Sloppy Joe Recipe

Here is a recipe that I found that I want to try and make sometime soon.

Sloppy Joes 2 lb. ground beef, browned
1/2 large green pepper diced
1 1/2 c. ketchup
3 tsp. yellow mustard
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. Worchester sauce
1 or 2 tsp. garlic salt (optional)
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. onion salt
1 Cup water
Add all ingredients to browned ground beef. Simmer at least 30 minutes.

I try to make these a day ahead as the flavors really come together sitting overnight. Also, I sometimes add more water depending on how thick/thin it seems. This doubles & triples easily too.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I have always just opened up a can for chicken noodle soup but here is a recipe that I think I will try soon:

Chicken Noodle Soup
2 T. olive oil or chicken fat
1 onion, grated
2 carrots, grated
1 small zucchini, grated
8 cups chicken broth (low-salt commercial brand or homemade)
8-16 ounces egg noodles, amount depends on your family’s tastes
1 t. marjoram
1 t. dried parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cooked chicken breasts, skin and bone removed, meat shredded or chopped into ½-inch chunks.
In large soup pot, heat oil or fat. Sauté onion until clear. Stir in carrots and zucchini and cook a few minutes more. Stir in broth. Bring to boil and stir in egg noodles. Simmer 15-20 minutes. Stir in marjoram, parsley, salt and pepper, and chicken meat. Simmer another 15 minutes.

Itouch holder

I found directions tonight online for an ipod holder.  I can't wait to try and make one so I can use this while I am jogging.
Here's the website:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Custom-IPOD-Cell-Phone-Armband/?ALLSTEPS

As soon as I finish making one I will post pictures!

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

We have been going to Mount Pleasant Baptist Church now for almost 9 years and for almost 9 years I have been enjoying a wonderful dessert by the name of chocolate eclair.  I have never attempted to make one until this past week thinking it would be so hard.  Well, it is NOT hard.  In fact it is one of the easiest desserts I have ever made.

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Graham crackers
2 (3 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
1 (8 ounce) container whipped cream
1 (16 ounce) chocolate frosting

Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with graham crackers.  In a large bowl, combine pudding mix and milk.  Stir well.  Stir in whipped topping to pudding mixture.  Spread half of mixture of graham crackers layer.  Top with another layer of graham crackers and the remaining pudding.  Top all with a final layer of graham crackers and frost with chocolate frosting.  Refrigerate until serving.  Need to make this the day.

Waffles

Waffles

2 cups cake flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter

Spray the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray.  In a large bowl sift together the dry ingredients.  Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter.  Mix together just until combined (do not overmix the batter) The batter should look slightly lumpy.  Bake waffles in the waffle iron for about 5 minutes. 

Genesis 1

We are starting our Bible study with Genesis 1.

The first book of the Bible begins with the words:  In the Beginning  and that is what the word Genesis means -- beginning.
Genesis starts out by telling us how the world was created and how man was created in the image of God.  It is widely believed that Moses was the author of Genesis.

Outline of Genesis:
I  Chapters 1 -11 History of the Human Race
The record of the four main events:
          1) Creation
          2) Fall
          3) Flood
          4) Tower of Babel

II  Chapters 12- 50:  History of Abraham and his descendants
The record of the four main characters:
          1) Abraham
          2) Isaac
          3) Jacob
          4) Joseph


Using the outline put the following events in order of occurrence:

Jacob
The fall
Abraham
Tower of Babel
Creation
Isaac
The flood
Joseph

Do you know what an atheist is?   (someone who denies the existence of  God)
The first verse in the Bible clearly dispels the idea that there is no God.  It states:  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Read Genesis 1: 26- 30

 

Genesis 1:26-30

New International Version (NIV)

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,^[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

²⁹ Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰ And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

How was man considered to be unique in all of God's creation? 

1) Made in the image and likeness of God

2) Given responsibility over all the earth

3) God blessed man and woman

4) God communicated with them

5) made out of the dust of the earth, God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul.

Read Genesis 2: 1-3

Genesis 2:1-3

New International Version (NIV)

2 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

² By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. ³ Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

How might we benefit physically and mentally from rest?

We need to rest for reflection which helps us receive new perspective and bring freshness for our work.  Our physical bodies need rest to remain healthy.

Object Lesson for letting God shape our life.

You need a roll of aluminum foil that is 12 inches wide.  Pull out 6 inches of the foil and tear it off.  Cut the 6 x 12 strip of foil in half so that you have two 6 inch squares.  Trim the corners on one of the pieces of foil.  Fold up the sides, forming the foil into a boat.  The sides of the boat should be between a half inch and one inch high.  Fold the other foil square into as tiny a square as possible.   Fill the clear bowl about two thirds with water.  Place the aluminum boat into the water and it will float.  Put the foil rectangle into the water, it will sink.  Take the foil square from the bottom of the bowl and set it into the boat. 

What to say:

Today we are going to let these two foil pieces stand for our lives.  Let's shape the first one into a boat.  First we have to trim off a little extra just like God sometimes has to do that in our life.   And then God will shape us and bend us to make us usable for Him.  Put the boat into the water and explain that is what happens when we let God shape our life for His glory.

Now we have another person that that says, "I don't need God in my life"  and completely shuts God out.  He does exactly what he pleases.  Put square of foil in water and watch it sink.

Fish out square of foil and put it in the aluminum foil boat.  This shows what it is like when a Christian helps someone out until God is able to form that person and shape them.

And that is what our life needs to be:  a life that is yielded to God, for His purpose and glory because that life can do a lot while on earth for God's glory.  We need to life a kind of life that honors God.

