

I love a bargain...

I wanted to get me a new day planner. Between family, church and my job, I'm staying really busy. And with the holiday season just a couple of month away, it's gonna get worse.

So I made a run to Staples this morning since I knew they have a wide variety of what I wanted. I looked them over and finally settled on a red one like one I had years ago. I wasn't thrilled with my choice, but it was the only one I semi-liked. But it was $29.00 and I just couldn't see paying that so after debating with myself, I laid it back down and went to look at regular calendars (even though that is NOT what I wanted). There laying forlornly among the calendars was a day planner/organizer that I fell in love with it. It was marked down to $11.99 on clearance, which was more like it. I picked it up and took it up front, so pleased with my bargain.

She rang it up and said "That price can't be right." I thought, well great. The manager came up and checked and said that it did ring up correctly. She then told me it was discounted to $5.99. WOW.

I am so excited. I've got to add all my lists and things to do on the calendar now and I'll be good to go.

Call me crazy, but I know God has His hands in everything. This is just one of those daily blessings that most people take for granted. I know it is one of those moments my friend Debbie refers to as "it's not odd; it's God".

The Guiding Light

My sweet sister-in-law, Rob's widow, has recently taken a trip to Florida to visit the beach. I know this is a hard journey for her and her daughter to take. Rob loved the beach and their last vacation together was to the beach. She was taking some photos of  the sun setting over the Gulf. I fell in love with this picture. It's like a shaft of light guiding you to the other side.

I can't help but wonder, if this mere photo from a digital camera is this awe-inspiring, what must heaven look like? When our time comes and the gates of heaven open, what opulent beauty will we behold? I never see a sunrise or a sunset that I don't envision what heaven must be like. I don't think our human minds can ever begin to imagine what beauty awaits on the other side.

I have always loved that song "How Beautiful Heaven Must Be." I believe that the word beautiful will pale in comparison to the magnificence and opulence of that Holy City.

Tickle me Tuesday

Sometimes, things just tickle my funny bone and make me smile. My niece posted this on her Facebook and I just thought it was so cute.

Dear Yahoo,

I've never heard someone say "I dunno, let's Yahoo it". Just sayin'

Sincerely,

Google

I hope everybody has a Terrific Tuesday. Find something in your world today that tickles your funny bone and makes you smile.

Rainy Monday Blahs

As some of you know, our landlord had to replace the field lines on the septic system and he decided to shore of the river bank with some rock. As a result, lots of dirt left over so it was spread across the yard.

I was concerned about a huge mud hole if we got rain before they got a chance to seed it or cover it with straw. Well, we had rain yesterday and last night and it's raining again this morning. I'm happy to say that the dirt is packed nicely and so far, no large puddles.

But the rain has been steady so maybe that is why it isn't puddling. It is having a chance to seep into the ground. Of course, now that I said that, we could get one of those torrential downpours that leave a foot of water standing. :)

A walk down memory lane...

It's 1972 at a little country baptist church on Hash Ridge Road in Barboursville, WV. I'm 15 and I'm exhausted. We had been having revival for 6 nights. The night before, the preacher and his wife had a sleepover for all the youth at chruch. The boys had the basement and the girls slept in what was going to become the nursery in a couple of months. My friend, Linda, and I could not sleep. We wrapped our sleeping bags around us and huddled by the window and talked all night. And I mean all night. We never once laid down. We watched the sun come up. When everybody started to stir, we got up and helped Darlene cook breakfast. About noon, we all went home.

When I got home, I told Mom about my "no sleep-sleepover". I told her I was going to bed and not to wake me because I was going to skip the last night of revival. But God had other plans. About an hour before time to leave for church, I woke up and decided, I might as well go on to church since I hadn't missed a night so far and I was awake.

As usual, everyone of our youth group filled the last two rows of the right hand side of the church. When the preacher preached the message, I could feel God speaking right to me. When the altar call was given, my knees began to shake, my whole body quivered. My mind raced. Should I go to the altar, was this my chance, my time? But I was 15, shy and there were about 9 teenagers between me and the aisle. I couldn't do it, I stood still. But God had a different plan. A visitor from another church, a man named Dwight, left his seat and came back to where we stood. He got in front of me and took my hand and talked to me about God's love. The message had been about the thieves on the cross. He made a statement to me that stuck with me to this day. He said that sinners are a type of thief. They take God's love and give him nothing in return. But still I stood, shaking and silent. He went back to his seat, but his words had a major impact.

As we left the church, I made it as far as the front steps and broke down. We were shaking hands with the preacher and God laid it out for me. This was my time. This was why He woke me up in time for church. I paryed right there on those 3 little steps at the front of the church and asked Jesus into my heart. The next week I was baptized in Mud River (and yes, it earned it's name) as our small congregation looked on and sung Shall We Gather at the River. The moment is etched forever on my mind in living color. I could feel the Holy Spirit land on my shoulder that day.

Has the road been easy? No, not always. Were there times when I stumbled? Yes, many. Have I ever regretted my decision? Not for one single moment. He is my all, my love, my life. Without Him, I'm nothing. Because of that earth changing moment at that little revival up that old country road, my life has meaning and my eternity is secure.

So revivals hold a very special place in my heart. My prayer today, as our church starts its revival, is that we will see lost sinners saved, stray sheep return to the fold, and an uplifting of faith and love in God's people.