Good or bad- Sat School!

With David's crazy work schedule, we sometimes have Saturday school.

Public school kids don't have to have Saturday school...

Before you boo-hoo for my kids, public school kids also don't get to drink an italian sweet cream steamer while doing their math. And if for some reason they have this magical public school a la Starbucks in a far away land that I can't relate to, I doubt that their teacher asks them halfway through their math if they would like to have their drink re-steamed!

hehe Can you see his milk mustache? I suppose since he's already 9 years old, he's actually going to want some espresso in that cup before long. Hey, does this count as a "school" post?

Finally Home

This song by Mercy Me makes me think of when I will get to go home one day. If it still matters to me then, I can ask God about all the why's in life. And Christian will run up to us and tell us about all that he's been doing...



Their newest video for this song was released on GodTube today but I couldn't get the flash to work on my blog. So youtube it is instead.

Alfredo Sauce

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe for Alfredo Sauce before. It's not exactly healthy, but it is delicious! I usually serve it with linguini and some diced chicken or grilled shrimp. My fam also loves it over manicotti stuffed with chicken and mozarella (bind it with one egg). This is enough sauce for 8oz of linguini or double the recipe for a 9x13 pan of manicotti. No pics this time because... well, we ate it all!

ALFREDO SAUCE

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup shredded parmesan (I've found that the kroger brand of parmesan works as well as fancy stuff from the deli- but I'm not exaclty a parmesan expert)

white pepper to taste (can sub black pepper)

Place all in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Keep a close eye on it so the bottom doesn't burn.

Serve immediately as sauce will start to separate.

Toss in ideas: grilled shrimp, diced chicken, fresh tomatoes

Wuv... twue wuv..

My baby sister Bobo (her real name is Deborah, we call her Debbie- or Bobo) is GETTING MARRIED ON SATURDAY!

Take a look at the coolest cake topper ever:

Do you see the resemblance?

Okay, so perhaps the above picture is not the most representative of Bobo and Aubrey. But the topper does look a lot like them, don't you think?

So not only does she get a cool cake topper, she also gets an awesome new last name: Mrs. Sterling. Yup, lucky-ducky girl she is.

What did you have on top of your wedding cake? I had doves... with feathers! (I'll leave y'all to interpret the exclamation point to mean "I loved it!" or "What was I thinking?"- your choice).

Oh and did you do the whole smear-cake-on-the-face thing or not? We most definitely did not. I'm not footloose and fancyfree like that. Besides, you don't go messing with an expensive dress and a bride's makeup, especially when it's over 100 degrees outside!

Faith and hope and comfort and blessings

Here are a couple of short poems from Streams in the Desert that have ministered to me the past couple of days:

"When nothing thereon to lean remains;
When strongholds crumble to dust;
When nothing is sure but that God still reigns,
That is just the time to trust.

Tis better to walk by faith than sight,
In this path of yours and mine;
And the pitch-black night, when there's no outer light
Is the time for faith to shine. "

*****

"God is in every tomorrow,
Therefore I live for today,
Certain of finding at sunrise,
Guidance and strength for the way.

Power for each moment of weakness,
Hope for each moment of pain,
Comfort for every sorrow,
Sunshine and joy after rain."

And one of the benefits of pain is that the sunshine is so much brighter after the rain!!! :-)

If you're feeling down and out, tell God all about it. Sure He already knows what's in your heart and what's on your mind, but tell Him anyway! Give your burdens over to Him and let Him carry them for you. He's listening and waiting for you right now...

I had a difficult time going to sleep the other night- just up thinking about Christian and missing him.

I woke up the next morning and decided to get on the schoolroom computer for a minute. I opened up a file folder and ran across this:

I remember almost every video clip or picture I have taken... but I don't remember this one.

Isn't God so good to have remembered it and saved it for me to find the very next morning?! :-) He offers grace in His time, just as we need it.. moment by moment...

