Seasons

Last week my niece posted a message on Facebook along with a picture of some darling Sock Snowmen she had made. I drooled over them and immediately had a pang of “craft envy.” The directions for those darling snowmen made by my niece can be found at the blog Then She Made… where you’ll find lots of ideas if you’re into crafts. And if you’re not, it’s fun to see what other people do in their spare time!

I’m going to admit that I actually went to the store and started to purchase some of the items to make those Sock Snowmen, but I stopped myself before I purchased enough supplies to make a houseful of snowmen. I suddenly realized, I no longer needed a dozen snowmen, and that I had a looming deadline that needed my attention more than those cute little guys.

Many years ago I was “into” craft projects with a vengeance. I knitted and crocheted afghans, scarves, and a few sweaters. I did needlepoint, crewel work, candlewick embroidery, scrapbooking, and made most of the Christmas gifts I gave to co-workers, Sunday school and classroom schoolteachers, and neighbors. This all took place before I began my writing career, but I have many fond memories of making Christmas decorations with the kids as well as with my mother when she moved to Kansas. That time of making crafts was during a different season of my life, but I dug out a few of those old craft projects and decided to share them with you. Thos crocheted carolers were made while I was pregnant with Jenna thirty years ago! I also had a “cooking” season and even joined with a friend to do a bit of catering for a time. Back then all that cooking and baking was great fun. At this time of my life, the thought makes me shudder.

If we sat down over a wine-glass of iced tea (that'a a nod to Tammy) or a mug of coffee, I think we could exchange some interesting stories about the interests that have captivated us at different seasons of our lives and how that variety of experiences has shaped us into the people we are today. Since we can’t do that, I’d love to have you leave a comment about some of the “seasons” you’ve enjoyed.

Of course, the one “season” that hasn’t changed throughout the years is God’s love, forgiveness and mercy. Granted, there have been times when God’s presence has been so tangible I could sense Him at every turn. There have been other times when it seemed hard to reach Him—like I was using an imperfect telephone connection. Yet I know He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and that my season with Him is eternal.

May you find joy as you delight in this season of your life. ~Judy

A Taste of Heaven in the Shadowlands

Last week at church, I bought four extra copies of the new worship CD that our worship leaders recently recorded. It's fabulous! All the songs are ones they've written and composed, and I'd love to give away those four CDs this week to anyone interested.

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post and include something like "I'd love that CD," then I'll randomly choose four names next Monday night and post the winners of the giveaway next Tuesday.

One of my favorite songs on this release is Never Once by Carl Cartee with Ronnie Freeman. I tear up every time we sing it at church. I also think of this community we share here at Writes of Passage and of the losses and struggles we've shared, and about how––never once––has God left us on our own through any it.

Here are some of the lyrics to Never Once...

Standing on this mountaintop

Looking just how far we've come

Knowing that for every step

You were with us

Kneeling on this battleground

Seeing just how much you've done

Knowing every victory

Is your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say

Yes, our hearts can say…

Never once did we ever walk alone

Never once did you leave us on our own

You are faithful

God, you are faithful

Every step we are breathing in your grace

Evermore we'll be breathing out your praise

You are faithful

God, you are faithful

You are faithful

God, you are faithful

I'm so grateful God has given us the gift of music, and that he's gifted certain members of his body with the ability to write songs such as these, and the voices to lead us in praise to the foot of His throne. It's a sweet taste of heaven here in the shadowlands.

You can sample the songs on iTunes too. Just go to the iTunes Store, type in Fellowship Songs Vol 3 and it should pop up. And again, just leave a comment with "I'd love that CD" and I'll toss your name in the hat. Or you could always go ahead and purchase it for $4.95 through iTunes if you don't want to wait. : )

I did some baking last week too. Surprise, surprise. You can see the fruits (or tassies) of my labors here. I love making these little things. They're so good! 

Do you have a favorite worship song that's really spoken to you recently? If yes, I'd love to know!

Blessings on your Tuesday,

Tammy

P.S. And to continue our wineglass theme from last week, I bought a fun new wineglass yesterday from which to drink my wine of the South. I found it at a lovely little boutique called Hot Pink in Brentwood. A fun (and dangerous) place!

