Jill's House - Celebrating Special Children

I have had the joy of attending McLean Bible Church for almost 6 years, under the teaching of Pastor Lon Solomon.  Lon is a powerful preacher and teacher, and his personal life story is an incredible testament to God's grace!

A huge part of the Solomon family's story is their daughter Jill.  I won't tell the entire story, but you can listen to Lon share about "Being Jill's Father."  Jill is now in her early 20's but requires care 24/7 - her life has presented many challenges for the Solomon family, but her life is beautiful and unique in God's special way.  

Here's a little about Jill's House:

Jill's House provides respite for children with intellectual disabilities and their families in the Greater Washington, DC area. We serve boys and girls, ages six through seventeen, with intellectual disabilities without regard to race, religion, or ethnicity. Our mission is to be a safe haven to which parents can entrust their children, allowing the parents a time of rest. To ensure that parents and caregivers get a real break, typical siblings are welcome to stay at Jill’s House. 

We believe that parents of children with intellectual disabilities need more support. Our hope is that our model will help change the way communities address the needs of families with children with special needs.

Through Jill's House, God has used Jill Solomon and her family to make an incredible impact on so many people!

Where do I come in?  Well, it's very minor BUT on October 26, my sister and I are running the Marine Corps Marathon 10K race with Team Jill's House.  We're running to raise money and support for this amazing place and the special children it serves!

If you're interested in donating, you can do so here on my Jill's House personal fundraising page.  BUT, even if you just check into Jill's House and spread the word, that would be great!  Ty Pennington even loves Jill's House!  He recently awarded them the Ultimate Give Back Challenge - check it out!

God can turn tragedy into something very beautiful.  Jill's House is a beautiful example of that - at the very least, listen to Lon's story and be inspired.  Whatever you're going through, God is sovereign over every detail.

*I should also provide the link to Michelle's fundraising page too!  She will likely beat me in running, so I need to beat her in fundraising!

Morning Majesty

This week I have to remind myself of the old adage, "April showers bring May flowers" - it's already been raining for two days straight and is supposed to continue all week.  We've gotten a taste of spring, and yet today it's been feeling like winter again!

Since I was stuck indoors tonight, it was a good opportunity to get out my cherry blossom pictures from a few weeks ago and revel in the beauty again.  This year, we visited the Tidal Basin at sunrise - it is absolutely worth losing a few extra minutes of sleep in the morning.  From now on, I plan to skip the crowds during the day and only visit in the morning - it was glorious!

I'm still working on my photography skills, but even just using the auto functions captured some absolutely beautiful scenes!

Hopefully, all of this rain is just preparing us for another round of flowering trees and flora!

"Almighty God Hath Created the Mind Free"

There's been a whirlwind of discussion the past few days, surrounding Tuesday's oral arguments at the Supreme Court in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby and Sebelius v. Conestoga Wood.  Well, more like a whirlwind the past 3 years as dozens of similar cases have been going through the courts.

I braved the freezing temps and snow to speak up for religious freedom while the cases were being argued! 

While Hobby Lobby's Green Family has been much more outspoken, I think this quote from Conestoga Wood's CEO Steve Hahn sums it up perfectly.  He begins, "We didn't pick this fight."

As I've been reading through commentary on the cases and the issue, I came across this article from a recently discovered website called, "Think Christian" - "Hobby Lobby's High Horse."

This particular statement prompted me to respond:

"By seeking to deny its employees the opportunity to exercise their own religious freedom, Hobby Lobby’s owners are elevating their personal beliefs (Scripturally tenuous ones, I might add) above a “moral good” for society at large. In a pluralistic setting, that’s sitting on an awfully high horse."

I've cut and paste my comments below:

Josh, I appreciate that your being thoughtful about this and willing to dialogue but I am getting frustrated by the Christian voices who are essentially making fun of Hobby Lobby and accusing them of being on a "high horse" You in fact, call their views "Scripturally tenuous ones". Look, I am a 20 something female, and I don't oppose most types of contraception. However, I cannot ignore science - that life begins at conception (check out the Endowment for Human Development) and that certain drugs and devices (the 4 that the Hahns and Greens object to) can cause early abortions: (Side note - less and less late term abortions are happening (praise God) and the real debate on abortion will be with chemical abortions that are happening at earlier and early stages, so this dialogue is going to continue.)

