I was in the grocery store tonight , digging out my ATM card when the young male checker smirked to his co-workers, "We have six more minutes until we are out of here."
At first, I thought he was getting off work in 6 minutes...but then I realized he was talking about the Howard Camping Judgment Day prediction for 6:00 pm tonight--May 21, 2011.
As a born again Christian, I had not given this prediction any consideration, since the Bible clearly states that no man knows the day or hour of Christ's return, not even the angels or Christ, only God himself.
Mark 13:32 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
I believe the Bible is the ordained Word of God. Jesus gave his life for my sin and all of the sin of the world. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I have sinned. And I still sin every day that I am alive. But God forgives me. He is a just and loving God. I have confessed that I am a sinner and accepted Jesus as my personal Savior.
Being "born again" does not mean I am perfect. Hardly. It means that with the forgiveness of Christ, through his death and resurrection and my acknowledgment of my sins and acceptance of Christ in my life, I have been born a new person. A new life with Christ. A second chance.
I recently discovered this video. It impacted me and so simply and clearly depicts the love of a father for his son and the sacrifice that God made--the sacrifice of His only son for us. You and me.
I cannot fathom that kind of sacrifice. I am awed.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."
Everlasting life. Wow.
Have you ever thought of infinity and imagined everlasting life? It is mind blowing. I want to live forever with Jesus. Infinity in Heaven. A never-ending life of peace and happiness. The promise of Heaven.
Life is hard. In so many ways for all of us. We each have our own struggles, temptations and battles.
Being a Christian doesn't make life easier. But I have help. I have Jesus. Jesus is the one who gets me through the days that feel impossible. The days that make me break down and feel as if I can not take one more step. Endure one more rejection. One more failure. He is the one who carries me when I fall down and cannot get back up. He is the one that consoles me when all I want to do is cry. He is the one that forgives me when I screw up again.
His face will be the first one I see when the Rapture does occur and I am taken up to Heaven. No matter the day or hour, I will be Heaven bound. I don't have to worry one day about when. No one needs to predict the day for me. I am ready.
TENNESSEE CALLING ~A WRITER'S JOURNEY~
5.21.2011
5.20.2011
SUYL-- CORONADO GAZPACHO
I am playing along with Kelly at Kelly's Korner for 'Show Us Your Life' this week. The topic this week is Main Dish Recipes.
Since summer is quickly approaching, I wanted to share a favorite summer main dish that we love at our house.
Add some fresh bread or tortilla chips (which is what I serve it with) and you have a delicious summer dinner that is perfect for those hot summer nights that no one wants to cook anything.
For the meat lovers in your family, you can always serve this with some fish or chicken on the grill, too. For me, it's a perfect dinner just as it is.
It's easy, refreshing and healthy! I have tweaked this recipe from the one my cousin sent me. And I want to give credit where credit is due: the original recipe comes from the Houston Junior League Cookbook.
CORONADO GAZPACHO
1/2 cup olive oil (use less if you want to less calories)
1/4 cup lemon juice (feel free to use more if you prefer)
6 cups tomato juice -- This is 1- 46 oz. can, but I use the 64 oz. bottle of Campbell’s Tomato Juice. That way I can make a half recipe if I want to and I will have tomato juice in a plastic container to use for a future recipe.
1/4 cup finely minced red onion -- I use more onion than this
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups finely minced celery
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco (I usually add 5-10 shakes of Tabasco--it is not hot. Use more if you prefer some heat and less if Tabasco scares you!)
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 green peppers, finely chopped
2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
1 avocado, cubed (or more if you love avocado like we do!)
Tortilla chips on the side
Beat olive oil and lemon together.
Stir in tomato juice, onion, tomatoes, celery, green peppers, cucumbers, Tabasco, salt and pepper.
Taste: add more seasoning if desired.
Chill at least 3 hours before serving. The avocados should be served separately as an accompaniment for the soup. I just add everything together in a large pitcher, chill and serve.
Serves 8-10.
Enjoy!
Since summer is quickly approaching, I wanted to share a favorite summer main dish that we love at our house.
Add some fresh bread or tortilla chips (which is what I serve it with) and you have a delicious summer dinner that is perfect for those hot summer nights that no one wants to cook anything.
For the meat lovers in your family, you can always serve this with some fish or chicken on the grill, too. For me, it's a perfect dinner just as it is.
It's easy, refreshing and healthy! I have tweaked this recipe from the one my cousin sent me. And I want to give credit where credit is due: the original recipe comes from the Houston Junior League Cookbook.
