He's Gone To Share God's Love In Thailand

Matt, Tim, and Grandma.... 

As some of you know our Tim left early this fall for a 6 month Mission training and Outreach with YWAM. He attended 3 months of Discipleship Training. I know he is involved in videography too.  He was originally set to go to India and Nepal with his Outreach Team. God had other plans. After some paperwork that needed to be straightened out Tim had a choice to make. To wait a couple of weeks and go on to meet his Team, or to leave with another Team. Tim prayed, and then he went.  

This is Team Thailand/Cambodia

Tim arrived in country just a day after the others. He loves it and is deep in the ministry to a children's home. The team is busy getting to know the kids and teaching them conversational English.

* a note here there will be no children's pictures posted here. The children have made it know to the adults that they feel like zoo animals when folks come waving cameras in their faces. This wonderful team has chosen to honor their request and take no photos of the children. I will post projects that involve photos of team members here when they are appropriate.. 

I have been overwhelmed by the beauty of the Country. It's breathtaking. 

On the Team's first day off they decided to spend the day at an Elephant park.. The photos are awesome. Dillon Engstrom is the photographer. Most of the photos I post here will be his work. I'll post them along with a few from Tim and a few here and there from other Team members.   

Tim getting his Elephant ride. 

There was a show to watch then they rode the elephants for about 20 minutes through water, down pathways, over bridges. The Team also experienced a long river raft journey, a ride in a cart pulled by Oxen, and a large buffet meal to top it all off.. 

I ask that you remember this team in your prayers. They are so excited to share the love and Gospel of Christ with everyone they meet. I'll try and post something each week as Dillon does an update of activities once per week. Please pray for the health of the team. Some are feeling a bit sick. Also pray for the children that they understand all that is being taught to them. 

A big THANK YOU to those who have supported our Tim financially and with their prayers. Your support is allowing him to live out God's plan. 

UPDATE: you can follow Tim and the team on Facebook..  just click this URL..  and make a request..  

https://www.facebook.com/groups/207054959482377/

Wow.. That Was A Wild Christmas ...

Sunday Dec. 22nd we had an ice storm. Kind of weird for Michigan. We are def. a snow state. When we didn't lose power overnight we figured we were in the clear. We were wrong. 

about 1:30 that afternoon we lost power. Like thousands of others throughout the storm area. Husband got out the Kerosene lamps, the camp stove, the old peculator coffee pot, and a Coleman light. We were ready for the couple of hours (normally) we might be without power. I had filled 5 gal. buckets with water and put them in the tub the day before..  goooo me..  

We waited. I put up a cotton blanket to block in the heat generated by the kerosene lamps and Coleman lamp. Considering we had no heat source it stayed pretty comfy, that is till the next day. We headed out to find kerosene, 1lb propane tanks for the stove and light, and a new heater. As you already have guessed.. Nada for any of those. We did have friends give us their Kerosene heater to use. We found a place close with Kerosene, and we found the last 1 lb propane tanks in town and bought some. 

We had some snow. It was beautiful stuck to the icy trees. 

We were fortunate. When we called in to report the outage we were given the Date of Saturday Dec. 28th for restoration of power. YIKES...  We  got our power back Monday night about mid-night. Many didn't get their power back until that Saturday. 

We had a plan for a big family dinner and gift exchange for Tuesday afternoon.. I made some calls and said the cancelled party was back on. I moved the furniture back, put the food back in the full size freezer in the basement, and the food to the fridge.. then threw all the unwrapped gifts in any Christmas bag I could find that would hold them, scrawled names on the bags in black sharpie marker.. ordered Pizza, Salad, and bread sticks,and we  had Christmas.  

Husband still says our best gift of the year was our heat and power back on. I totally agree.. the "jingle bell shotgun shell" Christmas lights came in 2nd. LOL  he is easy to please. 

We realized we spend way to much time watching TV. We had no board games, puzzles, not even a deck of UNO cards..  I gave them all to the kids when they moved out.. I plan on rectifying that this year. 

I've also ordered a free-standing propane vent free heater. 30,000 BTU.  We have a similar one at our place in Kentucky. We love it. We'll get some Propane tanks (I'm not sure what size, we'll see what the propane co. suggests) when the heater gets here. I'm making a corner for our emergency supplies so we'll be more prepared next time, and I won't have to spend so much time looking for stuff. We're gonna get a generator too. We have a couple of small ones husband picked up at yard sales here and there. They're small and I'm not sure they would be of much use. I want one big enough to run our fridge and freezer, maybe a light or two and a TV.  

It's always good to be prepared for the unexpected. 

