Magic Begins To Happen

For some time now, I have put my own will above God's. How easy one forgets! I know well what it is like to try to fix everything yourself. I learned a long time ago that there comes a time when it becomes too much and realization begins to set in. There comes a time when you just have to say, "God, I have made a mess of everything! I can't do it, I can't fix it. I'm giving it all to You. I am not asking for anything, for You already know what I need. I am giving to You the fear that grips me, the worries that come in the night, for I know You will give me in exchange a peace that surpasses all understanding, a joy beyond comprehension."

I seemed to have forgotten a lesson ingrained in me since childhood. When we turn our anxieties over to God, they begin to be smaller and smaller until they disappear altogether or maybe it's because He is so much bigger than they are. When God's will is above our own and we believe with our hearts and minds, we see magical things begin to happen.

This was brought about by Debye, my oldest daughter, when I expressed a great fear that I had tried to deal with privately. Of course, someone close can tell when something is bothering you. It shows in your behavior, on your face, the way you move. She knows me well, sometimes I think maybe better than I know myself. Anyway, bless her sweet little heart, she has just gone home and left this: "Mom, I thought you would like to read this."


Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things (Philippians 4:6-8 NKJV).

Be sweet.

Awards - Treasured Gifts From Friends

That sweet little Momma Young has awarded me the Passionate Blogger Award.
Recipients are to write about five things unrelated to blogging and nominate five others।

Glynis at Gunibee Scraps

Anish at Actuate Life

Patty at Two Greyhound Town

Sara at The Breathing Post

JT at The Frugal Housewife

The five things I am most passionate about include: my family, scrapbooking, cooking, friendships, and learning new things.

I also received The Nobless Oblige Award form Melissa at Real Parenting 4 Real Kids। Thank you , Sweetie। This my second of these, so I will pass this one to Lilly OF Lilly's Life - please look at Melissa's post for info.

Be sweet guys

Things I Don't Tell Most People

What do you know!? Sara has tagged me with the Weirdest Tag! People who are tagged with this should write a post of 6 weird things about them as well as state this rule clearly. You also should choose 6 others to be tagged and list them in your post. Leave a "you are tagged" comment on their blog to let them know and ask them to read yours. I told Sara there are so many weird things about me it will be difficult to choose just six, but here goes

1. I absolutely love a meal of just steamed, unseasoned broccoli and sweet potatoes.

2. I have been told I am the only person who says the word "sweet" with two syllables.

3. Abigail says I am her old, old, old grandma.

4. I believed till I was in the 7th grade that the doctor brought one of my brothers in an apple box and the other in a suitcase.

5. When I first pick up a magazine, I start at the back cover and look through it backwards.

6. When I look into a mirror, my first thought is "who in the heck is that old lady?"

There was nothing hard about that. I could have easily come up with more, but I must tag others with this Weirdest Tag. I choose:

Melissa at Real Parenting 4 Real Kids


Loribeth at Artistic Romance

Momma Young at Momma Young's @ Home

Lilly at Lilly's Life

Loree at Stories and Scribbles

June at Cen's Loft

That's all, folks. Oh, just this one last thought:

Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true. -
- Leon Suyenes

Magic in the Mind of a Child

I am lucky enough to have, not just one, but two brothers.  I am the oldest and they never let me forget it!  My brother, Earl, is 16 months younger than me and Mert is 6 years younger, so Earl and I still call him our baby brother.  I have such wonderful memories of growing up with those two I could fill a large volume!  Earl and I used to tie towels around our necks and try to fly.  We really got in trouble for climbing on top of the chicken house and "flying" off.  I remember how I would try to hypnotize my brother by slowly swaying an object in front of him and how he would stare straight at it and act as if he really was in a trance.  I was so proud!  Here I was an accomplished hypnotist at the age of 7!  

We firmly believed in the existence of fairies.  Nothing could convince us fairies were make believe. We had even seen pictures of them and knew for a fact they lived under toadstools and only came out at night.  Many hours were spent on our front porch and on our knees in the yard looking and waiting for the fairies to come out, dancing in rings around our yard.  We searched under every toadstool, confident that the tiny creatures would be under the very next one!  I could hardly wait to hold one gently in my hand.  Relentlessly we searched every nook and cranny of our yard, determined to find those magical little people with wings.  I honestly don't remember how old I was when I realized fairies lived only in the minds of little children who listened in awe, as the tales were read to them.  

I believe there is a moral here, for there are people who spend a lifetime looking for something that they will never find,  for what they search for is not found on the outside, but in our own hearts and minds.

