The Story Behind the Song: “Blessings”

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Knowing what inspired someone to write a song has always been of interest to me. A new song that I recently heard was inspired by the hardship that a young newlywed couple went through. Laura Story married her high school sweetheart, and just a year or two later, they discovered that her husband had a brain tumor. At one point she didn’t know if he was going to live. At one point he was on a breathing machine and had significant vision and memory loss.

Laura said, “But there’s a decision that I find God is asking us to make: whether we are going to choose to interpret our circumstances based on what we hold to be true about God, or whether we’re going to judge what we hold to be true about God based on our circumstances.” She and her husband have held on to what they know to be true about God!

(Update:  Laura Story Wins Grammy Award for “Blessings”)

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Fresh Fruit & Angel Food Cake

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With Mother’s Day coming up soon, I thought it would be good to post one of our family’s favorite cakes for birthdays and special occasions.  (A dear family member would always request this for her birthday.)  So here’s the recipe again in an easier to read version:
INGREDIENTS:

  • Angel Food Cake ( I buy a round cake, or to make a rectangular cake as pictured then I buy 3 Angel Food Bar Cakes.  If you can’t find the smaller rectangular angel food cakes, you can cut up a round cake and still make it look like a rectangular shaped cake when finished.)
  • Cool Whip, largest size
  • Fresh fruit such as strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, & kiwi

DIRECTIONS:

One thing about this cake is that if you leave the cake whole and don’t pre-cut it, it’s very hard to serve without making a mess of the piece you’re trying to cut.  That is why I started pre-cutting the cake into individual pieces, placing all the pieces side-by-side on the cake plate, and then “icing” the cake pieces with Cool Whip to make it look like one whole cake.

Once this is done, you can decorate the top of the cake with your favorite berries and kiwi once they have been well washed and dried.  (Note:  Bananas are not good to use because they turn brown.)  Here is another picture of the top of the cake:

Age Doesn’t Matter

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I’ve come to the conclusion that age doesn’t matter when faced with the problem of how to get rid of acne.  Sure, when a person is a teenager they expect to have acne at some point.  But even when well past the teenage years, and I’m talking about even when you have children and grandchildren, acne can pop up every now and then just to aggravate you.  It might just be one small pimple, but still it’s a nuisance.  Acne is no respecter of age!

Texas Weather

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It is a cold, windy, and wet day in north Texas.  Here it is May and the high tomorrow is forecast to be 50° which is rare for Texas in late spring.  With this type of weather, I doubt people will be using their outdoor spas and will be using spa covers to keep out any debris that these strong wind gusts are blowing around.  But in Texas, weather changes quickly and it could be nearly a 100° in a few days!

Friendly Friday 4/29/11

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Welcome to Friendly Friday!

Remember, YOU can host the link list on your blog, too! Just get the InLinkz code and copy it directly into your post. The code is different every week, so be sure to get the new code when hosting Friendly Friday on your blog. Hosting the list is a great way to get even more traffic to your blog and make Friendly Friday more beneficial for everyone.

Thanks for joining the Friendly Friday celebration hosted by Christi at Frugal Novice, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier and Charla at Healthy Home Blog! We invite you to join us every Friday to make more friends in blogville, get more blog followers and follow other great blogs out there.

To join in the Friendly Friday celebration, include your family-friendly link in our list, follow the hostesses in the first 3 spots and then start blog hopping! Visit other blogs on the list and comment to give them some blog love. Then take a minute to follow them through Google Friend Connect – this is a good way to keep up with other blogs, but also lets us show support to each other! Please DO NOT list your giveaways here, links must be to either your homepage or your Friday posting with your blog title. All others will be deleted.

When people comment on your blog and let you know they’re a part of Friendly Friday, return the favor and follow them back. This way everyone gets traffic and followers out of participating, and it’s a win-win situation. We would love for you to also grab our Friendly Friday button and post it on your blog and/or in a post – the more bloggers that find out about Friendly Friday and participate, the better!

