Spilt milk, or in my case spilt pizza dip

OK our small group at church takes turn bringing in appetizers or snacks to small group. It was my turn last night. I made BLT roll ups, and hot pizza dip. However, when I went to take the dip out of the oven to get ready to "get it ready" to transport.....



Yep, I dropped it!  1/2 of the hot dip slipped from dish onto the bottom of my oven. It happens.

We all got a good laugh, ate BLT roll ups and munched on popcorn instead. Life is full of bumps, and  "oh No's!",  hopefully I am learning how to roll with them better.  I really enjoy my life group, and appreciate them rolling with the changes.  But hey, that is the purpose of small groups or as my church calls them Life group, it's to do life together, and sometimes life has some spilt dip, sick kids, hurting families, it's great to be part of a group that gets it.  That loves God and works on loving each other to.

(Does it make anyone else feel better to know someone else's day is sometimes filled with bumps or in my case spilt pizza dip?)  Just keeping it real, hope you are having a good day!

Hot Pizza Dip recipe :
4 to 6ounces of cream cheese (ok the recipe calls for 4, but I love cream cheese so I add 6)
1/4 c sour cream
1/4 c mayonnaise
3/4 cup mozzarella

mix above ingredients pour into bottom of an 9x9 glass cake pan, that has been sprayed.

pour 1 cup pizza sauce on top of the cheese mixture in cake pan,
1/2 c of mozzarella cheese top pizza sauce with cheese
pepperonis - arrange on top as desired

bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  I serve it with sliced french bread - yum! Great for fall, just be careful not to drop it as you take it out of the oven.
-Amy

Encouragement

Help!  I need some advice.   How do you give encouragement?   In what way do you like to receive encouragement?  What practical ways or impractical even, have you seen or witnessed encouragement being given to other people?

Be it the person needing encouragement is:

*grieving
*elderly and does not get out much
*lonely
*discouraged
*or someone struggling with depression

"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up"  Proverbs 12:25

I appreciate that you would take the time to leave a comment on the subject!  I am really trying to learn about how to be a better at giving others encouragement.  Thank you

Are you kind?

Are you a kind person? If you answer yes, who are you kind to? Are you kind to the hateful? Cranky? Unreasonable? The out of shape? The girl who does not know how to dress? The lady who has whiskers on her chin?

I know it is so much easier to be kind (affectionate, loving, of a sympathetic or helpful nature, gentle in character) to those who are kind themselves, pretty, got their act together individuals who are just having an off day. Or those who are friends & family Or individuals who are nice to me, or someone just like myself.

However Proverbs 14:31 says
"Whoever is kind to the needy honors God"

Webster's dictionary defines needy as: being in want, (marked by affection, attention, or emotion support). Interestingly enough it did not necessarily indicate needy as a physical need.

No other qualifications are required. Just that they are to be needy & our response to them is to be kind.

Wow, what a challenge! I know I'm guilty of reacting towards people in the manner they treat me, or I try to avoid those individual's who are just needy who drain me. However, the bible tells me to stop and rethink my interactions with those same people! I am to view my interactions with them from a different view point.

From the viewpoint of the Lord who loves all his children. By stopping what I am doing, by taking a moment or a few minutes to be kind to them, right where they are at, even in their crankiness, unreasonableness, unorganized, maybe fit throwing, or their rushing from place to place, or in their sorrow, maybe even in their confinement. I am to see past all that and see them as God sees them and recognize their neediness.

Lord, I pray that you would open my eyes to the people I encounter who are needy. Let me not get hung up by outward appearances or the public facade they may try to present, let me really see the needs that they have. Lord please let me honor you by slowing down and being kind to those in need.
I pray my post today would impact everyone who reads my blog today. And Thank you Lord, for the rain today!


