My Darkness's Light

Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us daily.  ~Sally Koch

I recently discovered Courtney's great blog:

www.storinguptreasures.com

Courtney and her husband have 11 children.  She is a stay at home Mom and homeschools her children.  Wow!  Her writing is very sincere.  I admire the ease of her willingness to follow God's plan for her life.  

As I was reading her blog one day, I noticed that she had linked a page to her blog called, "Blogs of Note,"   as a way to help blog writers grow their readership.  I was quite interested in making "the list"  and gaining more readers and followers of my blog, so I began writing this particular post as a way to get in on Courtney's promotion.  (See Courtney's "Blogs of Note" Button at the bottom of my blog..)

In the meantime, several states including mine, were hit with deadly storms this week. 

www.clarionledger.com 

Over 200 people were killed in these storms.  So many people are coping with natural disasters such as these, including those  in Japan, political uncertainty in the Middle East, and lack of food and clean drinking water in Africa.  The list goes on and on.  I pray for all of those that are suffering and help in ways that I can.  There seems to be so much darkness in this world.  So many times I get so focused on the darkness that I feel overwhelmed.  This seems to impact the way I view the world around me.  

As I have scrolled through the list of blogs on Courtney's link, I have found each blog to be wonderfully unique and distinctively creative.  However, they each seem to have one thing in common:  an ordinary  person sharing the work of Jesus in his/her life.  Reading these blogs this week has opened my eyes to a world of Jesus' light.  There is so much good going on in the world!  Why?  Because Jesus is behind it!  His light shines brightest in the darkest of times and places. His spirit is inspiring people to be "Carriers of the Light.":  to do the will of the Father and share the love of Jesus with others.  I think that's why Courtney's link is so great!  It's a way for all of us bloggers to share our "lights" for Jesus by writing about the beauty we find in Jesus Christ everyday. 

"No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light."

Luke 11:33

I am so thankful for those who choose not to hide their lights.  (as I am so guilty of doing sometimes) I feel so blessed to see all of these blogs come together  to carry out Jesus' mission to seek and save that which is lost. 

How  Can  We Help Those Affected By Natural Disasters:

www.redcross.org

UMCOR - United Methodist Committee on Relief

The Salvation Army

www.mississippi.relief.com 

Happy Easter!

He took my sins and my sorrows,

he made them his very own;

he bore the burden to Calvary,

and suffered and died alone.

How marvelous!  How wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

How marvelous!  How wonderful

is my Savior's love for me!  ~Charles H. Gabriel

This year, Easter at my house was pretty simple.  My kiddos have gotten older and they assured me that they were 100% positive that they would survive without our usual holiday traditions.  So, no dyed Easter eggs, no egg hunts, no bunny cake, no Easter Bunny visit, no posed Easter photos, not even an Easter dress for me.  It all seemed just a little bit more than I could bear.  I can't remember an Easter without dyeing eggs and was determined to do it even if I had to dye them by myself.  I think the thought of a nearly 40 year old woman dyeing Easter eggs by herself must have freaked the hubby out a bit, so he sweetly offered to help me come up with some new family traditions.  After all, isn't Easter about new beginnings?

We decided to attend the Easter Sunrise Service.  I have never been to the Sunrise Service.  The kiddos were not just really thrilled about waking up that early and were probably thinking I wish now we would have just made her happy and gone on and dyed those eggs.  

We all agreed that the outside service was really nice.  The music was beautiful.  The weather was perfect.  The sermon was wonderful.  After the benediction, our pastor pointed out the glorious sunrise.  Collin remarked,  "Yes, It's just like God was looking out for us."

I thought about Collin's comment during  our "new" tradition of Easter brunch and throughout the rest of the day.  He's exactly right.  When Jesus died on the cross, God was looking out for all of us.  Through Jesus' death and resurrection we are set free from sin, death, and selfishness. The blood of Jesus that flowed to the earth below, bought our forgiveness.  What a sacrifice!

