Words on a Page - Meme

I've been tagged by Emma and Joanna at A Banner of Crimson

Here are the rules...  

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages)
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence
4. Post the next three sentences
5. Tag five people.

The top book on the closest stack of books is Vienna Prelude by Brock and Bodie Thoene.  I highly suggest their books.

6. For a long time, Murphy stood alone on the wet cement and stared off where he had last seen the aircraft bucking and rocking on the air currents. 

7.  He expected to see the bright burst of an explosion as the conclusion for his news dispatch.
8.  Instead, a more distant bolt of lightning arched toward the ground, and for an instant, Murphy thought he spotted the tiny aircraft as it but a wake through the tempest.

End of the chapter, that worked out well...


I tag:
1) Rebecca at flowershopgirl
2) Lydia at A Walk in the Rain
3) Joe at SouthPaw in the House
4) Moriah at My Wacky Blog
5) consider yourself tagger :)

afore mentioned song

I have no idea what happened to the song that was supposed to be in the last post. Here it is again.

Overcoming Discouragement Part 2

The very first lesson I learned about overcoming discouragement happened on Sunday morning during praise and worship.  I can't remember what we were singing, but I was feeling down and couldn't bring myself up to a place where I could truly glorify God and praise Him.  Then we started singing a song, and I feel something in me leap.  And a little bit of light shown into my darkness.  And I got excited, I reached out to God and he poured strength into me to give me the ability to truly praise him in song.  I distinctly remember standing up front with the musicians and playing my violin and this joy just filled my soul and I could only think about God and his love and mercy, and everything that He had done for me.  I was happy I wasn't discouraged and all I could think about was praising God.  For days afterward if I at any point felt discouragement creeping in I would just start to sing, or hum, or if I was at work or somewhere like that, just think the song.  The discouragement will flee.  Why, well... because when you are praising God and your thoughts and totally turned on Him, there is no opportunity for the devil to get his foot in the door.  This is what I wrote during that time.

God never wants us to be down trodden.

It's amazing to me how you can go for a day, or days, or a week or even weeks on end feeling down trodden and searching for answers.  Pleading with God for somethig; and anwswer, encouragement, whatever it is that you need.  And then you get to a place where you start praising the Lord, giving Him the glory and honor, and just telling Him that you love Him.  And in that moment of time all your cares go away.  You suddenly no longer care about the problems, the searching, the pleading for an answer.  Suddenly, you no longer care.  It flees your mind and all you care about it God.

This song has really been an encouragement to me during my recent struggle.  It reminds me to press on and thank God all the time even when things aren't going the way we want or wish they would.  To thank for Him life, food on the table, friends and family.  You get the idea.

Another Question, a green question

Why do think encourage you to "bring your own bags! Save the environment!"  And then hand you a receipt a mile long??

What's wrong with that picture?

Yes, I'm in a random, wierd mood... sorry....

2 random things one of which I need you to answer for me :)

#1 - There is a guy who comes through Drive Thru at DQ about 3 times a month.  When we greet him he always responds by saying "Stand By".  And every time I smile and try not to laugh.  It completely tickles my funny bone!  I want to answer, DQ flight 14847 standing by!  I don't, but I want too :)  On the bright side of it.  No matter what kind of day I'm having it never fails to make me smile :-)

#2  The one I want you to answer.

Joe started telling me this morning about a CCM song he wanted me to listen too.  I said o.k. and then somehow we got talking about how I don't really like CCM.  To me it's mostly all on one plane and there isn't much depth to it.  Not ALL CCM, just most of it.   Then he decided to tell me that he thinks classical music is only pretty music and there isn't much depth to it.  I just stared at him.  He didn't just say that to me!  Yes, he did and he meant it.  So I asked him:
"What about Handel's Messiah?" 
"Well,... that's different Mozart wrote music with depth to it."
"Joe, Mozart didn't write Messiah, Handel did, and you know that!"
"Oh, right Handle."
"No Joe, Handle." 
"Anyway, Mozart wrote Operas.  Messiah is like that." 
"Messiah is not an opera!"
"But it has words!!....   Oh, and I like Minuet in G."
"Messiah is NOT an opera.  Minuet in G, huh, o.k. who wrote that?"
"ummm.. .Mozart?"
"No, try again."
"Ummm..........."
"Bach. Is Mozart the only composer you know!"
"No! I know Mozart, and Handle, and Bach."
"Classical music has lots of depth to it!  What about Beethoven's 5th Symphony!  Or Dvorak's New World Symphony!! Everything Bach wrote has LOTS of depth to it!!!  You don't know what you are talking about!  And I think you are just egging me on so we are done with this conversation!"
"I'm not egging you on Katie! I'm serious. I don't think classical music has depth to it!  It makes for good sountracks!"
At this I told him he would understand more when he got older and that classical music does have depth and is real music!
Classical music not have depth! Pshw!

