Just Like Jesus.

It may sound funny to say you have a favorite Bible, but I do.  I had a different favorite Bible, which I still miss.  It's like an old friend.  As the words on the page convict or touch my heart (through the Holy Spirit), I underline the words.  Or I might make notes as to the date or why those specific words mean something to me.  It makes it easier to find them again later.  I love the feel of my bible, the size and the translation.  Sadly, several years ago, the binding broke in an unfixable way. .... believe me, I tried the ol' duct tape effect with no such luck.

Now, I'm reading "Grace for the Moment."  It's a daily bible with devotional writings at the beginning of each day by Max Lucado.  These small devotionals are always so right on and easy to read that I decided that I'd really like to read anything by Max Lucado that I can get my hands on. 

My first Lucado book...  "Just Like Jesus."  It was a quick and easy read.  simple, yet profound.  Totally recommend it. 

One of the passages that stuck out to me was is when Lucado shares about how the shepherds, Simeon and even the Magi sought Jesus when he was born.  He writes...

The Magi had the same desire. Like Simeon, they wanted to see Jesus.  Like the shepherds, they were not satisfied with what they saw in the night sky.  Not that the star wasn't spectacular.  Not that the star wasn't historical.  To be a witness of the blazing orb was a privilege, but for the Magi, it wasn't enough.  It wasn't enough to see the light over Bethlehem; they had to see the Light of Bethlehem.  It was him they came to see.

And they succeeded!  They all succeeded.  More remarkable than their diligence was Jesus' willingness.  Jesus wanted to be seen!  Whether they came from the pasture or the palace, whether they lived in the temple or among the sheep, whether their gift was of gold or honest surprise. . . they were welcomed.  Search for one example of one person who desired to see the infant Jesus and was turned away.  You won't find it. 

You will find examples of those who didn't seek him.  Those, like King Herod, who were content with less.  Those, like the religious leaders, who preferred to read about him than to see him.  The ratio between those who missed him and those who sought him is thousands to one.  But the ratio between those who who sought him and those who found him was one to one.  All who sought him found him.  Long before the words were written, this promise was proven: "God . . . rewards those who truly want to find him" (Hebrews 11:6).

It makes me want to keep opening my Bible.

Landscaping_Part 2: The Courtyard

When we moved into our home, one of the things that we loved the most was the deck and courtyard.  The courtyard is this sweet little side entrance to the yard that takes you along a whimsical path and under a wonderful shade tree.  Here are pics from before and after.  Enjoy, but you really must come see in real life to see for yourself.

The two pictures above are both BEFORE shots from April 2010. 

The courtyard was bare besides the steps and mulch.

We've added a variety of hostas and impatiens (flowers that love the shade). 

We also planted some lily-of-the-valley, but you can't see them in these pictures.

 

I'm looking forward to enjoying the summer in this peaceful sitting area.  And I can't wait to see how big our flowers get by the end of summer. 

p.s. I forgot to mention in my graduation post that my bro-in-law graduated this spring too!!  I don't have pics from the event, but we're so proud of him for his accomplishment.

p.p.s Check out my updated "About Me" page for more pics.

Landscaping_Part 1: The Front Yard

We've officially been in our house a year!  ahh, remember this pic?

This spring and summer, we've turned our attentions to the landscaping and gardening.  We've already reaped the beauty of the spring flowers.  It's so exciting to see areas start to look more and more like what I envisioned when we moved in. 

Before (March 2010)

Today, I'm posting pictures of the changes we made to the front entrance.  It was already beautiful with the brick sidewalk. love. But we wanted to make the mulch and landscaping around it more appealing to the eye.  Plus, the bushes we planted last year and hostas we moved last year are really enjoying their new homes and starting to take shape.

Before

Before

Before

After (May 2011)

After

After

After

Now, if we could just find a great deal on a cool bird bath...

Blossom Time

It has been so exciting to see everything blooming from early spring until now.  We still have plants blooming to their hearts content.  I just haven't captured all of their splendor.  But here's the glorious blooms of spring.