Another Austen Review

My post last week about the movie, Lost in Austen, had Austen fans popping in with comments. And I'm sure there are even more of you out there who didn't take the time to comment. Therefore, I cannot resist telling you about one more thing Austen-related. This time it's a book. Only it isn't available just yet. A Jane Austen Devotional releases on the 10th of January.

I began reading the book as a galley on my Kindle and was already in love with the contents. But then, like icing on one of Tammy's yummy confections, my publisher provided me with an advance hard cover copy. Oh, dear Austen fans, this book is beyond scrumptious. The cover is cloth and has a wonderful, old-fashioned feel, but that's just the beginning.

Take a moment to follow the link and look inside the book. There are about 100 devotionals. Each begins with a short excerpt from one of Jane's novels, followed by a correlating spiritual lesson. Perfect to begin your day with or to be the last thing you read before you retire for the night.

Here's a paragraph from the Introduction:

"Jane did her readers a great service when she used the gift God gave her to touch the world with her writing and wisdom. May each of us do the same with our own talent, and offer glory to God and beauty to our fellow man."

If there is an Austen lover on your gift-giving list, this is a book for them. No, it won't arrive on Christmas but you could always send a gift card and tell them to watch for a special surprise by mid-January.

Now, I think I'm about ready for an Austen movie marathon. Are you ready for me, Mr. Darcy?

~robin

Hush, You Rocks

We are meant to thank and praise God.

If we don't, the rocks will cry out.

It's my desire to think on what is right and good and pure. Looking back, there are two historical degrees that express that spirit of gratitude I want to share... then, a very fun praise:

George Washington set aside Thursday, November 26 as "A Day of Publick Thanksgiving and Prayer." "to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God."

Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America,

"do set aside and appoint Thursday, the thirtieth day of November 1933, to be a Day of Thanksgiving for all our people.
May we on that day in our churches and in our homes give humble thanks for the blessings bestowed upon us during the year past by Almighty God.
May we recall the courage of those who settled a wilderness, the vision of those who founded the Nation, the steadfastness of those who in every succeeding generation have fought to keep pure the ideal of equality of opportunity and hold clear the goal of mutual help in time of prosperity as in time of adversity.
May we be grateful for the passing of dark days; for the new spirit of dependence one on another; for the closer unity of all parts of our wide land; for the greater friendship between employers and those who toil; for a clearer knowledge by all nations that we seek no conquests and ask only honorable engagements by all people to respect the lands and rights of their neighbors; for the brighter day to which we can win through by seeking the help of God in a more unselfish striving for the bettering of mankind."

YEAH. WHAT THEY SAID.

But now for praise: You've GOTTA go watch his video from the small Yupiq Eskimo Village of Quinhagak, Alaska. It was a school computer project intended for the other Yupiq villages in the area. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=LyviyF-N23A

Didn't that just make your day?

Hush, you rocks. You don't need to cry out.

We're raising our voices to thank and praise God!
love,
Cathy

Contest Fun and Thankful

Man do I have some great fun for you. My publishing house teamed up with my website people and together we came up with a super cool contest to promote my HOUSE OF SECRET release. The book is selling well and I've already seen some fantastic fan letters, so this is a great way to give back.

Check it out here. It's on my website, under CONTESTS. All the details are there!

Here's a look at the prize.

One (1) Grand Prize Winner will receive a $400 Pike Place Market prize package, featuring:

• Market Spice Tea Sampler Trio – 3 Flavor Variety
• Sleepless in Seattle 5-Pack Coffee Gift Set
• Seattle Space Needle Relax Du Mocha Cocoa 6 oz
• Washington Artisan Handwarmer Mug – Mossy Creek design
• Pacific Northwest Lemon Honey Creme – 11.8 oz
• Pacific Northwest Artisan Crackers – Parmesan Cayenne 5 oz
• Seattle-Made Garlic Obsession Dip 1 oz
• Washington Smoked Wild Sockeye Salmon – 2 oz
• ‘Celebrate the Market’ Pike Place Kitchen Towel & Mitt Set
• Emerald City DVD (visual tour of everything from the Space Needle to the Pike Place Market)
• A personalized (you select the name) marble plaque, featuring Isaiah 43:18-19, Bailee’s favorite verse in House of Secrets
• A copy of Gems of Wisdom, written and signed by author Angie Breidenbach, a close friend of Tracie’s and the woman to whom House of Secrets is dedicated
• A signed copy of Eyes of the Heart, a devotional stories book by Tracie Peterson
• A hardbound copy of House of Secrets, signed by Tracie Peterson


The contest closes soon, so spread the word and go sign up.

