Recipes

Well, I took an idea from Beth and now that 3 of my 5 are mostly away from home. They call wanting recipes for "Aunt Lurleen's Fudge" or "Nanna's Yeast Rolls" or "Grandma's Cornbread" so I set up another blog where I can post the recipes they want and we can all have access to them (I'm still playing around with the header - it's a work in progress like my cooking!!). I titled it "Mama's Little Red Recipe Book" because most of the recipes that I use frequently get copied into a little red binder that my sister gave me 29 years ago at one of my wedding showers! She had the wisdom and love to copy some of her favorites into it before she gave it to me and over the years I've added my favorites from friends and family after they stand the test of time. So if anyone other than my children are interested, feel free to grab any of the recipes from it you want. I've tried to put who the recipe came from so that in the future it will be more meaningful to the next generations. Happy Eating!

Missionary Monday

Kenya - I'm sure you've heard and seen on the news recently about the violence there. You may not understand about the tribal ties or history of a hard-won democracy or why one president would stay in office decade after decade but I do know something that each of us clearly understands. People are dying needlessly. Children are being separated from their parents, sent to refugee camps, and sometimes orphaned from this violence. Children and older adults and women with nursing babies are having their lives changed drastically for the worse. Mothers are losing sons, men are losing brothers and best friends and no one sees any end to this chaos. But there are glimpses of hope in strange places. Children in a church in the midst of one of the many slums in Nairobi getting on their knees and praying for peace. Not because someone told them to, or even asked them. They just came out of a sensitive heart, out of hope that the Giver of Hope has promised to always listen. And out of the idea that even senseless violence has some purpose and can be used to bring others to the One who loves them most.

Why does my heart ache so for Kenya? I wish it was because my heart was that sensitive. But in times past I have watched scenes like these from other countries and not been touched. This time it hit home. I know Kenyans living in Nairobi. I know American missionaries living there. I have faces to go with the violence, names to go with the despair, pictures of happier times to sit and ponder over. I have heart-strings attached to this place. Over 20 years ago I met and trained Kenyans to return home and do their jobs. Several years later when I turned my life over to Christ I ached at the knowledge that He had brought so many people from so many places across my path and never once had I shared the Gospel. Never once had I even thought about training them for what would matter in eternity. But the Lord is His Incomprehensible Mercy allowed my own child to go into the countryside in Kenya and preach and teach and baptize. Amazing. It still leaves me in awe of the Savior's love for me in my failures and shortcomings. Although it was over ten years ago and only a short-term trip, my mind has etched forever the vision from a picture taken of my son baptizing an old man in a muddy river in the same country that had brought such longing to my heart. And it reminds me that my heart should be attached to every place. I should be like those children in the slum. Racing excitedly to the throne of God, expecting miracles, pleading for grace and wisdom and safety for every child in every dangerous place. And then I can understand how very inadequate anything done by man is and how very much we should be turning to the only One who can stop us from harm. Pray today for Kenya. For peace to be returned if it is the Lord's will. For many to be brought to the truth of Christ in the midst of the turmoil. For the hearts of all of us to be sensitive to the many needs of the world around us, close by and far away.

A Week of (Homemade) Snow

Last Saturday we had a very, very little flurry of a snowstorm. My children ran around and stuck out their tongues ("It looks like sleet but tastes like snow, Mom!"). How desperate we get to even glimpse snow here in the South sometimes! Anyway, my children did just like Julie's and made a lot of fun out of very little falling from the sky (and even less sticking to the ground). So this past week we "made" our own snow. Of course the classic cut snowflakes (this year I gave no directions but just let them experiment on their own) and then we made it "snow" on our painting with an old toothbrush dipped in white paint (sorry the small flakes don't show up on the photo).

Last but not least was a good project to learn to use the glue bottle delicately - a leftover from last year's ArtPac2 - a snowflake on blue paper that you cover in glitter only on the lines. All in all not as much fun as a good whomping 2 feet of the real white stuff but pretty fun for indoors!