-Amy

The book "Unnamed" review

I picked up this book a few weeks ago called "Unnamed" by author/pastor Chris Travis. I was unfamiliar with him but the book sounded interesting.
Wow! This book is so good, it's balm to any wounded soul! If you have, or have ever felt or struggled with discouragement, feeling overlooked, unnoticed well this is the book/bible study for you!

However be warned, this book will challenge you. Also I think I may have to get a new highlighter, I have marked up almost the entire book! I can not wait to read what ever this author writes next!
Amy

Prayer

Please join me in praying for Christians in Pakistan! I read this story this morning and realized how scared Christian living there must be feeling right now!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19311098#TWEET200211

Let's lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ in prayer!

-Amy

Do I have my lips on

"Do i have my lips on?" Oh, I could not even begin to tell you how many times my mom, and myself have asked that question of each other. I laugh & think about how strange my husband face looked (then boyfriend) the first time I asked him that question! Of course, he thought where else would your lips be? I had to "explain" that I was really asking about my lipstick. "Is my lipstick still in my lips?"



Lipstick is the one makeup I really would do not want to go anywhere, without!! If a tornado warning is issued for my county in Oklahoma, I brush my hair, my teeth & put on some lipstick or lipgloss. Heaven forbid my house blow away & I get interviewed on the evening news without my lips!!!

Do you understand my concern? My obsession? Is there one type of make up you would never ever want to be seen in public without?

Proverbs 16:21b reads "pleasant words promote instruction."

Which made me think, " Am I as concerned about the pleasantness of the words I am saying as I am about how my lips look?"

If I am honest the answer is not always. How crazy is that! I want my lips to be "pretty" but I am not as concerned about the words that I am speaking to friends & family that they are, well "pretty".

I am praying that God will use my obsession(um some may call it that). With my lipstick/lipgloss and remind me to use it as a nudge to check the pleasantness of my words.

How have your words been lately? Is there a time of day you need to check your words more often, like I check my lipstick after I eat?
Well this post had been food for thought.

Hope you all have a great Friday!!
-Amy

Ode to small town livin: Glenpool, OK

I have a blank canvas, and I was scouring Pinterest to come up with a new project to work on. I saw this cute subway art on Tulsa, Ok which Glenpool is a small town to the south of Tulsa.



As cute as I thought the subway art was, I got the giggles thinking what our small towns subway art might look like.



Our town is small, so we don't necessarily have "areas". We have a few stores, that made me giggle, but it also made me start thinking what did make my small town special?



Our town is unique, it was started out as a oilfield/make shift town. It has grown but it is still classified as small town.



(*note: not actual road sign)


I think it's not the areas of a small town that makes it special, but the people of the small town and how we come together and interact and where we interact. So if that's the case here is what my subway art of my small town would look like:


We have Warrior pride (our school's mascot), we have hometown parades, the town almost closes down for Friday night football games, we still have a local paper, a local marquees that brags about our kids, local churches, and our hometown carnival/fair called Black Gold days.






I have lived in this town for 16 years and have fallen in love with it's ways. Now don't get me wrong not everything is perfect in a small town. There are a few sayings I have found true:

"There are about the same percentages of amusing, gifted, humorous, boring, stingy, and malicious people in every social drawer"
-Emily Whaley, South Carolina

So true we have our mix of funny, kind hearted, sweet, upstanding, cranky and angry people here in Glenpool just like I'm sure you have wherever you live, no matter what size your town is!


The second is:
"In a small town, if you don't know what your doing someone else does"

Funny but true. Here in a small town, you just have to pick up the phone and call 2-3 people to find out a background check on little suzy's family that had asked your child over for a play date.

The third, is:

"Everyone dies famous in a small town"

That is so true! I realized the other day that I have not attended a funeral in my small town. No one I know has passed away. However, when there is a funeral in town. I hear stories funny ones, sad ones, praising ones all about the person who has died. What a tribute to the person who has passed.

Also, I just love hearing;

"How's your momma?"

I love that living in a small town, people really know people and their people!

In such a busy, world that is growing more global every year. It is nice to still live in a small town!

