Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for…

115. lunch invitations
116. dishwashers
117. homemade muffins
118. lilacs
119. bumblebees
120. netflix
121. peanut butter

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! 

Take Care

Book review ~ Secrets of a Charmed Life

In her latest historical novel, Secrets of a Charmed Life, author Susan Meissner recounts events that transpired in London during World War II, when half a million children were evacuated from the city into foster homes in the countryside.
Half a million. 
Evacuated.
On their own. Without their parents.
Can you even imagine?

From the back cover:
Current day, Oxford, England. Young American scholar Kendra Van Zant, eager to pursue her vision of a perfect life, interviews Isabel McFarland just when the elderly woman is ready to give up secrets about the war that she has kept for decades...beginning with who she really is. What Kendra receives from Isabel is both a gift and a burden--one that will test her convictions and her heart.

1940s, England. As Hitler wages an unprecedented war against London’s civilian population, hundreds of thousands of children are evacuated to foster homes in the rural countryside. But even as fifteen-year-old Emmy Downtree and her much younger sister Julia find refuge in a charming Cotswold cottage, Emmy’s burning ambition to return to the city and apprentice with a fashion designer pits her against Julia’s profound need for her sister’s presence. Acting at cross purposes just as the Luftwaffe rains down its terrible destruction, the sisters are cruelly separated, and their lives are transformed…

The story begins as we meet Kendra Van Zant, at the beginning of her interview with a reclusive survivor of World War II. 93-year-old Isabel MacFarland has a secret and is ready to tell her story about her life during and after the war. The novel takes place in Present day, Oxford, England and 1942, England.

Isabel tells about two sisters, fifteen-year-old Emmy Downtree and her younger sister, Julia. Who live with their single mother in the city of London on the brink of the second World War.  One day, unthinkable news arrives. All of the children of London are to be evacuated to temporary foster homes in the countryside until the war is over. Emmy protests, but has no choice. She has to go, if not for her own protection, at least to make sure her sister Julia is in good hands. The sisters are taken in by an elderly woman who owns a delightful cottage in a village called Stow-on-the-Wold. They are welcomed into her home, which she has affectionately named Thistle House. Though they are well cared for, Emmy is not happy about her lot in life. With her stubborn and independent personality, Emmy decides to take things into her own hands. One night she leaves Thistle House in the middle of the night, and sneaks back to the city in the early morning hours, without permission. Things don’t go as planned and something devastating happens.

The story is anything but simple. Before the famous Blitz, almost one million children were evacuated to the country in England, into homes of people they do not know. With tags around their necks and belongings, they leave their homes, and journey by train.

I have three kids.
I couldn’t imagine putting them on a train and sending them away.
On purpose.

Secrets of a Charmed Life was such an enjoyable read. Not only were the characters well developed and the historical setting fascinating, but the storyline is filled with unexpected plot twists that will keep you turning pages. As with the other books I’ve read by Susan Meissner, I highly recommend this new novel.

Take Care

Isaiah 40: 29 - 31

The Scripture for today, in my Jesus Calling devotional by Sarah Young, was this:

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:29-31{New International Version {NIV}}

It was exactly what I needed to read today. It kind of astonishes me when that happens. You see, it's been a rough couple of weeks for me.  I had been feeling weary and very weak.  And when I read this, I am encouraged.  He gives me exactly what I need for each day.

Don't you just love it when the timing of a devotional speaks directly to you!

Take Care

Eight Weeks

Making a list and checking it twice doesn’t just happen at Christmas.

Ask any women who has decided it’s time to de-clutter her house before the move, and she’ll tell you she’s doing just that.

And more, so much more.

Eight weeks from today we move into our new house. EEEK!

Eight weeks!  The truth about that sends me into a tailspin. Seriously.

Trying to prepare myself for this reality has been useless. It’s not like I’ve had my head hidden in the sand, or that I’ve not known this day would come.  It’s just been hard thinking about getting rid of some the things that have made this home…home.

How does one pack up a house of almost thirty years of stuff and memories in just eight weeks? Deciding what to donate, what to throw away, what to keep.  Such priceless memories penetrate my mind as I recall those special days, which seem so incredibly long ago, but yet, not.

Where has the time gone?

I know I'm not the first women to pack up her house.  There are many other women who have gone before me through this time of emotion and rush.   These last weeks will zip by quicker than I realize; likely making these the most busiest eight weeks of my life.