CORONADO GAZPACHO
1/2 cup olive oil (use less if you want to less calories)
1/4 cup lemon juice (feel free to use more if you prefer)
6 cups tomato juice -- This is 1- 46 oz. can, but I use the 64 oz. bottle of Campbell’s Tomato Juice. That way I can make a half recipe if I want to and I will have tomato juice in a plastic container to use for a future recipe.
1/4 cup finely minced red onion -- I use more onion than this
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups finely minced celery
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco (I usually add 5-10 shakes of Tabasco--it is not hot. Use more if you prefer some heat and less if Tabasco scares you!)
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 green peppers, finely chopped
2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
1 avocado, cubed (or more if you love avocado like we do!)
Tortilla chips on the side
Beat olive oil and lemon together.
Stir in tomato juice, onion, tomatoes, celery, green peppers, cucumbers, Tabasco, salt and pepper.
Taste: add more seasoning if desired.
Chill at least 3 hours before serving. The avocados should be served separately as an accompaniment for the soup. I just add everything together in a large pitcher, chill and serve.
Serves 8-10.
Enjoy!
5.19.2011
ZOO AND QUILTS
I didn't want you all to think I'd forgotten about you all. We've had a busy week and I have been immersed in grand baby heaven--a wonderful place to be, by the way.
We have been grilling out, entertaining, going to the zoo, taking walks, watching Disney movies, and I have been staying up very late chatting with my dear daughter while my SIL and hubby got their PlayStation gaming fixes.
Here are a few photos from our day at the zoo that Heather took (Thanks Heather!):
Pepaw, Memaw and Grace
We have been grilling out, entertaining, going to the zoo, taking walks, watching Disney movies, and I have been staying up very late chatting with my dear daughter while my SIL and hubby got their PlayStation gaming fixes.
Here are a few photos from our day at the zoo that Heather took (Thanks Heather!):
Pepaw, Memaw and Grace
Grace and Aaron
Pepaw and Grace
Uncle Cameron, Heather and Grace...isn't this the cutest photo?
Here are some photos of the quilts that my parents made and bought for the Grace and Aaron. The lion quilt was originally begun by my mom and grandmother for my youngest (T) but it was never finished. My dad found it in their garage in a bag and located a local quilting shop that would finish it for them and they gave it to Aaron. I think it is so adorable!
Of course, Miss Grace can't be left out! Mom found a quilt online through EBay for her and the soft bunny Pillow Pet makes it perfect for snuggling under while Grace watches her favorite Disney movies. Isn't it precious?
I have photos on my camera to upload and share, too. I have just been too busy with work and then too tired at night. I hope to get them into a post by the end of the weekend.
In the meantime, have a great day everyone!
5.14.2011
WHAT'S UP
Okay, here's the deal. I know I've been MIA. I've been thinking about blogging, but my blogging time seems to have been nonexistent lately.
I decided to write a quick Invisalign update. I went to my orthodontist appointment yesterday to get 6 "attachments" on my teeth. Attachments are tiny tooth colored blobs that are cemented to the teeth that need additional help in moving with Invisalign trays.
I have 4 on the top (1 on each of my canines and the next tooth back, which are the bicuspids) and I have 2 on each of my lower canines.
Having the attachments applied was painless, but these rough little buggers are taking some getting used to. My trays now fit VERY snug, but I can get them out much easier than I thought I would be able to.
I am grateful for my short acrylic nails which enable me to pry my trays off without breaking a nail. I would think that if one did not have acrylics or very strong nails you would have to purchase that special tool (which looks like a crochet hook) to help get the trays off once you get the attachments.
When my trays are off (when I am eating a meal or drinking my morning coffee), the attachments feel like tiny rough pebbles rubbing against the inside of the front of my mouth. And after I eat, it feels like I still have food all over the front of those teeth.
It has only been 24 hours since they were applied, so I know that I'm early into the adjustment period, but I wanted to journal my experience from the get-go.
Despite this new discomfort (which I expect to be temporary), I am still super happy with my choice to go with Invisalign. I did a lot of reading before I decided to go the Invisalign route and honestly, I have not experienced a lot of the aggravations reported and that I expected to experience.
No headache or pain when wearing a new tray for the first day. Yesterday, they were tight, and my canines felt sore last night when I took them off for dinner. But this morning when I took them off after waking up this morning, no pain.
They have been easy to take off and snap on.
My speech adjustment was pretty quick -- within the first full week.
That wraps up this episode of my Invisalign update.