I would LOVE to start my own business one day - so do you really mean to tell me that if I'm able to do that, I should participate in/pay for/encourage something that I believe absolutely contradicts my conscience (murder of unborn babies)?  I think everyone keeps missing the point too, that the government has to show "compelling interest" that Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood must comply with this mandate. For instance, if they were making claims of religious liberty to not provide health care at all, or not hire women, or insert another ridiculous example, of course that wouldn't fly and would violate various anti-discrimination laws. However, when these drugs can be picked up at Wal Mart, CVS, Walgreen, etc it doesn't quite seem as much like a "violation of women's rights" for the company to not provide it, does it?

I also was going to point out that Hobby Lobby pays much more than the minimum wage, but I see someone else did.  Now maybe we can continue to disagree on this particular issue, but can't we agree that believers, and people in general, must answer to their own conscience?

One other thing I'd like to add - while this case has the specifics of an Evangelical and Mennonite family and their religious faith - it is about conscience.  Do not all CEO's have some sort of belief system or conscience?

What if the government in the future amended the ACA, that every health plan must include a diet of red meat because the population needs more protein.  Would not a Vegan-owned business object to that? (I just googled Vegan businesses, and apparently there are many! ) Would not those employees be able to get their meat intake elsewhere, easily? So why can't the Vegan business owner be allowed to "obey his conscience."  He or she should be able to! 

That's why the Pilgrims came to the "new world!"  I recently visited the Jefferson Memorial and was struck by one the author of the Declaration of Independence's quotes: "Almighty God hath created the mind free. All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens...are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion...No man...shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion. I know but one code of morality for men whether acting singly or collectively."

Everything about these families faith has informed how they started their business - if I am blessed with that opportunity in the future, it will be the same for me.  You say, "By seeking to deny its employees the opportunity to exercise their own religious freedom, Hobby Lobby’s owners are elevating their personal beliefs above a “moral good” for society at large."  Hobby Lobby has given their employees jobs!  God bless them for creating jobs and giving men and women the ability to work, have dignity, and provide for their families!  A job is not a divine right, nor is a health plan that covers a drug that will kill a baby.

Now all we can do is pray as the judges decide and deliberate.  For a good summary, check out the wise words from the ladies at Women Speak for Themselves.

Virginia's Presidential Trail

My historical/political-love tank got filled to last for a long time this weekend - we were able to visit homes of 4 of the first 5 U.S. Presidents and Founding Fathers.  It's amazing that they're all so close - Charlottesville is only about a 2 hour drive from D.C, and of course Mt. Vernon is about 20 miles south of the Nation's Capital.  What was in the water in Virginia back in the 1700's?  Whatever it was, thank God it was!

Each of these homes was uniquely incredible, and taking a tour not only takes you back to early 1800's, but also into the mind of each of these Founding Fathers.  At Montpelier, the final room on the tour is James Madison's library.  It's just a portion of the 5th President's collection, but as our guide explained, that was where Mr. Madison, father of our Constitution, studied and prepared before traveling to the Constitutional Convention.

Monticello is incredible, not to mention the fact that Thomas Jefferson himself designed it.  Among other things to admire about Jefferson is his humility.  I found this really interesting - his epitaph at Monticello reads: "Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia."   

James Monroe's home, Ashlawn-Highland, is more modest, but equally interesting.  The 4th President had a fascinating life and some amazing artifacts in his home from his time as Secretary of State.

And then there's Mt. Vernon, nestled on the banks of the Potomac.  George Washington was a skilled farmer, in addition to military genius, statesman, and our first President.  He is the perfect example of a leader "for such a time as this."

I've thought this at other times when I've toured Mt. Vernon, and the thought struck me again this weekend - these men were so smart.  Both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison spoke 7 languages!  And not to leave out the women - their wives too!  For example, Dolley Madison wrote the book on conversation, hostessing, and the role of the First Lady.  Their love of learning and making a better world for their countrymen, is inspiring.  My desire to preserve and protect their ideas and ideals of freedom, liberty, and justice for all has been strengthened! More beautiful pictures HERE.

