Lion King

My favorite vacation adventure.

Our personal tour guide had us running to make this show on time, but I am sooo glad she did!! Thanks ASH!

MONDAY MORNING VISITORS

Not having heard of our Thanksgiving tradition,
they wanted to come inside...

but happily accepted grapes and crackers on the veranda.

"And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.

"So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."

And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. "
Genesis 1:20-23

AWESOME DISNEY!

Yep, you can get that close to God's creations!

The Dr Appointment from Hell!

even that could not spoil my cheerful mood!


I will think about it tomorrow...after all, tomorrow is another day!


Savannah nights! Sleeping in a very high bed...literally had to climb in!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. well I will say that after Ms Nurse Practitioner interrogated me and tossed my broken body into a corner, she then stomped on my heart to make sure I knew who was boss.
When she saw a tear slip out of my eye and slide down my confused cheek, she asked, "Have you seen anyone about your depression?"
...I did muster up the strength to inform her that I was not depressed before I met her today!

Then, as I crawled over the other broken bodies to get out of there, she said, "Now that I have destroyed you, what are you going to do now? ........................................
..........................................................................................................
........................................................................................
and I smiled,........................................................
....................................................................
...........................................................
and answered..........................
.......................................
............................
..................
...........
.....

"I'm going to DISNEY WORLD!!!!!!!!!!



.
.

DISNEY HERE WE COME!

Remember the people mover?

(now the Transit Authority)

WHEN DOES LIFE BEGIN?

"When Life Begins" from COME WHAT MAY movie from George Escobar on Vimeo.

CELEBRATE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE SUNDAY!

CELEBRATE MARRIAGE!

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

3 John 1:4

~

It is so refreshing to my soul to see

a couple committed to God

and therefore their marriage.

And when it is my own children what a joy!

~

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

~

SNOW DREAMERS CRUSHED

When my daughter was in high school she conducted a science project on the accuracy of weather predictions. For weeks she followed the weather each day and night. She recorded both the predicted weather and the actual weather. The question was simply "Can meteorologists accurately predict the weather?" The hypothesis was that weather predictions were only educated guessing. At the end of the experiment she concluded that weather meteorologists were only right 50 percent of the time.

She won 1st place at her school, but when she competed on the state level one of the judges was a meteorologist! Needless to say, she did not win! I watched the judges expressions and I do not think the meteorologist was impressed with the hypothesis or the conclusion.

This information has served my daughter well as her heart wants to believe any snow prediction; but her brain tells her the chances are only 50-50 that the predicted weather will actually happen. To an optimist those odds are high enough to nurture hope.

Some say that the best part of a trip is the anticipation. In the case of snow dreaming, it may be fun to hope, however it is like a trip to Disney being canceled after you have placed the luggage in the car!

Bummer!

"Many are the plans in a man's heart,

but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."

Proverbs 19:21 NIV

EPIPHANY - aka The Twelfth Day of Christmas

" When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
And when they were come into the house,

they saw the young child with Mary his mother,

and fell down, and worshipped him:

and when they had opened their treasures,

they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh."

Matthew 2: 9-11 ASB

There are many who would attempt to discredit the Christian faith by arguing over details in the event of Christ's earthly birthday. They love to point out that Jesus was not born on December 25th and the Epiphany is not the date that the wise men found Jesus.

However, they fail to realize that the dates and time line do not change the event itself. Jesus was born and King Herod sent his wise men to find Baby Jesus.

The day we have chosen to celebrate this miraculous birth is not as important as the reason we choose to celebrate.

When we received our first baby as foster parents years ago, we were not told his birth date. The system was much different than it is now. Everything was a secret even though we were allowed to choose his name. This would not happen today.

When he became ill and we rushed him to the ER we were only able to give an approximate age/BD, our educated guess based on the few facts that we were privy to.

Whether it was Monday on the 20th or Wednesday on the 22th mattered not so much. DSS was mum in the area of foster parent info regarding children in care.

We learned the actual birth date from a kind doctor who had contacted the hospital where our baby was born. Had he not gotten sick we might have celebrated on the day he came into our home. Did this matter to our ability to love or his need to be loved? Of course not.

Discussions regarding the exact date are simply Satan's way to distract and confuse.

Find an answer to the why December 25 here.

ON THE 11TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS - EPIPHANY EVE

All good things must come to an end. Why? I am like a questioning 4 year old. Why do they have to come to an end? Why do we end good things? hmm?



Today we put away Christmas. The house looks naked inside and out. I suppose if we left our beautiful trees and decorations up they would get dusty and lose their sparkle. Sigh...

As we think about the Magi finding baby Jesus, here is a beautiful story of gifts from the heart. If you are already familiar with the story, then share it with your children.

On the 10th Day of Christmas - ANSWERED PRAYERS

My Husband Smells Like Christmas Cookies! Yummy!

