Sunday, March 9, 2014

# 1 Good Happenings! (observed in my life today)


....sort of like the glad game I'm just going to suggest we all remember to post nice things that are happening in our lives everyday sometimes the rants and raves the political persuasions and all the other stuff on Facebook can be discouraging but there's so much #encouraging news out there and good things happening..I'll try to be much better at this I hope you'll join me in extending a hand of #appreciation!!

Photo: sort of like the glad game I'm just going to suggest we all remember to post nice things that are happening in our lives everyday sometimes the rants and raves the political persuasions and all the other stuff on Facebook can be discouraging but there's so much #encouraging news out there and good things happening..I'll  try to be much better at this I hope you'll join me in extending a hand of #appreciation!!

Friday, December 6, 2013

A Visit With My Brother

God sometimes we have no words,
Only the void abyss that engulfs us.
I've been to see my brother tonight
and tucked him in
under a blanket of love and a glorious sunset!
I love you Steve.

12-6-2013

Saturday, October 26, 2013

0001 Cooking experiment: Robin's Spicy Applesauce Muffins-Gluten Free and Mostly Sugar Free

Robin's Spicy Gluten Free and mostly sugar free
Applesauce Muffins best served warm or microwave with a wet paper towel wrapped for 20 seconds before serving.
For this recipe I used homemade applesauce (one Cup) so some sugar there. And the brown sugar I used was the Splenda Blend so 1/2 calories but some sugar also. I divided this recipe in half as listed below. However the original recipe from Gooseberry Patch would require doubling the recipe below.
My flour blend includes no wheat or white flour.

Robin's Flour blend: Start with full 1# bags of Bob's Red Mill Meal and Flour Products
combine in a cannister 1/3 bag Almond Meal
                                1/3 bag Coconut Flour
                                1/3 bag Organic gluten free flax meal
                                1/2 bag Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
I just use a whisk and whisk this together and then use it for any recipe calling for traditional gluten flour.
When cooking gluten free I always add approximately 1 scant teaspoon of xanthan gum for lift or fluffier results. I use this combination in place of equal measure of regular gluten flour called for in most recipes.

6 muffins
Preheat over 350 degrees Bake 22 minutes/watch for browning

In a 12 slot muffin pan, stagger the muffin cups and fill the empty cups with about 1/2 inch of water. Adding the water after tapping down the filled cups works best. The added moisture improves the moistness of the muffin.

In a small bowl:
1 Cup Applesauce
1 egg
one half of a 1/3 C. measure vegetable oil (melted coconut oil would be better but may cook in less than recommended time) I say this because I don't have a measuring cup for cutting 1/3 in half :) )
Beat together and set aside.

In a large bowl mix:
3/4 cup Robins Flour blend
1/4 cup equal measure Stevia
1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 tsp allspice
1 scant teaspoon xanthan gum

spritzing the paper cups with Pam may help with removing from cupcake papers.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Looking for the doorway to God!

Doorway to God



(from notes from Kevin DeYoung's Sermons)
Belief and Repentance are the banner over the Doorway to God.

Faith is an instrument of Life

Repentance is an Entrance to Life

Consider we are born by the will of God

There is only one way nothing else by which we come to Christ, it is through faith and repentance.

You may think this is works, faith is not a works and repentance is not a works.

No the Gospel is for all and you simply need to open two empty hands before God, the hands by which you receive the gospel.

One hand

To repent, to say, “God the way I’ve been living my life has not been working and I want your way not my way and I have nobody to blame, I can’t blame my parents ultimately, I can’t blame the system, I can’t blame my country, I can’t blame my upbringing, they’re my sins and I need your grace.

Second hand

Bring the hand of faith. I need Christ. I don’t need a wish and a prayer, I don’t need just positive thinking, I need a real Savior who really died because I have real sins, and He really rose again.

Faith and repentance are the empty hands to receive the gift of the Gospel.

Repentance

to acknowledge all I lack

and

Faith to cling to the only one who can give you what you need.

