The Gospel According to a Tea Bag

Rather than posting the same thing twice, I am posting a link to the Children's Easter Program review. Make sure you hop on over and check it out. I know I really LOVE to get ideas like this from other people! It might not sound like Easter, but I think you'll agree that it indeed is, once you take the time to read it. This also works best with girls, although you could certainly adapt and dramatize ti your hearts content with boys. We only had a few, and they served as butlers well. =)

"The Gospel According to a Tea Bag"

http://www.freewebs.com/treasurevalleypnc/apps/blog/show/13995626-the-gospel-according-to-a-tea-bag

Easter Sunday

Don't you just love the excitement of Easter? Next to Christmas, it's my favorite holiday--better in some ways, actually!
Here are the easter baskets we gave the girls this year. I was fortunate to find these awesome storage boxes on clearance at TJ Maxx for $3.00! We try to make Easter baskets a little more practical. One year I made the girls new pillow cases and used them as "easter bags." Another year, they had asked for bike baskets, and we used those. Also, we aren't real big on candy, so we usually just put in a few pieces of that and more things like new crayons, and bubbles--things that are fun but not so bad for them. =)

We made resurrection cinnamon rolls which turned out really fun. The girls found it pretty cool that the "tomb" was empty after it baked.

Our easter dessert was Pink Lemonade Cake from pinterest. Well, that and the peanut butter eggs and nests we made earlier in the week. We also had smoked ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, yams (my mother made), pineapple casserole (mom), lettuce salad (mom), deviled eggs, jello eggs, and bunny shaped hot rolls. Our ham--given to us by Loomis, was fully cooked so I didn't have a source of gravy. On a whim, I combined chicken broth and a bit of pineapple juice thickened with flour and seasoned with tonys for color and salt flavor. It worked! Everyone commented on how good the gravy was! Yay!

Me and the honey of the house.

Easter is one of two times of year that everyone gets new clothing. I found Rick's shirt at Kohl's for $4.00, the blazer (which he needed) at Macey's clearance for (I think) around $45. He already had the pants, and the tie.....I paid full price for. LOL. My dress came from Target. It as too long (what else is new) and the neck was way too low, so you can figure out how I fixed that problem. I had a terrible time finding a red bolero though....my Mom finally picked this one up for me at Dress Barn. Aren't moms wonderful!?!?

Speaking of mom....my dad, mom, and the grand girls. Usually I try to mix up their outfits a little so that when passing down for kid to kid, we don't get sick of the same thing. Nautical clothes are pretty timeless tho---everyone needs one, right? You might know that Kammy does not like to dress up in fancy clothes. She is SUCH. A. TOMBOY. I convinced her though, and even got her to wear a hat. The secret was that I sewed tiny little horseshoes on it. =) Oh, and the hats??? Dollar section at Target...add a little ribbon and it's all good!

We had company for Easter dinner and an egg hunt for the kids while dinner was getting finished up.

I used my roll recipe, but shaped them into "bunnies backsides." (Pinterest.)

Here is Kaite chasing some of the bubbles out of her Easter basket.

I bought new red shoes for Easter, and Kaite wanted some too. As you can see, red shoes come with attitude! =)

I have more pics--and a re-cap of the children's Easter program, but that's another day! Hope you all had a wonderful, blessed Easter worshipping our Risen Lord!

