No Carb Sandwhich

Does this look yummy or what...and no carbs! Can life get better? Enjoy - Rejoicing in the present :-)

What you need...

1. Cucumber slices
2. Ham
3. Cheese
4. Condiment of your choice

What you do...

1. Peel cucumber and slice it
2. Cut your ham and cheese to fit on the cucumber
3. Spread your favorite condiment over the cucumber
4. Put it all together and ENJOY!

Not apologizing :-)

Recently Brandy sent me a link to a really refreshing article. Maybe I'm just one of the those machine-gun apologizers, but I feel like I am always apologizing for my baby.  "I'm sorry, he's cranky, he'd didn't get much sleep, I'm sorry, he's crying, he usually goes to most people, I'm sorry, he... and on the list goes"  I'm sorry, but he's a baby. I know that I'm a people-pleaser and I try to make everything OK, but I've resolved to apologize less for him and embrace the moments more.

Here is part of the article from sierramadres.blogspot.com. To read the rest, please go to her website.

Sorry my little boys act like... little boys.

You know what I have been working really hard on?

Not apologizing for the fact that I have little boys,

who act and behave like... (gasp!)... little boys.



Now I'm the one with the three little boys. Sometimes I look back and remember her when I sweep up the massive pile from my floor every night (okay, sometimes every other night.) I think of her when my boys are the ones being crazy and screaming and jumping on the couch, spilling self-poured milk all over the counter, eating weird stuff out of the fridge (or trash/off the floor/out from under the couch... I'm just being real.)

She never apologized to me for her boys. She never said "oh my, I am so sorry he is melting down, he is so tired and etc. etc." or "sorry, they should not be jumping on the couch, BOYS STOP! GET DOOOOOWN!" or "sorry they are being so crazy" or "sorry, I'm so embarrassed my house is a mess, these kids... " She never apologized for her messy and beautiful life with small kids. And that ministers to me as a mom of little boys now. Because I feel like I am ALWAYS apologizing for my sons and their behavior.

Sorry Eli's crabby, he hasn't had a nap.

Sorry, they are just excited, I'll tell them to quiet down.

Sorry the house is trashed, we just had a play group here.

Sorry Gabriel is dressed like an orphan, he picked out his own clothes this morning.

Sorry we are late. I had to get three kids ready by myself.

Sorry his room is a mess, I didn't get around to cleaning it yesterday.

Sorry the coffee shop is a special outing for them, so yes they are going to accidentally spill their water, touch every cute plant in the middle of the tables, and smear their faces on the front of the bakery display case as they are filled with excitement as they decide what cookie they are going to have. Sorry you are being distracted from your book or quiet conversation by their squeals of delight. Sorry they are standing in front of the door while you are trying to get in. (Maybe you could smile at my kids or wave 'hello' instead of giving them and me dirty looks.)

SORRY. sorry. SoRrY.

They are not adults.

They are little boys.

Well, sorry. I am done saying sorry. I am done being embarrassed. I am done feeling like I am doing society a great disservice when I bring my kids out in public. I have to bring my kids to the library or restaurants or wherever we will frequent as a family so that they can learn the rules and etiquette of being out and about in public. I am doing nothing helpful by apologizing to my friends and other moms for the same exact stuff that their children do or will do when they get older. I am learning that how I live my life as a mom of little ones can actually be helpful and encouraging to other moms going through the same stuff if I am just real. Just like Amy did for me.

Amy is still a part of my life, and I love laughing with her about all that I observed and learned from her back in the earlier years. She continues to encourage me by being real evidence that you do make it through the tough years, your house will not be trashed forever, kids will sleep-in someday and that in the future your kids will be able to pour milk by themselves and not spill it all over. I sure love you Amy. Especially since you let my little ones spill all over your table now.

So. That is my goal as of late, to stop treating my kids as though they are something to be apologized for. - this is my favorite line

I don't believe in letting your child terrorize a person, a place, or an object but I do feel that children should still be allowed to be children.  My child is a gift from God and I'm going to enjoy him, and not apologize. - rejoicing in my present. :-)

To Wait or not to Wait...

I don't remember how I stumbled on this article. It may have been pinterest, it may have been my mom, however it's so powerful and so thought provoking that I had to share. The source is from Tubler and the author is Brokenpenmanship. (Tubler - Brokenpenmanship) Here it is...

 

When I was 16, I got a purity ring.