And, with Thanksgiving this year, I just want to say how blessed I am to be able to share God's love with my readers. So many people are suffering throughout the world and all because of their Christian faith. We are a blessed people despite the complications of the economy, health issues, political scandals, and all manner of disasters. God has been so faithful to His people and I want to encourage you to spend some time thinking about all the ways God has proven Himself faithful this year and share it with us here.

God Bless You!
Tracie

An Opportunity to Share

On this Thanksgiving day, while I pause to send God a prayer of gratitude for my family, my heart aches for another family facing a frightening situation. Fellow author Sandi Rog was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. (You can read the story of her diagnosis here.) Insurance doesn't cover all of her treatments, so some of her writer friends have stepped up in a fundraising effort to assist the family. Perhaps you'd like to get involved...

The Fundraiser for Sandi Rog prize packages are up on the blog for everyone to preview! Come check them out to decide how you'll spend your raffle tickets once the raffle starts on the 25th. Don't have raffle tickets yet? No worries--click on over there and donate through the GiveForward.com widget. Every $5 you donate gets you a raffle ticket. And while you're on the blog, don't forget to sign up to receive email notifications when new posts go up--that way you'll know when your favorite packages are being raffled off and you can come back and enter to win! Pop by here to view the various packages available for raffle.

Whether you choose to participate in the raffle or not, please keep Sandi and her family in your prayers. And on this day of remembrance and gratitude, remember to thank God for the blessings in your life. Time with those we love is so precious--I hope you're enjoying some togetherness with those who are dear to your heart today.

May God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

Turkey Day Fun Facts

I can’t let this opportunity pass without expressing my thanks to those of you who take a few minutes out of each day to read our blog as well as the faithful readers who read and promote our books. Your friendship, comments, and prayers are appreciated more than you know, and I wish you all a blessed day of thanks.

From the title of the blog, I’m sure you’ve figured out that the rest of this blog won’t be serious. I thought I’d share a few fun facts that I hope will give you a smile as you prepare that huge turkey dinner. (Of course I had to add a few of my own comments to make it a little more interesting.)

Turkeys have 3,500 feathers at maturity. (I wonder what they do with all those turkey feathers!)

Male turkeys gobble, hens cluck. (I always knew women were much quieter.)

Turkeys have heart attacks. The United States Air Force was doing test runs and breaking the sound barrier. Nearby turkeys dropped dead with heart attacks. (I’m guessing that turkey farmer has now moved locations.)

Turkeys have poor night vision. (This means you can use your night vision goggles and sneak up on your turkey at night!)

It takes 75-80 pounds of feed to raise a 30 pound tom turkey. (That’s a lot of feed—and a lot of something else, too, but we won’t go there.)

A 15 pound turkey usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat. (If you prefer dark meat, you better get to the table first.)

The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog. (I’m guessing that was one tough bird.)

The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days. (We can’t do that nowadays or we’d miss Black Friday.)

Lobster, rabbit, chicken, fish, squashes, beans, chestnuts, hickory nuts, onions, leeks, dried fruits, maple syrup and honey, radishes, cabbage, carrots, eggs, and goat cheese are thought to have made up the first Thanksgiving feast. (Except for the rabbit, that sounds mighty good to me.)

In 2007, Americans consumed 690 million pounds of turkey—the approximate weight of the population of Singapore. (Now, I’m thinking that’s a LOT of turkey. Maybe it should be Americans purchased 690 million pounds of turkey, but the figure comes from the National Turkey Foundation and who am I to argue with them? They might call me a turkey!)

