A New Word

Yellular - The loudness adopted in response to a bad cell-phone connection in the misguided hope that talking louder will improve it.

~ Words That Don't Exist but Should

Remember Your Creator - Lori Sealy

This CD came out several years ago but it's still one of my favorites. I especially enjoy Remember Your Creator and The Apostle's Creed. Lori's songs are all written based on scripture and she has a nice folksy-soft rock sound that's very easy to listen to. A wonderful way to memorize.

Lori Sealy is the wife of a Presbysterian pastor, mother of two children, living in North Carolina.

REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR
(Eccl 12, Rom 11:36, Gen 1:1, Prov 9:10, Ps 14:1, Mic 6:8, 1 Jn 2:3, Jm 2:17, Eph 2:8-10, Jm 1:22)

Oh dear children, remember your Creator. Remember your Creator in the days of your youth. Fear Him & keep His commandments, that all may go well for you.

For from, through, & to Him are all things. Apart from Him nothing would be. God is Creator of heaven & earth. Creator, Sustainer of you & of me.

The fear of the Lord’s the beginning of wisdom. The fool says God is not there. As wise men walk humbly before your Maker. Standing in awe of Him & kneeling in prayer.

We know we are His if we keep His commandments. Faith without fruit is dead. By grace He saved us to walk in obedience. Hearers & doers of what His Word says.

APOSTLE'S CREED (Apostle's Creed: ca. 2nd century, 6th century - versified anonymous)

I believe in God the Father, Maker of all heaven & earth;& in Jesus Christ, our Savior, God’s own Son of matchless worth; by the Spirit was conceived, of the virgin Mary born, He in whom I have believed: God Almighty - Three in One.

Suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified for me He died; laid within the grave so silent, gates of hell he opened wide; for the stone sealed tomb was empty; on the third day He arose; into heaven made His entry, mighty conqueror of His foes.

At God’s right hand He is seated till His coming, as He said; final judgment will be meted to the living & the dead; I confess the Holy Spirit who was sent through Christ the Son. To apply salvation’s merit - God the Spirit, Three in One.

I believe the church of Jesus, universal, e’er remains; we are one through all the ages, in communion of the saints. I believe sins are forgiven, that our bodies will be raised to eternal life in heaven: ever let His name be praised. - This is what I believe.

You can read about Lori, read her lyrics, listen to the songs and buy the CD on her website.

Lori Sealy.com

What Can I Do For God?

~Elisabeth Elliot

Most of us would like to do something special in life, something to distinguish us. We suppose that we desire it for God's sake, but more likely we are discontent with ordinary life and crave special privileges. When Israel asked if they should offer some spectacular sacrifice--thousands of rams, ten thousand "rivers of oil," a firstborn child--the answer was, "He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Mi 6:8 RSV).

There is nothing conspicuous about those requirements. It is not a "special" service for which one would be likely to be decorated or even particularly remembered. But it is worth more to God than any sacrifice. Lord, deliver me from the delusion of imagining that my desire is to serve You, when my real desire is the distinction of serving in some way which others admire.

~A Lamp for my Feet

Little Children Come to Me

Pastor Doug Wilson has an excellent article on children in worship:

Blog and Mablog

His wife, Nancy, also has one posted on little ones in church:

Femina

Birthday Cupcakes

We celebrate a lot of birthdays during the month of July. To change things up a bit we alternate with cupcakes and I love the Magnolia Bakery recipe.

The New York bakery opened in 1996 by Allysa Torey and Jennifer Appel. They came up with the idea of cupcakes because they were making smaller cakes instead of the usual 9 inch, had extra batter left over and didn't want to waste it. They would bake them after hours, people walking by would stop and even though they were closed would beg for one, the owner gave in and so the cupcake craze began. The cupcakes are so popular there's a limit of 12.

From Food Network:

Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcake - Allysa Torey

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup

(2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream:

The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners' sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Yield: enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 (9-inch) layer cake

NOTE: Half the icing recipe there will be more than enough.