Jesus Paid it All

Normally, I have a hard time liking those somewhat cheesy kids crafts....I liked this idea though. It was a great tool to illustrate to the kids how Jesus paid it all, especially since I made them use pennies from their own banks. They felt the sacrifice in a very real way....especially the little ones who don't realize that pennies are really not "worth much." None of us were worth much either, but Jesus thought we were worth his all.

~~~Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe.

Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow!~~

Eggs

These edible birds nests can be found on my pinterest Easter board. They were so easy and fun to make. We used Reese peanut butter eggs instead of the cadbury ones. They are darling....almost too cute to eat.

Of course, we had to make peanut butter eggs too. The first time I made them was with my mother-in-law, and I've been doing them ever since! Every year for 15 years now....Oh wait! I think I skipped the year that Kaite was born--just a few days after Easter. Kaite did the sprinkles this year! They are really easy. 1 jar (8oz) marshmellow cream, 1 1/2 stick of butter (softened), 1 cup peanut butter, 1 pound powdered sugar. Just mix together, form into egg shapes and chill well or freeze. Then dip in melted chocolate (almond bark) and sprinkle quickly before chocolate dries. I like to add a small amount of whipping cream to my chocolate. I'm not crazy about chocolate and this makes it a little thinner and a little more bearable. It still sets up just fine.

Easter Week

My Easter stuff has been up for quite a while, but I seem to be adding things here and there as I go along....nothing major--just little touches. Tulips are at the top of my favorite flower list. They just seem to speak new life and spring. The only thing is that they never last long enough.

I love blue, so when I saw the speckled blue robin eggs on pinterest, I had to make some. They are just simply the little plastic fill and thrill eggs with spray paint. I even let my 13 and 9 year olds do the painting! The blue planter is new too, it's from TJ Maxx/Home Goods. I love, love, love that store. I'm not a shopper, but I go there 2-3 times a year. =)
The grass is growing on our easter garden (another idea from pinterest.)

I have an incredibly busy month ahead of me. The next two weeks include SAT's for the girls, dentals, an easter program at church, and lots of easter dinner preparation.

Our menu looks like this:

Smoked Ham with Pineapple

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Cream Cheese Corn

Jello Eggs

Deviled Eggs

Bunny Rolls

Peanut Butter Eggs

We've been doing a special "Passover Dinner" on Good Friday for the past few years, but I think we are skipping this year. I do have a few more religious easter crafts to share a little later.

Later in the month, there are 2 business trips and oral surgery for Kammy. Also, a certain little girl is turning 3!

Busy, busy, busy but striving to keep the real meaning of easter alive in the midst of it all! LOVE this time of year!

Blessings,

All about St Paddy

The girls and I use every imaginable excuse in the book to have a little fun. St Patrick's Day was no exception. We had green kool-aid, pork and rainbow jello. We even tried to fold the napkins into clover shapes.

I used 3 small balls of dough to make "clover rolls."
We made fruit kabobs into a rainbow shape. (Idea for this came from pinterest.)

For dessert, we made grasshopper cake. It was pretty good. The minty flavor even made the chocolate okay in my book.

Kaite had her hair done in a 3-leaf clover. It was cute.

Lastly, I'm going to copy and paste something my husband wrote regarding the REAL St Patrick. If you have the time to read it, it's interesting and inspiring.

I inadvertently discovered some interesting things about St. Patrick’s Day.

My Sunday Morning message was titled “Send the Rain.” Revival is a spring time theme and draws so many parallels with the earth’s awakening and renewal after the long, cold winter. The message was lifted from the story in II Kings 17 of the great drought sent by the God of Israel to turn their hearts toward revival. Elijah was an amazing example of the persistence and grit it takes to work for God in the midst of dark and evil days. The apostle James provides great commentary on this story in Jas 5:17-18 where he says. ”Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”

So Elijah was a man “that got out of bed and put his pants on one leg at a time” just like any other. In other words he was human. He was frail. He got dry and hungry sometimes. He got discouraged and almost gave up on at least one occasion. He was incredibly average in so many ways. The only thing that set him apart was his faith in Someone Far Above Average.