And, of course, Ben Franklin was in favor of the turkey as our official United States bird. In a letter to his daughter, Franklin referred to the eagle’s “bad moral character” and further stated, “the turkey is a much more respectable bird.” (Now I ask you—does that eagle look like it has bad moral character?)

Minnesota is where you can find the most turkeys. (I thought it was Washington D.C.—but I guess that’s a different kind of turkey, right?)

And last, but not least, the majority of the cranberries in your sauce do not come from Massachusetts, but from Wisconsin. (I’ll need to take a trip to Wisconsin and check out their bogs.)

There you have it—a few fun facts to help you make it through that turkey, pumpkin pie and all the trimmings.


May you find joy as you thank God for your many blessings. ~Judy

My Favorite Things!

First, I need to let you know that not everyone is going to get a car at the end of this post. Actually, no one is. Just sayin'... But I would like to share some of my favorite things today. Things I'm thankful for. 

This isn't meant to be an all inclusive list, and certainly not everything listed shares equal "importance," as you'll soon see. These are just things that––as I've gone about my business this last week––I've taken more thought of. I guess you could say I'm trying to be more thankful for what I usually take for granted.

To that end... 

I'm thankful for my BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) study on Acts, and and I'm grateful to our own Robin (and to Francine Rivers) for encouraging me to commit to this. It's changed my life. God's Word will do that. And I'm grateful to Kristen, my BSF Leader, for leading our group with such grace and wit.

I'm grateful for my family, as you would guess. But I'm specifically grateful for how we laugh together, the witty comebacks we share, the "family jokes" that have taken years and years to come up with, and that we all remember and pull out at opportune moments. There's nothing better than someone who really knows you, and yet loves you anyway. 

I'm grateful for this lamp. Grateful for a lamp, you ask? Yep. This is an "adjustable light" torchère lamp that sat on a table just outside my mom and dad's bedroom in their last home in Atlanta. Every night, Mom would dial this lamp to low and it would act as a nightlight (fancy nightlight!) to their home. 

And each night as I reach around to the side and turn the lamp on in our home, and as I dial it to low before I head to bed, I think of Mom, and I whisper a prayer of gratitude that God gave her to me for as long as He did here, and that she's waiting for me there, praying me Home.

The next thing I'm grateful for is yogurt. I warned you that the seriousness level would be all over the board. But I really do love the Kroger brand of lite yogurt, especially with some Special K mixed in. And you can't beat the price!

Next is my rice cooker from Costco. LOVE THIS THING! We used to eat a ton of white potatoes but since Joe was diagnosed with diabetes earlier in the year, we've had to change our "lifestyle diet," and moving to brown rice was a must. 

However, I loathe cooking rice on the stove because you have to watch it. I like independent food. Food that you can tell what to do, walk away from it, only to return later and find it done. Purchasing this (under $30) rice cooker has changed my life! And Joe's blood sugar. Love it.

Next… I'm grateful for wine glasses. I'm not a huge fan of wine but I love drinking from wine glasses. So several years back I started drinking my every day sweet iced tea with lemon from a wine glass. It's pretty. It's fun, and I like how the condensation runs down the stem. (Oversharing alert?)

And I'm grateful for Jack... The love of a pet is so precious. I can run out to check the mail, and when I come back in you'd think I'd been to Haiti and back. What is it about our precious pets that makes them love us so? Whatever it is, I'm grateful.

And I'm grateful for you gals too. I love our banter, our joking, and the way you all encourage each other. Even though I may not comment on a certain day, I'm always reading your comments. And smiling. 

Catherine (DaCosta), thanks again for coming last Thursday night to the booksigning at the Belmont Mansion, and for sharing your picture of us (since Joe messed up mine, LOL). It was so good to see you, and I look forward to getting together and "exploring" after the first of the year.

Pictures of the Belmont Mansion Booksigning

With a heart full to overflowing, and wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving,

Tammy

P.S. Lest you think I'm not baking this week, I am. Angie Hunt and I will post the results of our Thanksgiving Dessert Bake-off on Wednesday!

Want to win a Kindle?

Southern Writers Magazine is offering a One Stop Christmas Shopping Contest and a chance to win a Kindle! But hurry, the contest closes tomorrow.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It's 7:53 on Tuesday night and I'm about to watch the season finale of Dancing with the Stars, and I wish you were all here. I'd share my warm-from-the-oven Southern Plate Old-Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler...  I'd even give Judy a bite. But just a bite...

