A little change...

It's amazing what a little change will do to a picture.

It might change the mood of the picture.

The way people look.

The atmosphere of the setting.

It might take the picture from something formal to something more casual.

I could end up with a picture I just really don't like.

But whatever the case may be, a little change does something.

And change can happen not only in pictures, but in life.

Change does something to us.

It makes us look at ourselves differently.

It makes us look at everything around us differently.

It can certainly change our mood.

But the thing that is different about changes that happen in life...

Is that sometimes they are unavoidable.

Change is going to happen.

I don't have to change the look of my picture.

But much to my dismay, I can't always stop changes from happening in my life.

They still seem to come.

And that's when I trust.

I trust that God is sovereign.

He is in control.

I am not.

And so when I step back and look my picture(my life) over...

I still may not like what I see...

But I know I'm in no better place, than right where He wants me to be.

"The Lord is my shepherd;

I have all that I need....

Even when I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid,

for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

protect and comfort me."

Psalm 23:1,4 (NLT)

Memory Monday...

"Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious!"
Psalm 66:1,2

For this week I'm doing...

"Be still, and know that I am God..."

Psalm 46:10

I know this is not a big verse or a very challenging one to learn. But I think this week I need it. I need the simplicity of the words along with the weight of the words. I think I need to let these words take root not only in my mind, but heart. I need to find comfort in His sovereignty. The challenge this week may not be in memorizing this verse, but it will be whether or not I surrender to the truth of this verse.

He who guides us...

"I guide you in the way of wisdom

and lead you along straight paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;

when you run, you will not stumble.
Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;

guard it well, for it is your life."

Proverbs 4:11-13

Saturday morning doughnut run...

The Preacher said we had to have the car back by 8:30 this morning, so that meant we had 15 mins. to get doughnuts! Which also meant one of us didn't have time to change out of her pajamas...unfortunately I couldn't get away with that, so the little had to take one for the team and go in her stripey pajamas today...I don't think she cared:)

He knows best...

I was reading through a book the other day, and this poem was included in it. It is called "Sometime." This is not the entire poem, it is just mainly the first and last paragraphs of it. But I thought it spoke wonderfully to the fact that we don't see the big picture of life...only God does...we see a cropped version. But ONE day we will see our life...enlarged...in its entirety. And the TRUTH that we know, that God truly KNOWS best, will be standing right before our eyes.

Sometime, when all life's lessons have been learned,

And sun and stars forevermore have set,

The things which our weak judgments here have spurned,

The things o'er which we grieved with lashes wet,

Will flash before us out of life's dark night,

As stars shine most in deeper tints of blue;

And we shall see how all God's plans are right,

And how what seemed reproof was love most true.

Then be content poor heart;

God's plans, like lilies pure and white, unfold;

we must not tear the close-shut leaves apart,-

Time will reveal the chalices of gold.

And if, through patient toil, we reach the land

Where tired feet, with sandals loosed, may rest,

When we shall clearly see and understand,

I think that we will say, "God knew the best!"

Almost like cinnamon rolls...

This is what I make when the little one wants cinnamon rolls and I don't want to get up at 4 a.m. to get them started so she can have them fresh out of the oven when she wakes up...like she would want if she got what she wanted, and she doesn't....most of the time:)....This is the faster version. I call them, almost-like cinnamon rolls, but with a lot less effort!

1-Dish Cinnamon Swirl Cake

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 envelopes RapidRise yeast
2/3 cup warm milk (120 to 130 degrees)
2 Tbsp. butter melted
2 Tbsp. oil
1 egg

Mix batter ingredients in a pre-sprayed 8x8 baking dish; let rest for 10 min. Combine cinnamon mixture (3 Tbsp. butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon) in a small bowl.

Top batter evenly with cinnamon mixture. Using fingers (or the end of a wooden spoon if you don't like to get "messy") poke topping thoroughly into batter.

Bake by placing in a COLD oven; set temp. to 350. Bake 25-30 mins., until lightly browned and firm in the center. Cool 10 mins. and then drizzle with icing.

And that's that!

The holidays have officially started...at least for me...

It may be cloudy and dreary outside today,

but my heart and mouth are smiling BIG!

I found my

absolute-without-a-doubt-favorite candy of the season today!

I think my elliptical and I are going to become even better friends,

over the next couple of months:)