If you don't have the privilege to live in one, you might want to take a drive one weekend, grab a drink (a lot of small towns have Sonic's) and look around. If you don't enjoy it, it will at least make you appreciate your hometown.

Y'all all have a good day & come back now!

The gift of seeing others

How many times, do we rush out of our house to run errands, and encounter lots of people as we rush from place to place trying to complete our "To do list". Only to get back home and not remembering much about the day. Needless to say, no real personal exchange happened with any of the people we encountered. I know I have had days like that!

Especially now days with personal electronic devices that allows me to multi task as I wait in lines, in a waiting room. However, I want to propose sometimes we are so distracted by these devices that we don't hear God's gentle nudging at our hearts when we encounter someone in need. We miss the opportunity to be his hands, his mouth, his eyes to a person in need.

In our busyness we fail to see the needs of others! We need to slow down.
How about if we make time to be more aware of those God has placed in our path. Make attempt to make eye contact, give the gift of a smile or hello and really, really see the person we are encountering. I think we may see that God is calling us to minister to those our path crosses, not necessarily in giving our testimony, but by blessing others with his love, his kindness, his patience and gentleness. This could make such a difference in that persons life, as well as preparing the soil for the planting of seeds that God wants to place in their life.

Who knows, in noticing others and blessing others someone just might see you and bless you.

Lord, I pray that my schedule would be open to your "To do list" today, not just mine. Let me be your ears, your mouth, your hands to another person today. Let me bless others by really seeing them! -Amen

I hope you all have a good Monday!


-Amy

Something's happening

You know how I wrote a bucket list for summer, with one goal being to make a smash book. So I am always on the look out for cool lettering, drawings or bibledoodles. Some of you may also know that social media platforms have become one of my love languages. So I take notice on Pinterest, Instagram, & Twitter of any of the above noted things I find interesting.



A strange thing happened the other night as I was spotting such examples of cool bible doodles & lettering.






I noticed many of these examples had a descriptive hash tag of: #shereadstruth

What is that I wondered?!?
Well I did a little research and found a wonderful on line blog offer a community of support, encouragement & accountability to women on line of all ages in doing daily biblestudy.

This blog: http://shereadstruth.com/
Uses & encourages others to use the youverse app or website to follow along different daily plans. They have chosen the "Proverbs" plan this time, which I believe is a 31 day plan. You are supposed to "click" a picture of your bible/notepad/location of where you are reading and studying the word of God and upload it and share with others what your studying via Facebook, instagram, twitter, Pinterest etc..



What a great source of positive encouragement and reminder to read God's word daily and to witness to others.



You can follow along the blogs daily insight and pictures on their blog or other social media sites. Maybe you will notice other pictures like I have, maybe you can witness to others through a picture. You know they say sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words!


So come on, if you are looking for inspiration or encouragement jump on the band wagon!

I love the sense of community this offers if you are unable to participate or go to a women's bible study due to scheduling issues,a busy life, example: small kids & no child care, full time working mom who needs to spend her evenings with family, a daughter or wife who is a caregiver & can not get away for long periods of time, or maybe you do not know any other believers to join with, well now you can!!


Something's is happening and you can be a part of it to!
Amy

The Big 40 & other curious things

We celebrated my husbands 40th birthday yesterday!!!




We had a fun time "welcoming" him to the 40's! The girls decorated his car and filled the back seat up with balloons! We posted "Brent is 40!" signs on almost every telephone poll from home to his work. For his viewing pleasure for his commute to work (in put evil laugh here).




My husband is human, none of us are perfect. However, I tell you the truth this man gets up every day and goes to work to support us, he loves us in actions and words and I am crazy about this man! My life is blessed because he is in it! He keeps me laughing most of the time.



One thing that put a blemish on his day, was that his Dad never called. It's sad really. They have never had words, or a big argument. His dad had simply chosen to not participate in his kids lives or show signs of interest in his grand kids. Such a sad situation! I don't really have the words to describe how I feel about it. I know my husband & his twin brother "joked" about "hey, I got my card from dad, did you?" very sarcastically joked about.

