Come Join the Fun!!

Hannah over at Aspire is hosting the LAST week of her four-week Planting Chums event. There are a lot of exciting giveaways involved... So you really might want to check it out. =)

This week we're supposed to post "Four Fun Facts" about ourselves. So, here I go...

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#1 Alright. This is kind of embarrassing... but I actually had to go to WWW.Merriam-Webster.Com and look up the definition of the word "chum". Haha! I just couldn't resist sharing that as my first "fun fact"! ;D I already had an idea of what it meant and Sis #1 did tell me herself, but I guess it's just one of those things you have to see for yourself! lol

#2 I'm 17 years old and still like to sit in my daddy's lap. :)

#3 I love thunderstorms, but only during the daytime. If they happen in the middle of the night I can't stand it and I end up staying awake until it passes!

#4 Okay, now this one might seem kind of weird, but... I'm afraid of the movies "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" & "Alice in Wonderland". lol ...Silly, I know! :D

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Well, that was fun!

Just --> click here <-- to join up.

( You know you want to! )

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"A friends loves at all times..." Proverbs 17:17

"If one falls down, his friend can help him up." Ecclesiastes 4:10

.

: Chum : a close friend.

Pronunciation: \ˈchəm\
Function: noun
Etymology: perhaps by shortening & alteration from chamber fellow roommate
Date: 1684 -- No wonder I was clueless! :D

SOURCE

~ Have a blessed Friday, everyone! :)

"God is Good All the Time...

... All the time God is good!"

Chris Klicka, Power Perfected in Weakness

I just finished reading Chris Klicka's book, Power Perfected in Weakness, this morning. It was such an amazing book! My mom bought this book soon after it came out and she read it right away. After she was finished, my sister and my dad both read it. All three of them said it was an aweseome book and that I would really like it. Well, they were definitely right. I have to admit that it wasn't the easiest book in the world for me to get through (it's a real "tearjerker" ;), but I certainly had no regrets about it! It was very eye-opening and encouraging to us all as we read of the amazing influence Chris had on such a great amount of people. Even in the midst of his dibilitating disease and many other trials, he never failed to shine the light of Jesus to everyone he came in contact with. He truly made the most of every opportunity, and I found it a huge encouragement as we've been facing our own similar trials with my dad's illness. :)

Anyway, if you haven't read this book... you should! :-)

"Blessed is he who has regard for the weak;

the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.

The LORD will protect him and preserve his life;

he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.

The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and

restore him from his bed of illness."

Psalm 41:1-3

Praise the Lord for being our Sustainer...

Praise the Lord all the earth! :)

Yummy *Looking* Apple Pie

Doesn't that look DELICIOUS?!

Well, it really wasn't that great. Lol!

(Hence the "Yummy *Looking*" title! :D)

The other day we found this recipe for apple pie in our therapy handbook of approved foods we can eat, and decided to give it a try. Well... let's just say we were a little disappointed. I made the crust (it didn't really turn out quite like it should've!) and Sister #1 made the filling. The crust ended up being hard as a rock once the pie was finished (we forgot to cover it in foil) and it just wasn't the same as the good ole' apple pie we were hoping for. I thought I would go ahead and share the recipe anyway, though, in case you happen to be interested. ;) (Of course, we used all of our organic ingredients. :)

Apple Streusel Pie

aka: Yummy-Looking Apple Pie ;D

1- 9" Pie Crust (See below)

12 med. Green Apples, sliced thin

1/3 cup crude Brown Sugar or 1/4 cup honey

2 tsp. Cornstarch or Oat Flour

2-3 tsp. Lemon or Orange Juice

1/2 cup Dried Currants or chopped Dates

pinch Coriander, Mace, Allspice

Combine dry ingredients. Coat apples. Drizzle on honey (if used) and juice. Fill pie crust. Sprinkle on topping. Bake at 300-325 F for 1 hr 15 min or until apples are tender.

Crumb topping:

2/3 cup Oat Flour

3 tsp. Crude Brown Sugar

pinch Allspice

1/3 cup Honey or Maple Syrup

Raised Crust:

1 Cup Oat Flour

1/2 Cup Potato Flour

(or use more oat flour)

1 Cup Triticale or Whole Wheat Flour

1 tsp. Honey or Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Warm Water

1 tsp. Baker's Yeast

Sprinkle yeast into warm water mixed with honey. When frothy add flour and mix well. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Knead on floured board for 5 min. Let rest for 10 min., roll out on floured board. Place in pie plate that has been thoroughly coated on the bottom with rolled oat flakes. Flute edge. Let rise for 15 min. Bake at 375 F for 20-25 min.

Now, dare I say...