Spotlight on Friendly Friday Followers! We love your participation and want to show it! In addition to gaining followers, each week we’ll select three blogs at random and will feature links and a write-up for those blogs in the content of next week’s Friendly Friday post. There are so many seriously wonderful blogs out there, and this will be a great way to highlight some of those each week. Say hello to the lucky chosen 3 for this week (and feel free to stop by and give them a little extra love):

OrangeHeroMama is, in her words, a “far from 32” (I’m guessing that means she’s still in her 20’s, don’t you think?) Canadian mom to two girls. OHM hosts giveaways and reviews, but also shares a lot more than that. When you visit her blog you feel like you get to know her and her family through her posts and photos – you’ll feel like you’ve known her forever!

Do you enjoy finding unique items? If so, you’ll love Sam’s blog I Enjoy Stuff. She finds great products and puts them all at your fingertips when you visit her blog. Be sure and check out a free printable for making your own all-in-one letter/envelope! Sam’s a newer blogger, so be sure and welcome her to blogville!.

Katie at Mommy Katie is married to a former Marine and is raising two kids in Texas. She and her family have been affected by hard economic times, but have kept a positive outlook and have made the best of things! She hosts a lot of reviews and giveaways..

Now that you know about these 3 wonderful blogs, it’s time for you to join in! Add your family-friendly link below and we’ll see you back here every Friday! And don’t forget, you can get the InLinkz code to share the link list on your blog, too.

All three hostesses appreciate followers through GFC and Twitter, and we’ll follow you back – just leave a comment with your URL for GFC. Linky opens at 10:00 CST.


Branson, Missouri

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Have any of y’all been to Branson?  We’ve been but only briefly while stopping over at Springfield.  We just wanted to see what the area looked like, and it was really pretty.  I imagine people who live in the surrounding areas such as Table Rock lake homes enjoy the scenery.  The area with all the shows wasn’t how I had pictured it.   Each show is in its own separate building, and the buildings are built close to each other throughout several blocks.  We didn’t take time to go see a show but did take time to walk along the riverwalk and the downtown area a little bit.  That was enjoyable!

Menu Plan Monday 4/25/11

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Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter yesterday! After church, we went out to eat and then had a nice afternoon before our son had to leave to go back to college. I had an Easter basket waiting on the dining table for our son, who’s a sophomore and still enjoys getting the candy!  I’ll probably continue having one for him for several more more years.  (I had an Easter basket for Christi & Brian until they had children of their own.)

Before I go on to our menu, I want to remind anyone who’s interested that today is the last day to enter my giveaway for a WordWorld T-shirt of your choice.

I also have a new giveaway for a WordWorld DVD.

 

 

 

Now, on to our menu:

Monday:  Rotisserie Chicken, corn, salad

Tuesday: Leftover Rotisserie Chicken, salad, lima beans

Wednesday:  Homemade Chicken Vegetable Soup

Thursday:  Salmon Patties, Vegetable Medley

Friday:  Leftover Salmon Patties & veggies

Friendly Friday 4/22/11

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Welcome to Friendly Friday!

Remember, YOU can host the link list on your blog, too! Just get the InLinkz code and copy it directly into your post. The code is different every week, so be sure to get the new code when hosting Friendly Friday on your blog. Hosting the list is a great way to get even more traffic to your blog and make Friendly Friday more beneficial for everyone.

Thanks for joining the Friendly Friday celebration hosted by Christi at Frugal Novice, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier and Charla at Healthy Home Blog! We invite you to join us every Friday to make more friends in blogville, get more blog followers and follow other great blogs out there.

To join in the Friendly Friday celebration, include your family-friendly link in our list, follow the hostesses in the first 3 spots and then start blog hopping! Visit other blogs on the list and comment to give them some blog love. Then take a minute to follow them through Google Friend Connect – this is a good way to keep up with other blogs, but also lets us show support to each other! Please DO NOT list your giveaways here, links must be to either your homepage or your Friday posting with your blog title. All others will be deleted.

When people comment on your blog and let you know they’re a part of Friendly Friday, return the favor and follow them back. This way everyone gets traffic and followers out of participating, and it’s a win-win situation. We would love for you to also grab our Friendly Friday button and post it on your blog and/or in a post – the more bloggers that find out about Friendly Friday and participate, the better!

