Isn't it ironic...

As I was mixing my muffins this morning, in my Kitchen-Aid mixer, that Paula Deen and Oprah gave me (yes, that's right!)--- I recognized the irony of that.
And in fact, there's no irony in it, Paula is white, Oprah is black.
Those two things are a fact. Not an issue.
And all of us---yes, both of them, and me---are none deserving of God's mercy and grace, yet He extends it anyways.
Who am I to determine her level of forgiveness?!
I'm just gonna sit here and eat my muffins, and like it!!!

Be Happy!

For the love of seasoned stoneware

When the house burned in 1999....as we began sorting thru the rubble of what once was our very small, yet warm, home-y kitchen, I kid you not, one of my first thoughts was-----how in the free world will I cook without stoneware!?!

I quickly called my pampered chef consultant and said "how quick can we throw a party together?!"

And within a week, we were hosting a party in my awful rental house! 

Who cared about bare walls and hand-me down furniture?!

I needed a pizza pan and I needed it STAT. 

My poor Mason was eating his dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets from the microwave, and well that is not acceptable :)

So. 

Fast forward to last night. 

And you can realize my horror when I went to cook dinner and pulled my baking dish out to use and it had this hideous crack in it!

Gasp!!!!

What in the world?!

Well. 

It lasted 13 years. 

I've had it longer than I've had my youngest child. 

But I love it that much too :)

So----the moral of the story----anyone wanna come to a Pampered Chef party?!

How can I do both?!

Tears rolled down my face as I watched him walk away. Back towards the dorm. 

And then just as he got a little closer to the dorm. 

He never looked back. 

But the walk turned into a skip. Almost a run. 

How can I be so sad. 

Like a punch in my stomach. 

And he's so excited?! 

So ready for this future. 

So excited and ready to dive head first into college. 

Sometimes it's so exciting to watch, but at the same time---this sux. 

It takes a village...

This is what it looks like. 

The village. 

In our schools. 

As the end is here, I am truly thankful for the teachers that have loved my boys. 

And so today, we thanked them. For their role in Mason's academic adventures. 

And although its not much, we baked them with love. 

We packaged each one. Tied the ribbon and added the tags. With love and thankfulness. 

Yes, he helped. That big boy senior of mine. And he gets it. 

He delivered 199 of these little beauties today (only because I kept one for the photo!!)

Starting at the elementary school. Moved on to the intermediate school (although this school came after his time, many of these teachers were his teachers, principal, etc)

Then to middle school, junior high and finally the high school. 

This includes teachers, office staff, janitors, lunchroom ladies and more. 

Atleast 199. Because I'm sure someone was left out. And I'm sorry for that. 

We are thankful for the village. Because of it, he's one smart cookie! 

runDisney weekend packages

Look for the helpers....

Today, as we watch the news of the Boston Marathon explosion unfold...
There is so much truth in this message.

There will always be evil. There will always be nay-sayers. There will always be hate amongst us.
But---look for the helpers. Look for the workers.

They don't have time to complain, or speak evil, or do evil. They are busy loving on people and meeting the need of someone.

Right now, in this situation there are runners that finished the marathon, and ran,literally, to give their own blood.

Always....in every issue-at-hand....
Look for the helper, and there my friend, will you find the love of Jesus, and the good in the world.
After the dust of this settles, and life returns to a new normal....lots of lives will be better off because of the helpers.

The evil of one or two, cannot survive amongst the good in the world, if we rally for the good. And quinch the spirit of the evil. It will always exist, but it doesn't have to win.

He tells us in His word to "count it all joy".

Thank you Mr. Rogers. I guess I needed a friendly neighbor today :)