Beginning of Stinker Face

This is the beginning of that stinker face I told you about. I know she's ready to grab or start playing when she does this!
She already shows a great love for play and fun.

Thomas Arnold on Learning

"Real knowledge, like everything else of value, is not to be obtained easily. It must be worked for, studied for, thought for and more than all, prayed for." ~Thomas Arnold

C.S. Lewis on Intelligent Design

"Suppose there were no intelligence behind the universe. In that case, nobody designed my brain for the purpose of thinking. Thought is merely the by-product of some atoms within my skull. But if so, how can I trust my own thinking to be true? But if I can't trust my own thinking, of course, I can't trust the arguments leading to atheism, and therefore have no reason to be an atheist, or anything else. Unless I believe in God, I can't believe in thought; so I can never use thought to disbelieve in God." ~C.S. Lewis

Quote for Thought

If you are going to be upset about something, let it be that you don't know God better rather than over some petty grievance with another person. ~unknown

George the Snowman

Here's George, our Perpetual Snowman! He was able to come out of the freezer and play for a while in the recent snow we had. The snow was too dry and powdery to make a big snowman, so we did the best we could. We keep snow from his head in a bowl in the freezer from year to year. It rained yesterday so one of the children ran outside and shoved his head back into the bowl and stuffed him in the freezer again. He's 8 years old, I think. I know we kept his melted remains through Hurricane Isabel.

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Dead thing: I didn't smell it all night last night. Yes, I think it is probably a field mouse. No, I am not sending a cat in through a hole in the wall to go get it. That would be like the Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly. I'd have to send a dog in after the cat and so on... ;-)

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Don't forget to lift up prayers for Luke and praise to God for his progress. It looks like he might be going home around the end of the week.

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Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Emily Aboard the Wisconsin

She was snug as a bug in the car seat cover. Clint put it around the stroller seat and it worked great at keeping her warm while the cold wind blew.

A Poem by Ruth Bell Graham

There is no title for this poem found on page 89 in Sitting By My Laughing Fire by Ruth Bell Graham.

For all these smallnesses
I thank You, Lord:

small children
and small needs;
small meals to cook,
small talk to heed,
and a small book
from which to read
small stories;
small hurts to heal,
small disappointments, too,
as real
as ours;
small glories
to discover
in bugs,
pebbles,
flowers.

When day is through
my mind is small,
my strength is gone;
and as I gather each dear one
I pray, "Bless each
for Jesus' sake--
such angels sleeping,
imps awake!"

What wears me out
are little things:
angels minus
shining wings.
Forgive me, Lord,
if I have whined;
. . . it takes so much
to keep them shined:
yet each small rub
has its reward,
for they have blessed me.

Thank You, Lord.

Black Skillet Beef with Greens and Red Potatoes

Thank you to Susan for sharing this recipe her son Brice gave her. I put it here so I wouldn't lose it.

Black skillet beef with greens and red potatoes

1 lb. Top round beef sliced into stir-fry strips
1 tbsp paprika
1-1/2 tsp oregano
½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper
1/8 tsp dry mustard
8 red skinned potatoes (halved – I sliced them in ¼" slices)
3 c onion finely chopped (I used about half that)
2 c beef broth
2 cloves large garlic, minced
2 large carrots, peeled, cut into very tin 2-1/2" strips
2 bunches kale, coarsely torn
Non-stick cooking spray as needed

(Brice found a spice at Kroger that had most of the above spices in it.)


Slice beef into long strips 1/8" thick (unless previously sliced)

Combine spices. Coat strips with spice mixture.

Spray large, heavy skillet with nonstick coating. Preheat pan over high heat. Add meat and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Add potatoes, onion, broth and garlic and cook covered over medium heat for 20 minutes. Stir in carrots, lay greens over top, and cook covered until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.

Serve in large serving bowl with crusty bread for dunking.

Indescribable by Chris Tomlin