I am excited. Why? Because later this afternoon, our daughter and son-in-law, A and K and our two adorable grandbabies, Grace and Aaron will be pulling into our driveway for a visit.
We haven't seen our sweeties since early December when little Aaron was only 6 weeks old (he is now 7 months old). Grace is already almost 2-1/2.
We are planning a family BBQ on Sunday afternoon and a trip to the San Diego Zoo on Monday. FUN!
I have a busy morning before they arrive--clean house, run some laundry and bake a loaf of banana bread.
Hope you all have a good weekend!
I decided to write a quick Invisalign update. I went to my orthodontist appointment yesterday to get 6 "attachments" on my teeth. Attachments are tiny tooth colored blobs that are cemented to the teeth that need additional help in moving with Invisalign trays.
I have 4 on the top (1 on each of my canines and the next tooth back, which are the bicuspids) and I have 2 on each of my lower canines.
Having the attachments applied was painless, but these rough little buggers are taking some getting used to. My trays now fit VERY snug, but I can get them out much easier than I thought I would be able to.
I am grateful for my short acrylic nails which enable me to pry my trays off without breaking a nail. I would think that if one did not have acrylics or very strong nails you would have to purchase that special tool (which looks like a crochet hook) to help get the trays off once you get the attachments.
When my trays are off (when I am eating a meal or drinking my morning coffee), the attachments feel like tiny rough pebbles rubbing against the inside of the front of my mouth. And after I eat, it feels like I still have food all over the front of those teeth.
It has only been 24 hours since they were applied, so I know that I'm early into the adjustment period, but I wanted to journal my experience from the get-go.
Despite this new discomfort (which I expect to be temporary), I am still super happy with my choice to go with Invisalign. I did a lot of reading before I decided to go the Invisalign route and honestly, I have not experienced a lot of the aggravations reported and that I expected to experience.
No headache or pain when wearing a new tray for the first day. Yesterday, they were tight, and my canines felt sore last night when I took them off for dinner. But this morning when I took them off after waking up this morning, no pain.
They have been easy to take off and snap on.
My speech adjustment was pretty quick -- within the first full week.
That wraps up this episode of my Invisalign update.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am excited. Why? Because later this afternoon, our daughter and son-in-law, A and K and our two adorable grandbabies, Grace and Aaron will be pulling into our driveway for a visit.
We haven't seen our sweeties since early December when little Aaron was only 6 weeks old (he is now 7 months old). Grace is already almost 2-1/2.
We are planning a family BBQ on Sunday afternoon and a trip to the San Diego Zoo on Monday. FUN!
I have a busy morning before they arrive--clean house, run some laundry and bake a loaf of banana bread.
Hope you all have a good weekend!
5.05.2011
LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL
We're back home.
Tanned, relaxed and our live country music fix satisfied. We had such a great weekend in the desert. We spent a lot more time by the pool this year...they have music piped in poolside (and played country over the weekend we were there since most of the hotel guests were there for Stagecoach).
Here are a few pics of our weekend:
Look at this crowd! I think there were more people there this year than last year!
We sat near one of the many walkways they left open for people to make their way up and down the concert area.
After getting back into our work and running laundry, grocery shopping, we are gearing up for a fun weekend here at home with friends and family. On Saturday, we are taking our friends to Temecula to the winery for some wine tasting and then we are coming back home for a Mexican fiesta: carnitas, homemade refried beans, spanish rice, guacamole and some ice cold margaritas.
On Sunday, we are hosting a family BBQ to celebrate Mother's Day. We're keeping it easy with beans in the crockpot, some potato salad and hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill!
Tanned, relaxed and our live country music fix satisfied. We had such a great weekend in the desert. We spent a lot more time by the pool this year...they have music piped in poolside (and played country over the weekend we were there since most of the hotel guests were there for Stagecoach).
Here are a few pics of our weekend:
I'm a little bit country....
Enjoying my pool time and sunshine.
After getting back into our work and running laundry, grocery shopping, we are gearing up for a fun weekend here at home with friends and family. On Saturday, we are taking our friends to Temecula to the winery for some wine tasting and then we are coming back home for a Mexican fiesta: carnitas, homemade refried beans, spanish rice, guacamole and some ice cold margaritas.
On Sunday, we are hosting a family BBQ to celebrate Mother's Day. We're keeping it easy with beans in the crockpot, some potato salad and hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill!
We've had such wonderful warm (and hot) weather the past two weeks and its been so nice to be outside on our patio....today it was 90 degrees (hot!), but it's supposed to cool off a bit and the temperature is predicted be 70 this weekend. Perfect weather.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)