Little Girl's Tea Party

The invitations were sent.

The table was set.

The guests arrived.

J.O.Y.

Joining the Gratitude Community today with my list of thanks.
Want to know the reason for the numbering?
Click here.

361. Tea parties with happy little girls

362. A little girl of our own to do these things with!

363. Little girl laughter ~ in abundance!

364. Beads to string into pretty necklaces and bracelets

365. Twister ~ games to play

366. Patience extended to me by a little guest when I drop her beads ~
T.H.R.E.E. times! :)

367. Little girls in dresses

368. British traditions that can be passed on

369. Rooibos Tea ~ yum!

370. Mummy friendships that flourish with the knowledge
that we are in this together!

371. Eleven little voices around the table

372. Boys that kept themselves occupied while the party was on
and Dad was out (at a funeral) ~ Mum had a *few* things to keep busy with! :)

373. Imaginations put into action

374. Joy in the small things ~ they really are the B.I.G.

375. Sunny days

Challenge No. 8

Challenge no 8 is sponsored by Fresh Brewed Designs which is owned by the wonderful Heather Dennis.  I asked Heather about herself and FBD and here is what she had to say....

Hi. I am Heather Dennis. I am a homeschooling mother of 2 wonderful children, the wife of 12 years to the love of my life, a Christian and the owner of Fresh Brewed Designs.  I have loved to draw and create ever since I was a child. My daughter has inherited my love of art and recently inspired me to start creating again.
All the images in my shop are hand drawn. I offer a wide range of images from coffee, cute and inspirational.I also  love to create custom drawn images, so if you are looking for anything in particular, please feel free to drop me an email.

The prize up for grabs is a $10 gift certificate to spend at Fresh Brewed Designs and our theme this time is 'Fancy Folds'.  By that we mean anything other than a basic bi-fold card.  Of course there's also the golden rule of being for a man/boy.

The challenge is open until midnight BST (British Summer Time) on the 25th April 2010 and the rules are

1. The card must be for a man/boy.
2. You need to follow the theme/sketch that is set.

3. It must be a new card.

Leave your name and a direct link to your entry (not just to your blog) in Mr Linky at the bottom of this post.  If Mr Linky is not there for some reason then leave the details in the comments and I'll add you in when I'm doing the draw.

I made a but of a 'booboo' this week and neglected to give the Design Team all the details until yesterday when Shirley prompted me for the missing information.  Consequently, some may be a bit delayed in posting their card but here are some initial ideas for inspiration.

Shirley

Viv

Donna

Issy

Pat

I'll add in the other DT cards as I get them but hopefully we've given you some ideas.  The details are on each person's individual blog.

Our Plum Tree ~ Thoughts...

In our back yard we have an old growth fruit bearing plum tree ~
it's glorious at this time of the year with all it's lovely blooms.
It reminds me of a favourite passage of Scripture.
I have quoted it below ~
I pray that it might encourage your heart as it does mine!



Psalm 1

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD;
and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither;
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so:
but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous:
but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

~ Holy Bible ~

Lesley's Gingersnaps

As promised (to a couple of friends) ~
the recipe for Lesley's Gingersnaps!
Be forewarned ~ these go quickly...
But they do freeze well (if you can get them there) ~
I dare you to try! :)

Lesley's Gingersnaps

1 & 1/2 cup softened Butter
1 & 1/2 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 cup Fancy Molasses
1 tsp. Vanilla

Cream the above five ingredients together.
Stir together the following ingredients and add to the creamed mixture.

4 cups Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
4 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1 & 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
3/4 tsp. Ground Cloves
3/4 tsp. Ground Ginger

Refrigerate dough for a few hours to make it easier to handle.
Form into one inch balls and roll in sugar.


Place on baking sheet and bake at 350* F for about 15 minutes.


The length of baking time will vary according to the size of the cookies.
Cookies will flatten as they bake ~ so be sure to leave room.