Perhaps some of us have forgotten what a great privilege it is that you belong to the family of God. Maybe you are very far from your family, maybe far physically, maybe you feel estranged from your family, but to belong to the family of God is a greater privilege than any of us ever deserved. Maybe we’ve forgotten that, we’ve been Christians for a long time, maybe it’s been a long time since we actually repented, maybe we never said we were sorry., we mope around, we feel really bad, we wish we hadn’t done that, but to actually say,

“Oh God, I’ve sinned . I am sorry and I’ve come now to Christ, it’s been a long time for some of us and maybe some of you’ve never done that at all, you felt bad you kind of know you need something, but you’ve never repented of your sins and come to Christ the only Savior.

But,

When you do, when those who are far off, those who are strangers and those outcast:

are brought home.

God says, ”Oh what a Joy to have you a part of my family..

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, oh that we should call you our Father, we were lost and we were strangers, we had no right to be called your children, but you have made a way though your son in his death and resurrection, and when we turn from sin and turn to Christ you don’t just let us in you welcome us in, you take us in, you throw a party to have us, you don’t make us your servant, or slave you make us your sons and daughters, to be a part of your family to have a home here on earth and a home that will last forever!

What great Good News!

Lead us to repent.

Give us the Faith that we might know eternal life, In Jesus Name, Amen

Friday, November 9, 2012

I will post daily from my selections taken personally at the 2012 Grand Rapids Michigan Art Prize. This larger than life bird was created with silverware.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Good smells, good colors, Good God

    You can have your summer pinks and delphinium blues. I love the crimson colors of autumn.
I baked Pecan Caramel Brownies today, and four kinds of squash. Wow the house smells good.
    The colors and the aroma's don't bring the usual tingle. Am I becoming discouraged about these days. The family, the community, the country and the world are discombobulated. It almost turns my insides out at the thought of the hannis crimes of humanity. But in the face of the treachery, Judgement comes, God will judge the next life, later life or today. God will not be mocked. Scripture will be fulfilled. God will have His witnesses. God will have His way. And in the meantime we are called to wait, and scripture demonstrates that in the waiting the people pray.
Note to self: Everything God Plans comes true.
                      Everything God Purposes comes true.
                      Everything that is Is according to God's Providence.
God is the Only always in my life.
God will expose the wicked He has every right to judge sin and He may do it right now!
God's work, God's name, God's Glory will not falter.
We are privileged to speak out His way, His mission, His plan: all indestructible...if he can't count on us he says even the stones will speak, God will find "one" to get His word out. Will it be me? Will it be you?
God loves us, and says love will never fail! Peace to you, peace to me and peace over our planet.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Interesting book to read

..1,200 university presidents and 1,000 CEOs were asked to name the book that had most affected their lives. The Bible was by far the most influential book in this survey of leaders. One in four listed the Bible as the most important book in their lives. The second book on the list - Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities- was named as the most infuluential book by one in twenty-five.




Victor Hugo, author of Les Miserables, observed, "England has two books, the Bible and Shakespeare. England made Shakespeare, but the Bible made England."



Immanuel Kant, one of the world's most influential philosopers, said, "The Bible is the greatest benefit which the human race has ever experienced..A single line in the Bible has consoled me more than all the books I ever read besides."

...

John Quincy Adams treated the Bible as the key education resource in the lives of his children; "So great is my veneration for the Bible that the earlier my children begin to read it, the more confident will be my hope that they will prove useful citizens to their country and respectable members of society."



Understanding the Bible is daunting just because of its size. More than that, it was written in times and cultures very different from our own.

We are all like the Ethiopian treasurere, riding along in his chariot reading the prophet Isaiah. Philip approached him and asked, "Do you understand what you're reading?" He replied, "How can I..unless someone guides me?" (Acts 8:30-31)



This is from the introduction to yet another resourse I am digging into to assist me to understand the bible...

I hope your bible is not dusty, I hope that you find a copy on your bookshelf, I hope you will open it, open your heart...let it speak to you...find your personal peace and consolation! Life is a journey and I have always believed that no organized religious group has the market cornered on the truth, I believe the Bible is a great launch pad to our truth and collective eternal being...consider reading it. Find guides along your way to understanding..

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