For Sunday, January 31st, 2010

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

JANUARY 31^ST, 2010

It's SUNDAY!

Today we’ll be a bit warmer they say and the coming week has promise of that too. A low of about 9 degrees last night has left me longing for warmer days for sure.

It will be the usual Sunday around my house, just finishing up a few things for the work week ahead and mostly relaxing after I go to church a bit later on this morning.

I hope that whatever your plans for the day may be that they include some of that good R&R too.

THINKING

There are just two more Sundays before Lent begins

Lent can be viewed as a spiritual spring cleaning: a time for taking spiritual inventory and then cleaning out those things which hinder our corporate and personal relationships with Jesus Christ and our service to him

We can continue to smile each week and look for the promise of spring in the weeks ahead. It seems that the season of Lent and the celebration of Easter fall at the perfect time of year in the Northern Hemisphere. Easter and spring arrive together. The church asks us to imitate nature and make sure that we are giving birth to new life at Easter. No matter how old we are, there is still new life in all of us.

NEW IN THE KITCHEN

SPRING POTATO SALAD

New red potatoes, green onions, celery, frozen peas, and cheddar cheese in a mayonnaise, white vinegar, salt and pepper dressing. Spring potato salad makes a great side dish to pork and poultry entrees.

2 pounds New Red Potatoes, washed, unpeeled
1/4 cup chopped Green Onions
1 stalk Celery, bias cut
1 1/2 cups Frozen Peas
1/2 cup grated Cheddar Cheese
2/3 cup Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon White Vinegar
Salt and Pepper

1. Cut the potatoes into chunks and add to a large stockpot.

2. Add enough water to cover potatoes.

3. Add a pinch of salt.

4. Cook until potatoes are tender.

5. Remove potatoes from water and allow cooling.

6. Add potatoes to a large serving bowl.

7. Fold in green onions, celery, frozen peas, and cheese.

8. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and vinegar. Mix well.

9. Pour dressing over vegetables.

10. Season potato salad with salt and pepper.

11. Refrigerate potato salad overnight.

PRAYERS

All-powerful and ever-living God, direct your love that is, within us, that our efforts in the name of your Son may bring mankind to unity and peace.

Amen

Please pray for God's protection of

our troops and HIS wisdom for their

commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in

your loving hands.

Protect them as they protect us.

Bless them and their families for the

selfless acts they perform for us

in our time of need. I ask this in the

name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

GOD BLESS YOU!

AROUND HOME

I’ve found that for table decorations, simply arrange several different shapes, sizes, and colors of glasses and fill them with new candles

. Votives and tea candles are very inexpensive, so you can create an incredibly simple centerpiece or tablescape for mere pennies.

I’ve been reading more and more about tablescapes. I’d never heard of them before and am enjoying putting a few together here at my house.

Tablescapes are arrangements of items gathered in a grouping on top of a table. They're sometimes called tabletop arrangements. I guess I’ve really been doing that for years, just under a different name.

The tablescape options for spring entertaining are endless. The colors of spring all fall within the pastel family. This is a reflection of what is happening in nature

Use a white or ivory tablecloth

Use light green as the main color in the tablescape, against white and clear dishes to allow the color to pop

Fill glasses with solid green napkins

Choose bright spring colors in your floral centerpiece, such as pink, purple, yellow, and orange. Use a colorful spring pot instead of a vase to hold the bouquet

FAMILY

The Family that Prays Together, Stays Together

If we pray with each other we stay together because there is harmony happening. God is being glorified and recognized. Not only is there a bonding time but a Spiritual wrapper around us as well.

COUNTING THE DAYS

We count our days to make every day count

So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart

Psalm 90:12

Try waking by counting your blessings, beginning with the fact that you find yourself in a new day. Try ending your day the same way. See how many blessings you can number in your day. Be blessed!

47 DAYS UNTIL SPRING !

75 DAYS UNTIL CAMPING SEASON BEGINS

60 DAYS UNTIL MA RETIRES

Keep looking ON THE BRIGHT SIDE of things.

A little smile, a word of cheer,
A bit of love from someone near…

Love,

ma

For Saturday, January 30th, 2010

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ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

JANUARY 30^th, 2010

It's SATURDAY!

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DDIL#1’S Mom today!