He really does smell delish! And this is an answered prayer! When I developed Anosmia (the loss of Olfactory Perception) one of the most disappointing losses was the ability to enjoy my husbands cologne. It smelled just awful to me. We tried several new ones in vain.

Recently the distortion suddenly changed and currently he smells like sweet cookies baking (as I remember). I hope this lasts for a while!

"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that,

if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask,

we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. "

1 John 5:14-15

As for Dogs...I learned today through more intensive testing that I am allergic to mixed breed dogs? Is this a mutt? We have no pets so this should not be a big deal in daily life. However someone we love has a mixed rescue dog. hmm...

On a lighter note I am allergic to weed! What?

~

ON THE 9TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS - BLESSINGS

2009 was a wonderful year.

There was food on my table and a roof over my head.

Love was given and received.

I was blessed.

"Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous;

you surround them with your favor as with a shield."

Psalm 5:12 (TNIV)

Saying I am blessed has always made me a little uncomfortable. Does that mean that someone else is not blessed if they do not possess whatever it is that I am using as an example of my being blessed?

I think when this began to bother me was when I noticed that some who are not living a God fearing/respecting life (as evidenced by their choices) still will answer that they are blessed if a compliment comes their way. It sounded as if any person lacking what the 'blessed' person has is just not blessed!

Does this mean that the homeless, the hungry, the abused, the sick are just not blessed?

According to the scripture above, I am blessed because of a righteous life. Are all those who are living in poverty, without employment, physically challenged, etc. unrighteous?

No, what it means is that the righteous will receive the Lord's favor which is why even those in dire circumstances can feel blessed, filled with peace and joy.

This past year a dear friend of many in our church and community died unexpectedly following a medical procedure. She was in her early forties. She had been a shining example of a joyful life. She would tell you that she was blessed and that God was so good to her. Yet, she had lived her entire life dependent on others for care and transportation. Born with spina bifida she would never walk until she walked into Heaven's gates and never run until she ran to see Jesus. She received the Lord's favor in many ways. She was blessed to have care, food and shelter from the righteous who were used by God in her life.

This winter is colder than normal in the south. A hot meal, a pair of gloves or a warm hat could minister and bless the lives of those less fortunate than yourself. I am guessing that if you are reading this you at least have access to electricity and a computer. Are you blessed by God (or simply fortunate in which case you need to consider this)?

How can God use you to bless someone today?

ON THE 8th DAY OF CHIRSTMAS - HAPPY NOW!

A brand new calendar. What will you do NOW? Every one seemed impatient for 2010. How long will it be before you are wishing it was 2011?

On my desk is a clock that tells me the time is NOW. No matter when I check the clock it always reads NOW. So, if I look to see if I have time to complete a task the clock reads NOW…I love it!

Recently, I shared a concern with a dear friend. She immediately reached for my hand and said, “Let’s pray.” As she began to intercede for me I felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me. How long had it been since a friend had responded in that way? I remember when we didn’t hesitate to ask for prayer or to give it as the need arose. What are we waiting for? Needs do not have to wait for a formal prayer meeting. How much richer would our lives be if we stopped to pray instead of pushing the need aside until it was ‘convenient’. The time to pray is always NOW not later.

We spend a lot of time discussing future plans. Parents say their children are ‘almost four’ instead of simply ‘three’. Teens are looking ahead to driver’s licenses or college. College kids complain about early classes and exams and long for the day of graduation. Adults constantly look forward to the weekend. On Monday most are wishing it was Friday. Or, else, they are looking ahead to vacation. Baby Boomers can hardly wait to retire. How many moments have we missed just wishing them away?

When did we stop appreciating NOW?

“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.
What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
James 4:14 TNIV

ON THE 7TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS - CELEBRATE

"... Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." Philippians 3:13-14

~

This is the easy version of this old Gullah recipe.

Tradition is to serve this on New Year’s Day

along with collard greens and cornbread.

Hoppin' John
16 oz. pkg. frozen black-eyed peas
1piece of ham or leftover ham
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 16 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 cup instant rice

Cook peas according to package directions.
When boiling, add ham or ham bone, onion, salt and pepper.
Simmer 1 hour.
Arrange rice over peas and cover rice with water.
Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat.
Gently stir in tomatoes.

The tradition to serve collards on New Year's Day does not have to be intimidating. Sauteing frozen collards can be a quick, healthy alternative.

My family likes this better than fresh greens.

Collards

16 oz frozen chopped collard greens

2-3 Tbs Olive Oil

1/8 tsp garlic powder

hot pepper sauce

salt and pepper to taste

heat oil to medium high

sprinkle garlic powder in oil

add collard greens

saute on medium high, stirring occasionally

after 4-5 minutes sprinkle a little hot pepper sauce over greens

continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes.

Cover until served.

Pass the hot pepper sauce and green tomato relish!

~

Continue to celebrate with music or games.

OUR ENTERTAINER