My Family's favorite cookies.....

A friend of mine on another blog (Tammy's Times) has asked for our favorite cookie recipes. I am adding mine here. If anyone else is interested just check out Tammy's blog - on my side bar - and join in the fun!!

SEVEN LAYER BARS

Ingredients
-		1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick)
-		1 white, yellow, or chocolate cake mix
-		1 cup chocolate chips, more if desired
-		1 cup peanut butter 1 cup butterscotch chips
-		1 1/2 cups chopped cashews, walnuts, or almonds
-		1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut (shredded or flaked)
-		14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Melt butter or margarine in bottom of 9 x 13" baking pan, tilting pan slightly to coat all sides. Mix cake mix and melted butter, pat mixture lightly to make a crust.
• Combine remaining ingredients (except condensed milk) in large bowl, then spread on top of crust
• Pour can of sweetened condensed milk evenly over top and bake 25-30 minutes.
• Remove from oven. Allow bars to cool slightly; cut while still war

I have used this recipe as one of the first desserts I teach my kids to bake. It is so simple - no measuring required - and flexible. They love mixing all the things together and pouring them onto the crust. And to top it all off ~~ they make your house smell wonderful!!!

This Little Light of Mine.....

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

We are getting ready to go to family camp next week and one of the things my kids always make sure they have is a flashlight and extra batteries. The reason for this is that their favorite game at night is flashlight tag. There usually ends up being 30 or more kids out on the baseball field after dark playing tag – but if their light starts to go dim they have trouble seeing and being seen.

The same is true with us – if the light of Christ that we have in us starts to get dim – from sin, being backslidden, being overcome by the cares of this world – we will have trouble following the path God has for us AND it will be hard for us to guide others to Christ.

I personally feel this is an area we can all work on. If we're shining bright, it doesn't hurt to shine even brighter! If people do not see a difference in us, then they will not know the importance of following the Lord.

However, being a bright light isn't something that comes over night. This is something that we have to want and pray for. It is something we have to work on everyday – I guess you could say that each day we have to make sure our batteries for our light are charged!

Being a bright light, isn't just putting on a smile. Being a bright light is helping and encouraging others. Being a bright light is not talking bad about others. It is not sitting outside of your church gossiping about why so and so didn't show up to church this Sunday! Being a bright light, is not trying to act spiritual to impress others! To be a bright light, you must have your eyes off of people and on the Lord! That means don't worry about what someone else thinks of you, worry about what the Lord thinks of you. Once you develop a close relationship, then and only then can you be a light!

I can't be a light if I'm living in sin and neither can you! If you do not have the love of God, in your heart then do not think for a moment that you are being a bright light!

How bright is your light shining today?

Is this happening to anyone else????

All weekend I have been having a problem with Bloglines and I'm wondering if it's just me. Next to SEVERAL of the blogs I follow there is a [!]. I've read the little explanation that goes along with it and I don't think it is something I can fix on my end.

Since I'm fairly new to using Bloglines I figured I would check with others and see if this is happening with you too.

Trying to keep smiling........

I am discovering I don't care for baseball very much. Now, don't get upset with me....I know it is supposed to be the American past time, but I think I'm suffering from "burn out!!"

Nick has double headers every night (except last night because we had church) this week. They start at 5:30pm and we are fortunate if we get home before 10pm. That is just a little too much baseball for me!!!

Jeff and I have always made it a point to support our kids when they are in activities - band, choir, sports, etc. We make sure we are there in the crowd cheering them on whenever possible. But ~~ this is a bit much. For some reason they have 2 weeks of almost constant double headers and then things calm down a bit. I don't know how those boys do it - I'm exhausted just GOING to all these games!!!

I have to admit (whispering this very quietly) I am really glad that Friday and Saturday's games are AWAY and I get to stay home!! The team will be traveling to Valley City for a tournament and Nick will be staying with the pastor's family there in town and they will go to the games and cheer him on!!! I am SSSOOOOOOO thankful for good friends!!!!

Now or Later?????

Exodus 8:9-10 And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?
And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.

I'’m sure over the years we have all heard sermons preached about "“another day with the frogs." And I know every time I read this passage I wonder, "“why would Pharaoh want to wait until tomorrow to get rid of something so disgusting when he could have said NOW??"”

