what's new

1. I have been trying new recipes lately and some of them are going well while some need a little improvement. My recent recipes have been Chicken and dumplings in green salsa (dumplings were a little 'thick' but other than that it was good), Easy Pad Thai and Homemade Squash Ravioli with herbed butter sauce . It was good but the pasta was a little thick (obviously I didn't roll it out thin enough). It was so time consuming and I probably won't do that recipe again...unless I use wonton wrappers instead of making pasta from scratch:-) 2. I am feeling all creative and crafty and am debating making my own kitchen curtains. I don't have a sewing machine so I may have to borrow one...or just buy one:-) 3. TV and internet were out earlier so I started reading The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe. I am halfway through it. Other than the Chronicles of Narnia I like Till We have Faces and Out of the Silent Planet ....oh, and The Great Divorce, The Screwtape letters and Mere Christianity. Ok, Ok, I love anything by C.S. Lewis! 4. I am so ready to go yard sale-ing! I need to decorate a bedroom and find a kitchen island/ bar and barstools. I'm thinking a yard sale is the way to find it! So, yard sale buddies (you know who you are), be prepared to go shopping in a couple weeks!...if you want to join me that is:-) 5.Choices, choices. In June our youth group is going to Kentucky again and although I really want to go, I am thinking maybe I shouldn't...for one thing I don't want to leave the new girl at work all by herself (whoever she is...we haven't hired anyone yet...grrr) . And I'm want to save as much vacation time as I can.

On hold

I've been meaning to blog about this for a while now but just seems to be forgotten every time I log in to write... My flying lessons have been put on hold. I feel unfocused in that area and it makes me a little sad. Maybe that is why I don't think about it so much. The main reason I had to put them on hold was a financial reason. Of course I think that if I REALLY wanted to pursue this I would find a way. Does it mean I really don't want to or is it that I'm busy with other things in life that should take priority over learning to fly? In May I am planning on heading up to Waxhaw, NC for JAARS day (www.jaars.org) to see the bigger picture of mission aviation. Maybe it will spark something in me:-) Anyway, that's it. Just needed to write about it:-)

Once you know, you have to change

I am really wrestling with myself right now. It may not seem like a big deal, but it is. It's funny how once you know the truth you can no longer hide behind ignorance. The truth: When we choose to sin we choose to allow Satan to manifest his nature through us. Hmmm. So every time I choose to not forgive, every time I choose not to repent I am allowing Satan to manifest his nature through me. Ouch. How many times have I felt justified in my anger and in my accusations? Turns out I'm not justified...I'm walking in sin. Another thing I'm learning is to put blame where blame is due. Too many times we look at life's problems (at least I did) and say "God, why did you allow that to happen?" or "God, you must have had a reason for that" or "God must want me to learn something from this". Some of you will read this next sentence and think 'oh goodness, she's lost it'....I have learned that although God's overall plan will take place, God does NOT always get His will. What?!?! Ok, follow me for just a minute... Is God's will accomplished on earth as in heaven? Do people go to hell? Some perish. We all sin. Definitely not in God's will. The Bible says that it is not God's will for ANY to perish.We are in an all out war. Satan, the enemy, has come to steal, kill and destroy. We must tear down the strongholds of Satan and stop blaming God! Crap happens. Painful things happen to us and to loved ones. But in the midst of that we cling to the One who has overcome. We look to the one who offers life abundant! We learn that freedom is found in forgiving. One of the things that has been taught to me recently is that EVERY good and perfect gift is from God! If it is not good and perfect it is not from God. Once I REALLY realized that ,it makes discernment so much easier! So, this feeling of annoyance that I feel entitled to right now? Do I forgive or do I cling to entitlement? If I want to be forgiven, I will forgive.