 

 

Wish You Were Here

I have mentioned this song before on my blog but I wanted to link it to a website so you could listen to it and enjoy it as much as I have:
Wish You Were Here

And here are the words:

I can just see them
walking on the shores of heaven
praising the lord
and watching the tide roll in
friends that have gone on
oh,how i miss you so
and somehow I know if you could
that you'd let me know

that you're doing fine
and it doesn't hurt anymore
things couldn't be better
that heaven is worth waiting for
that you miss me to and til then
you'll be praying for me
and i know if you could
talk to me now
than here's what you'd say to me

chorus:
wish you were here
it's such a beautiful place
wish you were here
nothing but clear sunny days
well it never rains
and no one complains
and we haven't seen a tear
we're having a great time
wish you were here...

I can just see them
walking on the shores together
their talking with Jesus
safe and secure in his love
friends and loved ones
walking in heavenly peace
and I know if they could
talk to me now
then here's what they'd say to me

chorus:
wish you were here
it's such a beautiful place
wish you were here
nothing but clear sunny days
well it never rains
and no one complains
and we haven't seen a tear
we're having a great time
wish you were here...

well it never rains
and no one complains
and we haven't seen a tear
oh, we're having a great time
and we wish you were here

Fingernails

I don't usually do much with my nails, it just always takes too much time but I was looking around on Pinterest one day and I found a nice easy way to do a french manicure.  So here's my french manicure:

Mushroom

I went down to the chicken pen today and look at the mushroom I found!

And then close up it looks like this:

I wonder what it will look like tomorrow?

Well, I went down to the chicken pen again today and this is how the mushroom looked today:

The first day it looked kind of like a golf ball but I think today it looks like a baby's rattle.  

Beach 2012

Just a few pictures from our beach trip this year.  

Beach 2012

Biscuit recipe

I hope to try this recipe soon!

8 oz soften cream cheese and 1 stick of butter: cut with a fork, i cut my butter in pieces, added 3 cup of biscquick, with 1/2 T of sugar. I used my dough mix on my mixer to mix, roll out and cut. bake 375 /12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Horseshoe Falls

We have been planning on going to Horseshoe Falls for a couple of months now but something always came up, so today was the day.  Unfortunately it really rained hard last night so the water was real muddy but we still had fun.  Here's a few pictures of our day:

This is the site of a Revolutionary War battle, The Battle of Musgrove Mill, which took place on August 19, 1780. 
Legend states that the falls were named for the Revolutionary War Scout James Gailbraith "Horseshoe" Robertson.  He was a blacksmith by trade and that is how he acquired the nickname "Horseshoe".

Blueberry Lemon Bars

Blueberry Lemon Bars

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 Tbl. butter, melted
1/4 granulated sugar

For the filling:

2 large egg yolks
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, combine the graham crackers, melted butter and sugar.  Stir until graham cracker crumbs are moist.  Press crumbs firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared pan.  Bake the graham cracker crust for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperatures.

To make the filling, combine the egg yolks and condensed milk in a medium bowl.  Stir in the lemon juice until the mixture is smooth and begins to slightly thicken.  Gently fold in the cup of blueberries.  Pour the lemon blueberry filling evenly over the graham cracker crust and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cool for 10 minutes at room temperature and then refrigerate until completely chilled.  Cut into bars and serve.

Homemade Vicks Shower Disks

I have been suffering lately with allergies that have just been out of control.  So, I decided to try something that I found on Pinterest:  Homemade Vicks Shower Disks.  I am still waiting on mine to dry so as soon as they are ready I will give them a try in the shower.  Here's how I made mine:

Baking soda
Water
Eucalyptus, rosemary and lavender essential oils
muffin tin
muffin liners

Add baking soda to a mixing bowl -- I didn't really measure but maybe about a cup.  I slowly added water until I made a thick paste.  I added about 10 drops of eucalyptus oil (I could not find the rosemary or lavender essential oils at this time).  I spooned these into a muffin tin (I tried regular size muffin tin and mini muffin tin to see which size I liked the best)  Let them dry over night and then pop them out of the liners.  I now have mine out of the liners and drying on some waxed paper.

I will update after I try these in the shower to let you know how they worked!

Pita Bread

Pita Bread

 

1 tablespoon yeast
1 ¼ cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
3- 3 ½ cups flour

Dissolve yeast in water for about 5 minutes in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add salt and 1 ½ cups flour and with the dough hook, beat to make a batter. Add additional flour until a rough, shaggy mass is formed. Knead 8 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour if it is too sticky.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into six pieces for large pitas or ten for smaller. I make all sorts of sizes to suit different snacks and meals. Form dough into balls, then flatten with a rolling pin into ¼ inch thick discs. Try and keep an even thickness as this is what helps them ‘puff’.

Let rest on the floured surface 30-40 minutes until slightly puffed.

Preheat oven to 425F.
With a large spatula, flip the rounds of dough upside down on to a baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes until light golden. Stick around for the first five minutes of baking when the pitas perform their magic and puff up from flat pancakes to proud, four inch high pitas.

These store for up to two days well wrapped or frozen for three weeks.

Blackberry Cobbler

Yesterday we were given some blackberries so I knew that I would have to make one of Roger's favorite desserts for him, blackberry cobbler.  Instead of using one that I have used before I looked online and of course I went to Pinterest as I usually do if I am searching for something and I found the following recipe for Blackberry Cobbler.  I did not read the entire recipe before I started making it so I was surprised to see that I was suppose to roll out the crust and put the blackberries on top and then roll it all up in a jelly roll style.  I wasn't sure how this recipe would turn out but I am very happy to report that Roger really liked it. 

