Book Review: The Impressionist

The Impressionist
Becoming The Masterpiece You Were Created To Be

Tim Clinton and Max Davis


I have many of Tim Clinton's books and use them all the time for reference, research papers, and companion reading to my counseling classes. They have a place of honor on the "I use these all the time and need easy access" bookcase.  All of the books are in the Christian Counseling genre and full of life-changing Jesus-focused wisdom.

When I saw this novella the other day, I was interested to see how Clinton's insight and heart would be expressed in a work of fiction.

Wonderfully, of course!

This is a lovely textured paperback book, pretty pages designed to look old, very easy to read. I read it in two sittings and enjoyed every page.

Adam Camp is experiencing crisis.  His marriage to Paige is in shambles, his son addicted to drugs, Adam's life is falling apart. After a fight with his wife, Adam storms out of his house in search of escape...and meets an eccentric old man in the park, a meeting that changes Adam's life.

Jim Ed paints Adam's portrait in the park, all the while imparting words Adam needs to hear in his spirit. That very day Adam will make a decision that will change his life one way or another, forever.  Jim Ed recounts stories from his own life, decisions, injustices, and the impact the love of his life, his dear Christina made in his days.  Adam walks away from the encounter with the Impressionist's portrait in hand (how did Jim Ed see him?), toward an uncertain future, with a new-found understanding of who he is, but no clear answers as to what he needs to do next.  What does Adam do?  Read the book- and may we all have an encounter with the Impressionist!

Pumpkin Spice Dessert "Shots"

This is super easy.  Four ingredients.  That's it!

This is also super tasty, and super rich.  A shot or liquor glass make the perfect serving size.

Pumpkin Spice Dessert "Shots"

8 oz mascarpone cheese
8 oz pumpkin spice cream cheese spread*
1 oz sweetened condensed milk
ginger snap cookies**
whipped cream or cool whip, if desired

Combine the cheeses and the condensed milk. The longer you beat this, the fluffier it becomes.  Use a stand mixer and after ingredients are blended, mix on HIGH for about 5 minutes.

Spoon into the dessert glasses.  Refrigerate.  Top with the whipped cream and ginger snaps right before serving. Enjoy!


* I ran across this at Walmart - Great Value brand. One of my friends was not able to find this and substituted plain cream cheese spread and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.

** Since the shot glasses are small, Bud's Best cookies work great.

Jesus - The Ultimate Life Coach

"There is a God who made you for a reason, and your life has profound meaning! We discover that meaning and purpose only when we make God the reference point of our lives."
Rick Warren


Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for trouble, pain, shame, and grief..."


WAIT WAIT WAIT! DO OVER!!



"For I know the the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

Jesus was all about some change.  Heck, He even split time in two! BC/AD.  Before Christ.  Anno Domini - in the year of the Lord.  Can you do that?

He does not change, but He calls us to change to be like Him.

"For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob" 
Malachi 3:6

He showed us what to do:
Matthew 3:13-17: the baptism of Jesus.  Positive feedback - God was pleased.
Matthew 4 - Jesus was tempted.  40 days.  40 nights.  Fasting.  Tired and weak.  Satan tempted Him.  He resisted. And KEPT resisting.

STAND!

"Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might..." Ephesians 6:10-20. Read it, then do it.

Jesus showed us what to do- He stood on the Word.

Jesus.
An encounter with Jesus changed every person He saw
The leper
The centurion and his servant
Peter's mother-in-law
The men with demons
LAZARUS!

Some were healed immediately. Some had to make an effort, a contribution
The man with the withered hand had to reach out
The woman with the issue of blood had to 'fess up
The blind beggar had to tell Jesus he wanted to see
The man born blind had to wash the mud off

Why?

What makes them different?

I don't know, but let's look at it.  The woman with the issue of blood needed restoration of her esteem and for the "locals" to see she was cool as far as Jesus was concerned. The blind beggar didn't know he was talking to Jesus THE CHRIST.  He didn't even know who he was dealing with!

Some of these people were "brain stuck" in their situations.  Jesus' touch was the point that identified their need (the woman at the well)

What about you? Ever done anything stupid? What did you do after? Learn from the experience and never do it again? Get "brain stuck" thinking that mistake now defines who you are?

I can't tell you why you are where you are. I can tell you that Jesus provided a way to wholeness in Him. We have to avoid getting "brain stuck" in the mess and allow change, make change, let Jesus do His work in us.