Following that famed contest on Mt. Carmel the leather faced old prophet said this to Ahab in 1Ki 18:41, “Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.” You know it took an awful lot of faith to say these words to a crabby king on a scorching hot afternoon where a single drop of rain had not dropped from the sky for three and a half years! However, by this time Elijah had his homework done and he was on believing ground. Before the rain could come the false gods had to be destroyed and gotten rid of. So Elijah was a revivalist, and a mighty good one at that! As you know, the rain did fall and the preacher ran so fast he overtook the king’s chariot and was sitting in dry clothes sipping hot coffee by the fire long before Ahab stomped the mud off his boots in the foyer.

In preparing for this message I turned to seek inspiring illustrations of revival and found one with Elijah’s trademark all over it. What I wasn’t prepared for was a connection to St. Patricks’ Day. The story took place in a little town called Coleraine. This town is near the mouth of the River Bann in Northern Ireland. The story of how the town came by its name is the connection to St. Patrick.

I had my great revival illustration but my interest was piqued. I wanted to know what St. Patrick was all about. To my surprise he did not like green beer or ever nurse a fondness for leprechauns dressed in green. I even have my doubts whether he played an accordion for he lived in the mid A.D. 400’s! He was born in western Scotland into a Christian family but by his own admission he “did not know the true God.” At age 15 he was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. He was put to work as a shepherd and in desperation at that point in his life he began to seek after Christ.

In his Confession he wrote, “I used to pasture the flock each day and I used to pray many times a day. More and more did the love of God, and my fear of him and faith increase, and my spirit was moved so that in a day [I said] from one up to a hundred prayers, and in the night a like number; besides I used to stay out in the forests and on the mountain and I would wake up before daylight to pray in the snow, in icy coldness, in rain, and I used to feel neither ill nor any slothfulness, because, as I now see, the Spirit was burning in me at that time.”

After six years of slavery, Patrick escaped and returned to his family in Scotland. However, he felt impressed in a series of visions that God was calling him to return to Ireland as a missionary of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God gave him a passionate love for the Irish people and he spent the next 20 years preparing himself for the work. He became a priest and ultimately a bishop. In 432 he returned to Ireland with a small band of helpers to begin evangelizing what then was a most heathen country. The Celtic people worshipped multiple deities and included human sacrifice in their rituals. Patrick showed them that Jesus was the last human life that needed sacrifice. Jesus paid the full cost for their pardon and peace with God. For the next 30 years Patrick had fruitful ministry and many thousands upon thousands were brought to Christ. So you see St. Patrick had a lot more to do with revival than shamrocks or getting pinched because you forget to wear green.

Now I return to this interesting town called Coleraine. St. Patrick was well received here in his travels and the local chieftain gave him some land on which to build his church. The spot was next to the river Bann and was overgrown with ferns. This incident led to the area being called Coleraine meaning a “nook of ferns.” Ferns of course are very green. This perhaps is your final connection to St. Patrick’s Day.

Fast forward to 1859. Coleraine comes under the influence of the Ulster Revival. Open air meetings were conducted here where reports were given of conversions taking place in nearby towns. The spirit of revival began to ignite here as well and great changes took place. Even the children were impacted. One day the schoolmaster observed a boy so much under the Spirit’s moving that he could not do his studies. The master sent him home with an older boy who had been saved the night before. On their way they saw an empty house and went in to pray together. They stayed with it till the younger boy prayed through and found peace. Rejoicing in this new experience, the little fellow said, “I must go back and tell Mr.Murphy.” The little boy who, a little while ago had been too sorrowful to do his work, soon entered the school with a beaming face, and going up to the master said, “O Mr. Murphy, I am so happy! I have the Lord Jesus in my heart!” The impact of that simple childish testimony was unbelievable. Other boys were smitten and one by one silently slipped out of the room. After a while, the master stood on something that enabled him to look over the wall of the playground outside. There he saw a number of boys ranged around the wall on their knees in earnest prayer. The scene overcame him and he asked the pupil who had already prayed his young friend through to victory to go out and pray for these other boys likewise. He did so, and their cries out to God reached the upper floor of the school where the girls were in study session. They to then were touched and began to kneel in prayer. The surrounding neighborhood heard the volume of prayer and soon the whole school was filled with young and old praying to God for the salvation of their souls. Meals and studies were forgotten and business was conducted with God! The last person finally left the schoolhouse at 11pm that night.