Spotlight on Friendly Friday Followers! We love your participation and want to show it! In addition to gaining followers, each week we’ll select three blogs at random and will feature links and a write-up for those blogs in the content of next week’s Friendly Friday post. There are so many seriously wonderful blogs out there, and this will be a great way to highlight some of those each week. Say hello to the lucky chosen 3 for this week (and feel free to stop by and give them a little extra love):

After leaving the corporate world behind, Jeannette is now the CEO of her household at The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug. Chronicling her daily life with her two adorable boys and wonderful husband, you’ll find the cutest pictures showing the highs, the lows and everything in between (and even a fun review and giveaway thrown in as well).

If you like bows, tutus, dresses, family, giveaways, and more, then Honey Pie Accessories one blog you’re not going to want to miss! Elaine is a creative, crafty mom of an adorable little girl with another due in just over a month. Don’t miss her amazing creations and check out her shop and Facebook page for details on putting in your own order!

 

A heartwarming blog about Thor’s journey to get an Autism Service Dog, Erin’s writing at Paws 4 Thor will move you from the first sentence you read. Visit to learn about all of the amazing benefits that a well-trained service dog can provide for children with Autism and all of their unique needs… as well as to cheer on Thor as he continues to move forward with the 4 Paws 4 Ability program!

 

Now that you know about these 3 wonderful blogs, it’s time for you to join in! Add your family-friendly link below and we’ll see you back here every Friday! And don’t forget, you can get the InLinkz code to share the link list on your blog, too.

All three hostesses appreciate followers through GFC and Twitter, and we’ll follow you back – just leave a comment with your URL for GFC. Linky opens at 10:00 CST.


WordWorld DVD “Get Up and Move” Giveaway

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Are you familiar with WordWorld? If not, check it out and see if you agree with me that it is one of the best educational TV shows available for children. There are also WordWorld DVDs available, and I’m giving away their new one, “Get Up and Move,” which encourages children to exercise while also teaching them reading skills in a fun way.

WordWorld was the only show that our grandson would watch when he was a year old. As a teacher who has taught many children how to read in first grade, I immediately fell in love with the characters and the influence I knew they must be having on young children learning their alphabet letters and sounds plus teaching them how to read words.

WIN IT:
WordWorld is providing one DVD for giveaway. This contest is open to all U.S. residents. Entries will be accepted until midnight CST Wednesday, May 4, 2011. Please leave a separate comment for each entry:

MANDATORY ENTRY:

Visit WordWorld – “Where Words Come Alive” and leave a comment telling me who is your favorite character.
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BONUS ENTRIES:

Must complete mandatory entry first! Leave a comment if you already follow or subscribe.

  • Blog about this giveaway and link it back here (3 extra entries)
  • “Like” Healthy Home Blog on Facebook (1 extra entry)
  • Click the Facebook “Share” button below this post to share it on your FB wall (2 extra entries)
  • Follow me on Twitter (1 extra entry) (leave a comment if you already follow me)
  • Click the “Tweet” button below this post to share it on your Twitter feed (1 entry per day)
  • Subscribe to Healthy Home Blog’s email updates- see sidebar. (2 entries)
  • Follow me through Google Friend Connect in my sidebar. (1 entry)

* WordWorld is supplying a DVD for this giveaway. I was not compensated monetarily for this article. This is my honest opinion.

Menu Plan Monday 4/18/11

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We are still eating salads several times a week. Not just because we’re trying to lose a little weight (which is not going very well due to dark chocolate somehow finding its way into our house), but mainly because salads are so healthy. There are many advocates of a half raw food diet, in other words, half of our diet should be fresh, uncooked fruits and veggies. One thing I know, I feel better when I’m on that type of diet but it’s hard to do during the cold months of winter. Now that warm weather has arrived, it will be much easier to do! So our menu this week will incorporate as many raw foods as possible:

Monday:  Chef Salad made with

  • Organic Spring Mix Salad Greens
  • Hormel Natural Choice Smoked Deli Turkey, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • Tomato
  • Chopped organic baby carrots
  • Fresh avocado
  • Cucumber
  • Green Olives
  • Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle on top of veggies
  • Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt

Tuesday:  Chef Salad

Wednesday:  Chicken Pasta, green salad

Thursday:  Left-over Chicken Pasta, green salad

Friday:  Chick-Fil-A?

There’s one week left in my WordWorld T-shirt giveaway, your choice of your child’s favorite WordWorld character.

Also, watch for a WordWorld DVD giveaway coming soon.