Lost in Austen

I streamed a cute movie last Friday night while I was knitting away. It was originally a series on British TV, but it's packaged on Netflix as all one movie and is barely shy of three hours long.

Lost in Austen is an ideal movie for fans of Pride and Prejudice (unless they are a stickler that Austen not be trifled with). Here is the official blurb from Netflix:

After a dispute with her boyfriend, Amanda lands in the 19th-century world of author Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. While helping the Bennett sisters find husbands, Amanda accidentally causes problems that could alter the course of the tale. Throughout this British series, Amanda must balance her feelings for Mr. Darcy (Elliot Cowan) with her responsibility to the one of the world's greatest love stories. Jemima Rooper stars.

I'm a fan of Austen novels and a particular fan of Pride and Prejudice. And who doesn't love the BBC version starring Colin Firth? (If you don't, don't bother to tell me. I simply will not understand, whatever reason you give. LOL!) I also enjoy a good time travel story, one that makes me suspend disbelief. For the most part, Lost in Austen succeeded at that suspension. My main problem was how little trouble the characters in the 1800's had with Amanda's 21st century clothes upon her arrival.

This movie is light entertainment but quite enjoyable. It was fun to catch the way the real Austen phrases and dialogue got twisted or used in different places or ways. Maybe a viewer not as steeped in the actual novel or movies made from the novel wouldn't enjoy it as much because they would miss that element of the film. And if you, like Amanda, resist the notion of anyone with Darcy except for our Miss Bennett, well … you have obviously not fallen in love with Darcy yourself.

I give Lost in Austen a solid 4 stars (I really liked it).

~robin

Building on Log Cabin Tradition

Hello! I know I'm the ninth (and final) entry for the Log Cabin Christmas Blog Tour. Winner gets two copies of Log Cabin Christmas, signed by all nine authors!

Follow the link for:

Contest Rules: http://bit.ly/LCCbloghop
Also follow this link after commenting on this post, to complete the tour and finalize your contest entry!

To finalize our Log Cabin Christmas blog tour, I plan to take a fun look at the way this enduring symbol of American Strength continues to flourish today. My research brought up a strong recurring theme--Lincoln.

As noted in previous posts, there is a strong connection between log cabins and Abraham Lincoln. He was neither the first nor the only of our presidents to come from such humble beginnings, but the log cabin connection is arguably the most famous.

This correlation was cemented with a simple, ingenious toy; Lincoln Logs. Many of us have fond memories of squabbling with siblings for hours as we competed to build the best cabin. Of course, my brother always won. If any of you out there always came out the winner, kudos to you. (And let me know if you want to take on my brother someday!)

But there are lesser known Lincoln Log creations. One of my favorites is this Lincoln Log Dog House. Notice the penny over the door of this modern nod to the log cabin!

There's even a surfboard company, established by one of Lincoln's descendants, that goes by the name in a nod to both ancestry and nostalgia. Apparently, longboards are commonly known as 'logs' in the industry.

But the most useful holiday Lincoln Log discoveries have to be the following recipes. Let's face it; nothing makes the most out of tradition like whimsically delicious desserts! Each of these recipes makes twelve servings :)

Lincoln's Log Cabins


Ingredients
1-1/2
cups semisweet chocolate chips
12
resealable sandwich bags
2
bags (9 ounces each) thin pretzel sticks
12
sheets aluminum foil, each about 12 inches long

Directions:

