Happy New Year Eve!!!!

 good morning Y'all!!!!!      we made it!!!!!          we made it to the end of 2023.          what a ride it has been.           it's been a good ride and a not so good ride.          but I'm here right now and that's what matters.          I hope we can look back over this year and see where we've been and are already making plans for the coming New Year.          I guess my main focus is for gardening in the up coming year.      I am looking forward to that.         I hope you have something that you're looking forward too.

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as we look to the New Year, let's look at it with a new thought pattern.         this is what I mean.

ladies, take a good look at this image.          we've all been there.       what you see on the outside edges of this image is the lies we tell ourselves.         the world also tells us those same lies.        I don't know about you, but I've told myself every one of those lies, and then some.          when we hear them long enough, we believe them.

now look on the inside of the image.           please read that.            this is what scripture tells us about who we are!!!!!            we lie!!!!      the world lies!!!!!!           the Word of God doesn't lie!!!!!!          if you have to listen to something, please make sure you're listening to the word of God.      

after a lifetime of lying to myself, like a lot  of us have, it takes a long time to get that trash out of our heads and hearts.         if you have daughters, make sure you're telling them at a very young age, who they are based on who God says they are.          it will make a huge difference in how they perceive themselves growing up.          when you, as a parent speak truth, life and love over your daughter daily, she will love herself, based on your love for her.         later on she will see the connection that this is how our Father God sees her.          what better gift to give your precious daughter than your love and the love of her Heavenly Father.

start 2024 out right by speaking love over daughter ever day.

the devil puts a lot of pressure on our daughters to look a certain way, to act a certain way and those ways are always ungodly and leads to bad behavior.          we want better for the girls and ladies to be, in our lives.        we want to raise godly girls and boys.          and we're never gonna do it when we the seek worldly help.          seek God, He will make the difference.  

and by the way, this same stuff can be spoken over your sons daily too.       I wish this was also in the form of a guy, it would make a powerful impact on them.      because they also need to know that they are chosen, wanted and blessed.          pray over your children daily, pray Gods blessings over them and watch them grow into the beautiful, caring people that God has planned for them to be.         let 2024 be the year for them to be blessed.

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what did you wake up singing this morning?           well, this is what woke up to and I thought I would share it with y'all.          this is one of the "old greats".           a beautiful hymn written by Horatio Spafford many years ago.         he wrote this sone after one of the most tragic and painfilled events in his life.        read/sing this song very carefully, thinking one each word.        it truly is amazing that one can experience the loss he experienced and still say, "It is well with my soul".         that's only because he had a relationship with God thru the shed blood and resurrection of His son, Jesus Christ.       that's the only way we will ever know and have peace in this life.       this is what I was singing when I got up.

It Is Well With My Soul

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain
It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
A song in the night, oh my soul!

someone once said, "NO Christ, NO peace!"        "KNOW Christ, KNOW Peace!"

no truer words were ever spoken.        do we know the difference between NO and KNOW?        my definitions of these words is this.    NO is absence of something, without something, not done something, don't have something and so on and so forth.        KNOW is having experienced,  having or doing something, learning about something, seeking information, having knowledge about something and so on and so forth.        I didn't even do a quick google search on these words.         if we are reading or writing a little bit, we understand the simple meaning behind these two words, NO and KNOW.

do you "know" Christ?         if not, how come.          don't start the year 2024 without Christ in your life.       2024 can be the best year of our lives when we invite Christ to go before us and plan our days and ways.

reread the hymn above.          is it well with your soul?           I'll have to admit that we live in troubling times.         things is not going to get any better.       I find myself worrying about the state of the world we live in.          but when we read scripture, we find out that we are actually living in the times that the bible speaks of.         we are living out prophecy.         every generation since Christ ascended back into glory has been living in the prophetic end times.         wars and famines and earthquakes and evil is rampant on the earth.         it's not going to get any better.          the devil is roaming around with the intention of taking as many people to hell with as possible.         

I know all this and still yet, I find this troubling enough to steal my peace at times.        so I have to take it to the cross.         I know that when I take my eyes off the cross, I see pain and hurt and fear and I feel all this too.        so I take it to the cross.               

2024 could be the year that we see change across our planet.        one person at a time is all it takes to makes change in our little part of the world.        I can't do a lot, but if we all do what we're capable of doing with Jesus Christ guiding and directing us, we can change our little part of the neighborhood we live in.         one little pebble makes a huge ripple.         we can be the ripple of change right where we live.

yes, you may have neighbors that treat you like you have the plague, but that's on them.         let them be who they are.         you just go about serving the Lord inspite of living near wolves in sheeps clothing.        we all see hyprocrisy every day.         we see hyprocrisy in all areas of life.         

this upcoming year, 2024 is election year.           we  are going to see a LOT of hyprocrisy, even more than usual.         people running for office that should be behind bars for treason.           people running for office that should be banned from the ballot.          people running for office with the goal, purpose and intention of self gain.         people running for office with the goal, purpose and intention of destroying this country.         

we are notorious for electing perverts in a all levels  govenrment.         people know what they are and they still elect them.           people misusing government funding for their own personal bank account.    that happens on a daily basis.         all of these situations have a tendency to take our focus off the Cross of Christ.          we know what's coming.          we know the mud and muck slinging that's already taken place and even more in the days to come.         we know it!!!!          what do we do?       

answer:  WE FOCUS ON CHRIST!!!!!

2024 will be the year to FOCUS ON CHRIST!!!!

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so, let's have a "2 minutes in the kitchen with me".      sounds good to me.      this is a pic of a blackberry crumble I made here back.           I may have already shared it, just can't remember.             I just put a bag of frozen blackberries in my 8x8 avocado sprayed, baking dish.        then I got my crumble jar out.         I keep oatmeal, flour, cinnamon, cloves, monkfruit sweetener and nutmeg in a quart jar.          just whatever amount of each ingredient I feel like putting in.          I'll keep it all mixed up pretty good and then just pour about a cup and a half over the blackberries and spready it evenly over the top.           then I'll take a couple tablespoons of real, butter and dice it up into really small pieces and just dot those small pieces of butter over the top of the crumble.       once I get the on, I'll pour about a 1/4 cup of lemon or lime juice all over it.       that really helps gives the whole thing a wonderful pop of flavor.      lemon or lime juice goes really well with most fruits and it briings out the natural flavors of the fruits and berries.   pop it in a preheated 350* oven until is cooked and browned real nice.         and then enjoy.