Blackberry Cobbler

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter or margarine, divided
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour*
• 1/3 cup milk, room temperature
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. In a 10-in. round or oval baking dish, melt 1/2 cup butter; set aside. In a saucepan, heat sugar and water until sugar melts; set aside. Place flour in a mixing bowl; cut in remaining butter until fine crumbs form. Add milk, stirring with a fork until dough leaves sides of bowl. Turn out onto a floured surface; knead three or four times. Roll out to an 11-in. x 9-in. rectangle 1/4 in. thick. Spread berries over dough; sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll up, jelly-roll style. Cut into 1/4-in. thick slices. Carefully lay slices in baking dish over butter. Pour sugar syrup around slices (syrup will be absorbed). Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Sprinkle sugar over top and bake 15 minutes more. Serve warm or cold. (*If self-rising flour is not available, use 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder.)

Rules Of Life

I found this picture online with this saying and decided to combine the two.

Make your own swiffer duster!

Here is another pinterest find!  Swiffer duster refill!

Now, I am off to make my own!

A few months ago I went to a funeral and this song was sung.  Wish You Were Here

I fell in love with this song and think that it is a great reminder that our loved ones if they are Christians will be waiting for us in Heaven if they die before us.

God Story

Over the past few days on a board that I frequent people have been talking about their God story.  One person commented that she looked forward to telling her God story when it happened.  Well, I think everyone has a God story to tell.  A lot of times we can only see God working in our life when we get what we have been praying for but we have to acknowledge that God may have answered our prayers but by saying not right now or maybe even no.  I know that no one likes to hear the word no, but I am so VERY thankful that God did not give me everything that I thought I wanted through my lifetime.  How many of us can remember praying for things only to realize many years down the road if we had been given that one thing we wanted and thought was the best thing for us that we would have missed out on such a great blessing from God.  God knows what we need when we need it and we need to make sure that we are in God's will.  I know I am guilty of praying for something and then I think that God is not working fast enough for me so I take it upon myself to "help" God.  God only needs our help when we are following His will not our own will.  We live in such a rich country and how often do we stop and thank God for what he has done for us?  No, so often we sit around and complain because we don't have this or we have to do this.  How many times are our things controlling us?  

Tub and Shower Cleaner

Yesterday was obviously a day for me to try a couple of things I have found on Pinterest.  A few weeks ago one of my friends pinned a tub and shower cleaner.  I am amazed at how well the homemade cleaners are working. 

Tub and Shower Cleaner

12 ounces white vinegar
12 ounces liquid blue dawn detergent

Heat the vinegar in microwave until hot and pour into spray bottle.  Add the Dawn soap and gently shake to incorporate.

This powerful cleaner will melt soap scum and tub and shower buildup, clean sinks, appliances and just about everything.  Just spray it on and be ready to be amazed at how well your sinks, etc. are now looking! 

You won't have the harsh chemical smell that you usually have when you use commercial cleaners but yet it works great!

Crock Pot Lemonade

I found another recipe on Pinterest that I tried yesterday and we all really enjoyed drinking this lemonade.  When I first saw the recipe for crock pot lemonade I thought that is an odd thing to make in the crock pot.  But I am so glad I tried it!

Here it is:

Crock Pot Lemonade

2 cups sugar
4 cups water
2 cups lemon juice
12 cups cold water

Instructions:

1.  Combine the first two ingredients (sugar and 4 cups water) in a crockpot
2.  Heat on high for around 1 - 2 hours (stir to dissolve sugar completely)
3.  Add lemon juice to crock pot and turn off to let cool.
4.  Add in remaining water and chill
5.  Serve cold and enjoy!

We like to add a little bit of salt to our lemonade so next time I will add a little salt to the sugar and water in the crock pot when I am dissolving the sugar.

My New Bible

I am so excited about the new Bible that I bought today.  I have wanted a chronological Bible for a while now and when we went to Barnes and Noble I found one that I hope I will really like.
This is the one that I purchased:

I will be starting today, May 25th and I hope to read it for the whole year so by next year on May 25th I would have read through the whole Bible.  I've read through the Bible before so this will give me a different perspective.  Today my reading was on King Solomon and I can't wait to read more!

As you all know I have fallen in love with pinterest.  There are so many good ideas on there and I find that I spend way too much time online.  But anyway, today I learned about cleaning the kitchen sink sprayer.
Here is how mine looked before:

And here it is after:

All I had to do was soak my sprayer head in vinegar for one hour!  I love quick and easy cleaning tips like this one.  And who knew that my sink sprayer head was so dirty!

Arguing

We will continue our character study this week and we will talk about arguing.  Our verse from today is from Proverbs 29:22
An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot tempered one commits many sins.

Have you ever known someone that just seemed angry all the time?  All of us have trouble sometimes with losing our temper but sometimes it is acceptable to be angry.    Can you think of a time it is acceptable?
It is acceptable to be angry about sin but we are to be responsible in how we respond when we are angry.

James 1:19 and 20 says to be slow in anger.  Again it does not say not to get angry but it says to be slow to anger.

Proverbs 29:11,20
A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back. Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
The problem with anger is that it may lead us to lose control of our conduct and lash out at others with foolish words or deeds that are intended to hurt others and may be regretted later. By contrast, a wise man will control himself, even when he is angry.
The Bible teaches that our words and deeds are controlled by our thoughts. We must learn to control our thoughts and emotions, because harboring sinful thoughts will lead to sinful conduct. [Prov. 4:23; Matt. 15:18ff]

In Genesis 37: 3-5 we read about Joseph and his brothers and how jealousy lead to conspiracy, lying and kidnapping but instead of Joseph getting all mad and holding grudges he forgave his brothers?  How do you think you would have reacted in this situation?

How can we control our temper:

 Matthew 4:1-11 - Jesus dealt with Satan's temptations by quoting Scripture.  So, if we find verses that will help us control our temper then we need to write them down and when we feel that we are close to losing our temper we need to read over the verses.