And do you know what else? I ran across a bunch of untitled video clips of Christian. God sure does love me.. and He is very much in the details!

Yeehaw in Arkansas

I had a fabulous visit with my friend Leslie in Arkansas.

And the lucky-duck that I am also got to meet another bloggy friend. You can meet Amanda too- right HERE! I promise you'll like her, I sure did! And next time, I'll give a little more notice so I can meet up with Chickadee too. (Don't be jealous!)

Sorry Leslie, I have NO idea why we look so sparkly in that picture! Something happened when it uploaded.. ah well, too bad it makes us look like we have white hairs tangled in there... And Amanda, I should've put my foot down and taken a pic of you.

Well, there's nothing much to report from here. I think my next post will have to be school related- just to remind everyone that we do actually get some learning squeezed in every now and then!

Look who's on the cover!!!

My littlest man!!!

*sigh* I miss him. Christian was so excited when we gave him his own big boy bike. Funny thing is that he never figured out how to pedal it! He'd sit on it and want us to push him around.. or he'd just walk it around and around and around the driveway. It makes me smile just thinking about it.

You can see him on the front cover, inside front cover and inside back cover. :-) Thank you dear Amy and Amy for remembering Christian and celebrating his life with me! Y'all are the bestest donut-loving-cajun-talking-mind-reading-fun-loving-separated-at-birth friends a girl could have.

Anyhow, back to the magazine! We are very excited to announce that you can now view our magazine in THREE ways:

1. Click here to be taken to the flipbook version, where you can click and turn the pages as you would a print magazine. Be sure to turn your sound on.
2. Click here to download the magazine in pdf format.
3. Or you can visit HOTMto see the articles in blog format.

(The flipbook version is my absolute favorite! I just love the sound it makes when you turn the page... oddly satisfying.)

Happy 2009!!!

In my reading this morning from Mrs. Charles Cowman's Streams in the Desert, God encouraged me and showed me that it IS going to be a good and blessed year! Why? Because no matter what it brings forth, HE WILL LEAD US. And so it must be good. And we must TRUST HIM... even when we fear, even when we doubt, even when we sorrow!

Instead of just giving a snippet, I thought I'd just show you the entire devotional for today, January 1st.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Y'ALL!!!

Love,
Marshie

JANUARY 1

The land whither ye go to possess is a land of hills and valleys and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: a land which the Lord thy God careth for: for the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.

(Deut. 11:11-12)

Today, dear friends, we stand upon the verge of the unknown. There lies before us the new year and we are going forth to possess it. Who can tell what we shall find? What new experiences, what changes shall come, what new needs shall arise? But here is the cheering, comforting, gladdening message from our heavenly Father, "The Lord thy God careth for it." "His eyes are upon it away to the ending of the year."

All our supply is to come from the Lord. Here are the springs that shall never dry; here are the fountains and streams that shall never be cut off. Here, anxious one, is the gracious pledge of the heavenly Father. If He be the source of our mercies they can never fail us. No heat, no drought can parch that river, "the streams whereof make glad the city of God."

The land is a land of hills and valleys. It is not all smooth nor all downhill. If life were all one dead level of dull sameness it would oppress us; we want the hills and the valleys. The hills collect the rain for a hundred fruitful valleys. Ah, so it is with us! It is the hill difficulty that drives us to the throne of grace and brings down the shower of blessing; the hills, the bleak hills of life that we wonder at and perhaps grumble at, bring down the showers. How many have perished in the wilderness, buried under its golden sands, who would have lived and thriven in the hill country; how many would have been killed by the frost, blighted with winds, swept desolate of tree and fruit but for the hill-- stern, hard, rugged, so steep to climb. God's hills are a gracious protection for His people against their foes!

We cannot tell what loss and sorrow and trial are doing. Trust only. The Father comes near to take our hand and lead us on our way today. It shall be a good, a blessed new year!