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well, that's it for the last of 2023.            I told my husband this morning that I feel kinda like the old bearded man that see the old year out.           I don't know where thiss year has gone to, but it sure went fast.         I can honestly say that I'm so happy that Jesus walked me thru this year.          I know He'll be with me next year.           He's faithful like that.           me, not so much.           but I trust Him.          I hope you do too.

may 2024 be our best yet, filled with blessings all from the  hands of God!        may peace, joy, love, mercy, grace and prosperity be yours in the New Year!!!!          hugs, patty

English Muffins and Giardiniera

good afternoon y'all!!!!!!!            how's your day going so far?         ours has been good so far.         we got out early this morning and got our walk done.          it was just a brisk 37* and I felt every degree of it.           we do dress for success when we walk, but it was still a little nippy.        I got in well over a mile and wished I could have gotten more.          but my feet had started hurting and I call it quits when that happens.         if I keep pushing and try to push thru the paain, I'll be down for 4 or 5 days.         so when they start hurting, I stop.         I had a horse step on my right foot when I was 12 or 13 years old and it's been painful ever since and it gets worse with age.       so, since I'm almost as old as dirt, I feel it in every step.          hahaha          but I can walk, so for that, I'm so very thankful.     

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Years ago when we still lived in a different town, I baked bread.      it seems I've always baked bread.     I baked it the hard way, without a bread machine, without a stand mixer, without a food processor, of which any one of those will properly knead your dough.               I was even called the "crazy" bread lady.             I will admit the crazy part, but only in a good way.               

Anyway, the church we attended delivered meals on wheels to the sick and shut in of our church and the community at large.          During that time, I started making sourdough bread.           I delivered the meals for several of the Sunday Schools Classes, on a weekly basis, that prepared the food.          I started making the sourdough bread in small loaf pans and would take everyone a loaf or two depending on how many we had that week.             Anywhere between 10 to 15 people we ministered to on a weekly basis. 

One of the elderly ladies I delivered to was a lady of few words, she was kind, just didn't have much to say.            She would let me hug her and that's about it, she wanted her door shut.           I understood then and I understand now.               

Anyway, the 3rd week after I started making the bread and bringing everyone a loaf, she was at the door and eagerly waiting for me.        She had a smile on her face as big as those little loaves of bread.            She had the door open and the first thing she asked me was "did you bring more bread?"              I smiled real big and said "yes mam I did."            She wanted to know if I made it.           Again, "yes mam I did."  

Then she wanted to know who told me her secret about making sourdough bread.           I laughed and told her that no one had told me her secret that it was my own recipe so to speak after I tweaked the original recipe.                She laughed and said "I know what your secret is."            I finally laughed and said, "well, yes, I do make it with love."           She said, "ok, that too."          But she pulled me close and whispered in my ear exactly what I put in my sourdough in addition to the usual ingredients.

I asked her how she knew and she said because hers was the best sourdough bread she had ever eaten and she said mine tasted just like hers!!!           When I started making my sourdough starter last week, that conversation with that sweet lady popped in to my head and I just wanted to share it because it has made me smile for between 25 to 30 years now.

Anyway. my sourdough was finally ready to use and I decided I wanted to make something that my husband and I both enjoy, but I have never made them before.           I have made a boat load of all kinds of breads, but I've never made these before, but I finally made some.           I can assure you, I would not have made them today were it not for my Bread Machine to mix it in.            I just set it on the knead function and walked away for an hour and a half.   

What, you may be asking?         I made English Muffins!!!!!          Yes and Amen!!!       I did and I don't mind telling you one of my secrets in these was a whole lotta prayer.          Thank You Jesus for helping me today with my English Muffins.             I only made a half batch, which should have been 8 regular sized muffins, but I ended up with 8 ginormous muffins.        hahaha          So, when I make a whole batch, I plan on getting about 20 and will have plenty for the freezer.    

I don't see me buying English Muffins anytime in the near future.         Yay!!!        I almost forgot to take pictures, but I did remember and snapped a few.         Hope y'all enjoy.         And they do smell as good as they look.              Go ahead and drool, it's ok.           I won't tell anyone.       hahaha

if you can make heads or tails out of my recipe, you're free to use it.        hahahaha

you know what, these are not the prettiest things, but they are quite tasty.

and look at all those nooks and crannies that english miffins are famous for.   

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so, let's do a "2 minutes in the kitchen with me" real quick.          I had been wanting to do a mixed veggie ferment.    

 

you can buy pickled mixed veggies called Giardiniera.        it's an Italian relish that's usually done in vinegar or oil.          mine is done in neither.           it's done in a ferment brine.           I don't care for veggies in vinegar any more, although I do eat them and I certainly don't want veggies in oil.        I  know, I know, those are the most popular ways of preserving lots of things, but I'm going for what I like.           hahaha 

  

I used cauliflower, bell peppers, orange bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, red onion, vidalia onion, carrots, zucchini, and yellow squash.          that's it.             I didn't use anything else, because I didn't have anything else fresh.         hahaha           I do wish I would have had some greenbeans.           but I have a container of fermented greenbeans in the fridge.           I didn't use any kind of spices either.     you can use spices and most people do, but I wanted to keep these tasting like the veggies.  

My brine is a mixture of 1 gallon of filtered water and 6 tablespoons of kosher salt.          you don't want to use any salt with iodine or any anti-caking agents.         sea salt is best if you have it.         I didn't, but I did have kosher salt, so that's what I used.    

cleanliness in the fermenting process is very important.        I can't stress that enough.         make sure everything is clean.            you can even run all jars and cutting board and utensils thru the dishwasher to sterilize them if necessary.           just make sure you're  very clean with doing this.   

wash and scrub your veggies and I always cut away any blemishes or spots.           cut your veggies however you want to cut them.          on the carrots, since they are the firmest veggie I used, I did make smallish sticks.             I cut the squashes in half and then cut them where they was thicker on one end than the other.        I made sticks out of the bell peppers.         and I cut the cauliflower segments pretty small too.       I made wedges out of the onions and then broke them up some.       nothing fancy at all.   

I had gotten a separate gallon jug with "filtered" water in it.         you want to use filtered water so there is no chlorine.         chlorine will inhibit the fermenting process.          then I added the 6 tablespoons of kosher salt and got that dissolved.  

once all the veggies was cut up and mixed together, I put veggies in my jars.       pressing them down as I went.        you don't want to overfill the jars.   

