Take My Yoke Upon You

I woke up this morning with this scripture and I wanted to share it with you, 

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, 

for I am gentle and lowly in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  

Matthew 11:29-30

Blessings on your day!

Sunday Scripture

"Even as He chose us in Christ
before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and blameless in His sight,
even above reproach, before Him in love.
For He predestined us as His own children through Jesus Christ,
in accordance with the purpose of His will."
Ephesians 1:4-5

Delicious Caramel Corn!

I invite you to visit the blog Girl.Inspired where I found this fabulous recipe for caramel corn. I have made this 3 times since I found it. It is really addicting and disappears really quickly in my house of 6 people! It's a great treat during the fall. Although, don't be afraid to use the dark corn syrup because the caramel flavor in it just enhances the flavor. Also, don't try making the caramel in the microwave if you are in a hurry. It turns out much better if done on the stove (yes, I am speaking from experience!) This is a great snack to munch on while reading, watching TV or taking with to a your favorite game. The hardest part is waiting for it to bake!

Enjoy!

I hope Garfield isn't coming for dinner . . .

A friend of mine recently gave me this yummy recipe for Crock Pot Lasagna. It is super easy to make and it smells delicious while it cooks. A little prep time after lunch is all that's needed to be rewarded with a delicious meal at dinnertime.

Crock Pot Lasagna

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 29 oz can tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 8 oz pkg. lasagna noodles, broken in medium pieces
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Cook beef, onion and garlic. Drain. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, salt and oregano. Mix well. Spread 1/4 of the meat sauce in 5 qt. slow cooker. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the meat. Combine cheese. Spoon 1/3 over noodles. Repeat layers twice. Top with meat sauce. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until noodles are tender.

My boys have been huge fans of Garfield; the comic strip cat with attitude. They always look for Garfield books at the library. They can re-read them a million times. No kidding. To their delight they just discovered all the comics online. So, while eating their cereal in the morning they read him on the laptop. It's pretty cute. If that wasn't enough they also enjoy THE GARFIELD SHOW on TV after school. What does Garfield have to do with lasagna, you ask? Well, let's just say it's his favorite food.

What's cooking in your kitchen today?

Sunday Scripture

"For I am persuaded beyond doubt
that neither death nor life, . . .

nor height nor depth,
nor anything else in creation
will be able to separate us from the love of God
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38-39

Bibs, Blankets and Blocks, Oh My!

I completed my shower gift for our dear cousin who is expecting in November. They are adding a girl to their family of 2 boys. They are all so excited! The mom choose this modern circle flannel. This is the second time I've been able to make baby items from this fabric. It was a pleasure working with it, again. I think in large part because the colors are so soothing. I love the combination of pink and brown together. Mom will be receiving a set of burp cloths, blocks with rattles inside, and a large receiving blanket. I remember the receiving blankets I used for my boys and how quickly they outgrew them! My boys averaged 9lbs so tiny wasn't in our vocabulary! The one I made is as large a square as I could get it (about 40x40".)

I made a swaddler as well. I would have loved one of these when my boys were babies. I had at least one colicky child and I had trouble keeping them wrapped in a blanket. The swaddler is designed to snuggle babies arms and legs so they feel like they are still in the womb. It is very soothing to them. I love how people are always inventing new ways to make mothering easier (not easy, just easier.)

Ribbon blankets are fairly new to me, too. They are a quick and fun project to do. I used a minky fabric on the bottom. That has to be the softest fabric out there - I really love it. The blanket has one longer ribbon to hold onto a pacifier.

What little baby doesn't need a bib?
( Attached to it is a pacifier clip.)

We can't wait to welcome the new addition into the family!

Blessings on your day!

The Great Physician

Today I have been meditating on healing scriptures and God 's "great physician" character. A couple of weeks ago I developed an extremely itchy rash. It was a mystery to me what caused it. My husband kept saying it was poison ivy but I hadn't been in the woods (or so I thought.) But, then I remembered taking my son's picture on a walk and I went back to examine the plants near it and sure enough there it was! My husband was right (prior experience lets just say!) It itched so bad and spread very quickly. Well, today it is nearly gone and I am so thankful to the Lord!! I believe healing comes from God and it is truly a wonderful gift to receive. Doctors do a wonderful job in aiding the body in healing but trusting in God as the Healer is Kingdom thinking.

So if you ever so this . . .

run from it!! Seriously!

Healing is also on my mind for my Dad who recently was told about cancerous cells in his prostate. I am also praying for Bowen's healing (son of lead singer from the band Santus Real.) He was born with a heart defect. If you go to his website you can keep informed of Bowen's progress. Reading it always moves me to tears.

I had a wonderful bible teacher in Michigan who referred to Psalm 103 as the "benefits chapter." She suggested reading it every morning because it has a way of aligning our thoughts with God's truths. In fact the psalmist, David, even says "do not forget all His benefits."

I'm going to leave you with a portion of the Psalm . . . you may need healing or someone you know does.

Psalm 103: 1-5
"Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction.
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Does it get any better than His promise to forgive all of our sins and heal us of all our diseases? Wow!!!