January 23, 2017

My heart is especially heavy today. I am saddened by yesterday’s events. 

It was crazy at our house and we tried to be as prepared as we could be. The storms were forecasted to be some of the worst in a decade and I believe they lived up to the predictions. 

Life is returning to normal for us here. The kids are calming down and the closet has been returned to it’s normal state. As I pulled the crock pot out and looked for the missing knob I was reminded of how blessed we were yesterday. 

Just an hour or so north of us is a different story. The pictures of the devastation brings tears to my eyes. I also get goosebumps when I see the pictures of the tornadoes and funnel clouds. 

There are people who lost everything. They lost houses and belongings that will never be found in all the debris. More importantly some of them lost family members who can never be replaced. 

It will be a long while before life returns to any kind of normal for many of them. 

So I’m asking that everyone please take a minute and pray for all of those affected by the deadly storms that swept through the south over the weekend. Also take a few minutes and count your blessings, name them one by one, and thank God for everything He has done for you and your family. 

Thank you!

The Two Frogs Tale

This is one of those kinds of stories that I love to read to my kids. A story with a moral that teaches an important lesson. It can be so important for us grown ups to refresh our own memories on some of these morals as well.

One of the traits of being a Godly Woman is learning to control your tongue. Yes, this can be an almost impossible task at times. Sometimes it is best not to say anything at all if you just can’t say anything nice.

We need to remember the importance of using kind words. Words that can encourage others to help them succeed. This story is an illustration of just how damaging words can be and shows how they can indeed make the difference between life and death in certain circumstances.

The Two Frogs Tale

A group of frogs was walking through the woods when two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, “Did you not hear us?” As it turned out this frog was deaf and could not hear what they had been saying. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

So we what do we need to learn from this story? We need to see just how powerful our tongue and our words can be. If we speak an encouraging word to others it can possibly be the motivation that they need and help them to get through a difficult time.

However, if we speak the wrong words it could send them into a downward spiral.

Make a conscious effort today to use your tongue and your words to encourage someone around you. Ask God to help you choose your words and to help you keep your mouth shut when you can’t. Make your words count and use your tongue to bless others in a positive way each and every day!

Pull-Apart Cakes (Cupcake Cakes)

Lately, I have been making pull-apart cakes for birthdays. They are so much easier to serve and so much fun. They can also be a little bit of a challenge to design. Below are some of the cake designs we have attempted so far. Continue reading “Pull-Apart Cakes (Cupcake Cakes)”

Sunflower Pull-Apart Cake

This was the cake I made for Caitlyn’s 10th birthday party. It was a rough day with tornado watches/warnings, lots of wind, and power outages. We needed a little something to brighten our day when the weather was so gloomy. Continue reading “Sunflower Pull-Apart Cake”

Blueberry Oatmeal Bread

I found this recipe a while back but I don’t remember where. I needed to come up with ideas for the blueberries that I had frozen. My kids love this and I normally have to double the recipe to make 2 loaves so everyone can have enough. Continue reading “Blueberry Oatmeal Bread”