Who Said You Have to Hate Mondays?

Yesterday, Monday April 16, 2012 was unseasonably warm and the weather teams all predicted it would be for a few days prior.  After being sick and unable to get off the couch for the better part of 7months, and now having the luxury of functional nausea, I am very motivated to do fun and exciting things with the kids.  This week, I decided to play hooky and go to the beach on the gloriously warm day that the Lord gave us this April.  I did not tell the kids until the evening before, making sure there were no major tests or homework assignments that would get us all in trouble if missed.  Early in the morning, we loaded up and were on our way to a day of fun in the sun!  Thank you Lord for the opportunity to enjoy your creation with the beautiful children you have blessed me with!

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  (Psalm 118:24)

 

  

 

Ninjago Masters of Spinjitsu

Ninjago Masters of Spinjitsu

Emily has fallen in love with Ninjago Masters of Spinjitsu, a Lego Ninja cartoon.  There are four main ninjas that I have learned a lot about over the last few weeks.  Cole (black), Zane (white), Kai (red) and Jay (blue) and even Sensei Wu are common topics for conversation and imagination play.  I have many drawings and practice papers with the ninja names written in preschool lettering.   When Ninjago comes on TV, there is nothing that will come between Emily and her ninjas.  She has announced that she would like to be a ninja when she grows up and most likely she will be like the red ninja, Kai.  For Emily, these colorful ninjas make her laugh and entertain her while they save the city from the evil snakes and dragons that often attack. 

We all have evil dragons and snakes that attack us on a regular basis.  While they may appear as other threats such as temptations, personal attacks and sinful desires, they are just as in need of a ninja attack for their destruction.  Did you know you have a ninja on your side, ready to protect you and stand by your side?  God is the best ninja around, silent when needed and loud when required.  His smooth moves and thought out plays can put any attacker to shame.  A ninja is full of grace, as is our Ninja from above, yet our Ninja also has mercy and forgiveness.  Our Ninja wears many colors and can hide in the most unlikely of places always at the ready.  Discipline, loyalty and protection are admirable traits our heavenly Ninja also exudes. 

Ninja Emily

One of my favorite songs that we sing on a Sunday morning, Our God by Chris Tomlin, sings: And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?  And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?  With a Ninja on your side at all times, who could stop you or stand against you?  No temptation, sinful desire or personal attack is too big for our Ninja.  How awesome to have a Ninja only a prayer away!

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:31-35)

Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten Free)

I will admit that I am very intimidated by alternate flours in gluten free baking.  There is no shame in this fact and I know I am not alone.  However, I have recently discovered and alternate flour that makes sense to me (not that chickpea or fava bean flour doesn’t make sense in some capacity, just not in baking yummy cookies and breads).   OAT FLOUR!  If you need to be totally gluten free then you should buy the gluten free oats, as trace amounts can be found from the milling process of oats on machinery shared with wheat.   I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats for this recipe.  I have not experimented much with alternate sweeteners or fats yet, one step at a time.  

The kids have tested this cookie and all three approve and have enjoyed several already.  Enjoy!

Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten Free)

Ingredients:

¾ Cup Butter (softened)

1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

½ Cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Baking Powder

¼ tsp Baking Soda

4Tb Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

2 Cups Oat Flour *

2 Cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats

2 cups Semi-Sweet or Dark Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Combine baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and oat flour in a bowl and set aside.  Beat together butter and sugars until well blended.  Add eggs and vanilla, beat until combined.  Slowly add the dry ingredients until combined.  Stir in oats and chocolate chips.  Place on cookie sheet by rounded teaspoon or cookie scooper.  Bake for 8-10 min at 375 degrees.  Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer to parchment paper or wire rack for cooling.

*Gluten Free Oat Flour can be made easily by placing oats in a food processor and blending until flour texture is created– Simple!

A Very Foreman Easter In Photo Form

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. - John 3:16-17

Finding Candy Filled Eggs

Searching for Candy Filled Treasure

Treasure Found!

Where Mom?  I don't See it...

Checking out the loot.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.... - 1 Peter 1:3 

Silly Girls

Happy 95th Birthday Grandpa!

Beautiful View as We Leave My Grandparent's Home

Happy Easter from Our Home to Yours!

We love because he first loved us.- 1 John 4:19

The Happy Couples Dressed in Orange

Skypeing with The Florida Foremans

Happy Easter Baby Roey, Christy and Brian!

Maundy Thursday - Living Last Supper

Mango Salsa

Today is Good Friday.  Both Abby and Emily asked me, "What is so good about Jesus dying today?"  The fact that Jesus had to die was sad and the people that were close to Him were very sad, but the gift of salvation and new and eternal life that His sacrifice gave us is more then Good.  Our Father in heaven loves us so much, that He not only came to Earth as one of us, but He conquered the grave to save us from ourselves. 

At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.  And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).  When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”  Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.  With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.  The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!"    - Mark 15: 33-39

Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

2 Ripe Mangoes
½ Cucumber
½ Red Pepper
½ Red Onion
Local Honey or Agave Nectar (approx 1 tsp)
Sea Salt
Lime
Fresh Cilantro

Directions:

Dice mangoes, cucumber, pepper and onion and add to large mixing bowl.  Add honey and salt to taste with lime and fresh chopped cilantro. 

Alone?

“Emily, I am going downstairs to do the wash.  Do you want to stay upstairs or come down with me?”   I inquire to the four year old playing ponies in the living room.

“I will stay up here, Mommy.”   She quickly replies.

“Okay, I will be right back; I am going downstairs right now to fold the wash”

“Okay, Mommy.”

Less than two minutes pass as I make my way toward the washing machine, wading my way through various stuffed animals and Lego creations that litter the family room floor in the basement.   As I open the dryer door I hear a startling scream of “MOMMY!  MOMMY!”

As I dash up the stairs a flood of various scenes run through my mind.  Missing fingers, broken bones, bleeding heads, any number of horrible things that can happen in a short two minutes time come to mind. 

“Emily!  What is wrong?  What happened?”  I take a quick survey of the room and my daughter and there are no large pools of blood to be seen so my muscles start to loosen.

“Nothing Mommy, I just didn’t remember where you were and I got scared.”

Phew.

I find I often feel lonely.  Partly because I stay at home and only one of the three kids are not in school full time, partly because my husband works long hours, partly because most of my friends work during the day, but mostly because I forget to look up.  I forget that God is with us when we need and when we don’t.  I forget that even when there is no one to call because they are all too busy to listen to my latest story or just to talk to someone that is older than four, God is happy to listen and he even responds if we are willing to listen and read his word.  We needn’t feel lonely, scared and scream to find him because God is “folding the wash” and ready to come when we call, desperate or otherwise.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."  Deuteronomy 31:6

Less is More

Guest Blogger...Enjoy!

I think it’s important to consider the word of God every day.  Some days though, the reality and trials of modern life seems to take all our attention.  Are we really that busy that we can’t find a moment to think about God?  Or is there something else tempting us to excuse ourselves?  Either way, there are days when we just can’t imagine finding just the right bible verse.

Thankfully, He gave us a simple and perfect prayer that we can always use when we’re lost for words, noting that sometimes less is more.

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen" -  Matthew 6:5-13