40 days of thankfulness

I have never done the 40 days of thankfulness.  I always watch as my friends on facebook are so faithful to every day update their status with the things they are thankful for.   I have never had enough faith in myself to keep up with it everyday.  So I am going to try and blog my "40 days of thankfulness"  but don't worry my friends, I will not be sending out an update everyday.  I plan to update once a week with my things I am thankful for in pictures.

Day 1

I am thankful for my Bible. 

 

 

Day 2

I am thankful for my husband. 

 

 

Day 3

I am thankful for my family

 

 

 

Day 4

I am thankful for Godly parents who raised me in church

 and taught me how to love others.

 

 

 

Day 5

I am thankful for my sister and brother

who were my first friends in life.

 

 

 

Day 6

I am thankful for my friends. 

Some are far away but I know the distance has only

made our friendship stronger.

 

 

 

Day 7

I am thankful for my apartment.

It may be small but it is home.

{this picture was taken on "move in" day}

 

 

 

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,

and into his courts with praise:

be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalms 100:4

 

 

Rainbow of love. . .

 

When I was in the third grade me moved to Snyder, Texas.  

While we lived there my Daddy and some men in the church made a singing group.  They sang this one song.  Really they were a one hit wonder. 

They had one hit and we all wondered how!! 

The song is Rainbow of Love. 

{To be honest, they didn't really sing the song.  They lip sync the whole thing.}  I was just a child, but I remember how everyone laughed

and went on about how funny they were.  

I always think about that song when I see a rainbow in the sky.

 

 

 

Over the next few weeks I have the chance to teach art to the kids at the school.  I have been looking forward to this for a long time. 

The first lesson we learned the basic of art - color. 

And what better way to teach color than to make a color wheel?? 

But, it's me so it could not be just any color wheel. 

We made Rainbow Flowers!! 

 

 Next week we are making Stain Glass Windows!!

 

PS - I have been singing this song all day!! 

 

And those of you from Snyder. . .

Do you remember when they sang that song??

Warm Cookies and Cold Milk

I love warm cookies and cold milk. 

 

I mean I love all cookies.  

 

Warm

Cold

Soft

Hard

Peanut butter

Sugar

Snicker doodle

Really any cookie makes me happy.  I don't much care for Oatmeal Raisin.  I always feel tricked.  I think it's chocolate and then, BAM, they throw in a raisin.  But don't get me wrong.  I will eat them.  I don't discriminate against any cookie.

With my love of cookies I am always on the hunt for a good cookie recipe.  I found the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe.  So I have named the cookie The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie.  I know, how creative!!  :) I have made it three times and each time I am amazed at how soft the cookies turn out.  It's the secret ingredient that does the trick.  {just knowing that I make something with a secret ingredient makes me want to rub my hands together and laugh like a crazy scientist.  Mwahahahaha!}

So here is the recipe and a few pictures of these amazing cookies.

 

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

Makes 3 dozen cookies

1 cup butter soften
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp hot water
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat over to 350* (175c).  Cream butter and both sugars. 

 

 

 Beat in eggs one at a time.  Then add vanilla.

 

 

SECRET INGREDIENT 

 dissolve baking soda in the hot water!!  Add to the batter with salt.

 

 

Stir in the flour and chocolate chips. 

Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. 

 

 

 Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. 

 

Pour yourself a glass of cold milk and enjoy your

warm Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

 

 

***A very special Thank You goes out to my wonderful assistant Miss Rachal.

She made the cookies while I cleaned house and took the photos!!

 

 

 

I have a confession . . . .

I am a People Pleaser!

I am glad to finally admit it and get that off my chest.

 

I am sure you are thinking, "What's the big deal?"  Well, it is a big deal.  It's hard work.  It's never ending work.  It can sometimes be too much.  Too much for me to handle. 

 

A few things about me . . . .

• I want everyone to be happy.
• I would rather do without something than to see someone upset or unhappy.
• I never, not ever, want to be a problem to anyone. Because of that, I have a hard time letting people do things for me.
• The worst thing that could ever happen to me is to find out I have disappointed someone - especially someone I care about.
• Why?
• I am people pleaser.
• It's who I am.  

Have you ever been to the circus and seen the clown that juggles the bright colored balls.? Then he calls for someone to throw in something else, maybe another ball.  Then finally, someone throws in the chainsaw.  And he just keeps on juggling.  Just keeps all the balls in the air going around so smooth.  Even the chainsaw that could cut his arm off.  That clown is me.  I try to so hard to keep all the balls in the air.  Even when I have been given a chainsaw, I just keep on juggling.  Keep on smiling.  Keep on please'n the people.

I want the world to be a happy place.  A stress-free place.  A place of pink balloons and rainbows.  I place where unicorns feed right outside my bedroom window and the bluebird always sings.  Alas, after 36 years on this earth I am still learning the hard lessons of life . . .

 

 

I can not please all people, all the time.
 

 

This makes me sad.  This makes me feel like I have failed in some way.  I know that at sometime, somewhere, I have let someone down.  I have not done everything I could to keep them happy.  But no matter how bad I feel, how much work this is, I will keep on being a people pleaser.  I will keep on trying to keep everyone happy all the time.  I will read my Bible.  I will pray more and talk to God.  I will be reminded again that this world is not perfect.  Sin is in this world.  Sin makes this world dirty and sometimes hard to live in.  Jesus is the only one who can make everyone happy.  He is the only one who can make things perfect.  So I will lean on Him and trust Him.

He is the Rock, his work is perfect. . .

Deuteronomy 32:4a

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

2 Samuel 22:31

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Isaiah 26:3

17. And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (because He made me) 23. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartly, as to the Lord, and not unto men (I don't need their approval, I have God's), 24.  Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ (not myself and not others or what they think).

Colossians 3:17; 23 & 24

with Cristy's remarks in parentheses

 

 I will always go back to being a people pleaser because that is who I am. 

How about you?  Are you a people pleaser?  Do you try to keep everyone happy or do just let the chips fall where they may?