As I was reading this yesterday God spoke to my heart and told me to take time and meditate on things in my life. What things am I saying "“tomorrow"” to? And I admit there were some things I needed to repent of.

So, today my hope for each of you is that you will take time to go through your life and your heart. Are there things you are putting off until "“tomorrow?"” Things like having a consistent prayer life, reading your Bible, submitting to your husband, being the wife and mother that God has shown you He wants you to be....the list goes on and on ~ but whatever it is, don'’t keep putting it off. If God has shown you something, NOW is the time to begin to correct it.

2 Corinthians 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

A Present For My Readers......

As most of you know, I have little girl (quickly growing up....faster than I would like.) As her daddy says, "she is a true girlie, girl!!!" My girlie, girl loves pretty dresses, but the problem is she just keeps growing. This means I know have a box of pretty dresses that are no longer below her knee.

Last night I had a lady from my church bless me abundantly by giving me a ton of clothes. (Have have lost 50 pounds over the last year and desperately needed things that fit better.) I had been praying that the Lord would provide me with better fitting clothes and He did just that. This got me thinking......a dangerous thing, I know.

I sat thinking last night - what shall I do with these dresses? They are in great condition, they just don't fit her. Then I thought of those who read my blog ~~ many of which have the same standards and convictions regarding dress that I do. I want to be a blessing to others, just as the lady in my church was a blessing to me.

So, ladies, if you have a little girl who likes pretty dresses, let me know. Elisabeth is 9 years old. She is pretty skinny, but about average height. I will gladly mail these dresses to anyone who can use them. (And if my camera was working I'd show you pictures of some of them....sorry!!)

Leave me a comment with your email or email me.

tloinnd@hotmail.com

A Beautiful Evening.....

We got Jeff outdoor furniture for Father's Day ~ and it is wonderful. It is so nice to just sit outside and enjoy the peacefulness and the laughter of the children as they play.

(Disclaimer) That is NOT my deck in the picture. That IS the furniture though. I am having so many problems with our digital camera!!

We are now looking for another piece of furniture for the deck - something that will allow us to sit outside much longer throughout the year. We are hoping to find an outdoor fireplace.

This is similar to what we are looking for. This would be so nice to sit outside during the fall and even later in the year (depending on how bad the winter gets.) I am really hoping we will be able to find one of these by the end of summer.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game.....

This is where I think we will be spending our afternoon (in the bleachers, that is.) Nick has a game this afternoon and the weather is beautiful, so I know we will all have a great time.

I had originally thought he had a double header and we were going to have a picnic in the park across the street in between games ~ but I read the schedule wrong....AGAIN. But I figured the picnic still sounded like a great idea. So, after the game we'll head over to the park for a picnic.

I love summer time in North Dakota!! After being cooped up for so long in the winter months we take every opportunity we can to do outside activities when the weather permits. Lots of picnics, BBQ, bike rides, and evenings on the deck will be in order over the next few months.

I would love to hear from some you ~~ what are some of your favorite things that you like to do in the summertime??

I wasn't going to say anything but.....

I admit that I have a hard time with reading my Bible through in a year. It just seems to take too long. Then I read that Mrs R., from the blog Be Not Conformed, was going to read her Bible through in a month. I thought that was a little faster that I felt I could be, but then I started praying about doing something similar myself.

I started 3 days ago, but other than telling my husband I haven't said a word to anyone. I am reading my Bible through in 3 months - that is 13 to 15 chapters a day. I am loving how I do it to. I do several things, then take a break and read a chapter. I continue this throughout the whole day. So I do my indepth study first thing in the morning and then throughout the day I take in a chapter of God's Word at a time. I feel like I am just nibbling on the Word all day long - and I LOVE it!!!!!

Then, a few minutes ago I read that another friend of mine ~ Gina ~ is going to try reading it through in a month. I just think its neat that several of us are doing this together and that is why I wanted to share what I'm doing too. That way we can help encourage each other as we are reading. I know I love hearing how Mrs R is doing and I pray for her each day. I pray that others will do the same for Gina and for myself.

I have read through Genesis 34 so far and am truly enjoying being reminded of things I have read so many times before. It is like a refresher course and a way of bringing everything to the front of my mind again. A few times throughout the day today I had to stop and share something I had just read with Jeff because it just touched my heart in a special way.

I'm praying for you ladies - praying for your reading and for your commitment to accomplish something in a set amount of time.