End of the School Year

We are closing in on the end of the school year for Abbie.  I can't believe she is almost finished 7th grade!  I have started planning for 8th grade and I "think" I basically have our plan for next year.  We will continue with our Spanish which we really enjoyed and learned a lot.  For our Math we are using Teaching Textbooks Algebra and also some Life of Fred.  She really likes Life of Fred and I think it is good for her to be able to see how you can use math in everyday situations.  At the end of her 7th grade year we tried South Carolina history from SOS.  I wanted to give it a try to see how we liked it and it looks like it will be a good fit for us next year.  So, I have purchased and am anxiously waiting her history and Literature for next year from SOS.  She will continue taking Keepers of the Faith at our homeschool co-op and she will also be taking Speech and General Science at our co-op.  Can't wait until we start 8th grade, but wow the time has flown by!

My shopping trip

Today I noticed that Bi-Lo had a few things on sale that I could match with coupons and save quite a bit of money.  Here's my picture of my shopping trip today:

I bought 2 boxes of Kellogg's Raisin Bran, 1 box of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, 1 box of Crystal Light Drink Mix and 1 roll of Tennessee Pride Sausage and after store sale and coupons I only spent $5.62!  I can honestly say that using coupons has definitely saved us lots of money and it is worth the little bit of time I put into it each week!

Obedience

What does the word obedience mean?  It is a willful submission to authority. 

What kind of attitude does God want from us in regards to obedience?  Our attitude should be positive because we have a desire to please God.

  To obey God I think is one of our most important things that God will ask us to do.  And to obey with a cheerful heart is even better.  How many times have we had to do something and we did what we had to do but on the inside we were really rebelling?  I'm reminded of the story where the Mom told the little boy to sit down.  The little boy did not want to sit down but he did anyway and he said I may be sitting on the outside but I'm standing on the inside.  Do we do that with God?  We need to be willing to obey God with a cheerful heart because we want to make Him happy.

Let's look at the story in Genesis 6 - 8 where it talks about Noah building the ark.  Noah had never seen it rain before so do you think he felt silly for building the ark?  It is hard to know exactly how long it took Noah to build the ark but some people say anywhere between 80 and 120 years.  It really doesn't matter how long it took to actually build the ark, that is really irrelevant, but to know that Noah was willing to obey God that long and not give up is something we should all try to achieve.  How many times have I felt that God was telling me to do something and then after a few tries I give up because I don't have the patience to continue and I figure that I must have misheard God.  Noah was obedient and never gave up being obedient to God. 

What do you think would have happened if Noah had given up and had not obeyed God when he told him to build the ark?  What kind of consequences would Noah's disobedience have on his family?

It's easier to obey when everyone else is obeying but how do you think Noah felt when maybe his friends and neighbors made fun of him for building the ark and telling everyone there was going to be a flood?  We have to be responsible for our own actions so we need to obey just like Noah did even if everyone else is not.  Let's say you are in class and the teacher has to step out of the room for a minute but she tells everyone to stay in their desks and not talk while she is gone.  It's easy to do that if everyone else is obeying but if everyone else starts talking and getting up and moving around it's very hard not to follow them.  Why would this be hard?  Because lots of times people will make fun of us if we don't follow them and we decide to follow the rules.

How does our obedience affect others?

How does our disobedience affect others?

Homemade Laundry Detergent

A few years ago I decided after reading online about so many people making their own laundry detergent that I was going to attempt to make some too.  I figured if we didn't like it then I would just switch back to my regular Tide that I had been using for so many years.  I already had a plastic container that I used to keep my Tide in so I just decided to use that container.

The ingredients are:

2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda
1 cup Baking Soda
1 bar of Fels Naptha Soap (I have also used Ivory soap)

I usually triple my recipe when I make it so that is why you see three bars of the soap on the table. 

First I cut the soap into cubes:

Then I put one bar at a time into my food processor (I have a small food processor so I can only do one batch at a time)     

 Next I add 2 cups of washing soda, 2 cups of borax and 1 cup of baking soda to the food processor and mix until everything is mixed together and in a powder form.

I repeat this two other times until I have tripled the recipe.   Now, when I want to wash clothes I just add 1 teaspoon of detergent to the washer while I am filling it with water and then I add the clothes.  I prefer adding the detergent into the water before I add any clothes so I can be sure that my detergent will dissolve.

Turkey Pot Pie

Last night we had our 50 plus 1 dinner at our church.   I had a hard time deciding what to make but I finally decided to make a turkey pot pie.
It was very easy.  All I did was saute some onions in a little bit of butter and added that to about two cups of diced turkey.  I chopped up one potato and then boiled it until it was almost done.  I added the potato to the turkey and onions along with one can of cream of chicken soup.  I added a little bit of the water from the potatoes to the mixture and then covered with a pie crust.  Easy, but yet delicious.
Not a great picture but here is the turkey pot pie before I took it to church.

I brought home an empty bowl so I guess everyone enjoyed it!

Today was my very first piano lesson!!!!  I know, usually just kids take piano lessons but I have ALWAYS wanted to play the piano and I finally decided to just go for it.  Over the years I have tried to teach myself and I made some progress  but I think having a teacher that will hold me accountable and also be able to help me if I get stuck on something is going to be great!  Can you tell I am just a little bit excited!
Today I learned the C and G chords, which I already knew and I learned the C and G arpeggio (not sure I spelled that correctly!) which was something totally new to me.  I am also working on the song, For the Beauty of the Earth.
Now just to make sure I practice EVERY day and really work hard.  My lessons will be on Mondays at 2:00 so stay tuned to next week to find out the next thing I learn on the piano.

