RANDOM DOZEN 8

Liddie always has such GOOD questions for us to ponder and answer for her RANDOM DOZEN meme...Here are this week's...come join in with us!

1.Candy corn: Did you know...They are made in the same California plant with Jelly Belly jellybeans? :)

2. My first conversation with my spouse was while dancing the 'shag' --while cruising on the Robert E. Lee riverboat at Stone Mountain Park during a friend's 30th birthday party...don't remember what it was about other than we were having a great time dancing together!

3. I could be a vegetarian pretty easily...love beans, legumes and anything GREEN, ORANGE, RED, PURPLE AND YELLOW...go ANTI-oxidants!

4. I never dressed my pet in a costume but he had a DAPPER red and black sweater he'd put on each Christmas :)

5. Clapping games with girlfriends...I miss 'Miss Mary Mack'!

6. I won a trophy from Florida State University as "Best in Camp"

having completed Drum Major school...directing, mace/marching

techniques, whistle/voice

commands...it was one of the hardest weeks of my life but one of the most-fulfilling and exciting times as well.(this is not me in the picture but it's one of my favorite web images of a drum major...maybe I'll

scan my old pic and put it up sometime)

7. I'm one of those who doesn't want to hear Christmas music until AFTER Thanksgiving, thank you very much...we 'over-rush' our holiday seasons...it's October and I'm already seeing

Christmas decorations in the stores.

8. Haven't played many board games recently...as a teen my favorite board game was Candy Land.

9. Surprises are fun...a little embarrassing...but fun.

10. "I'm sorry" is easier for me to say than some other people I know. I sometimes don't like saying it but know I'm called to say it.

11. My favorite candle scent is anything that smells like something wonderful cooking in my oven...pumpkin spice, cookie dough, banana bread...I couldn't choose a favorite...and the kicker: I can't use them in my house because my husband has allergic reactions to SMELLS...(dd and I can only bring out our SCENTS when he's out of town)

12. My light snacks for visitors would be cheesy garlic shrimp/grits, ham roll ups and sliced veggies/crackers with dip. I'd share the latest senior pictures of dd...we might share pictures from hubby's visit to China and I'd end up showing girlfriends my latest 'knitting or crocheting' project while talking about our next youth group event.

Jer. 33:3

"Call to me and I will answer you

and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
Blessings,

FALL INTO FLAVOR 1/5

Joining Linda @ 2ndCup

It's Fall...

when I think Fall, I think PUMPKIN

So,

I'll start with the EASIEST recipe I've ever made...

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

1 can 'pumpkin pie mix'

1 box, yellow cake

Mix ingredients, pour into greased muffin tins, bake 20-22 mins in 350* oven

That's it!! :)

FALL also brings different Messianic/Jewish celebrations...Sukkot was most recent...this is from BETH ADONAI (a Bible Based (Old and Renewed Covenant) Congregation worshipING the way Yeshua/JESUS and his disciples did. They celebrate the feasts and practices of the Torah as they experience Mathew 5:17 where Yeshua said "I have not come to abolish the

Torah or the Prophets, but to bring them to their fullness.")

(Sukkot is first mentioned in the Bible as the name of the first stopping place of the Israelites on their journey out of Egypt in

Exodus.)

Genesis 33:17

“Ya’acov went on to Sukkot, where he built himself a house and put up shelters for his cattle. This is why the place is called Sukkot [shelters].”

The word "sukkot" actually means "woven". These shelters (booths) were woven together from branches and leaves to

protect the animals from the sun, so sukkot later came to mean the hut or booth with the "woven" roof. Since we are

commanded to build a hut or booth on this holiday as a reminder of G-d's sheltering care for us, this feast is called

"Sukkot". (One booth is a "sukkah", and being a feminine noun, in Hebrew the plural becomes "sukkot".)

Leviticus 23:42-43

“You are to live in sukkot for seven days; every citizen of Israel is to live in sukkah, so that generation after generation of you

will know that I made the people of Israel live in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am Adonai your God.”

RETREAT...REJOICE...REPEAT!

Lather, rinse, repeat...we've all read it many times on the back of our shampoo bottles.

It's kind of catchy...bouncing off your tongue. Well, while showering today after returning from youth retreat, I'm compelled to come up with my own new phrase because it's a 'life or death' situation, a limited time of availability...we must be diligent about what we do.

Three R words kept jumping into my head...retreat, rejoice, repeat. My 3 R's...the Rcubed, you could say...RETREAT, REJOICE, REPEAT.

It's important to RETREAT from the world...get into study...READ His Word and ponder His plan. During this year's RETREAT, we studied and discussed the prodigal son story...Luke 15...known to many... usually emphasizes the youngest son.

Yet, the older brother was lost in his own way, too, for not recognizing the compassion and love of his own brother AND father.

By giving the youngest son his inheritance and freedom to go 'discover' his worldly life, to discover what was TRULY important...the FATHER mirrors our loving God, our Father in Heaven.

As children ARE their parent's joy, even in the struggles, WE ARE GOD'S joy...WE WERE GOD's JOY before we even WERE...

WE ARE NOT A COINCIDENCE...HE ADOPTED US BEFORE WE "WERE":

(EPHESIANS 1:3-6)

Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love.

Long, long ago He decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure He took in planning this!)

He wanted us to enter into the celebration of His lavish gift-giving by the hand of His beloved Son.

HE SAVED US...PAID THE PRICE FOR 'OUR' SIN (THERE WAS NO SIN IN HIM):

^(7-10)Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds.

