Where We Are

Are we happy where we are right now? I mean right where God has us.

Whether it be a stay at home daughter.

Or a mother of one.

Or a mother of twelve.

Or a lady waiting for the Lord to bring us the right man.

Are we happy?

This has been on my heart lately as I have a want for another child. My Bubs was conceived so quickly, I just assumed as soon as he was weaned, there would be another little one coming soon. That has not been the case. God has it all figured out though. He knows the perfect time to bless us with another child. If that is His will. If not, He has other plans for us that we don't even know about yet.

But His plans are far better than mine can ever be. I have just a human thought process. Simple in His eyes. He knows exactly what is best for me. What I need to be doing at what moment. If I just open myself up to His leading, I will know a joy that I could never possibly know on my own.

God has not called me to be a leader. He has not called me to a personal ministry. He has called me to Mother. And that is the best thing I can do right now.

I encourage each and everyone to be happy in their current position. If you are in the will of God, there is no better place to be.

Phillipians 4:11-  Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:

Rich and Creamy Red Velvet Cookies- Great Christmas Recipe!

I took these cookies last night to a Ladies Meeting Cookie Swap, and they were well received!

1	pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/3	cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4	cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4	cup sour cream
1	tablespoon red food color
1	egg
3/4	to 1 cup Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting
1/4	cup chopped nuts

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	About Concordance™

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, cocoa, butter, sour cream, food color and egg until soft dough forms.
2. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
4. Frost cooled cookies with frosting. Sprinkle with nuts. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Some things that I did were: Instead of using just red food coloring, I also made some green ones as well. They tasted just the same, and were a bit more festive than just red. I also did not use nuts. Since some people just don't like nuts, and some are alergic ( my hubby ), I nixed the nuts and just did Christmas sprinkles. Those looked really cute I think. Another little tip would be to flatten the cookies a bit before cooking. The first batch I didn't really do this to, and the tops came out kind of mis-shapen. I just didn't like how they looked. When I flattened the tops, the icing went on much nicer, and the whole cookie had a prettier appearance.

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of my own cookies. I thought I would have extra's to bring home, but that didn't happen.

Try the recipe yourself, and tell me what you think!

Recipe courtesy of BettyCrocker.com.

Loving your husband

I was in my bedroom earlier today working. While I was working, I came upon a letter my husband wrote to me a month or so after we were married.

The letter was so sweet.

Writing about our future dreams and plans together.

Then I realized something: I haven't written him anything like that in awhile. Nothing beautiful written just for him. Nothing that tells him that I am so in love with him. In love more than when we were married.

Today, let's take a little time out, and thank our husbands for being just that: our husbands!

I know I'm not always the easiest lady to live with. I'm sure no one is.

But he does it. He provides for us. He loves us. He cherishes us.

Write him a little note today telling him how much you love him. It will do a world of good for your marriage.

The Beauty of Life and Testimony Musings

As I sit here on a fancy hotel room bed that I could never afford on my own, and listen to the sound of waves crashing against the shore outside, I am humbled by God's beauty and grace.

I am humbled that I would ever be here. For free! My hubby's work provided this room to us as a "Thank You" and a Merry Christmas gift. We are located steps away from the sand and surf. God's creation is truly astounding.

I am also sad. Sad that we just left a party where many professing Christians spent their night gambling and drinking. Now, not to be one to judge, I just have to wonder... Why could their annual Christmas party not have been more God honoring? No mention of the Father was made. None. We didn't even pray before the meal. ( Well, we did privately. ) But there was no public profession of Christ at all.

The same people who will have Bible study twice a week every morning before work were staggering home tonight. It made me think about my own testimony.

Unbelievers especially are watching professing believers like me. What do they see? Do they see someone who practices what she preaches? Or do they see someone who barely ever walks the talk?

I pray that we as Christians can strive to always walk with Jesus, no matter what our circumstances.

Merry Christmas!

Favorite Read for Friday

This Friday, my favorite read comes from Ladies Against Feminism. It's regarding living on only one income. This is a topic on the fore-front of my mind today after a conversation with my mother. She has worked for my whole life, so she is a firm believer in a mother working outside the home being OK. My childhood was scarred greatly from her decision to do this. Coming soon, I will be writing a post on this. For now, enjoy this read.

The "impossibility" of living on one income

Facebook Fast

I've blogged before about the dangers of social media such as MySpace and Facebook. This week, I have chosen to take a Facebook Fast.

One week, No Facebook!

Can I do it?

I sure hope so!

I have made this commitment from my heart to God in an effort to draw closer to Him. If something in your life is drawing you away from the Lord, then I feel that thing, whatever it may be, has got to go! God should be the most important thing in your life.

So, my Facebook is going. Will I miss it? Of course! For some strange reason, in our day and age, we like seeing into other people's lives. That's why reality TV is such big business. Because we want to know about others! Not just know about them, but see what they do in their homes. You can look up people from school, work, and social functions. Before long, you will find you have sat in front of the computer for hours staring at a screen. The dishes are still piled into the sink, and you haven't spent one moment with the Lord that whole day.

I also believe that as a stay at home mommy, it's easy for us to get caught up in it because we see it as a way to communicate with people outside of our home. When you are home with littles all day, have some adult conversation needs is quite understandable. However, we do not need to forsake our husbands, homes, or children in search of this. Everything in moderation.

So, I am beginning my fast today. Is there anything that I can challenge you to fast from in order to deepen your walk with the Lord?

A Kindle for Christmas?

Before even reading this, you must understand: I am a traditionalist. As old-fashioned as they come sometimes. So, my review may be a little biased.

Now, onto the Kindle. Kindle's are Amazon's version of a portable electronic book. You can download a book right onto it, and read it at your leisure. To pay for it, the money comes directly our of your account. It is battery operated. So, if you are somewhere are your battery runs out, no more reading!

My problem with these it is completely takes the romance out of reading! I am a reader by nature. I love books. On a cold day, I love nothing more than curling up with a good book. But curling up with a good Kindle? Definitely not as romantic. You lose the joy of old pages and worn bindings. The smell of old books. The sound of the pages turning.

Yes, it would save room in your house by not having books lying all around. But, what is a house without a bookshelf? Must everything we do nowadays be electronic? Electronics to me are so impersonal.

And from a money saving standpoint, they don't seem to be that good of a deal either. First off, the Kindle itself is approximately $140.00. Each book is approximately $9.99 to download. I can get a book off of PaperBackSwap for only the cost of shipping. Old bookstores are also much cheaper. Even buying a book off of Amazon used is usually cheaper than $9.99. You will find a few exceptions to this, but it's generally the rule.

So, this Christmas, lets think more traditional. Not with all the newest gadgets we can buy, but sticking to what has worked for ages.

(If you would like to look at the Kindle's, I have included a link here. )