Love

1 Corinthians 13. The love from the wedding Friday night, overflowed and continued to bless all of us through the Sunday service. God's anointing and presence was so sweet. Our church family, and our Pastor and his wife are so precious to us. Pastor spoke from Galatians about bearing one another's burdens. I just love how the Holy Spirit confirms things that we've been praying about, through other brothers and sisters, and the Word of God.

Answered Prayers

Invasion

We're still cleaning out the front yard. Several years back we tore out our front lawn which had ceased to grow due to cedar trees (which continued to grow) densely shading it. We put in a large flower bed, and turkey grit gravel path, and bistro table area. The flower bed has been a nightmare. It got me thinking about it's correlation with life. Sometimes, our best laid plans, seemingly things that are "OK", can encroach on our lives......little by little. We don't even notice, until they are overwhelming us. They don't know their place and infringe into areas where they don't belong.....
Like this patch of "forget-me-nots" which had jumped the border and were 2 feet into the gravel.
Sometimes bad stuff infiltrates, and before we know it...it's got us bound in it's grip.
Vigilance is needed in weeding out our gardens....and our lives.
It's no secret that the hardest things to clean out are the ones that have been there the longest, and have sunk their roots in deeply.

Lord, Light the Fire

Don't let our love grow cold
Cause I'm calling out
Light the fire again
Don't let our vision die
I'm calling out
Light the fire again
~Brian Doerksen

Yesterday as we worshipped and sought the Lord, singing "Lord, Light the Fire", I was reminded of a recent conversation with the Little Farmgirl. She was kneeling in front of the fireplace with it's electric logs.
"Can we roast marshmallows, Nanni?"
"No, Sugar, those logs don't have any heat."
"So they're just FAKE, huh Nanni?"

Lord, let that red light bulb, be a warning to not just put on a "light show." Let us not make the "sounds" of being real, but actually being the noise of cheap tinsel, twirling round and round.....
Lord, light the fire again.....that we might shine for You, sharing the warmth of Your love, and spreading sparks......


Linked to Motivational Mondays at What's on My Mind Happy Blog hopping!

Happy Easter!

Resurrection Rolls

The white marshmallow represents the body of Christ.

Prepared with oils (butter) and spices (cinnamon)Rolled in Pillsbury flaky crescent roll dough

Secured in the tomb

After baking them:

The tomb is empty!

Martha Stewart's fresh pineapple glazed ham recipe.

Mom's potato roll recipe

Merry Christmas!

A scrapbooking design by Smilebox

Cocoa, Cookies & Christmas blessing

It's my opinion that the essential ingredients in a Nanni's tool-kit are whipped cream in a can and lots of sprinkles. The little girlies really like Mexican hot cocoa. They were helping me making Christmas cookies.


I had so much fun getting ready for Christmas the first year we were married in Monterey. I went thrift shopping and decked our tree competely out in shiny bright ornaments, I also thrifted a punch bowl for eggnog, and this Spritz cookie press. I would come home from work every evening and do some more holiday baking. There was chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge, sour cream fudge, toffee, peanut brittle, fruitcake, spritz, chocolate spritz, gingerbread men, sugar cookies...... Now days I keep things pretty simple. Whatever I feel like. There's no more mad frenzy or high expectations. This year, a batch of chocolate fudge, and 2 batches of Spritz. (We won't talk about the gingerbread or sugar cookies that got great reviews on line, which I made and thought were awful. Back to my old recipes on those)

It's so refreshing to just enjoy the Christmas season,

rather than be the stressed out crazy woman,

I was for many years.

I've come to believe, the greatest gift we can give ourselves and those around us, is the peace and joy that comes not from shopping til we drop or standing over a hot stove, but from spending time with and sharing with others;

God's gift to us: Jesus.

Letters to God

We watched this on Netflix Instant last night. It's a Hallmark'ish type movie.

We had seen the previews last Spring when it was showing in the Theatres. With Jim being a former letter carrier, the cancer theme, and God theme...we were intrigued. The actual movie had a more spiritual aspect to it than I had expected, which was good.

Letters to God correlates nicely with the "Believing God" Bible Study I've been doing. It too, has letters to God involved. Sometimes we can get so busy living life, we don't allow enough time for reflecting, or serious praying. This study has forced me to stop and think about some things, no longer just sweeping them under the rug. Prior to the study I was going through a time where I felt like someone had put all of the things bothering me into a mental blender in my head.... turned the switch on, ..... and left the lid off. I was having a difficult time concentrating and praying effectively. This study, (shown in my side-bar) has been a God send to me. Have you done this study? What did you think?

The Weekend

OREGON FLOCK AND FIBER FESTIVAL

After the soccer game and a yummy Mexican lunch at Kate's, we went to go see the woolies.
There were lover-boy Llamas, like Valentino here:

fluffy Angora bunnies, and Alpacas, and more Llamas...

Curly horned Churro rams


Merino's, Shetlands, and Romneys

and cute little Pygoras
This year's festival was much larger and had a lot more attendees than when we went before.

There were people spinning in vendor booths and in clusters all about the lawn.

There were high wheels, uprights, traditional Ashfords like mine, and traveling Lovets.
There were more drop spindles in use than I've seen in the past.

And a girl using a Navaho Spindle. Spinners, in Birki's and barefoot, young and old, male and female.

Producing gorgeous yarns such as these:

There was one vendor with shawls knit in Russia, by women's co-ops. They were the softest most delicate thing I've ever layed my hands on. (I wish I had gotten her card)

On our way home, past views of Mt. Hood,

Hazelnut orchards, berry farms, and hop vines,

We were again intrigued by the sun glinting on the onion domes of the Old Believer churches.

Nestled in among farms and homes. A tiny village, on Bethlehem Rd.

There is restoration work being done on the domes right now.

The fresco on the front is amazing.

There is a picture on Wikipedia that shows the whole building with all of the domes in place.

This morning at our church: Awesome worship service. During the "meet and greet" time, I was observing different brothers and sisters in Christ, and thinking how much I loved them, my heart felt full to overflowing. Then came testimony time. Many testimonies, but one truth ringing in my ears as I write this...an old tune.."And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love."

A day on Pill Hill

It was a long day; but at least we had a room with a window. It was worth the wait. When someone you love, is no longer facing potential brain surgery....it's a good day.

God Is Good!