Peacemaking

What does peace mean to you?  not fighting, getting along

Can you think of  a Bible verse that mentions peace?
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.  Matthew 5:9

Do you know what the word contention means?  It means  being in a disagreement.

An opinion is a personal belief that is not founded on proof.

What should we base our beliefs on?  God's word, not our feelings or emotions.

We all know the story of Joseph and his brothers.    What do you think would have happened if Joseph's brothers had not been jealous of him and hated him?  

Let's say that Abbie and I are throwing a ball back and forth to each other.  I decide to just stop playing and walk away.  If we pretend that the ball is an argument then if I have stopped throwing the ball (or arguing) with her then it is hard for the argument to continue.  So, let's try to remember that we don't have to get the last word in an argument, we can just walk away.

Another way to handle arguments is by remember Proverbs 15:1  A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 

How does our arguing effect others?

How can we practice being a peacemaker?

Humility

What does Humility mean?  Being humble, modest, not proud.  When we do something out of the goodness of our heart, not for ourselves.  Thinking that you are not better than other people.  Can you think of a time this past week that you showed humility?

What does it mean to shift blame?  To try to make someone else accountable for your actions. 
Do you think you have ever shifted blame to someone else?
How do you think shifting blame affects others?

Let's read Genesis 2: -3:11   This is the story of Adam and Eve and the serpent

Both Adam and Eve chose to disobey God.  How do you think life would have been different if they had not disobeyed God?

In Genesis 3: 8-13 Adam and Eve tried to cover up their sin and then they  both blamed someone else for their actions.  

Are we able to hide our sin from God?
Did it benefit Adam or Eve by trying to blame someone else for their actions?

How does the Bible tell us to handle our sins?
In James 1: 9 it states:  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 

The parable of the two sons

We are starting our lesson today preparing for Easter.  Easter will be here in just a couple of weeks and I thought it would be good to learn a little about Lent.   What is lent? Lent is to prepare men for the celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ.  Lent lasts for 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter.  Many people mark their foreheads with ash and they will abstain from certain foods or things they enjoy for 40 days.  This is done to supposedly imitate Jesus' forty days that he spent in the wilderness.  (Matthew 4: 1 - 2) 

As a whole Baptists don't celebrate Lent, but I am thinking of ways that I can prepare better for Easter or maybe just better for my spiritual life.  Should I give up something or should I add something to my spiritual walk?   Maybe we could try to memorize just one Bible verse a day until Easter.  Like I said before Lent usually starts 40 days before Easter and it is only 14 days until Easter but I think I will try to do something to strengthen my walk with Jesus by Easter and hopefully it will continue on past Easter to the rest of the year.

Today our lesson is on the parable of the two sons:
Luke 15:11-32

Jesus told this parable of the two sons when he was trying to help people understand more about God's love. He said there was much joy among the angels and God over one wicked person who repents of his past sins and comes back to the Lord. The story Jesus said was:

There was a man who had two sons. The older son was a good and hard worker. The younger son told his father "give me the part of the property that is mine because I want my inheritance now"! So the father gave him the money from his half of the inheritance and the younger son traveled to another country wasting his money recklessly. He spent all day partying and spending his money until he had nothing left. A great famine fell upon the country and the son had no food, no friends and was forced to take the lowly job of looking after pigs and feeding them. He was so hungry that he could have eaten the pigs food because no one helped him or gave him anything. He thought that even his fathers servants have a better life than he and also plenty of food. He then decided to go back home and plead to him to his Father that he had sinned against God and his father, and he wasn't worthy to be his son anymore, and wanted to just be a servant of his dad. As he headed home, his father saw the youngest of the sons a long way off in the distance and began to run to him and hugged and kissed him. The son began to say to him that he had sinned against him and God and was not fit to be his son anymore. But his father stopped him and asked his servants to bring the best robe for him quickly, as well as a ring for his finger and sandals for his bare feet. His father also ordered the servants to prepare the biggest calf for a great feast and party to welcome the son home. The father said to his servants "Look, my son was dead, but now he is alive, he was lost but now he is found". They all then began to celebrate. The oldest son was returning from the field and heard music and dancing and asked a servant what was going on. He was told it was a homecoming party for his younger brother. The older brother became very angry and did not join the party. Then his father came out and the older son turned away and said to his father "I can't believe I've served you obediently all these years and I have never received a party, but my good for nothing little brother returns and is treated like royalty!" The father responded "Son you have always been with me and everything I have is yours. I thought your brother was dead and lost but I have found him alive and well so I am happy he has returned". 

Who does the Father in the story remind you of?

How would you have felt if you were the oldest brother?

Do you think the older brother was jealous?

Do you ever feel jealous? 

Running a 5K

Back in December of 2011, I participated in the Reindeer Run and I had not trained AT ALL!!!!  Needless to say I was very sore the next few days.  My time for the Reindeer Run was 46:36 which came to 15 minutes per mile.  My goal for this run was to finish and not to be the last one over the finish line.  I accomplished both goals and my ranking was 123 out of 130.  Okay, not great but it was my very first 5K so I was very proud of myself.  In January a good friend of mine said she would help train me for my next 5K.  My first thought was "What, I need to run another 5K?  I just wanted to participate in one and I've done that!!!!"  Well, the more I thought about it I decided that sure it would be good for me to get in shape.  So, I started training the second week in January.   Lori said it would be good for me to run every other day so we decided to meet on Tuesday and Thursday after work and on Saturdays I would do it by myself. 
On March 17th, on my daddy's 91st birthday I ran in the Little River Run 5K.  It was such a HOT day but I had committed myself to participating in this run and I was not going to back out.  (Anyone who knows me know that at times I can be a little stubborn!)  Anyway, the race started at 5:00 p.m. at the Little River Bridge and within a few feet of running we had to run up our first hill!  Okay, by this time I'm thinking what did I get myself into!  But another friend of mine, Lesley was there with me and we stuck with each other.  Sometimes Lesley would get a little ahead of me and she would encourage me.  Other times I tried to encourage her so I think we made a great team!  We continued on up West Main and finally made it to Joe Kirby's State Farm office which was our turn around spot.  Most of this was all up hill so it was so nice to be able to turn around and go down hill for a while!  After we made it back to the Square we turned left which took us back up ANOTHER big hill on past the Post Office.  After that it was all down hill and I was so happy when I saw at the bottom of the big hill the place where we would turn to finish our race on the pathway for the Little River Park.  I crossed the finish line at 40:02 minutes!  Okay, I admit I was a little disappointed at first because I wanted to finish under 40 minutes but still I finished in the 39th place out of 89 places with 12:53 per mile! 
Now, I am thinking what race will I enter next!  Yes, I am enjoying running and so I'm sure there will be another race in my future!

