Shower Time - Part III

I have actually made these several years in a row for Christmas gifts, but never thought to make them for a shower until the other day when another blog I follow suggested the idea! What fun!

Just in case I lost ya, the yummy treats above are chocolate covered pretzel sticks. They are super easy (and affordable) little treats to make for any occasion. All you need is a little imagination on how you want them to turn out!

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Sticks
1 Bag Large Pretzel Sticks
1 Bag Chocolate Chips

If you have a double boiler this process can go a lot smoother, however I have never had one so I made my own version and it works great! Just take a sauce pan and pour enough water in it to keep a boil for a while. I use a metal mixing bowl and place it over the sauce pan (when the water is boiling). Place the chocolate chips in the metal sauce pan and let them completely melt. Once the chocolate is a smooth consistency, then start dipping the pretzel sticks in half way. I normally line a cookie sheet with wax paper and have it waiting nearby. Once you dip the sticks, place them on the tray. Now is the time to "decorate" them. This is where your creativity can come out! Here are a few suggestions:

• Baby Shower-Girl: Use white chocolate with pink sprinkles
• Baby Shower-Boy: Use white chocolate with blue sprinkles
• Christmas handouts(these make great teachers gifts):Use white or dark chocolate with crushed peppermints, or Christmas colored sprinkles.

There are sooooooo many new items out there for candy/cookie decorations. A personal favorite is the colored sugars. They are very classic and pretty. At Christmas time I buy the cellophane bags from Walmart, put a few chocolate covered pretzels in them and wrap them up in a bow. So cute and very affordable!

Anyway, have fun! Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

By the way, I know the topics have been kinda light around here lately. Thanks for hanging in with me. Next week I'm going to be getting back to some more serious items. See ya then!

Shower Time - Part II

There are so many things I enjoy about baby showers, but the food is always at the top of the list.

My favorite thing to eat is petit fours (the tiny little cake bites covered in frosting with a cute decoration on top)! YUM-O!

Here is another thing I love to take. It is so easy to make and every time I make it I am always asked for the recipe.

Sweet Meatballs

1 package frozen meatballs (I like to use the mini sized ones)

1 Jar Chili Sauce

1 Can Jellied Cranberry's

In a sauce pan over medium heat, add all of the ingredients. Simmer for 10-15 and enjoy.

YES, it is that easy and they are so good. Be sure to bring toothpicks with you and don't expect to bring any home!

If there is something you are know for making and taking to a baby shower, then please share! I love having new things to add to my recipe book!

Shower Time

I am starting to feel like I am coming down with something, so...I'm going to keep this week light. (I am drinking plenty of fluids and taking my vitamins :) )

Anyway, the season is upon us. Shower Season. Baby Showers!!! I LOVE baby showers! Love the food, love the decorations, love the gifts, love the fellowship and my favorite ones are when the baby has already been born because then we all get to hold it and love on it and get our baby fix without having to take it home!! :)
SO...in light of this special time of year I thought I would post three yummy treats I always have for baby showers! Today's is a yummy punch, which I actually made this morning (for a goodbye party).

Frosty Punch

1 2 liter bottle of 7 Up
1 Frozen Pink Lemonade mix (the kind you find in the frozen foods section, where the frozen juice is)
1 Container of Sherbet (I like to color coordinate mine according to the event)

Let everything set out for about 20 minuets. In an average sized punch bowl, add the thawed pink lemonade, then add half of the 7 Up. Take an ice cream scoop and scoop in the sherbet. Then add the rest of the 7 Up.

