For Thursday, October 21st, 2010

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

OCTOBER 21st, 2010

If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side

It's THURSDAY!

It's Pumpkin Time

Both Halloween and Thanksgiving are associated with that great vegetable - the pumpkin. It is hard to imagine Halloween without a jack-o-lantern and Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie

The pumpkin is probably the most fun and most delicious vegetable around. It is a great fall vegetable. It has 80 calories a cup, low in sodium and potassium, it can provide 350% of the required daily allowance of vitamin A. All this with just a trace of fat.

THINKING

Being a Christian is just like a pumpkin!

First, God picks you from the pumpkin patch and brings you in from the field. The Bible says He selects us out of the world. We are in the world, but no longer of the world.

He then washes all the dirt off the outside that we received from being around all the other pumpkins. All the outside influences of our former life must be cleaned up. Old things are passed away and all things are become new.

Then, He carefully removes all the yucky stuff called sin out from the inside. Look at this! Yuk! Sin will not have such internal power. He then changes us from the inside out by the Power of His Word. That’s why it is important to go the church and learn about God’s Word.

He carefully removes all those seeds of doubt, hate, greed, and fear. He replaces them with the seeds of faith, hope and love. After Jesus is invited inside, you begin to experience the changing power of God’s love in your life.

Then He carves a new smiling face. Our countenance is changed by the power of His presence in our life. We then become so grateful. It can even show on our face!

Now we are going to light this candle inside. Look! This pumpkin now reflects the light from inside out. So too, when Jesus, who is called the Son of Light, lives inside of us, He shines through our life for all to see. We can let His light reflect through us to reveal His presence.

Let your light so shine before men that they may be able to see your good works and glorify your Father, who is in heaven.

So you see, we Christians are really like this pumpkin! We will

never be the same with Jesus inside of us. We can say like this jack-o-lantern, Thy presence, my light!

NEW IN THE KITCHEN

It's National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day

Just in time for Halloween!

Cake ingredients:

2 Sticks(One cup)Butter

3 Eggs

2 1/2 cups Flour

1 cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 cup Pumpkin(canned or fresh pureed)

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1 teaspoon Vanilla

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/3 teaspoon Salt

Filling Ingredients:

8 ounces Cream Cheese

1/3 cup Granulated Sugar

1 Egg

1/4 cup Canned Pumpkin

1 tablespoon Corn Starch

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Filling Preparation:

In a mixing bowl, beat ingredients until very smooth.

Set aside and prepare cake batter.

Pour into glass dish on top of batter as described in cake instructions below.

For Cake:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and beat well.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

Mix in pumpkin and sour cream. Blend thoroughly until smooth.

Pour 1/2 of batter into a buttered 13x9 inch glass baking dish.

Add the filling mix, spreading the batter evenly in the dish.

Add remaining batter and lightly swirl into filling.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes.

Allow to cool.

Cut into twelve servings

Add Whipped cream on top when serving

PRAYERS

A little prayer to say as you carve your pumpkin this year.

cut off top of pumpkin

Lord, open my mind so I can learn new things about you.

remove innards

Remove the things in my life that don’t please you.
Forgive the wrong things I do and help me to forgive others.

cut open eyes

Open my eyes to see the beauty you’ve made in the world around me.

cut out nose

I’m sorry for the times I’ve turned my nose at the good food you provide.

cut out mouth

Let everything I say please You.

light the candle

Lord, help me show your light to others through the things I do.

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.

AND bless our Police Officers, Firefighters

and Paramedics and EMT's

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

AROUND HOME

I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than to be crowded on a velvet cushion

Henry David Thoreau

My idea of fun is not usually associated with entertainment and recreation. It is more about squeezing as much enjoyment into every day as I can. Instead of looking for something fun to do, I try to make whatever I do a little more fun. And if I can't always do things I enjoy, I can learn to enjoy more of the things I do.

COUNTING THE DAYS

Over the river, and through the wood-
now Grandmothers cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

Lydia Marie Child

61 DAYS UNTIL WINTER!

65 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS

176 DAYS UNTIL CAMPING SEASON BEGINS

Keep looking ON THE BRIGHT SIDE of things.

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

Love,

ma