Advent Now and 'Till He Returns

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." - Micah 5:2

I'm not an Old Testament scholar, but from what I understand, 400+ years transpired between the prophet Micah's prophecy -  that the awaited King, the Son of God, would be born in Bethlehem. This is just one of the many prophecies that the people of Israel were waiting upon to be answered. 

But God was faithful and He sent His Son to earth. The years leading to the time may have been dark, and filled wih questioning of his intent but The Lord fulfilled his promises. 

The beauty of Christmas is celebrating the birth of our Savior and treasuring that season of Advent - of waiting for Him. Let's not forget we are now in another stage of waiting - for His return. The world is dark and evil, but our Savior - who came to earth as both God and man- has a perfect plan for all of history. His birth was foretold and The Lord knows when he will come again. 

We can't lose hope, but must press on for His Kingdom. His Birth is cause for reflection and celebration as his period of Advent concludes. May our hearts always be in a state of Advent for his second coming. 

Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation

Surrounding Thanksgiving, there always seems to be a big discussion about what the "first Thanksgiving" actually looked like.  While I find all of those stories and research interesting - and worthy of discussion - I also think it's worthwhile for us to look back at the words penned by our Nation's leaders over the years on prior to and after Thanksgiving became an "official holiday".

A few months after the U.S. Constitution was ratified, the first Congress was seated, and George Washington was inaugurated as the 1st President of the United States, Washington issued a proclamation declaring November 26, 1789 to be a day of thanksgiving and prayer.  I highly recommend reading the entirety of this proclamation (it's brief), available from the Heritage Foundation's First Principles Series.

 

The third and final section is poignant.  Note the elements of praise, gratitude, contrition, and supplication (emphasis mine).  I am continually amazed at the character and the humility of our First President - he was most certainly a man "for such a time as this.  As we approach Thanksgiving, let's remember to be thankful for the blessing of our country, to pray for our leaders and future leaders, and to pray that we get back to these "first principles." 

"...And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

 

Go. Washington"

 

 

The DIY Tie-T-Shirt Blanket

This post is about 5 months late, but I hope it will be helpful to the blogosphere!  It would not have been possible had there not been a reason to make a Tie-T-Shirt Blanket.  But there was.  And his name is Stephen - my "baby" brother who recently graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point.  Needless to say, he is pretty awesome.  And handsome! 

Life as a Cadet at West Point is tough.  But there are some sweet moments and memories, too.  The young men and women who make it through this rigorous college and military training deserve A LOT of credit!  If you can't tell by now, I am immensely proud of our 2013 Army Grad! 

 

Stephen's one request for a graduation present was a t-shirt blanket.  You know - we all collect a million and one t-shirts growing up from school, sports teams, camps, etc and they just collect space in your closet, or the bin that they've been thrown into collects dust in the basement.  (Or maybe your parents threw them all away - in that case, sorry!)  The idea is a great one - use all those t-shirts for a product you'll actually use frequently so you can squeeze every last drop of sentimentality out of your childhood memories.

 

Here was the problem though - none of the women in our family, except for our Grandmas who are past their sewing prime, know how to sew.  I'd love to really learn how (if I had the time), but right now it's just not an option.  So we decided to go with the Tie-T-Shirt option.  I'm happy to report - it turned out great! 

 

 

 

The Tie-T-Shirt option is a really great one if you're looking to get by without a sewing machine (I'll explain later that I did sew a little by hand).  However, we struggled a bit through the process as most of the samples and directions I found online were inadequate.  I am hoping this blog post and instructions will make things easier for anyone who attempts this in the future!

These directions come from http://www.ehow.com/how_12066953_make-blanket-out-tshirts-sewing.html#ixzz2eMEVatLi with my edits and additions in RED.

 

1.  Collect old T-shirts from your own wardrobe or those of family members. You will need 16 shirts for a blanket.  The T-shirts can be slightly worn, but they should still be in good quality, without obvious holes in the material. Look for shirts that bring back memories from childhood or special events that might otherwise be forgotten. Wash and dry the shirts before working with them to create a blanket. The bigger the t-shirt the better - if the pattern is very close to the neckline, it will be a little difficult when you go to tie the squares, but not impossible.  If you have lots of different colors, lay out a design for where you want each t-shirt square.
 