1. Place 2 tablespoons chocolate chips in each sandwich bag; do not seal. Place all bags together on microwavable plate and heat on MEDIUM (70%) 1-1/2 minutes. Rearrange bags on plate and microwave 1 minute more or until just melted. (Knead bags, if necessary to allow chips to melt completely.) Squeeze melted chocolate to one corner of each sandwich bag and seal bags. Snip off a very small tip at the corner.
2. Count out 20 unbroken pretzels, 1 bag of melted chocolate and 1 sheet of foil for each cabin.
3. For roof, place 8 pretzels side by side on a sheet of foil; squeeze a small amount of chocolate between pretzels to hold them together.
4. For walls, squeeze small amount of chocolate about 1/4 inch from each end of another pretzel. Lay pretzel across (and perpendicular to) 8 pretzels forming roof, about 1/4 inch from end. Repeat with another pretzel at other end of roof base. Squeeze small amounts of chocolate 1/4 inch from both ends of these two pretzels; place 2 more pretzels (perpendicular to last 2) in this chocolate. Repeat with 3 more pairs of pretzels (making all 4 walls from 12 pretzels total). Set aside until chocolate cools and sets, about 25 to 30 minutes. To serve, invert so roof is over walls.

Note The chocolate will remain pliable for about an hour after melting. The more chocolate you use as glue, the better the cabins will hold together. Recipe may be doubled for larger classes.

© Publications International, Ltd.

Lincoln Log Cake

By: Mary Thomas of Hartford, Wisconsin.

Prep Time:40 Min

Cook Time:15 Min

Ready In:55 Min

Ingredients
4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
FROSTING:
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, grated
8 teaspoons butter (no substitutes)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into egg yolk mixture. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; fold into egg mixture.
Line a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper and grease the paper. Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes. Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in towel, jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.
For frosting, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt and water in a saucepan until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate, butter and vanilla; stir until melted.
While frosting is warm, unroll cake and spread half of frosting over cake to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up. Spread remaining frosting over outside of roll. Using tines of a fork, drag along sides of cake to resemble tree bark. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Now, don't forget to visit the link at the beginning of this post to finish entering the contest!

Root Canal

I'm taking the day off to have a root canal, so would appreciate prayers.

One thing about heaven - we won't need dental work done! Yay!

God Bless You!
Tracie

PS - now it's evening and the root canal couldn't be completed so I have to go back on Tuesday. :( Keep the prayers coming.

"Comfort food"

Fried chicken and flaky biscuits...

Ooey, gooey macaroni and cheese...

Homemade meatloaf...

Chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy...

Are you hungry yet? Psychologists have actually identified certain foods as "comfort foods"--foods that increase endorphins while you eat them. A few are listed above (and yes, I almost salivated while locating pictures to share with you!). Interestingly enough, many of the comfort foods are high in fat and calories...seemingly not all that great for us physically. But emotionally? They can make us feel good from the top of our head to the soles of our feet.

Of course, eating too much (and a steady diet of) comfort foods can have an adverse effect on our health and our waistline which, in the long run, won't make us feel all too terrific about ourselves. So food probably shouldn't be our main source of comfort.

Every now and then when I'm reading the Bible, I come across a verse I refer to as a "mac'n'cheese" scripture because it brings an immediate rush of comfort. I encountered one yesterday. A lot of my mac'n'cheese scripture come from the Psalms. Look at this from Psalm 73. "Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory." Don't those verses wrap themselves around your heart and spread warmth from the inside out?

He is ALWAYS with me.

He holds my hand.

He guides me.

I'll spend eternity with Him one day.

If that doesn't make a person smile, I don't know what will. Yep, mac'n'cheese verses. And the best part? I can indulge daily in God's Word and never gain a pound but my spiritual life will grow stronger and healthier with repeated sampling. Now that's some real comfort!

Do you have favorite mac'n'cheese verses? If so, feel free to share them with me. And I'll close by sharing a healthy mac'n'cheese recipe with you--one that will please your taste buds but not add to your waistline.

Cauliflower "Mac" 'n' Cheese

Kosher salt as needed

1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets and boiled until crisp tender

Vegetable oil spray

1 c. heavy cream

2 oz. cream cheese, cut into small pieces

1 1/2 t. dijon mustard

1 1/2 c. shredded sharp Cheddar, plus more to topping if desired

1/4 t. black pepper

1/8 t. garlic powder

--Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Spray an 8"x8" baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Drain the cauliflower and dry between layers of paper towels. Transfer the cauliflower to the baking dish and set aside. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan then whisk in the cream cheese and mustard until smooth. Stir in 1 c. of the cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic and whisk until the cheese melts. Remove from heat, pour over the cauliflower, and stir to combine. Top with about 1/2 c. cheese if desired and bake until browned and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

May God bless you muchly as you journey with...and savor...Him! ~Kim

Timing is Everything...

