Journaling

During the last two years I have experienced the blessing of journaling. Two years ago on my birthday, I decided to have a full year of writing my thoughts, lessons and prayer requests during that year. I have not stopped to this day.

Today I can tell you it was a tremendous blessed decision. Once in a while I read back and see how God led me during these last two years. I have to tell you, not everything I read is good or make me proud of, but everything reflects God's hand molding me to become a better "me".

There are so many lessons still to learn and so many experiences to go through, I want to make sure to record them. God told the israelites, many times, to tell their children and grandchildren what He had done for them. I feel journaling is a tool to bring glory to God in future generations. That is why I am a scrapbooker as well. These two tools provides us with infitinte ways and oportunities to share our journey of faith with the ones that will come after us.

I encourage you to start writing. It is hard in the beggining but you will be glad you started. I just read an article that talks about journaling as a family and I am copying the link below. I hope you get some ideas from it. It is from Women's Connection e-letter I receive weekly. I hope you can use some of the presented ideas.

I hope you enjoy it!

http://www.christianitytoday.com/tcw/2006/004/15.26.html

RECIPE: Salmon Cheese Ball

Hello friends!

This has become a favorite in our household. My kids love it! Enjoy it!!

Ingredients
2 cups fresh salmon or one 1-pound can of salmon
One 8-ounce cream cheese
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated onion
1 teaspoon horseradish
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 Tablespoons snipped parsley

Strain and flake salmon. Combine with next 6 ingredients, then chill. Shape into ball then press with pecans and parsley.

RECIPE: Key Lime Pie

One of my family's favorite in Florida is the Key Lime Pie.

I watched this recipe on TV the other day and loved the way it looked, so I made it and it turned out as good as I expected. The only thing missing on this picture is the lime wedges to decorate. It looks very pretty with it.

Here it is your recipe:

Crust: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
6 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons grated lime zest
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 to 5 limes)

For the decoration:
1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Thin lime wedges

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Press into a 9-inch pyrex pie pan, making sure the sides and the bottom are an even thickness. Bake for 10 minutes until firm and golden. Allow to cool completely.

For the filling, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes, until thick. With the mixer on medium speed, add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour into the baked pie shell and freeze.

For the decoration, beat the heavy cream on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until firm. Spoon or pipe decoratively onto the pie and decorate with lime. Freeze for several hours or overnight.

Note: If you have concerns about raw eggs, combine the yolks with 1/2 cup of the lime juice used in the recipe in a double boiler. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture reaches 140 degrees. Use in place of the raw egg yolks, remembering to add the remaining 1/4 cup of lime juice to the filling mixture along with the condensed milk and zest. Enjoy it!!!

The Refiner

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot;then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it"

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

When God made Mothers

First ... Happy Mother's Day!!

I would like to share what I read yesterday on my devotional:

"A Woman who fears the Lord, she will be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates."
Proverbs 31:30-31

He made them as something special!

Their hands are delicately formed; they can create an exquisite piece of art while binding the imaginary wound of a child's broken heart. A mother's soothing touch to a feverish brow is like a "magic cure" to the inner soul.

Kings have been transfused by the plasma of her dreams. Nations are still being conquered through the inspiration of her ideals. Weak leaders are often supported by her feminine mystique. Her offspring have walked on the moon, tilled the soil, explored planets and plumbed the ocean depths.

She is a paradox! Unpredictable. Not easily understood by the male species. They have studied her, used her body, written pages of scientific data about her. Yet, no one has discovered the mystery of a woman herself.

Not will they ever!

God and God alone is able to contemplate her worth. For it was she He chose to bear His son, tutor Him in childhood, and to minister to Him at the cross.

She was the very last of all God's creative acts. When He has finished with His original "MASTERPIECE" called woman, it was as if God said:

"Now that I have made mothers, I can rest."

By Ruthe White
Book: A Gentle Spirit
Devotional Selections for Today's Christian Woman

Happy Easter!

Dear friends!