Patience

Today's Sunday School lesson is on patience.  I have tried to avoid this lesson but I feel that God is calling me to study this word through Him.
Patience is listed as a fruit of the spirit in Galations 5:22 and this is something that all of us as Christians should be striving for.  Being patient is very easy when everything is going our way but what about when everything is fighting us.
What does the word "patience" mean?  According to Wikipedia it is:
Patience (or forbearing) is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. Patience is the level of endurance one can take before negativity. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast.

In our Bible story today we will read Exodus 32: 1 - 6.

The Golden Calf

 ¹ When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods^[a] who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”  ² Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” ³ So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,^[b] Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
 ⁵ When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.” ⁶ So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.

The Israelites were impatient waiting on Moses to return and decided to worship idols.  Do we ever get tired waiting for God's answer and decide to take things in our own hands?  I know I have and I always make a mess of things when I try to do it my way.

Why did the people ask Aaron to make a golden calf?


James 1: 12 says:  Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.

How can we demonstrate our patience?  First we need to thank God.  Usually a person's first reaction is to say "Why me?"  But we need to thank God and seek His purpose for us in this situation.   Sometimes God allows us to go through a hard time so we can be a good witness and other times it is to help our faith grow.

Honesty

Today's Sunday School lesson is on honesty.  

What does the word honesty mean?

• Honesty is telling the truth.
• Honesty is straightforward conduct.
• Honesty is being sincere, truthful, trustworthy, honorable, fair, genuine, and loyal with integrity.

What does lying mean?  It is a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive.

In Proverbs 12:22 it says:  Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.


The first lie in the Bible was told in the first book of the bible, Genesis chapter 3 where Eve says they were told that they were not to touch the fruit.  God had only said they could not eat the fruit.  Things would have been so different if Eve had not lied.  


Another time in the Bible where someone lied was in Genesis chapter 26 when Isaac lied about his wife.  He told the men that she was his sister instead of his wife.  


How do you think lying affects others?
How does our honesty affect others?

Do you think that sometimes people get away with lying?  It seems to us that they do sometimes, but in Proverbs 19:9 it says:  A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.



Put honesty into action

• Thank someone in your family for being honest.
• Tell your parents about a mistake you've made.
• Tell the truth when you've done something wrong.
• Compliment a friend for being honest.
• Express your real feelings without anger, without blaming others, without exaggerating, and without hurting the feelings of someone else.
• Turn in something that is lost and encourage others to do the same.
• When someone wants to copy your work, politely explain that it isn't right and that it's best to do your own work.
• Admit a mistake or error in judgment you have made and apologize to anyone it might have affected.
• Do your schoolwork honestly
• Be truthful with your friends and thank them for being truthful with you.
• When you ask someone to be honest with you, don't get angry with them if their honesty isn't what you wanted to hear.

I recently downloaded for free a book for my Nook called The Someday List by Stacy Hawkins Adams which is part of the Jubilant Soul Series)
This is what the back cover says about this wonderful book:

From the Back Cover

What do you do when you realize you're not who you want to be? Rachelle Covington has it all. A fabulous home, a handsome and successful husband, two beautiful children, and a place in the upper crust that's quite comfortable. But life is not all it's cracked up to be, and Rachelle finds herself yearning for more. When her husband goes away on a business trip and the kids are sent off to the grandparents for a month, Rachelle heads back to Jubilant, Texas, to visit family and reconnect with her past, her purpose, and herself. But when a blast from the past shows up, Rachelle must confront feelings she thought she'd long buried. Will she give up everything to recover what could have been? Or will she find a reason to plan for the future? Fresh, sincere, and full of hope, The Someday List is an honest look at what makes us who we are. Stacy Hawkins Adams is an Essence bestselling author whose books illuminate the themes of faith, forgiveness, and women's friendships. She is the author of Speak to My Heart, Nothing but the Right Thing, and Watercolored Pearls. Adams is also a freelance journalist and inspirational speaker, and devotes considerable time to child advocacy issues. She and her family live in Virginia. Stacy welcomes readers to visit her at www.stacyhawkinsadams.com.

About the Author

Stacy Hawkins Adams is a freelance reporter and inspirational columnist. She is the author of Speak to My Heart, Nothing but the Right Thing, and Watercolored Pearls. She and her husband, Donald, have two young children and live near Richmond, Virginia. 

  

  This was a very easy quick read but it really made me stop and think about my life and forgiveness and giving it all to Jesus.  I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to think more about their relationship with Jesus.  It's important for all of us to have a strong relationship with Jesus and to be willing to share His story with anyone and everyone.

Diligence

Our lesson today is on diligence.
What does the word diligence mean?