Do you know why horses in races wear blinders?  So they can't see what's going on around them. So they can focus on what is right in front of them.  So they can't get scared or sidetracked from their goal.

What do YOUR blinders make you focus on? Jesus, or some mistake, injustice, or pain?

What's your goal? Jesus is calling you- do you hear Him? Go ahead, answer the call.  Jesus is the best Life Coach ever!

"Beloved, we are God's children now and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see his as he is.  And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure."
1 John 3:2,3

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  ALL THIS FROM GOD"
2 Corinthians 5:17, 18. Emphasis mine.

Do You Hear What Lucy Hears?

"Lucy woke out of the deepest sleep you can imagine, with the feeling that the voice she liked best in the world had been calling her name."  C. S. Lewis,  Prince Caspian

Lucy heard Aslan calling her name.  The sound made her heart beat faster.  She was even brave enough to leave the safety of her family to go search for him.

"...Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves.  I held him and would not let him go..."  Song of Solomon 3:4

"She rushed to him.  She felt her heart would burst if she lost a moment."  C. S. Lewis,  Prince Caspian

Longing, desire to spend time with One whom she knows and loves.  She recognized his voice.  It starts on page 378.  Go read it.  Lucy had to seek Aslan.  He called her, but she had to find him.  Through the dancing trees (what little girl wouldn't be distracted by dancing trees??), through the dark, into the unknown.

When is the last time you sought Him like that? He will call, He always does.  Do you hear past the television, radio, work load, party, or whatever you have going on to hear Him calling you to spend time with Him? Would you brave the dark and the dancing trees to get to Him?

He's calling....find Him.  It will change your world.

How Big is YOUR God?

C. S. Lewis.

The Chronicles of Narnia.

WHO doesn't love them??

C.S. Lewis used his wonderful story-telling ability to speak Truth to the young, and young-at-heart.  If you haven't read the books (or seen the movies), stop what you're doing and check them out.  Look for Truth in them.  It's there.

"Thus says the LORD: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?"  Isaiah 66:1 ESV

When we are children, little children, it is easy to believe in a God who is big enough to hold the world in His hands, most children even know the words to the song (He's got the whole world.....). Why is it so easy to believe when we are so small?  Because we ARE so small! Everything is bigger than we are, except the little brother or sister that mom and dad brought home from the hospital.

As we get taller, supposedly smarter, we can "logic" God into a smaller, easier to digest size.  Some of us get to full height and manage to smush God into a tiny little box we can put on the shelf.  We have logic-ed ourselves into containing God in a way that our brains can wrap around and make sense of.  Because God works that way.  NOT!

Read the quote. It doesn't say "every year you that you get taller".  It says "every year you grow, you will find me bigger".  What's the difference?

When we spend time with God we GROW. When we spend time in His Word and absorb the wonders that ARE who He is, we grow.  And as we grow, we can see Him getting bigger and bigger.  It's all optical illusion- He is all.  God is ALL.  We just have to grow enough to see it, like we did when we were little and loved reading fairy tales.  When we grow into Him like a child.

Anyone up for a children's book?

May 13, 1987

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.                                                                                         Psalm 34:18



Twenty-six years ago today my brother died.  There are times it seems a lifetime ago.  There are other times that is seems like it just happened.


You know, you never "get over it".



"There is a sacredness in tears.  They are not the mark of weakness, but of power.  They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues.  They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and unspeakable love."
Washington Irving

I pray peace to each of you who grieves the loss of a loved one.  May God wrap you in His arms and you feel His overwhelming love and amazing grace.


My brother, you are much loved and very missed.

Getting Wrecked By The Homeless

God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.  

Psalm 68:6


"J" at the park. Alone in the corner crying.  She's a beautiful woman.  Another who didn't/couldn't come up at altar time.  Jesus saw her tears. She was/is trying to get home to Mississippi due to some financial problems. Her car was repossessed Friday- she's trying to get home and had a bus ticket to leave this morning and "just happened" to see us at the park.


You can tell she is trying to be strong.



"D" finally got his poem to me. It's about Jesus loving him, dying for him- he was searching for love and ran into Someone who was willing to die for him.  That is huge. In the suburbs, safe at home, can it be as fully understood as it can by someone who lives on the streets, or at least, not in conventional housing? Dying is a very real possibility.  We all will, but we all don't come face to face with it that often. Does "D"s understanding how much Jesus loves him mean he will completely change his life?