I hope your Christmas was warm, full of family and friends. 

A Lesson Remembered At Walmart...

O Come All Ye Faithful....

It was another busy day today. I had to pick up a the last 3 gifts on my list, I had to go to 2 different stores before I could find one of them. I had to pick up some antibiotics for Hubby. Then I had to run home, unload the truck, and head out to grab a friend for our trip to Sams Club to pick up a few more baking goodies. 

My list was full and I was already tired. I hadn't even washed the dishes from 2 days ago. I haven't done laundry for 2 weeks, I haven't watched the videos for the new sound system at Church and I have to run the sound this Sunday. I haven't made any cookies. I haven't mailed my grandson's Christmas gift to Hawaii. I haven't gotten out the tree or the other decorations. I haven't changed out the everyday dishes to my favorite Snowman dishes. I haven't sent out my Christmas cards. * I did make some photo cards for the family that hubby didn't like. apparently I was suppose to get his OK first. 

I'm running and running and I'm tired. My list of "things to do" is so un-done. 

I decided to head to Walmart after leaving the mall. I only had to look for a gift card and buy some treats for the dogs. We're almost out and I don't want to run out of them before the end of the month. I parked and literally ran, well I kind of hobble along quickly, toward the door.. 

oh goodness. Another one of those Salvation Army red kettles. I love the Salvation Army. I always give a bit here and there throughout the season. As I started to dig through my purse for some loose bills. I hear it. He's singing. That big and I mean tall and stocky, Flannel shirt wearing, Santa hat bobbing man is singing. 

I finally get close enough to hear him and it stops me in my tracks. It was one of the purest and sweetest voices I've ever heard. I really hadn't expected that from that "hunting bears with a switch" man. I slowed a bit and stopped looking for my money. I immediately recognized the song he was singing."Oh come all ye Faithful". It stopped me in my tracks. The tears started to fall. and my heart cried out.. "Oh come let us adore Him". 

Oh my, I had once again let my plans, my lists of things to do, and my Christmas, fog up the real reason I love Christmas so. It's that King of Angels that I love. I had shoved that baby back to the bottom of the list. I had made everything else a priority. 

As I got to that wonderful big man. I was sobbing. He broke into a smile that brightened my very soul. I hugged him and thanked him for his song. He gave me a wonderful huge hug. I swear he was an angel God placed there just for me.  I walked through the store thanking God for reminding me the reason I celebrate Christmas. It's that Baby Jesus. 

4 yrs. ago I first wrote of how easy it is for me to get all into "the preparation" for Christmas without a thought of the Love that came to earth that night over 2000 yrs. ago. (you can read it here) 

I still have some Christmas preparations to make, gifts to wrap, the tree to put up, gifts to mail etc. But I can tell you I'm going to be singing with joy and praise about that baby that came.

 I hope you join with me. You may not feel like celebrating. You may have suffered great loss of some kind. I've heard several of my friends say how they just can't feel any Christmas spirit. You may not feel it either, But I ask you to remember the Love that God showed us that night.. The first and greatest gift ever given. His only son Jesus. He sent Him to earth to be your Savior. 

come on,  sing with me..   

O come all ye faithful

Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of angels

oh, come let us adore Him

Oh, come let us adore Him

Oh, come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord... 

We're On A Roll....

Some of you have asked for the Pumpkin Roll Recipe I am using. Here it is. I got it from my dear friend Cindy. It's really yummy. The recipe is a bit long and I really didn't know how to explain the "rolling the cake in the towel" part. so I'm also including a short Video I found on YouTube.  Enjoy !!!

Pumpkin Rolls.... 

preheat the oven to 350 degrees

you need to prep your pan/pans first. I used 2 small cookie sheets. you can also use a full size sheet pan. either will work fine. then use parchment paper or wax paper to line the pan/pans.

get out your electric hand mixer or your stand mixer. 

1- cup white sugar

2/3- cup canned pumpkin

3- eggs

 put in a mixing bowl and beat together for 5 minutes until light and very fluffy. * I use a hand mixer and tilt the bowl some toward me. so that the beaters pick up some air along with mixture. you'll know by the air bubbles if you are doing it right.. 

then add 3/4 cup of self rising flour 

1- teaspoon cinnamon

mix until well blended. 

pour the mixture onto your prepared cookie sheet/sheets. 

** If you use 2 small cookie sheets try to put an equal amount on each sheet. it doesn't look like it will work, but it does.. :D 

Bake about 13-15 min. the cake should feel spongy. 

remove from oven and cool in the pan.. 

It should be cool to the touch in about 20-30 minutes.. 

