Monday Madness

It’s (almost) back to normal here – Blogging 101 has ended, Women of Faith is over, Stonecroft planning meeting done. Hubby still congested from sinusitis, but on the mend. It’s time for -da, da daaaaaaa! Monday Madness!

Yes, this will be my new featured post each Monday. Now you can plan ahead to come and read what’s happening (or you can duck and cover- whichever. I won’t tell.) The results of the poll that I posted last week are a split decision, so this feature will have a split personality. Oh, well, no one’s perfect. So, here we go!

Today, I am going to share with you two simple recipes I created this summer while my friends and I are learning about The Daniel Plan for healthy eating. Enjoy!

Simple Salad Dressing – about 51 calories per serving

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1 ounce fresh or 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
Combine all ingredients, and shake well. Makes approximately 4 servings.

Next, do you have too many blueberries? Then try making this topping for waffles, potato latkes, pancakes, etc.

Blueberry Topping – approximately 8 servings, 31 calories per.

1 pint blueberries
2 ounces apple cider or apple juice
Place in a 2-3 cup saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook for about 5-6 minutes, or until thickened. Place in airtight container, and store in the refrigerator. Yum.

Featuring a Regular feature? Maybe!

Dear readers,

This is Day 15 of our Blogging 101 course, and we have been challenged to try creating a regularly scheduled post about something.  Think “Throwback Thursday” on  The Book of Faces.

So, because I value your opinion, my friends, I am opening (my first ever) poll, so that I can find out what YOU enjoy reading about.  Please take a quick moment to answer the questions below, and thank you ever so much.

I Pledge Allegiance

You say I am flawless:

Redeemed, reborn, ransomed, renewed.

In your eyes perfect, I label I scorn..

For why would a king choose me as his own?

How could such a one take up such a part,

while all the time knowing the state of my heart.

There’s nothing at all I can lay at your feet

for all things you given, to my eyes so sweet.

Countries and rulers, kings and their thrones,

they come and they go as the wind blows, I’m told.

So to whom in all this should my allegiance be bound,

but the One who, rising, drove death to the ground!

For in him I am now to be called

holy and righteous, upright and made new –

’tis his deeds have done this, my own are so few.

So I’ll call you Father, Brother and Friend,

but above all else

Redeemer, King, Lord till the end.

(Post inspired by The Daily Prompt)

Blogging 101 -Day 10

I imagine some of my readers are wondering why you are suddenly seeing posts from me so often.  Let me explain.  Two weeks ago, I received an email from WordPress about an online course called Blogging 101.  The course sounded interesting and challenging.  So I signed up.  And it has been both!  Yay!  Today’s assignment is to work on our blogrolls. You know, those little lists at the side, bottom, middle (hopefully not) of the screen which tell you what the writer of the blog reads.  I have been reading so many lately, and the little automated blogroll was looking like “Heinz 57.” (Clarification for non-USA speak:  Heinz 57-a mix of a LOT of things, such as “That dog is sure a Heinz 57!)  So, to the blogroll!

I have been trying to edit and organize my blogroll so that my readers can get a better idea of who I am through what I read and like.  I’ve had some success in changing the Blogroll widget to a Links widget, which I think I like better, because I will be able to feature different blogs as I explore more. But I find it time consuming, since I need to find the web address for each blog, copy, and paste.  I could  have stayed at work and worked on next Sunday’s bulletin!  🙂

But it also allows me to share some non-WordPress blogs that my friends have created, especially my artist friend at Meller Design Studios. I know that a lot of the artists whose blogs I have been reading would enjoy JoAnne’s work. Another of my friends, Maxine, has written a book, so do check out her website at Once Upon A Fable! (Since she is currently working on another book, her blog is not as up to date as usual, but it’s still fun.)

So, gentle readers and fellow Blogging 101 neighbors, I would appreciate your input as to whether this is effective, or distracting, too much or too little!  I plan to experiment more this weekend, except Saturday- it’s @TrentonThunder time!

Who ya gonna call?

Dear reader,

I know you.  You are a seeker of Truth.

You have spent what seems like forever chasing truth and have not found what you seek.  You desire hope, a future, security.  You want to know that you are loved unconditionally, unreservedly.  You want to feel valuable, important, of infinite worth.  You need to know that someone cares for  you and about you.

You want answers.  Is life worth living?  Is there a purpose to why I am here?  Am I supposed to be doing something and if so, what?

I want to tell you that I do not have the answers you seek.  Why?  Because I am the same as you.  I have gone from the good little girl in catechism classes to New Age philosophers. I have wondered about the whys and wherefores (perhaps longer than you!) and not found the Truth on my own. So now what? As John Adams cries out in 1776, “Is anybody there? Does anybody care?”

Yes, someone is and does.  Oh, not me.  I’m in the same boat as you, remember?  You and I need to know where to look, who to call.  And just who, or what, is that?

Well, not the Ghostbusters – while “they ain’t afraid of no ghosts” they broke more things than they fixed.

Hollywood celebrities? I’m pretty sure most of them are looking for answers, too.  Politicians?  They can’t straighten out the world let alone anything else.  911?  Close, but not quite.

Remember when all our phone numbers began with 2 letters, then the numbers? (Guess I just gave you a clue to my age!)  How about trying this number:  JE-33-3.  Oh, you’re not familiar with that number/  Well, the long version is Jeremiah 33:3, and it is often called God’s phone number.

“Call me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things, that you have not known.”

Cool.  There are answers, but we need to take the first step towards finding them – we need to make the call and say, ‘Hey, are your there? Do you hear me?’  And he promises, ‘you will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.’

So, let’s take that first step, let’s make that call,  I will go with you if you want, but you don’t really need me.  The One you really need promised, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  Jesus’ promises are not for a lifetime – they are for eternity.