There's always a ray through the clouds

Have you noticed how even on the cloudiest day there always seems to be a tiny spot in the clouds where the sun peeks through???

I often times feel this way about problems that I am currently dealing with, whether emotional, financial, physical, it's not all doom and gloom.

But of course I would also be lying if I told you that I'm not a worrier, because I am, oh big time, and no matter how many times the Lord may poke me on the shoulder and go "Hey, I'm HERE, lay it all on Me", I tend to scoff and give Him the cold shoulder because it's so much easier to just worry than to think that someone other than me has it under control. How pathetic huh?

A lot of you have been wondering how the school thing is going, so far, so good. Jasmine has decided to completely ignore the bully and not even act like she exists and Friday she said the girl only said one thing to her and that was it.

Apparently yesterday, one of the other girls in the class got sick of the bully's attitude and went off on her, told her to quit being such a b...... to everyone in the class. Guess the bully didn't like that very much, she almost cried.

It empowered Jasmine though, she says that after seeing that, she now knows how to deal with the situation should the girl get in her face again.

I'm proud of my child, she's growing up to be a very level headed, sweet young lady.

And I guess the point I'm trying to make is that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel, there's no need to consume ourselves with things that are out of our control, and that so many times it's easier to put it in the Lord's hands, as hard as that may be at the time.

If only I could actually take my own advice huh? HA!

Here's some photos of my girl, she wanted funky colors in her hair, so I put on some big chunky red highlights, she loves it and above all, she loves me and thinks I'm the coolest mom on earth, and for that alone, I say it's worth to let them be themselves and express themselves.

How do you feel about that? Do you let your children be who they want to be, or do you (like myself) allow them to flourish but also have certain limits on what they can and can't do?

Happy Homemaker Monday - September 6

The weather in my neck of the woods:
It's cloudy and 80 degrees, thank goodness for cooler temps


Things that make me happy:
The Lord


Book I'm reading:
Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harries


What's on my TV today:
The Gates - catch up on new episode from last night
Eureka Season 2


On the menu for dinner:
Fried Chicken and Zucchini Melts


On my To Do List:
Laundry and more Laundry


New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
Twice Baked Potato Casserole, will have the recipe up on the food blog this morning.

In the craft basket:

Granny Stripe Crochet Blanket.

Looking forward to this week:
A peaceful week for my daughter at school.


Tips and Tricks:
Remember, homemaking isn't about just keeping the house spotless and making great meals for your family to eat. The whole point of homemaking is to love your family by caring for them. That means spending time talking with them and doing activities with them. Sometimes you have to be willing to let the kitchen get a little dirty while spend time with your kids!


My favorite blog post this week:
There were quite a few, I can't think of one specifically.....maybe just my own about the bully problems, but only because of the wonderful replies it got.


Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
Eyes of Wonder - Not exactly a new blog to me, I've followed her for a long long time, but she just recently started posting again. I'm captivated by her family, her photos, her stories...just love this blog.


No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days:
That being a mother is the most rewarding but also the most painful, hard experience I'll ever have to go through in my life. To feel helpless, to feel hopeless, to feel that your child is being treated unfairly and know that there was nothing you could to stop it. It's heartbreaking but it's also made me a stronger person.


On my mind:
I don't think I need to tell you all what is on my mind, pretty obvious it's this whole bully issue.


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Romans 12:9-10


Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."

— John 14:23 (NIV)

Cooking Thursday - September 2

Won't you join me and share with us one of your new recipes, or an old family favorite, you can even throw in a recipe for homemade soaps or detergents (just remember to specify).

For the guidelines, you can go here.

********************************************

Pao com Chourico - Chourico Bread

5 1/2 cups of flour
3 1/2 teaspoons of dry yeast
1 chourico cut into slices and casing removed
Warm water
1 teaspoon salt (table salt)

Dissolve the yeast in 4 tablespoons of warm water. Add about 1/2 tbsp. of flour and mix well. Set aside.

In a big bowl, mix the flour, salt and the yeast mixture, add warm water a bit at a time until you have a smooth dough that doesn't stick to your hands. Let rise for 3o minutes.

Divide into 4 portions. Using a rolling pin roll out the dough into a rectangle, not too big, you want to have a sort of thick dough....you can see by my picture how it should look.

Layer the chourico on the dough....roll the dough up, pinch the seams to close and set seam side down on a baking sheet.

Let rise again until you can see that it won't rise anymore. Bake in a 375 oven for about 20 minutes.

One thing you'll notice about these loaves is that they don't turn really brown, matter of fact most of them stay a nice pale color. Enjoy!

A simple word....Yes!

There are blogs I read for fun and there are those that I read knowing full well that whatever they will post about, will bless me, will open my eyes, will make me stop and think.

It happened to me last night as I was scrolling through a couple of blogs, I came across a blog merely by coincidence, it was one of those, follow from a favorite to another to another to another and end up there, kinda thing.