** while you are waiting prepare your towels.  tea towels only.. the ones that have no nap/fuzz. flour sack cloth works well too.  Spread it out on the counter and sprinkle with powdered sugar. make sure you sift the powdered sugar on so there are no hard pieces. 

Remove the cake from the pan. I just used the edges of the parchment paper and carried it to the towel. I then turned the cake over on top of the towel. * make sure the towel is smooth. 

CAREFULLY remove the parchment paper. do it very slowly. 

I like to roll mine from the short side, but you could do it from the long side if you wanted to. carefully roll the towel up.. and  let cool another 15 minutes.  

Make the filling.. 

1- 8oz box cream cheese softened.. 

2- Tablespoons soft butter

1- teaspoon vanilla

1- cup powdered Sugar

mix w/ hand mixer until Frosting consistency..  

Make sure the roll is completely cool, Unroll the towel. 

spread on the filling almost to the end of each side. 

now re-roll the cake in the same direction you did at first.. 

I have placed the finished roll  in plastic wrap.. but I don't like the way it works..  I tried using wax paper and then wrapped it in foil.. you can refrigerate it or store in the freezer..  :D 

for a similar recipe and to see how to roll the cake in the towel   Watch this quick you tube video.. 

Your ThanksGiving Table....

Corn Casserole... 

Wow, Thanksgiving is upon us. I can't believe it's here already. I got out the recipe cards and have already whipped up a pumpkin roll (the first one I've tried on my own). It turned out pretty good for a first attempt. 

I don't know if you're like me, but I like to change it up. Now my family, well that's another story. They are totally traditionalists and don't want one item changed. Knowing that. I have looked and found some very yummy and acceptable ways to prepare their favorite Traditional Thanksgiving dishes.  I'll be posting a few of those recipes here. 

I am just posting a few recipes for side dishes and a dessert. A couple of my favorites are new and I'll just direct you to the website where they were found.  

The first one is for "Cornbread Dressing Easy and Moist" http://www.southernplate.com/2010/11/cornbread-dressing-easy-moist.html   The recipe is from Southern plate and looks delish. I'm trying it for the first time this year. Husband, being a good Southern boy, totally hates white bread dressing (our favorite) I have tried forever to make his "mama's cornbread dressing". it's never quite right. After looking this one over, I am sure it will be much more like his mama's then my previous attempts. I don't think I will ever be able to make mine as good as his mama's, but that's the way it should be. If you are looking for loads of Thanksgiving recipes look here. It's another link to the Southern plate site and contains about 60 Holiday recipes. I highly recommend this site. 

My first recipe is for " Corn Casserole" it's a hit with our family and everyone loves it. It takes you back to grandma's table. You may have heard it referred to as "Corn Pudding" I think the names are interchangeable. This recipe I got from a dear Christian lady. Miss Fannie Shelton. this was one of her "always asked for" recipes. Enjoy....  

Corn Casserole:

preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

3- eggs 

3- Tablespoons of flour

3- Tablespoons White sugar

1/2- teaspoon Salt

1- 15oz can cream style corn

1- can evaporated milk

1/2- stick of butter or margarine

Beat together eggs, milk, sugar, flour, and salt until light and foamy. (you'll need to use a hand mixer or put this in your stand mixer.

Blend in corn. pour into a greased/sprayed casserole dish. 

slice butter into small squares and place on top of the corn mixture. bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes or until custard consistency.  serve while hot. 

*I use an old glass Pyrex baking dish that holds about 4 cups or so.  

The next favorite is "Green Bean Casserole" you just can't beat the original recipe found at Frenchs.com or Campbellskitchen.com  we leave out the soy sauce and pepper.. We love it. I've tried to replace the dish with brussel sprouts. (my own families traditional veggie) but that's a giant NO. so green bean casserole it is. 

The next recipe is for a fabulous and yummy Cranberry Sauce. My bunch don't like cranberry sauce. I served this for the first time a couple of years ago and they all loved it. A friend from our Troop Support group shared it with me. I make it throughout the year when something a bit fruity is needed. It's fabulous with pork loin, pork chops etc. I always double this recipe for 20 or more of us. some of the kids take it home.. LOL  

Yummy Cranberry Sauce... 