  

once the  brine is in  the  jars, I put the  wieghts in on top of the veggies to hold them down in the brine.        it's important for all the veggies to be under the brine at all time.             the big jar has a split weight and the quart jar has a small clear glass weight.    

once the weights are placed, I then get a spoon and take out any of the small pieces that float.        I take a small zip lock sandwich bag and fill it with some of the extra brine and press the air out of the bag and put it on top of the weight.                this is just extra protection.         it's not necessary, but I do it.  

for the lids on the jars, they have a water lock on top of them that will allow any gasses to escape without the jars exploding or having to open them.         also, set your jars in a tray or a bowl to catch any bubble over.           when this starts really bubbling, there can be a mess, so I always put my jars in a tray or bowl to fit the size jar.         put the jar in a safe place.          I wish I had a cabinet that I could dedicate to fermenting.         now the hard part.....waiting, waiting, waiting, patiently waiting.   hahaha  

 

in a couple of weeks, I'll check the taste and go from there.          once they have the flavor profile I'm looking for, I'll put them in the fridge and they will last a long time, or not, depending on how fast you eat them.          hahaha  

what I like about ferments is that the veggies are still raw.        but the fermentation process preserves them.          the fermenting  process creates a lot of good gut healthy bacteria.         fermented produce is really good for you.           do a little research on it and find out just how good it is for you.  

I hope you enjoyed this.          I hope if you haven't ever done a ferment that you'll give it a try.        do a little research and then dive in.           it's delicious and it's fun.  

this turned out to be a most wonderful ferment.        it only gets better with age.

one thing that I did learn, is that the amount of salt is way too much.          I used what the recipe recommended, but since making this recipe, I've found that most recipes call for much less salt.          if you  have a blood pressure problem or a water retention problem, this may not be for you.        but if you can eat this, it's really good and the fermenting process is really good for your gut health.

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that's about it for today.          hope you seen something here that you may be willing to try.       

since it'a almost the end of the year, what will you miss most about 2023?         and what do look forward to most in 2024?

may love, joy and peace be yours today.       hugs and blessings, patty

Cornbread Swirls, check!!! hahaha

good evening y'all.         better late than never, right.           we took a quick trip to see my Momma this morning, so I'm just now getting to my blog for the day.         I didn't know if we would into snow or not and fortunately, we didn't.           It did sprizzle on us a little going up and coming home, but nothing bad.        praise the Lord.         the temps were still warm enough that the roads wouldn't have gotten bad for quite a while.         I was just looking at weather bug a little while ago and it's all rain now, so that's good.       and it's even sprizzling here again, even as I type.          that's ok.        we're in for the night and I'll be fixing supper here in a little bit.     

oh, I almost forgot the main reason for going to see Momma today.          I cooked a batch of blackeyed peas this morning when I got up.       I wanted to get them cooked and have them ready.       so we took her some.      and I'll have plenty for us and also able to share with our neighbor.    yes, that's a tradition.         you gotta have blackeyed peas.         so I've made that my "thing" to do for her for a few years.        she always looks forward to them.         

I think our neighbor looks forward to them too.        he had never had blackeyed peas.          his sweet wife passed away on Dec.14, 2019.          his son and his wife was living with him for a short time trying to help him sort things out and I just started fixing extra of what I fixed for us and would have my husband call him to meet us at the fence.         so I had fixed a big huge batch of blackeyed peas for New Years of 2020.         we took them a huge bowl and a big bunch of cornbread  and he said they ate like they were starving to death.       hahahaha          he also said that it was the first time that either of the three had ever had blackeyed peas.        and they never heard of the tradition of eating blackeyed peas of january 1st.         well, he eats blackeyed peas on january 1st now.        hahahaha    whether he wants to or not, he eats them.        hahaha        

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yay y'all!!!!         my goal for yesterday was to get to get my cornbread swirls made, and I did!!!!!      yes I did and I'm so proud of myself.         these are so good too.         I make what I call a "corn chowder" with different meats.         maybe chicken, maybe turkey, maybe turkey bacon, or maybe turkey sausage which happens to be our favorite.           but this batch was turkey bacon because I have a ton of turkey bacon in the freezer and it's just so easy to use, so why not, right.         but these cornbread swirls go wonderfully with the "corn chowder".         so I try to keep some in the fridge at all times.

so what I'll do, while I have our "corn chowder" in the microwave heating up, I'll put a couple of these conrbread swirls in the counter top oven to warm up and put a little more color on them.         when I'm baking these for the first time, I just want to get them done thru and thru.         then when I heat them for our meal, I'll put more color on them.          when I take them from the oven, I'll put just a smidge of real butter on each one and it melt into the swirl and it's just delicious!!!

notice the four smaller ones in the upper right hand corner.          well those are the end pieces cut from each end of the dough where I roll it out and try to get it as square as I can.          they just don't get really square on the ends, so they end up smaller.

well, for supper last night, I had some chicken that I put in the air fryer and I had 4 small hushpuppies in the freezer and I put those in the air fryer too.          I turned around and seen this pan of cornbread swirls on the stove top and then my eyes went to the small ones.        so intsead of making a trek to the garage to bring in another bag of hushpuppies, I just picked up those 4 small swirls and put them in the air fryer.         oh my stinking goodness!!!!!!!!            they were over the top GOOOOOOD!!!!         they got really crunchy crispy and just so good.         so, I may be reheating my swirls in the air fryer, especially when I'm using the air fryer anyway.        

as I work on perfecting my recipe and technique, I am finding that when I roll a strip, if I leave slack in them and don't roll them real tight, they come out so much better.          for a long time, I was rolling them so tight that they didn't have room to rise.          when they did rise, they would rise upward and be real tall.         they was good, but I wanted them to be flat like what you see here.

anyway, I'm sure that's more info than you ever wanted to know about my cornbread swirls.       hahaha

when I get the recipe perfected, I'll share it.         I may have already shared it, and if I have, that recipe will work really well, but I've tweeked it since then.         anyway, be on the lookout for it sometime, probably in the upcoming year.