I have been thinking about Christ's death. It is a common thought during this time of the year.

I found this picture today and a thought came to my mind. It is a sand sculpture that we saw in the north coast of Spain, Gijón, where we lived for 7 years. Isn't it true that sometimes we celebrate fervently the death and ressurrection and days after Easter the "elements of the wheather", little by little, eliminates those thoughts from our minds ... like sand in the wind.

I hope to live daily with this vivid imagine: that someone loved me enough to give his life for me!
I would like to share a few stories and thoughts about Easter. I hope you enjoy them.

The gift of life

While a patient at a hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, Philip Blaiberg told of the night when Christiaan Barnard, gowned and muzzled, walked into his sterile room carrying in his hand a plastic box. It contained his old herat. The eminent surgeon said: “Dr. Blaiberg, do you realize that you are the first man int he history of mankind to be able to sit as you are now, and look at his own, dead heart?”
Whata dramatic moment! What a miracle! Second unto it was when the courageous patient met for the first time the woman who had given him life, namely, permission for surgeons to remove the heart of her dead husband. Blaiberg asked, “What does one say in such circumstance? She had lost a life, I had gained one.”
This is precisely the gift of Christ “I came that they man have life, and have it abundantly’.


Resurrection Because the tomb was empty

One warm spring afternoon near Easter, a teacher gave a large plastic egg to each of her students. Then she sent them outside to find signs of life and put them inside their egg. Soon they returned. In one was a butterfly. In another was an ant. Others contained flowers, twigs, blades of grass. But one egg had nothing in it. Everyone knew whose it was - it belonged to a boy with Down’s syndrome. Some of the kids laughed at him. The teacher asked him why he had not put any signs of life in his egg. He said quietly, “Because the tomb was empty.” That boy knew a profound truth - Easter is more than a celebration of nature’s life cycle.

Reasons for not visiting the empty tomb - Herschel Hobbs

After Mary Magdalene left the tomb there is no evidence that any believer ever returned to it. Furthermore, there is no Gospel evidence that any of the enemies of Jesus ever visited the tomb. His enemies did not go because they were afraid it was empty. Jesus’ friends did not return to the tomb because they knew it was empty!

The Stations of the Cross -- Lavon Brown

Every year thousands of people climb a mountain in the Italian Alps, passing the "stations of the cross" to stand at an outdoor crucifix. One tourist noticed a little trail that led beyond the cross. He fought through the rough thicket and, to his surprise, came upon another shrine, a shrine that symbolized the empty tomb. It was neglected. The brush had grown up around it. Almost everyone had gone as far as they cross, but there they stopped.
Far too many have gotten to the cross and have known the despair and the heartbreak. Far too few have moved beyond the cross to find the real message of Easter. That is the message of the empty tomb.


Among chocolate candies and bunny rabits, let's not forget the sweetest gift of all: the death of Christ on the cross for me and for you!

Happy Easter!

April Fool's Day "Cake"

I got this recipe from "cookingvillage.com" and tought I would share with my friends. Visit their website, they have lots of great recipes.

April Fool's Cake

Ingredients:
For the Meat Loaf
. 2 pounds lean ground meat
. 3 large eggs
. 1 cup bread crumbs
. 2/3 cup sliced green onions
. 1/2 cup milk
. 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
. 2 large garlic gloves, minced
. 2 tablespoons Wercestershire sauce
. 1 teaspoon salt
. 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Decoration:
. 1 jar roasted red pepper, drained and patted dry
. 3 1/2 cups of mashed potatoes
. 8 cherry tomatoes, stems removed

Directions
Preparing the Meat Loaf
1. Preheat over to 375. In a large bowl, combine meat, eggs, crumbs, onions, milk, parsley, garlic, Wescestershire sauce, salt and pepper until blended.
2. Divide mixture between 2 8-inch round cake pans, patting to cover pan evenly and make level.
3. Bake meat loaves until juices run clear when meat is pierced witha fork, or meat loaves register 170F on a meat thermometer, 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover loose with foil and let it stand for 10 minutes.