During this revival in Coleraine the community was so transformed that the crime rate fell off drastically. The courts and constables were idle. The Saturday after the revival came was market day—usually blighted by much drunkenness. But this week there wasn’t a single incident. The newspaper mentioned one pub which on this day had not sold a single glass of whiskey up to 3PM—unheard of on market day.

The revival in Coleraine meant that the newly finished town hall which was to be opened with a grand ball was instead kept open all night as a “hospital for souls” where clergy were kept busy answering the questions of citizens looking for peace with God. The town hall also began hosting daily prayer meetings attended by 1,000 people. The rain had fallen and dry, parched earth was watered. The seeds of new life sprung up and the fruits of the spirit multiplied abundantly.

Of course revival is cyclical just as the seasons of the year. The fight must be renewed again and again. The prize of revival is well worth it when the long winter is past and hope springs new.

Rev. Warren Peel, the present pastor of Ballyclabber Reformed Presbyterian Church (ballyclabber.org) in Coleraine wrote this in a church publication last summer, “The ugly, evil things that have happened in our town in the last few months are a stark reminder to us that our town still needs today, more than anything else, this powerful, life-transforming work of God. At the end of the day the heart of our problem is the problem of our heart—we have all tried to live as though God is not God, and for that we deserve his judgment. But the good news is that there is mercy and forgiveness available for anyone who asks God for it. God’s power to save was shown in a dramatic way in 1859, but he still saves people today.”

My heart was touched as I considered this bit of Irish history—from the mid fifth century where a homesick shepherd slave named Patrick heard the convicting call of Jesus to look at Calvary for peace to 1859 where a small boy sitting at his school desk heard that same still, small voice and sought forgiveness of his sins. One day I too heard the tender voice of He that is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” My life has never been the same!

Today I long to see revival, personally, and in the hearts of my friends and family. Perhaps I should say, “I’m green with envy”---in a good way! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

(Hos 10:12) Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Rick Bork

True Love is....

....buying your wife a vacuum for Valentine's day!

Now, in all fairness to my better half, he really is good at the hearts and flowers stuff. This year though, we just returned from a special trip together, where there was plenty of dining out and even candlelight. Truth is, by the time we returned, we were both ready for some home-cooked food. So, we chose to have a quiet (really?!?! with 4 girls!?!?!) meal at home. I made pepperoni pizza crescent rolls and BLT pasta salad. We drank our strawberry CRUSH, and Kalli folded the napkins into heart shapes! =)
For dessert, we made S'mores bars and added Valentine sprinkles.

Daddy brought home special Valentine cards for all his girls! I hope your day was special, too!

Your Valentine.

Some say that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl--possibly his jailor's daughter--who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today.

I made Valentine eggs for the family this morning.In hubby's lunch, I placed some of his favorite candies and snacks adding notes that went along with them. "I love you to PIECES" (ReesePieces.) Gum: "I'm stuck on you!" Nuts: "Nuts about you!" Jerky "I'd be a JERK not to love you!"

On the bar in my kitchen, I decorated my little tray will all things Valentine, from the Strawberry CRUSH to the owl saying, "Wooo loves you?" The lips photo frame holds a picture of hubby and I at the White House. I thought that was the most appropriate photo since it also says "dangerous" on the bottom of the frame.The Valentines the girls gave out to friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In his message Sunday, my husband mentioned that Valentine’s is considered a Christian holiday or event, by most religions. The Muslim religion forbids the celebrating of Valentine’s Day. In Saudi Arabia (and many other locations) the authorities search local shops a week prior, making sure that there are no roses, stuffed animals or even red items. Buying or selling red during this time is punishable by large fines.