May the dear Lord Bless You today and always!

Not only is she my DIL’s mom, she is also a good friend too! It is a special birthday and I wish her a very Happy Day!

On my way to work Friday morning I was greeted by the biggest fullest moon I think I’ve ever seen. It could have been competition for the Harvest Moon for sure. It was low in the northwest which is the way to work and I’d have missed it if I’d not had to go to work so there is one good thing I can say about my job.

This full moon is the biggest and brightest full moon of the year. It offers anyone with clear skies an opportunity to identify easy-to-see features on the moon.

This being the first full moon of 2010, it is also known as the wolf moon, a moniker dating back to Native American culture and the notion that hungry wolves howled at the full moon on cold winter nights

In each orbit, the moon reaches this closest point to us, called perigee. Once or twice a year, perigee coincides with a full moon, as it was last night, making the moon bigger and brighter than any other full moons during the year

Of course with the full moon also came clear skies and our 7 degrees yesterday morning was below 0 with the wind chill. BrrrChill.

THINKING

Take a moment in quiet meditation to consider what truly fulfills you.

No matter what we want to accomplish, we never go through it alone. The spirit of God goes with us.

Regardless of what is required mentally, physically or spiritually, we can accomplish it. We can because God is our constant companion and guide

May he grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill all your plans

Psalm 20:4

NEW IN THE KITCHEN

Potato Corn Chowder

This sounds like a good thing to have on a cold winter day

4 slices Bacon, chopped

1 can (14 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

1-1/4 lb. baking potatoes (about 3), peeled, cubed

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed, drained

2 stalks celery, sliced

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing

2 Tbsp. flour

2 cups milk

COOK bacon in large saucepan until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings from pan.

ADD broth and vegetables to saucepan. Bring to boil; simmer on low heat 15 min. or until potatoes are tender.

MIX dressing and flour in medium bowl. Stir in milk. Add to potato mixture; cook 3 to 5 min. or until heated through, stirring constantly

Sprinkle individual servings with additional bacon and parsley

PRAYERS

Thank you, God, for the gift of each new day and for friends who remind us of your grace

Amen

Please pray for God's protection of

our troops and HIS wisdom for their

commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in

your loving hands.

Protect them as they protect us.

Bless them and their families for the

selfless acts they perform for us

in our time of need. I ask this in the

name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

AMEN

AROUND HOME

For fast acting relief; try slowing down.

Lily Tomlin

Thankfully the weekend has come and I’m going to enjoy every moment of it doing what needs to be done here at home and staying comfy and cozy in my warm house.

I know I’ll have to go out tomorrow for church, but hopefully it’ll be warmer then. I’m also stopping by a friends afterward to loan her the book we’re to be reading for February’s Book Club. I’ve read it and it was a little pricey so I told her she could read my book. The book is Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith. It was very good and I’d recommend it for sure. I’ll enjoy the discussion about this book.

Have a great Saturday everyone!

FAMILY

OBSERVATIONS ON GROWING OLDER

Going out is good. Coming home is better!

When people say you look Great.... they add for your age!

You forget names... but it's OK because other people forgot they even knew you!!!

The 5 pounds you wanted to lose is now 15 and you have a better chance of losing your keys than the 15 pounds.

The things you cared to do, you don't care to do, but you care that you don't care to do them anymore.

You used to say, I hope my kids GET married... Now, I hope they STAY married!

You miss the days when everything worked with just an ON and OFF switch. When GOOGLE, ipod, email, modem... were unheard of and a mouse was something that made you climb on a table.

You use more 4 letter words... what?... when???

You read 100 pages into a book before you realize you've read it.

What used to be freckles are now liver spots.

Everybody whispers.

You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet .... 2 of which you will never wear.

But old is good in some things:

old songs
old movies
And best of all
OLD FRIENDS!!

Author Unknown

COUNTING THE DAYS

A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun.

Enjoy the trip

Author Unknown

48 DAYS UNTIL SPRING !

76 DAYS UNTIL CAMPING SEASON BEGINS

61 DAYS UNTIL MA RETIRES!

Keep looking ON THE BRIGHT SIDE of things.

A little smile, a word of cheer,
A bit of love from someone near…

Love,

ma