•  persevering determination to perform a task
• conscientiousness in paying proper attention to a task; giving the degree of care required in  a  given situation

Do you think you are diligent when you do your school work?   Do you work harder when someone is watching you?
Let's read Genesis 39: 1 - 6

Joseph and Potiphar's Wife

 ¹ Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar had bought him from the Ishmaelite traders who had taken him there. Potiphar was one of Pharaoh's officials. He was the captain of the palace guard.

 ² The Lord was with Joseph. He gave him great success. Joseph lived in Potiphar's house.

 ³ Joseph's master saw that the Lord was with him. He saw that the Lord gave Joseph success in everything he did. ⁴ So Potiphar was pleased with Joseph. He made him his attendant. He put Joseph in charge of his house. He told Joseph to take good care of everything he owned.

 ⁵ From that time on, the Lord blessed Potiphar's family and servants because of Joseph. He blessed everything Potiphar had in his house and field.

 ⁶ So Potiphar told Joseph to take good care of everything he owned. With Joseph in charge, he didn't have to worry about anything except the food he ate.

   Joseph was strong and handsome. 

Do you think Potiphar would have given Joseph all of that responsibility if he had not been diligent?

We need to be diligent in all areas of our life.  

What does diligence mean to you?

How does being diligent effect others?

How does being lazy effect our relationship with God?

I think a good lesson for us to remember this week should be:

Colossians 3: 23  

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

Let's make a list on ways that we can be diligent everyday. 

 

Being a Good Steward

This week I am studying God's word on being a good steward.  What does the word steward mean?

a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.  And since everything belongs to God being a good steward means:  someone who is doing the best he can with what God has given to him.

In I Corinthians 4:2 it says:  Moreover it is required in stewards that one can be found faithful.

Let's look at the Matthew 25: 14-30

A Story About Three Servants

 ¹⁴ “At that time God’s kingdom will also be like a man leaving home to travel to another place for a visit. Before he left, he talked with his servants. He told his servants to take care of his things while he was gone. ¹⁵ He decided how much each servant would be able to care for. The man gave one servant five bags of money. ^[a] He gave another servant two bags. And he gave a third servant one bag. Then he left. ¹⁶ The servant who got five bags went quickly to invest the money. Those five bags of money earned five more. ¹⁷ It was the same with the servant who had two bags. That servant invested the money and earned two more. ¹⁸ But the servant who got one bag of money went away and dug a hole in the ground. Then he hid his master’s money in the hole.  ¹⁹ “After a long time the master came home. He asked the servants what they did with his money. ²⁰ The servant who got five bags brought that amount and five more bags of money to the master. The servant said, ‘Master, you trusted me to care for five bags of money. So I used them to earn five more.’
 ²¹ “The master answered, ‘You did right. You are a good servant who can be trusted. You did well with that small amount of money. So I will let you care for much greater things. Come and share my happiness with me.’
 ²² “Then the servant who got two bags of money came to the master. The servant said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of money to care for. So I used your two bags to earn two more.’
 ²³ “The master answered, ‘You did right. You are a good servant who can be trusted. You did well with a small amount of money. So I will let you care for much greater things. Come and share my happiness with me.’
 ²⁴ “Then the servant who got one bag of money came to the master. The servant said, ‘Master, I knew you were a very hard man. You harvest what you did not plant. You gather crops where you did not put any seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid. I went and hid your money in the ground. Here is the one bag of money you gave me.’
 ²⁶ “The master answered, ‘You are a bad and lazy servant! You say you knew that I harvest what I did not plant and that I gather crops where I did not put any seed. ²⁷ So you should have put my money in the bank. Then, when I came home, I would get my money back. And I would also get the interest that my money earned.’
 ²⁸ “So the master told his other servants, ‘Take the one bag of money from that servant and give it to the servant who has ten bags. ²⁹ Everyone who uses what they have will get more. They will have much more than they need. But people who do not use what they have will have everything taken away from them.’ ³⁰ Then the master said, ‘Throw that useless servant outside into the darkness, where people will cry and grind their teeth with pain'

So, I think this lesson explains perfectly how God wants us to be.  I know when I am standing before God I hope to hear what verse 21 says:  "You did right. You are a good servant who can be trusted"

I don't want to hear what was said in verse 30:   ‘Throw that useless servant outside into the darkness, where people will cry and grind their teeth with pain'

Why do you think the master was angry with the lazy servant?
What happened to the lazy servant?
What happened to the good servant who took care of the master's money?
Why do you think we should be good stewards of what we have?  Because everything that we have actually belongs to God.  We build God up by being careful with what He gave to us.

God gives everyone something different to do for Him.   To find out what we should be doing we need to stay in God's word and talk to Him everyday so He can lead us to what we need to be doing.

How do you think being a good steward effects others?
How do you think being a good steward will effect our relationship with Jesus?

We're all in different situations so I want you to think on how each of you can practice being a good steward for Jesus.

Jonah 4

Read Jonah 4: 1-5

 ¹ But Jonah was very upset. He became angry. ² He prayed to the Lord and said, "Lord, isn't this exactly what I thought would happen when I was still at home? That's why I was so quick to run away to Tarshish. I knew that you are gracious. You are tender and kind. You are slow to get angry. You are full of love. You are a God who takes pity on people. You don't want to destroy them. ³ Lord, take away my life. I'd rather die than live."

 ⁴ But the Lord replied, "Do you have any right to be angry?"
 ⁵ Jonah left the city. He sat down at a place east of it. There he put some branches over his head. He sat in their shade. He waited to see what would happen to the city.

Jonah knew that if he preached a message of destruction instead of repentance that Israel would repent and Jonah really did not want them to be forgiven. 
What is wrong with Jonah?  He loves himself more than he loves God or other people.
How can a person with such a clear vision of God's character so greatly misunderstand his own purpose in life?
Jonah obviously did not believe that being like God was his goal.