Enjoy!?

Just kidding! :) It really wasn't too bad... considering it was the first time my sister and I ever made a pie. ;D

I'm sure it would've received an A+ for presentation. =) Ha Ha!

~ Have a blessed evening, everybody!

"A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough."

Galatians 5:9

Picture taken by: Me :)

~ Serving Others, Serving Christ

~ ~ ~ ~

Make Me a Servant

Make me a servant

Lord, make me like you

For you are a servant

Make me one too

Make me a servant
Do what you must do

To make me a servant

Lord, make me like you

Jesus the servant

Got down on his knees

He washed feet that followed
So they would believe

Service to others

Is service to You

So make me a servant

Lord, make me like you

~ ~ ~ ~

Serving others is a wonderful privelege God has given us as Christians. For, by serving others we are honoring and serving Christ! Sometimes it's easy for me to grumble or complain when it comes to doing something I don't want to do. Instead, I should rejoice and be glad that I'm given the opportunity to serve my family (or others, whatever the case may be!) and therefore glorify my Lord in doing so. It's my desire to be a servant of the King of kings, and one of he best ways to serve Him is by serving others with a humble heart.

The song above has been one of my favorites for a long time. :) (Unfortunately, I couldn't find it anywhere online though. So I have no idea who wrote it!) I love it so much because it serves as a great reminder for me all throughout the day. I pray that it will be an encouragement to you as well! Remember, whether you're serving your family in the home, working a job, volunteering your time, (or whatever the case may be! ;D) . . .

you are serving and honoring Jesus Christ! So,

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.

It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Colossians 3:23-24

~ Have a blessed Monday, everyone!

Picture credit: Google Images

I've Been Tagged...

by Eden at Heirs of Promise!

Yay! Thanks for thinking of me, Eden. :) This looks like fun...

Here are the rules for this tag:

~

Please tag eight people and do not tag the

one who tagged you. If you would not like

to answer a certain question, simply

change it to one you like and answer that.

• What song are you currently listening to a lot?

That would probably be "City on Our Knees" by Toby Mac. I just bought his newest CD a few days ago, but that has been one of my favorite songs for a long time now. (It's also the ringtone I have set for my phone! :D) It's funny, though, because I was just telling my mom that I don't typically care for the kind of music Toby sings, but there are certain songs of his that I just love!

• What books are you currently reading?

My Bible (of course! :), Power Perfected in Weakness by Chris Klicka (an AWESOME book!), and then there's my schoolbooks (I won't list them all! :)

• What did you do today that was really fun?

Hmm... let me see. I haven't really done anything special today, so I don't know! I did make myself a yummy banana smoothie, though... with non-fat organic milk, instead of water! That was actually pretty fun I'd say. ;D

• Do you sing a lot?

Yes. I sing around the house all day long! (And so do my sisters and my mom. :)

• Sweet or salty?

Sweet!! ...Especially if it's chocolate! ;D

• What is your favorite hobby?

Well, I'm not sure I have a favorite. I do love the opportunity to sit and read a good book, though. :)

• What books have you read at least three times?

The Bible... and nothing else comes to mind! I usually don't read books more than once. :) I might read one twice, but never 3 times!

• What sites do you always visit when you go online?

My email, and Blogger... I don't usually go anywhere else unless I'm searching for something.

• What was the last thing you bought?

When we were at Walmart a few days ago I got myself three shirts, some scrapbooking tape, and Toby Mac's CD "Tonight". :D

• Which fictional character do you think you are most like?

Maybe Jane Bennett from Pride & Prejudice... that's the first thing that came to mind!

• Favorite earliest memory?

Playing "airplane" with my daddy. =) He would always lift us up in his arms (while lying on his back) and swirl us around in th air. We loooved it!

• What do you do to change your mood?

I usually pray to the Lord about it and ask him to replace my bad attitude with a Christlike spirit.

• What was the last meal you ate?

That would be the oatmeal I had for breakfast this morning. :)

• Do you want to learn another language?

Yes! I would love to learn Hebrew and Spanish. (I only know a little of both!)

• Five things you cannot live without:

#1 Jesus Christ & my Bible :: #2 My family :: #3 Water :: #4 A healthy diet :: #5 And exercise. :)

• Find the closest book currently sitting near you and flip to page 54. What is the first sentence of the second paragraph?

"Let me see it." -- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

(I had to randomly grab a book off the shelf in our living room because I'm sitting on the couch with mom's laptop!)

• What is something you would like to say to someone right now?

Remember to be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances--for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ! :)

• What are you looking forward to?

