Thanksgiving

Well Thanksgiving day has come and gone....Good food, friends, and family. Here's some pictures of T day 2007. Special thanks to Deon for the cranberry cookies, Eric for the green bean casserole, the bros for shelving the garage (twice), Mom for the mashed potatoes (boil 'em, stick 'em in a stew for all you LOTR fans), and Jonell for pistachio goodness.

Clearly, blessings abound!

Wreath Round 2

Things I've learned....

1. A cranberry styrofoam wreath cannot be hung and expected to stay on 20 gauge floral wire.
2. A cranberry styrofoam wreath cannot be hung and expected to stay on picture hanging wire.
3. When a cranberry styrofoam wreath falls, it will shatter into many pieces.
4. Attempting to hot glue said pieces into a circle again is futile.
5. A cranberry styrofoam wreath with the new base spray painted red looks better than the original.
6. Frozen berries go on easier than fresh.
7. A large green ribbon is the perfect hanging device for a cranberry styrofoam wreath.
8. Bros are great for helping pick up runaway cranberries down the porch and into the yard.
9. Birds apparently do not eat cranberry styrofoam wreaths.
10. Making cranberry styrofoam wreaths over and over again.....is still fun!

Everyday life at the Rockin Refuge

Setting: Abby and Jonell talking after early morning activities...

Abby: How was Curves this morning?
Jonell: Good. How was your shower?
Abby: 'bout the same as last time...wet.

Giggles and laughter by both =)

Let the holidays begin....

In an effort to recover from a long week of work, I opted to recharge by dodging phone calls and bringing out the artistic flare today. You can see the "fruits" of my labors depicted below or swing by the house to view in person.

Yes, this is a wreath of cranberries. If you attempt this project yourself, I would advise a thimble, 500+ toothpicks, 3 or more bags of the berries, and plenty of time. Isn't it beautiful?

The Menu

The official list of this year's prized recipes and dishes for Thanksgiving at The Rockin' Refuge has been determined!

*NOTE: This list is subject to change at the chef's whim. Participants in the Thanksgiving festivities are welcome to bring other treasured dishes to share.

THE MENU:
1. Mashed Potatoes (homemade with russet potatoes and gravy)
2. Turkey
3. Pumpkin Pie
4. Green Bean Casserole (courtesy of Eric)
5. Pistachio Pudding Salad (courtesy of Jonell)
6. Waldorf Salad
7. 24 hour Vegetable Salad
8. Cornbread Stuffing (back by popular demand courtesy of Martha Stewart cooking)
9. Stovetop Stuffing (for all the traditionalists)
10. Spiced Hot Apple Lemonade

OPTIONAL ITEMS...MENU STATUS TO BE DETERMINED:
Apple Pie
Cranberry Tarts
Cranberry and Orange Salad
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Rolls

This year's slogan....
Come one, Come all. Arrive hungry, Leave full.

Losing Lance....

I think I may have lost the sister-of-the-year award today. Do you think you can be nominated if you lose your brother? Probably not. Okay, let me clarify that to say Lance didn't think he was lost, but everyone else had no idea where he was. Yep, those Turkey Run trails are a tad bit confusing and he apparently found the right one to go down when everyone else was standing at a 3 way divide not knowing where the correct one was. Nevertheless, Lance was once lost and is now found or we were all lost and now are found. Something to that affect. Thanks to all those who were willing to go down alternate trails to find him. On the up side, Lance and I have agreed to work on our communication so we don't lose each other again and I was able to ponder how often I think I'm fine when the Lord is going, "You are so lost right now."

Grocery Store Spirituality

I had an interesting dialog with myself today while shopping at the grocery story and I am curious to know if others have contemplated the same question that I pondered. Feel free to bare your soul if said posting relates to you....
So as I walked up and down the aisles, I began to think about all the hundreds of items I have never bought and will probably never buy within the store. I thought about how I possibly only utilize about 5% of all items within the grocery as I attempt to find the best nutritional choices for me and the bro. As I rounded the vegetable section, which is right next to the pastries, I thought, "Wow, so many things that look good, but I would regret eating later. They really aren't that satisfying and probably have no benefit to me healthwise. Kind of the same dilemma you have with the rest of the world. Yes, that's it! Grocery stores have become a cultural caveat! They offer you temptation around every corner with empty promises of fleeting satisfaction!!!! Goodness! No wonder it takes so long to hunt for the good things in each aisle. It's just like the rest of life. You have to sort out all the yuk to finally get to the good stuff."
And there it was.....my moment of grocery store spirituality. So has the LORD been speaking to anyone else from the vegetable aisle?

Lanceism #154

Lance, my lil bro, has quite the verbage at times. He let loose another keeper the other night during a discussion with Jonell. The conversation was centered around wanting to put chairs in Jonell's room to which Jonell said she'd put them in front of Lance's door so he'd hit them in the dark of morning.
Lance replied, "My leg hair would detect it. I have leg hair like a cat's whiskers."

I understand that I may never come to have an understanding of men-isms in general because I am a woman; however, should I be worried about the lil bro with his leg hair comments?

Pray it up!