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I have a little bit of something on my mind so I'm sharing with me as much as anything, just trying to make sense of something that's impossible for me to do so at the moment.

we have neighbors directly across the street.        as far as who has been in the neighborhood the longest, we have been there the longest of just about anyone in the whole area.         there are only 2 other residents that have been here as long as we have.         one of them lives 2 houses up on the same side of the road as us and the other one lives 2 houses down on the oopposite side of the road.       we have been 23 years as dec 22nd this year.          that was the first night we spent in our new house upon moving.          everyone of the other neighbors up and down the street have come and gone 2 or three times over, during the time we've been here.

so, back to the neighbors across the street.         they won't look up, if they happen to see us, they'll turn their backs to us really quickly.        they are just not sociable at all.          that's ok, I don't want neighbors running in and out of my house all the time.         but I do want to be able to wave and at least get an acknowledgement.           I've told all the neighbors we've ever had in the past, that if they ever need anything, don't hesitate to holler at us.         one or both of us is always home and we'll always do what we can to help in any way possible.         most of our neighbors have always been the same way we are.         we'll be neighborly and help in any way and we'll always be friendly.         that's the way it's always been.          

this family moved in and I tried to start waving and a lot of time, the way I've made communication with new neighbors is to see them at the mailbox, or holler and wave when I'm going to mine.        but these people have been here several years and we still don't even know their names.       they don't want to have anything to do with anyone.           I'm ok with that.          I'll still wave and I'll keep on waving.

well, they have a fully trimmed out basement under the house.       a great living place.        the brother of the man that lives there, he and his wife moved into the basement about a year and a half ago.        they have a truck and car.         well, I thought the ones that lived in the upper house were hard to have anything to do with.        those living in the basement are something else.         they have Jesus signs all over their 2 vehicles.          we wave at them everytime we see them outside, everytime we meet them on the road, everytime one of us goes to the mailbox.         well, they make no bones about it, they turn their backs on us every time.          if we had done anything to them, I might be able to understand it just a little bit.          but we haven't done anything to any of them.         

I told my husband here back and then earlier today when we got home from going to see my Momma, that if I didn't already have a relationship with Jesus Christ, there is nothing about those people that would even make me want to explore who Jesus Christ is.          they are everything that Jesus Christ isn't.          it's really sad.        I know they put on airs out away from home.          so they wear Jesus on their vehicles, but they are about as opposite of what Jesus Christ is in reality.

I say all this just to remind myself, that if I claim Christ, I need to try to make sure that my life looks like it.          yes, everyone has tempers, everyone says things that we shouldn't say, everyone sins.     we just do.     we're not perfect in this life and will never be.          but, if we openly and outwardly shun others and make no bones about it, then it makes me wonder if they even know the Jesus that we have plastered all over our vehicles.       

we just have to be careful at all times to make sure that we do represent Jesus in a good way.         my prayer is always that when others see me, they Jesus in me and not me.        when I see these people, I see anything but Jesus and that's really sad.         I can actually say that I see the devil in them.   

and I do believe it's the Jesus in us that irritates the devil in them.          I don't know what they say or think about us and I really don't care.         we'll keep on waving and acknowledging them whether they ever  acknowledge us or not.        I did tell my husband today that if I ever get the chance to say anything to them that I'm going to tell them that I'm happy I already have a relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.         because if I didn't, I see nothing in them that would lead me to wanting to learn more about who Jesus is.               

I may sound judgemental and if I am, I know that God will correct me.       we just have to be careful about how represent Jesus.         they're not doing a very good job representing Jesus as far we can see.       

my desire and prayer is that when others see me, they see Jesus!!!!         I pray that the Lord will always keep me humble and I pray that He will always show me where I fail Him and I pray that He will help me to own it and do better when He shows me how I have failed Him. 

like I said earlier, we all sin, we just do.         and I just pray for God to convict me of the sin in my life that may keep someone else from wanting to have a realtionship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

well, I hope when I come back to this at some point in time that it helps me to make sense of what's going on with the neighbors.         we've tried to be good neighbors and are good neighbors, but these people are beyond me.         so I hope and pray that the Lord will show me how I can break the ice or maybe He will show me to just leave them alone.         either way, He's got to show me and I believe He will.

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that's all I have today.           I hope you get some blackeyed peas cooked for New Years, it will be here before we know it.         blessings of love, peace and joy be yours.         hugs, patty

Snacks, Air Fryer, Electric Pressure Cooker.............

good morning beautiful friends.          I hope you're having a warm morning so far.          it was a chilly 25* again.          with the prospects of warming up to 40*.         yay!!!          that's better than a high of 39*, isn't it?         it seems to be a quiet morning so far.        the only thing on our agenda today is to get in our walk.         then I got to get in the kitchen and get some turkey corn chowder made and some cornbread swirls.       so I'm sure I'll have some good mishaps in the kitchen, I usually do.      hahaha  the rolls/buns I made yesterday are really good.         hubby loved his breakfast sandwich this morning.  

none of the fast food joints have anything over on me with their breakfast sandwiches.           mine blows theirs out of the water everyday all day.         and I know what's in all of it.       and it's not deepfried or skillet fried or griddle fried in months old grease!!!!         everything is cleaned regularly and that makes a huge difference to us.        so, forget the fastfood, and make your own!!!

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are you looking for some good snacks to start 2024 off right?         if so, this is for you:

45 BEST SNACKS UNDER 50 CALORIES

Satisfy your sweet tooth!

1. 1⁄2 medium apple, baked, topped with 1 Tbsp low fat yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon (45 calories)

2. 1⁄2 small banana, frozen (45 calories)

3. 4 oz unsweetened applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon (49 calories)

4. 1 miniature box of raisins (45 calories)

5. 2 sugar-free ice pops (30 calories)

6. 1 sugar-free fudge ice pop (35 calories)

7. 12 cherries (48 calories)

8. 1 individual serving sugar-free gelatin with 3 Tbsp light whipped topping (40 calories)

9. 1⁄2 cup strawberries with 21⁄2 Tbsp nonfat yogurt (47 calories)

10. 14 seedless red grapes, frozen (48 calories)

Indulge a salt craving

11. 11⁄2 cups salted air-popped popcorn (46 calories)

12. 1⁄4 cup shelled edamame with sea salt (37 calories)

13. 8 oz miso soup (36 calories)

14. 1 pretzel rod (37 calories)

15. 1⁄4 small bag of Glenny's lightly salted soy crisps (35 calories)

16. 1 medium sliced cucumber mixed with 1⁄4 cup sliced onion, 1⁄2 cup chopped celery, 4 Tbsp vinegar and salt to taste (45 calories)

17. 6 oz eight-vegetable juice (39 calories)

18. 1 kosher dill pickle (10 calories)

Crunch and munch

19. 1⁄2 cup jicama with 4 oz salsa (49.5 calories)

20. 11⁄2 cups sugar snap peas (40 calories)

21. Small celery stalk smeared with 1⁄2 Tbsp natural peanut butter (49 calories)

22. 1⁄2 small apple with 1 tsp soy butter (46 calories)

23. 1 brown rice cake with 1 Tbsp sugar-free jam (44 calories)

Smooth and creamy

24. 1 Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb wedge spread on cucumber slices (35 calories)

