Who Do You Turn To?

Here's today's recipe! Death by Chocolate by Hilary Harman 1 box of your favorite brownie mix - bake according to package instructions.  Cut into small pieces and divide into thirds. 1 large box of chocolate pudding - make according to package instructions and divide into thirds. 12 oz of cool whip - divided into thirds. 1 package of Heath bars broken into pieces (1 package of snack size should work) Layer brownie, pudding, cool whip and heath bar.  Repeat times 3. Refrigerate and serve.  Makes 10-12.

We are in Florida, settling into our temporary home with mom and dad.  They have graciously allowed us to unload our life into their space.  Poor mom, just as she manages to get the house under control, another load of stuff arrives. I managed to get all the clothes put away last night.  I am excited to say we were able to get all of our hanging clothes into one closet.  In times past, there would have been no way we could have done that.  There is a dresser for each of us and the suitcases are already stowed in the storage building.  I was able to organize the bathroom as well.  My attempt to be frugal with my choices in what I brought paid off as far as the clothes go! His and Hers closet! The more important concern was where we were going to set Steve up an office.  The church plant does not have space to provide for him.  My dad has a small corner of the Florida room carved out for himself.  Well it has now been carved ou...

We are in a frenzy trying to pack and prepare to make the drive to Florida. We are leaving tomorrow to drive part way. Then onto the sunshine state on Thursday. I am going to take a few days off until we get settled. Check back over the weekend for a new posting. Thank you for being faithful this far. In His service Mally

Our last Sunday at OASIS was fantastic!  The church just loved on us all morning.  We were given a farewell breakfast from 9-10am.  LuAnn had prepared a video slideshow of pictures from the last 4 years.  There was food everywhere.  Of course, no Baptist church is worth their weight without a bunch of ladies who cook good southern food! Worship was awesome.  Brady picked a great selection of songs to compliment Steve's sermon.  Our missionary friends took one look at him and said, "He must be Bubba's son he looks just like him!"  They are right.  Our senior pastor has a family full of children in ministry.  Everyone of them puts their whole heart into it and it shows. Steve preached on having a willing heart.  I have to admit, I am a little proud of him.  I know he takes a lot of time to prepare his sermons and it shows when he gives the message.  I cannot wait to hear from him each and every week on God's word.  ...

Today is our last Sunday service at OASIS Church in Amherst.  Steve is preaching today on 2 Chronicles and "A Willing Heart".  There is a farwell brunch planned for us as well.  It is both a happy and a sad day.  I can't believe it is here already.  We have loved this place and will so miss our friends.  We are also looking forward to what is in store for us in Florida.  Today's scriptures is on God's faithfulness. "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations" Deut 7:9 "If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself." 2 Tim 2:13  "But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one." 2 Thess 3:3 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord , plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then...

I have decided to turn Saturday's into recipe days.  Over the summer, I will provide you with some of my favorite recipes.  They are not necessarily my "own", but ones I have tried and found to be liked by many.  I hope you enjoy them as much as our family has. Summer Bean Dip by Jo Ellen Harman 1 can of black beans 2 cans of black eyed peas 1 can of jolly green Sho-peg corn 1 can of Nibblet corn Drain all of these and rinse well, combine in a bowl Add to this: 1 can Rotello tomatoes 1 bunch of chopped green onions 1 chopped green bell pepper Chopped fresh parsely Chopped Black olives, drained 1 Tbs of minced garlic 1 16oz bottle of Italian Kraft dressing Mix well.  Can be made ahead and refrigerated; however, tastes good at room temp too!  Serve with your favorite scoop chip - we like to use Tostido scoops.

Today, Je, A and myself, had a girlie day - NO BOYS ALLOWED!  After breakfast, we headed out to WalMart to do some shopping.  Poor Je just needed a few items like toothpaste, body wash, etc.  She was so overwhelmed with all the choices.  Each time she moved to a new item, A and I would walk away and give her some time to look over everything and choose.  As overwhelmed with the choices as Je was, A was moving from place to place so fast I couldn't keep up with her.  "Aunt Mally look at this,"  "Aunt Mally look how beautiful this is," "Aunt Mally....".  The child just couldn't believe everything she was seeing.  At one point she even told me, "I just love this mall!"  I had to explain this was just one store, we had not yet made it to the mall.  My girlfriend Bethany gave Je a haircut and then went with us to Chick-filet for lunch.  A played in the indoor playground and met several little girls and boys who eagerly played with...

What do you do when you live under the weight of fear? It has occurred to me that I have been doing this for the last year or so. I do not want to provide situational details, but rather describe how it has affected me. There have been other times in my life when I was afraid of a person, a situation, or an upcoming event. But for the most part, they were brief and fleeting. This past year, I have actually been fairly consistently afraid. It has been in my life on a very nearly daily basis. It has caused worry, stress, sleeplessness, hair loss, weight gain, moodiness and I am sure other not so nice behaviors and consequences. Now before your imaginations start running wild, it has not been from a person, but rather a situation. One that I am now happy too report I am free of. I have always been a fairly high strung person. I give 100% in most things, if not more than. If I feel like I am doing a bad job or am told I am doing a bad job at whatever, I go above and beyond ...

