Athena in a Minivan

Lent 2006

   Tonight at midnight begins the first day of Lent also known as Ash Wednesday. In Christianity, Lent is a time of penance, prayer, preparation for or recollection of baptism, and preparation for the celebration of Easter. Many people celebrate Lent during the 40 days prior to Easter. I am a Southern Baptist and traditionally we do not recognize Lent as a part of our calendar. Having grown up in a Baptist church that is more liturgical, I do recognize Lent as a time for me to reflect on the love and grace of God that gives me eternal life thought I do not deserve it. There is a Lent study guide that I find very helpful. You can follow it on a daily basis here.

Many people chose to give up something for Lent instead of fasting of all food. Some fast for the entire 40 days, some give up some favorite food or beverage. Some try to be nicer people or go to church more. This Lent I am going to be obedient to the Holy Spirit and am going to give up a particular habit related to food. What it is does not matter. God and I know what it is and He knows how hard this will be for me. Romans 6-8 tells us that we can not continue in sin. I have a particular sin that keeps me from being my best for the cause of Christ. I have confessed it time and time again. For Lent, I am going to spend time daily in prayer and reading the Word so that I can use these 40 days to study how to overcome this sin. Hebrews 4: 14-16 says,

My habit is a  habit that has developed over 25 years. It will not be an easy habit to overcome but Christ that says He has overcome the world.  Draw near to the throne of grace with me over the next 40 days as we prepare to celebrate the greatest gift a Father has ever given His children, eternal life.

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

My favorite things

The ladies and gents at the Boar's Head Tavern were listing the things they would give away if they were to host a My Favorite Things Show (like Oprah). I though I might see what I would give away.

1. an IPod - what did I do before I got it?
2. an ESV Bible
3. Diet Dr. Pepper
4. Shiner Beer
5. Railhead BBQ
6. two  trips to Santa Fe - one in the summer and one in winter
7. white 100% cotton t-shirt
8. tickets to the Fort Worth Zoo
9. a ride in the Minivan
10. Hershey with Almonds
11. Broadway Baptist Church Choir singing Handel's Messiah
12. My sister- OK, I won't give her away since there is only one of her but you would love to have her for a sister.
13. Bubbles and Balloons
14. Sand and Sable perfume
15. a trip to the Texas Hill Country
16. Chai Tea - Hot with milk
17. Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Chocolate Icing
18. an all expense paid vacation to Scotland
19. the peace and joy that comes with knowing Christ
20. a laundry lady  (I don't have one, but I sure would like to)

What would you give away on your Favorite Things Show?

Bob Hammond

On Saturday, February 18Th a great man went to be with the Lord. Robert D. "Bob" Hammond was the Activities Minister at Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas where I grew up. Bob and his wife Rosie came to Broadway in 1967 when I was only 2 and he retired 29 years later. Bob had been suffering from Parkinson's Disease for many years.

Bob was a vital part of my growing up to love church and to love our Lord. He never preached a sermon but he did teach me to love Jesus and my fellow man by his actions and leadership. Bob held Family Night in our chruch gym every Friday night where they served hamburgers, the kids skated and the adults did, well I don't really know what they did. We were there with other families who loved the Lord and were bringing up their children in the same way.

Bob coached a girl's basketball team when I was in 5Th grade. We were not very good. One game we lost 100-2. We scored only because the other team scored for us. It was never a problem that we lost. He taught us sportsmanship and good conduct. Bob also coached our softball teams. He was always there with the uniforms, equipment and just enough players.

In middle school and high school it seemed as if we could never keep a youth minister. They would leave for various reasons. Bob would fill the void. He took us to youth camps, choir trips, camp outs and made sure there was plenty to keep us busy. One canoe trip to eastern Oklahoma ended with all of our gear being washed away in a downpour. He contacted the BSU at the nearby university and we "camped" on the floor of the BSU with college students bringing us dry clothes, dry sleeping bags and pizza.

Bob's wife Rosemary was my GA director. She helped me learn about missions and missionaries and taught me how to give of myself. Bob's children were my friends.

What I am most grateful to Bob is that he introduced me, as a high school senior, to Oklahoma Baptist University, his alma mater. I had no idea where I wanted to go to college. Bob knew me and knew OBU and he put us together. My experience at OBU was life changing.