Historically, the answer is "no".

I believe all things are possible with God and that can change the man's destiny.  If the man allows it.  God is no respecter of persons, but He is a gentleman and He won't force the man to change.  I don't know if Sunday mornings at the park are the only times people show the man Jesus, but Jesus is talking to the man's heart.  We pray the man heeds the whisper that is calling his name and allows the Lord to have all the control of his life.

A few nights ago I saw one of our homeless men give his coat to another man who didn't have one.  It was an amazing sight, "That was awesome, " I tell him.  "Dude was cold. I can get another coat," he says.

A pre-warmed coat. THAT is Jesus-love.

It's also depending on his needs being met.  Who else would have given up their coat like that?

Another woman we serve brought us three coats she had acquired before service started.  She had gotten them for another lady who either didn't want them or didn't need them.  She wanted to give them to us to make sure they went to someone who needed them.  How cool is that?

Jesus says they know Him.  They don't need us always pounding Jesus at them. They know Jesus and they depend on Him. Some need a release from a rebellious spirit. They need someone to show them how to get out of where they are.  They need the will to change.  Then they need someone willing to teach them.

Who's willing?

It Does Matter What I Think

Leadership.

"Leader."

Many of us spend a great deal of time learning as much as we can so we can be good leaders.  How many leadership books do you have on your shelf?  How many blogs, audiobooks, and podcasts can you cram into a day? Been to any good seminars lately?

Jesus was a great leader. He, however, is perfect, so I suppose that is to be expected.

What does being a "leader" mean?  This is an interactive post today, so I really want to know what you think.

For me, a leader is someone I respect and trust, a wiser-than-I-am person who will impart knowledge and encourage me to be the best that I can be.  Now, this is Yvonne speaking to you, so you know the qualification list in actuality is much longer.

How do we build trust?  Relationship.  How do relationships work? Back and forth communication.  Learning the other person.  Hearing what they have to say.

Did you hear...or read (since this is a blog)...that?

You need to hear what the other person has to say.

What do you have to do to hear?  You have to listen.  Listening means paying attention to the words being spoken without trying to plan your next sentence.  Ask questions.  "What do you mean when you say ____?" "I'm trying to make sure I understood what you said.  I think I heard you say ______, is that right?"

What happens when you don't listen?  You will not connect, you will not grow, the other person will not grow, and there will be no relationship.  In the work place, if you won't listen, please don't dare ask why your employees are not engaged. It goes together.

Today's blog is being brought to you by an interaction I heard earlier today. A leader brought a coworker a specific set of instructions.  They were terribly wrong, mind you, and had those instructions been carried out....well, I don't even want to think about the nightmare that would follow!  Coworker tried to point out the problems.

Leader says,  "It doesn't matter what you think."

Did you read that?

Actually it does matter.  It always matters what someone thinks.  And we need to listen. The thoughts may accurate or they may not be accurate due to a lack of facts or discernment. Active listening by a leader and discussion will clear that up right away.

Was the issue resolved?  Yes.  By way a of a leader who listens.

My question to you, Reader/Leader is: how many people do you think will willingly follow that first "leader"? Would you want to? What do you think the employees think about that leader and his/her abilities to lead them to professional success?

When People Think You've Lost Your Mind

“ if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly…”

2 Peter 2:5

Yes,I know.  No one is more surprised than I am that this didn’t start with scripture from Genesis, but I’m not in charge so we are going with it!

Sometimes God tells us things that make no sense to other people. Sometimes He promises us things that have zero possibilities or sensibilities in the natural. Sometimes He shows favor to someone and tells him (or her) to do things that the surrounding people cannot see as God. Because it cannot be fathomed with the natural eye, it’s often easy to assume the person has missed God and lost their mind completely.

Genesis 6 tells us that Noah lives in a very wicked time. God wasn’t happy with what He saw. Have you ever been mad enough at your kids that you took it out on everyone around them too?  Genesis 6:7 says that God was sorry He had made man on earth and he intended to blot out man, animals, creeping things, birds – all of it (or as the Wicked Witch would say, “I’ll get you and your little dog too!”) How mad was God that he wanted to remove all living creatures from earth??  How bad were the people? Gen 6:5 – “the intentions of the thoughts of his (man) heart was only evil continually.” Evil.  Continually.  That’s ALL THE TIME.

