Divine Appointments

Does anyone out there believe in divine appointments?  A meeting with someone that is unexpected but totally divine?  I have had many lately and am seeing some really cool things happen because of them.  There will be more on that later but I was just curious as to whether others had experienced those moments as well.

Cupcake Wars is One of the Best Baking Shows on TV

Authored by Rickey Combs


While watching Cupcake Wars on Food Network on satellite TV from CANNONSATELLITE.COM the other night, I was amazed at the strange flavors folks are putting into cupcakes these days. Not that strange flavors are a bad thing, certainly the world needs more than just chocolate and vanilla. But the real attraction to this show are the judges and the contestants themselves.


While the contestants on Cupcake Wars change from week to week, they are all cupcake specialists. These people are generally colorful individuals who take their craft very seriously, as they are all bakery owners withcupcake playe! d into the name of the business somehow. Their talents include filling cupcakes, making cool cupcake designs and toppings, and experimenting with different flavors.


The judges are really some ice cold individuals. Imagine having to taste cupcakes for a living! Candace Nelson is a no-nonsense cupcake bakery owner who is as honest as they come in critiquing the various types of tasty treats sent her way. Florian Bellanger is the second permanent judge, while his accents makes understanding difficult sometimes, he always leaves words of encouragement for the contestants, but is always honest if something just does not work.


The host, Justin Willman, keeps the show on track and takes special care when announcing the winners of each round. As the competition heats up, Justin shows compassion and lets the loser down easy. The personalities and how they relate to the contestants sets Cupcake Wars apart from other baking shows.
 

From car seats to rain boots...

With five kids at home, I have had my fair share of diapers, car seats and baby food.  Baby merchandise has come a long way since my oldest was born.  There are all kinds of new gadgets out there to make the job of parenting just a little bit easier.  There are even really neat websites like Become.com that assist in helping parents find all the things they need for baby.

Some of my favorite items were car seats.  Cosco car seats always seem to have nifty little add-ons to make baby’s travels just a little more fun and a tad bit easier on mom.  I loved the removable cup-holder.  It was perfect for a juice cup or for holding a cup of goldfish, so little one could enjoy a snack en route to our favorite place.

Another item I noticed on line was toddler rain boots.  I am not sure about this product.  Truthfully, when my kids were toddlers and it was raining outside, I picked them and ran to the car.  They really had no need for the rain boots. In fact, just the other day, I watched as a toddler tripped and fell while wearing their toddler rain boots.  Not sure that they are the greatest choice for those beginning to  walker but guess they could be fun if you’re out jumping puddles.  To each his own I always say.

Love like no other

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Esther 4:14

Divine appointments have been taking place quite often over the past couple of months.  God continually places those in my path to confirm His truth and strengthen my faith.

Several weeks ago, I was completing a mystery shop at a local fast food restaurant.  My kids were outside playing on the play set and I was dealing with doubt and discouragement.  I had arrived at yet another place where Satan was using someone to bring me down by scaring me yet again.  As usual, it worked and left me feeling hopeless.

I walked outside to collect my kids, ready to go home and climb into bed.  A man holding a five-month-old little boy greeted me.  The man looked at me and said “welcome to the family”.  He went on to say that our children had been playing and we were all now family.  I looked around and saw my three younger ones plus seven others running around.  One of his little girls walked over to me, introduced herself and shook my hand.  I was in love.  She was beautiful.  I looked at the man and asked if all the children were his?  He said yes.  He and his wife have nine children, two biological and seven adopted.  I was moved to tears.  I have always wanted to adopt.  There is such an empty place in my heart for the child/children that I know that God has out there for me.  It has been a LONG time since I have thought about adoption but immediately God brought it to my heart again. I was overcome with love for these children I did not even know. 

Moments later, his wife joined us outside and the two of us began talking. She began sharing with me about her children and her faith.  I was so encouraged.  As she was sharing, things she said pierced my heart.  She was speaking to places in which I was hurting so much at that moment.  I realized that God was speaking through her.  He was using her voice to convey audibly His truth to my heart when I needed it the most.  From there I opened up and began pouring out my story.  It was one of the first times I had shared the details of what was taking place in my life.  As I talked, she listened.  She held my hand and at times cried with me.  She then went on to say that, her sister had experienced the exact same situation within her own marriage.  I cried. When you are dealing with storms, you often feel like you are the only person in the world dealing with that situation and that no one else could ever understand.  In that moment, God used this incredible woman to speak to me, to encourage me and to bring me comfort. 

