Raspberries, Devine...

I went to a party last night, and one of my friends had a bowl of these.  I am not a big fan of raspberries, but oh my, these were so good.
Fresh Raspberries, rinse and pat dry.
Insert a white chocolate chip upside down in each raspberry.
Refrigerate till you serve.

They were so refreshing...so cute...so small..so delish...
It's all about the presentation, right Donna?  :)

Don't give up...

I read this passage this morning,
Luke 18:1-8
"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up".

There was a woman who kept bugging an unjust  judge about getting justice.  She kept bothering him to the point that he gave in and granted her the justice.  Jesus said, listen to what the unjust judge says, will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, ones that cry to him day and night?  Is there anyone that has this kind of faith?  If we can bug others for what we need then we should keep praying and asking, knowing that God will do what is best for us, don't give up!  I am talking to myself right now, while praying this morning, I was thinking, I keep praying for the same things, same people, same situations,  yet I see no answers.  All the while, knowing, that I have to continue, that I can't give up!  Then.....

This afternoon, I received an email from my Aunt, it was about Abraham and Isaac.  Abraham was walking up the mountain, in FAITH, to sacrfice his son Isaac.  God provided a ram in Isaac's place.

The sentence below caught my attention,

"Quietly. Out of sight. On the other side of the mountain. Something else was putting one foot in front of the other. Only Abraham couldn't see it."

Wow, Abraham could not see it, but God had a plan.  If I can just remember that when things do not go my way.  If I remember that in Faith, if I put one foot in front of another, if I just do the next thing, if I keep praying for the same situations, even when I do not have answers,  THEN I am doing what God wants me to do.  I am acting in Faith.  Things happen when Faith is in place.

Think about this one Daddy, in your situation last week that did not go as planned, Quietly, out of sight, God has something else putting one foot in front of the other.  You cannot see it, but you will one day. 

Faith, yes, faith, as small as a mustard seed, do I have that kind of faith?  Faith, that I can be happy, that I am content, that I believe it is the best for me, whatever the outcome will be. Abraham did!

Handsome if I say so myself...

My boy, sweet Layton, I love him so!

Simple Grace...

I think I make grace too hard to understand.  I know I say it all the time, but these words make it easier for me to understand,

God's Grace, means love, acceptance, and forgiveness.

Acceptance, that is a big one, God accepts "me" for who I am.  And, he loves me sooooooo.

Now, that is ..... simple .... grace...

Petit Four Surprise...

One of my very good friends surprised me with this Petit Four pan for my Birthday.

I cannot wait to try it!  I never buy the fun stuff for me, I am always buying for
"More Than Chocolate",  right Lauren?  lol

From my mother...she knows my love of icing!

Happy Birthday to me!

Surely Says...Texas Real Estate Update

2011 DROUGHT BREAKING THE BANK

COLLEGE STATION (Texas Agrilife Extension Service) – The 2011 drought hit historic proportions this summer with a record $5.2 billion in agricultural losses making it the most costly drought on record, according to economists at the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

This year’s losses beat the previous mark of $4.1 billion set in the 2006 drought.

Part of the reason for the record losses is Texas farmers failing to cash in crops during times of high commodity prices.

Here is the $5.2 billion in losses broken down by commodity.

• Livestock: $2.06 billion
• Cotton: $1.8 billion
• Hay production: $750 million
• Corn: $327 million
• Wheat: $243 million
• Sorghum: $63 million

What a feeling...

This is exactly how I feel, the heat is exhausting...busy week, productive week, thankful but tired!

Don't look back...

Had a crazy man send this to me, lol...

"There's a reason the windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror."

This is so true!  Don't look back, don't dwell on the past, learn from your mistakes and  keep on keeping on! 

Loveable...

Wow, my aunt sent this to me today, from a devotional by Samatha Reed,

There is an all loving Creator who is sovereign. This is a big word with bigger meaning: all powerful. He had the choice to concoct you in His mind. He had the option to create you. He had the wherewithal to call you by name. He didn't have to.

He could have said,
Nah, I know how that one turns out.
Depression and doubts are her go-to's instead of Me.
Guys are allowed to violate her body.
Her marriage falls apart.
Her relationship with her parents isn't good.
Her kids can't stand her.
She's frumpy.
She's not worthy of My time or talent.
She's not lovable.