Enter Noah into the story:

“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” Genesis 6:8

Righteous. Blameless. Walked with God. Words used to describe Noah.  Noah found favor with God. How does that turn out? Imagine it for a minute and allow a little creative license:

Noah, I want you to build a boat. A really BIG boat.

Why?

Because it’s going to flood and destroy all living creatures.

What’s “flood”???

Never mind, take these instructions and follow them exactly.

      Can you hear Noah’s family? 

      God wants you to do …what???? Have you lost your mind? What are we going to do with a big boat in the backyard?

      God told me to build it.

      That can’t be God. God doesn’t say stuff like that. That makes no sense. What’s “flood”?

      Agreed, but He said it, so I am going to do it! And I don’t know what “flood” is, so stop asking me!

          Can you hear the neighbors?

            Look at the crazy man! What is he doing?

              Says he “hears from God” – keep the kids away from him.

                 Says it’s going to flood, he says. Hey, what’s “flood”??

People can’t always see that you have favor and they can’t see or hear what you hear God tell you.

If God has given you a dream and a promise – hold on to it.

God told Noah He was going to establish a covenant with him. He told him months before it came to pass. Before the covenant, there was the flood, destruction, captivity, the long days and nights of nothing but…flood, destruction, and captivity.

At what point during this journey do you think Noah realized he had great favor with God? When he got the instructions for the big boat? Before the storm? When he knew people were dying right outside his boat and he could look around and see all his loved ones safe with him? When the dove came back with the olive leaf?

God promised him a covenant BEFORE the storm. It made no sense what God described to Noah as there had been no flooding before – we made through five busy chapters in Genesis with nary a mention of rain. There had been no mention of a covenant before then either!  God promised him the covenant before the destruction.

If God has given you a dream and a promise – hold on to it.

Just because someone else can’t hear what God has whispered in your ear  doesn’t mean that what He’s told you isn’t true…

Just because you’re going through the flood doesn’t mean God doesn’t love you…

Just because it’s storming all around and all you can see for as far as you can see is storm doesn’t mean He isn’t there…

Just because you have a dream that seems unattainable doesn’t mean you don’t get to reach it…

If God has given you a dream and a promise – hold on to it.

He loves you.

I Can See Clearly Now (or - I Got A New Windshield)

A few days ago I got a new windshield.  The next morning I was discussing things with God and giving Him thanks for my blessings.  When I told Him I was thankful for the new windshield, the conversation got really interesting.  I don’t know how He talks to you, but it’s always plain and simple, often with visuals for me.

He said, “You know that windshield is like the wounded spirited people you work with?”

Me, “How?”

He said to think about how the whole thing happened and see how it parallels to “real life”:

The crack started one day in a parking lot.  I wasn’t with the car when the windshield got the crack, but it was there when I got back to it.  It really was a little crack, maybe about 2 inches tops.  It was late in the day, and on the passenger side of the car, so it didn’t really seem urgent to fix it.  Within two days, the crack had grown to half a foot.  Still, it was on the other side of the car and I really didn’t have the time nor the money to get it fixed.

The six inch crack stayed there – six inches – all through the winter months.  It didn’t get any bigger and did not demand my attention. So, I ignored it. I would deal with it later.

One day in the spring, my youngest daughter and I went to the store. It was one of the early beautiful days of spring.  The temperature no longer required a jacket and the sun was shining bright.  We shopped for maybe an hour and got back to the car to discover the six inch crack had spread almost all the way across the windshield! A little heat evidently caused it to spread.  Money was still an issue, so I didn’t plan to replace it soon. The crack, however, was right in my line of vision.

I am going to backtrack a bit here and explain what I see:  the windshield took some type of blow that left it damaged.  Probably not the car’s fault since it was sitting still when it happened.  We all take various hits and blows in life.  Some leave visible wounds.  Some leave emotional or spiritual wounds.  I chose to ignore the crack in the windshield like some of us choose to ignore the wounds we have.  We think if we stuff them down, they will just go away. When the heat came on, that little crack became a very large issue, just like a little hurt can fester and some seemingly little thing can make us feel like we are falling apart, and we choose to bury our heads in the sand, we can’t change because we can’t get past this huge wound.

