December

Thankful thought of the day - Today I am thankful for December.

December is my favorite time of year for many reasons. It is the birth of our precious Lord and Saviour. It is also the birth of my gorgeous twins, Christopher Shawn and Diana Lynn in 1977. It was also the month I was born in 1956. Most people celebrate their 21st birthday in one shape or form. I celebrated mine by holding my 3 day old twins and eating miniature Reece's cups that the nursing staff bought me from the gift shop to celebrate my birthday.

I love everything about December. The cold, crisp nights. Putting up the Christmas tree and decorating the house. See the Christmas lights in my neighborhood at night. Performing the church choir Christmas special. Shopping. Wrapping gifts. Finding that perfect something for that someone(s) special in your life. The spirit of peace and joy that fills the air.

December. Something to be thankful for!

2 x 4's

Thankful thought of the day - Today I am thankful for "2 x 4" moments.

The definition of a  2 x4: Lumber made from wood that is used as structural material for construction.

 We pray and pray and ask God for divine wisdom. We ask for His guidance and fall to our knees, begging Him to help us in whatever path we are to take. But how many times in your life has He given you an answer and you didn't realize He was talking to you? How many times has He provided you with a solution that was so simple that you didn't even see it? And how many of those times do you ignore the obvious and continue to beg and plead for His help?

If you are like me, the answer is TOO MANY times. In my lifetime, I have had so many instances where He tries over and over to give me an answer and I'm not even listening when He does. But some of those times, He will do something extreme to get my attention or speak to me in a commanding voice where I don't have a choice, except to listen. I call these my "2x4" moments. The moment when, with a jolt, the light bulb goes on and you realize He's been there all along, trying to get you to see His plan for you.

I was thinking about the 2 x 4 moments in my life yesterday. And it occurred to me, that it is a very appropriate analogy. A 2 x 4 is a means to an end. It is the structural part of the building process that carries the load. We are a continual work in progress. Those 2 x 4 moments from God are simply His way of taking on the responsibility for constructing our lives. He bears our heavy load. And sometimes, in my case, He has to use the 2 x 4 that shores up my life and whack me upside the head with it to get my attention. So I thank Him for caring enough to do that.

Coming soon.......

Thankful thought of the day - Today I am thankful for crafts. 

She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands. - Proverbs 31:13

I found some great craft sales at A.C. Moore. I have several new craft project ideas, but not sure how it will all come together. But here are some of my new materials to help inspire me. I'll share finished projects as they occur.

Excited....Elated....Energetic....Exhausted

Thankful thought of the day....Today I am thankful for energy.

Excited....Thursday was a day of great excitement and anticipation. I patiently waited for my family to come for dinner. We had a wonderful visit and I got to spend great time with them all.

Elated....I was thrilled when the nieces arrived and we planned our shopping expedition for Friday. It was so good to have them down and to get to do things with them.

Energetic.... I sat up Thursday night with the girls until 12:30. Then I watched Friends reruns in bed until around 1:30. I went to sleep and got back up at 3:45 with great anticipation for Black Friday. I was filled with an energy and excitement to "let the bargain hunting begin."

Exhausted.... Shopped Friday from 4:30 AM until 6:00 PM. Got up today at 6:15 and was out the door by 8:30. Shopped until around 3:00 today. Got home, soaked my bones, napped in the tub, ate a little supper. I am worn out. It's off to the couch to doze until bedtime.

Hope everybody has had a great weekend and will end it by attending church tomorrow. Have a great Saturday night.

'Nuf Said

Thankful thought of the day - Today I am thankful for..........

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful thought of the day - Today I am thankful for Thanksgiving Day.

The world looks around me as I struggle along

They say I have nothing, but they are so wrong.

In my heart I'm rejoicing, how I wish they could see

Thank You, Lord, for Your blessings on me.

There's a roof up above me, I've a good place to sleep.

There's food on my table, and shoes on my feet.

You gave me Your love, Lord, and a fine family.

Thank you, Lord, for Your blessings on me.

I know I'm not wealthy and these clothes are not new,

I don't have much money, but Lord, I have You,

And to me You're all that matters tho' the world may not see.

Thank you, Lord, for Your blessings on me.

                                                            

-------Lyrics by Jeff Easter



Dessert time!

Thankful thought of the day - Today I am thankful for dessert.

The tradition around my house is that I make the dessert for Thanksgiving and my husband cooks the dinner. He does make the graham cracker pie though, because I can't make it as good as he does. So today will be my day to bake. I'm starting off already with two batches of brownies in the oven.

Next, I'll whip up a batch of the no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies. My grandmother always made them for us. My mom followed the tradition and now I get to make them for the my kids and grandkids. I may need to make a double batch of these as well since The Nieces are coming and it's their favorite.

I've been craving some peanut butter candy (not fudge). I'm going to make a batch of that as well. It is so easy, just milk and sugar to a soft ball stage, add peanut butter and vanilla and pour on a greased platter.

Next, I'll whip up Jamie's birthday cake. This year, she has requested Mamaw Eden's Hershey's Chocolate Syrup cake. It is so rich and good. It has a whole can of Hershey's syrup in the cake and Hershey's cocoa in the icing. It's to die for. You can make it in a cake pan or a jelly roll pan.

 Allen will make his graham cracker pie tomorrow. That's his day in the kitchen. It is one of those recipes passed down from my mom and no holiday is complete without the pie. It is simple to make, but I just get too impatient on the meringue so it never turns out good for me.

I hope you each and everyone have a wonderful, happy, filling Thanksgiving. Enjoy the day with loved ones. And remember the #1 rule to a happy home: Life is short, eat dessert first!!



(If you want the recipe for any of these items, just leave me a comment or send me an email.)