Jonah thought he was better than the people of Ninevah.  Do we ever think that we are better than other people?

What do you think Jonah hoped would happen to the city?
I think he was waiting to see Ninevah destroyed.

Read Jonah 4: 5 - 11

 ⁵ Jonah left the city. He sat down at a place east of it. There he put some branches over his head. He sat in their shade. He waited to see what would happen to the city.
 ⁶ Then the Lord God sent a vine and made it grow up over Jonah. It gave him more shade for his head. It made him more comfortable. Jonah was very happy he had the vine. ⁷ But before sunrise the next day, God sent a worm. It chewed the vine so much that it dried up.
 ⁸ When the sun rose, God sent a burning east wind. The sun beat down on Jonah's head. It made him very weak. He wanted to die. So he said, "I'd rather die than live."
 ⁹ But God said to Jonah, "Do you have any right to be angry about what happened to the vine?"
   "I do," he said. "In fact, I'm angry enough to die."
 ¹⁰ But the Lord said, "You have been concerned about this vine. But you did not take care of it. You did not make it grow. It grew up in one night and died the next. ¹¹ Nineveh has more than 120,000 people. They can't tell right from wrong. Nineveh also has a lot of cattle. So shouldn't I show concern for that great city?" 

Jonah had made a shelter why do you think God provided the vine?   The vine would actually keep Jonah cooler because the moisture would exude through the leaves.  That is why it is cooler to sit under the shade of a tree rather than the shade of a building.

Jonah built his shelter while God made the vine.  God is still pursuing Jonah.  Jonah gets mad and stomps off and waits hoping that God will change His mind and do what Jonah wants done. 

Read Jonah 4: 7 again.  Who provided the worm?  God

Read Jonah 1: 17 and 4:7 together.  What parallels do you see between the great fish and the little worm?  God provided both.  God used both to get the attention of Jonah.  The great fish was used to save Jonah from drowning.  The little worm was used to make Jonah uncomfortable.  The discomfort was meant to save Jonah's spiritual life.

Read Jonah 4:9 
When Jonah says he is angry enough to die it sounds to me like a spoiled little kid that did not get his way.  How many times do we act like that with God? 

So when we face our time when we may not have our "vine" (which can be anything that God has given us)  we need to remember that we still have God and He will never leave us.  I have seen a lot of people get mad at God when someone they love dies.   It is hard to lose a loved one but we will still have God and  He will be with us.

Jonah has the attitude of the devil.  He is selfish and upset that people are not being destroyed.  At this time Jesus was in the process of giving His life away so that we all could be saved.   Salvation is for all.

Jonah had nothing to do with the life and care of the vine but yet he was so angry that he wanted to die.  God created and sustained the Ninevites.  God tells us that he has an interest in our life and our salvation.

The book of Jonah is like a cliffhanger because we don't know if Jonah ever truly repented or if he continued living just for himself.  

I'm very thankful that God does not have Jonah's attitude. 

Homemade Bread

Making bread has always fascinated me since I was a young girl in 4-H.  So today while I was looking online I found a new recipe for bread that I had to try!

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1/3 cup white sugar
3/4 Tbl. active dry yeast
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 cup vegetable oil
3 cups all purpose flour

In your kitchen aid mixer proof  your yeast in the mixing bowl and then add the oil and salt.  Add the flour slowly one cup at a time using the dough hook on low speed.  Once all of the dry ingredients are mixed in turn the mixer onto medium speed for 5 minutes.  Then take the dough out of the bowl  and make a bowl and then drizzle a little vegetable oil in the bowl.  Put the dough back into the bowl and turn the dough to evenly coat the dough with oil.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap  and then a kitchen towel.   After the dough has doubled in size shape the dough into a loaf shape and place in a well greased loaf pan.  Allow the dough to rise again for 30 more minutes and then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

And here is the final product right out of the oven:

And sliced right before dinner:

My newest Pinterest Item

I found another thing on pinterest that I had to try.  I love to try and draw and I found this tutorial on how to draw a dog.  Here's my attempt at the dog:

 As you can tell I am having a lot of fun at my new favorite online site pinterest!

Crock Pot Fried Rice

I recently tried this recipe that I found on A Year of Slow Cooking website and this has now become a favorite easy recipe that I am sure I will make many times.  Crock Pot Fried Rice

And here is a picture of our finished product:

Church Bulletin Board

Here is our new bulletin board in the adult Sunday School room.

Another Pinterest Find!

This is one of the first things I discovered on Pinterest and so today when I was at the thrift store I picked up the two glass containers that I needed to make this very useful item for the restroom. 

One round glass container filled with cotton balls:

One smaller glass container filled with q-tips:

Put the smaller glass container on top of the bigger one and you have a very handy but pretty container to hold your cotton balls and q-tips!

This only cost me $1.25 so I am very happy with my latest pinterest find! 

Pinterest

A few months ago I discovered a wonderful website call Pinterest.  Pinterest is  a virtual bulletin board, a social book-marking site. Pinterest is like the best magazine ever – no ads, just great things to look at and get inspiration from.   I have learned so many new things on this site and admittedly I have also wasted A LOT of time there!
Here is a link to my pinterest boards Trudy's Pinterest Boards
If you are interested in joining Pinterest just send me an email and I will send you an invitation.

Yesterday I made a big mess on my iron and I needed a way to get it clean.  I have used the cleaning stuff from the store before but it smells so caustic that I did not want to use that again.  I did a quick search on Pinterest and I found a very easy inexpensive way to clean my iron.  Just sprinkle about 1/2 cup of salt on a brown paper bag and run your iron over the paper until your iron looks great again.
Here are my pictures for proof that it works!

Before picture

After Picture

Don't you agree that it did a great job and it was so easy without having the very bad smell!