 

 

2.  Measure and mark out 18-inch squares in each T-shirt.  Cut out the squares.   Then cut 3-inch squares from the four corners of each of the 18-inch squares.  This can be challenging if the t-shirts are small, which is likely if they are for kids.  Try cutting as close to the neck as possible.

3.  Fringe the 18-inch T-shirt squares along the edges. Simply cut 3-inch slits about every inch or so along each of the four sides of the square.  Be sure to make the same number of fringes on each square - I'd recommend laying them on top of each other.

3.5.  The directions we found on the Internet did not call for this, but we'd highly recommend it - purchase some sort of backing that can be ironed on to the back of the t-shirts (we just asked for recommendations at Michael's.  This will give a little bit more sturdiness to the t-shirt side of the blanket.           

4.  Attach the squares together by tying the fringe along one side of a square to the fringe along the side of another square.  Repeat this process to make four rows of four squares. Then attach the four rows together in the same manner, by tying the fringe together along the edge of each row.  The result will be a four-by-four perfect square. This is the top of your blanket. The tighter the tie the better - it's a bit like putting together a puzzle!

5.  Cut out a piece of fleece measuring 54 inches to make a soft back for your blanket. From each of the four corners of the square of fleece, cut out a 3-inch square. Fringe the edges of the square by cutting a 3-inch slit for every inch along each edge. Lay the t-shirt squares on top, so that you can line up the slits.

6.  Place the T-shirt top on top of the square of fleece. Check to make sure the faces of the T-shirts are showing. Tie the fringed edges of the T-shirt square to the fringed edges of the fleece backing. Once all four sides have been connected your blanket will be complete and ready for a cuddle.

 

7.  Many of the ties will stick out in all different directions - this is a neat look, but I wanted to make ours a little bit more polished.  I pushed the ends behind the t-shirts, and then did some free-hand sewing to keep it all together - in the back (so do before you tie the fleece backing on!) so that you couldn't see my stiches at all.  You can compare the before and after below:

 

 



8.  Lastly, if you have any blank t-shirts, you might want to add a patch or applique.  We found these at an Army store, which I think, added a great touch!



 

 

I hope this is helpful!  Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like Teacher, Like Follower

It can be funny and frustrating how children grow up and begin to exhibit the traits of their parents.  We of course want our children to pick up our best traits, and can be horrified when they start to demonstrate the bad ones!  Rodney Atkins song, "Watching You," portrays this perfectly.  On the one hand, the little boy bows his head to pray - because that's what he sees his daddy do!  On the other hand, he utters a "four-letter-word" - because that's what he heard his daddy do, of course! 

The chorus, from the little boy's perspective goes: "He said, I've been watching you, dad ain't that cool?  I'm your buckaroo, I want to be like you..." A simple and sweet song, "Watching You" describes how we emulate who teaches us. 

As a follower of Christ, how am I emulating my Maker, my Savior, my Lord?  That's what Francis Chan's Multiply challenges believers to examine.  I'm so blessed to attend a Church that takes this mission seriously - because being a disciple of our Savior - making Him Lord of every aspect of our life is what it's all about.  My small group embarks upon an 8 week study to test ourselves and encourage one another to more closely follow Him, with our crosses, each day, in everything. 

Ephesians 2 so beautifully describes the gift of salvation we've been given - because of God's grace.  We're praying that our Church, and the church, would embrace the full responsibilities of citizenship of His Kingdom - emulating, and being "like Christ" in all we do, by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that others will see HIM through US.  That's how we "multiply."  Lord, may our hearts "want to be like you."

^{Ephesians 2:17} He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Morning Glory

I knew it had been a long time since I did an updated blog post, but almost a year!?!?! Where does the time go?  Life was so slow and wonderful when I was a child...there is still much wonderful-ness to my life but...there are also children being murdered with chemical weapons in Syria, Christians in the Coptic community in Egypt are being killed and their churches burned, and musical entertainment in this country has reached a new low.  Sigh, okay, sorry for the downer, but we can't keep our head in the sand!

Being a news, history, and culture junkie, I can't keep from getting sucked into the headlines and analysis.  Unfortunately, that has left little time for my little blog!  Hopefully this should change.  I've already got a really fun post in the works, so stay tuned...