You'd Think It Was Snowing!!!!!

We had volleyball practice this evening and the weather was kind of hot (85 degrees) but that was nothing compared to the cotton that was flying through the air!! At times the wind would gust and you'd think it was snowing!! There are places in my yard that are solid white with cotton!

It wouldn't be such a big deal, but I have horrible allergies and this stuff makes my eyes all but swell shut. Let's just say it made for a fun and interesting night of volleyball practice.

And now on to something a little more serious......

I wanted to take a minute to share something I got in an email today. It really touched my heart and says so much about how far away from God that the people in our world get more and more every day. Here is what I got.....

Face it – it’s a whole new immoral world. Think about it – an illegitimate baby gets it’s picture sold for several million dollars, and some of you who claim to be Christians probably bought People magazine to see the pictures. Shame on you. Movie star parents or not, the baby is illegitimate. Years ago, a mother of an illegitimate baby went away to have her baby where no one knew her. Immorality and illegitimacy are now the “in thing.” Today, they not only make no effort to hide it, they flaunt it. Lord, help us! Sinning is one thing, but to flaunt it is totally disgusting.

So far as I know, the word “sin” has never been removed from the Bible. In spite of that, it seems that some in Christendom are becoming numb to sin and just overlooking behavior that God defines as sin, especially immorality. What has happened to us? Why do some young people, even in conservative Christian churches, turn their backs on traditional moral values? Why?

It’s called “watering down” or easy salvation. We try to make the church so relevant to today’s youth that we soft pedal anything Biblical that would teach values and behavioral standards. We soften The Word so it won’t offend anyone. Shame on us.

John 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

What can each of us be doing so that we show and teach others the seriousness of sinning against a Holy God?

Loving This Blogging More All the Time

I've seen this on a couple of blogs that I read regularly and thought I would take some time this morning to answer these questions for myself. I hope no one minds me borrowing the questions!! I am really enjoying blogging and what I am enjoying even more is reading (and learning) from the blogs I have been reading lately.


How many do you read regularly?
I have 11 on my bloglines right now and seem to be adding more as I read others blog and check out their favorites.

How many are written by women? By men?
All of them are by women.

Are they all Christian? How about the same denomination?
From what I can tell they are all Christian, but I don't know about the same denomination or not. I know that the ones I read I have a lot in common with and that is what makes reading them so enjoyable. If their beliefs were too different from me or I found that I did not agree with them doctrinally I probably wouldn't read them.

What kinds of posts do you like the best?
Upbeat, cheerful posts. Posts that are encouraging in one way or another.

What kinds of posts are you most likely to comment on?
Oh, that is a hard on to answer. I love reading about daily life things, children, church, and funny things. Mainly things that just touch my heart and make me think and smile.

What makes you add a blog to your favorites list/bloglines? Or conversely, what drives you away from a blog?
Definitely what the author tends to write about. I steer clear of ones that are caught up in arguing or controversial types of topics and are drawn to ones that encourage me and a Christian, a wife, and a mom.

WhatÂ’s your favorite kind of post to write?
That's hard to answer. I still consider myself pretty new to all of this and I haven't really found one type that is my favorite.

What do you think is your biggest strength blogwise? Biggest weakness?
I love to be encouraging and hope that shows through my writing. My biggest weakness....Learningg to be consistent (but I'm getting so much better at that.)

What do you want to change, if anything, about the way you blog?
My topics seem to jump all over the place and I would like to have more of a common theme throughout, but that is hard for me to do. I do hope that through everything the love for my Saviour and my family always shows through.

How many times a day do you say the word blog?
Not that many at all.

How many bloggers have you met in real life – not counting the ones you knew before they started blogging?

I've met one - but I don't know if she was blogging then or not. I know I had off and on but was not consistent about it at that time.

Our Menu For The Week

Today I am going to do my weekly shopping, so that means I needed to get my menu done up. I love having a menu hanging on my refrigerator door. It takes the guess work out of dinner, helps my stay organized, and stops the question, "What are we having for dinner tonight?" from being asked by each of the kids at some point throughout the day.

Elisabeth is now helping me make the menu since she is helping me cook more and more now. I figured if she's going to be involved in the cooking part she should also be involved in the planning. So, this weeks menu is about 75% Elisabeth's and 25% Mom's.