Here are some tips I have used along the way:

• If you are going to a girl baby shower then get Raspberry or Strawberry sherbet.
• If you are going to a boy baby shower then try to find a Kroger in your area because SOMETIMES they will carry a Wild Berry sherbet that is blue. If not, I have tried this: get Pineapple sherbet (because it is usually white) and then take blue food coloring to the 7 Up. It tasted fine, but you will need to pour out the 7 Up in separate bowl, mix in the food color and then add it to the punch.
• If you need to make a pink colored punch but cannot find pink colored sherbet, what I have done before is bought the cherry flavored 7 Up and then used the Pineapple sherbet.
• I highly recommend using 7 Up. I have tried it with Sprite, Ginger Ale and even some of the store brand drinks, but none of them ever taste as good as 7 Up. I'm not sure why, put after 12 years of making this punch it is the only brand I will use.

ENJOY!

A Little Bit of Random - Part III

Today is the day!

This time 417 days ago I started reading the Bible shown above. I have to admit that I never thought I would finish it. Actually, that is not entirely the truth. I wanted to finish it on time because I am a very competitive person and I did not want to "loose". I know, I know, not the best reason to do this, but once I got started I really enjoyed it. So, today 52 days after the "end date" I finished.

WOO-WHOO!

I hate to admit this, especially as a minister's wife, but I have never read the entire Bible all the way through. In fact, there are several books of the Bible that I have never read even one time.

Going through the process of reading this Bible has changed my life in so many ways. I honestly feel like I know more about God than I ever have. So many things about Him that I "knew" but never really allowed to change my heart.

If you have not read through the entire Bible, I challenge you to. It will change your life, your relationship with God and the way you see people that He created and loves.

A Little Bit of Random - Part II

Isn't it amazing what a little coffee can do to your life? I love Starbucks. Always have, always will. A good nights sleep and a good cup of coffee. A great combination to start the day!

In keeping with the "random" theme, I thought I would share a verse that has really taught me a lot this week.

If you have your Bible's today, please turn with me to I Peter 3:8-9. HA! I've always wanted to say that! Seriously, if you don't have it with you then just check out the link.

So, verse 8 is pretty self explanatory. I don't have any issues with it. It makes sense.

It's verse 9 that trips me up. Big time. Why? Well, because I'm human. If you cause me pain, then you should have pain too.

Verse 9 says, "Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing." (Honestly, while I was typing this out I thought about the God's Pottery from Last Comic Standing. In one of the episode's they had to square off against another comedian and take turns insulting each other. God's Pottery chose instead to "hurl" love at their opponent. It was funny). But I digress.

Ok...back to being serious. So, when people insult us, we are supposed to give them a blessing. So, as I always do when I have a question, I pulled out my John MacArthur Commentary and looked up the verse. Here is what is says about the word blessing. "Blessing means to speak well of, or to eulogize." As I read that I was thinking, "Ok, I can do that. Not to hard. I just need to speak well of them." And then came the kicker. Let me finish writing the rest of what it says. "The blessing that a Christian is to give to the reviler includes:

• 1) finding ways to serve him
• 2) praying for his salvation or spiritual progress
• 3) expressing thankfulness for him
• 4) speaking well of him
• 5) desiring his well-being"

Whoa.

So needles to say I have A LOT to work on.

Over the last year I have come to learn that holiness simply means set apart. If we are to be holy as God is holy then we are going to have to be set apart from the way the world operates. When we are set apart is when the world has a chance to see something different. This will hopefully bring them closer to God. I'm not saying I have it all together, but maybe we can all think about these simple blessings the next time our feelings are hurt, or we receive hurtful words from a friend.

A Little Bit of Random

Can I just say how much I envy this woman? Ugh, I need me some SLEEP! My youngest is teething and it is killing me, our oldest, my husband, the dog.....you name it. I know this is just a phase and it will end like all of the others, but man.....I'm tired. In fact, I think my tired humor scared a co-worker today. You see, when you haven't had a full nights rest in over two weeks you mind gets a little funky and you say things that probably should not cross the great divide between your mind and your mouth. Here is what I said to my co-worker. "I now understand why Zombies eat humans. They are so tired, they don't know the difference. They'll just eat whatever is in front of them." And here is the best part. I then put my arm up next to my mouth and pretended to chew on it. I then experienced the longest awkward pause of my life. I know, I know. This is what happens to me when I am sleep deprived.

So, in light of that I decided not to tackle a deep issue tonight here on the old blog and decided instead to share something on the lighter side.

A few months ago I ran across this prayer in the Bible. Philippians 1: 9-11 says (in the New Living version), "I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation-the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ-for this will bring much glory and praise to God."

What an awesome prayer! Paul knew what he was doing. Over the last year I have Incorporated the aid of a wonderful commentary, The MacArthur Bible Commentary by John MacArthur. This book has opened the Bible to me like never before. Mainly because I trust this man and his writings. I want to share with you what he says about a few of the key words in these verses.

Verse 10 - "understand". The word approve is used in the New American Standard Version. "Approve in the classical Greek described..the testing of money for authenticity. Believers need the ability to distinguish those things that are truly important so they can establish the right priorities."

Verse 9 - "understanding". The word discernment is used in the New American Standard Version. "The English word aesthetic comes from this Greek word, which speaks of moral perception, insight and the practical application of knowledge. Love is not blind, but perceptive, and it carefully scrutinizes to distinguish between right and wrong."

Here is my version of how this prayer might look like when I pray it for a friend.

"Lord, I pray that "___________" 's love will overflow out of what you give them. I pray that they would continue to seek out that which is important instead of that which is here today and gone tomorrow. I pray that they will be able to know without a shadow of a doubt what it real and what is fake in this world, so that they can run after You with a clean heart and clear conscience. I pray that they will glorify You in all of their pursuits and will continue to grow in the gifts You have given to them."

So, who can you pray this for? We all have someone in our lives that needs all the prayer they can get. Take a minute and pray for the person(s) God prompts you to. When you are done go read this and have a great laugh! (Tiffany, you never disappoint!)

Book Review - Part III

For the last part of this blog I thought I would share some of my favorite quotes from this book and why I like them.

• "Visions are born in the soul of a man or woman who is consumed with the tension between what is and what could be." This one statement is what helped me realize the difference between a vision for something and just a need you think should be met. This is a very important concept for anyone, no matter where you are in life. There are a lot of "good" things we should be doing, but if it is not your passion then you shouldn't guilt yourself into doing it.
• "A vision rarely requires immediate action. It always requires patience." Well, thank you Mr. Stanley for saying what we have all been thinking! Sometimes what you want to happen is not going to happen overnight. I really believe this is why people get frustrated a lot with certain ministries. They come into a new project ready to see "miracles" and then a year goes by and they are severely defeated because nothing exciting ever happened. Last year I went to a one day women's conference here in Columbia and a lady from Indiana (I think) was taking about the inner city ministry she and her husband were in. They had been there for about three years and were trying everything they could to get people to their church. They were near a very successful church and decided to meet with the senior pastor to pick his brain and see what they could glean from his ministry. They met him in the gym his church had just built. They looked around and were amazed at all of the young volunteers he had to help with the after-school program his church had just started that year. She and her husband began to ask him how he did it and how long did it take him. She said he politely smiled and then pointed to a young women (probably 19 years old) and said, "She was the first member of my church". They both paused and continued listening to him. "You see", he said, "the two of you are not going to walk into your neighborhood and change things overnight. You are going to have to start with the elementary school kids in your area and walk them through middle school and high school. These kind of volunteers do not walk in off the street. They are born out of years and years of laying the foundation." In essence, he was telling her that she and her husband needed to be in it for the long haul if they ever wanted to see real life change.
• "Why should God bring an opportunity your way if you are not in a position to take advantage of it?" Wow, this is so true. This helped me to realize that planning is so important to seeing my dreams accomplished.
• "Once God decides something needs to be done, it is never a matter of if. The issue is usually who. Who will step forward, embrace the vision and move ahead by faith." This ignited the fire I needed to finish what God had called me to. When I realized that God was asking me to do this task, then I knew I could not turn away.

Whatever your passion is, I think this book can help. Give it a read and let me know what you think!