And when I was 25, I took it off.

I didn’t tell anyone I was doing it — it wasn’t a statement or an emotional thing. I just slipped it off my finger that day and, before tucking it away in a box, ran my finger around the words on the familiar gold band.

“True Love Waits.” Waits.

What’s it “waiting” for, anyway?

*****

I had my reasons for deciding not to wear it anymore. Other people might have other reasons. It’s a graveyard of hearts, this place where single church girls crash into their late 20s and early 30s. Churches see the symptoms. They scramble to reach out to the ever-growing young adult singles crowd who feels alienated by family-oriented services.

But there’s something bigger behind it than that.

Much bigger.

There are a lot of girls out there who don’t know who God is anymore – the God of their youth group years just isn’t working out. Back then, that God said to wait for sex until they are married, until He brings the right man along for a husband. They signed a card and put it on the altar and pledged to wait.

And wait they did.

*****

And waited and waited and waited.

Some of them have prayed their whole lives for a husband, and he hasn’t shown up. They’ve heard the advice to “be the woman God made you to be, focus on that, and then the husband will come.” They’ve read “Lady in Waiting,” gotten super involved in church and honed their domestic skills.

And still they wait.

More than a decade ago, a youth leader handed them a photocopied poem in Sunday School written to them from “God” that said, “The reason you don’t have anyone yet is because you’re not fully satisfied in Me. You have to be satisfied with Me and then when you least expect it, I’ll bring you the person I meant for you.”

And the girls see it posted on their bulletin boards from time to time.

“You’re right, God,” they say. “We’re not satisfied in you yet. We will put you first and then you can bring us a husband in your timing.”

But many of them – if they’re honest – will tell you that time has passed, and it’s wrecking their view of God.

If this is who God’s supposed to be, then He’s tragically late.

So some decide to chuck “Lady in Waiting” out the window … and possibly their virginity with it. Church goes next. God might go next, too. If He doesn’t answer these prayers after they’ve held up their end of the bargain, why would He answer any others?

Whether it was the fault of the leaders, the fault of us girls, or both, a tragedy happened back then.

A lot of girls were sold on a deal and not on a Savior.

*****

I had that poem on my bulletin board all through high school – the one where “God” was telling me to fall in love with Him first and then I would be able to fall in love with a husband later.

Who wrote that poem anyway?

Pretty sure it wasn’t God.

When Jesus was here on the earth, the crowds would follow Him because they saw He gave good things. But that’s not what He wanted. He wanted their hearts for Himself. So He would turn to them and say things like, “If you don’t love Me so much that every other relationship in your life looks like hate by comparison, you can’t follow Me.” (Matthew 10:34-39, paraphrase)

That sounds a lot different from the poem.

Christ is the source of everything we need and the giver of all good gifts … but in telling people about Him, it’s possible we’ve sold them on a solution for life’s problems and not life itself.

What if we as girls had learned early on that having Him was everything, not a means to the life we think He would want us to have.

.....If we had learned we don’t abstain from sex because we’re “waiting", we abstain because we love Him.

.....If I’d had on my bulletin board, “Fall in love with Jesus.” That’s it. Bottom line. That’s everything you need to know, to work toward, to put your hope in.

.....If I’d learned who He is, what He wants, how to give Him everything, not “wait” so that one day I could give my everything to someone else.

.....If I’d learned that it’s not bad to pray for a husband, but that my greater prayer should be for Him to spend my life as He chooses for His glory.

.....If we as believers make that our message, things could be drastically different for a lot of girls wondering why the God they think they learned to follow doesn’t compute. It doesn’t necessarily stop the desire for a husband or end all feelings of loneliness, but it does show a God who provides, loves and gives infinite purpose even to our singleness rather than a God who categorically denies some who pray for husbands while seemingly giving freely to others.

It shows that while marriage is good, He is the greater goal.

*****

Don’t think I’ve done this perfectly.

I’d be deceiving you if you thought that. I’ve had relationships where I made major mistakes. I’ve gone through angst-ridden phases where I met with friends to plead together with God to bring us husbands. I’ve planned major life decisions around possibilities.

I lived like I was waiting for something.

And that’s why I slipped off my ring that day. It wasn’t that I wanted to sleep with people – I haven’t. It wasn’t a slap to True Love Waits, or to anyone who wears a purity ring – saving sex for marriage is good and is His design.