Making myself another banana smoothie when I'm finished here. I do love my smoothies. ;D

Alrighty... now I will tag:

Alli at Waiting for Rain :: Kayla at The Lord is King of Kings :: Stephanie at Stephanie's Saga :: Poppy at Mold Me, Make Me :: Sara at Courageous Womanhood :: Taylor at Soar on the Wings of Eagles :: Hannah at A Homemaker's Daughter :: and Melody at Vividry

~ Have a wonderful Friday, everybody!

I've Been a Busy Bee!

Yes, it's true. :)

I've been doing a bit of changing up to my blog! I was getting a little bored with the old look, but I just couldn't bring myself to replace it with anything. So... I decided I would just add a few things to make it warm and "Springy"! I think I like the way it turned out... What do you think? :)

Oh, and just so you know, I actually drew that bee picture myself! Lol! I was looking for one I could use online but I never found anything I liked. So... I drew my own, snapped a quick picture of it, loaded it on the computer, made a few "touch-ups", and viola! -- my very own bee! (And that is the extent of my artistic abilities when it comes to drawing. *whispers* I usually stick with"stick figures" only. ;D Lol! )

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Well, I hope you all have been enjoying your week so far. I'm sorry I haven't been posting very often lately. I've been a busy bee at home too! ;) Thankfully, my dad is doing well and we're still managing to keep up with our busy juicing schedule. Maybe I'll be able to sqeeze in some time to post more often! :)

But for now...

I pray you have a very blessed week!

Eden's Giveaway

Eden at Heirs of Promise is hosting a wonderful giveaway

for a set of 3 dishcloths and 1 dishtowel that she crocheted

herself! :) There are some fun ways to enter the giveaway...

so head on over and check it out by clicking HERE.

~ A sneak-peak picture of the beautiful set! ;)

Some Fun with Family...

Hi everyone! I hope you all have been enjoying your week. I know I have. :)

Last Friday my mom's brother and some of his family came down to visit and we had a really great time while they were here! This morning we all got up bright and early (6:30am) and said our "good-byes" and "I-love-you's" and then watched as they drove away. :( It's always sad when it's time to say goodbye, but we were so glad that we got to visit with them! (The last time we saw them was in 2007.) The only regret, though, is that two of my cousins weren't able to be here this time because they are both working and one of them is a sophomore in college now... My, how time flies!

Anyway, I thought I might share a few pictures that I took while they were visiting... :)

Here's an interesting shot I got of my Mom while she

was preparing dinner for all the family last night. :)

.

(I was really doing a test shot with my camera sitting on

its stand on the table, because we wanted to get a group picture

with everyone later on. It ended up turning out really great! ;)

Now here's Sis #1 and our cousin again.

(Yes... they're using a broken desk chair as their "table"! lol)

The three of us stayed up until about 2:00 each night

playing card games and watching movies. We had

a whole lot of fun together!

Here's my uncle fishing in our pond. :)



(Yes, they're playing ping-pong on our dining room table! :D)


And here they are jumping into our swimming pool
with Sisters #2 and #3...

Can you believe that they actually went swimming in April?!

The water was FREEZING cold and the pool wasn't as

clean as it should've been, but that sure didn't stop them!

They had a blast anyway. :)

(I love how the trees are all turning green again! It looks

so much nicer that way. :)

And here is Ty. :)

He was SO happy to have a boy that would play with

him while they were here. He just loves running around

outside and none of us will ever do it with him!

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Well... I hope you enjoyed the pictures! I wanted to give y'all a quick "sneak-peak" from our lovely week and weekend. :) We really did have a wonderful time with our family and I'm so glad they came. We have LOTS of fun memories of when all of us cousins were younger, and now that we're all getting older I'm cherishing the times we have together more and more. Hopefully it won't be too long before we see each other again, though! ;)

Have a blessed rest-of-the-week, everyone!

This is Sis #1 and our cousin playing "War"!

~ Easter Blessings ~

I pray you all have a very blessed Easter as you celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ--who was, and is, and is to come! :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Men of Israel, listen to this:

Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited

by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs,

which God did among you through him,

as you yourselves know. This man was

handed over to you by God's set purpose and

foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,

put him to death by nailing him to the cross.

But God raised him from the dead,

freeing him from the agony of death,

because it was impossible for death to

keep its hold on him." Acts 2:22-24

PRAISE THE LORD ALL THE EARTH!

Photos taken by: Me :)

Lindsay's 200th Post Giveaway!!

Yes, that's right...

Lindsay is having an exciting giveaway over at her blog right now! She's made two different items (the purse above being one of them!) to give away this time... So that makes it twice the fun, of course. ;D Head on over to her blog and check it out by clicking HERE!

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Congratulations on your 200th post, Lindsay! :)

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