As we were sitting there, the husband passed me the little baby boy.  I sat and held him while tears streamed down my face.  I loved this little boy that I did not even know.  He looked up at me with his big beautiful brown eyes and I knew immediately that God had so much more planned for my life.  I have spent a year being told that I am an unfit mom.  As a mom, nothing could hurt more.  When you hear it, you cannot help but doubt yourself and everything that you thought that you were up to that point.  God used that beautiful little boy to remind me of what my purpose is right now and that is being a mom.  He reassured me in that moment that I am an amazing mom and He still has great plans for me.  I experienced a peace and comfort that night that I had not experienced in the two years of this ordeal that has been taking place.

Since that night, I have had several more divine appointments that I look forward to sharing with you over the next few days. 

Carp Dime: Things to Say When You Want to Get Punched in the ...

Carp Dime: Things to Say When You Want to Get Punched in the ...: "I've sort of been sitting on this one for a while. Actually, it's been nearly a year since I decided that it would make for a good blog post..."

Where would I be without....

Today I started thinking about what life would be like without Target.  I often think back on the days when I didn't have a cell phone or the ability to text and wonder how I survived without those things for so long.  From there my thoughts drifted to Target.  What did I do before that amazing establishment was created?  


Can we say Phar-mor?  Anyone remember that large drug store that existed back in the day.  I remember it as my favorite go to place.  I did there what I do now at Target.  I wondered aimlessly through the store looking for things to buy that I didn't need.  I would spends endless amounts of time looking over all the make-up and filling my basket with lipstick colors I would never use.  I loved that store.


My dad loved that store too.  They used to have movie rentals for $.99 and every Friday we would head to Phar-mor and load up on movies for the weekend.  We were a crazy bunch!


Ah days gone by.  Now I have Target.  I do the exact same thing except now it is lip gloss and I use every bit of it!  Couldn't live without it.  Truth be told, when I am thinking about where I want to live, there has to be a Target close by. That's the honest truth!

Bolt and 100 dogs

I have a sick three year old at the moment.  When she is sick, she just wants to cuddle with mommy and watch movies.  Today the movie of choice is Bolt.  This means that we will probably watch this movie several times over.  She much like her older brother loves dogs.  She too would have 100 dogs if someone would allow it.  Her bed is covered with stuffed animals but the majority of those animals are dogs.  Many times when playing pretend, she becomes a dog and we must respond to her as if she is a dog or she becomes quite irritated.  I love it.  I love how my kids can use their imagination but I love even more that they love their animals.

Only in Carolina

March Madness continues...


So I pick my oldest up from school today and he informs me that he has no school on Friday.  WHAT?? The conversation goes as follows:


"And why not?" I ask.
"Because it is a holiday." 
"And what holiday takes place this Friday?"
"It's March Madness day!" He exclaims with excitement.


It was all I could do not to laugh!  So funny!!  I LOVE it here!!!!


Duke plays this Thursday at 9:45PM and UNC plays Friday at 7:15 PM


GO DUKE!!!

Quick Fancy Sandwich

A really quick dinner or lunch idea that I have become addicted begins with an English muffin. English muffins are one of my favorite types of bread and it has now become my choice for a sandwich.

Thanks to my job, I have become quite familiar with the Deli counter at the grocery store and have developed quite a liking to Boar's Head Deli meat. This would be the first choice for meat on my sandwich.

Also because of this job, I have discovered Boar's Head Pepperhouse Gourmaise. It is their gourmet mayonnaise and it is SO good.

The quick steps to making this delicious sandwich is simple. I begin by toasting my English muffin. Once done, I melt shredded sharp cheddar cheese on the bottom half. I then spread a little of the mayo on the other half. I then add two slices of the Boar's Head Honey Maple Ham. So good and so easy. Worth the price of the meat!!

March Madness

It is that time of year again. The madness of living in North Carolina during the NCAA Tournament is just a little bit exciting. OK it is a whole lot exciting!! I love it!

You could pretty much say that in North Carolina, March Madness is a state holiday. This state loves it some basketball. 3C78J5XKQK33 It doesn't matter where you go or what you're doing, if a Carolina team is playing, the game will be showing. People go crazy around here and you just can't help but want to be a part of all the excitement as well.

China Tours and so much more....

Last fall, my oldest had a project to complete on China. As part of his project, we had to build a replica of the Great Wall. As we thought through the process of how we were going to construct this great wall in a miniature version size, I began thinking of places I want to see before I am too old to enjoy. I want to tour the beautiful sights of the world. China tours as well as an Italy tour would be at the top of my list. I would love to wander the path of the Great Wall and explore the rich history in the city of Venice. I could go on and on but I guess you get the idea. I want a passport and I want to travel.

