Merry Christmas and Happy New year!

I know I haven’t posted in a really long time… life has been really busy since March with taking care of our grandparents and starting college classes this past September.  So I decided to post a poem that I am sure we can all relate to.

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

“Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so

Much seek to be consoled, as to console;

To be understood, as to understand;

To be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.

It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”

~ St. Francis of Assisi

What else can I do with ground beef?

Usually my family uses ground beef in spaghetti, taco salads, and meatloaf, but I didn’t want to make the same meal again within the same two-week span.  So I made Calzones.  We get the deliciousness of eating out, but not the cost.

Here’s the calzone recipe:

• 1 recipe of pizza dough
• Cornmeal (optional)
• 15oz can pizza sauce
• 1 lb Italian sausage, 4 oz pepperoni, or 1 lb of ground beef (cooked)
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions or pitted olives (I just used one white onion chopped)
• 1 cup chopped mushroom or sweet bell pepper ( I used both)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• milk

Divide the pizza dough in half, roll out each half until you have two circles with a 13 inch diameter.  Cover the pizza pans with cornmeal (I just sprayed a little oil so that they wouldn’t stick).  Carefully put the dough on the pans and spread the pizza sauce on the entire pizza dough giving about 1 inch space around the edge.  Then layer your vegetables and meat on half of each pizza.  Cover with a generous helping of cheese.  Then brush the edge of the crust with milk and fold over the dough so that it creates a half circle.  Brush the top of the pizza crust with milk and bake in the over for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees.  My cookbook says it serves about six people…which is about right.  Enjoy with salad or anything else that suits your taste!

Here’s the pizza dough recipe:

• 2 1/2 to 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 package active dry yeast (or about 2 1/4 tsp)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• cup warm water
• tbsp oil (canola or olive)

Combine 1 1/4 cup of the flour with the yeast, salt, water and oil.  Blend and slowly add the rest of the flour until it is dough. Knead and then cover the dough until it doubles in size (about 30 minutes).  Its ready to be used.

IT WAS A "BIG HIT” WITH MY FAMILY!  YUM!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

Here is what I made her for her birthday (but I forgot to take a picture of the final product with her favorite scripture verses.)  I “stole” her Bible at one point to find where she wrote down/underlined the verses and then wrote down the references to find in my Bible so she wouldn’t notice hers was missing.

 

My Granddaddy was an avid bird watcher, you know, the kind that sets out the multiple bird feeders and bird houses. My aunt gave me one of his old wooden bird feeders (a National Geographic, apparently) and I saw in a Birds and Blooms magazine a firehouse red bird feeder that looked similar to his. I decided to spray paint it red to give it a new look, but to keep the sentimental value. Here’s the result:

The gift in the flower bag is some of my grandparents campfire roasting tools my aunt gave me and so I decided my mom ought to have them because of sentimentality. It has the most interesting hot dog roaster.

 

All in all, my mom was blessed with birthday presents form my grandparents even though they are no longer here to give it and I almost got her to cry happy tears. ;)  She loved the gifts!

Books and a cup’o’tea

Life and Death

Life is defined as “the present state of existence; the time from birth to death. The life of man seldom exceeds seventy years.” 1828 Webster’s Dictionary      

Death is defined as “the act of dying; the end of life; the total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism.” Dictionary.com

                                                                                                                                                                

     Just two words.  As opposite as light and dark, hot and cold, and  well  life and death.  Light casts out darkness while darkness is the absence of light.  Heat warms the body but cold is the absence of that heat. Hope in the Lord gives us life and the absence of that hope brings death.

     It is amazing how just the four letter word life can bring so much hope into relationships and daily occurrences.  But as soon as the word death comes into our midst, whether by conversation or witnessing death in your own family or another’s, life looses its hold and death casts a gloomy and dark shadow.  The word hope turns into a question  “Where is the hope in death?” We seem to have short-term memory loss.  We forget what Christ said in John 11:25 “Jesus said unto her, “I am the resurrection and the Life. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”  We must keep our focus on the Lord.  It is vital to the life of a Christian, not only in the physical realm but most importantly in the spiritual realm.

There is hope in the Resurrection of Jesus!

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

When Darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, his covenant, his blood
supports me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay.

When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found!
Dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne!

John 14:1-6 KJV

“Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God; believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.”  Thomas said unto Him, “Lord, we know not whither Thou goest; and how can we know the way?”  Jesus said unto him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.

There is hope!

75 Years and Counting!

Marriage is sacred and is established by God and is to reflect the marriage between Christ and His Church.  When a man and woman are joined together in holy matrimony they are to leave their father and mother and cleave unto each other.  Their vows declare that they will forsake all others, they will remain with their spouse in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, in poverty and riches, until death do them part.    In this day and age more than fifty percent of marriages are ending in divorce (including those of “Christians”).  It is no longer until death do us part but rather until I “fall” out of love with you and “fall” into love with someone else…when we hit the rough part of marriage we think we now are done rather than falling on our knees in prayer begging the Father to save the marriage.  Before we marry we should already begin praying to the Lord that when we do get married that He will be the one to hold the marriage, of two sinners saved by grace, together.  We should already be praying for our future spouses.

My grandparents holding hands

Here’s some background:

My grandparents were born in the early 1900’s (Granddaddy-1915 and Grandmamma-1920). They grew up before WWI and were married right about the time of the Great Depression.  Their second daughter was born right after WWII started.  They understood what it meant to remain with their spouse during the rough times   they had to stretch pennies.  Being poor is not something they enjoyed but they scrimped and saved to provide for their three children and for their future.  My Granddaddy was a butcher and Grandmamma was a bookkeeper.  In the early 1960’s they found out they were going to have another daughter   they had already been married for twenty-five years!