I just didn’t want to wait anymore – didn’t want to live like I was waiting on anyone to get here.

I already have Him … and He is everything.

“Follow Christ for His own sake, if you follow Him at all.” – J.C. Ryle

WOW!!!! Please share this to every girl out there, married or not. Our husbands, boyfriends and babies do NOT fulfill us,only JESUS! - rejoicinginthepresent

Baking Sheet Magnet Board

What you need:

1. Baking sheet
2. Decoupage
3. Material (I used a kitchen towel)
4. Paper
5. Scissors
6. Glitter glue

What you do:

1. Place your paper inside the baking sheet and layer until it fits perfectly.
2. Then tape the paper together. This will become your pattern.
3. Next pin your paper pattern to your material and cut out
4. Once you have cut it out, brush a layer of decoupage on the baking sheet
5. You can then place the material down
6. Optional: Outline with glitter glue

You can hang this on the wall and use this to hold up recipes or important reminder cards.  This is also a great tool for centers in a classroom.  Hope you can use this idea.- rejoicing in the present

Ps. I am adding some cute pictures of some boards I found on Pinterest. It will give you some ideas.

Better Late then Never

It may be generations earlier or it may be right before you pass away, but as long as you have breath, you can reconcile with "That One".  There is a beautiful story of a criminal on a cross, that made things right, right before he died.

Luk 23:39-43 says "And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
This man had done much wrong; hence the reason he was paying for it.  But he was not too proud to make things right. 

Below is a griping yet beautiful story.
Shortly after the turn of the century, Japan invaded, conquered, and occupied Korea. Of all of their oppressors, Japan was the most ruthless. They overwhelmed the Koreans with a brutality that would sicken the strongest of stomachs. Their crimes against women and children were inhuman. Many Koreans live today with the physical and emotional scars from the Japanese occupation.
One group singled out for concentrated oppression was the Christians. When the Japanese army overpowered Korea one of the first things they did was board up the evangelical churches and eject most foreign missionaries. It has always fascinated me how people fail to learn from history. Conquering nations have consistently felt that shutting up churches would shut down Christianity. It didn't work in Rome when the church was established, and it hasn't worked since. Yet somehow the Japanese thought they would have a different success record.
The conquerors started by refusing to allow churches to meet and jailing many of the key Christian spokesmen. The oppression intensified as the Japanese military increased its profile in the South Pacific. The "Land of the Rising Sum" spread its influence through a reign of savage brutality. Anguish filled the hearts of the oppressed -- and kindled hatred deep in their souls.
One pastor persistently entreated his local Japanese police chief for permission to meet for services. His nagging was finally accommodated, and the police chief offered to unlock his church ... for one meeting. It didn't take long for word to travel. Committed Christians starving for an opportunity for unhindered worship quickly made their plans. Long before dawn on that promised Sunday, Korean families throughout a wide area made their way to the church. They passed the staring eyes of their Japanese captors, but nothing was going to steal their joy. As they closed the doors behind them they shut out the cares of oppression and shut in a burning spirit anxious to glorify their Lord.
The Korean church has always had a reputation as a singing church. Their voices of praise could not be concealed inside the little wooden frame sanctuary. Song after song rang through the open windows into the bright Sunday morning. For a handful of peasants listening nearby, the last two songs this congregation sang seemed suspended in time. It was during a stanza of "Nearer My God to Thee" that the Japanese police chief waiting outside gave the orders. The people toward the back of the church could hear them when they barricaded the doors, but no one realized that they had doused the church with kerosene until they smelled the smoke. The dried wooden skin of the small church quickly ignited. Fumes filled the structure as tongues of flame began to lick the baseboard on the interior walls. There was an immediate rush for the windows. But momentary hope recoiled in horror as the men climbing out the windows came crashing back in -- their bodies ripped by a hail of bullets.
The good pastor knew it was the end. With a calm that comes from confidence, he led his congregation in a hymn whose words served as a fitting farewell to earth and a loving salutation to heaven. The first few words were all the prompting the terrified worshipers needed. With smoke burning their eyes, they instantly joined as one to sing their hope and leave their legacy. Their song became a serenade to the horrified and helpless witnesses outside. Their words also tugged at the hearts of the cruel men who oversaw this flaming execution of the innocent.

Alas! and did my Savior bleed?

and did my Sovereign die?

Would he devote that sacred head

for such a worm as I?

