My Daughter The Ballerina

Yes, that is a picture of my daughter, Alyssa, when she danced with Ballet Magnificat for nine years.  Ever since she was a little girl, she dreamed of becoming a ballerina.  She walked around on her tippy toes all day long and danced for us saying, "Mommy, watch this.  MOMMY, WATCH!!!"  She loved entertaining us with her dancing.

 

When she was eleven years old, we put her in a ballet studio that was more serious than the local park district offered.  She started going twice a week but ended up going four days a week all through high school.  Her teacher, once a professional ballerina, saw talent in Alyssa and encouraged her to go to the summer programs of the big ballet companies.

 

She auditioned for some and was accepted into several.  For a couple summers in a row, she went to these big ballet company summer programs.  After her last one, she told me she just couldn't be a professional ballerina.  It just wasn't the lifestyle she wanted to pursue.  She loved Jesus and wanted to glorify Him in all that she did.

 

When she graduated from high school, as she was receiving her diploma, the principal told the crowd that she wanted to be a missionary ballerina.  My dad whispered to me, "Oh right...I can see her in point shoes and tutus in the middle of Africa!"  Oh ye of little faith.

 

When she was in third grade, she had read about a Christian ballet company called Ballet Magnificat.  She dreamt about going there...Well, the summer after she graduated high school, she was reminded about them and applied to go.  She was promptly accepted.

 

She started in the trainee program but moved up quickly until she was in the main company.  They travel all over the United States dancing for Jesus and sharing Him with their audience.  She was with them for nine years and loved it until Jon came into her life and pursued her!

 

God heard the desires of a little girl's heart and granted them to her in a powerful way.  She made lasting friends in Jackson, Mississippi and will always treasure her time spent there.  If you have young girls that would love to be a ballerina, check them out.  They are an amazing company with a heart for Jesus and mighty good ballet dancers.  The owner was Little Ricky on I Love Lucy!

 

Delight yourself in the LORD;

And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

P.S.  If you live anywhere near Jackson, MS, they are performing the Snow Queen next weekend which will be amazing, I am sure!

Proverbs 31, Finer Things, Faith Filled Friday, Hear It On Sunday, Return To Loveliness

A Great Christmas Gift

As you may have noticed, I don't use this blog to sell many things.  However,  I just received my copy of  Delightfully Free in the mail yesterday and it is amazing!

Tracy and I went to college together.  Ever since I have known her, whatever she puts her mind to doing, she does it extremely well.  She definitely has perfectionist tendencies.  Well, she has poured the last two years of her life into this cookbook and it shows.

It is hard cover with a spiral binding inside so the pages turn easily.  All the pictures are beautiful and she is an incredible cook.  I know.  I have eaten her food many times.  Every single recipe is tried and tested.  Like I said, she is a perfectionist and this book shows it.

If you are wondering what to give someone for Christmas, this would make a great gift.  Even if they don't have to eat gluten free, they will still love these recipes.  Her husband doesn't have to eat that way but he loves her food.

She made her recipes so everyone would like them.  If you are interested, just click here to order.  They get it out right away so you will get it in a few days.  Browse around their website also if you want to see more pictures of her yummy food.  She also has a wonderful blog full of lots of good healthy tips.

So, whether you eat or drink,

or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

I Corinthians 10:31

Home And Garden, Alphabe~Thursday, Your Green Resource
Natural Living, Simple Lives

Downton Abbey

All those months of being housebound did cause me to watch more television than I normally would and my darling daughter, Cassi, helped me find good and decent shows to watch.  Well,  Downton Abbey is one of my all time favorites.

It is on PBS and set in a fictional Yorkshire Country Estate and the series begins when the Titanic sunk.  The clothing is so beautiful and modest.  I don't think you ever even see cleavage!  Every episode is very decent except for one short scene where a man tries to kiss another man.  Other than that, I can't remember anything that wasn't decent.

I never wanted it to end.  Cassi found the first two seasons for me so I watched it from the very beginning.  I would suggest you do it that way also since it builds upon itself.  The third season will be coming out in January.  Hopefully, it is as decent and as good.  Most good television shows degrade as they go along unfortunately. 

So it you want an amazing television show to watch, I highly recommend it!

This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

Alphabe~Thursday

Friday Night Happy Hour!