1- can of cranberry sauce * I use whole berry

1- small box of red jello * I use cranberry but any red jello is fine

1/2- of a 15oz can of crushed pineapple or a full 7oz can

chopped nuts of your choice. * I use walnuts

pour the can of cranberry sauce into a bowl. add the crushed pineapple and the nuts. 

then sprinkle the powdered jello over all and mix well. 

refrigerate. 

this makes about 3 cups of sauce

The last recipe I think is the hands down best Pecan pie recipe I've ever tasted anywhere ever. Our friend Greg aka: Critter, from Ky. makes some of the best pies I've ever tasted. He can make the best meringue I've ever seen. I can't do meringue.. it's crazy. but he makes the best pies. You'll love this one. Now it may be kind of like making granny's pie.. It may not taste exactly the same cause granny threw in a big hunk o love.. I'm really hoping this turns out half as good as Critter's .. if it does, I'll be satisfied. 

Critter's Pecan Pie.. 

pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

1- cup white Karo syrup

1- cup brown sugar

1- stick of butter melted. please use the real stuff

3- eggs beaten

1- teaspoon vanilla

1- teaspoon salt

1 and 1/2 cups of Pecans (whole or chopped doesn't matter) 

prepare your crust and get it in your pie pan. 

put your pecans in the bottom of pan on top of the crust.

get your bowl and hand mixer out. beat the eggs, then add the Karo syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, the vanilla, and the salt. And mix. 

*I haven't made this for a while so I can't recall how thick it is. use the mixer if it's thin enough.. if not mix it well by hand. 

Then pour it over the pecans in the bottom of the crust. 

bake at 350 degrees for 70 minutes. keep an eye on the crust and cover it with strips of foil if it starts to get to brown. 

I am hoping your Thanksgiving is full of good food, good friends, and family. When we think about it our lives are all about relationships. I love to share food that reminds me of those special people and special relationships.

 Remember to be Thankful I know I am. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. 

Grandma's Sunday Dinners....

My Grandparents George and Geneva Sykes 

on their 25th wedding Anniversary 1947

 Some of my favorite memories were spent with my grandparents at their farm in Parma MI. The ride to Parma was just right for a nice Sunday afternoon. It wouldn't be very long before we'd be pulling into the driveway lined with Peonies. When I was small the house looked huge. I loved it. Grandma and Grandpa would meet us on the porch with hellos and hugs. Grandma always wearing one of her best Sunday dresses and one of her good Sunday aprons.  

I don't remember seeing grandma without an apron unless she was heading to Church or the grocery store. She had everyday aprons. Sunday aprons, Holiday aprons and even aprons she wore working out in the garden. I don't remember her ever wearing pants. I think she may have in the winter when they still had the cows, but I never saw her in anything but dresses. 

Grandma, My aunt Lenora, Mom, Dad, and us kids. 

Sunday dinner with grandma and grandpa was always a big treat. Grandpa would usually have charge of us while the women finished preparing the meal. Apparently they didn't like us kids running in and out of the kitchen. Grandma had a wooden swinging door from the dinning area (see above) into the kitchen. It swung both ways and was a very real temptation for us kids. 

Grandpa  would take us on a walking tour of the yard and the barn. We were never allowed in the barn by ourselves. The cows had been gone for years and there were holes in the floor that we may or may not see. The old hay still covered most of the floor and he was afraid we'd get hurt on the loose boards. I loved that old barn and it's smell. Grandpa still stored hay up in the loft. I loved to watch him during haying putting the hay on the conveyor and up in the loft. 

Sometimes Grandpa would get out the tractor and take us on a ride down the lanes. Grandpa didn't grow crops anymore, but he did let some guys cut the hay off the fields and he let folks hunt there if they stopped and asked permission. 

Blackberries grew in the lane. I remember grandmother giving grandpa a pail and asking for him to pick some berries and bring them back up to the house. She also gave us the "strict grandma" look and said for us not to eat any of the berries. We'd ruin our dinner. We all promised not to eat even one berry and ran out the back letting the wooden door whack. (a favorite sound of mine) We headed to the tractor and rode straight to the patch. Grandpa told us we better make sure the berries were good, so we would need to eat a few. Well you know what little kids smashing blackberries in our mouths would look like. Yep.. berry juice staining our mouths, hands, and I'll bet our clothes too. 

We never returned to the house without picking a nice bunch of wild flowers for grandma. When we returned to the house that day we marched in the kitchen with a bucket full of blackberries, a big bunch of flowers and big grins. She looked right at us and asked if we ate any berries. We quickly looked at grandpa.. he got the biggest grin on his face, winked at us, and we all said.. " oh no grandma, we didn't eat any berries"..  LOL  she started laughing and sent us to wash our hands and get to the table. 