Last Friday I traveled to Nebraska City with a dual purpose. To visit with Diane Kelly, a friend I’d met years ago, and to visit some of the museums in Nebraska City. I had heard from several sources that there were some excellent historical sites in the community, so I headed off thinking my road miles would be performing double duty for me. Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans—and there’s also a saying that timing is everything. Well, last Friday my plans weren’t well laid and my timing was off.

Diane and I decided in advance to have lunch at the Timber Dining Room in Lied Lodge and Conference Center where we encountered our first problem. We wanted to dine at 11:00 a.m. to permit us time to visit the museums. The dining room didn’t open until 1:00 p.m. on Veteran’s Day. Disappointed, but undeterred, we went downtown to a quaint coffee shop where we had lunch and visited before continuing on to Arbor Lodge State Park where I wanted to tour Arbor Lodge mansion, the home constructed by J. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Day.

Below left is a towering statue of J. Sterling Morton that greets visitors at the Whispering Wall that was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland back in 1905.

Now I know Tammy will tell you it doesn't compare to Belmont Mansion--and she's right--but it's still pretty cool. Unfortunately, like me, you’re only going to see pictures of the outside, because the house is closed after October 16 and does not reopen until mid-April of next year.

I then discovered that all of the museums in Nebraska City close in October, which meant I wouldn’t be able to tour Wildwood Historic Home and Center, the Museum of Firefighting, the Civil War Veterans Museum, Mayhew Cabin/John Brown’s Cave, or the Old Freighters Museum. Suffice it to say that I was a tad frustrated. However, I was impressed enough by the grounds (a 72-acre tract) and exterior of the Morton mansion, that I plan to return next spring.

Begun as a four-room, L-shaped, frame structure, the home was expanded from time to time, with four major additions. The picture above right shows part of the wooden structure that now houses the resident superintendent who would NOT answer the phone and give me a private tour. Imagine!

The last addition, completed in 1903, enlarged the mansion to 52 rooms and was completed by Joy Morton, the oldest of the Morton’s four sons and the founder of the Morton Salt Company. While walking the grounds, we discovered this figure of a woman with water streaming from her bucket. It was placed on the grounds in recent years, but the detail is stunning.

And just in case you’re interested, the first Arbor Day was celebrated on April 10, 1872 and an estimated one million trees were planted on that day. By establishing Arbor Day, Mr. Morton did a wonderful thing for the landscape of Nebraska as well as the rest of our country.

May you find joy as you seek God’s timing in His plans for your life. ~Judy

The Waiting Place

I'm reading a book right now that is completely and totally whisking me away every time I pick it up. And no, it's not fiction. It's a book about (by its own description) learning to appreciate life's little delays. Here's an excerpt:

It's March. I live in mid-Michigan, where I am surrounded by thousands of disillusioned auto workers, many of whom have lost their jobs in recent years. The weather is a horrible mixture of ice, rain, and snow. Although I am a runner (who runs mostly in her mind), I haven't run in several months. My diet consists mainly of cookies. My pants are tight (go figure), and my gluteus maximus is maximizing itself. It has an obvious agenda to take over the entire back side of my body. After it accomplishes that there is no doubt in my mind it is going for world domination.

~~  ~~  ~~

Isn't that great! The writing is so fresh. So real. And not to worry, I'm not giving you any glimpse that you can't get by going to CBD.com where the full excerpt is available.

Here's another peek at a section that was especially meaningful to me. Eileen Button, the author, is talking about the "waiting place..."

The waiting place is never cozy. In fact, when we find ourselves there, most of us try like heck to escape. While stuck in traffic, we take the nearest off-ramp and find an alternate route. While waiting at the deli, we gather a few more groceries from adjacent aisles so as not to waste time. While waiting at the mind-sucking Department of Motor Vehicles, we take a number and watch the numbers click, click, click until we are called to the desk. (Effects of the torturous wait at the DMV can be seen in virtually every one's pitiful driver's license picture.)