In the text of a sermon provided by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) titled “Awas jerat Valentine” (Beware Valentine’s trap), Muslims were told that asking someone to be his or her “Valentine” could lead to idolatry.
In the Muslim religion, the only “legal love” is that directed toward Allah. To quote a Muslim scholar directly, “Basic love is not permissible outside of devotion to Jihad.”They forbid the use of the very word, “Valentine,” since it’ latin origin means “most powerful.” What I would like to ask, is this... “What is wrong with my spouse being the most powerful (outside of God, of course) in my heart?”
The text of a second optional sermon prepared by the Federal Territory Islamic Department (Jawi), titled “Butakah Cinta?” (Is love blind?), likened celebrating the global day of romance to celebrating the anniversary of “Islam’s fall at the hands of Christians”. According the Muslim religion, Valentine’s Day promotes vice activities, such as honoring one’s sweetheart. Wow! Vice activities, huh?!?!
None of this is surprising really, seeing how female Muslims are treated with less respect than dogs. They are unable to vote, drive, show their faces in public, or hold hands. They are not loved as Christ loved the church, but used, abused, (both sexually and physically) and even slain by their husbands for one wrong move. She is beaten if her ankles are shown, and if she is seen talking to a person of another faith, she is murdered to “preserve honor in the family.” Her service to her husband is not out of love, but slavery.
In some liberated areas, “Love Guerillas” are waging a war FOR love and expressions of romance. Valentine’s gifts are even sold on the “black market.” One interesting study showed that when this freedom is won, these people do not take it lightly. Even in liberated Muslim chat rooms, decadence and lightness is not popular, but instead a sincere attempt to connect in true love and faithfulness.
Much blame is placed on women today (even in our churches) for the actions of men, but when a man loves his wife as Christ loved the church, that love does not often go unrequited. Being loved of God and loving Him, only makes your heart bigger and causes you to love your spouse more. Where Muslims see a love so limited that it is in danger and threatened, God multiplies His love again and again...the more we love the more capacity we have for love and loving.
May we Christians not take lightly the example of love given us by our Lord. It really is simple, He loved us and gave himself for us; for that, we love Him back with a deep respect for all that He has done. No better example of love can be found for a husband and wife, for the children or for a lost world.

The 4th!

Our 4th included the Greenleaf parade, a good old-fashioned cook out at my parent's house, some yardwork and finally...the FIREWORKS display!

Life has been just a little crazy lately. Lately, being like the past 7-8 months. In November, we moved, and as you might know--that is a challenge. We were pretty much settled by Thanksgiving though and the kids loved living on "the ranch". Then there was the Spain trip, company from out of town and the 2 month work/vaca in California. Barely got home and they told us the rental we were in had sold (nevermind that we were in a year-long contract. There was loophole in the contract, so I began packing and on July 1st, we moved! I'll be posting pictures soon. We are fairly settled. Just about 12 things remaining on the project list.

The 4th is too special not to celebrate though, so we took some "free time".

Kammy was thrilled to be asked to ride Lisa's horse Annie in the Greenleaf parade! She has the princess wave down just right!

Sweet Cowgirl Kam!We had to get her a new pair of boots since her others were too small. We searched every store in Nampa and Caldwell. Including all the 2nd hand stores and finally found some at Target!Here is Kaite celebrating with a pout! It was a little fake--I see the smile peeking through--but she has a reputation to live up to!I found that I needed something festive, so grabbed some ribbon and a glag button from my sewing box and crafted a flower pin.Kammy and Kaite. Sisters. They have declared the right to love one moment and hate the next.I was so proud of Kammy's guys! I guess it is proof that they are growing up--they never showed a moment's jealousy about Kammy getting to ride in the parade. They were very happy for her and after the parade, they got to take a ride as well!Brandon seemed to enjoy helping Kayla~ and they even got to trotting on Jake!The kids collected THREE hatful's of candy! Enough to last until next year--at least until Halloween!