This recipe makes over 100 cookies ~
you might like to cut the recipe in half
if you don't want to fight off the temptation to eat and eat and eat! :)

~ ENJOY! ~

Provisions

Thankfulness is contagious and very liberating! How wonderful to stop and think of HIS everyday provisions for us ~ blessings upon blessings! Joining with the Gratitude Community this week with my list of a few of the things HE has recently provided ~ oh how much longer the list could be!!

One thing we seem to ALWAYS need is new shoes!
We are an active family.

The boys play street hockey, we walk/jog at the beach frequently,
there are dog walks and the paper route to do.

Many miles get logged on the runners and they are ready for the garbage when the children are done with them! It has not been unusual for there to be HOLES in the soles (and other parts of the shoe) at the point of their dismissal from this home.
Runners cannot even be passed on from one child to the next ~
consequently, this is where much of our clothing budget goes.

R.U.N.N.E.R.S.

Sunday shoes get passed on.
Sandals get passed on.
Boots get passed on.
But runners, well, they say a picture speaks a thousand words ~
so here are some pictures to explain...


Notice the tread (or lack thereof)?
These were only worn for four months!


The Lord provides.
How wonderful to see this in action!

Over the years HIS provision has come in a variety of forms ~
Hand-me-downs.
Second Hand stores.
Gifts.

Well, this past week it came via a sports store
South of the Border that we visited on our shoe-finding mission.

All the necessary sizes were available.
And all the shoes (above) were on sale ~

S.I.G.N.I.F.I.C.A.N.T.
sale!

We were in and out of that store within about 30 minutes.
The LORD not only provided the shoes, but HE did it all in ONE store and in very little time! Time is money (or so the saying goes) and it felt wonderful that the time was well spent. When we got back to the van after our purchases, we prayed and thanked HIM from Whom all blessings flow.

356. Runners and more runners and the money to buy them with!

357. God's provisions the large and the "small"

358. That HE knows how much time we have and that time is precious,
so HE provides in a timely manner ~ never too late, always on time!

359. Knowing that if we don't find what we were looking for,
maybe we didn't need it after all!

360. Resting in the fact that HE knows BEST!

Want to know the reason for the numbering?
Click on this link.

Would you like to share how the Lord has recently provided for you?
It would be a blessing and an encouragement to hear ~
feel free to tell us in the comments! :)

Many Blessings,
Camille

Christ, The Lord, Is Risen Today!

Christ the Lord, is risen today;
Halelujah!
Sons of men and angels say
Halelujah!
Raise your joys and triumphs high;
Halelujah!
Sing, ye heavens and earth reply:
Halelujah!

Love's redeeming work is done;
Halelujah!
Fought the fight, the battle won.
Halelujah!
Death in vain forbids Him rise;
Halelujah!
Christ hath opened Paradise.
Halelujah!

Lives again our glorious King;
Halelujah!
"Where, O death, is now thy sting?"
Halelujah!
Once He died our souls to save:
Halelujah!
Where's thy victory, O grave?
Halelujah!

Soar we now where Christ hath led,
Halelujah!
Following our exhalted Head;
Halelujah!
Made in Him, like Him we rise;
Halelujah!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.
Halelujah!

Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

Easter Thoughts...

Just some thoughts this Easter about the LORD Jesus Christ
and what He came to this earth to accomplish...

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life."
John 3:16

The Lord Jesus was not just a good man...He is God incarnate ~ God in the flesh.
He came that HE would free HIS people from their sins and the required punishment for them and eternal separation from God.

Are you following Him? Is He your Saviour and LORD?

As long as you are still alive on this earth it is not too late! Come to Him and be saved!
What a blessing to repent and turn to the Saviour at Easter time!

Want to know how?
Read this article and pray that God would help you to understand the Truths proclaimed in it ~
how wonderful that HE answers those types of prayers!

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows;
yet we did esteeem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon him;
and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;
and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

Isaiah 53:3-6

"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found,
call ye upon him while he is near:

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:
and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him;
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

Isaiah 55:6-7