For me, Easter is so much bigger than I will ever be able to put into words.  I pray that I can do a better job of following Christ's example, by putting the needs of others before my own.  I want to be more compassionate towards others and live a life that is more loving and caring, as He did.  

My sister and her family will be leaving in July to live as missionaries in the country of Ghana.  Isn't that awesome?  They have been on several short-term mission trips in the U.S., Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Greece.  They feel that God has been preparing them through these trips for their move to Ghana.  They will be living there for 6 months.  

My sister and me - Easter 1975

 

 

I will miss them so much.  I know that there are lots of details that still remain to be worked out, but I know that they have placed God in full control.  He's looking at their hearts and I know He's finding willing and eager servants ready to share their love for Jesus and gratitude for all He's done for them.  Please pray for them as they begin this journey.  

Follow them on their journey at www.fivefollowers.blogspot.com

 Finally, there are two guys from Winona, Mississippi, (Ben McNeer and Ben Stanton) that are raising money to build school desks for children in Africa.  They are selling t-shirts for $20.  One t-shirt builds one desk.  The t-shirts come in red, green, yellow, and white.  I bought mine from:

Hammond Pharmacy

405 N Applegate

Winona, Ms 38967

662-283-8802

They are also available at :

Special Treasures

501 Summit Street

Winona, MS 38967

662-283-5721

 

My t-shirt in yellow

                                    

                                                       

You can read all about The Desk Project at www.thedeskproject.org.  

If you are interested in supporting The Desk Project and would like to purchase a shirt, I would be glad to try to help fix you up!  Just let me know!

I hope you all had a great Easter!  I know I sure did!  Yes, it was a little "different," but oh so much better!

Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve.

You don't have to have a college degree to serve...

You only need a heart full of grace.  A soul generated by love.

~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lent: Go Love Seek

"The most courageous and costly search-and-rescue mission in human history was that of Jesus.  His love for the lost brought him to earth, to the cross, and to us.  We are challenged to share his mission.  We go for the reason he came - that the lost might have a savior."  ~W.E. McCumber


I was blessed to have grown up in a Christian home and was raised and very active in a wonderful church.

                                                 www.parkwaybaptistchurch.com


Being raised Southern Baptist, however, I don't remember as a child observing Lent.  Celebrating Easter has always been such a joyous celebration!  But giving up something?  That just has never been in my background.  (Lent is the 40 day period from Ash Wednesday to Easter.  The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, repentance, giving, and self-denial.)


It's so easy for me to forget  what God has done for me.  I forget quite easily that it's because of my sins that Jesus was punished.  I add to these sins when I try to make myself happy by eating too much, spending too much money, gossiping, etc.  I fill up with all sorts of these things always hoping they will make me happy.  I may be happy in the moment, but that kind of happiness doesn't last very long.  I just end up wanting more.  I'm never satisfied by these things.  I know that Lent is the time that Christians try to stop filling up on all of these things and try to make more room for Christ again.  By doing this, we feel nearer to God. 
                        
                    "The hardest thing is to take less when you can get more."  ~Kin Hubbard

I spend a lot of my free time searching the internet and reading other blogs.  I have been amazed by so many ordinary people that are serving Jesus.  These organizations and volunteers are improving the quality of  life for people around the world spiritually, mentally, and physically.  They are helping others through humanitarian efforts, such as:   providing food, medical aid, education, clean water, and adopting children from poverty stricken countries.  Their ultimate love and desire to faithfully and cheerfully act unselfishly in bearing the world's burdens and be willing servants, has inspired me to be more loving and helpful to others.  I hope I am able to inspire others to do the same.

After my family attended the Ash Wednesday service at my church, I asked God to show me how I should prepare my heart for Easter.  (and beyond)  Giving up Diet Coke or chocolate seemed too little a sacrifice in comparison to the cross.  So, this year I felt God speaking to me through this quote:

                  "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."  ~ Theodore Roosevelt

I think he was telling me to open my eyes to see this world as my home and all its inhabitants as my family. The"call to serve" is not only for the missionaries, nuns, and preachers to experience.  The Bible says that everyone is called to serve God by serving others.  I feel God leading me to use my blog to spread the word of the wonderful "hands-on" assistance that is being provided to the poor, distressed, and underprivileged. 

Thank you, God, for this season of Lent and I pray that you will always find in my heart a faithful servant.  Amen.

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.  1 Peter 4:10

Spring Break "Staycation" Part Do' (2)

"Never iron a four leaf clover, because you don't want to press your luck."  ~Author Unknown

On March 2, my hubby and I celebrated 15 years of marital bliss.  (God bless his sweet little heart.)  We always plan an over night trip for just the two of us for our "honeymoon," as Collin calls it.  We decided to head to Memphis to not only celebrate our special day, but to join in for some good old fashioned St. Patrick's Day fun.  Here are a few highlights.  Now this is a family-friendly blog, so don't panic! :0)

One of our favorite stops in Memphis is the Cooper Young area in Midtown.

                                                     www.cooperyoung.com 

It's a hip, cool, bohemian neighborhood with cool restaurants and shops.  Our day began at Au Fond Farmtable.  This place has reasonable prices and serves generous portions of what seems to be locally grown or raised products whenever possible.  It's a great place for a weekend morning breakfast out.  (although we ate there on a Thursday)

                                                    Au Fond Farmtable

                                                    938 South Cooper Street

                                                    Memphis, TN 38104

                                                  

Then, the moment that I had been waiting for all week had finally arrived.  We walked across the street to the Irish pub, Celtic Crossing.

                                                    Celtic Crossing

                                                    903 South Cooper Street 

                                                    Memphis, TN 38104

                                                    901-274-5151

                                                    www.celticcrossingmemphis.com

I was quite jazzed about this.  We have tried to go several times but we always had the kiddos with us.  On this visit, however, I received official "unofficial" word that kids are only allowed for Sunday Brunch and on St. Patrick's Day.  Celtic Crossing had events planned all throughout the day and night.  We ordered drinks and an appetizer of Chips N' Curry and merrily watched the Irish dancers 

and listened to The real McCoys.  They even let me play the tambourine with them.  ☺  

                                                      I even scored us these cool shirts!

Our last stop around Cooper Young was spent browsing around the used bookstore.

                                                   Burke's Book Store

                                                   936 South Cooper Street

                                                   Memphis, TN 38104

                                                   Email:  info@burkesbooks.com

                                                   www.burkesbooks.com

The Wolf River Nature Area was located directly behind our hotel.  It has a paved, multi-use trail, with amenities that include picnic facilities, restrooms, bat houses, butterfly gardens, and much more.  The hubby was much more excited about this than I was.  I knew, however, that if I spent a little time with him walking on the trail, he would be a little more eager to spend a little time with me at the mall!

He had scoped us out a delicious local spot for lunch:

                                                       

                                                Taqueria La Guadalupana

                                                4818 Sumner Avenue

                                                Memphis, TN  38122-4721

                                                901-685-6857

If I remember correctly, he said that this place was voted Memphis's favorite place for tacos, or something like that.  If you are familiar with Memphis, you know that this is not the most desirable location in town, but it is so worth the trip.  My family loves Mexican food and we have vacationed in Mexico several times.  This is the closest I have tasted to real authentic Mexican food since being south of the border! (minus the sticky heat and sweat of the Caribbean!) It was a great lunch and we enjoyed talking about a lot of our favorite memories from those family vacations.

Cancun 2008

 Our anniversary dinner was a late one at The Half Shell.

                                               The Half Shell

                                               688 South Mendenhall Road

                                               Memphis, TN 38117

                                                901-682-3966

                                                www.halfshell-memphis.com 

We have eaten brunch here before, (May I suggest the champagne mimosas?), but have never tried the dinner menu.  The hubby let me choose the appetizer.  I thought it was pretty good, as did the diners at the table beside us because they asked me what it was.  I tried to explain to them that it was a lostery/seafoody dip with crostinis.  The hubby not so impressed.  For my entree I chose the Voo Doo Tuna and he ordered the New York Strip Steak Sandwich.  Both were divine and we will definitely make a repeat dinner appearance in the near future.  

Well, there you have it.  God has blessed us for the last 15 years.  I'm so lucky to be married to my best friend (I know - cheesy!) and I look forward to our next adventures together!

Our wedding was many years ago.  The celebration continues to this day.  ~ Gene Perret 

Freckles

"A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes.  A waterlogged stick will do just fine.  A dog judges others not by how they look but by who they are inside.  A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, smart or dull.  Give him your heart, and he will give you his."  `John Grogan


Three years ago my family lost our beloved pets:  "Lovable Lunatic", Sug and "Goddess," Tigger.

Sug

Tigger

We were quite grief stricken.  Then, Easter, 2008, our lives completely changed.  A freckle-faced lab mix dog followed me home from a walk.  He slept at our house for several nights.  Our children instantly fell in love and the dog seemed to form a lovable bond with all of us.  After asking around the neighborhood and placing an ad in the local paper, nobody came to claim the dog.  My sensible hubby decided the pooch needed to be thoroughly checked out by the vet.   Sadly, his health had been neglected and he needed treatment for Heartworms and Tick fever, just to name a few.  After several weeks of treatments, and not to mention several hundred dollars later, Freckles became ours.

Freckles is without a doubt the smartest dog that I have ever owned.  He has learned to sit, stay, lay down, roll over, shake, and he even fetches the paper for me everyday.  His latest trick is he can push open the screen door with his nose!  His only flaw is he is quite the shedder!  If I could sell his hair I could definitely quit my day job!

On a whim, Collin and I decided to enter Freckles in the Paws Parade held in conjunction with the annual  River to the Rails Festival. www.greenwoodms.org  The Paws Parade is a fundraiser for our local humane society. (Go to www.facebook.com/Leflore Humane for more cute pup pics) Freckles has a hard time socializing with other dogs, so I was a little worried that we might need to make an early parade exit.  However, Freckles was a pro and he even won "Best In Show!"

Freckles posing with his trophy

Collin and Freckles even made front page news!  www.gwcommonwealth.com Collin was interviewed on the 10:00 news!

Collin and Freckles accepting their awards

We also celebrated my hubby's birthday with a delicious meal at The Crystal Grill www.crystalgrillms.com and afterwards with a delicious caramel cake baked by yours truly.  (It tasted better than it looked.)

There you have it!  Great food!  Great dog!  Great family!  Great weekend!

Spring Break Staycation

"Laughter is an instant vacation."  `Milton Berle

My family (including the in-laws) loaded up for an over-nighter in Memphis.  It's become an annual event for us to attend the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Beale Street.  www.bealestreetmerchants.com  It's a family-friendly, FREE, public event featuring carnival floats, vintage cars, musicians, bead and candy throwing and all sorts of other sights and sounds. We've been doing St. Pat's Day pretty big for the last few years,( I am of Irish decent), so we always make it a fun time.  It is usually so cold, but this year the weather was perfect for a parade and there was a huge crowd gathered on Beale.  Lots of people dress in all sorts of get-ups, I just wish I could get Collin to get into the spirit of things.

 David, on the other hand, did finally loosen up and put on a pair of green beads.  He's too quick for the camera because I didn't get a pic of him wearing the beads.

We decided to wait out the dinner crowd at the Corner Bar at the Peabody Hotel. (kudos to them for allowing kids in) It's casual and cozy and the perfect place to relax after the merriment of the parade.  After we were graciously kicked out/asked to leave due to a scheduled private party we chose to brave the crowd across the street at Flying Fish for dinner.
www.flyingfishinthe.net/memphis.php
105 S. 2nd St.
Memphis, TN 38103
901-522-8228
11am-10pm
7 days a week

There are lots of things on the menu to choose from.  I think most of us ordered the fried catfish plate due to the fact we were starving and it had been a very long day.  However, just as we were leaving we had a Memphis celebrity sighting!  We saw Andy Wise from Action News 5.  www.wmctv.com 

He was so gracious and sweet.  I love his Restaurant Scorecard reports he does!  Thanks Andy for posing with us!

Well, that's how my Spring Break began.  We opted for a "staycation" this year, except for David.  He went to Destin with some friends.  He did bring me something back:

Cupcakes

"All I really need is love, but a little chocolate (cupcake) now and then doesn't hurt!:  `Charles Schulz

Okay, so have I ever mentioned that I LOVE cupcakes?  Here's why:

• Reason 1:  The cake to icing ratio is more even than that of a regular cake.
• Reason 2:  Cupcakes come in single serve portions.  No utensils required.  Unwrap. Eat. Repeat.
• Reason 3:  Cupcakes come in a variety of flavors, but you don't have to commit to just one.  If you order cake, you get one flavor, but if you order cupcakes you can get multiple flavors and still have the same amount of dessert!
• Reason 4:  Cupcakes make me feel like a kid again.  Whenever we had that rare in-school celebration (like a birthday, holiday party, etc.) cupcakes seemed to signify an unusual and special treat.  I still feel those childhood tingles of delight and luck whenever I indulge in a cupcake.

So, whenever I am in Memphis I always make a stop at Muddy's Bake Shop. 
www.muddysbakeshop.com
5101 Sanderlin #114
Memphis, TN 38117
901-683-8844
T W TH 11am-9pm
F SA      11am-11pm

Muddy's is a small neighborhood bakery which offers a variety of cookies and bars, pies by the slice, puddings, cakes by the slice, whole 7" pies (chef's choice), pimiento cheese, and CUPCAKES with cool names like Plain Jane, Classic, Capote, Frankly Scarlett, and Grasshopper.  (Some of our favs!)  ...And if you love chocolate you MUST indulge in a Prozac cupcake.  All I can say is WOW- I LOVE IT ♥

So after my last Muddy's visit I was inspired to make the cake for my sweet David's 21st b-day.  So what else would a cupcake lovin' girl make?  Yep, you guessed it!

Can't believe he's 21!  As they say, time flies when you're having fun.  Oh, and eating cupcakes!  :0)

Eat and Repeat

"Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity."  `Voltaire

Well, although I have been neglecting my blog for quite a while, I have had a lot of "bloggy' ideas swirling through my brain.  So, I decided that my next few posts would be a lot about food, eating and family fun.  I have decided I've gotten pretty good at the eating part because I have the waistline to prove it!

I guess I'll begin by saying I've been on an eating frenzy.  Not an Eat, Pray, Love type of food frenzy, but more like a Paula Deen/Butter Queen, "I'll eat anything that doesn't eat me first ," kind of food frenzy.

It all began at this place in Memphis called Brother Juniper's.  According to my hubby, it has been voted Memphis' Best Breakfast or something along those lines.  I've been on an egg "jag" lately, so I excitedly was ready to give it a try.  I ordered the San Diegan which was a delicious open-face omelet on a bed of home fries and sour cream topped with portobellos, tomatoes, bacon, green onions, feta and cheddar cheeses.  It's a Rachel Ray favorite!  Yum-O!

The hubby opted for the open-face omelet called the Desperado:  sauteed tomatoes, green onions, black beans, and salsa on a bed of avocado spread topped with mozzarella cheese and sour cream. 

The open-face omelets come with cheese grits, toast, or a biscuit.  My only complaint was that the cheese grits were a little too creamy for me.  I prefer my grits a little bit, well, "grittier."

Collin ordered the pancakes with eggs and sausage.  The pancakes were as big as his head and he didn't finish them.  

Here's a tip:  Brother Juniper's stays packed, so call ahead and make a reservation.  The owner's wife just happened to be our server, and even she was shocked when we told her we waited over an hour for a table.  (It was on a Saturday.)   We will definitely give it a try again.  Check it out if you are ever in Memphis!

www.brotherjunipers.com

3519 Walker Avenue

Memphis, TN 38111-5917

(901)324-0144

Tue-Fri 6:30-1pm

Sat 7am-12:30pm

Sun 8am-1pm