OK, just a short note today as we have been traveling all day.  Our friends' arrived safety and 13 minutes early last night.  We surprised them at the Greenville, SC airport.  We had already checked into the local Super 8 Motel, dropped off the dog and the luggage and made a beeline for the airport.  When we arrived, we realized we were in fact 30 minutes early! Below is A coming off the escalator from the plane and seeing me jumping up and down! A coming off the escalator! As hoped, they were totally surprised.  I grabbed Je and just started crying and telling her how happy I was she was home.  I had already squeezed the stuffing out of A.  I had to remember to take a second and hug Ja too! A and Theodore the bear! A was carrying, Theodore, the bear.  Theo is a stuffed animal she found at my house when they visited 2 1/2 years ago.  She has trekked that bear all over the world.  It has been washed and dried so much his fur...

Today is very special! Today our missionary friends return from the field after 4 1/2 years. They are permanently returning to the states. We are headed to Greenville, SC this afternoon to surprise them at the airport. J, J and A will be on American soil at 10pm.  We first met this lovely family in Wake Forest, NC. They were our downstairs neighbors in the apartment complex provided by the Seminary. The day we arrived, J had said to his wife he wished there was a neighbor he could minister to. We pulled in with a fully loaded U-haul, just as they pulled in from errands. J changed his clothes and spent the next 10 hours helping Steve unload the truck and then take the remaining items to storage and unloaded those. His wife brought up cookies for a snack. It was instant friendship. Even though we were only neighbors for 8 months, it stuck like glue! Je and A! The birthday girl getting her twirl on! 5 years old! Ja and Je adopted an infant...

I love crafts! Over the years I have dabbled in scrap booking, beading, knitting, crocheting, card making, cake decorating, stamping, sewing/quilting, calligraphy, drawing and needlepoint. I could probably still do all of them except for the time and money factor. Several years ago I had to make a decision to scale down my crafting paraphernalia . That meant giving up some of my crafts. In the end, I fully let go of scrap booking and beading. Calligraphy, drawing and needlepoint got put on the back burner.  Knitting became my favorite and I have spent the last several years making everything from hats to sweaters to afghans. It has helped that we live in a state with a winter climate; however, moving back to Florida may change my focus. Card  making has turned out to be very beneficial.  When you can buy a stack of 50 blank white/cream colored cards for $9.99 (unless you catch a sale or have a coupon), it becomes financially fruitful to make your own. You can st...

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Eph 4:29 "But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk with spread like gangrene." 2Tim 2:16-17a ESV "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Matt12:36-37 ESV Take some time today to reflect on your words.  Do they build people up or tear them down?  Do they spread false words or proclaim the truth?  Do they speak in love or in hatred?   The old adage from your mom, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" is still a true statement today. In His service Mally

Well as of 8am today, I am officially jobless.  I have not been without employment since I completed nursing school.  In fact, I have not been without a job since well before then.  It is a true test of my faith in the Lord to provide for me.  I can say with complete honesty, this is not a comfortable place to be. Every time we have moved, I have been able to locate a job prior to moving.  When we transitioned to Wake Forest, we were in such good financial standing I did not need a full time job.  I didn't need any job, but I would have gone stir crazy in about 30 minutes.  When we moved to Amherst, I already had a position lined up at the hospital.  It took me some time to find that one.   Steve was coming up here on the weekends without me so I could continue to work in Charlotte.  I would drive up for interviews and drive home.  It took 4 months before something came up.  I am hoping there is not a repeat of that this time...

Yesterday I was asked to pray for something.  While not at liberty to discuss the request, I can assure you it is serious in nature.  It is something I am asking you to pray for as an unspoken.  The Lord knows the need already so it isn't important for you to pray with details, just pray.  People ask me to pray all the time.  Over the years, I have attempted to keep a prayer journal or notebook, but I failed at keeping up with it.  I even tried an app on my iPhone, but I didn't keep up with that either.  So now, if time permits, I do it pretty much right away.  Then when the thought comes to mind in the future, I will say another.  The prayers are not very long, but they are from the heart. I have struggled with my prayers since becoming a Christian.  I have never felt I devoted enough specific time each day to the various requests.  I also feel strongly that if I am asked to pray and I agree to do so, then it should be done....