However, I want to soak in every precious minute, every small detail. I want to cherish the moment I’m in, and not be overwhelmed with the process. I want to focus on what’s important, and not on the trivial. Through it all, may I continue to see all that God has blessed me with and watch in awe of what God is doing in this amazing season I find myself in through this move.

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for…

108. sangria 
109. chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles
110. bbq’d dinners
111. farmers
112. waffles
113. campfires
114. front porch sitting

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! 

Take Care

tasty tuesday

How great would it be eat a chocolate chip cookie when it's the size of a cake? This cookie is soft and rich in the center and extra chewy on the edges. Decorate with frosting, slice, and serve.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

{photo credit & website}

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 
1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar 
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk* 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (careful not to overmeasure) 
2 teaspoons cornstarch (aka cornflour) 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 and 1/2 cup (225g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Milk Chocolate Frosting
1 and 3/4 cups (210g) confectioners' sugar 
1/4 cup (32g) unsweetened cocoa powder 
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 
2 Tablespoons (30ml) heavy cream or half-and-half* 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
salt, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9-inch pie dish or cake pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fittedwith paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and beat on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Mix in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick. Add 1 and 1/4 cups chocolate chips and mix for about 5 seconds until evenly disbursed.
Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden brown (could be up to 30 minutes, depending on your oven). You may want to cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil after 15 minutes to avoid heavy browning around the edges. Remove from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, use a sharp knife or metal spatula to loosen the sides of the cookie cake from the pan and transfer to a serving dish. (Or use can serve directly from the pan.)
For the chocolate frosting: sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder to assure there are no lumps. Set aside. With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy - about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sifted sugar/cocoa powder alternately with the heavy cream and vanilla. Beat on low speed after each addition. Once all added, beat on high speed until creamy and combined for at least 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. 
Decorate the cooled cookie cake with frosting and remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips. 
Yield: one 9-inch cake.
Enjoy!

Take Care

Hello Monday...we meet again

It’s Monday!

We start the day, arguing over the chores that didn’t get done on the weekend. 
We get busy on our to-do list that we forget our to-be list. 
We stayed up too late watching the DVD’s because they’re due back at the Library.
We say goodbye to our morning walk.
We forget that it’s recycling day.
We get sidetracked to reading our devotions.
There’s dishes on the counter and the laundry has piled up.
Groceries need to be bought because there’s nothing for lunch.
It’s not even noon, and all I really want to do is take a nap. 

Maybe you’re in a rough season like I am? One where Mondays get the best of you Every. Single. Week.

Most of the time the house isn’t perfectly organized or even cleaned. The kitchen counter is often covered with dishes and the laundry continues to pile up. Many days go by without me getting to the books. And you know what? It’s not the end of the world.  It’s only Monday. It’s okay if I decide to spend a couple of hours sitting and reading a book.

I’m not sure when it happened but you’re more likely to hear “busy” than “fine” when you ask someone how they’ve been. Everyone’s always busy, busy, busy!

I’m not busy.

There. I said it. I'm fighting the urge to feel ashamed of my present circumstances. I feel like I’m wasting time. Getting through the day is just that ~ getting through. Sometimes it’s agonizing.

Take it from me. We don’t have to be “busy” for our lives to have significance.

Take Care

Words

Words. Lots of words. I have them. And I love them. I love spellings and meanings and sounds. I love books and dictionaries and the backs of cereal boxes. Anything with words.

I remember learning to type… sitting in a classroom with no air conditioning, the second story windows open and fans blowing. Trying my best to stare straight ahead watching the chalkboard, not cheating and looking and my fingers. Twenty-five or so type writers clicking and clacking on the new, electric typewriters. With slight taps on the keys we tried to make the words fly across the paper and then one more tap made the cylinder fly back to start a new line.

Little did I know that those days spent in Mr. Hauser’s classroom would equip me to do what I love to do. Because you can have all the words in your head and your heart but you gotta get them on the paper to be effective.  But for me, there’s more to the writing than that.

As writers, we share our stories because we have to, getting the words on paper or screen because holding them inside is just too hard. I’m often asked by those who don’t blog how I do it.  The thinking, the writing, the sharing. I struggle with my answer because it just seems so ~ normal ~ to me. I write imperfectly and without an editor. I write regardless of others think.  I do it because I love it, and I do it because I would write it out even if I no longer had a blog.

We all get stuck, sometimes. Writer’s block, or the WALL, or whatever you want to call it.  It gets the best of us and we end up with no words to write. We stammer and stutter and wonder where our inspiration went.