I don't care who you are, how old you are, or how great your life is, there is something inside that longs for your parents love. (I am blessed with a wonderful mother in-law, by the way- obviously his ex). My husband and myself are really baffled about his fathers apparent lack of interest. Emotional neglect can hurt anyone at any age.


Thank goodness, our Father in Heaven loves us and is interested in us and cherishes us!!! God is faithful even when our earthly fathers disappoint. God is actively seeking you & me each day. Eagerly waiting for us to stop & talk to him. Engaging him in conversation or by reading his word.



How is your relationship with your earthly parents? How is your relationship with your heavenly father? Is it time to stop and pray?

I Hope that you are having a good week!
-Amy

Cupcakes make the world a sweeter place

What is it about cupcakes that catch our eyes, and get our taste buds salivating? On the show "Bunheads" the referenced a "cupcake vending machine, like an ATM that dispensed all types of cupcakes" and all the girls eyes on the show got as Big as saucers!!




I saw the other day that there is an actual "Cupcake Truck", just like an ice cream truck but even better! This one sells Cupcakes!!



And yes there are certain time of the month that I wish this truck had my address (ha!)


A cup cake seems indulgent but also safe (because it's got built in size proportion). Everyone might not like cake but a lot of people do based on when we celebrate birthdays, weddings or even funerals we bring or serve cake. Cake comes in all kinds of flavored to enjoy: chocolate, red velvet, banana, Italian creme, etc... I feel very decadent when I have a cupcake for my breakfast. I delight in every morsel, relishing it all!! Which makes me think of God and his word. I think this must be what the Psalmist was thinking about to when he wrote:

"Taste & see the Lord is good.". Psalm 34:8a

God's word is to be as delightful as a cupcake! I know when I am excited in the morning to get up grab a cup of coffee and open my bible & see what God has to tell me today, it is a delight to my soul! I feel energized, loved, companionship!!

"Your statues are my delight, they are my counselors" Psalm 119:24



Hey and if I can manage to dive into my bible & a cupcake, well then it is a very good morning!!



How's your mornings been lately? Have you taken time to enjoy time with God? If not what's standing in your way? Do you meet with God another time of the day?


What's your favorite cupcake? Mine is anything chocolate!! (hey, just keeping it real!)




(here I am at age 13, posing for a picture with my birthday cake)
Amy

I've been on vacation

Well we loaded up the van and headed out on vacation. This Okie family was heading to TN. See the picture above, those are my toes up on the dash board taking it all in. I love road trips!!! Do you like traveling by car? Or do you like flying?




Well we stopped in Memphis and saw the largest pyramid in the U.S.A. (one daughter just loves egyptians stuff)




Went to eat some Memphis BBQ at Rendezvous. This was a fun restaurant. You had to go down an alleyway in order to find the entrance, then proceed downstairs to find this place.




My family enjoyed the experience of the place, we appreciated the history of the establishment. However, I think I prefer Kansas City style BBQ the best. (yes, you can leave me comments as to what type of BBQ you like best!)




We continued on on journey to the Smokie mountains. The Mountains did not disappoint! The Mountains at times were smokie, the land around was green and lush.




We hiked:




We saw water:




We saw trees:




We wore crazy hats & mask:




We posed for pictures:




We mined for gold:




We found some pretty rocks:




We went and saw the "General Lee" (the car that was used during the filming of the Dukes of Hazard tv show)




We got to taste moonshine (whew! That stuff could grow hair on your chest, yuck!)




We shopped till we dropped!




We went to a wax museum




We took fun pictures with the wax statues:



We had fun. On our way home we stopped in Nashville to see the replica of the Parthenon.






Fun, fun, fun was had by all. Here's some pictures of my teens trying to block me from taking their picture.






Did I mention that we had fun?