Sometimes our inability to wait has more tragic implications:

• While waiting to grow up, we forget to embrace our childhoods.
• While waiting to lose weight, we fail to enjoy the youthfulness of our bodies.
• While waiting for true love, we forget to relish our freedom. (Or worse, we settle for second best.)
• While waiting to have children, we forget to nurture and enjoy the love and freedom of a childless marriage.
• While waiting for our children to grow, we forget to notice their beauty as infants, toddlers, children, and teens. We fail to burn the memory of them into our souls.
• While waiting for a loved one to get well (or to die), we fail to appreciate the days––even those filled with sickness and medications––we have with one another.

Eileen continues a paragraph later... "I am absolutely convinced that some of the most beautiful things happen if we are willing to quiet our hearts, lean into the waiting place, and listen to what it tells us. When we do, we will often be astonished by what it has to say."

~~  ~~  ~~

Eileen Button's words speak to me. They pour over me with a freshness and a revealing truth that make me squirm even as I welcome a deeper, more powerful flow. She's frank. She's honest. She's real. And I'm loving The Waiting Place. 

One thing I've learned about waiting is that the time spent in God's waiting room is never wasted. I may feel at odds with myself, with others, with life. With Him. I may not like what He's doing (or allowing), but I've learned beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am there for a divine purpose. And though the waiting often hurts, as does the final revelation when the waiting is done, I know I can trust my Lord and Savior to be faithful and true. Always, always, always.

Treat yourself today and read the full excerpt of The Waiting Place. 

And now to majorly switch gears....

Want to see what I made in the Great Bake-off Challenge, Round 3 with Angie Hunt? We're honoring our gluten-free buddies this week by turning our mixers toward almond and hazelnut flour instead of wheat. And baby, oh baby, did we land on some fabulous recipes!

And lastly... TICK, TICK, TICK. Time is running out to enter to win a Kindle FIRE. Registration ends at noon today (Pacific Standard time), so please click over there now and put your name in the hat. Then join me tonight starting at 5PM (Pacific Standard Time) for a Southern-style Facebook Party where we're giving away not only a Kindle Fire but Loveless Cafe food baskets, personally autographed Southern Plate cookbooks, and much more. Hope you'll join us! 

So glad we're in this together, and blessings on your Tuesday,

Tammy

P.S. This past weekend, "someone" posted that I'd uploaded a new profile pic, then posted this picture!? And all because Facebook banned me from commenting due to a slight overusage of said privilege during Bethany House's first Book Banter. But it's gonna take more than duct tape to keep me silent...

Out of the Stands and Onto the Playing Field

Yesterday our church wrapped up a seven week study of the book of Titus. There was an amazing amount of meat in this little three chapter letter from the Apostle Paul. The final point made by the pastor in his sermon was that God has called us not to be spectators up in the stands but to be participants down on the playing field. We're to be running the race right up to the very end of our lives.

It made me stop and think. Am I "playing" where God wants me to play? Am I involved with the people and in the places that He has called me to be involved with and in? I know He called me into a ministry of writing. But where else and how else and who else does He want me to serve?

Recently, I shared on my Write Thinking blog about the prayer shawl (my first) that I began last December and finished last week and the reason why it took me so long to finish it. Long story short, I decided to keep that prayer shawl as a reminder of my first year as a cancer survivor (the 24th, Thanksgiving, is the one year anniversary). Now that my first prayer shawl is completed, I have happily begun another (that's it at right, about 25% done). I know the person I am knitting it for and am praying for her as I work. This is a new place I am learning to serve, and I'm loving it. I hope to knit many, many, many prayer shawls in the months and years to come and bless others with them.

If you're still sitting in the stands, I invite you to come on down to the playing field. The harvest is ripe but the workers are few. The body of Christ needs you to run your race, full-out, for the prize that is eternal.

~robin

P.S.

In case you haven't visited my Facebook Page recently, I wanted to make sure you knew that I have a Christmas novella out right now, packaged with a novella by Mary Connealy. A Home for Christmas is just 99 cents on the Kindle and Nook (iBook version coming soon).

Also, there is a sale running this month on the eBook edition of Belonging, my latest full-length novel. Just $3.99 for both the Kindle and Nook.

Happy reading!!