-Cool song

This is a groovy song. Big fan of this artist Piers Faccini - The album My Wilderness is rad.

Cape Coral & Sanibel Island (photo overload)

Pelicans in the Ding Darling National Reserve at Sanibel. 

Three weeks of the beach.

Amazing friends. 

The Kisers.

 The Sprouls. 

Hot weather. 

Late nights in the hot tub. 

Swimming in the pool. 

Running miles barefoot on the sand. 

Eating chips & watching movies in bed.  

Instagram. 

Walking miles with friends.  

Beach house.  

Laughing nonstop for an hour. 

Settlers of Catan. 

Youtube. 

Thankfulness. 

Watercolor painting.  

Frozen yogurt. 

Finding aquatic life.  
Jellyfish.

Long bike rides.  

Taking photos. 

Playing poker. 

Good music. 

Recalling old times. 

Relaxation. 

Laughing. 

The sound of crashing waves.  

Sunglasses.  

Grilled Scallops.  

Two thousand four hundred miles from home. 

Life. 

Looking over the horizon. 

Tropical plants.  

Loooong bike rides.

Playing Spades.  

Sleeping late.

Talking into the wee hour of the morn. 

Small things. 

Eating fresh seafood. (yum!) 

Outlet shopping. 

Siri.  

Abundance of sunshine. 

Cooking & baking. 

Wind storm & blowing sand.

Seashells found. 

Postcards sent.  

Reading the Bible together.  

Sandy feet.  

Sandy everything.   

Beauty.

 Kabob shrimp.  

Little boys.  

Frisbee. 

 Bright mornings on the patio.  

Fresh orange juice.

 Humidity. 

Spanish moss. 

Pictures taken.

The smell of salt in the breeze.  

Airplanes to catch.  

Bags to back. 

Goodbyes to be said.  

Beautiful memories made. 

 Major sunburn. 

Delaney took this with my camera for me. :)   

Some fools.

 I drew these characters in my little Moleskine. 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction. ~Proverbs 1:7 

Stand Firm

I found this somewhere online - no links to the original source. Really like this poster. 

Twenty-Thirteen: the year of our Lord!

Twenty-Twelve. All in all, t'was a beautiful year. A full year of learning, joy, hard work, sorrows & adventures; all creating beautiful memories, that I shall hold on to through the coming years. I'm so thankful for the grace of God in my life. I'm thankful for family. For life. For friends. Chocolate. Snow. Cats. Books. F'real smoothies. For everything God has created & so abundantly blessed us with! God is so good, merciful & gracious. It's overwhelming. I'm continually struck by awe, with each coming day, by His love & grace for us; for me & my sinful wretchedness. I'm so excited to see what He has in store for us this new year, while working all things for His glory!

Resolve to keep the wonder.

A wondrous year has come and gone. 

Singing 'round a bonfire,

Well spent with our fellow man,

God has given us a faith that will prevail,

In the Infinite over-all plan;

He has given us a future bright— 

A faith in Eternal justice,

A faith in the love of God.

A beautiful year has come and gone.

Adventures well made,

Lord keep us all from strife;

Grant strength for the winding miles ahead,

Prepare us for the journeys of life,

Give us a faith to sustain, but above all, Lord, 

Give us a faith that shines— 

A faith in the love of God. 

A blessed year has come and gone. 

All things provided, 

Happiness and sadness in turn as we go;

We never know what's around the bend,

The Master Planner planned it so— 

Lord keep us safe till our day's end, 

Give us lasting faith in the love of God, 

Our King Eternal, 

Jesus.

Have a blessed 2013! 

-GB

Are We Were Sleeping?

-Pryor Mountains-

Because of God's amazing grace, He left His Heavenly throne to die for our sins & adopt us into His kingdom. In the little town of Bethlehem, God became a man. While we were sleeping He came to save us! He was born among the animals, wrapped in dirty rags, because there was no room for Him, in the world He came to save. In Bethlehem a city with no room for its King. While we were sleeping….

"He gave up His place with God and made Himself nothing. He was born to be a man and become like a servant."  —Philippians 2:7 

Looking at America today, it looks like another silent night. We are going down in history, as a nation with no room for its King.  America, what will we miss while we are sleeping? What have we already missed, as we're sung to sleep by philosophies "of save the trees and kill the children". Our culture has really distorted the meaning of what Christmas is. We are engulfed in the lies we tell ourselves. Many get too caught up in the "Holiday" of a few days off from work & making sure they are nice & not naughty, so Santa Clause will come. Christmas is such a special time. & we're losing the wonder of it. America, we are truly lying in the dark…

But there's a shout to be heard across the eastern sky. A giant star lights up the dark night. An everlasting light is shining. A light that brings joy to all the world. We need to open our eyes & truly see what Christ has done, & is still doing for us! The bridegroom Christ has returned, & he has carried away his bride in the night. What will we miss while we are sleeping?