Now fast-forward about 20 years or so:

My Granddaddy found out he had (prostate) cancer…and by God’s grace he is still alive!  They stuck together through his sickness.

Fast-forward again about 30 years or so:

Grandmamma found out that she too has (stomach) cancer.  They are still sticking together and are still in love with each other!

They have been married for 75 years!

Their wedding anniversary is today   May 22,  1938.

They are two amazing people!

I’m Done!

I have officially graduated this past Saturday and am spending my first official week of summer vacation exactly where I want to be… At my Grandparents! They are the most amazing people in the world (if I do say so myself and I have about all the rest of my immediate and extended family to verify that fact)…

 

My mom (holding back tears) and me after I received my diploma.

My friend Emily, me, and my cousin Meaghan (who graduates in about a week and is my “adopted sis”) after the ceremony.

Me and my best friends Sarah (she graduates soon and is another “adopted sis”, too) and Joe (my “adopted brother”).

Me in the graduation dress my amazing seamstress sister made me. You can see her Etsy shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/simplymallory

Friends at the party afterwards.

The guys hanging out and playing football…I think :)

Two very sweet friends (Rachel and Rebekah) writing notes to put in the vase (I will be making a collage out of all the notes, words of wisdom and Scripture passages).

Sarah, Hayden, Rachel, and Rebekah.

My awesome cake…how else do you describe it.

 

Kenzie and Kyrie (more “adopted sisters”).

Rebekah and Emily chatting.

Mr. Grab and Mr. Nichols (my best friends’ dad).

Philip swinging (he’s adorable).

My Aunt Stephanie, words can’t describe her… She’s amazing.

My awesome cake-master, Danielle, Nicola, and her daughter.

My brother and his best friend--“What can I say!”

Clara and Kenzie outside.

My adorable cousin, Katie Rae.

Matthew, Harry, Mr. Nichols, and Joe.

Kyle, Matthew, Harry.

P.S.  I have two friends (Emilee and Avery) who somehow eluded the camera lens.

A Real Godly Southern Belle

This quote reminds me of my grandmother, one who could be considered a real southern belle.  On a side note, our grandparents will be celebrating their 75th wedding anniversary in 22 days at the ages of 98 and 93.  They have been such a blessing to us and all the rest of our extended family.

*found this on http://foundachristianbyhisgrace.blogspot.com/

Guess who’s coming back?!?!

19 Kids and Counting Season Premiere 2013!!!

 

 New episodes of 19 Kids and Counting return are premiering on TLC on

Tuesday, March 12th, at 9PM Eastern/8PM Central.

Just a note: copyright to the above picture belongs to Scott Enlow, the Duggar’s Photographer

Doug's Blog | VisionForum.com

Doug's Blog | VisionForum.com

Doug's Blog | VisionForum.com

Doug's Blog | VisionForum.com

Better than Wikipedia

While doing school awhile back I decided to look up information on the internet for a paper I had to write.  The paper was on the Atonement of Christ.   I found this really interesting site called Theopedia.  It was defined as “a growing online evangelical encyclopedia of biblical Christianity, a network of interconnected pages, constantly being refined and updated.”

I became quite interested and decided to look at the “About” page. Their vision:  “to centralize the efforts of thousands of Christians into a comprehensive encyclopedia on biblical Christianity for the benefit of God's people around the world, to keep the articles at Theopedia free forever, and to give others broad freedoms to redistribute, publish, and adapt the content, to promote sound theology, to lessen the gap of theological knowledge between the seminary trained church leader and the layman, to build a Christian community for the promotion of good theological content,  and to promote the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all things.  Their primary statement of faith is that the Editors/Users are required to personally affirm the entirety of the primary statement of faith. Any exceptions or deviations must be approved by the board members. We, the board, reserve the right to make changes to the statement to guard the truth. This statement contains basic things that we would expect any Christian to believe.”  Some might ask why Christians would bother to even try to make an online encyclopedia of Christianity.  Yet  Rob Moll (Christianity Today) states, "Two-thirds of American Internet users surf the web for spiritual purposes." Another person stated that "God created computers for missions. He just happens to let the rest of the world use them."  Michael J. Vlach of How People of Faith Are Using Computers and the Internet commented on the internet sharing that ''Since computer technology is here to stay, retreat from it seems neither required nor appropriate... 'There comes a time when the church of Jesus Christ has to be bold enough to lay claim to a new medium.' Claiming a new medium, though, goes beyond just mere use of the medium. It involves understanding how the medium works."

But isn’t Wikipedia good enough?

Well the authors and editors of Theopedia stated that *”Wikipedia strives to maintain a Neutral-point-of-view (NPOV) policy for its material to prevent biased presentation. Theopedia, however, openly maintains a bias, or a Particular-point-of-view, that being "conservative evangelical Protestant Christianity." Contrary to Wikipedia, this bias is to be expected in Theopedia content. *Apart from any content issues, there are incompatibilities between Theopedia's Creative Commons License and Wikipedia's GNU Free Documentation License which preclude verbatim copying of articles from Wikipedia. One may still provide links to Wikipedia articles where appropriate.”

I was greatly encouraged to see a Christian alternative to Wikipedia and would love to hear what you think of Theopedia!

Here’s the webpage:  http://www.theopedia.com

Terrah