25. 1 tsp almond butter (34 calories)

26. 1⁄2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt with 1 tsp sugar-free strawberry jam (43 calories)

27. 1 oz avocado (about 1⁄8 of an avocado) squirted with lime (45 calories)

28. 8 grape tomatoes dipped in 1 Tbsp light cream cheese (46 calories)

Cheesy whizzes

29. 6 pieces of endive filled with 1⁄2 oz reduced-fat feta cheese (49 calories)

30. 1 slice fat-free American cheese (30 calories)

31. 1 large tomato, sliced, topped with 1 Tbsp Parmesan, broiled (44 calories)

32. 1 oz fat-free cottage cheese on 1 slice caraway Finn Crisp Crispbread (38 calories)

33. 1 oz fat-free mozzarella dipped in 1 tsp marinara sauce (46 calories)

Power up on protein

34. Turkey roll ups: 2 slices white meat turkey rolled in 2 lettuce leaves (46 calories)

35. 1 oz smoked salmon (about 1 slice) on 2 Wheat Thins crackers (Multi-Grain) (48 calories)

36. 1 tofu dog with 1 Tbsp sauerkraut (48 calories)

37. 1⁄2 cup plain fat-free yogurt sprinkled with 1 tsp sunflower seeds (49.6 calories)

38. 1.3 oz water-packed tuna with 1 tsp Dijon mustard (48 calories)

39. 2 large hard-cooked egg whites with 1 cup sliced cucumber (48 calories)

40. 1 slice Wasa Fiber Crispbread with 2 tsp hummus (45 calories)

41. 1 medium water-packed sardine with slice of red onion (35 calories)

Solid standbys

42. 1⁄2 cup melon with 2 Tbsp 1% cottage cheese (47 calories)

43. 1⁄2 small grapefruit (32 calories)

44. 1⁄3 cup blueberries with 1 Tbsp light sour cream (47 calories)

45. 1⁄2 cup carrots with 1 Tbsp light ranch dressing (45 calories)

ok, so what would you add to this list?          hope this helpful to you all.

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this is a picture of some charms that I made a couple of years ago.      this was a really fun project.       I got the bezel charm pieces at Joann's, I think.        I used a clear drying glue and set in fun little bits and pieces of all kinds of items.       tiny seed beads, itsy bitsy shells, small pieces of real genstones, micro sized sequins and then some extra glittery glitter.         I used most of these on some of my handmade, hand rolled paper beads.       really beautiful.         I hope you give something like this a try.        

one little tip, don't put too much glue in the base.     you don't want it squishing out all around the bezel.         also, just go to somewhere like amazon and type in something "jewelry bezel" and if the dime sized bezels are what you're interested in, then look for that size.        I just done a search on amazon and lots popped up.        like I said, I think these came from Joann's, Michaels or Hobby Lobby.          one of these 3 anyway.         these were lightweight, so they weren't very expensive.         I hope some of you give this a try.

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are you a hazard in the kitchen?          have you been known to drop a carton of eggs on the floor?  or spill a 5 lb bag of sugar on the counter and floor?           do you have trouble hanging on to that big turkey getting it in the oven?           have you ever spilled a 2 lb or 5 lb bag of dried beans?          have you ever flipped a pancake right out in the floor?            or what about dropping an opened box of your favorite cereal?           ok, where am I going with this?           well, if you have a habit of bing a menace in the kitchen, today is your day!!!!         Happy National Klutz in the Kitchen Day!!!         just stay away from knives and glass and anything that can be spilled.          enjoy your day and maybe get carry-out today, save yourself a mess in the kitchen.         have a happy "klutz free" day!!!  hahahaha

no, today isn't actually national klutz day, it just feels like every day is that for me, so I thought I would share a little bit of fun with you.      hahahaha

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let's do another "2 minutes in the kitchen with me".      I use my air fryer almost daily, I just don't get pictures of everything I fix in it, but I was mindful when I was fixin' lunch for us today.          I made salmon patties.

1 can of drained salmon, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of bread crumbs, 1/4 cup parm cheese, 1/2 small onion diced, dash of onion powder, dash of garlic powder, dash of salt, dash of black pepper, 1 tsp italian seasoning and enough evaporated milk to mix well (because that's what I had).

I lined my air fryer with a parchment round and scooped out a large serving spoon of salmon mixture and made into patties.         I sprayed the tops of each pattie with avocado oil.         I got 5 in my air fryer, they are pretty large, and the last one I popped in the toaster oven just because I wanted to get lunch ready and done.          I just used the pre set for fish and cooked it for about 8 minutes and took the basket out flipped the patties and cooked for about 6 or 8 more minutes, till they reached the browness I was looking for.

I also filled my electric pressure cooker with green beans, diced onions and potatoes and a little dab of my essential oil aka "bacon grease" (hahaha) and put my long legged rack in on top of them and set my cooking pot full of creamed corn on top of the potatoes and beans and cooked it all in one pot while the air fryer was going.          It was a great lunch with enough left overs for a couple more meals.       Also had hard boiled eggs that I fixed earlier in the epc.       Anyway, just wanted to share the pics.       The salmon patties are sooooooo good!!!        Everything else is too.

I have to say, that for years I have baked my salmon patties in the oven instead of skillet fry them.  Since I've had an af, this is my preferred method.        I did bake one in the toaster oven and it took 2 times longer to bake in the oven than it did to cook in the af.

green beans and potatoes, it doesn't get much better than this and when I can cook corn in the same pot, that's a plus every day of the world for me!!

don't these salmon patties look good, well, they are.       just like momma makes!!!

this was a great meal and we have it quite often.         I'm pretty sure I've shared this before, but that's ok, it deserves to be shared again.        hahahaha        so keep a watch out, it just may pop up again.     hahaha         well, it won't if I remember I've shared it before.        but I'm not counting on remembering anything these days.        hahaha

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I love this Psalm.         I know most everyone does.           A lot of people know this by heart, being one of the first scriptures committed to memory.

***23 The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.         2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.             3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.            4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.             5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.             6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.***

There's a big difference between knowing the Psalm and knowing the Shepherd.         To know the Psalm, you have committed the Psalm to your memory.         To know the Shepherd, you have committed your life to Him.   

I hope and pray that you know the Shepherd as well as you know the Psalm.            if not, then now is the time to learn all about the Shepherd.

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well, that's a wrap for today.        I need to get in the kitchen and get my "klutz" going.       hahahaha     I hope you seen something here that made you smile, or think, or gave you some ideas.        I hope to see you back here real soon.          think about the Psalm and figure out if you know the Shepherd as well as you know the Psalm.        there is a difference and we need to know. 

