Here, thanks to Aunt Amelia (who led me to where I found this), is something I've been discovering for myself to be true:
"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.” ... Goethe
Amazing, huh?
Probably I was in my 20's when I first noticed such a difference in widow ladies. Some of them lived lives of sadness or even bitterness while waiting, just waiting, to die. They wished only to step into Heaven to be reunited with their husbands, and oh yeah, to see Jesus, too (that always sounded rather like an after-thought to me).
But the other widows? They got out of bed happy and spent their days spreading contentment to the rest of us. And although they, also, anticipated a heavenly reunion with their husband, they longed most to see Jesus. And in the meantime? All was well. The air we breathed surrounding them felt like Peace--and perhaps it was.
These women, over the decades, have traveled to their reunions, but still I thank them for showing me the difference, for opening my eyes to what can be.
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Here is a simple way to make gift tags.
Here is a make-it-yourself Christmas star.
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” ... Luke 6:38
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So this Thanksgiving we mailed a card and a check to certain RelativesWhoShallRemainNameless and when Tom phoned them on Thanksgiving Day, one of them told him, "We appreciated it but, oh! You shouldn't have done that. You can't afford to give away money now that you are without a job."
Good grief.
It is in giving that we receive. Remember all those sermons from all those church pulpits? Give away nothing and what does that leave God to work with? Nothing. For nothing given = nothing received in return.
Of course, some people get all bug-eyed-hyper and insist, "Oh, but you should never give things away while expecting something in return!," (followed by much tongue-clucking and squinting of eyes).
Oh really? Although I agree it shouldn't be our main motive, (and we shouldn't expect to receive back from that person) I, for one, find nothing wrong in expecting God's principles to work if I put them into practice. As in, be it unto me, even as I have believed. Be it unto me even as I expected God to move on my behalf.
So as for me and my house in these days of unemployment, we will search for ways to give rather than horde out of a fear of lack.
And we will be blessed. Even in 2010. Even in our unemployment.
It's a joy to live supernaturally, as in, spending our days, our few years upon Earth, differently than the majority of the planet. Thinking and acting in an opposite manner brings us some stares, but it also brings exciting experiences with a few miracles tossed into the swirling mix.
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Psalm 5:3
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
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It's a rare day when I share a recipe in my blog, but this one is just so darn magical. As in, it always comes out perfect. You cannot wreck it.
When I found a variation of it online (I've tweaked it) it was called Zucchini Bread. But I've never used zucchini. Instead I've substituted pumpkin puree or bananas or yellow squash. And each time, well, the end product was heavenly. And extremely low in fat and sugar, too, and well, you can't mess this one up. Honest.
So I thought I'd share it here so that you, too, could bake magical dessert bread at your house. :)
Magical Dessert Bread
1 1/2 c. flour (I use whole wheat flour)
1 tsp. cinnamon (or more)
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. allspice (or more)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 c. mashed bananas or pumpkin puree or zucchini or yellow squash
2 tsp. sugar (you can add more)
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. applesauce (unsweetened or any)
1 tbs. flax seed or wheat bran
1.) Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a glass pie dish or square glass baking dish.
2.) Cream together sugar, egg, applesauce and whichever vegetable/fruit you are using. Set aside.
3.) Sift together flour, spices, salt, baking soda, baking powder, flax seed or bran.
4.) Slowly add sifted ingredients to creamed mixture, mixing just until moistened.
5. ) Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until done.
6.) Enjoy! (Makes four good-sized servings.)
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