In the meantime, I wanted to share these lovely photos of a beautiful sunrise this morning in the Nation's Capitol...because, well, they're beautiful!  I've seen many late nights at the Capitol, but I'm not often out this early to start the day!  Many years ago, when I was a young pup working in Congress, I gave Capitol tours (history heaven for someone like me!) and would always point out that Lady Freedom atop the Capitol dome faces east - thus, "the sun never sets on freedom."  I always thought that was so poetic and a reminder of how blessed we are in America! (Of course, a recent court ruling saying that Christians can have beliefs but not act on them, does not bode well for freedom and religious liberty...)

But this beauty invokes another kind of poetry that will never fade - from Lamentations chapter 3, verses 22-23: "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."  That is cause for joy!  No matter what else we might face.

 

 

 

 

The Colors of Fall

How many colors belong in the palette for fall foliage?

This past weekend, as H.H. and I drove back to D.C. from a beautiful wedding of dear friends in Buffalo, New York, that was the question on my mind.  For about 5 hours we drove through the Allegheny Mountains in PA and the colors were G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S.  And it was such a pleasant surprise, for all the time I've spent in my beloved Pennsylvania (including lots of hours of driving) I was not familiar with this drive so it was fun to see some new sights!

We found an absolutely quaint and picture perfect roadside stop where we picked up some pumpkins.  It was soooooooo beautiful.  That's probably annoying and obnoxious to read, huh?  I mean, really how many "o"s do I need?  Well, try spending anytime in nature with me...every single o is needed for emphasis!

The best part, though? 2 large pumpkins, 3 small pumpkins, 5 gourds, and 3 ears of fall corn...all for $17!

So I was just going to post 1 picture, but the colors are just too vibrant and gorgeous not too share.  And I'm starting to learn how to be all artsy-fartsy with my photography!  Really though, how many colors can you pick out on this palette?

 

 

 
 

Have a wonderful fall!  



I am obsessed with the new panoramic photo feature on the latest iOS 6 software (did I say that right?).  It's just so cool!  And to think such a small device is such an incredible camera. 

I took this photo tonight while on my evening jog.  *Side note - since I mention running/working out several times in this blog, one would think I am in super shape and work out every day - don't let that fool you!

The grandeur of the Capitol on a beautiful evening still gets me.  It's such a magnificent symbol of the greatest of our Nation and her people.  But we can't ignore that our culture and principles of our founding are under attack. 

Which reminds me that we need to P.R.A.Y.  With each breath we take.  I once read an interview in which Billy Graham said that his one regret in life was that he didn't pray enough.  Wow, if Billy Graham thinks that - convicting!  But true.

Let's all call on Him in truth.

On Campus

 

Afraid to oversleep.

 

Can't eat much for breakfast because of the knot in my throat.

 

Butterflies in my stomach.

 

Muscles tightening.

 

Fear of finishing last...

 

These were the recurring feelings I felt for four straight years in late August at the first day of "training camp" for the Grove City College women's soccer team.  The very first event was a timed mile run on the daunting track.  You see, soccer players run sprints and long-distance runs - not track - so those laps, with our coaches standing by with a stop-watch, were s.c.a.r.y.  Not too mention, for the last three years, worrying that one of the new freshmen would beat me!  Okay, that happened...my sister :)

 

These emotions rushed back to me as I went for a *jog* on the track at Bowling Green State University in Ohio while on a work trip.  It's been FIVE years since my last soccer season, and NINE since my first season at the Grove - WOW. 

 

It was a gorgeous end-of-summer-autumn-is-approaching evening.  Athletes practicing football and soccer were spread across the field like the numerous clouds in the sky - I could close my eyes and feel like I was back on the field at Grove City, grinding through a long run, tough drills, 120s (sprint after sprint after 120 yard sprint - yeah, not fun).  Somehow I came away with a few practice pics like this one - yes, that's me - sweaty, bloody-kneed, and yes, chunkier, I know.  It was *muscle*.

 

 

GOOD memories.  I had one of those ah-ha moments to remember to treasure every season in life, and not just be fixated on the next.  Women, (ahem, me) are sooooo prone to do that.  How appropriate that I just read Ecclesiastes 3 - "There is an appointed time for everything.  And there is a time for every event under heaven."

 

Oh, and I'm happy to report, I've still got that competitive spirit - clocked my mile at 8:45! And now my body is a-hurtin'. Happy to just reflect on those 3-a-day practice memories for now :)

 

Some gorgous pictures from an early September Grove City game, circa 2007.