I hope you have a wonderful day.        blessings of love, peace and joy be yours.         hugs, patty

I got some bread made, YAY!!!!

good afternoon y'all!!!!!           I almost missed posting today.        I want to try to finish the year up strong and the then we'll go from there.          hahaha           it was a little shocking this morning.          our temps have been above freezing for the past few morning and this morning it was down to 25* when I checked it.       and I'm thinking it probably got a degree or two cooler than that.        well, after all, it's just barely winter and I know we'll have a lot colder mornings than this.         we're up for "maybe" getting a few flurries tomorrow.          we'll have to wait and see about that.          anyway, I say let's just enjoy whatever the Good and Gracious Lord gives us.          that's what I plan on doing.        sounds like a good plan, huh.

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do ya know what today is?              well, let me tell ya.          it's "National Eat What Ever You Want Day".         you heard me, eat what ever you want!!!             so, get that big pot of chicken beak stew going, throw a couple of spam burgers on the grill.            fry up some pickled innards.....................oh, just about anything you can think of would fit the menu for today.                 go ahead, be bold, try something new.               I gave you some suggestions, but I'm sure you can come up with some of your own concoctions.               just have fun and be adventurous.

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so my plans were to get some bread baked yesterday.            well, I got some baked, but not what I actually planned on.          I baked a skillet of cornbread wedges.         I didn't get a picture of them.      why, because I just plum forgot about taking pictures of it.        but it's good and my husband can attest to that.         he had a buttered piece with a bowl of beans.         hahaha         one of his favorite meals.

but, today I got some yeast rolls and a tiny loaf of bread made.         yay!!!!          I did remember to get pictures of this bread.        

this is what a 3 cups of flour, dough ball looks like.           this is a fantastic batch of bread.         it's from a very old recipe that I've converted to use in the bread machine.          I was looking for something different for a change and I came across this recipe.         the last time I'd used this recipe was sometime in 2022.         so I dusted it off and I'm happy I did.

I made 12 rolls/buns and one loaf from what would have been 4 more rolls/buns.           I think I've shown y'all my silicone roll pans that makes 6 rolls at a time.          I have 2 of those pans.         so once I take my doughball from the bread machine, I weigh it in grams.          then I divide that weight into 16 or 18 rolls.        this time I made 16 balls.        then I start picnhing off that many balls of dough, weighing each ball so they all weigh the same.

once  I get them all weighed, I start mashing each ball down into the silicone pans and then I let them rise and bake them and they are almost perfect.           I took the last four dough balls and stacked them together and smashed them and worked them back into one cohesive ball and made a small loaf with it.      

as you can see, these look really good and they will also taste really good.          great for my husbands breakfast sandwiches and wonderful for hamburgers and sandwiches.

after seeing these again, I may have to figure out how to have a sandwich for supper.     hahaha

I hope if you don't make fresh homemade bread that you'll give it a try.         especially if you have a bread machine.          get it out and use it.         it will be ne the best things you've done in a long time.

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well, I'm gonna make it short and sweet today.         I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day and I hope to see you back here real soon.         blessings of mercy and grace be yours today.       hugs, patty

Happy Day after Christmas

good morning friends.           I hope that you have survived the hubbub of Christmas.           or maybe you was like us and didn't have a hubbub to survive.          we stayed home and enjoyed the day.          no hustle and bustle at all.          a most pleasent day and we remembered what the day is supposed to be all about.

it's  gloomy day here and we need to get out and walk in a little bit.           maybe that'll get me woke up.           I need get a pot of beans on and get some bread made.           2 kinds of bread, so it will be a long day for me, if I get it all done.          we'll see what happens.

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let's go to the kitchen for a quick "2 minutes in the kitchen with me".         well, we love dried beans.  we eat a lot of dried beans.         we both, was raised on them and we still LOVE them.        nothing better than good old comfort food and that's what dried beans are for us.        

so I had 2 lb bag of great northern beans.       I always, always, always, sort and wash my beans.        my sweet Momma taught me well and she still cooks beans and guess what, I know her routine well.      so I started sorting and didn't think I would find anything other than a few discolored beans.        that's usual and also a few floaters.          I was just about done sorting and all of the sudden, in a hand full of beans was this big old honkin piece dirt with sticks and twigs in it.          I know most people sort thru their beans and wash them.             but if you happen to be one of the few that doesn't, then this may be of some influence to start sorting and washing them.           I always wash them at least 3 times in my bowl that I sort them in.            the first time the water is always gunky.  the second time, less gunky and the third time clear water, so that's my story for today.             I've shared similar to this before, only because I keep finding strange and unusual things.  and in all fairness, they do have on all bags to sort and wash before using.           it's there for a reason.        and these beans will be sooooo good!!!!      they are in my electric pressure cooker, yay!!!    

so, if you're not in the habit of sorting thru and washing your beans, this may give your the incentive to do so.            if you've ever gotten a mouth full of grit while eating beans, this is why.          they weren't cleaned well.          every bean goes into my hand before it's dumped in to my bowl to be washed.        that way, if there's a rock or a wad of dirt masquerading as a bean, I'll find it.   

I've seen people making videos for youtube just cut open a bag of beans and dump them in!!!!!           I want to scream when I see that.          what in the world are you thinking!!!!!!            sort and wash those beans!!!!!!!
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Who wants a good read today?            If you do, grab your Bible and turn to 1 Peter 2 and read the whole chapter.          It tells us how we are to live in this world, this is not our permanent home.       We are sojourners just passing thru this land.         If you long for something different, just know, that's heaven calling.  "This world is not my home" keeps rushing thru my mind and below is a portion of that song.  

""This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue

The angels beckon me from heaven's open door

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

Oh lord you know I have no friend like you

If heaven's not my home then lord what will I do

The angels beckon me from heaven's open door

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.""

There is also another beautiful hymn that keeps coming up too, "This is my Fathers world".  This is a portion of that song:

""This is my Father's world, and to my listening ears 

All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres. 

This is my Father's world, 

I rest me in the thought 

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas, 

His hand the wonders wrought.""

I love the nature side of my Fathers world as described in this sweet hymn of faith, but not so much the side of humanity that we are seeing today.         So, while I think of rocks and trees and skies and seas, I also hear the angels beckon me from heaven's open door and I don't feel at home here anymore.

I can't possibly be the only person with a heart that is longing for heaven, but I also long to see God's people do right by one another.

Torn between two worlds.

Anyway, this is where my heart was this morning. 