Sunday dinners were always at the large dinning table. table pads were added. Tablecloths were placed along with napkins, dishes, silverware and real glass glasses. Something we were never allowed to use at home. We were always instructed to make sure to hold our glasses with both hands. There was always some type of Jello salad with vegetables (mostly carrots and or celery) served on a bed of lettuce on a salad plate brought to the table first. My mouth was about table high.. so it slid in pretty good. I never did care for veggies in my jello, but you always ate what was put in front of you, and boy was the food put in front of us. Plates full of Roast beef or Fried chicken, Mashed potatoes with gravy, some corn and maybe peas. Grandma canned and froze everything. so it was all homemade and very yummy. Then when the dishes were cleared the cake or pie grandma made earlier in the day was brought out with coffee for the adults and more milk for us kids. 

Grandpa was always worried that we weren't eating enough. He would make sure we had an extra serving or two of some dinner item and then would make sure grandmother cut our piece of pie a bit bigger then it should have been. After dinner the rest of the dishes were cleared and all of us women would head to the kitchen to do the dishes. I would stand on a box in the kitchen and rinse the silverware and wipe it. That was my job. Then I was off to play with grandpa on the big swing in the front yard. 

soon enough we'd head off home. Once we were a mile or two from from grandmas we'd have to stop so us kids could throw up. LOL  I remember the day my papa had to tell grandpa we just couldn't eat that much food. Our bellies were just to little. 

Dad, mom, Keith, and I

Those were some of the most vivid and wonderful memories I have of my grandparents. Sunday dinners were something. They were an important part of the family. If we went for the weekend  we'd go to Church. My grandparents lived just down the road from the little Methodist Church. We would walk on nice days. One of Grandpa's jobs was to ring the bell. It alerted the families in the area it was time to start heading to Church. One of my brother's favorite moments was when grandpa let him ring the bell. 

 My grandmother played the organ for the service. When I was older I would practice with the choir for a few minutes before service. Grandma always made sure I had a hankie. Then out I would go and sing just like I did it every Sunday. The choir members loved it. Well they acted like they did. 

Every family gathered on Sunday for a very similar dinner. Maybe there were no table pads, or tablecloths, or fancy jello salads. But there was family gathered to share their day. I really miss those dinners. Now families seem to gather at the local restaurants if they gather at all. I know lives are busy and fixing a big meal when you are busy with Church and kids and such may not be practical. I understand that a trip to the local Bob Evans or KFC is a nice break for mom. But I wonder how much we have really given up. Those walks with grandpa were precious. Grandma letting me help rinse the silverware even when it would have been much easier for her to do it herself was important. I wonder what part of that special relationship we may be letting slip away..  

I'll never forget those wonderful Sunday dinners. I hope you have many wonderful memories of Sunday dinners and If you haven't had one lately call your family together. Make them put their phones and ipods away. gather them up around the table and let them share some good roast beef, Or KFC.. what you are eating is not nearly as important as what you are saying to each other.... 

Giant Killers wanted...

Yesterday was a roller coaster of a day. Dear friends from Church received the news that the tumor was cancer..  

The day began with fervent prayer that the biopsy would come back good.. Our ladies prayer meeting took place and as we were gathered for breakfast at a local restaurant the call came. Cancer. 

Time stopped..  we tried to wrap our heads around how a 15 yr old could have cancer. How is that possible, and not just any 15 yr. old.. one of ours. That is just how it felt. Our daughter. One of the Aunts was there, and of course her pain was a million times more acute then ours, but still we felt the pain of the situation fill our hearts and minds. 

I spent the day praying.. praying for mom and dad. praying for the siblings and the extended family members. Praying for the Doctors that will read all the tests and make a treatment plan, and of course, praying for "our" kid. 

I saw where Dad made a post on facebook. He called the cancer a giant, but immediately followed that with "looking for the right stone"..  I know this has been a blow to Mom and Dad like nothing they have faced before..  They must feel like young David of the Bible.. Standing and looking at the Giant that is sneering at their smallness and laughing at their funny looking armor. For now, that giant looks mighty big. They are unsure of just how they need to attack ... But they know something that giant doesn't know..  

That funny looking armor is the Armor of God.. They are very familiar with it They've worn it before. This giant is different, it appears bigger then others they have faced, but they know God is the one who will fight for them. God will enable them, just like David, to defeat this giant. I'm not sure how God will do it, but I know He will. I know that as they assemble their chosen rocks. Other believers will be assembling to encircle them with prayer and support. I can't wait to see this giant hit the ground. I can't wait to shout with "our kid" Cancer Free.. 

I know that today they are not the only ones who face a giant. Maybe you have one you are about to face or are facing. Know that God can and will help you face and defeat your giant. Ask for His help. He is waiting and willing to help you choose the right stones and He'll help you fight.