One Cupcake to Rule them All

Amazingly, within 90 minutes on a rainy day in DC, we gathered our bounty:

If you missed my earlier post about our great D.C. cupcake challenge, click HERE.  Moving swiftly, we then displayed each cupcake for a feast of the eyes:

After a sliver of almost every one (I swear, only a sliver!), here is the order of our favorites:
Tied for 1st - Sprinkles and Baked and Wired
3 - Georgetown Cupcakes
4- Hello Cupcake
5 - Red Velvet
6 - Crumbs

I had 2 favorites  - a spice cake with espresso icing from Baked and Wired, and this glorious delight - peanut butter chocolate chip with peanut butter icing and chocolate sprinkles, from Sprinkles.  One word - D - Vine.

Now for this week, I will need to do 10 hours of yoga, a full day of spinning, and how many crunches to burn all this goodness off...????

At least we only ate salad for lunch and dinner! 

Okay, hopefully you're not ready to run out the door to the nearest cup cakery, or start baking yourself, but I'm sure you're probably thinking...if I were stranded on a deserted island, which cupcake could I live off of forever...?

For me, now I know!

Preparing for a Sugar Overdose

This will be brief but I just want to set the stage for an epic journey that starts tomorrow...my lovely sister is returning to the Distric and told me that she really wanted a cupcake this weekend.  I had to laugh, becuase I thought - I think that every day!

I assured her we'd make this happen and then began thinking about which bakery we'd go to...there's many to choose from in the Nation's Capital!

I couldn't come up with a firm decision, and that's when the thought struck - why not go to Every.Single.One. 

So here's our plan - we are going to pick up <1> cupcake from each of the most popular places in D.C. - we'll quarter them, have a bite of each, and then....we will truly be able to judge the BEST cupcake in D.C.  Yes, so I know this is not scientific, but it will be delicious.  And we won't have to waste our time eating inferior cupcakes in the future because we will know our FAVORITE place.

So this is what the list looks like:
Georgetown Cupcakes
Sprinkles
Hello Cupcake
Baked and Wired
Crumbs
The Sweet Lobby
Red Velvet

If I've forgotten one, let me know!

And of course, I'll share our experience, after we recover from our sugar overdose...!

Chocolate Raspberry Bourbon Brownies

Photos by B.G

I L.O.V.E. chocolate.  Who doesn't?  And fresh-picked raspberries? They are a sweet summer delight! Oh, and Handsome Hubby (let's forever after refer to him, as H.H, k?) loves him his bourbon.  I don't, but it adds some nice flavor to a dessert!

I modified a choc-p.b. recipe (I know, my favorite combo, but like I said, the fresh-picked raspberries couldn't go to waste) by using a simple raspberry sauce.

I took these to 2 different dinner parties in one weekend (shhh!), and they were a big hit - ENJOY!

RASPBERRY SAUCE:

1 cup of fresh (or frozen) raspberries
1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tbsp. bourbon (my addition)

In a small saucepan stir together cornstarch and sugar. Add water and the raspberries.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to boil. Cook mixture for an additional minute, then remove form heat. Stir in vanilla and bourbon. Let stand until cooled.

 

Did I also mention cream cheese?

 

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY BOURBON BROWNIES

 

Ingredients:

• your favorite brownie batter
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (can be light)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 eggs
• RASPBERRY SAUCE
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cream or milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare the brownie batter and spread into a greased 8×8 baking dish.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, eggs, and sugar. Add the raspberry sauce, adding the cream as necessary to make the mixture more smooth. The consistency should be thick, but smooth enough to easily mix with the electric mixer. Add the vanilla and salt.
3. Pour mixture over brownie batter and marble with a knife.
4. Bake for 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

          (I'd personally recommend underbaking!)

West Coast Trek

Psalm 90:2—"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."


America is FILLEd with works of creation that sing of the creativity and beauty of our great God.  While I'm partial to life on the East Coast, the...3?...times I've been to the West Coast, I have LOVED soaking in the scenery.  On a quick trip to Oregon for a dear friend's wedding, I visited Multnomah Falls - 611 feet of cascading water with the most precious viewing bridge.  And oh yeah, we hiked to the top - let's just say my glutes have been sore for days!