It’s one of the reasons I love the Internet. There’s so many words and so much to read, I sometimes don't even know where to start!  Unfortunately a lot of those words are empty. Many of them are rude and disrespectful. Some are hateful or dirty. Others are silly and inconsequential.

However, reading God’s Word has profoundly changed mine. As God puts the chapters of my life together, I share them. I write to remember, to honour, to inform, to encourage. I am not perfect at this by any stretch. But I’m grateful to look back and see the progress I’ve made.

God’s words are anything but empty. And as we allow Him to speak through us, it changes our words.

The words we think

The words we write.

The words we speak.

The words we pray.

The words we act.

Do you want your words to be meaningful? And brave? And loving? And kind? And any other adjective we could choose {and believe me there are a lot!}? 

Those are the moments when we have to lay down all of our own words and turn to the words that God would have us say.  Focusing on the true and noble and right, so that my words become pure and lovely and admirable.

“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”   Psalm 19:14 {New International Version {NIV}}

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for…

101. clothes lines
102. random acts of kindness
103. quiet time
104. rainbows
105. books that balance
106. sunsets
107. hugs

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! 

Take Care

Two Cents

Sometimes my mouth just gets me into trouble. Saying too much. Saying it too soon. That’s not always a bad thing. But it’s not always a good thing either.

For an opinionated person, it can be a difficult thing. Because let’s be honest, I almost always have an opinion. And a willingness to share it.

Sometimes the words need to be spoken though. Wrongs need to be righted. Opinions need to be shared. Hearts need to be protected.

The question always is in the right words and the right time. And discerning that has been a hard lesson to learn.

What God has so graciously taught me is that I always need to wait to speak until He has released me to do so. 

James 1:19 {New Internatioanl Version {NIV}} says: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

We’ve likely heard that verse many times, but when a situation arises that feels like I need to give my two cents worth, I need to pray for the words and the opportunity. Sometimes God gives me all the right words…but doesn’t open the door. Other times, what seems to be the opportune time arises, and there are no words for a change.

So I must wait.  Which I’m not good at doing. But I am trying to learn to wait, until God gives me the go-ahead.

I am trying to learn to wait.

I am trying to learn.

I am trying.

How have you learned to wait?

Take Care

Book Review ~ What We've Lost is Nothing

With more books than ever vying to be read ~ we must be selective of how we choose to spend our time. There are just too many good books to waste time reading a bad one.

What We've Lost is Nothing is a first novel by Rachel Louise Snyder. It chronicles the twenty-four hours following a mass burglary in a Chicago suburb and the suspicions, secrets, and prejudices that surface in its wake.

From the back:
Nestled on the edge of Chicago’s gritty west side, Oak Park is a suburb in flux. To the west, theaters and shops frame posh houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. To the east lies a neighborhood still recovering from urban decline. In the center of the community sits Ilios Lane, a pristine cul-de-sac dotted with quiet homes that bridge the surrounding extremes of wealth and poverty.

On the first warm day in April, Mary Elizabeth McPherson, a lifelong resident of Ilios Lane, skips school with her friend Sofia. As the two experiment with a heavy dose of ecstasy in Mary Elizabeth’s dining room, a series of home invasions rocks their neighborhood. At first the community is determined to band together, but rising suspicions soon threaten to destroy the world they were attempting to create. Filtered through a vibrant pinwheel of characters, Snyder’s tour de force evokes the heightened tension of a community on edge as it builds toward one of the most explosive conclusions in recent fiction. Incisive and panoramic, What We’ve Lost is Nothing illuminates the evolving relationship between American cities and their suburbs, the hidden prejudices that can threaten a way of life, and the redemptive power of tolerance in a community torn asunder. 

We explore the impact this burglary has on an entire street, and we see the positive and negative effects felt by each household. There are several other families touched by these crimes, and each resident represents a particular aspect of society. Given the shear volume of characters, there’s not a lot of variety in these thoughts and reactions, making it difficult to remember who is whom? The problem is, the inner thoughts and outer reactions of the characters are about what you’d expect, given the circumstances. As information about the thefts circulate and different theories are shared, the crime itself is never solved.  Furthermore, the book tends to meander, and no one character was compelling enough to really captivate my interest.

At the end of the day, I didn’t really hate this book. The overall the writing is good, but the story suffers from a greater desire to make a point, and an inability to really make it.  This isn’t a bad book, necessarily, just an unfocused one.  Since this is her debut novel, I think this is an author with significant potential and I will be interested to see what she produces in the years to come. But What We’ve Lost is Nothing on the whole misses the mark.