But He didn't. No.

Instead, He said, I know how that one turns out.
She trusts me despite her teetering emotions and difficult circumstances.
She redeems her past to inspire purity in young girls.
She encourages and invests in other's marriages.
It's My delight to be her Father and call her My daughter.
Her knees hit the ground in fervent prayer for her children.
She's beautiful.
She's worthy of my Son's life and death.
She's so lovable, I call her Mine and nothing she does—nothing that happens to her—can take My love from her.

I don't know why you don't feel you're lovable. Or what lies come trying to convince you that your past, your actions, your shame, your guilt disqualifies you from love.

What I do know is this: you are worthy of love. You are loveable. And you are qualified as a child of God. But don't take my word. Take His...

"Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away." Song of Solomon 8:7a (NIV 1984)

5716 Quail Creek Drive, Tyler, TX 75703...

New Listing

Location, Priceless! Contemporary construction on estate size lot. If you are looking for a retreat in the city, here it is! Beautiful trees, sparkling pool, several patios for entertaining along with a pool house or workshop with electricity (512 sq ft). 3 bedrooms upstairs, with an office and half bath downstairs. This could be a 4th bedroom or man cave :) Spacious family room, separate dining room, tall vaulted ceilings, and tall windows everywhere. This

house just makes you happy with sunshine! Master suite, is exactly that, french doors lead from master to a sitting area/office area overlooking the family room. Lots of storage. Updates per the seller are as follows: 2010 Paint upstairs and downstairs hallways, June 2011 New oven, 18 Seer A/C and variable speed indoor unit with air cleaners, Central Vac,

2009 Dishwasher. Come see this today!

MLS # 10013910, $289,900  click below for the virtual tour,

http://vu.realbiz360.com/Listing-801040.html

Just so thankful...

I love this picture, I know I blog about the most random things.  Actually, I was thinking about how thankful I am.  Just plain ole' gratitude... I even googled "cup overflows" and this picture popped up.

Sheep are dumb, they just follow their master.  They are totally dependent for food, shelter and safety. 

We as born again believers are described as sheep in the Bible.  Today, I am tired, but thankful.  I am satisfied, blessed and content... :)

I know my mother loves this pic! 

Kissable...

I am ready to kiss on this face, I have not seen Layton enough this week! Guess he is ready for the pool with his new goggles...

Perfecting...

I have really been pondering over a true statement James MacDonald said this morning,

"God is perfecting me, so that no matter what happens in my life, I will trust him." 

 As women, it  seems we are all searching for "perfect" creams for our faces, I came across the meaning below,

Perfecting cream absorbs rapidly and helps to visibly improve the appearance of dark spots and enhance the brightness of your complexion ...
Bingo, read that again, we can apply this to our lives,

* Absorbs rapidly- If I immerse myself in God's Word, I will absorb Him!

* Visibly improves the appearance- I know from experience, God first, Me last = happy 

* Enhances the brightness of the  complexion- God Present, Other's will notice.

The result, gradually, over time, God changes me to be just like Him, I in return trust him more everyday. 

Isaiah 30:15 "In quietness and trust is your strength".

the Help...

I went to see this movie this evening...good movie.  Intense, I guess because of the way people treat people. 
Why can't everyone treat others as they want to be treated? 

Summer color...

I love summer,
I love the color blue,
I love fresh bluberries, fresh muffins,
I love lemon anything, love lemonade, love its' freshness,
I love the color yellow, sunshine, happiness, ever after,
I love little things, I love order, I love making points,
I love retro, memories, cool breezes, rain, pitter patter,

It has been a hot and hard summer, but if you look, you can find all kinds of things to be thankful for!

Surely,

Oscar...

There is a guy on Facebook that post a pic of his pig everyday...Oscar turned "1" and he loved his birthday hat. I just love this pig, he makes me happy!
Look at that perfect "kisser"...

Daddy had a great birthday...he even went swimming with my sister's kids..,
I haven't seen daddy in a pool since I was their age, oh my... Lauren was amazed, to say the least !  Good times, good memories, thank the Lord I  can spend time with my parents!