Now, there were times I could look around that huge crack and kind of pretend it wasn’t there, but sometimes the sun (Son) would hit that crack just right and it would nearly blind me! Like when Jesus brings something to light that He wants to heal, but we close our eyes and ignore it as best we can.  Driving at night, a lot of times it was difficult to see around that crack, like it can be difficult to see down the road past the huge hurt we keep hanging on to.  When the darkness comes, the hurt can become all we can see.  That in itself can cause more pain, until pain is all we can see.

So, what do you do??

You have to make a change.

You have to let go of the cracked windshield- you call the windshield Specialist and He brings you a brand new windshield, with no cracks.

The Specialist can replace what was damaged by the world and give you brand new clear vision.  All you have to do is make the call-  He will come to you.

The Sacred Meal The Ancient Practices Series (Review)

The Sacred MealThe Ancient Practices Series

By Nora Gallagher, Phyllis Tickle
Published by Thomas Nelson

My expectation from the title of the book and the series was a deeper study into communion, cultural meaning and experiences, variations of the practice from faith to faith.  For this, The Sacred Meal did not meet what I was hoping it would be.  It did prove to be something quite different. 

This book is a lovely memoir of Ms. Gallagher's experiences with communion, not what I expected, but lovely nonetheless.  She reveals up close personal experiences with others during communion and how her life was affected from those encounters.  Quiet, awe-filled encounters with the King of kings and feeling His presence surrounding her- those moments are precious, both in her experience and her openness to share those experiences with the world.  

Did I learn from the book?  Yes.  Not what I expected.  I would not recommend the book for a deeper study of the meaning of communion. I do recommend reading it for an encouragement for your faith. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Dangerous Favor

And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”

But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.

And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

 Luke 1:28-30

“Favor.”

It’s something we often seek from our Lord. Sometimes we might even know what we are asking.  Dictionary.com defines “favor” this way:

1. something done or granted out of goodwill, rather than from justice or for remuneration; a kind act: to ask a favor.

2. friendly or well-disposed regard; goodwill: to win the favor of the king.

3. the state of being approved or held in regard: to be in favor at court; styles that are now in favor.

4. excessive kindness or unfair partiality; preferential treatment: to treat some people with favor and others with neglect.

5. a gift bestowed as a token of goodwill, kind regard, love,etc., as formerly upon a knight by his lady.

When we look at “favor” as merely option #4 or #5, preferential treatment or a gift, I think we short-change God and ourselves.

This card came into my office at Christmas time a couple of years ago and for some odd reason, it held my attention. After Christmas, it came home with me and I placed where I would see it every day. Every time I looked at it, God would whisper to me

                                                            "favor can be dangerous…”

Look at Mary. She was a mere teenager when the angel visited her; her life had just begun, really. She was looking forward to starting married life with Joseph.  Was she perfect? No. Did she know everything? No. Was she willing to be used of God for His purpose? Yes, completely.

What did “favor” look like with Mary? Option #3. She was approved or held in regard by God. Again, she wasn’t perfect.  She was willing to allow God to work his purpose through her life. She didn’t know it, but by saying “yes” she was changing her life, and the world, forever.

Favor for Mary involved:

scandal

           whispers

                         gossip

                                    giving birth to her Son in a place where animals stay

                                                 at times, living a life on the run

                                                              watching her precious Son whom she loved dearly being beaten

                                                                           seeing Him die

and…..

the love of a man who knew when his God was speaking,and was faithful to obey and love Mary

            holding the newborn Savior of the world in her arms and kissing His face

                         loving Jesus face to face and knowing He loved her too

                                   changing the world by being part of God’s plan to bring man back to Him

Would Mary have done things differently had she known what was to transpire? We will never know, but it’s a good argument for the reason God doesn’t always give us the game plan ahead of time.

Favor. God’s favor. Which version of God's favor do you seek? The gift or the regard?

Oh! Why do I call this "Dangerous Favor" you ask? Because that favor can change the world!

You know who else had favor?  Noah. We will talk about him in another post

Things I Learned From Betty Lou - You Need a Hot Skillet

This is a new thing - we will see where it goes.

Nanny made cornbread almost every day for years. She slowed down when she got older, but I remember every day the butter beans and cornbread.  She would let me help and she would teach me how to make whatever she was making. Cornbread was no exception. Her first rule for the best cornbread?  You have to start with a really hot skillet. The batter won't rise as well if the skillet is cold. 