Just before the roof collapsed they sang the last verse,

their words an eternal testimony to their faith.

But drops of grief can ne'er repay

the debt of love I owe:

Here, Lord, I give myself away

'Tis all that I can do!

At the cross, at the cross

Where I first saw the light,

And the burden of my heart rolled away --

It was there by faith I received my sight,

And now I am happy all the day.

The strains of music and wails of children were lost in a roar of flames. The elements that once formed bone and flesh mixed with the smoke and dissipated into the air. The bodies that once housed life fused with the charred rubble of a building that once housed a church. But the souls who left singing finished their chorus in the throne room of God. Clearing the incinerated remains was the easy part. Erasing the hate would take decades. For some of the relatives of the victims, this carnage was too much. Evil had stooped to a new low, and there seemed to be no way to curb their bitter loathing of the Japanese.
In the decades that followed, that bitterness was passed on to a new generation. The Japanese, although conquered, remained a hated enemy. The monument the Koreans built at the location of the fire not only memorialized the people who died, but stood as a mute reminder of their pain.
Inner rest? How could rest coexist with a bitterness deep as marrow in the bones? Suffering, of course, is a part of life. People hurt people. Almost all of us have experienced it at some time. Maybe you felt it when you came home to find that your spouse had abandoned you, or when your integrity was destroyed by a series of well-timed lies, or when your company was bled dry by a partner. It kills you inside. Bitterness clamps down on your soul like iron shackles.
The Korean people who found it too hard to forgive could not enjoy the "peace that passes all understanding." Hatred choked their joy.
It wasn't until 1972 that any hope came. A group of Japanese pastors traveling through Korea came upon the memorial. When they read the details of the tragedy and the names of the spiritual brothers and sisters who had perished, they were overcome with shame. Their country had sinned, and even though none of them were personally involved (some were not even born at the time of the tragedy), they still felt a national guilt that could not be excused. They returned to Japan committed to right a wrong. There was an immediate outpouring of love from their fellow believers. They raised ten million yen ($25,000). The money was transferred through proper channels and a beautiful white church building was erected on the sight of the tragedy. When the dedication service for the new building was held, a delegation from Japan joined the relatives and special guests.
Although their generosity was acknowledged and their attempts at making peace appreciated, the memories were still there. Hatred preserves pain. It keeps the wounds open and the hurts fresh. The Koreans' bitterness had festered for decades. Christian brothers or not, these Japanese were descendants of a ruthless enemy. The speeches were made, the details of the tragedy recalled, and the names of the dead honored. It was time to bring the service to a close. Someone in charge of the agenda thought it would be appropriate to conclude with the same two songs that were sung the day the church was burned. The song leader began the words to "Nearer My God to Thee."
But something remarkable happened as the voices mingled on the familiar melody. As the memories of the past mixed with the truth of the song, resistance started to melt. The inspiration that gave hope to a doomed collection of churchgoers in a past generation gave hope once more. The song leader closed the service with the hymn "At the Cross." The normally stoic Japanese could not contain themselves. The tears that began to fill their eyes during the song suddenly gushed from deep inside. They turned to their Korean spiritual relatives and begged them to forgive. The guarded, calloused hearts of the Koreans were not quick to surrender. But the love of the Japanese believers --not intimidated by decades of hatred -- tore at the Koreans' emotions.

At the cross, at the cross

Where I first saw the light,

And the burden of my heart rolled away ...

One Korean turned toward a Japanese brother. Then another. And then the floodgates holding back a wave of emotion let go. The Koreans met their new Japanese friends in the middle. They clung to each other and wept. Japanese tears of repentance and Korean tears of forgiveness intermingled to bathe the site of an old nightmare. Heaven had sent the gift of reconciliation to a little white church in Korea.  Tim Kimmel, Little House on the Freeway, p. 56-61.

Forgiveness came years later, from a whole different generation but it came. I would encourage you to make things right, even if you have to make things right for another person. Don't let the root of bitterness take over your life.