Here is a passage below, that tells a small part of the Christmas story. I love it. It's amazing to see how throughout history, God often choses the weak & lowly to accomplish His will. The angels didn't go to Herod to announce the birth of Christ. Nor did the wise men, or Magi, who traveled from afar to worship & present fine gifts of frankincense, myrrh & gold to their Lord. (Another thought, we don't actually know how many wise men there were, or even if they were kings.) God used lowly shepherds to spread the word of our Savior's birth. Think about what a great company, or multitude of angels must have been. What an amazing night to be a shepherd. I think the heavens truly opened up & lit the sky; there must have been thousands, upon thousands of angels, thunderously singing praises to God….

 ^"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them." —Luke 2:8-20     
                                                                                                                             

…..Lets think about Herod for a moment. So often, the murder of all baby boys gets completely left out of the Christmas story. Did your nativity scene come with a Roman soldier figure, to stand on the side with the wise men? Herod, as King of the Jews, was alarmed at the prospect of a new king. (Herod had ruthlessly killed off three of his sons, his wife, & many others to keep the throne.) Herod assembled the chief priests & scribes of the people & asked them where the Messiah was to be born. They answered, in Bethlehem. (quoting Micah 5:2.) Herod sent the Magi to the little town Bethlehem, instructing them to search for the child & if they found him to report back to him, so that he "might go & worship him too". However, after they had found Jesus— (who would've been a young child by now, living in a home with his family, somewhere in the city.) — the Magi were warned in a dream not to report back to Herod. Similarly, while Joseph was sleeping, he was warned in a dream that Herod intended to kill Jesus, so he & his family fled to Egypt. When Herod realized he had been outwitted by the wise men, he gave orders to kill all boys age two & under in Bethlehem & the region. It's so horrific to even think about... Have we as a nation, become as vile & bloodthirsty as Herod, with the daily murders of the unborn?

But the strength of God's love for His people is unfathomable. He will uphold us, while working all things, the good & the bad for His glory & just will. For Christ has forgiven us — 

"God shows His great love for us in that way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners." —Romans 5:28  

While Christmas is probably my favorite time of the year, with all the gift giving, caroling, baking, warm cozy indoor days, etc, we need to remember why we give gifts & why we sing. We need to remember, that Jesus is no longer the babe in the manger. He is a victorious warrior, a King clothed in a fine robe dipped in blood, & He is fighting for us. We give gifts, because Christ was the ultimate gift - given to us! 

"He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.  And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords." — Revelation 19:13-16 

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." — John 3:17 

So again, while we were sleeping, our King came to earth as a real human baby. For our death & sin, he came to die, so that we might live! He came to save us; to cleanse our corrupt hard hearts -if we'll have Him. He came to adopt us into His kingdom -  Not because of anything we've done, or can do; adoption is something we receive, not something we earn. The story of how Joseph, Mary's husband adopted Jesus into his family, should be one the greatest examples of adoption. Think about your own life this Christmas season, & into the new year. How has the Lord used seemingly small or weak things to work in your life?  Remember to keep the wonder. Like a little child, enjoy the small delights & miracles of every day life. Always be in awe of what Christ has done for you.  For us. His hand can be found in everything. God is wondrous. He sees all. He knows all. He never sleeps. Thank you Lord for sending your Son to fight the battle for us!

                                      Let's all wake up. 

-GB

Note: This  post was partly inspired by Casting Crowns' song called "While We Were Sleeping" - give it a listen, it's truly beautiful. 

Merry Christmas!

source
Hope you have a wonderful Christmas Day, & a blessed twenty-thriteen! 

IT'S FAST 

 IT'S BEAUTIFUL 

IT'S COLD 

A photo —

 I took this pic last August, on a summer's golden afternoon.

Christmas treats!

____________________— Here's what's been cookin'

CREAMY FUDGE TRUFFLES-   

1 cup cream
1/4 cup butter
1lb chopped semisweet chocolate
Powdered sugar & cocoa, or crushed candy canes
DIRECTIONS: Simmer cream & butter; stir until smooth. Pour over chocolate; stir until chocolate is melted & smooth. Add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Chill for one hour. Then, roll into small balls. Coat with crushed candy canes or cocoa/powdered sugar. (I personally liked just plain cocoa, for more of a bitter-sweet taste.) Makes about 16 bite sized truffles. Warning: They are very rich. :)

_________________________________________________________________________________

[Costco] AUSSIE BITES 

2 cups regular or toasted oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 31/2 cup can of unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
1 cup (of each) dried fruit chopped: raisins, dates, figs, cranberries
1/4 cup honey
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons hot water
flax seed - about 1/2 cup (optional)
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350. Melt honey & butter in microwave, mix hot water with baking soda, add to butter mixture. Pour mixture into dry ingredients, mix well. Place tablespoons of thick batter into lightly greased non-stick mini-muffin cupcake pans, & flatten mixture slightly. Bake 10 minutes, or until golden. Makes around 40. 

_______________________________________________________________________________

CHOCOLATE PEANUT CHUNCHIES - fun party snack
About 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
(roughly) 3 cups dried chow mein noodles
Coarsely chopped peanuts or almonds or cashews  
DIRECTIONS: Melt chocolate chips. Stir in noodles. Drop from a tablespoon into an oiled baking sheet & sprinkle with nuts! Let cool. Makes about 24. Super easy. 

note: photos via various online sites. But they look very true to what I've baked. 