Ryan told us awhile ago about this place that we "had to go to" because it is incredible...A hole in the wall place.  Once we find someplace we like, we stick to it...We become loyal customers.  Well we LOVE this place.  We have been going once a week for the happy hour.  We like happy hour, because it is so much cheaper.  So here is our little adventure we had on Friday night ~

We sit in the back garden leaning against cushions.  The air is a little humid...around 75 degrees...Perfect!

Their Sangria is AMAZING!!!  Although, you either love it or hate it...Ryan, Erin, and I love it.  Ken hates it.  It is sweet with a hint of cinnamon and lots of yummy berries in it.  The bread is amazing and the pesto you use to dip it in...Oh my!  I do enjoy obeying the verse about having a little wine for your frequent ailments...:)!

Ryan insists that the Calamari is the best ever!  We haven't tried it yet because we love the Maui tacos.  The sauce is incredible.  Ken orders two, I order one...I love to eat the bread!

Here is the front of this little hole in the wall.  If you are ever in North County San Diego, give it a try.  The waitresses have been there for years and love working there.

We park a mile away and walk along the ocean to get there.  This is the path we take down to the beach.  The tide was getting high so it was an adventure trying to get back without getting our shoes wet...but so fun!

I always try to point to Scripture in my posts.  We saw this walking back...the earth giving way.  This isn't an uncommon sight where we live.  I think it is better to build your home upon a solid foundation.... Just as it is to build your life upon the solid Rock that will never be moved.  Hallelujah!  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

This is the view as we are climbing the steps back to our car....Yes, I know we are spoiled...

I know you like to see a picture of my grand baby.  She is so precious!  I can hardly stand it...Look at those beautiful blue eyes...

Here are my kitties.  They are precious.  I have to keep them locked up in the little garage a lot, however, because the little one has pee peed on my couch a few times.  So I caught her once and sprayed her with a squirt bottle. She jumped two feet up in the air and high tailed back to the little garage.  She hasn't done it recently so hopefully she learned her lesson....Any tips would be greatly appreciated because she is a sweet little thing!

 

Oh...here is Gilroy, our mean, I mean, not so nice cat! Anyone need a cat???

Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities. 

I Timothy 5:23

He is like a man which built a house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 

Luke 6:48

Simple Pleasures

Restoring Years Locusts Have Eaten

Over twenty years is a long time to have no fun.  It's almost impossible to have fun when you are in pain and feeling poorly.  I was able to still enjoy many parts of my life...my husband, my children, my home, etc. but nothing was ever much fun.  

God brings about both the good and the bad. The seasons of famine have a divine purpose in our lives. They accomplish things that only these hard places can accomplish. But there is a time when those hard places have accomplished their purpose and He begins to restore. God did this with the nation of Israel after a season of famine and devastation.

Os Hillman

He has done this with me.  He has restored my health and now I am having fun!  Every Saturday, Ken and I walk along this beach to our favorite restaurant and have breakfast over-looking the ocean. 

They have an incredible egg burrito with potatoes, avocado, cheese, and tomatoes in it.  It is so good.  The restaurant uses mostly organic ingredients.  The burrito is only $5.  That is pretty inexpensive, especially since Ken and I share it.

We hold hands walking along the beach, talking, and enjoying the fresh air and sunshine.  God is so good!

After we ate, we drove over to see my grand baby who turned 1/2 the other day.  She is so precious!  My favorite times in my children's lives were between six months and 18 months...so innocent and precious.  Emma is growing up so fast.  We love her dearly.

Then, of course, I come home to my two favorite kittens.  They love each other!  Gilroy still hates them though.  He, at least, sniffs the little one now.

So take heart if you are going through tough times.  God uses them to mold us into what He wants us to be if we rest and trust in Him.  And He will restore the years the locusts have eaten, in this life or the next.  He always keeps His promises!