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess." Deut. 30:15-16

This afternoon I thought life and death was set before me. A phone call from a sweet sister in Christ made me weep for joy over the news of the new life beginning that is truly a gift from God. Less than an hour later we received news of a wonderful Godly man who had fought the fight so well and gone to be with the Savior that he loved so dearly. It is such an honor to have my heart ache with joy for a new life and to ache with sorrow for the loving wife left behind, both dear sisters who have helped me along life's way so well. But we "sorrow not as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." So then I realized that really what was set before me was not life and death but life -- and life. Earthly life just beginning to grow and Eternal life just beginning, too. Life. Both kinds given by the Heart of a Loving God, unable to be bought or shaped by human hands, priceless beyond all measure, given to undeserving sinners. How can we not be in awe of such a God as this?!

America's Idols

Why do we all love to watch American Idol and see those who have no talent but think so highly of themselves? Why do we all want others to get the "fall" their pride deserves but never want to get it ourselves? False humility is deceitful but so is false pride. And that's probably our nation's biggest problem - false pride. And it begins --- (I swallow hard here) -- with me. How can the nation's pride problem be fixed if I don't truly humble myself on my knees before a Righteous and Holy and Awesome GOD? Today I began a new commitment - to really, truly commit to daily humbling myself before God. Hold me accountable, will ya, because this old prideful heart is mighty strong. Thankfully GOD is stronger if I will just rely on HIM and not on myself (again).

"None are so empty as those who are full of themselves."
- Andrew Jackson

A man’s pride will bring him low,
But the humble in spirit will retain honor.
- Proverbs 29:23

Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
- Deut. 8: 11- 14

When Brothers and Sisters Play together...

I just had to click a picture of this while my youngest son and daughter were playing together. Kinda says it all, I think. A monster truck tea party. I am so very blessed!!

No place like Mi Casa!

What a wonderful trip we had to Mexico and how very blessed we feel to be gifted with a free trip there. I really am very grateful for the opportunity to visit such a beautiful resort with such wonderful service and people and most of all to have a "get away" with my hubby. The surroundings, weather, food, service were all almost too perfect to believe. The first evening we arrived barely in time for the welcome dinner and then explored the hotel a little.


Thursday we took a cab to the nearest town and played "tourists" in some of the shops, resting later and enjoying a nice meal at the hotel.




The trip over to Chichen Itza on early Friday (here I am as we watched the sun rise over the Caribbean before boarding our bus) was the highlight. "Chicken Pizza" is the nickname - the Mayan/Mexican people have such a great sense of humor!.



I had wanted to see these ruins since my High School Spanish teacher told us about them and Machu Picchu many, many years ago.





Our tour guide Miguel was fantastic and I think he wins walking races!




I don't know about you but it gives me the creeps to stand in places where hundreds or thousands were brutally sacrificed to "the gods" and although we learned several things that we had previously had misconceptions about the fact remains that this place of scientific wonder and mathematical achievement was also a place of almost unthinkable violence.










One of the most interesting things we learned was how in the 1500s a Spanish explorer described Chichen Itza as "ruins" and the Mayan people have records showing that it had been abandoned more than 300 years before the first Europeans arrived.



Now it's been a long time since I studied the Mayans with my other children and I had let Hollywood's portrayals influence my knowledge. Just a reminder of how vulnerable I am to incorrect information, especially of the visual kind! And a good reminder to stay grounded in the truth, especially when it comes to the really important things like spiritual truths!


We met some of the sweetest people, including these children who sang a song for us. We spent the whole day going/being at/returning from Chicken Pizza (and a nearby Mayan restaurant and show), and Saturday hung out on the beach/lagoon/pool enjoying the fish, water, sun and beauty. It was really nice and not any trouble traveling (charter flights are so great compared to commercial!). The children were good for Gran so all in all a very good trip. But somehow my old queen bed in my little house sleeps so much better than that fancy king-sized one in that massive hotel - isn't it funny that way?