Happy Birthday Daddy...

I called daddy this morning, he told me he was "three score and nine" today!.... Lol
Big 69, almost,  drum roll "70"... Of course when he turns 70, I will be, hush, "50"...
But on a more serious note, I sure love my daddy, I am not quite sure what I would do without him.  He is my constant, surely, encourager.  I often think after I talk to him, uhhhhh, I didn't even ask about him, I am usually centering on myself, which I do not like to do.  My daddy can turn circles around me, always busy, never complains, doesn't mope around, and he cherishes my mother.  There are not many men around that can compare to him.  I thank God that I have a father that loves me, I love you Daddy and we will celebrate your birthday together tomorrow!
Hopefully, I will have more pictures tomorrow!

Surely Says...Texas Real Estate Update...

Keeping you informed,
According to Dr. Mark Dotzur, Real Estate Center at Texas A & M,
"In a recent speech, I was asked about my perception of the current debt ceiling and deficit discussions. I mentioned that this “crisis” over the debt ceiling is like a tornado drill......."  read the article,
click below,
http://blog.recenter.tamu.edu/2011/08/this-is-just-a-drill/#more-197

Bind and write...

Proverbs 3:3-4

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
  bind them around your neck,
  write them on the tablet of your heart.
  Then you will win favor and a good name  in the sight of God and man. "

Welcome to Texas...



The heat is just unbearable.  I came home this afternoon, and tried to spray paint a project of mine, and I was drenched in sweat, sweat running in my eyes, hair behind the ears wet, just sticky, and nasty.  I jumped in the pool and it is like bath water.  Wet, but not refreshing.  So what did I do, I ate cold watermelon.  Yea that was good!  I cannot remember it being so HOT that your skin actually feels like it is burning while you are outside.  I went out again around 8, same heat... The heat made me think about what I heard on James MacDonalds'  radio show this morning, HELL, eternal Hell, eternal -meaning a conscious awareness of being in Hell.  He posed the question, "Does it bring tears to your eyes when you think of someone going to Hell?"  Wow, do we really?  Do we realize if our family, friends, co-workers, or even enemies, do not Choose Jesus, if they do not believe, that one day they will end up in Hell.  Hell is real, Hell is Hot, Hell is a place I do not want anyone to live eternally.

John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

S'More Bars...

I follow the Real Mom Kitchen Blog, this will be my next recipe to bake,  the picture is also from Real Mom Kitchen's Blog...
S’More Bars

• 1 stick of butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 king-sized Hershey’s milk chocolate bars
• 1 large egg
• 1 jar marshmallow creme/fluff
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (~7 full-sized graham cracker sheets, processed til fine)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan (I line my pan with foil for easy removal and cutting). Use an electric mixer to cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile,whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture until combined.
3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan.
4. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side. (I had to trim a little off one bar to get mine to fit.)
5. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. PLace blobs of it on the chocolate and then spread it around.
6. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (I rolled the dough out between two pieces of waxed paper and use a spatula to place pieces of it on the top and pressed the pieces together).
7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (I did mine a little longer to get that nice brown color), until lightly browned. Be sure to cool completely before cutting into bars. Makes 16 squares.
8. Cool completely before cutting into bars. (I only cooled for 1 1/2 hours. You need the chocolate to be melty in a s’more, right?) Enjoy heaven!

Surely Says...Texas Real Estate Update...

Taken from the Real Estate Center, Texas A & M, Dr. Mark Dotzer,

"Drum roll, please! Now for the answer to the question posed by the authors. Where did the deficits come from?

This analysis suggests that the increase in the debt over the period 1975—2007 was not only a consequence of increased government spending without increased revenues, but also that the government increased payments to individuals through Social Security, Medicare, and other payments without sufficiently reducing spending elsewhere in the budget.

In short, these trends, as the CBO’s recent Long-Term Budget Outlook makes clear, will continue to strain federal, state, and local budgets as they consume an ever larger percentage of federal spending dollars.

Despite what some of our leaders in Washington say, balancing our budget and living within our means will require big changes to Social Security and Medicare."

If you care to read the entire blogpost, click here,
http://blog.recenter.tamu.edu/2011/07/where-did-the-huge-deficits-come-from/#more-149