Hope

Everyone needs hope. If you look forward to any part of the future then you have hope. Hope is what gets us out of bed in the morning and keeps us moving. Hope comes from heaven above and is a free gift if you have Jesus in your heart. Hope does not come from man or his inner strength - it is an attribute of God and His life within us. I pray for those who do not feel that they have hope and I ask that anyone reading this do the same. Many of those who suffer from depression cannot see the hope in their future and are overwhelmed by the situations in the present. God's grace is sufficient for all your needs and He loves each and every one of us without ever having to earn that love. He gives it freely.

As I begin my new career in sales (insurance), I find that hope is what keeps me going everyday. Hope is what keeps me strong because I know that no matter how bad any day or situation can be, it will not stay that way. I can have an awful day and at the end simply say, "I can't wait to see what God has in store for me tomorrow!"

This past year has been a rough one but with God's grace and strength we can all still smile and know we are loved by Him and each other. Please remember that no matter how bad a situation may seem now, tomorrow holds much promise for greatness.

I love you all and pray for you all that God's plan and love are fulfilled in you.

Faith is simple - BELIEVE!

Football season is here!

OK...I love football but since moving to NC I have had a little difficulty enjoying it so much. It isn't easy when your favorite teams are on the opposite coast. I like the Carolina Panthers and all but I have been a fan of the Seattle Seahawks since I was a little girl. My other favorite team is whoever is scheduled to play Dallas that day!!! I have always disliked Dallas to an extreme, mostly because the owner is a less than savory character in my book. The new stadium is a pure example of how somebody's large ego won out over common sense. Those huge video screens are so low that a tall person would feel compelled to duck when walking under them. They are obviously in the way of normal play and will have to be moved much to the chagrin of the proud owner. O well!

Only 2 more days until school starts and I know I am ready. We did enjoy a very nice day yesterday as a family. We went up to the state's Farmer's Market, walked around and indulged in treats that we don't normally see. We don't get to drink Nehi sodas and snack on homemade pecan sandies every day and that was nice. It was also nice to see that smiles among the feuding sisters did start to emerge fairly early and didn't go away. We brought home some giant peaches, snap beans and blueberries and I can't wait to eat them.

My husband did very well walking around and we managed to find him places to sit to rest on a regular basis. We also went to church in the evening since the crowds are smaller in the Saturday night service. He also managed to get in his regular trip around the neighborhood with the dog.....and he was feeling great! I cannot tell you how proud of him I am since only 6 months ago he was bed ridden with fractured vertebrae and he is only 60 days out from a stem cell transplant.

We still take each day at a time but there are many more good days than bad ones now and that is a blessing from above. We praise our Lord, Jesus that he has been healed and his cancer is in remission.

The beat goes on

Headlines this week have been interesting. Terror suspects arrested in North Carolina...actually about 30 miles from my home. Don't really know much at this point and the news is very vague so I guess we will see. They proved Obama's birth certificate is authentic and he really was born in Hawaii. Nevermind the fact that he spent most of his life living somewhere else. His parents could have easily been on vacation visiting family there and his birth was just timely. Just think of how many people around the world are born in countries other than where they live out their entire lives. If any of those people were born in the US, they are eligible to be President...Hmmmm. That fact alone could reshape world politics as we know them and we all know something needs to be done.

As for family, we are doing great. Husband is slowly returning to normal activities and getting very bored just being around the house. Teenage daughters are well......Teenage daughters. My 14 yr old is fighting off some kind of virus and we keep her away from her daddy which isn't exactly easy for a child that has a habit of touching everything she passes in each room. She has always been what we call our "flibberdegibbit." My 13 yr old continues to push her limits and my patience but thats what they do at that age. We are trying to be consistent but that is one of the hardest tasks I have found as a parent. She is strong willed just like her mother and at times we expect her to be tough. She always delivers on that point but we also know there is a little girl in there just wanting to stay daddy's little girl.

I tried a new recipe the other day to get rid of all those tomatoes I am accumulating from neighbors gardens. So simple and so good.

Grilled tomatoes - Use any disposable or grillable square pan or even muffin tins. Cut tomatoes in half lenthwise and place cut side up in pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and even a little garlic or Italian seasoning if you wish. Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes and place Provolone cheese on top of them. Place on a top rack in your grill and keep an eye on them. Once the cheese starts to bubble they are done and this will depend on how hot your grill is. Enjoy!