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warning: this is long!!!         but if you dehydrate produce, it may be a good read for you.         so I gave you a fair warning.           so no complaining it's long.           hahaha

let's do a "2 (10 or 20) minutes in the kitchen with me" segment this morning and talk about some of the things we've talked about in the past.  I hope it's helpful to someone.  let's just sit and drink our coffee and have at it.

this is just what has been on my mind as of late, just because I'm getting ready to start dehydrating produce.         what I grow and what I find on sale or at farmers market or road side stands.

this was some of the items I dehydrated last year.          start with a little and it turns into a lot by the end of the season.         you can grow your own produce or you can find it on sale at the stores, farmers markets, road side stands.          which ever way you get produce, consider dehyrating as a great means of preservation.  

it's very easy, extremely safe, and fun to use later on.           all of it works well in soups and stews, as snacks.           one thing to remember is that dehydrating does cause the structure of the produce itself to change.  

if you don't have a dehydrator, I would recommend you getting one with a temp and time setting.        if you get one of the less expensive ones that doesn't have a temp and time setting, it will dehydrate at a temp of no less than 145* and they can be as high as 165*.           these are not good for produce at all although they say they are.           on the other hand, you don't need one of the those that costs 3 to 5 hundred dollars either.            my preferred machine is less than a hundred dollars with removable stackable trays with the heat system on the bottom that forces the hot air up thru the trays with the hot air being expelled out the the lid of the dehydrator.

a lot of people go for the ones that are cabinet style and very expensive.             the reason I've never been interested in those is because you can't dehydrate a lot of different things in them at the same time.             for instance, I'll have a tray of onions, a tray of garlic, a tray of tomatoes, a tray of zucchini, a tray of pineapple and a tray of apples.              the average person would say "you can't do that".              you can't do it in a cabinet style, but in a stackable style, YES, you can do it.  

this is how: start with apples on the bottom, next pineapples, next zucchini, next tomatoes, next onions and finally garlic.            the heat coming from the bottom will be forced up thru the trays.       the apples, pineapples, zucchini and tomatoes don't have any strong aromas.          the garlic and onion does.             tray placement is the key for for your produce not smelling like onions and garlic.          if you put this mix of produce in a cabinet style dehydrator, everything will smell and taste like onions and garlic.               since it's just the 2 of us, this is how I like to use my dehydrator to its greatest capabilities.                if I dehydrated a lot more than I do, I would probably have 2 dehydrators.       one for fruits and one for veggies.      and since I first wrote this, I do have 2 dehydrators now.          my newest one is a Septree brand from amazon.          it's  the smallest cabinet style they make with 4 trays and it's a fantastic little dehydrator.   

so dehydrated sliced tomatos will not rehydrate to use as a slice of tomato you would put on a sandwich, but it will be good in soups, stews or casseroles.          also, even though there aren't any in these pics, I do love to dehydrate sliced tomatoes.            they are great as a snack.  you can sprinkle a little of previously dehydrated onion and garlic that has been powdered, and little dehydrated parsley on them and dehydrate them and you have a very special snack.  

the main thing to remember is to get everything crispy dry.            any moisture left in the produce will set the stage for mold.  and goodness, we don't want to lose any of our hard work because we failed to get something completely crispy dry.   

just a reminder too, that just because an instruction manual says to dehydrate something at 135*, it doesn't mean they are right.             thru  years of trying to figure out why I wasn't getting the desired results, I started changing, actually lowering my temps and my produce started looking much better.  the desired color in the finished product comes with lower temps.              to be quite honest, I never go above 115* anymore, and for some items like onions, I set my dehydrator on 110* because of all the natural sugars in onions.   

some things like potatoes require a lot of rinsing to get as much of the natural starch off.           if you don't rinse and then blanche, and lower your dehydrator setting to 115*, you'll end up with a bunch brown/black dried potatoes.             I usually rinse my potatoes 3 times before they hit the blanche pot and then once removed from the boiling water, they're put in an ice water bath to stop further cooking and cool completely.              they come out perfect every time.

I've found also, that a lot of produce doesn't have to be blanched.            for instance, if you blanche onions, guess what, you lose most of the good onion flavor in that blanch water.       and the same it is, with most every other types of produce.             some of your hard root veggies like potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets....things like that will benefit from blanching.             those are just about it that I even consider blanching.

something else to remember, if it goes in the dehydrator raw, it comes off the dehydrator raw.          the dehydrator does not cook the produce, it's only removes the moisture.            and even for the items that I mentioned that I do blanche, those items will need to be cooked. 

I can't remember if I've already said it or not, but I never go above 115* with my produce, fruits or veggies.               a lot of people will dip their produce in lime juice or lemon juice.            to be quite honest with you, it's pretty repulsive to have lime and lemon on EVERYTHING!!!           I do NOT recommend that.              what I do recommend is for everyone to learn to use their dehydrators correctly and then you can leave the lemon and lime juice alone and your produce will taste like it's supposed to taste.              keeping your temps low, 110* to 115* (and 90* to 95* for herbs), is the  to key to avoiding the citric juice bath for all you produce.           but, if you like everything to have a that taste, then go for it.  

a lot of dehydrated produce is great for snacks.             just remember to drink some water or something as you enjoy them.              and for the fruits, rememeber that in the dried form, it's really easy to over eat.             I love to make dehydrated watermelon, but it's really easy to overdo it      .  once you have a lot of different produce dehydrated, you can even consider grinding it to make your own "cup-a-soup", or seasoning to go in or on your dishes.            think about powdered onion, garlic, bell peppers, celery....things like that.                you can also experiment.             I'm a big encourager of experimenting with what you have and see how many different ways you can use your stash.         if you have a dehydrator, when you start dehydrating, learn to portion a new item out in what would be a serving size or in the size of a whole piece of produce you would use.  

if you want to know how much dried diced onion is equivalent to a whole onion, then dice one whole average sized onion and place it on a dehydrator tray separated from the others.         when the onions are completely cracker crisp dry, weigh the one diced onion by itself.                I prefer to weigh in grams.           write that weight on your jar somewhere and you'll know how much to use for 1 average sized onion.           and if you can keep up with how many onions you have done, when you get your storage jar filled, you'll be able to know how many onions you have in that jar.         I think I got about 40 average sized onions in my gallon jug last year.  hahaha

one thing I do when I'm using my dehydrated produce, when I get to end of my jars, I start dumping everything all together.           then I'll take out my dedicated to produce, coffee grinder, and I'll make a blend of everything.           let me tell you, it is delicious!!!!            I'll put some in soups and stews and casseroles.          I can even make "cup a soup" with it.

and it feels good to start getting rid of jars with just kibbles and bits in it.  

well, I think this is about it for now.          I don't know if anyone will read the whole thing, but if you do and have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.          I'm sure I'll have more to add at some point in time, so maybe be on the look out.            be blessed and dehydrate!! 

top pic: jar 1 has mixed veggies from where I cleaned out some of my boxes that I keep prepped veg in.         jar 2 has 3 sliced yellow squash.             jar 3 has green onion blades from my freebie roots that I planted from a batch of green onions.          trying to fill that jar.           jar 4 has 2 zucchini. 

bottom pic: jar 1 has pea hulls.          when I pick peas, I shell and dehydrate the hulls.         once dehydrated, I'll grind the pea hulls and add it to green powder.        jar 2 has cherry tomatoes.        before I get more at the store, I'll dehydrate what I already have, so nothing goes to waste.         good snacking.             jar 3 is leek leaves from the roots of some leeks I purchased and planted the roots.  trying to get that little jar filled too.    

 sticking to my motto "something is better than nothing".           do a little at a time and it all adds up.  

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well, as I'm still dreaming of my spring garden, I guess I'll wrap this blog post up.          I hope you seen something here today that is an encouragement to you, or that you have learned something.          maybe you just came away with a couple of new songs to sing to the Lord.        what ever your takeaway is from this blogpost, I hope you'll make plans to join me right back here really soon.

until then, blessings of love, joy and peace be yours today.         hugs, patty     

Merry Christmas from 2011 in 2023

Just wanted to share a picture this morning.            it never gets old sharing it.            I think it's the first time I've shared it on my blog.            it's the last family picture that we had made together.          it's my favorite ever.          this was made in the local Nursing Home up in the area where the rest of my family live.       some of the local churches take turns having church services for the patients and families.    

this particular sunday, the lady whose church was to have service let my family have their time slot so we could all get together and have what turned out to be the last family celebration with everyone present.             that one act of kindness and generosity resulted in this picture.           for that, I/we will forever be grateful to that lady and her church.   

the people at nursing home  had decorated the cafeteria so beautifully and it was just such a special day.             my husband took this picture and I'm thankful for him that he wanted to take the time to do that for us.            it's hard to get a good picture when there are so many of us and so many others taking pictures also, but he did get a good picture for us.   

this picture was taken on Dec. 25th 2011, Daddy went home to be the Lord on Jan. 23rd 2012 and we had his funeral on Jan 25th 2012.          things have changed a lot since then, but what is amazing is the rest of us are still here.        

I'm so amazed at God's blessings on my family.         while there will forever be an empty seat at our table for now, we all are very thankful that the table is still as full as it is.      God is good all the time.    people have said it's a picture that only a Momma could love, and I have to tell you, she sure does love her family. 

we all love her too.  we are blessed and highly favored and we don't take it for granted.     this was good day.           

just to add a little more about this picture.           I've always tried to share Jesus with y'all and be real about it.          I try to remember to tell y'all to pray for the lost too.          my daddy was one of those lost souls up until about 2 months before this picture was taken.         he was building contractor for many years and had built many houses in the local area.          no other contractors could hold a candle to him and his work.        a house he built was a good house!!!!!          he built houses for people that knew he didn't know the Lord.         everyone that knew him prayed for him.           his family prayed for him too. 

a lady that he had built a house for many years ago was at the nursing home visiting family and she stopped in to visit my dad.         as it was relayed to me she asked him if he knew the Lord and he said no.          right then and there she led him to the Lord!!!!!         talking about singing in heaven and joy in heaven over one lost soul, there was that night!!!!!

I'm here to tell you, that's why we NEVER stop praying for the lost.         and we're to always obedient to call that God placed in our lives.          if God puts someone on your heart, pray for them!!!!         it's that simple.          this lady could have left without visiting daddy, but she didn't.        she answered the call on her life in that moment in time and about 3 months later, he went to home to Glory!!!!!!

can you imagine what would have happened if this lady hadn't been faithful to the call to spend time with my daddy?          his funeral, 3 months later, would have been much different than it was.      

as we celebrate Christmas today, the day we traditionally celebrate the birth of Christ, who do you need to take the time to visit with?           if God has put someone on your heart, let today be the day that they really have something to celebrate.          who knows, you may be that person that God has decided to use to lead that person to Christ.      

every day is a new opportunity to share Jesus with others.          I hope and pray that as we continue to celebrate this day, y'all will have a wonderful day and step out in faith, if called on by God.         you may be the broken vessel that God uses to advance His kingdom.

Merry Christmas!!!!!

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!!!          

I pray that if we claim to know You, that our lives reflect You.         if our lives reflect the culture of the day, then it's very doubtful that we actually know You.          more than likely, we're wolves in sheeps clothing seeking whom we may devour.          please, never let that be said of us, if we are truly Yours.          but for the real wolves in sheeps clothing, please Lord, expose them for who they are and give us spiritual eyes and spiritual understanding to see and know them for what and who they are.

spiritual discernment comes only from You.       that's what's lacking in todays culture and society.     we see what we want to see with our human eyes.         if we seek to see the culture and society with spiritual eyes, I can promise you that God's own people would be wiping tears from our eyes 24-7!!!!          I think there is still a remnant that truly sees what going on.

and something else, while I'm at it.         I was raised to not have favorites when it came to grandparents or uncles and aunts or cousins.           that's just how I was raised.          they were all different and all to be loved for who they were.        I never showed partiality towards one grandparent over another.         I loved them all and still do miss them all.        I have wonderful memories of all of them.          more memories of my dad's parents than of my momma's parents.          but I don't think more of one set of grandparents without thinking of the other set.         that's not so today.           I see people posting pics all the time about missing a grandparent.           well, they actually have 2 grandparents that they should be missing.         so, I'm done with this for now.         hahaha

where is the Christmas Spirit in this?          I don't know, but it's all I got this morning.   

just love others as Christ has loved you.            share about what Jesus has done for you every chance you get.         be the hands, feet and mouth of Jesus every chance you get.        try to live like every day is Christmas.           if we can do that, then we can celebrate every day.          and we should celebrate everyday.

my husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas.         I told him last night what I want for Christmas is the breath of life for both of us to enjoy today and every day for as long as God allows.         if we wake up, it's a day to celebrate.         so let's celebrate today.          celebrate Jesus, our Savior and Lord!!

blessings of joy, peace and love be yours today!!!       hugs, patty