Decorating the Meat Loaf
1. Pour off juices from pans. Inverte meat loaf into a flat servinf plate. Using a small sharp knife, trim red peppers so that they lie flat. Cover top of meat loaf with a single level of roastes red peppers.
2. Top with other meat loaf. Spread most of the mashed potatoes (leave 2/3 cups aside) over top and sides of meat loaf. Spoon remaining potatoes into a pastry bad fitted with a large star tip. Pipe swirls around top edges of cake. Pipe stars aaround bottom of cake.
3. Place cherry tomatoes, stem-ends down, in a ring around top of meat loaf "cake" to resemble cherries. Cu meat loaf into wedges, serve immediately.

Enjoy it! I thought it was such a cute idea!

Mara

Testify to Love, Avalon

Dear Friends,

Just wanted to share the lyrics of a song which has become one of my favorites in this season of my life. No matter where I am in this world, the truth is that for as long as I shal live I will testily to love.

God's wonderful creation tell us of His love for you and me. Why sometimes we cannot see it? Maybe because we are blinded by things around us that are taking the place where God should be. This song is a call for us to look at the world with new eyes and note the works of this loving God ... each day, each moment.

Avalon - Testify To Love Lyrics

All the colors of the rainbow
All the voices of the wind
Every dream that reaches out
That reaches out to find where love begins
Every word of every story
Every star in every sky
Every corner of creation lives to testify

(Chorus:)
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
I'll be a witness in the silences when words are not enough
With every breath I take
I will give thanks to God above
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love

From the mountains to the valleys
From the rivers to the sea
Every hand that reaches out
Every hand that reaches out to offer peace
Every simple act of mercy
Every step to kingdom come
All the hope in every heart will speak what love has done

Whenever you have a chance, listen to Avalon. Besides being of an incredible quality, their perfomance shows more than just talent. I had the priviledge of seing and listening to them, it was awesome!

God's Creative Work! Me!

Dear Friends,

Muy husband shared this verse he read on "The Message" Bible. If you are not familiar with it, it a version of the Bible in a language that most of us could understand without taking from its truth and integrity.

The verse goes like this: “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.” -- Galatians 6

I have been asking these questions to myself lately. We just had a major move in our lives. When we find ourselves in a new enviroment, we are faced with so many pressures that the real "you" surfaces. I find myself going back to the very beginning: Who am I in God's perspective? Who did he intend for me to be? What does he want me to perform in this season of my life? His will and desires for us change as we move on with life, and hopefully, mature.

God encourages us to look at ourselves and observe what He has laid before us to do. Nothing more ... nothing less. We should not think of ourselves more than we really are, but we should not think less either. We are unique and exist to contribute to the world in a way that just we individually can.

I pray I can get there: not comparing myself to others, unless it is to imitate good habits and attittudes - not to feel I do not measure up to them. What is important for us is to measure up to what God expects from us!

I also pray I can find fun in discovering all the good things God has planned for me. Do not forget: His will for us is "perfect and pleasant". That means that a wonderful adventure is ahead of us trying to find our perfect place in this world!

Have fun in your jorney!

Mara

Do you hear voices?

I am back to a kind of normal life again and would like to start sharing some things I hear and think it to be thought provoking.

Do you hear voices? I do! I hear people, circunstances and my past telling me things. In one side I hear these voices but in the other, I hear the "Voice of Truth". You can choose who you will listen to. I choose to listen to the one who knows me best, who created me!

May I share with you the words of this song by Casting Crowns? Enjoy it and think about it!

"Voice of Truth"

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat
I'm inon to the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand
But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling meTime and time again.
"Boy, you'll never win!""You'll never win!"

Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes
to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out my name
And he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy you'll never win!""You'll never win!"

Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
On top of them lookin' down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me

Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe-I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth
I will listen and believeI will listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believeCause Jesus you are the voice of truth
And I will listen to you, you are-