No, I Didn't Disappear

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."   ... Isaiah 55:12


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Still here!

It's just that ol' Debra is having an interesting and dare I say--fun--time becoming a full-fledged prepper.

No, not the wild, gonna-build-me-a-bunker kind. 

But since I've already mentioned this, I'll not bore you with more. It all feels very led-by-God, for the peace and inspiration keep flowing. Yet in other areas whenever I'm led only by my head? Talk about fizzle. Fast.

Anyway, there are free prepper kindle books at Amazon. Check them out if you dare.  :) I'm having a grand ol' time being instructed and stretched outside of my usual oh-hum box. 



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Oh, the humidity! 

And in September. What's up with that?

But this is supposed to be our last ridiculous day (hallelujah) so perhaps soon I'll be able to be all foolhardy and sit outside and read again(!)

Being old yard sale die-hards, Tom and I slogged through a few this Labor Day weekend in spite of the heat and I came away thrilled to find this tickled-me book:

... which was aimed at a younger audience than I'm used to, but Judy was such a hoot (and reminiscent of Ramona) that I didn't mind. What a treat.

Also, I found Pearl, by Lauraine Snelling which you can read about here. 

And it seems like I lugged home more books, but can I find them? No. Sigh.

Stay tuned.

(We spent much of our holiday weekend at home in our cool house, but as I told Tom, if I had to be 'stuck' inside the house, I'd prefer to be stuck with him over anyone else.)



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What's Cooking in my Crockpot Today?  Pork Stew


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Tom and I are still shocked at how much we're enjoying the clever, creative show called Granite Flats. Wow. Incredibly unique. (We're watching Season 3 now.)


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Free Kindle books:


Murder at the Book Fair

The Ranchers

Harebrained: It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time


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Yes, I Pray About Everything. Sue Me.

"Don't worry about anything; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."   ... Philippians 4:6


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So I read this Christian-based article which blasted the new movie, The War Room. Yes, really. (After reading, I thought, "Big surprise why we don't see as many miracles as in the days of old." Also, I recalled this verse: "However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" )

Good grief. People online make me tired sometimes.

Anyway, if you want to build your beliefs around every ''but-their-prayer-wasn't-answered testimoany testimony" instead of the Bible, go for it. If you insist preaching doubt and snatching peoples' hope is the way to go, well, good luck with where that takes you.

Me? I'll keep praying for the safety of everyone I know and that my new, untried cake recipe turns out ok. That God will draw my loved ones supernaturally closer to His heart and that the final three wasps will leave our front porch.

I'll pray for peace in Jerusalem and for spending my money wisely at the supermarket. I'll pray for revival amongst our political leaders and that Sammy the Cat will stop scratching at Tom's door every morning. Oh, and that God will take this dreadful humidity away.

And I'll keep believing my prayers will be answered, not be all over the board, double-minded, complicated, unstable in all my ways.  (James 1:8)

After all, Jesus, Himself said:

"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."

And then there's this:

"And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart."   ...Luke 18:1


And He and the Bible said lots more here.

I'll keep believing that God would rather that we ask, than not ask, going forth foolishly in our own so-called strength, instead.

You have not because you ask not. 

Yeah, sometimes we 'ask amiss'. Ok. But even there, God will kindly show me where my heart went wrong, then give me more wisdom for next time. He helps me grow-up, doesn't ridicule me for not being there yet. No one else teaches, corrects and molds us like He does--with conviction, not condemnation. With patience, not exasperation.

But whatever, I'll keep praying, naturally, like breathing. Like a child who tugs at her dad's sleeve when she needs something, believing he'll provide for those needs. Without ever even imagining the Genie Jesus thing. Heaven forbid! 

No, I'll keep believing and expecting and asking like crazy. About e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Whether people judge or curl their lip in derision.

And because of such an awesome Father (who knows and is best), I'll keep experiencing joy in the morning. 

All of them.

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"I'd rather believe for a lot and get half of it than believe for a tiny bit and get all of it."   ... Joyce Meyer


Pessimistic Christians are like fingernails shrieking down the blackboards of my mind.

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What's Cooking In My Crockpot Today?   Italian Vegetable Beef Soup


And here's the aforementioned cake recipe I tried this week. (It had been decades, literally, since I'd used a whole stick of butter in a recipe. I figured we were due. heh.) Tom absolutely loved this super-easy apple cake. I used a white cake mix since that's what I had on hand. 

A special thanks to my buddy, Dolores, for sharing the recipe at Facebook!

 AUTUMN APPLE CAKE heart emoticon

Ingredients:
5-7 apples
1 (9 ounce) package yellow cake mix
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 stick real butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F
Fill your 9x12 pan 1/2 full with apples which you've peeled, cored and sliced thin
(peeling is optional)
Sprinkle the apples with dry cake mix
Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the cake mix
Melt butter and drizzle over
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown

Can be served with ice cream, if desired. You can also use other fruits for this cake... yummmmy
ENJOY!!

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Free Kindle Books:


The Lady and the Mountain Man

A Lady in France

Waterfall:  A Novel


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"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."...Mark 11:24

Your Best Day, Ever? It's Available Today.

"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken..."   ... Hebrews 12:28


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"I wish I'd known, then, how good things were."


That's a line from the awesome book I finished reading yesterday--Pulse. (Not a book for, uh, wimps, though, may I add.)

So often God whispers, "Treasure and enjoy what you're doing right now. Things won't always be as they are today."

Uh-oh!

But rather than concentrate upon just what does He mean by that last part(?!), I choose to simply obey the first. 

I find such joy and satisfaction in having straightened rooms when Tom arrives home from work and peeking inside a crockpot filled with a steaming meal.

I pause while folding clothes and play with the cats or water tomato plants then touch their leaves and sniff my fingers. I anticipate weekends when we'll walk through estate sales, yard sales and chat with friendly locals.

When I've finished mowing the lawn I celebrate with a kids' novel out on the front porch, glancing up to view my tiny world going by, basking in the fresh-cut-lawn scent. Tom and I watch good tv shows together and often one of us will, out of the blue, tell the other, "I love you."

The leaves way up on the trees outside our picture windows. My little bed surrounded by books in a corner upstairs. Our red couch against the green wall.

And most of all, my days with a very real sense of God's calming, remarkable presence which turns the most mundane tasks into something memorable.

Some future day I won't have to wish I'd known how good things were. This is something I know already--and am seeking to know on an even deeper level. 

Loving the now, this simple moment with God, changes everything. Makes wishing for better days a rare, rare thing. Indeed.

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Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."   ...Psalm 34:13, 14



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Thought some of my fellow decor-loving friends might enjoy this post which Mike from American Pickers shared:  Beauty in Brokenness. 


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Here's a feature I'd like to add to my posts: What's Cooking In My Crockpot Today.

And what is cooking in my crockpot today?  Beef enchilada mix.

Yesterday was barbecued chicken. Monday was tamale pie.



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Free Kindle Books:

The Lady and the Mountain Man

A Lady in France

Waterfall: A Novel

A Song for Bellafortuna

Rocky Mountain Angels

Past Forward

Deeply Devoted

Decluttering the Clutter




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"And be ye thankful."