Today was all about spending time with friends.  It hadn't originally been planned that way, but that is certainly how it ended.  I was going to run a bunch of errands, attend my last week of team meetings at work, have dinner with some friends and come home.  That just goes to show you, you can make your own plans but the Lord orders your steps. My co-worker called at 9:45 and asked if I was headed into town.  She needed to drop her car off at the auto repair place and wanted to know if I could pick her up.  I headed out the door and tried to figure out how to adjust my day.  We took care of several things she needed to do and decided to have some lunch before our meeting started.  We sat around the lunch table in fellowship.  After our meetings, I headed home to collect Steve for dinner with friends.  Two couples had asked if they could take us out for a farewell meal at Chi Chan's.  We have never been, but found ourselves eating a g...

The last of the diet coke cans in the recycle bin!  Yet again, I am trying to break my unhealthy obsession with diet coke.  It is something that has been with me for a long time.  I have tried many times in the past to "quit".  I have been successful for as long as 3 months, but all it takes is 1 to start the cycle all over again.  I have prayed (again) and I feel the Lord has been telling me it needs to go.  However, for whatever reason I have not been able to make it stick.  So, the attempt begins again.  I made a large pitcher of sweet tea on Monday to help with the caffeine headache that always comes. By noon, I was still in my pajamas and could barely lift my head up.  Steve was making a trip to Richmond and I was sprawled out on the chair trying to figure out how to get an ounce of energy.  I was suppose to be working in the basement, but I was finding it hard to keep my eyes open.  Well this is familiar.  It will p...

Why does a deadline spur creativity and accomplish every task on your to do list in a ridiculously short amount of time?  Once a date was set for our move, we managed to either repair, paint, trim, de-clutter, organize, pack, sell or give away something in every room of this house.  We have done more in the last 2 weeks than we have done in total the last 3 1/2 years.  We are exhausted, but as we look around we are also pleased with our efforts.  Steve has commented several times that our next place should be less "full" of things. The consignment store came today to pick up everything we had not sold.  They took the dining room furniture, and antique dresser, another dining table and chairs, a leather chair and ottoman, a set of nesting tables and a cabinet.  There were two guys from "two guys and a truck" who very carefully took each piece out fully covered in the pouring rain.  Once everything was removed we pulled the last remaining table and cha...

Rosie's c. 1914 harp from the Metropolitan Opera House! I picked up my phone at 4pm and saw a missed call from my harp instructor.  My heart sank as I remembered she was having a farewell tea for me today - at 2:30 pm.  Can I just say, I was totally devastated.  I called Rosie trying to figure some way out of saying, "I forgot", but there wasn't any other way to say it.  I told her I was embarrassed and so incredibly sorry.  She said, "Everyone is still here will you still come?"  I couldn't believe it.  I jumped in the car and raced to Lynchburg, all the way thinking of how to ask them to forgive me.  When I walked in I wanted to cry.  The table was laid with fresh flowers, burning candles, crystal, china and a spread of food you would not believe.  I couldn't even look everyone in the face. June and the beautiful table! As I sat at my place, they told me they had saved a little of everything and to dig in.  Rosie served me...

Today's scripture is from Martin Fassero's devotion at Smith Mountain Lake yesterday. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.   Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled,  neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 For God is not a God of confusion, but of Peace. 1 Cor 14:33 But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, PEACE, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfullness and self control. Gal 5:22. For he himself is our peace,  who has made us both one and has broken  down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. Eph 2:14 And the peace of God, which surpasses  all understanding, will guard your hearts  and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:7 May each one of you find peace in the Lord. In His service Mally

How do you spend your summer time off?  I know many of you have children and wait all year to go on the family vacation.  Those of you without children also wait all year to go on the family vacation.  Steve and I have never planned a regular summer vacation.  We have always, just sporadically planned something.  Our anniversary falls in late August and we have taken a couple of trips to celebrate - one to St. Lucia and one to South Carolina.  We also love to camp with my brother/sister-in-law.  The camping trips happen all year long, weather permitting, whenever we have some free time. OASIS Pastors on Mission in Honduras What about mission trips?  They are already in full swing this year.  My boss is currently in Africa.  My cousin is in Haiti.  My last mission trip was to Haiti.  It was not my favorite place.  I respectfully ask God not to send me back if at all possible.  It was perhaps the most oppressive p...

I have had the same work clothes on for the last three days.  There has been showering each day, just not a new set of clothes.  I found myself in the grocery store tonight picking up a few items.   I heard my girlfriend call out, "Who is that pretty girl in the red shirt?".  Compliment aside, she was looking at my back because if she had seen me from the front she would have laughed.  My hair was a mess, with paint in it.  My clothes, dirty with paint all over them.  The exposed skin was well, dirty with paint all over it.  No make-up and flip flops.  It wasn't a pretty site.  There are days like that, when you are just working as hard as you can and forget the beauty part of it.  While I was washing the grime off tonight, I decided I needed to give myself a home mani/pedi.  My husband wants to take the boat out on Saturday.  No self respecting girl can go boating without a good mani/pedi! Before fingers! B...