What's your spiritual connect with this?  Don't wait until you get to church to get fired up.  Get hot BEFORE you get to church and church will take on a whole new meaning. Understanding will be deeper and you will go higher...just like the cornbread.

Here Sits a Dreamer

Here sits a dreamer. Wrapped in blankets of gold, lights low, candles glowing, this dreamer sits. And writes. The dreamer dares to dream dreams that seem impossible. To the surrounding world, yes, impossible. 

The dreamer remembers the soft words spoken to her all those days ago, the Voice that sometimes is so faint the dreamer can barely hear. But hear, she does. And she remembers. She remembers the dreams and the destiny given to her by her God. In the still of the night she holds those dreams close and wonders how her destiny plays out- how do the impossible circumstances change? Did she hear the Voice correctly? He assures her that her dreams shall come true. He gently reminds her that His promises are "yes" and "amen." 

He reminds He is not a man that He should lie. The dreamer decides to trust what she knows she has been promised will come to pass. The Voice reminds her that she is His princess....

                                                                       ....and dreams come true, if you only believe....

Green Velvet Cake Bites

Yes, I know I have a blog and have been neglecting it terribly- life has been super crazy! My apologies, and I will try to do better.

Today we are playing with Green Velvet. Kind of like Red Velvet...but...well, you know...green.

Here is the basic guest list for this recipe:


1 Milk Chocolate Cake Mix (for the mix I used, you also need 3 eggs, 1 1/4 c water, and 1/3 c oil)
1 can cream cheese frosting
1 bottle green food coloring
2 tbsp cocoa (optional)
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
1 12 oz package white chocolate morsels
1 12 oz package semi sweet chocolate morsels
green sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9"x13" cake pan (I "floured" mine with extra cocoa). Combine water, oil, eggs, and cake mix and mix according to package directions (2 minutes). SLOWLY add the food coloring, and the cocoa and vanilla if desired. These pictures are from my first attempt, I used the cocoa and vanilla, and a whole bottle of the food coloring. Second test, I omitted the cocoa and used only 1/2 a bottle of food coloring, with only a minor depth of color change. Go with your personal preference on this one. Once food coloring is evenly distributed, pour into prepared pan and bake for recommended time (30-35 minutes) - check at 30 minutes- I found adding the cocoa, vanilla, and entire bottle of food coloring required 5 extra minutes baking time.




Isn't this an AWESOME green???

Once cake is removed from the oven, allow to cool. When completely cool, crumble the entire cake into a large bowl. Add 1/2 the cream cheese frosting. Remaining frosting can be refrigerated for later use. Or eaten with a spoon. Whatever.

Anyway....

Smush the crumbled cake and frosting together. I suppose you could use a spoon, but hands are much easier. Once thoroughly combined, roll this "dough" into balls and place on a cookie sheet or wire rack- temptation is to make them larger. Go smaller. The final cake bite is really rich and you don't want to overwhelm folks. Once rolling is complete, place the cookie sheet or wire rack in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.

Melt one package of chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl, 20 second intervals, stirring often. Be prepared to work fast. Have plenty of paper towels, toothpicks, and couple of teaspoons, the sprinkles, and wax or parchment paper ready to use. Place a ball on a toothpick and dip into the melted chocolate. Quickly coat and gently "jiggle" to remove excess chocolate. Place cake bite on paper. Use the teaspoon to fill in the hole from the toothpick. Add the sprinkles and you get something that looks like this.


Oh happy day!!!
And just so ya know, when you add the whole bottle of food coloring, you can tell exactly who has had a cake bite.
You have been warned :-)

http://bible.us/Ps84.11.ESV For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Banana Pudding

So... I got up this morning with a "hankering" (yes, that is a word. At least in the South) for my Nanny's banana pudding. You have to understand that THIS is THE ONE recipe I never got specifics on when watching her make it. I've been scouring websites to find something that seems similar to Nanny's 'Nanner Puddin'. This is close. I will keep playing with it until it's right. In the meantime, here is playing with food for today...


Make sure you are prepared. I obviously was not, so these chocolate graham crackers are my substitute for vanilla wafers. You gotta love me!

Here is Plan-B in case this pudding was a flop:

Triple Chocolate cake eventually covered in chocolate whipped icing. I'm sure we will figure out something to do with it....

Anyway.

