3 statements that rock my world - GO with His Grace and ROCK YOURS

1."Too many assume that the reason people do not come to God is because they are ignorant; it is more generally true that the reason people do not come to God is because of their behavior."
-Fulton J. Sheen

2. THESE WORDS WHO IS LIKE A PEOPLE SAVED BY THE LORD?

3. "When, because of your faith, your life too becomes perceptibly different; when your reactions are quite opposite to what the situation seems to call for and your activities can no longer be explained in terms of your personality; that is when your neighborhood will sit up and take notice. In the eyes of the world, it is not our relationship with Jesus Christ that counts; it is our resemblance to HIM!" -Ray Stedman

...I enjoy intellectual folks. Conversation - the give and take of intelligent and/or witty thought, is fun for me. Great wit, in and of itself, causes me to applaud inwardly and laugh out loud, generally. I have a fondness for "characters," for humanness, for like-mindedness... and even differences, that seem mindful - perhaps well thought out.

I'm a people person. And I'm burdened. I'm burdened to see such fun, energetic, thought-making, education-taking, knowledgeable souls, living life on the outskirts. In chocolate terms, it's like watching people gnaw on tootsie rolls out in the cold when there's a Godiva fountain overflowing just inside.

Shoot. I never even won a school spelling bee. I can fit right in... in that average category. I can blend in with the best of em. But I've been down deep in the muck of behavior, where darkness and guilt parade. Where coldness dumbs and numbs out the reality of our choices, and we accept "meaninglessness," avoiding the battle. My prayer is for behaviors in harmony with my faith and a good conscience representative of His will. Lord make it so!

The Snowman!

snow girl

We're in the GRAY!!!!!

UPDATE: 9:51 PM - THE GRAY HAS NOW MOVED EVEN FURTHER SOUTH... AND I THINK CHERAW MIGHT ACTUALLY BE IN THE WHITE ZONE!!! Please note that within the next 48 hours the weather channel claims my town can expect 1-3 inches of snow. Please also note the ABSOLUTE DELIGHT WITH WHICH I TELL YOU SO!!!!!!! I hope and pray that pics of my family creating even the tiniest of snowmen will follow this post.

dang that was good - apples, pepper-jack... chocolate quesadilla bliss

My friend Stephanie told me about the most fabulous combination, which truly you all must try!

take a flour tortilla

spread some cream cheese on it (1/3 fat worked for me)

add a small amount of pepper jelly - you know that odd stuff that was quite the surprise as a kid on the Christmas finger-food spread...

add thinly sliced apples - i chose granny smith

and top it off with pepper jack cheese... i just cut some off of a block

Fold over- the cream cheese does a wonderful job of holding it all together and sealing the edges

Let it sizzle in a pan with a bit of oil... or use a griddle... or one of those $20 quesadilla makers...

Flip and delight in the wonder of the combo...wrapped in golden-brown crispness...

tis so yum

Um, and then for dessert... i did the cream cheese again, sprinkled some brown sugar and chocolate chips... folded over, sizzled, and bit into a bit of heaven.

Belle and Christian had chocolate all over their hands and faces. I just had a big ole smile on mine.

It would be wrong of me not to pass this on.

Need a dance??? Here's a little "You & i"

So fun! Thanks Katie for sharing! Now get to dancin!

Wow.

Friend, you have no idea.
There have been some things taking place in my life, oh and is it LIFE!!! - death has no place - ...that I feel are to remain private for this time... and precious in my heart.
A time for boldness and sharing will come and you can guarantee that I'll be ready to shout from the rooftops when that day is revealed.
HOWEVER - I feel complete freedom to share these words with you as my heartbeat for this most precious new year:
1. Let's start HERE!!
2. IN MY LIFE - how can that even be - HE has established such evidence of this truth.
3. Man B. Moore nailed it in her study of Esther with these words:
"Listen, Beloved. God's forte is life. He's just not willing to leave things dead. A paramount theme in Esther is what God can do when we resolve to obey and 'if I perish I perish.'
Any time He calls us to die, His purpose is to reveal larger life."
Soak that one up. Larger life - Amen!
4. And why the journey? Why the death in the first place???
5. and as i look back... I am praying for these words to imprint on my soul
...verses 19-25 nearly exactly correspond with my soul in those years of life...wow. and as I move into the second half of 27 and hit age 28, still so young, still humbly recognizing my obvious fallibility and desperation for a savior...
I move on as a woman with legs sturdied by FAITH and HIS FAITHFULNESS.
And it is well... really really really well with my soul.
Love you friends!
The possibilities are truly beyond what you could hope for.