If you haven't made things right with God, then do it today. He loves you and He is the only one that can truly forgive you and give you a clean slate. "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." Today Jesus can give you eternal life. To read more, go to About God. - Rejoicing in the present

Health: Benefits of Avocados

Thanks to Dr. Mercola for this information on Avocados

Avocados – A Real 'Super Food'

Avocados, which are actually classified as a fruit, are rich in monounsaturated fat that is easily burned for energy. Personally, I eat a whole avocado virtually every day, which I usually put in my salad. This increases my healthy fat and calorie intake without seriously increasing my protein or carbohydrate intake. (See Nutrition Facts Panel below.) It is also very high in potassium and will help balance your vitally important potassium to sodium ratio.
As I’ve mentioned before, eliminating grain carbs is one of the best ways to support your health and maintain your weight, but when you cut down on carbs, you need to increase your intake of healthy fats. Avocados are an excellent source, along with organic raw butter, coconut oil, and organic pastured eggs, just to name a few.

There’s also evidence suggesting that limiting your intake of protein can be helpful for long-term good health and the prevention of cancer. At the very least, most people are consuming far too much poor-quality protein, such as beef and animal products from livestock raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Here again, if you cut down on protein, you need to replace lost calories with healthy fats such as avocados, coconut oil, olives, olive oil, butter and nuts.
Overall, most people would do well to get upwards of 50-70 percent fat in their diet (along with high amounts of vegetable carbs, moderate-to-low amounts of high-quality protein, and very little, if any, carbs). According to the California Avocado Commission, a medium Hass avocado contains about 22.5 grams of fat, two-thirds of which is monounsaturated. They’re also very low in fructose, which is yet another boon, and provide close to 20 essential health-boosting nutrients, including:

• Fiber
• Potassium (more than twice the amount found in a banana)
• Vitamin E
• B-vitamins
• Folic acid

Avocados are one of the safest fruits you can buy conventionally-grown,and most experts do not believe you need to purchase organic ones. Their thick skin protects the inner fruit from pesticides. Additionally, it has been rated as one of the safest commercial crops in terms of pesticide exposure,³ so there’s no real need to spend extra money on organic avocados, unless you can afford it.

The Many Health Benefits of Avocados

Avocados have a long list of potential health benefits. For example, besides its anti-inflammatory properties, previous research from Japan suggests this powerful fruit may also help protect against liver damage. In one study,⁴ laboratory rats were fed avocado and 22 other fruits. The rats were then given D-galactosamine, a potent liver toxin that interferes with cell synthesis and results in cell death. The rats fed avocado suffered the least amount of liver damage. The chemical-induced liver injuries resemble those caused by viruses, so the researchers suggested avocado could potentially offer support in the treatment of viral hepatitis. According to one lead author Hirokazu Kawagishi, Ph.D:

“Besides offering taste and nutrition, avocados seem to improve liver health. People should eat more of them."

Due to its beneficial raw fat content, avocado enables your body to more efficiently absorb fat-soluble nutrients (such as alpha- and beta-carotene and lutein) in other foods eaten in conjunction. One 2005 study,⁵ found that adding avocado to salad allowed the volunteers to absorb three to five times more carotenoids antioxidant molecules, which help protect your body against free radical damage. Other research has found that avocados:

• Contain compounds that appear to inhibit and destroy oral cancer cells.^{6, 7}
• Can help improve lipid profiles in both healthy individuals and those with non optimized HDL/ total cholesterol levels). In one study,⁸ healthy individuals saw a 16 percent decrease of serum total cholesterol level following a one-week long diet high in monounsaturated fat from avocados. In those with elevated cholesterol levels, the avocado diet resulted in a 17 percent decrease of serum total cholesterol, and a 22 percent decrease of both LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, along with an 11 percent increase of the so-called “good” HDL cholesterol.

Cinnamon French Toast Bake

This dessert is absolutely delish! When Brandy was living in Florida, she actually brought this to one of our mommy meetings. It was so good! - J (rejoicing in the present)


What you need:

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 cans cinnamon rolls
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup pecans ( optional )
• 1 cup maple syrup
• Confectioners sugar

What you do:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Pour melted butter in a 9x13 pan.
• Cut cinnamon rolls into 8 pieces and lay in pan.
• Beat eggs, cream, cinnamon, and vanilla, then pour it over cinnamon rolls.
• Mix syrup and pecans.  Pour on top.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes.
• When done, heat icing 15 seconds and drizzle. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

WARNING: This is addicting. Enjoy - Brandy O

DIY Table Decor

"THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!" Did you ever hear your art teacher say these words? When planning your table decorations, sometimes you need to do just this. Other times you may just need to place a vase with fresh-cut flowers in it. It's up to you and your style.

Here are some ideas..