Banana Pudding

1/2 c sugar
1/3 c flour (scant measure, mine got too thick too fast; may reduce to 2 tbsp on the do-over)
3 egg yolks (save the white for the top!)
2 c milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

2 ripe bananas
vanilla wafers (I prefer Nilla wafers. Use what floats your boat. Or what you have on hand!)

3 reserved egg whites
dash of vanilla
1/2 c sugar (scant measure)

Whisk sugar and flour together in a saucepan. Add egg yolks, milk, and vanilla. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly (important!!! keep stirring!) to prevent lumps. When sauce begins to thicken, remove from heat and set aside.

Place vanilla wafers (or graham crackers) in the bottom of a round casserole dish. Layer 1 sliced banana on top. Add or reduce bananas as you wish. I prefer fewer bananas, but added more for this experiment. Pour half of the sauce over the wafers and bananas, then repeat; wafers, banana, sauce.

Set aside. Now to the topping.

In a very clean (read zero oil residue) dry bowl, beat the reserved egg whites until slightly stiff. Add the vanilla, continue beating. Add half the sugar and beat some more. Add the last half of the sugar and beat until blended and the egg whites form very soft peaks. I realize that most meringue recipes call for cream of tartar. Not going there. My Nanny never used it and hers is what I am looking to recreate. If you want to use it, please do - all food creations belong to the creator and can be adapted as one sees fit. Dollop meringue on top of pudding - all the way to the edges of the bowl. Sprinkle with sugar before popping it in the oven to brown to meringue. 350 degree oven - DO NOT LEAVE UNATTENDED. When it decides to brown, it will brown VERY quickly.

This is wonderful freshly made warm, but also very good straight from the fridge.
Enjoy!

Easy Peach Cobbler

Easiest cobbler recipe ever! I think this recipe came from my mom - I remember having it when I was young(er) and loved it then too! This is the only cobbler recipe I ever use.

This takes literally less than 10 minutes to get into the oven. Doesn't get much easier!



1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 140z can of sliced peaches
1 stick of butter (not margarine)

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in your baking dish. The easiest way is to place the butter in the baking dish and put it in the oven while preheating is happening.

Mix together the flour and sugar with a whisk. Slowly add the milk 1/4 cup at a time, mixing well between additions.
Once the oven is preheated, pour the batter in the baking dish. Spoon sliced peaches on top, then drizzle the juice over the whole thing.

Bake until golden brown (approximately 1 hour). Careful! It's awesome, but very hot for a very long time!

Today...

I took my children to school because their bus was unaccounted for. This morning was the first time I've been down Old Springville Road and Deerfoot Parkway.

To my friends who live near me - I am so very grateful that you are here to read my post.

To those who are seeing video and pictures - it's far worse "in person."

To the young girl who is staying with us - I am so so very glad that you are with us and we got to have cheeseburgers together. And I am glad you are here to tell me you don't like strawberry cheesequake Blizzards :-D

My heart goes out to all those who have suffered loss this week. Prayers for your peace, safety, and speedy provision. Much love you all!

Peace

When blind eyes are opened...

Psalm 146 ESV

Put Not Your Trust in Princes

1 Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

3 Put not your trust in princes,

in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.

4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;

on that very day his plans perish.

5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

6 who made heaven and earth,

the sea, and all that is in them,

who keeps faith forever;

7 who executes justice for the oppressed,

who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;

8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

the Lord loves the righteous.

Today I had the opportunity to spend some time with a young man who is on a radical journey with God. He is scheduled to have surgery in a few weeks. Surgeons will removed 50% of one lung and 20% of another. Keep him in your prayers.

I have watched this man grow over the past months since his diagnosis. He has been through fear, pain, suffering, guilt, the whole range of emotions. I cannot explain to you what happens when I listen to him talk now. God shows up so intently; I feel what's in this man's heart. He knows what he's living with now is a result of poor life choices and he accepts that (Jesus can heal him, pray for that). He also accepts that his Jesus loves him and intends to work mightily through him. I believe that! He opens his mouth and Word comes out. I love it! He's destined to preach.

He speaks of reaching those who are doing the things he used to do.

He speaks of telling them how much he hurt his body with what he's done.

He speaks of telling them how much Jesus loves them and can save them.

He's going to do it. Jesus wants him to.

And I want to watch him let Jesus work through him to reach the world.