Spring is Almost Here!

 

I'm so glad spring is on the way! We had such nice weather this weekend! David and I worked in the yard (mostly bagging leaves) and Jordan explored the yard for anything picture-worthy! Here are a few of her photos.

 

photo taken by Jordan

 

I'm not exactly sure what these are...we call them lizards...they're the ones that turn bright green in the spring. We LOVE them! photo taken by Jordan

 

a squirrel on our fence! photo taken by Jordan

Soccer Saturday

 

Shelby played three games today, and let me tell you...it was COLD all day long!

 

Jordan had softball tryouts this morning and then she came out to watch Shelby's games

 

drive it down the field!

 

 

this is what happens when the coach takes her out...

 

Shelby playing against her BFF Mary Carson

 

COLD...COLD...COLD!

 

all bundled up and waiting on game #3 to start

 

painfully cold...it was in the thirties!

 

a little strategy session with dad

 

throw it in!

 

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8

Hello Friends!

Anyone who reads this blog...please click comment and send me your favorite Bible verse...I'm collecting! My mentor and I are going to start memorizing one verse each week. I'll post the verse we choose weekly. By the way, Jenny and Kara, THANK YOU for the comments! It's the little things that make me happy! :) I LOVE getting comments! Jenny, your right...blogging is addictive! I enjoy looking at friends' sites too. Every time I post a blog I wonder who will read it. Let me know who you are, my family and friends!

"Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." II Thess. 1:2

Carlos, In response to your question, I think you can start reading the Bible anywhere you choose. I personally think the Book of James is a good place to start. This information was in a Bible study workbook of mine. I think it will be helpful, so here it is:

How Do I Read The Bible?
Although there are no rules about how the Bible should be read, following are suggestions to make the most of your time spent with God and His Word.

Before you start, pray that God will speak to you.
Read a short section carefully.
Think about what it means.
Decide how to act on what you have learned.

Use these 9 questions to help apply any scripture passage to your life. Ask is there...
An example to follow?
A sin to avoid?
A promise to claim?
A prayer to repeat?
A command to obey?
A condition to meet? (I.e. if...then...)
A verse to memorize?
An error, heresy, or danger to expose?
A challenge to face something in your life?

I find it helpful to keep a journal. I write verses in it as well as how I think it applies to my life. Early morning is a good time to spend time with God in His Word. I also tape a verse to my mirror so that I start my day in The Word. Thank you for sending a verse!

"God who calls you is faithful and He will bring it to pass. I Thes. 5:24

Hope this helps! Let me know! Reading your comment made my day! May God Bless you.

Yummy!

Check out our homemade cake! Thanks to Jordan for taking a picture of it! We made two of these for Shelby's class party. It's a Paula Deen recipe, so I'm sure that's why it tastes so good! If you have her latest book(Paula Deen Celebrates!), it's the recipe for white cake with strawberry icing on page 99. We made a few modifications for Valentines Day. We bought a 12-inch heart shaped pan, 16"cardboard circles, and 16"cake boxes at Create-A-Cake. The heart pan calls for 7 cups of batter, so I mixed up two Duncan Hines strawberry cake mixes and filled the pan with it. The pan instructions said to bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. It took exactly 35 for me. Oh, I also bought cake grease at Create-A-Cake. The lady said it is the best thing to use when greasing a cake pan. It worked perfectly for me. I made the icing recipe given below. It made enough icing for one large heart cake. The recipe for white cake with strawberry icing is as follows:

CAKE:

One 18.25-ounce package white cake mix

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

3 large eggs

ICING:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

4 cups confectioners' sugar, about 1 pound

6 ripe strawberries, tops removed and mashed

OPTIONAL:

6 whole strawberries for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.

2. Blend the cake mix, 2/3 cup water, the butter, and the eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well blended, about 3 minutes.

3. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until the center of the cake springs back when pressed. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.

4. Make the icing: Place the butter and 2 cups of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at low speed until blended. Add the mashed strawberries and mix at medium speed until well combined. Add the remaining 2 cups sugar and beat until creamy and smooth. The icing should be thick enough to stand up on a spoon. If too thin, add more confectioners' sugar. If too thick, add a teaspoon or two of milk.

5. Frost the cooled cake in the pan. For decorative effect, make swirls in the frosting with a clean spatula. Garnish with the whole strawberries. Cut into 12 to 16 pieces, and store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Look how muddy the soccer fields are! I had fun doing laundry this week...Jordan slipped and FELL in the mud out there. Her entire backside was covered with it. Photo taken by Jordan

JMac

Jordan, thank you for taking pictures for our blog! This is a very interesting self-portrait! Keep up the good work!

Shelby's 1st Soccer Game

Go Shelby! It was muddy and COLD out there. It was thirty-nine degrees when the game started.

she kicked it!!

The Crossroads

I took this last year on a trip to the Delta with my sister, Heather.

The Crossroads...Robert Johnson went to the Crossroads, so the legend goes, he left with his guitar and the devil took his soul.

How interesting is that legend? When we visited his gravesite later that day, on his marker was this: Jesus of Nazareth. King of Jerusalem. I know that my Redeemer liveth and that He will call me from the grave. Handwritten by Robert Johnson, shortly before his death and preserved among family papers by his sister, Carrie H. Thompson.

Did he really sell his soul to the devil? I don't know, but I do know that we all come to the crossroads at some point in our life. And yes, the devil is there.

As a Christian, I know that I am called to serve the body of Christ-to do His will. The devil does not want me to. He wants me to use my time unwisely so that I am unproductive and sedentary in my spiritual growth. I am taking on a few new projects in order to serve, and I am asking for your prayers so that I will succeed!

I take an Equipping class on Tuesdays and today we talked about having a plan and setting goals. One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."

In our workbook it says that the trouble with most of our plans is that they focus only on getting things done. The focus rarely is on getting GOD'S things done. When we set our goals each year, do we really consider what God wants us to accomplish that year?

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21