Be sweet

Skidboot's Story

This video is about the special bond between man and his best friend. Skidboot is not only a best friend, but a helper with the intelligence to be taught tricks faster than his owner could think them up! David, the dog's owner took no credit for teaching anything, but gave all credit to his beloved Skidboot. They were on Oprah and other TV programs. At the time of this video, the dog was going blind. Please watch all the way to the end. It is an amazing story, one I will remember for a long time.







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Valentine,s on a Dime Free ebook

I'm back, guys. I found this great ebook for you to download free, so had to post the information. This is 32 pages, with wonderful valentine recipes and all kinds of good tips to have an exquisite Valentine's Day while staying within your budget. I hope you look over it---really good advice here.
You may download the book here.

Grounds In Grandpa's Coffee

How well I remember the visits to grandma's house when I was a little girl. Luckily I had both sets of grandparents and loved them equally. They actually carried on a conversation with me! None of that baby talk I heard from others, or the cooing and "oh, isn't she just too sweet." My grandmas and I had secrets no one else even suspected. They would let me gather eggs by myself and feed the chickens. All Grandma did was stand in the back door, screen held open, and smile. I felt almost as big as my older cousins, as I scattered the feed around the chicken yard!
I watched both of my grandmas as they prepared red eye gravy for Grandpa's breakfast. Each grandpa would swish a big fluffy homemade biscuit around to gather up the last bit of what was left on his plate. Grandpa always sat at the head of the table, ate out of the same plate and drank his morning coffee out of the same giant mug. Coffee grounds swimming on the top were downed with the rest of the coffee. He always told me "It isn't real coffee unless it has grounds in it."
To this day, I occasionally put water and coffee in a pot to boil, then let most of the grounds settle and pour off the dark liquid to relive those days when I drank coffee at my grandparents. My mom and dad said I was too young to drink coffee, but not Grandma and Grandpa! I knew my mom had been fed a spoonful of coffee at just a few days of age.
For some reason, I always felt so important when I was there. I always got the corner biscuits, which I loved because they had two crunchy sides. Sometimes, at home my brothers got them first so it was a real treat for me. The only time that was not totally pleasant was the time it took to go to sleep after grandma and I were in our gowns and in bed for the night. It would have been okay even then, but I became so stiff from trying not to move, I could hardly stand it. I thought I had to be just like Gran and I swear when she laid down in bed, she never moved!! I wanted to be just like her so I laid as still as I could for as long as I could till I thought I would surely die if I didn't move just a little! In my own bed at home I tossed, turned, changed positions every 3 minutes till I wore myself out and went to sleep. I had to make Grandma proud and if she didn't move, I wasn't moving. My little mind whirled with these thoughts till without realizing it, I fell asleep!
Most grandparents have that knack for making little ones feel so very special, because it so happens they are very special, especially through the eyes of their grandparents.

Recipe Cards to Download and Print

This is my first time to try this, so I hope it will work. I have 6 recipe cards I made for you to download. I have done it one at a time before, but never more than that, so I have these in a folder that you will have to unzip after being downloaded. They are great printed on cardstock or the new Avery Postcards that you can get anywhere now. Avery also has free software to print them off on their product. If you use plain white cardstock, you should be able to print 3 on a page ( at 4 x 6 size). If you use the Avery, I believe there are three on a page.
Download right here.

Wit and Humor of Abe Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln has many an anecdote attributed to him. He reportedly once said, "They say I tell a great many stories; I reckon I do, but I have found in the course of a long experience that common people, take them as they run, are more easily informed through the medium of a broad illustration than in any other way and as to what the hypercritical few think, I don't care."

I believe his wit and humor placed him in the hearts of so many as much or more than his practical side. It is said he was so full of fun, it was not possible to keep it all in. I love reading and learning everything about him as he was such an extraordinary man. The following is a yarn of his I am sure you have read or heard. However, it is so good I feel it is worth reading again.

As he told it, Mr. Lincoln was surprised one day when a large, fierce looking man drew a gun and held the weapon almost in his face. Under these circumstances, "Abe" knew that talking or arguing with the man would be useless.
"What seems to be the matter?" asked Mr Lincoln with every bit of calmness he possessed.
"Well," replied the stranger, who did not appear at all excited, "some years ago I swore an oath that if I ever came across an uglier man than myself, I'd shoot him on the spot."
A feeling of relief came over "Abe", as the expression upon his countenance lost any suggestion of anxiety.
"Shoot me," he said to the stranger; " for if I am an uglier man than you I don't want to live."

Yes, "Abe" Lincoln was recognized as the champion story teller of the Capitol! Nothing could arise that stumped him. He always had a story that would furnish the proper illustration.
You be sweet now.

More of The Crew

This is Brandon, Caitlyn and Michael, more of my grandchildren. These three belong to my son, Mike and his wife, Lisa. I guess as long as they let them think they are the bosses, everything works out just right! Be sweet.