My AZ mom sent this wonderful prayer that she has been praying for her "girls" and friends. I liked it so much that I thought I'd pray it up for my friends as well.
Thank you all for being such blessed friends =)

Ps 1, Ps 37, Romans 8:26-39, 15:4-13 Lord, You bless my dear friends, because they delight in Your Word and meditate on it. You plant them by streams of water and they yield fruit and they prosper. As they delight in You, trust in You, and commit their way to You, You will give them the desires of their hearts. Lord, help them be still and wait for You and not fret when evil men have their way. You uphold these special friends, delight in their ways and make their steps firm. Though they stumble, they will not fall. Thank You for watching over them and for the Holy Spirit and Jesus, Who intercede for them! May You, the source of hope, fill them with joy and peace through their faith in You. Then they will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

For such a time...

For those of you who have lifted up my Arizona mom awaiting her father's death...Thank you. She has had great comfort in knowing the body of Christ cares for her. I learned today that he has passed and have been saddened and encouraged at such a time.
For it is sad to not know where someone will be for eternity. It is sad to think they may have let pride prevent them from accepting the only free gift that truly matters. It is sad to know that sinful hearts hurt more than just the person, but rather a family, community, and world.
However, I am encouraged to know that....
Deut 29:29 The secret things belong to the Lord....
We cannot know the heart of another. We can know that the Gospel was presented and perhaps the seeds did not fall on hardened soil. I am encouraged to know that God never, ever stops seeking the lost of the world. Oh that we all might have passion and heart for the lost that would reflect Christ!
And for my Arizona mom, Sue, I am encouraged that I can lift up a prayer from Scripture. A Word from the Lord sufficient to meet all our needs at such a time as this for the Lord Jesus was no stranger to the pain of life, the sin of man, and the grief of loss.
Lamentations 3:19-26
I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
Finally...Hebrews 11...
For perhaps, you, the reader, are also at such as time as it is necessary to continue to walk by faith...Faith in God as God... Faith in God as good...Faith in God as the goal.
How I lift you up to the Father you daughter or son of the faith. For Jesus knows each tear, fear, and trial that you face today and tomorrow. May He sustain you according to His Word with peace. as you continue to hope and wait on Him.
Amen.

What's up JTB?

So what's up the JTB (That's John the Baptist to the rest of all'ya'll). I'm serenely reading along the other night in Matthew 11 (which of course I've read before) and that intriguing thing happened. You know, the thing where a question comes to mind and you are like, "How come I never thought of this before?" Anyways...I'm thinking to myself, "Self, why is JTB sending disciples to Christ to ask if He is the Christ? Isn't this the same JTB who is related to the JC? The very one who is His cousin? Who would've grown up hanging out with JC at family reunions? The one who surely heard the notorious JC in the temple as young boy story?"
Was it really that surprising that Christ was the Christ?
How come people, especially relatives, weren't going, "You know that Jesus, He's just really got it all together. He never even smacks the other 5 year olds or yell at his mother or complain about the weather."
It made me ponder anew....What was Christ really like here on earth before His ministry began?
This whole dilemna for me has again reminded me of the mysteriousness of God...even God in the flesh. Plus, I now think I have one more question to add to the list of things to ask the Omniscient One.
If anyone else has any insights regarding the JTB on JC musings, please do reply.

Ardent for Animals....(If you don't know what ardent means, look it up. It's an essential word.)

Per the request of Dana, I'm posting a question (actually 2...no wait... 4) for all to answer. I won't tell you what it all means up front so you will have to stay tuned for a follow-up blog to find out the mysteries of this one but trust me it will be entertaining. However, if you don't play along, you won't be adding to the joy of sharing and laughing with us all so please participate.

WARNING: These questions are not for individuals lacking funny bones.

Question 1: What is your favorite animal and why?
Question 2: What is your second favorite animal and why?

Now don't be one of those people who says, "I don't know. I can't decide. I like so many." Just go with your gut and type out an answer. If confused, refer to example below. See, it's not so scary to reveal where your heart truly lies in the animal kingdom.

Abby's Example......

Favorite animal: Cat
Why? Because they (at lease the ones I've owned) are such wonderful pets, friends, companions. I would argue if you've met a "bad" one, it's only due to the owner. I appreciate my cat for his loyalty, kindness (always knows when you are sick and ready to purr away your ills), conversations (that's right...he'll tell you all about his day. sometimes even over the phone), sensitivity, warmth, low maintenance, and independence balanced with sociability (he'll give you your own space when asked). Really cats have a pretty good life and don't get work up over the little stuff.

2nd favorite animal: Moose (If you've ever looked, I keep one in my car.)
Why? Moose are just plain cool. They are one in a million and actually defy the laws of physics with their ability to stand (just goes to show the humor, creativity, and awesomeness of God). Moose are majestic. They live in families and protect their own. They are a picture of strength and independence yet they look so wonderfully soft and touchable at the same time.

Positive Peer Pressure?

So I have joined the masses and caved to the pressure to be a fellow blogger. What does this say about me? It makes me wonder is there really such a thing as positive peer pressure...not that I'm saying the pressure to join Blogland was necessarily positive or negative. Perhaps others can comment as to their own experiences with positive or negative peer pressure and help me clarify whether this blog stuff was a good choice =)
Happy blogging friends....