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten ...
Joel 2:25

The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness. 
Psalms 41:3

Happy Christians

The best argument for Christianity is Christians...their joy, their certainty, their completeness but the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians - when they are sombre and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths. 
Sheldon Vanauken

So many Christians are joyless.  They think having fun is a sin or they live in a constant state of worry and frustration.  They think you must live a serious life to be holy or they simply do not trust God with their lives.  I am not sure what Bible they are reading, but I don't find being joyless and unhappy anywhere in Scripture.  I find  ~

Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD. 
Psalm 144:15

Happy is he that has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God. 
Psalm 146:5

If you are reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you; for the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of , but on your part he is glorified. 
I Peter 4:14

So be happy!  Our hope is in the Lord.  He is our strength and our shield.  Count your many blessing, name them one by one...

Titus 2 At The Well

Wake Up Happy!

This can be very difficult for me (but not for Emma!).  Two years ago, I had my neck fused.  A disk was pushing into my spinal cord causing pain throughout my whole body.  The disk is off of the spinal cord now but the nerve pain that it caused, persists.  Especially if I do too much, which isn't hard to do.

When I wake up and feel the pain, I am tempted to go, "Dang!  It still hurts.  I am so frustrated with this pain..."  Ooppss!  Then I remember I can control my thoughts and I started thinking,  "This is the day that the Lord hath made.  I will rejoice and be glad in it!"  I can actually start thinking happy thoughts and reminding myself of all of God's promises.  It isn't always easy, but it is always good.

It is easy to forget how much control we have over our thoughts.  God gave us self-control through the Holy Spirit and freedom of choice.  We can choose life or we can choose death.  Start choosing life producing thoughts.  It makes life a lot easier to get through.  Dwell on the good things in life.  Turn off the bad things.

Happy are the people with such [blessings]. Happy are the people whose God is the Lord. Psalm 144:15

Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:  Psalm 146:5

If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.  John 13:17

I LOVE how the King James Version uses "happy" in a lot of verses!  I have heard that God doesn't want us to be happy, but joyful.  I have a hard time distinguishing the two.  People around us see "happy", so let us choose to be happy!

Follow Me Back Tuesday

America's Best Dance Crew

Thursday night I watched the first show I've ever watched on MTV.  It is called America's Best Dance Crew.  The ONLY reason I watched it is because Quinell was on it.  Ken and I mentor couples who are thinking about getting married.  We mentored Quinell and Adrienne a few months ago for ten weeks.  We love them! They got married on New Years Day. 

We knew that Quinell danced something called "krumping".  We never heard of it before.  He works in a bank barely making ends meet.  He loves Jesus and he loves Adrienne.  He's outgoing, fun, and friendly. 

Adrienne told me a few weeks ago that he was going to be on this show produced by Randy Jackson.  I was a bit nervous about watching it because it is on MTV and I really dislike MTV!  His group is called "Street Kingdom".  They were the last of five groups to dance. 

They showed a bit about the group before they danced.  They read their Bible. They dance in church.  They dance for Jesus.  They made that very clear.  Then they danced.  WOW!  I've never seen anything like it.  The judges LOVED it!  They told them they were "witnessing history" and that they were a "living legend".  

The judges could feel the Spirit  "overtaking their body".  They couldn't believe that they "krumped" in church.  JC Chavez, from 'N Sync, said that he liked the fact that they were "using power for good".

After the commercial, we were told that the judges would save two groups to go on for sure.  They wouldn't have to wait for America's vote.  Quinell's group was saved.  It was awesome!  The judges gave them a standing ovation. 

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Colossians 3:17

I'm So Happy I Could Burst!

My daughter is getting married in  two days (and an arctic cold front should be here just in time for the wedding!).  I have a precious new grandbaby. I love my husband and all my children are walking with Jesus.  I love my daughter-in-law and soon to be son-in-law.  I love my in-laws. 

I love my church and my Bible Study and small group.  I love the couple we are mentoring and the young woman I am mentoring.  I love my parents and sisters and their families.  I love all the friends that God has blessed me with. 

I love blogging.  I love living in San Diego. I love my home and all the good food I have to eat.  I love that God is sovereign and has everything under control.  I love that He paid the penalty for my sin and lives inside of me. 

I am so happy that I can do all things through Him who strengthens me {Philippians 4:13}.  I am so happy I finally feel better after 20 years so I can enjoy these times.  I love mentoring women to be better wives and mothers.  I love that this is not my home and we are just strangers and aliens. 

Can you understand now why I am so happy?  I have been through some tough trials BUT GOD has seen me through all of them.  He is faithful and so very good...