1. A large glass container filled with festive fruit and nuts
2. A vase of flowers
3. A large glass bowl filled with Christmas tree lights
4. Candles
5. A square mirror with tea lights placed on it
6. Ribbon and candles
7. A wooden planter filled with pumpkins and candles
8. Tall candles and candle holders
9. Water pitcher filled with flowers or fruit
10. Artwork
11. Party-themed items - e. g.  sports equipment (see above pic)
12. Upside-down wine glasses with flowers on the bottom and a candle on top (see pic)
13. Greenery

The Sky is your limit. - I hope this gave you some ideas - Rejoicing in the Present

Thanks to the following for the beautiful pictures

1. decorationideasdepot.com
2. http://heatherneckers.com
3. thedjnetwork.com  
4. weddingdecorations.com
5. http://background-pictures.feedio.net/

A Delicious Fire

Especially during the fall and winter time, most people at one time or another burn a fire for either warmth or atmosphere. Here is an idea to set the atmosphere and give your room a yummy smell. When you are burning a fire, place one of the below items in the fire to give the room a DELISH smell.

1. Cinnamon sticks
2. Orange peels
3. Pine cones
4. Dried cedar branches
5. Other Herbs like sage

YUMMY! If you have any other ideas, leave a comment below. - rejoicing in the present.

Graduation Yummies

I saw this on Pinterest as well as another social network.  I googled it and found the recipe on http://www.tasteofhome.com.

Graduation is upon us and these are super easy, super yummy and super quick treat that you can make for your party!

What you need....

1. 24 miniature peanut butter cups
2. 1 tube (6 ounces) decorating frosting in color of your choice
3. 24 After Eight thin mints or some type of square chocolate cookie
4. 24 milk chocolate M&M's in color of your choice or 24 semisweet chocolate chips

What you do...

1. Remove paper liners from peanut butter cups; place upside down on waxed paper.
2. Place a small amount of frosting on each peanut butter cup;
3. Center a mint on each.
4. Using frosting, make a loop for each cap's tassel.
1. (or you can use a sour straw and glue it on with chocolate frosting)
5. Place an M&M on top of each loop. Yields: 2 dozen.

I was at a graduation the other night and they had these. THEY ARE SUPER CUTE!!! - rejoicing in the present

Not I, but Christ

In a world of Me-Time, and down-time we sometimes get the attitude that we deserve "this" or "that."  Working in the ministry, sometimes, I feel that I am pulling teeth to get people to volunteer for a certain ministry.  People are just not willing to commit anymore.  They are so busy, that church and ministry only fits in the overtime of their lives.

I recently heard this song and I just can't get the lyrics out of my head.  It doesn't say "go get pampered,  J, you deserve it." It doesn't give me, "me-time" or "down-time." It gives me Jesus.  See.  God gave us Jesus. After Eve ate that fruit, God could have washed His hands of us and walked away, but praise Him, He didn't.  Instead, He sent Jesus to save us from a life of sin.  When we have a Savior who went out of His way for us, when He was crucified for us, why are we struggling so much with giving Him time.  The song says..

For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live
Not I but Christ that lives within me
His cross will never ask for more than I can give
For it's not my strength but His, there's no greater sacrifice
For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live

When I received Jesus, I gave up my life.  Christ lives within me.  My focus should be on Jesus.  He gives us a new life, a new song, and a new dream.  He gave, so we need to "get over" ourselves.  It is not about us, it's not about what we need or how we feel or what inconvenience this is going to be to us.  It's about Christ.  It's about living out his desires.  I live, but I live for him. - Rejoicing in the present

Galatians 2:20 " I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

Mildew-mildon't

Almost everyone has to deal with mildew and this stuff is nasty.  If you are not careful your whole bathroom and eventually your house will be filled with AllYou magazine

What you need...

1. Goggles
2. 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
3. Water
4. Spray bbottle

What you do...

1. Mix a solution of 50-50 Water/Hydrogen Peroxide
2. Pour into a spray bottle
3. Put on your goggles
4. Spray the walls and ceiling
5. Let dry.

This should help freshen up your bathroom! - Rejoicing in the Present

Saving Savy on Gifts

Gift can make a big hole in your budget, especially if you are me.  I love to give gifts and if I had a million $$$, I would probably blow it on other people.  This is just part of how I am.