What is AWESOME to think about - that water has been falling for ages - LONG before I walked this earth.  And yet, even before that, our incredible God knew me, and had orchestrated His plans for my life.  The good and the bad - it's all in His hands. 



Photo by B.G, 8/6/12

In Praise of Podcasts

The combination of getting out of work "early" (6:00!), my new PINK exercise shirt, and beautiful evening for a run, made my night just lovely!  My workouts have been transformed by the discovery of the podcast.  I've downloaded tons of sermons from R.C. Sproul and our very own Lon Solomon and I can be infused with God's word and the wisdom of great leaders while I get my body in shape...LOVE technology in this case!

Tonight, as I ran past the Capitol, wondering what the fate is for our beloved country, wondering how much longer I'll be working there, and even why God gave me this job in the first place, the Lord, through Pastor Lon was speaking to me - about His omniscience.  It's always a good thing to be reminded that our God is omniscient: "having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things."  Taking that to heart is freeing on so many levels!  I don't have to worry about the future of America - he's got the whole world in his hands.  No need to fret about future employment - he's preparing me and my path for that.  And I can take heart in the face of a difficult situation - God had it planned before my birth and its for a purpose.  I just need to be obedient in trusting Him to show me His way.

Okay, so I may not have had the most hard core work-out b/c I was so focused on the good word I was hearing, but oh well!  Edification is good for the soul.  And at least I had my pink shirt on :)

Let's cling to Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Looks like a delicious blackberry pie with a little Americana flair - notice the USA cutout in the middle? Well, I have a lot to learn. On my first attempt at photo-cooking-blogging, my dessert was a temporary failure. Frustrating! 6 hours gone and lots of dishes to be cleaned. I guess I know what to do differently next time. While tiring, I do find the cooking/baking process therapeutic - I feel comforted by my creative juices flowing. And when you're given lemons...make lemonade, right?! Actually, I believe that the blackberry mixture - salvaged - may just be perfect for another dessert. Can anyone say, cheesecake...?

Trust and Obey, There is No Other Way

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is an absolutely incredible portrait of trust and obedience. It was awesome to dig down deep into her character and life over December and January as we celebrated the birth of our Savior. Mary DECIDED to obey God when she willingly accepted the role as Mom to Jesus, despite having to deal with the stigma of being an unwed mother, and all the trials that would go along with his life. And yes, it was a conscious decision she made, but we know that she must have lived a godly lifestyle - what a witness at such a young age! - because she was highly favored by God. WOW. So it was natural inclination to obey.

That's a powerful example to me. I need to be cultivating a life of obedience. What does that mean? Daily prayer and meditation and studying of the Word. And daily DECISIONS to obey - not speaking a bad word about someone at work, not worrying over something silly, offering encouragement to a friend when it's inconvenient for me.

And right along with Mary's obedience, was her steadfast TRUST in GOd. Even when the decision to obey comes naturally, a lot of trust is needed on top of that. I am certain Mary must have experienced fear and doubt when Jesus was turned on by his own people and sent to the Cross. But she trusted that when God told her he was the Messiah, that he was true to that.

I know the promises of God's Word, I just need to trust more! Ultimately, I know that nothing can every separate me from his love, and that he is directing my paths. Perhaps I should memorize the words of that great hymn, Trust and Obey, there is no other way and sing it to the Lord when those daily trials arise!

Dealing with Sin

sIn my Sunday School glass with the 5th grade girls today, we were talking about the story of Jesus being tempted in the desert. He had to have been physically exhausted after fasting for 40 days, and yet when tempted multiple times by Satan, he was equipped with Scripture to rebuke the devil. What a perfect, literally, example for us!

God has been convicting me that it is not enough to just get frustrated my by continual sins, ask for forgiveness, and think that I am done with it. Sanctification is a continual process. Jerry Bridges offers a great way to ward off complacency:
-Apply the Gospel
-Depend on the Holy Spirit
-Recongize your responsibility
-Identify specific respectable sins
-Memorize and apply appropriate Sciptures
-Cultivate the practive of prayer
-Involve one or a few other believers with you

I have been most convicted lately about relinquishing my control over my sanctification. I need to let go - I need to completely trust in Christ's power to give me victory over my sin nature. No worldy self-help book will accomplish that.