Inventing the Secondary Spill Containment System

I am in the process of inventing new items that every mother needs. I have come up with the idea to create a secondary spill containment system. As moms, we tend to be mopping up spilled milk quite often. The rush of spilled milk has interrupted many a meal. My thinking is to develop a spill containment system that catches the milk before it reaches the floor. Genius right? Somehow, it would fit around the edge of the table so the milk would then run off into the container, flowing down into a tube, which would then lead to a bottle of some sort that would catch it all. You would then be able to pick up the bottle and pour out the spilled milk. Personally, I think it is brilliant!

Collapsible Water Tanks

I was watching TV and saw something interesting. I’m sure they have been around for a while but it was the first time that I had really seen collapsible water tanks. In this particular show, firefighters were using them to hold water for fighting fires. It is quite a brilliant idea. A helicopter flew it in and once it was empty, it collapsed and it was taken and filled again. Impressive. I have decided that I want one. I have kids that will not drink water from a faucet but will however, drink from a water bottle. Maybe if I were to get one of those collapsible water tanks and placed it in the garage, the kids would find it amusing and choose to drink more water. I could always use the outside hose and fill it back up. Any thoughts?

Green Printing

Going green seems to have become the new trend. You are actually considered trendy if you choose to participate in those things that help with our environment. It is now a cool thing to take care of our planet. I think it kind of took a while for people to catch on that we should be taking care of our planet but I guess better late than never. I am fascinated with how everyday it seems that they develop new ways to save energy or reduce waste. There is now green printing. They have also found a way to use bananas. I was walking through a store the other day and found a notebook made of banana paper. I was intrigued. Still am.

Rhinoplasty Surgery

Rhinoplasty surgery. Does anyone else hear rhinoceros whenever that particular phrase is spoken? If someone is already struggling with their looks and feeling self-conscience about their nose, how much does the sound of rhinoplasty surgery being spoken help? Why must we point out that we have this nose on the front of our face that sticks out like that of a rhino? Really? You can’t help but laugh at the image that pops into your head when you think about it. Just makes me sad that there are so many out there that don’t love who they are; a beautiful treasure and gift created by God.

Recliners

Why is it that as we age, the thoughts of having recliners in the house seem so sublime? I have gone back and forth with the whole recliner thing. I have owned them, hated them, wanted them, gotten rid of them and now have them as part of a couch. I go through stages where the recliner is the only place that I love to sit. Then one day, I go to sit in my familiar friend and it no longer welcomes me as it once did. I guess that the saying is true, that all good things must come to an end. Why are our bodies so fickle?

Magical Sleigh Beds

As a little girl, I always wanted a sleigh bed. For me, there was something magical about it. Anything that reminded me of the tall pine trees in the back yard in winter covered with snow was magical.

Whenever I saw a sleigh bed, images of a simpler time would flash through my mind. Images straight from a Jane Austin novel. The idea of being bundled up in a scarf and a muff, riding in a big sleigh pulled by horses through the snow-laden land was ideal to me.

Little girls and their vivid imaginations. We can turn anything in our minds into something magical that will sweep us away to some other time or place. Wonder if one of those sleigh beds would have that affect on me today? Might be worth looking into.

Divine Appointment

I hung out with a friend last night. A friend that I have not seen in almost a year and because of recent circumstances, I was hesitant to do so but God had something different in mind. For months, He had put this person on my heart. I could not let go of her. I could not get her out of my mind. I would dream about her or see something and it would remind me of her. I even began twirling my hair (which is something that I have NEVER done) just like she does. It was weird.

Truthfully, it was not weird, it was God and I recognize that. How many times in our lives has God placed someone on our heart and we might say a quick prayer and move on or do nothing at all? I know I have been guilty of that very thing more than once in my life. Not this time. I began sending messages. I made it clear that I would not give up on her as others had given up on me. I would choose to be obedient, choosing to love and forgive her.

I woke up yesterday with all of the symptoms of the flu. My body was aching, my head hurting and I felt like death. I will admit that meeting her was not on the forefront of my mind when I woke up but half way through the day, it hit me. I felt like I was dying. I did NOT want to leave the house. I wanted to stay in my bed and sleep. I then felt that oh so gentle tugging in my heart. I knew God wanted me to go. I knew I had to go. I went.

Thank you God for your amazing love and forgiveness. Thank you for the gift of Your Spirit that allows us to love and forgive as You have loved and forgiven. Open wounds are now beginning to heal. What does God have for me next?

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

1 Peter 4:8

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

Luke 6:37