There are always birthday gifts to give, gifts for unique holidays, secret sister gifts, Christmas gifts, "cheer-you-up" gifts, appreciation gifts, and if you are like me, there is always an occasion to just brighten someone's day with a gift...and the list goes on.

So what do we do???

1. Stock up
1. Clearance!!! Check sales.  If there is a cute gift for 50-75% off, get it and save it.
2. Buy multiples, if it's cute enough and cheap enough
3. Buy ahead: Find cute cards and nonperishable gifts at the end of each holiday for the next year
4. Most of the time you won't buy for individuals, you will buy for a gender. ("This would be a nice present for a guy, OR This would be nice for a young lady") Then when you have that "occasion" you can go to your "store" and shop for the item that fits your person.
5. Exception to #4, there will be times that you have someone that likes a certain something; when you find a deal on it,  buy it and save it for the next occasion that involves them.

When you have to buy last-minute gifts, you usually blow WAY to much money.

1. Organize
1. Have a special place that you keep all your gifts. Keep it organized and easy to get to. That way when you have a gift-giving occasion, you can go "shopping" in your gift closet.
2. You can even have a list of birthdays and special occasion hung near by so that everything is close together

1. Be Crafty

1. From my family, I personally enjoy personal gifts. I feel that it is easy for them to go to the store and buy ______ but a homemade gift just takes a little bit more TLC.
2. Discover what are the true likes and dislikes of a particular person. Then work to create something that would fit them.  That means you have to take the time to get to know that person. Ask questions and then develop. It's not an overnight thing; it's a forever thing.

I hope this gave you some ideas. Think ahead and your gifts will be more exciting, less expensive and ready at the drop of a hat. - rejoicing in the present

Closet Swap

Clothes, Clothes and more Clothes.  First, that item "shrinks" and we can't fit into it.  Then we lose weight and the other items are too big.  Sometimes, we just get bored, and want new. Well, before you have a garage sale, give your clothes away or donate them to a thrift store, try this...

CLOSET SWAP

Who's invited?

1. Option 1. All your friends of all sizes and age are invited to this event. This way it really mixes things up.
2. Option 2. Friends around your size and style

What do you serve?

1. Option 1. You can just have beverages
2. Option 2. You can serve coffee and dessert
3. Option 3. You can have a full-fledged dinner
4. Option 4. YOU CAN DO WHATEVER!

What do you do?

1. Option 1: Everyone lays out their clothes, jewelry, shoes, accessories, etc. in their area. Then you go around and choose different items that you want and swap
2. Option 2. You can also choose to give out so many tickets to each person (depending on how much they brought) and they use the tickets to "buy" other people's clothes

Do you have to only swap clothes?
No, you can also do other swaps...

1. Toys
2. Baby clothes
3. Canning equipment
4. Just accessories
5. Craft items
6. Service coupons (2 hour babysitting, lawn mowing, etc...)
7. Recipes or cookbooks

There are so many different ideas. 

Bugs at my BBQ

Have you ever enjoyed a delicious picnic and you were unhappily disturbed by some pesky bugs?  Especially during the summer, BBQs are popular family gatherings.  Unfortunately, so are bugs at your BBQ.  So here are few tricks that can help you enjoy your outdoor dinning, without getting eaten alive.

• Hang a Water - Penny bag: to get instructions go to instructables.com

• Put a place for food garbage on the other side of the deck. The flies swarm there and leave us alone-  D. Taggart-Carpenter (allyou)

• Citrus Candles -  Light and place them all over your patio. This will help cut back on the mosquitoes.

• Fresh basil:  Place plants in pots all over your patio. It's natural and won't hurt kids or pets. - K. Urias (allyou)

If you have any other ideas, please leave a comment below. - rejoicing in the present

Overnight Peaches and Cream French Toast

I saw this in All You Magazine. It looked so yummy, that I had to share. Leave a comment if you make it and tell us how it turned out. - Rejoicing in the Present

What you need...

• 1 8-oz. loaf French bread, sliced
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 15-oz. cans sliced peaches packed in juice, drained
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

What you do...