Prepared for Sacrifice

It is the habit of making sacrifices in small things that enables us for making them in great, when it is asked of us. Temper, love of preeminence, bodily indulgence, the quick retort, the sharp irony, in checking these let us find our cross and carry it. Or, when the moment comes for some really great service, the heart will be petrified for it, and the blinded eyes will not see the occasion of love.
~Anthony W. Thorold

Galatians 5:13-14 By love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

~ Joy and Strength

His Everlasting Arms

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

~Deuteronomy 33:27

Ben Home with the Lord

Thank you all for praying for Ben. Please continue to pray for comfort and strength for the entire Entwistle family.

Ben Home with the Lord -Roy and Judy

Prayer Request for Ben Entwistle

Please pray for Ben, son of Dan and Lynda Entwistle, old friends of ours who are missionaries in Africa. Ben has been here in the States attending college. He recently traveled to Africa to visit family and became very ill, suffered a stroke and has been air lifted to South Africa for surgery.

Please pray for Ben and his family - Dan, Lynda, Jesse, Lucy, Michael and Seth

You can find updates at http://www.benentwistle.com/

Check Your Grumbling

One valuable way of practising self-control is in checking grumbling, and an unnecessary display of vexation at petty inconveniences. A workman has fulfilled his task imperfectly, some order is wrongly executed, some one keeps you waiting unreasonably; people are careless or forgetful, or do what they have in hand badly. Try not to be disturbed; be just, and show the persons to blame where they are wrong, even (if it be needful) make them do the thing over again properly; but refrain from diffuse or vehement expressions of displeasure. A naturally quick, impetuous person will find that to cultivate a calm external habit is a great help towards gaining the inward even spirit he needs.
~H. L. SIDNEY LEAR

Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputing.
Proverbs 25:28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

A Natural Treasure

Hemmed-In-Hollow Falls, the highest waterfall in Mid-America, is a spectacular piece of nature in the Buffalo National River area. This is considered a complicated area to access.

~Tour Guide 2008

I do have to say the hike was beautiful, although it was a bit long, steep and hard. Once there, the hollow is in a valley closed in on three sides by 200 foot bluffs, the waterfall is 209 feet high. It took us 5 hours 15 minutes to get in and then back out. The 1200 foot climb down was a little more tricky because of the rain that had made it pretty slick. Coming back it had dried some and was much easier for all of us.

We didn't know it at the time and wouldn't have had the time or strength but on the same bluff line is Diamond Falls, the second tallest in the state at 148 feet. Maybe another day-

Serve His Will

IF you love Him as I want you to do, you will offer Him the whole use of your day, as you open your eyes to the light of each morning, to be spent in active service or silent suffering, according to His good pleasure. You will not select the most agreeable task, but His task, whatever it may be; you will not disdain humble service, or be ambitious for distinguished service; you will lie, like a straw, on the current of His will, to be swept away and be forgotten, if it pleases Him, or to be caught up by His mighty hand and transformed thereby into a thunderbolt.

~Elizabeth Prentiss (1818-1878)

And, whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. ~Colossians 3:23

Unite My Heart

IF thou but suffer God to guide thee,
And hope in Him through all thy ways,
He'll give thee strength, whate'er betide thee,
And bear thee through the evil days;
Who trusts in God's unchanging love,
Builds on the rock that nought can move.
~GEORG NEUMARK

Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy truth; unite my heart to fear Thy name.

PSALM 86:11

The Prophecy

When I first met my husband he told me,"It always rains on the Fourth of July." I've known him for about 25 years now and he's never been wrong about it. Guess what? Right now it's pouring down rain outside! Showers & thunderstorms in the forecast -

Kids Pick 3 Day Trip #3

My husband came up with the idea to let each older kid plan a 3 day trip. He gives them a budget and they have to decide where to go, make hotel arrangements, plan activities and purchase any tickets needed. They're also in charge of meals. Gas in on Dad!

It's been fun to see how each one spends the money. A nice hotel, restaurants for all meals, shopping and visiting museums or deciding to spend more on activities, less on the hotel, and buying groceries instead of eating out.

Our last trip was one that was fun for all children, young and old alike!

Construction - In Progress

A little godly wisdom goes a long way toward building a house, and a little foolishness slows the construction process down.

Wisdom loves to repent and is eager to extend forgiveness to others.

~Nancy Wilson, Femina

Proverbs 14:1 The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands.