I might as well post all of this one--Psalm 34

I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
21 Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Talk about faith and clear purpose...

I just read these verses:

And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. (side note here...yikes!) But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel and the grace of God.

Acts 20:22-24

Paul is saying goodbye to his friends and fellow brothers in Ephesus, even knowing that he would never see them again. He also knows that nasty things are going to happen to them. He commends them to "God and the the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified" (Acts 20:32).

And he goes, knowing that pain awaits, and that his life only worth is to finish testifying to the gospel and the grace of God.

May I have this life's worth as well--constantly testifying to the gospel and grace of God.

I've published my first children's book

Check it out:

http://www.blurb.com/user/fletchers6?profile_preview=true

Cinnamon Rolls

Here is my recipe for yummy cinnamon rolls. I mix the dough around dinnertime the night before, let it rise 2 hours in a warm spot, and form the rolls. Then I cover them with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator until the next morning. That way it only takes 22 minutes to bake, and they're ready.

Dough:
1 c. white flour
3 c. whole wheat flour (I think you could do 4 c. whole wheat--they're a little denser that way)
2 c. warm water
1 1/2 Tbsp. yeast (or 1 package)
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt

That's it! This is also my recipe for dinner rolls--so easy. So I let the dough rise in a warm spot after kneading/mixing until well mixed. When risen, I use a knife to divide the dough in 4--each of these quarter will make 3 rolls. Sometimes if the dough is super sticky, I use a little more flour. I melt 1 stick of butter in one bowl, and put about 1 cup of sugar (sometimes more) with a bunch of cinnamon--enough to make it really dark cinnamony sugar--in a second bowl. Then I take one roll portion (remember, it will make 12) and pull the dough into a long snake, as long as I can. I dip this in the melted butter, put one side and then the other side in the cinnamon sugar bowl to cover, and roll it up. I put it in a greased 9 x 13 glass pan, and then do another...until it's done. You can see the photo to see what it looks like. I sometimes need more butter or cinnamon sugar to finish. Sometimes I have leftovers, so I just pour/sprinkle that over too. My family likes walnuts or pecans, so I press/sprinkle nuts at this point, making sure to push some into each roll. You could do this with raisins, chocolate chips, or anything you want to add too. I cover this with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator.

The next morning, preheat the oven to 375 and bake for about 22 minutes--until golden brown. Enjoy!

Fun Family Photos

Lily finally lost another tooth--it was dangling for the longest time. She woke up one morning and it was stuck to her shoulder! What a cutie.

Hanna is quite the seamstress! She sewed this coat for her doll all by herself. She just walked up to me and said, "I just sewed this!" She LOVES to sew.
A cuddly moment.
Trey was in his Lightning McQueen outfit and then changed to this one. He's working on his "car" here (the box--it's got a lot of gadgets, clothespins, buttons, a birthday blower...).Wonder where he gets this from? My husband informed me today that we've owned 15 cars/trucks/jeeps in our 18 years together! This does not include motorcycles...

My Confession

Sometimes I wake up the next day, and it's all clear to me. It's as if the Lord wipes away the distractions and sets me straight before another day hits.

Yesterday was Carl's 40th birthday. It was fantastic--really great! But here's my confession...I pulled a Martha. In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus hangs with his friends Martha and Mary. Martha welcomes Jesus into her house and is "distracted with much serving." Jesus doesn't support this because he says, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary." What was that? What Mary was doing. She "sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching." Yesterday I skipped that part.

There was so much to do and so little time. I needed to make sure it all got done while Carl wasn't here (that's when I usually have a quiet time of reading the Bible and praying--during nap time). So I plowed ahead and never got the crucial time of quiet stillness at the feet of my Lord. And believe me, it showed.

It may not have been obvious to others, but in my heart I was full of worry and anxiety, and I lacked grace. It makes me feel edgy, unsettled, and my tongue gets sharp. I hope and pray I didn't offend by my attitude, but I did sin against my Father, who reminded me today that "one thing is necessary...the good portion, which will not be taken away." I also hurt myself by not enjoying the joy and peace He offers through His Spirit in me amidst the most busy and chaotic times.

But "today is a new day," as my mother would say, "with new opportunities to serve the Lord with gladness." And today I will sit at his feet first!

In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6