It's The Great PUMPKIN

Don't tell me.

I don't want to know.

To all you wonderful MOMS out there...

I am privileged to know so many of you!

I hope you felt appreciated, accepted, and

atoned today.

I heard {hands down} the 

B-E-S-T

 Mother's Day sermon

this morning from Rick Atchley.

For those of you who are running a race that you didn't train for, a race you never thought you'd never be running in, but yet it's a race you have found yourself in...

The Story of Ruth

is for you.

Hers' is no ordinary story, as Rick likes to say.

I would encourage you to take a few moments,  click on the link below and listen to his message of hope for the many Moms who have found themselves running a race they never intended.

The Story of Ruth #1

No Ordinary Story

My take away words...

there is nothing that's happened in my life that God cannot make the last chapter sweet.

It's Not About Me...or You.

I heard something last week that brought me back from the desert of non-blogging!

It is rare that I hear a celebrity say something that I think bears repeating much less agree with, but in a Max Lucado book entitled

It's Not About Me,

former NBA star David Robinson penned a poignant foreword.

I would like to share it with you...

"NBA championship teams have something

in common:

they play with one goal in mind. 

Each player contributes his own gifts and efforts so that the greater goal - winning -can be reached.  But players who

seek their own glory at the sacrifice of the team's glory drive the team away from success. 

So it is with life.

The goal is not our own glory. 

In fact trying to make life "all about us"

pushes happiness further out of reach.

Our society is not wired for this kind of thinking.  It's a "me-centric world out there,

which destroys much of what should be good.  Marriages are ruined because one or both partners are focused on their own happiness.  Successful men and women are ruined by their own success, believing they don't need anyone else's input. 

And for some, life's troubles are magnified because they believe life is all about them.

The Bible is full of men and women who struggled with "me-centric" thinking, so

our generation is not alone.  If we would learn from them, we could live in freedom.

We would be able to enjoy our successes without taking the credit, like Kind David.

We could bear up under troubles with confidence in God, like Job.  By letting go of

our own agendas and timetables, as Moses finally did, we would discover that God's

plans are mind-blowing!  In the end, a
"God-centric" lifestyle would free us to live life to the fullest.

May God free us all from "me-centric" living. 

All the glory is His!"

Thanks Mr. Robinson for not being ashamed to proclaim the gospel...
for it is truly, the only thing that sets us free.

Snow-a-palooza 2011

Pre Snowball Fight...

Post Snowball Fight...

Gracyn, on the other hand,

much preferred baking cookies indoors.

A little snow took her a long way!

Give her some butter, chocolate chips, and a mixer and she's good to go...

Looks like we may have more powder to look forward to next week...

I see snowman building, another massive snowball fight and whipping up a batch of snow cream in the near future!

If you are in need of a cookie fix, try these famous chewy chocolate chip creations

via one of Belton Besties

Amanda D :)

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

Cookies

2 1/4 C. All Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Salt

1 C. Real Butter, softened

1/4 C. White Sugar

3/4 C. Brown Sugar, firmly packed

1 small box Instant Vanilla Pudding

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Eggs

1 (12 oz.) pkg. Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 C. Old Fashioned Oats

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, pudding mix and vanilla extract; beat until creamy.  Beat in eggs.

In a small bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt.  Gradually add in flour mixture to wet ingredients, mixing in between additions. 

Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls {or use the medium sized pampered chef cookie scoop like I did} onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies



Farewell to 2010

This was definitely a year of change for us...

As we look forward to making good memories in the new year,

we hope that you will all join us!!!