1. 1. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange bread in a tight, flat layer in dish.
2. 2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs with milk, sugar and vanilla until blended; pour over bread.
3. Arrange peaches on top and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
4. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
5. 3. Remove baking dish from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F.
7. Pour cream into a small pan; bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
8. Drizzle over peaches
9. ...and bake, uncovered, until casserole is lightly browned on top and just cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes.
10. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

You can find this recipe also online @ MyRecipes.com - Enjoy :-)

Her Moment in History

This was an interesting article that I had to share. It's from foreignpolicy.com.  I, too, do not know anything about this young lady, but I love that she used her moment in history to put the spotlight back on God. What about you? If you had the chance to speak in front of millions on people, what would you say? Read this story about Amanda Thatcher:

After being carried through the streets of London in a flag-draped coffin aboard a gun carriage, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was laid to rest this morning in St. Paul's Cathedral. But the big story of the day wasn't Maggie. No, it was a 19-year-old Texan who stole the show from the deceased Iron Lady.

With a poise reminiscent of the elder Thatcher, Amanda Thatcher, Margaret's granddaughter, delivered a reading from Ephesians that has the British media agog. Amanda, who lives with her mother in Texas, chose a rather militant passage that calls on believers to "put on the whole armour of God." But the reading was a good one, delivered with remarkable grace by a young woman suddenly thrust into the international spotlight. In a tweet that nicely summarized the breathless British media reaction, Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland couldn't help but speculate "whether somewhere a Texas Republican operative is watching Amanda Thatcher thinking 'Wonder if she has political ambitions...'"
Here's the clip:

So who is Amanda Thatcher, and how did Maggie Thatcher's granddaughter end up in Texas of all places? Amanda is the daughter of Mark Thatcher and the Texas heiress Diane Burgdorf, who underwent an ugly, highly public divorce from Mark (Diane went so far as to detail her ex-husband's history of infidelity in a broadside published in a British paper). When Amanda's father became embroiled in an acrimonious business dispute, Diane agreed to move her family to South Africa. But after Mark was arrested in 2004 over his alleged involvement in a coup in Equatorial Guinea, the marriage finally dissolved. Amanda now lives in Texas with her mother, stepfather, and brother Michael. She is reportedly deeply religious, has carried out missionary work in China, and attends the University of Richmond in Virginia.

Voted "most likely to change the world" by her high school classmates, Amanda was a favorite of the Iron Lady. The former British prime minister reportedly kept a portrait of her two grandchildren on a mantle alongside a picture of Sir Denis, her beloved late husband. Maggie, the daughter of a fervent lay Methodist preacher, approved of Amanda's turn toward evangelical Christianity, and she cherished her relationship with her granddaughter during her ailing later years. As the Guardian notes in its excellent profile of the young Thatchers, Amanda's religiosity lined up nicely with Maggie's hard-nosed political and social conservatism.

Poised, eloquent, the descendant of conservative royalty, evangelical Christian, and Texas-bred: It all seems to add up to a promising political future. She certainly hit it out of the park in her introduction to the world, and isn't it pretty easy to picture a clip of Amanda's speech at her grandmother's funeral playing a role in a future campaign commercial?
The Republican Party could certainly do worse.

...And, yes, more talk about politics BUT she didn't go there. She used her time to talk, to talk about God.  LOVE! - Rejoicing in the Present.

I just don't have the words....

Describe colors to a blind person, describe noises to a deaf man, describe the way you feel when your child gives you that beaming smile or describe how your heart feels when your husbands tells his friends how much he loves you. These are nearly impossible.

What is even more impossible is describing the love, admiration and respect I have toward my mom. She has the beautiful spirit one could ever have. She loves her children with all her being and would support them in any way to be successful especially in their spiritual walk.

My mother is not just my mom, she also was my teacher for 8 years, she was my nurse through 4 major back surgeries, she was my counselor and support through my "many issues" and is now my best friend. She also had to put up with a lot of trash from me during my teen years, but instead of just kicking me out the door and sending me off to a boarding school she, held on for the ride and loved me through it all.

To this day, I still call her almost every day. When I have issues, she listens and helps me through,  Many times, she makes me see the "other side." I have teased her before with "Can't you ever take my side and not the other person's" but in this, she is helping me! She is constantly supporting me and educating me. Many of the blog posts articles are ones that she has sent me to look at. She is a RUBY a perfect beautiful gem.

I owe my mom my life, spiritually, physically and emotionally. I can not do justice, to how much she means to me, but here is to trying. I love you MOM! I just wish I could tell you how much you mean to me.

LOVE,
Joy

Ps. I'm sorry about the grammar. My editor, is the one who this letter is to. :-)
Pss. Doesn't my mom and my sister look lovely. I snapped it one Christmas, This is a GREAT illustration of her love for her children