Glorious Blooming Crabapple tree in our front yard. 

Crabapple blooms.

Creeping Phlox

Creeping Phlox

Apple Blossoms

Apple Blossoms

p.s. Someday I'd love to have the tools to try different types of filters on these images.  Meadowbrook Farms always does a great job with her landscaping and nature images.  And she takes the most beautiful pictures.  Love her blog. 

Graduation Time

We had the privilege of celebrating two graduations this summer. 

My sister-in-law graduated from North Central a couple of weeks ago.  Her class of over 650 had their ceremony at the Pepsi Coliseum, Indiana State Fairgrounds. ... a bit bigger than my class of, ah hem, 68 students. 

That day was crazy though.  We weren't sure if they were going to have the event with all of the bad weather we had been having.  Thankfully, though, there was no hail or tornadoes so no worries of which pig barn they would herd us too.

It was very touching to see Jeanie in her world of school students.  She's a calm person in general so it shouldn't be any surprise that she appeared totally at ease with the big day.  Jeanie looked so beautiful with her hair curled.  We're praying for God's continued guidance for the next step in her life.

Jeanie walking up to get her diploma.

Jeanie getting her diploma.

Jeanie and her proud parents!

Jeanie and some of the siblings.

The other graduation I went to last week was a tad smaller.  Smaller in a couple ways... class size and person size.  My nephew graduated from kindergarten at Maple Glen Elementary. 

It was so cute to see all of the kids come up on stage waiving at their parents.  The parents waiving back.  So sweet that no one hardly noticed that they had just seen each other earlier when getting ready for school. 
 

Chase standing on stage with his classmates.  They performed songs about colors, moving on to first grade and just silly songs like Ta Tada.

showing off the diploma

Chase and his proud parents!

Chase and Mimi

Chase and Grammy and Grampy

Chase and me (Aunt E or EE)

Chase and his teacher

Chase showing us his part in a school project. 

Both events were great days.   One because he will now get to ride the bus to school AND home.  The other because she stuck out the tough times, persevered and is now moving on to a new and exciting chapter.  Both will be moving on to new and exciting phases in their lives. 

Dan and Libby holding hands while waiting on the graduation to start.

Spring into Summer

Tulips blooming in progression.

It's amazing how something as simple as tulips can bring such joy!  Although they're gone now, I sure did enjoy them while they lasted.... giving that first blast of bold color after a long season of dreary cold and little sunshine.

Icebox Strawberry Pie

I made this pie for our small group a couple of months ago, and it did not disappoint.  So yummy, I will definitely want to make it again.

Cooking down the frozen strawberries for the filling.

Icebox Strawberry Pie

From the episode: Two Perfect Pies
In step 1, it is imperative that the cooked strawberry mixture measures 2 cups; any more and the filling will be loose. If your fresh berries aren’t fully ripe, you may want to add extra sugar to taste in step 2. Use your favorite pie dough or use our recipe. Chill the heavy cream in step 4 to help it whip more quickly.
Serves 8.  

Ingredients

Filling
2 pounds frozen strawberries (see related tasting)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 pound fresh strawberries , hulled and sliced thin
1(9-inch) pie shell , baked and cooled (Pillsbury)

Topping
4 ounces cream cheese , softened
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream

Instructions
1. COOK FROZEN BERRIES Cook frozen berries in large saucepan over medium-low heat until berries begin to release juice, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until thick and jamlike, about 25 minutes (mixture should measure 2 cups).

2. ADD GELATIN Combine lemon juice, water, and gelatin in small bowl. Let stand until gelatin is softened and mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir gelatin mixture, sugar, and salt into cooked berry mixture and return to simmer, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

3. ADD FRESH BERRIES Fold fresh berries into filling. Spread evenly in pie shell and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours. (Filled pie can be refrigerated for 24 hours.)

4. MAKE TOPPING With electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth, about 30 seconds. With mixer running, add cream and whip until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Serve pie with whipped cream topping.