Take Care

mhmm monday

Nothing says spring quite like a lemon pound cake and this recipe is light and fluffy, and very decadent, packed with a lemon flavour that will please any pound cake lover.

Pink Lemon Pound Cake

{photo credit & website}

Ingredients:
Cake
3 cups of white flour 
2 cups of white sugar 
1/2 tsp. salt 
1 tsp. baking powder 
1 1/2 cups of butter (softened) 
1/3 cup of milk 
6 eggs (3 egg whites & 3 full eggs) 
2 tsp. lemon extract 
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest 
4 lemons

Pink lemon glaze frosting:
2 cups of confectioner’s sugar 
6 Tbsp. lemon juice 
1 tiny drop of red food coloring

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease your desired cake dish.
In a small bowl, pour the milk over 1 Tbsp. of pure lemon juice and let it sit for a few minutes (this lemon/milk mixture is key!)
Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder on low speed with an electric mixer.
Add the softened butter, the lemon/milk mixture you made earlier, and 3 egg whites.
Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Then, scrape anything down from the sides, turn that mixer on high and let it mix for 2 whole minutes.
Now, add the lemon extract and lemon zest (blend it in at a medium speed).
One by one at a high mixing speed, add the 3 eggs with 30 seconds between each egg.
Pour the cake batter into a pretty baking dish and bake it for 50-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
The baking time largely depends on the size of your dish(s). The cake will rise and the top will turn brown. The inside will be a pale yellow…the perfect color to compliment a pink glaze frosting!
While your lemon pound cake is cooling, mix together 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar with 6 Tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Then, add the tiny drop of red food coloring. Pour this over your cooled lemon pound cake.
Enjoy!

Take Care

Overwhelmed

My alarm clock goes off and I groan. Is it time to get up already? I reach over and press the snooze button. Pulling the covers over my head, I think about everything I need to do today. I groan again. Is it Saturday yet?

Ever since we’ve been home, it’s been non-stop go - go - go!  Laundry, cooking, cleaning, errands, grocery shopping, bookwork, and the list goes on…

I am simply overwhelmed.  Making me feel like I am drowning in a flood of all the tasks  {e-mails to return, groceries to buy, visits to make, bookwork to get caught up in, house to be cleaned, meals to plan, family to prepare for} to complete and all the things I expect of myself {and things I think others expect of me ~ whether in truth they do or they don’t.}

I haven’t been still.  And for this introvert that is not a good thing, by the end of last week I was fading and fast,.  I knew something had to give but what?  Sadly I knew it was going to be Sunday morning service, sure I knew I would miss Pastor Brent’s amazing sermon, I would miss chatting with my dear friend Esther and yes, I would definitely miss the worship music.  But you know what?  Sometimes, something just has to give..

And then Sunday morning, I read this from my Jesus Calling devotional by Sarah Young:
Stop trying to work things out before their times have come. Accept the limitations of living one day at a time. When something comes to your attention, ask Me whether or not it is part of today’s agenda. If it isn’t, release it into My care and go on about today’s duties. When you follow this practice, there will be a beautiful simplicity about your life: a time for everything, and everything in its time.

A life lived close to Me is not complicated or cluttered. When your focus is on My Presence, many things that one troubled you lose their power over you. Though the world around you is messy and confusing, remember that I have overcome the world. I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaver.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 {New International Version {NIV}}

And I knew I would be going to church .  And you know what?  I heard the most amazing sermon from Pastor Brent, I enjoyed a wonderful chat with my friend Esther, and I participated in the most awesome worship music…

Am I still overwhelmed?  Sure, but learning to trust that God is taking care of me each and every day, helps give me the strength to carry on.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 {New International Version {NIV}}

Do you ever get overwhelmed? What do you do?

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for…

94. Jesus’ sacrifice
95. easter dinner 
96. car ride chats
97. family laughter
98. purple hyacinths 
99. presents that come in garbage bags
100. homemade pizza

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! 

Take Care

tasty tuesday

Nothing says Easter dinner better than that pizza... um did you say pizza? Why yes, I believe I did.  The family was home for Easter dinner on Sunday and after asking whether they preferred Easter Ham or Turkey, my son asked if we could have pizza.  And I thought hey, why not ...

Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups warm water 
1 tbsp yeast 
2 tbsp oil 
1 tsp salt 
3 cups flour 

Directions:
Sprinkle yeast in warm water and let stand 10 minutes or until foamy.  Put flour and salt in large bowl and pour yeast on top and stir in oil. Stir together and then using your hands knead, to get a smooth soft dough. 
Allow to rise until doubled. 
Once the dough has risen spread onto 2 oiled pizza pans.  
Top with pizza sauce and add any pizza topping your family likes.
Bake 350°F for 20 minutes or until crust is golden.
Enjoy

Take Care

Times

I walked my dog the other day, as I do most days, and while I walked I prayed, like I do most days.

{photo taken last fall during a quite walk on the trail}

I love those times with my dog because, really, they are my quiet times with God. Times away from the household. Times away from the endless piles of dishes and the laundry and the dinner that needs to be planned. Times away from the phone and from the computer, which steals me too often away from everything else.

When I walk, it’s just God and me, talking things out…  {well, and the dog, doing whatever it is dogs do.}

I wondered, how my life would change if my desire for Him matched my need for Him.

What would it look like if I . . .
. . . woke up every morning anticipating His life-giving words rather than that first cup of tea?
. . . wanted time alone with Him as much as I want that second cookie?
. . . really sought His opinion on decisions more than my husband’s or my friends’?

As I talked this through with God, I realized that I’m an imperfect, neglectful follower of Jesus who really does have good intentions. But my intentions need a little boost these days.

In that short walk with my dog, God showed me that He wants me to want Him.

And so I wonder… what would my life look like if I desired God as much as I need Him?

What would yours?

Take Care

One Verse

This one verse, really, sums today all up...

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 {New American Standard Bible {NASB}}

Take Care

Cookies, Krispies, Muffins & More

I’ve been busy.

With my boy from Orillia home for the Easter weekend, I’ve been baking up a storm and cooking like there's no tomorrow. I’ve been adding more clothes to the washing machine than usual and I’ve made more food at each meal that I thought; figuring we’d be eating left~overs for days.  I’ve forgotten what it takes to feed a growing boy.

But it’s been fun…

I made Uncle Dave’s favourite Oatmeal Cookies and Rice Krispie Squares and Apple Pie and Applesauce Muffins

and Peanut Butter Chip Muffins

and Brownies and a Lasagne and a Cheesy Spaghetti/Hamburger casserole and whew!

Not bad for one day’s work… let’s just hope it lasts more than one day!

Take Care

?Good? Friday

This was written last year and it bears repeating…

Growing up, this weekend of Good Friday and Easter Monday always meant a super long holiday weekend with extra sleep and lots of chocolate. 

Shortly after I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Saviour I struggled with the term“good” in the Good Friday part of the Easter story. How could it be a “good” day when Jesus was crucified? But as my faith grew so did my understanding of how“good” that day really is… it’s the day in which He saved me!

So, if someone saved your life, pushed you out of on coming traffic, grabbed you as you were falling off a cliff, jumped in front of a stray bullet headed for your chest... you'd be grateful right? I mean, if they died but miraculously the surgeons were able to revive them, would you not do everything you could to get to know that person, who they were, why they did what they did for you at the cost of their own life? Wouldn't you want to almost kinda like follow them around and make them your new best friend?

OK that almost sounds creepily stalker like but just being honest here.  I’d kinda like to be close with someone who saved my life... I’d be grateful for them and the second chance they gave me until the day I {for real} died.

So then the question is, am I that grateful to God, to Christ for taking my eternal death from me? Am I grateful the He took the beatings, the nails, the suffocation, AND the wrath and judgement of God from me? How hard am I seeking to know who He is and to follow him around and make him my new best friend?

I often feel so guilty about my lack of “awe” in my relationship with Christ. It's like I've taken for granted the new life he's given me, a new life, incomparable to my old life, I've just kinda said thanks and “let's grab a coffee sometime, it's on me” … 

We should be excited just like the ANGELS are, as it says Luke 15:10 {New American Standard Bible {NASB}} “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” They are so pumped and love to see sinners turn to Christ and be saved. Sometimes I wish I could catch a glimpse of their celebration for every new life saved, just so I might catch some of that excitement and joy and awe again. 

As we celebrate this Easter season, may we be reminded of the GREAT love Jesus had for us when he willingly laid down His life. 

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 {New American Standard Bible {NASB}}

And that Charlie Brown is what Easter is all about! 

 

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for…

87. robins
88. 6R bright auburn brown natural instincts hair colour
89. giftcards
90. sleeping-in
91. morning walks
92. promise of spring
93. green grass

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! 

Take Care