Tuesday ~~~~~ CHICKEN ALFREDO, BROCCOLI, AND FRESH FRUIT
Wednesday ~~~ STEAK & RICE, SALAD, AND HOMEMADE ROLLS
Thursday ~~~~ CHICKEN FAJITAS, CHIPS, AND SALSA
Friday ~~~~~~ MEATLOAF, BAKED POTATOES, & CORN ON THE COB
Saturday ~~~~ HOMEMADE PIZZA
Sunday ~~~~~ RICE CASSEROLE (LUNCH) / ROAST, & VEGGIES (DINNER)
Monday ~~~~ SWEDISH MEATBALLS, RICE, SUGAR SNAP PEAS


What is everyone else having this week??

Going Through Trials.....

James 1:2-3 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Every one of us has gone through ~ or is going through ~ difficult times. But don’t let yourself get discouraged during those times. God gives trials to us to make them stronger in the Lord…and He never makes us go through them alone. He does not want us to be baby Christians; but He wants us to grow in the Lord.

When we overcome one trial with the grace of God we will be able to minister to others who go through similar trials. If we are filled with anger and bitterness or insist on complaining and blaming God, things tend to turn from bad to worse. If you go through the trials with thankfulness and praise to God, then you are learning, growing, and gaining strength through it.

God is our Father and we are His children. So He will not allow anything to happen to us without His knowledge. During each trial, if we put our trust in the Lord then he will give us the strength to go through our time of testing.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Praise the Lord!

When you go through a trial you need to know that you are not alone, and that He is with you and His promises are with you. This will give you the strength to overcome the trial.

2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

I can’t think of one single personal trial that did NOT make my faith grow deeper and bring me closer to God. Even though many of the trials itself was very intense, I held onto those promises of God that He would never leave me, nor forsake me.

Ladies, if you are going through a difficult time, take it to the Lord in prayer, but don't carry the burden alone. Let Psalm 55:22 give you hope.

Psalms 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Trials can be a purifying fire and a cleansing water. God doesn’t want us to get burnt or drowned in the problems ~~ He wants us to be refined and renewed.

1 Peter 1:6-7 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

My life verse.....

This afternoon I was browsing through verses that I like to read on a regular basis. While catching up on the blog by Mrs. R and Mrs B - http://be-not-conformed.blogspot.com/ - Mrs. R shared her life verse with everyone. I love seeing others life verse and learning why they chose those verse.

For many years I never could really choose just one verse. I love the Scriptures, but I never felt that the Lord had showed me just one that spoke more than the others. That all changed for me about 7 1/2 years ago.

Just days after our son Steven went home to be with Jesus, as I was reading my Bible, God gave me a verse that has meant the world to me ever since. That verse is Colossians 2:5.

Colossians 2:5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

This is MY life verse!! So, what is yours ~~ and why????

Another week is almost gone.....

I am always shocked at how fast time goes by!! I remember when I was younger (and I'm really not old ~~ not even 40 yet) time seemed to go by so slow...especially if I was waiting for something like a special weekend activity or trip. Now time just flies by and I am left wondering "where did it go??"

This will be a busy weekend for me, but I sure am looking forward to it!! Tonight we have volleyball practice and then we have tournament games Sunday evening after church.

This evening, after practice, Jeffrey (my oldest) and I are going to start rearranging furniture in a couple of our bedrooms. The bunk beds in Elisabeth room are being moved into Brett's room and Elisabeth is getting a new "girlie" bed. She is so excited!!!

The bunk beds will look great in Brett's room - they are red and so is his room (it is a Nascar theme.) We are sure what Elisabeth's bed will look like yet because we haven't picked it out yet, but I do know it will be white. Her room is pink with a princess theme throughout. Hopefully I will have it all done tomorrow evening and then I can post some pictures!!

Jeff also have a wedding to do on Saturday, so we will be at the church for several hours for that. I love weddings and this one have such beautiful decorations. (I'll try to get pictures of them too!!)

A little about me.....

My friend Tammy had this on her blog, so I thought I would "borrow" it and share a little about me for anyone who may be interested. Thanks for sharing Tammy!!!

1) FIRST NAME? Tami

2) WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Nope

3) WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Just last week – had some special time alone with God while at the coast

4) DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Usually

5) WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Thin sliced roast beef

6) KIDS? Six

7) WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes, I would like to think so

8) DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Only here

9) DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? No, I don’t want my kids to pick up on it, so I avoid it.

10) DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.

11) WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No way!!!!!!

12) WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I don’t really like cereal

13) DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? I very rarely wear shoes and when I do they are usually slip on types (that way I can get them off as soon as I sit down!!)

14) DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? No, not really

15) WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? The only kind of ice cream I like is bubble gum

16) SHOE SIZE? 8 or 9 ~ depends on the shoes

17) RED OR PINK? Pink

18) WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? I have on a denim jumper and a pink short sleeved shirt ~~ and I’m barefooted

19) LAST THING YOU ATE? Half a cheese sandwich and some celery

20) WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Classic Gospel Radio by the Kingsmen

21) IF YOU WERE A CRAYON WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Blue

22) FAVORITE SMELL? My husband’s aftershave

23) WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My brother in law

24) THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? The first thing I notice about my husband was his eyes

25) FAVORITE DRINK? Water and coffee.

26) FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? I love to watch Nascar, basketball, and football

27) HAIR COLOR? Brown

28) EYE COLOR? Blue

29) DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes

30) FAVORITE FOOD? I love buffalo burgers

31) SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings

32) WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Pink

33) HUGS OR KISSES? Both!!!!

34) WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? My Bible and a book on church history

35) WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I don’t have a mouse pad

36) WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? I didn’t watch TV last night – I visited with my mom

37) WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? August 7th in Simi Valley, California

Sweet Memories......

I always try to give my kids little bits of fun trivia. It’s enjoyable and keeps them thinking at the same time. Today I hung a note of the refrigerator letting everyone know that June is NATIONAL CANDY MONTH!!!!

Now ~~ what kid wouldn’t like to celebrate that month?? Then at lunch today I asked them what their favorite candy was and why. Now they are sharing this information with everyone they see and asking them what their favorite candy is.

So let me ask you ~ my faithful, few readers ~ what is your favorite candy and why? Send me a comment or post about it on your own blog and send me the link. And while you’re at it – share a special memory from your childhood about candy.

Here is a picture of my favorite candy ~~ warm, homemade caramel. I LOVE IT!!

I’ve never been a big fan of chocolate, but I have always loved caramel. I remember spending evening at my grandparent’s house. My grandma would put one of her aprons on me, pull up a kitchen stool to the oven, and her and I would make a huge batch of caramel. I would get to stir and stir until it was just the right consistency (tasting it several times throughout the process, of course!!)

Then, once it was just right, we would pour it onto a cookie sheet to cool. None of that was my favorite part though – my favorite part was spending the rest of the evening sneaking into the kitchen with my granddad to "steal" just a nibble! He made such a game out of it.

Now it is years later and I know that grandma knew what we were up to the whole time, but it was all just part of the evening. I loved those times and I really think the memories make the caramel sweeter even to this day!!!

I'm back from vacation.....

and trying to get things back to normal around here. I thought I'd share my devotion with you all today - and hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to be a little more personal!!

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?" Proverbs 6:6-9

Sunday night we were at a park playing volleyball after church. While we played volleyball Brett and another little boy were watching ants, which led to a great discussion with his dad on the way home. Brett kind of laughed when his dad said we should be like ants ~ but then Jeff explained what he meant by that.

Ants do their work without being asked, without being supervised, and early - before it is such a necessity that the job has to be rushed through. That is how all of us should be - with everything we do, for our families and especially for the Lord.

We should be gathering riches in Heaven now, not waiting for someone else to do it or telling ourselves that we can do it later. We aren't promises a later ~~ only a NOW.

I know good works aren't what will get anyone to Heaven, but they are what shows others our faith and our love for our Saviour. How many times do we put things off or only done things with a half-hearted effort?

That's not the kind of response we want our children to show toward us, so why would we think the God would expect anything less of us? We expect our children to "obey right away" (I've taught my children that saying since they we babies), so give God that same thing….OBEY RIGHT AWAY.

When you know you need to be spending time in God's Word reading, studying, and praying…DO IT. Don't wait until later and then give God a token 15 minutes just to say you did it. When you know your husband expects certain things…DO THEM. Don't wait until just before he gets home and make a mad dash through the house halfway doing things and trying to cover up what you couldn't get done.

Be like the ant - and reap the blessings as you go along.