13 Hours of Rain

Several of my friends and family are experiencing difficult times in their lives right now. My heart breaks for them. Today, as my Mother and I spent time in the Holy Scriptures, we were reminded that we need to share the burdens of our fellow sojourners. Saint Francis of Assisi expressed the same sentiments in his famous prayer: Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. My dear friends, may God grant you the peace that passes all understanding, today and in the days to come.

I gotta share what I've been reading... SUGAR Known by many names such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Extracted from sugarcane in the tropics and sugar beets in temperate zones. Cultivation thrived at the expense of black Africans and other slave labour. Only became popular in Europe in the 1600s. Demand increased with the discovery of the preservation of fruit by sugar and the making of jams, jellies, and marmalade. The world's sugar production rose by 700% between 1900 and 1964, when many developed countries consumed one hundred pounds per capita annually! Compare that with England's annual consumption of four pounds in the early 1700s. Addiction to sugar and the resultant health problems associated with the over-consumption of sugar have spurred on the sugarless industry (ex: aspartame, sucralose, etc.), which sadly has its own share of problems. and SPICE Nutmeg: Grown in Indonesia. Monopolized by the Dutch during the 1600s. Used in China to treat rheumatism and sto...

Last summer, we had an opportunity to visit my sister , her husband, and their son down south. Here is a picture of the cousins then: This winter the cousins met again. Here they are now: So cute! We look forward to our next meeting!

I am sure you have heard of the saying, "It is darkest before the dawn." This axiom is used by well intentioned people to encourage us to keep persevering in our trials. The words soothe our souls with the hope that our redemption will arrive just when we are ready to give up. Sadly, the statement is scientifically inaccurate. It is not darkest before the dawn. A matter of fact, there is a lot of light before the sunrise. It is the darkest in the middle of the night, when the sky is overcast, the moon is hidden on the other side of the earth, and you are in the middle of nowhere. Truthfully, we do not want to embrace this image of despair. We do not enjoy the idea of being all alone, forgotten, and in the dark. We cringe at the idea of screaming out to God and hearing our words ominously echo into the night. Why? Because our culture is afraid of pain, suffering, and persecution. And we want to escape it, quickly. We strive HARD to find a cure for our pain, an escape from our ...

Generally, I am not a baker. I do enjoy cooking though. However, here is one of my favorite muffin recipes that I adapted from Company's Coming: Muffins & More . Banana Oatmeal Chip Muffins 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup chocolate chips 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2 eggs 1/4 cup cooking oil 1/4 milk 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed In large bowl measure first 8 ingredients. Stir to mix. Make a well in center. In small bowl beat eggs until frothy. Mix in cooking oil, milk and bananas. Pour into well. Stir just to moisten. Filled greased muffin cups (or paper lined muffin cups) 3/4 full. Bake in 400 degree F (200 degree C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 12 to 18. Enjoy! (For more fabulous recipes from a person who is an amazing baker, check out Kimmy's blog . She recently posted two delicious temptations.)

Well, it is meme time, a meme with a twist thanks to Kimmy . Here is a chance for you to get to know my husband and an opportunity for you to see how well I know him. 1. He's sitting in front of the television, what is on the screen? Rain’s answer: Sports (such as hockey, football, curling), The National, Dragon’s Den, X-Files, Batman (The Animated Series). His answer: Hockey, X-Files, Jeopardy, Seinfeld. 2. You're out to eat what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Rain’s answer: Thousand Island. His answer: Thousand Island. 3. What's one food he doesn't like? Rain’s answer: Broccoli. His answer: Broccoli. 4. You go out for a drink, what does he order? Rain’s answer: Iced Tea and/or Long Island Iced Tea. His answer: Long Island Iced Tea. 5. Where did he go to high school? Rain’s answer: B. High School. His answer: B. High School. 6. What shoe size does he wear? Rain’s answer: Men's Size 11??? His answer: Size 11. 7. If he was to collect anything ...

Yesterday marked the official end to my unofficial "Christmas holidays". True, as a stay-at-home Mom, I do not receive a true holiday from my "work". However, the last three weeks have been different from the norm. First, it was the Christmas season. Life was busy with purchasing gifts for loved ones, putting up decorations, buying good eats (I hardly bake, except muffins), and spending time with family. Second, my sister , her husband and son came to visit us from afar. Good times. Yesterday, they returned home via airplane. Now I must say farewell to the past and move on with the future: 1. Farewell to R & M . It was absolutely wonderful to have them visit this frigid land during Christmas. We enjoyed riveting hours of Settlers of Catan (Seafarers version); frantic Christmas shopping followed by leisurely gift openings; consuming good food (too much food!); relaxing moments of conversations (as well as stimulating debates on politics); and joyfully watching o...

I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people. So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either. Don’t be a fool! Why die before your time? Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes. (King Solomon, Ecclesiastes 7:15-18, NLT) Over the past year, I have been studying King Solomon's life. I first read 2 Chronicles 1 - 9 which documents his reign. These chapters pay special attention to King Solomon's efforts in building a magnificent Temple of the Lord. Solomon is depicted as the "perfect king", a formidable spiritual leader of Israel. This unscathed image of Solomon is intentional. The author of the Chronicles purposefully represents Solomon (and David for that matter) as an image of the Messiah. Yet the book of Ecclesiastes reveals a different side of the great King. Solomon is disillusioned, cy...

Her cousin said, "So, what did you have for breakfast this morning? I had green beans!" She said, "Buddy, I don't want to talk about it right now. I just want to chew that present in front of me!" She said, "Cousins are awesome!"