Plankeye

 

 

If an eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind, then I guess the metaphor of removing the speck out of one's eye makes perfect sense. It is kind of hard to remove specks, if we are blinded by protruding beams in our own. Despite our own efforts to live in this manner, we still operate out of our own woundedness and in effect rams others with our words and expectations of "godly living". 

 

How can we stand at the door and knock, if we are acting as a battering ram of good intentions but in effect poorly execute what it means to esteem one another better than ourselves?  Decisions, both good and bad, have consequences. Let's pray before speaking and get out of the way of God doing His work on this earth. Be his hands and feet, and think twice when measuring your thoughts and cutting the air with your speech. 

Christmas Craft Tray

I saw this idea posted on several other pages but found it was too cute not to pass up making.

Using a tray I found at Michaels, I only had to cut out the words I needed from a Silhouette SVG file and then adhere it to the front of the tray.

Voila! Instant cuteness!

Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Icing

I have eaten a lot of pumpkin bread in my life and quite frankly I have gagged on a lot of them.  Honestly, I prefer pumpkin bread that is sweet, spicy, and leaves me begging for more.  So after trying a bunch of different recipes, I came up with a hybrid recipe blend and people love it!

So as not to be a personal recipe hoarder, I am sharing with ya'll it's spicy goodness!

Pumpkin Bread Ingredients:
15 oz can Libby's Pumpkin Puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
2 cups white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3.5 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Directions:  
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour loaf pans or cake pans...I used one loaf pan and one 9 x 13 cake pan.

In mixer, combine pumpkin, eggs, oil, water, white/brown sugars and vanilla until well incorporated.

Sift rest of dry ingredients together and slowly merge into pumpkin mixture until just mixed.

Pour into pans and cook for a minimum of 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center is no longer wet.

Poke holes all over bread if you want your icing thin. Otherwise, you may keep it as is and just ice it once your bread has cooled.

Cinnamon Icing

Ingredients

1 tsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
3 TB Ground Cinnamon
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Mix all together until ingredients are well blended.

Depending on how thin or thick you want your icing, you pour it over the breads once they have cooled.

Enjoy!

Love this song

Beautiful and haunting....doesn't apply to me (only in my past) but beautifully written lyrics. 

http://youtu.be/Q3VjaCy5gck

Mugshot of prayer

The picture below is of a mug I made to remind myself that prayer is the most powerful communication we can give to G-d.

I hate going through challenges and the hardest part of going through a trial is being joyful until you see the end in sight. So I pray and rest because G-d knows me and He especially 

knows what the best plans are for my life.

So when I stress..I have to remind myself to pray and hand it over to the One who holds the world in the palm of His hands.

Redemption

Re·demp·tion 

[ri-demp-shuhn]  

noun

1.

an act of redeeming or atoning for a fault or mistake, or the state of being redeemed.

2.

deliverance; rescue.

3.

Theology . deliverance from sin; salvation.

4.

atonement for guilt.

5.

repurchase, as of something sold.

Source:  Dictionary.com

I can tell I have changed.  Several years ago, the only thing I used to think about was hanging out with friends, looking forward to a cocktail, and partying. All that bottomed out when I could no longer financially handle living a wine lifestyle on a beer budget.  In short, my entire world bottomed out and I found myself emotionally and financially spent and in dire need of a bail out.  

Fast forward several years.

Looking back over the past five years, I can tell my attitude and thought process towards life has changed.  It wasn't a dramatic conversion as one might expect, but a methodical drive towards overcoming my personal demons.  I didn't deserve grace, yet G-d showed up and gave me the gift of a life fully in recovery.  In short, I was redeemed, bought at a price, swept up, and given a second chance at life.  I failed miserably at my old jobs, but yet found new life helping others become over-comers in their own lives.  

Grace is a never ending spring of life giving abundance. 

Sure my life has its challenges, but there is an unusual calm about the way I consider my own personal battles.  Not once has G-d turned His back on my husband and I when we needed Him most.  He has helped heal our marriage, provide for our basic needs, and give us the assurance that life may not be easy, but He is fully present to scoop, redeem, and provide when we need Him the most.  

I can bank on His consistency in my life, because nothing I do can change His love towards me.  His grace covers a multitude of my sins and I recognize His unmerited favor and redemption of my death sentence into eternal life.  

I am redeemed.  I am accepted.  I am desired.  I am loved.

Likewise, nothing you do can redeem you from the curse of death except Yeshua.  He is the way, the truth, and Life.  

Nutella Ice Cream

Nutella + Ice cream = heaven on earth.

I am not kidding.

My inspiration for this bowl of deliciousness came from seeing posts pop upon Pinterest for variations of it, but none of them were in English.

BOOOOOOOOOO!

So, in my quest to create the ultimate flavor explosion for the fourth of July this year, I scoured a few recipe sites until I stumbled upon a few and made my own variation of this incredibly flavorful delight.

The reactions I got when people ate the first spoonfuls today were priceless.  Some cussed out of sheer admiration, others went for seconds, and my husband took one bite and determined that I was never ever allowed to purchase ice cream from the store again.

So rather than be a little piggy about it, I am willing to share with the hopes that others can experience the cold respite of Nutella yumminess on a hot summer day.

Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cup of sugar
4 cups of heavy cream
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 1/2 cups of nutella

Whisk eggs in mixer until frothy.  Gently incorporate cream and milk and whisk until well incorporated.  Blend in sugar and then when the mix no longer looks grainy, blend in Nutella until well smooth.

I used a double Cuisinart ice cream maker and poured the ingredients into each bowl until about 3/4 of the way full.

Let mix for 30 minutes until the consistency of a frosty.

Pour into freezable container and set overnight to harden.

Don't let the dairy scare you. It is rich and creamy and definitely worth the experience of making every now and then.

Cheers Ya'll!

Laura