I am every indebted to Bob and Rosemary for giving of their family and their lives to make ours better. My sister went to Bob's funeral today and told me about all of the friends of our youth who were there. What struck me is that there were no athlete superstars, US presidents, or Hollywood stars there. Who was there were Christian moms and  dads who are raising their children to love Jesus and to love family and to love church as much as Bob loved us. I too am raising my sons with Bob's legacy in mind. I am raising my sons to love Jesus, to love family and to love their church. For this I am eternally grateful.

Please Stay Tuned for This Special Announcement

THE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS ARE NOW PUT AWAY.

You can now go back to your blog surfing.

What's in Your Kitchen Meme

My friend in The Common Room has gotten inventive and started her own Monday meme. It is about our kitchen. Most of my day is spent here since my family room, kitchen and breakfast room are pretty much all one big room with half wall dividing the family room and the kitchen.

1. How many meals does most of your family eat at home each week? HOw many are in your family?

There are 5 people in our family and we eat 18 meals at home, Honey eats out 2-3 days and buys 2-3 days.

2. How many cookbooks do you own?

Lots and Lots and Lots, my favorite is the Fort Worth Women's Club Cookbook, it is full of the receipes I ate at home and in friend's houses. It has 8 different ways to make Chicken Spaghetti and 10 Chilli receipes. There are ones for different ways to make summer veggies.

3. How often do you refer to a cookbook each week?
Daily, I love cookbooks.

4. Do you collect recipes from other sources? If so, what are some of your favorite sources (relaties, friends, magazines, advertisements, packages, the internet, etc)

Favorite receipes are from friends and my mother and grandmother.

5. How do you store those recipes?

4x5 cards in a box and 3x5 in a picture album with clear pages

6. When you cook, do you follow the recipe pretty closely, or do you use recipes primarily to give you ideas?

depends, I look for ingredients and then adapt it for what I have on hand.

7. Is there a particular ethnic style or flavor that predominates in your cooking? If so, what is it?

Texan (yes this is a style), TexMex,. New Mexican, Vietnamese

8. What's your favorite kitchen task related to meal planning and preparation? (eating the finished product does not count)

I like the menu planning, choosing recipes, consulting the sales papers for deals, and making my shopping lists. (hehehe, I copied)

9. What's your least favorite part?

grating cheese

10. Do you plan menus before you shop?

No, I keep a stocked pantry and then can cook according to what my whim is that day..


11. What are your three favorite kitchen tools or appliances?

cutting board, dishwasher, non-stick saute pan

12. If you could buy one new thing for your kitchen, money was no object, and space not an issue, what would you most like to have?

Industrial refrigerator.


13. Since money and space probably are objects, what are you most likely to buy next?

a roll of foil.


14. Do you have a separate freezer for storage?

no, but I would like to have one

15. Grocery shop alone or with others?

Both, sometimes I take the boys but only if I want the bill to be about $15 more, I sometimes go at night after they have gone to bed and take my time reading labels, magazines and looking at produce.

16. How many meatless main dish meals do you fix in a week?

None, we are definitely carnivoires

17. If you have a decorating theme in your kitchen, what is it? Favorite kitchen colors?


My kitchen is all white so I just have some blue accents around

18. What's the first thing you ever learned to cook, and how old were you?
scrambled eggs, I don't know.

19. How did you learn to cook?

My mom was a homemaking teacher who was  at home with us. She always welcomed us into the kitchen to help her. My grandmother and her sisters were also good cooks. I always loved being in the kitchen and helping. My grandmother taught me to cook FOrgotten Cookies one summer and I still have the card where she had me copy her receipe card. I love the ones my mom kept that tell where she got them. I have inherited (actually I took them from my dad's house and ) my mom's receipes.

20. Tag two other people to play.

My Blue Heaven

Musings by Mommy

Happy Birthday to Toddler

   Happy 2nd Birthday to Toddler. When you hear older mothers say, "It just goes by so fast." I thought,"Oh, they just don't know." but now I find my self saying, "How did he turn two already?"

He is such a wonderful little guy. He is always happy and loves to play with his big brothers. He tattles on them saying, "Mommy, Bubby" and then pointing. He tries to make everyone laugh. Today at Enrichment, he was using the freezer of the play kitchen as a microwave oven. He was cooking popcorn, his favorite food and saying, "ding" when it was ready. He calls both of his big brothers "Bubby" though he does know which is which.

Tomorrow he will once more share a birthday party with his big brothers. I know the day will come when he will want his own party but until that time, it is just one big happy party.

Happy Birthday Toddler, may you ever reign.

What's a girl to do?