Where, oh where has my little life gone?

The past week has been quite a whirlwind. After New Years, we had some sickness in the family, took down Christmas decorations, sent our 19yo back to work and school for 3 days then off to Mexico on a missions trip, got a burn permit (yippeee!!), began burning these enormous piles of stumps after calling most of the neighbors to warn them of the impending smoke in case they didn't know the ban had been lifted (or had asthma), planned and had two parties for Emma - one for friends and then one for family (see post below), tracking down D's passport which was sent out by Priority Mail instead of Express (even though we had paid for Express) and sweating whether it would arrive before our departure time on Wednesday, laundry and packing for us, dealing with the grief of loss of our friend's mother, hair appointments (can't go overseas looking like a shaggy dog in a muddy yard), cleaning up from farm helpers, party attendees and general family stuff, planning babysitters for our trip, and a few hours sleep stuck in here and there. Needless to say I am really looking forward to the relaxation part of our trip! I'll post details when we return. In the meantime, if you get a chance pray for our daughter's mission trip and her safety as well as comfort and peace for our friend Lindsey and her Dad as they grieve their loss. Thanks and Hasta la vista!!

Happy Birthday to Emma K!

What fun we had Saturday at EK's party! I pray that each girl enjoyed it very much. Emma had spent a lot of time preparing and planning, doing her own invitations, picking out goody bag items, chosing her outfit, prepping the craft materials, mixing the frosting and helping ice the cake, doing all the streamers and decorations for the house and lots of other details. She started out as soon as the girls arrived by giving them their "goody bags" since they each had a necklace a ring they could wear with their princess outfit if they wanted as well as each had her own diary. They signed each other's diaries (you know, Princess Diaries!), then proceeded to decorate their own crown and scepter (Michael's had a great thing here - $1 for each precut adjustable foam crown ready to decorate with jewels and sequins and glitter glue and stickers and $1 each for a foam scepter also ready to decorate.) After the crafts were finished each girl took her turn on the "runaway" (aka our stairs!) and we cranked up the music for them.
The castle cake was a great success and with pink punch, ice cream and chips they all definitely enjoyed the food as well as the fun and fellowship. After opening gifts they enjoyed the outdoors jumping on the trampoline and riding the zipline (yes, even in princess outfits!). Later the friends went home , the family (Gran and cousins, etc.) arrived and we had pizza, cake (a different one we call the "Creech Classic" aka Chocolate Syrup cake) and had more fun times together. Happy Birthday Emma - may this be a special one that you always remember!

Collards and Blackeyes and Pork, Oh MY!!

We celebrated the New Year in a very quiet country way. Well, that is after all the gun shots and pot banging were over! Our dog was nowhere in sight until well into the next morning and still somewhat shaky. (I rewarded her with some of the leftover ham we used to season the collards). We proceeded to cook black eyes ("pennies") and since we couldn't find any good greens ("dollars") at the grocery we went over to a friend's house and picked collards from their garden (they farm and sell collards, cabbage and numerous other good things to a local grocery). We had lots of fun checking out their new poultry additions (more types of ducks and geese than most poultry catalogs!) and chatting and visiting. I really was glad the grocery was out because it was a lot of fun to visit with them. Then back home, cooking collards, and visiting with my MIL who cooked the pork chops ("to be able to live 'high off the hog' ") and cornbread. My older children "opted out" of this most Southern of traditions but my niece and SIL and BIL joined us to catch a little of one of the ball games. Food was good (we like an excuse to eat these things even though the children have yet to develop a taste for them), but family and friends are even better. Hope you all had a wonderful beginning to the year 2008!

[Thursday is "triples" (triple coupon days) at Harris Teeter so I'll be grocery shopping bright and early with a list of 5 "shops" using over 100 coupons if all goes well - but until then I'm cleaning out my fridge and pantry to be prepared to stock up big time (hopefully)!]