And I'm beating myself up over the fact that I completely forgot to subscribe and I closed down my browser before bookmarking it, at least. I've already decided that I will try to retrace my steps in the hopes of finding this amazing blog again....sad, when you can't even remember the name.

But what caught my attention was the post about a simple little word.....YES!

It made me stop in my tracks and made me realize that it's a word I don't use as much as I should with my children.

How many times have I found myself saying no, and for no apparent reason, maybe just out of habit, it easily slips out of my mouth.

Can we go to the park? No we can't today. Mommy can we bake a cake? No, I don't have time for that. Mommy can we watch a movie together right now? No, not now, I'm reading this book.

Why? Why do I so easily say no when saying yes would have meant so much more to my children. Do you know how many times I've had my kids come to me and start the sentence with "I know you're going to say no, but..............".

It's pretty sad that they know me as the No person, when in actuality I want them to know me as the Yes mommy, as the mommy that made all their dreams come true, as the mommy that made all these memories that will last them eternity.

I'm tired of saying No, I'm determined to start saying Yes more. Oh I know there are certain things that a No is absolutely needed for, but most of things we say no to are just little things that we could easily accomplish and which would mean so much to a child.

I started last night, I was getting my menus and grocery lists ready when Nicholas came bouncing onto my bed with a book in hand....Mommy can you read me this story now? I kid you not when I tell you that without even thinking, the word No flew out of my mouth, and then I saw his eyes and I realized that I hadn't even thought before speaking.

So I changed that, I put my things aside and said "You know what? YES, yes I can"....and for the next 30 minutes we read, cuddled in bed, his little head laying on my shoulder and big smile on his face. All it took was me saying Yes!

The blog owner had a very good point, in that when we stop to think about everything we say no to, it doesn't just end with our children, we say no to everything...to ourselves, no I can't be that, no I can't ever do that.

We say no to God, and this one hurts me the most, how many times have I said no to Him? No, I don't want it when you think it's the right time, I want it now. No I don't want to face this trial, this tribulation, no....no.....no.

Such a small word but yet, such a strong exclamation and such a powerful dasher of dreams and hopes.

I'm determined to change that, I'm determined to say yes more and to see just how it will change my life. No is being left behind, being left to the truly serious things in life and I'm embracing Yes with a passion.

If you only knew how I feel like saying NO right now, no to this new way of thinking, No to saying NO. But I'm saying yes, I will try my best and Yes I may falter and fall along the way and revert back to old habits, but I'll pick myself back up and move on.

Yes I like that!

Read the Bible in 4 months!

I'm issuing you a challenge, but don't worry it doesn't mean that I'll sit on the sidelines and just monitor, I'll be doing it right along with you.

It's not scary, well maybe a little but for the right reasons and I think it's one that will bring far more rewards and benefits than if you don't do it.

I saw this over at my friend Jen's blog "Reflections in the Window", and this is what she said:

Today a challenge was made to me on an email group I belong to, the writer challenged us to read through the Bible in 4 months! WOW I thought...at first I said to myself....no way could I do that! But when I read further in the email I realized it was only 12 chapters per day. Four chapters 3 times a day OR Three chapters 4 times a day. That is so reachable. I read easily 12 chapters of other books everyday. WHY can't I do the same in the Bible? There is NO reason why I can't!

And all I can say to that is AMEN!

Let's face it, I'm not going to lie and tell you that I've read the whole Bible, I haven't.

I'm not going to lie and tell you that when I start reading it that I find it absolutely fascinating and can't put it down like a fiction novel, because I don't. It doesn't mean that I don't like the Bible or that I don't enjoy the Lord's word, it means FOR ME, that I have a hard time reading through it because at times there are just way too many things in there that I just don't comprehend.

I can zip through a novel, I can zip through cookbooks, but why can't I do the same with the Bible?

I envy those that can recite by heart all the scriptures in the Bible, that know every single book, who did what, who went where.

Oh I'm not completely oblivious, I have read the Bible before just not in it's entirety and I do know most of the names in there and I do have one or two scriptures that speak to me.

But it's not the same as those who have read it all, who know it like the back of their hands.

I want that!

So I'm taking the challenge, I can still read my novels and my other books, but I can also add the Bible to my reading time, and that's exactly what I'm planning on doing.

I plan to get to December and proudly announce, here on my blog and for anyone that will listen, that yes, I Sandra have finally read through the whole Bible!

Here is the schedule:

September

Genesis - 1 Chronicles 22

October

1 Chronicles 23 - Isaiah 54

November

Isaiah 55 - Galatians 3

December

Galatians 4 - Revelations 22

I'm actually going to change my template to include one or two sidebars so that I can have this recorded and will cross it off as I read. IT will help me stay focused, but it will also show you that it can be done.

Believe me, if I can do it, YOU can do it too.

So what do you say, are you up for the challenge???