Today as we came home from Enrichment, I ran by the grocery store to order cakes (yes, that is plural) for the en mass birthday party we are having tomorrow. In the past, we have had a theme for their birthdays. I have always ordered the cake in the chosen theme. I always get a half-sheet cake since we invite families (parents, brothers and sisters) to our parties rather than just children. For the first few years they did not even notice they shared a birthday cake. They do share a birthday, so why not a cake. Last year, they noticed so I agreed that this year they could each have a cake. I figured I would just order two 1/4 sheet cakes and have the same amount of cake (and  four more corners).

We arrived at the grocery store and they began to flip through the decoration book. Wouldn't you know it, THEY CHOOSE THE SAME CAKE. So tomorrow we will have two Star Wars Yoda cakes. May the Force Be With You.

I've tried to not stay anything

....but I just can't hold back any longer. The need to be snide is too strong....I am losing control. I was doing OK until I found this link at one of my new blogs to read, Opiniokated. It is is song parody called Cheney's Got a Gun. Listen, its funny. Humor is good for the soul.

In case you have been on a Caribbean Cruise in the Caribbean (hi Mitchell), Dick Cheney peppered his friend on a quail hunting trip to the great state of Texas. This "ranch" was a quail farm where they let the birds loose. Quail are not smart birds. They get scared and take off in a flock and all you have to do is shoot at them to kill many birds with one shot.  The elderly gentlemen were driving around in cars and getting out to shoot birds. Can anyone say "shooting fish in a barrel"?

My grandfather, W.J. Stone was an avid bird hunter. He kept bird dogs. When he died , we had not even buried him when the phone was ringing with people asking if we were selling the bird dogs. His dogs were that good. Grandad walked the fields looking for coveys of quail. He told about one of his dogs who attacked a cow, a big NO NO in the bird dog world. He shot at the dog meaning to pepper him with bird shot but was such a good shot he killed his best dog.

It is sad that this man has to go through this terrible ordeal (I mean Mr. Armstrong, not Mr. Cheney) I know his family is praying for his recovery and we are too....but I still had to chuckle.

Oranges to Diet Orange Soda

No one can tell me that God does not speak to us in dreams. Last night I had a dream that helped me clarify my struggle with church.

I have been struggling for the past year to make some sense out of church. There are so many kinds and so much difference even in denominations. I don't agree with the way our denomination has been going and more specifically where the church we were in was moving. We have moved to a smaller church. I have been studying the Bible, reading some theology and many opinions of what church is suppose to be. Last night it became more clear to me.

  In my dream, I was an observer as the play went on around me. First, I saw Jesus sharing oranges with the disciples. Don't know why it was oranges. Some received whole oranges, some halves and some slices but they all received oranges. Everyone was happy with their oranges. There was no fighting between who received whole oranges and who received partial oranges. Everyone seemed happy with oranges.

Next, there were people going around passing out orange juice.  They were pouring large pitchers of orange juice. Everyone was excited to receive the orange juice. I was given a glass of orange juice.

Next, bottles of orange soda were going around. They were cold and refreshing.  They seemed to make everyone happy who received the orange soda.

Finally, came the diet orange soda. Not everyone liked the diet soda but they drank it anyway.

OK, now how does this dream help my in my journey through questions about church? Well, to me Christ gave us the purest Word(the oranges). The Word is perfect in its entirety. There is no reason to find anything else because it is the Word, God's Word.

Sometimes, I get an interpretation of the Word. (orange juice) It still has the taste and properties of the original. It is not the same but it is very close. Then there is the orange soda. Not the same properties of the original but it does have a taste that you know it was once the original. Finally, diet orange soda is given. It does not even taste like the original though it retains the name orange. It does refresh for a little while but leaves me wanting more.

Sometimes I drink diet orange soda when what I am really wanting is a real orange. Sometimes I read a book about the Bible instead of reading my Bible.

I know this is really a loose idea about God's word and His ways but it has really helped me clarify in my mind about God's word. I think churches can be the same way. I love being in a church where God's word is taught and preached on a regular basis. Sometimes it is nice to study a nice book about spirituality or  hear a sermon about living the Christian life but I always crave going  back to the Word.

God has always used dreams to speak to his people. I am now convinced that he still does and I am grateful that my children slept all night so that I could actually dream.

Where I Have Been

create your own visited states map or check out these Google Hacks.

You can't see New York, Tennessee, Mississippi. I would need to add some countries in Europe (England, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Scotland, Lichtenstein), Mexico, and British Columbia, Canada. I've also been to Four Corners but since I only stepped in Utah, I didn't count it.