And not just barely free, either.

Abundantly free!

He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making.

He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.

IF YOU'RE NOT SURE OF WHO YOU ARE OR WHAT YOUR PURPOSE IS...SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIM...HE LOVES YOU AND IS ONLY A PRAYER AWAY...

^(11-12)It's in Christ we find out who we are and what we are living for.

Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

THROUGH CHRIST's RISING FROM THE DEAD and SITTING AT THE FATHER's RIGHT SIDE INTERCEDING ON OUR BEHALF, our excitement is spilling over the rim of our hearts...

After studying the lessons and discussing the issues many understandings were found and shared...then came the REJOICING!

We celebrated being His...being with each other

...being loving toward one another...just as the Father and son rejoiced together.

sharing god's love and promises to "his creation" is ours to complete...

That's where the REPEAT comes into our 'to do' basket.

REPEAT His Word when you see pain, when you see need, where you see hurt...they may not have heard THE GOOD NEWS...

We DO HAVE A REASON TO REJOICE...HAVE A PARTY

...Our Savior is ALIVE!!!

IT'S HERE, IT'S HERE...FROM ARGENTINA!

IT's HERE!!!!
Kim's (September 13TH giveaway)
...for her second blog-iversary celebration :)

I smiled all the way into the house after I signed for the package...

and I didn't have my READING glasses on so DD read her letter to me while I busily opened each gift

(yes, they were individually wrapped!)

I love surprises...do you?

Come see what she sent:

(FOR A BIGGER VIEW, CLICK THE PIC)

I love the 'fade' feature on Picasa...you can hide things you don't want to show, like addresses, wrinkles, laundry on the table....

the sweetest card...

a LOT of things...wait 'til you see

WOW...she overwhelmed me...she sent me such a sweet fragrance of all the unique things Argentina has to offer...along with her own creativity..the bag is beautiful and wonderfully made. I will indeed enjoy.each.and.every.thing!!

Thank you, JubiSista...it continues to be a jubilee year indeed!

(I have a longer, silver box chain I'll transfer the pendant to later,

but I couldn't help but go ahead and put it on...thinking of you, Kim!)

On another post I'll show what hubby gave me for our 20th

anniversary...I'm busy getting ready to head to senior high retreat

with our youth.

Won't have another chance to blog until Monday...

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Jer. 33:3

"Call to me and I will answer you

and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
Blessings,

THANKFUL THURSDAY #47...UPdated...I GOT A PACKAGE...& Our Last College Tour...'til Decision Time!

A few more reasons to be THANKFUL...
look what I got in the mail TODAY!!!!
I won this at Kim's (September 13)
for her second blog-iversary celebration :)
I smiled all the way into the house after I signed for the package...and I didn't have my READING glasses on so DD read her letter to me while I busily opened each gift (yes, they were individually wrapped!...I love surprises...do you?) So come see what she sent me:

the sweetest card...

a LOT of things...wait 'til you see

WOW...she overwhelmed me...she sent me such a sweet fragrance of all the unique things Argentina has to offer...along with her own creativity..the bag is beautiful and wonderfully made. I will indeed enjoy.each.and.every.thing!! Thank you, JubiSista...it continues to be a jubilee year indeed!
Wait til you see what hubby gave me for our anniversary...I share that a little later...I'm busy getting ready to head to senior high retreat with our youth over the next few days...I may not get another chance to blog until Monday...
Have a great weekend, everyone!

I have a longer, silver box chain I'll transfer the pendant to later, but I couldn't help but go ahead and put it on...thinking of you, Kim!

COME JOIN SONYA @ TRUTH 4 THE JOURNEY...

THANKFUL THURSDAY

:)

my thankfulness will be shown in my slideshow...

so thankful for getting in the FULL tour with NO rain!

Jer. 33:3

"Call to me and I will answer you

and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
Blessings,

THANKFUL THURSDAY #46...

COME JOIN SONYA @ TRUTH 4 THE JOURNEY...THANKFUL THURSDAY :)

1. This last week brought new challenges with our weather...miles and miles around Atlanta we were FLOODING.  Never in my life would I have EVER thought this would happen here...we're usually in the throws of drought.  The bad of this situation put a fire under and showed the power of the GOOD of this situation...our VOLUNTEERS. 

   God, Please bless ALL those who came to aid in ANY form to those who were are in such messes with things at this time due to the flood.  Your love was shown in so many!

2. Thank you, Lord, for sending a pastor our way who not only preaches the Word but also rolls up his sleeves and moves furniture...he evens picks up stone BULLDOGS out of the creek and washes it...so the mascot can go back on the front porch stoop!
3. Changing the subject:  Mentors are SO important when raising a teenager...thankful for those who give their time in listening, teaching, guiding our teens in those moments they are away from us. 

   Dear God, may we EACH be attentive when we notice NEED from any young one or teenager.  They MAY NOT have a listening ear in their world, give us a quickening of spirit to be there for THEM!

4. My new glasses are a blessing to me...I can now see street signs from a distance rather than RIGHT when I'm up on them...don't LIKE having to wear them but they ARE a blessing.
5. SUNSHINE is pouring through my living room window and I can see the shadows of the tree leaves dancing on the floor as the cool wind of Fall is stirring...

   Thank you, Jesus, for blessing me today with sunshine streaming from all around and the cool breezes coming through my open windows!

Praying YOU have a blessed THURSDAY, too!

Flickr Tags: ThankfulThursday,prayers,blessings