Music- Beta Radio

A couple months ago, I discovered BETA RADIO. I think I'm a little obsessed with them. They are an amazing clean band. It's all pretty light music, with great harmonies, melodies & songwriting skills.:)

Music - Gungor

Gungor - this is a truly awesome song. So beautiful! Really like this band. ♫

Paper Christmas Ornaments

What you need:  

1. With the paper of your choice, cut out 12 circles, using something round to trace. 

Here are some tips for getting a symmetric-looking color distribution on the final tchotchke: If using 3 colors A B C, stack them in the order: ABBCCAABBCCA. If using 2 colors A B, then stack them in the order: ABBAABBAABBA. If using a single type of card, but double sided, then alternate "heads up" & "tails up".

2. Fold all paper circles in half, stack them inside each other. 

3. Wrap a lenth of thin wire all the way around the stack, so that it runs along the fold. Twist the ends together to secure. If you want to add a jingle bell, add it on the wire at the bottom. You can just see the wire - it's the thin line down the middle.

4. Stick a glue dot onto a circle, about 1/4 of the way from the bottom.  Fold the facing flaps together and press to secure the bond. My glue wouldn't hold, the card-stock was too strong. So I whipped out the ole' hot glue gun. It worked great! 

 

5. On the next circle, stick a glue dot about 1/4 of the way from the top. Continue like this all the way around, alternating high & low glue dots. (In one of the photos, you can see that I didn't use glue. I actually sewed the paper together. The paper was heavy duty card-stock, so it held together nicely, & gave it even more of a 'handmade' feel.)

6. Almost finished! Just attach a ribbon, & hang on your tree, or these make great gifts. I used silk floss/hemp string with a needle to feed it under the wire that holds everything together. 

 

Finished! (forgot to remove the little 'cobwebs' from the hot glue!) 

Pinterest Project -

This is an easy one! I sorted through (& untangled) all my embroidery floss, then wound it around clothespins! (I also tried to add a "pin it" button to my blog, but for some reason, it only shows up, if you actually click the title of the post.) 

Music - Josh Ritter

Josh Ritter is great. This is an early version of the song - it's now gotten a little more up-beat.

Giving Thanks

 Robert Weir 

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,

Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;

Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way

With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

.

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,

With ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us;

And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;

And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!
.

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;

The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven;

The one eternal God, whom earth and Heaven adore;

For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

What beautiful, beautiful words. The song above, "Now Thank We All Our God", was originally written by pastor Martin Rinkart. -You should read about him, & his story of incredible faith & perseverance, during a time of extreme hardship & heartbreak, in the year 1636. After & during the Thirty Year's War had ended. During which time, Martin was living in a world dominated by death, as he conducted funeral services for up to 50 people a day… 

Norman Rockwell

My Thanksgiving was good. The fam & I were invited over to two dear friends' houses for two huge meals. Lunch & dinner. Whewh! That's a lot of pie. :) We all have so much to be grateful for. Friends, family, food, clothing, a roof over our heads, technology & so many comforts that others don't have. The majority of Americans only set apart one day a year to be grateful, by eating lots of food, & maybe mentioning a brief something, vaguely about the pilgrims. But the reality of it is; is that sadly many people have lost the true meaning of what thanksgiving represents. 

We should be thankful & look to the Lord with praise & thanks for all things, each & every day. All things come from Him.  - the good & the bad. The Lord remains steadfast to us, our rock & anchor, through all things. He will never abandon nor forsake us, just as He preserved 50 of his pilgrims, that first hard winter on the shores of New England. 

Our friends had a copy of William Bradford's book: Of Plymouth Plantation. For Thanksgiving we read the 4th chapter - it was really good; hearing an accurate historical account of the arrival to America from a Christian perspective, was both sobering & insightful. Christianity is what our country was founded on. Christianity is why the pilgrims left England, sailed for over two months across an ocean, leaving family & loved ones behind in England. All for the love of Christ, they did what they did. Those brave men & woman stood up for their faith, promoting the Gospel & were unwilling to compromise to anything that rose up against them. Think of England & it's tyrannical government & church, in the  1600s. (Our government is so much worse now, then it was then, & the true Christians of that era didn't tolerate it.) 1608 was when the pilgrims first left for Holland- the start of their perilous journey for freedom that would last for another 12 years by the time they made it to the Americas. Many did not survive the first cold winter on American soil. Can you imagine doing something like that? Men & women, boys & girls of true grit, sacrificing nearly everything for the freedom of worshiping the true God. I would recommend the book, (though I've only heard the 4th chapter). Also online, there is some great history, if you get to reading & searching. A documentary called Monumental: The Search For America's National Treasure is an excellent film that tells the true story of America's founding people, the decline of patriotism, & Christianity. It is well made & engaging.

So look to Jesus, our Savior & King, & let us fearlessly press onwards with strength & courage through the days & years to come. Happy Thanksgiving! 

Jean-Leon Gerome