But then I started thinking... does classical music not make sense to people because it doesn't have words??? So, here is the question, and I would REALLY appreciate any answers.  Do you think classical music is merely pretty?  Do you think is has depth?  Do you know really enjoy/understand it because it doesn't have words?
O.k. guess I meant questions... anyway... answer away!

TEA BASKET GIVEAWAY!!!

 

 Click picture to be redirected to giveaway

Wanna win a quilt??

No, I didn't make it... haven't had much time for that reecently...

Click below!

Memory Verses per a 2 year old

Sarah Beth was over this evening for a while.  After I while I decided I would try and teach her a memory verse.  She has so many things memorized, things like songs on songs on songs (which is good), books, people's first and middle names, what town and state she lives, stuff like that.  Then she has other things memorized, the Indiana Jones Theme, the names of Major League Baseball players.... So, I decided why not try a Bible verse!  She could memorize Bible Verses.  So, I started with an easy one, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."  That didn't go over to well, to many big words, it started coming out as In the beginning, umm... earth!" I figured "Jesus Wept" wouldn't make much sense so we did "Rejoice Always" instead.  That went over fine. So we went on to something a little harder, "Little Children keep yourselves from idols, Amen."  She caught on to that one right away, she go the "Little Children" part and the "Amen" part.  The middle part went like this:
"Little Children... umm.... buy candy!"
"No, try again."
"Little Children... umm... keep your tomatoes, Amen!"  Followed by a huge smile cause she was SURE she had it right.  She still says tomatoes, but sometimes she says idols... we'll just have to keep working on it.

Overcoming Discouragement Part 1

The last few weeks have probably been the most roller coaster-y weeks of my life.  You see, the devil decided that I should take a long walk down Discouragement  Lane.  The only thing is, God didn't want me down there and frankly I wasn't to happy about it either.  So, I've been up and down, in and out of discouragment quite a bit lately.  Now, you are probably wondering why on earth I'm telling you all this.  Well... I'm telling you this because through those weeks God gave me some wonderful tools to overcoming discouragement.  I'd learn the lesson, use the tool and be happy for a few days, successfully using the new tool I'd received.  Then a few days later the devil would figure a way around my new found happiness and I'd head down Discouragement Lane again.  After repeating this a few times I began asking God why?  "Why are letting me go through this?  Why didn't the first tool work for good?"  God felt so far away and I kept asking why? "Why were you so close some may times recently only for me to turn around and wonder where you went?  I know you didn't leave me, but why am I going through this.  Where are you this time, I need the next tool, I'm trying to learn what you have for me, but I'm lost I need your help!!!" For a while, I didn't have an answer, then one day a quote popped into my head, and I didn't understand it.  It just kept coming over and over thinking "It was then that I carried you."  My finite mind didn't understand that that was my answer.  God was telling me that he was there, in fact he wasn't far from me at all.  He had scooped me up in His strong arms and was safely and securing carrying me back to happy territory :-)

So, hopefully over the next few weeks I will be imparting those tools to you.  God gave me the opportunity to learn and have the experience of using the tools, and hopefully they will be an encouragement and tool for you to use as well.  Not that you should be discouraged, but just in case, I'll give you a few tips to help you along the way.

So until next week I'll leave you with the last thing God gave me.

"It was then that I carried you."

and all I could do was grab ahold of that and say "O.k. Lord I'm trusting that you are carrying me."

Lover's Waltz

*sigh*  This is gorgeous! I'm buying this music ASAP!  Now I just have to find someone to play it with me....

Whatever you do

Don't buy these.

There are terrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!






Terribly addicting that is......

Did you know?

The Bâtiment des Forces Motrices (Swiss Opera House) is situated in the middle of the River Rhône. Constructed in the 19th Century, it was originally meant to be a water pumping and hydroelectric station. One can still spot two turbines in the lobby of the establishment.

Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

2 (8oz) packages Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup White Sugar
1/2 t. Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
1 (9inch) Prepared Graham Cracker Crust (I didn't have a graham cracker crust so I used a regular crust and it worked o.k. I think a graham cracker crust would be better)
1/2 cup Pumpking Puree
1/2 t. Ground Cinnamon
1 pinch Ground Cloves
1 pinch Ground Nutmeg
1/2 cup Whipped Topping

Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.

Blend in eggs one at a time.

Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.
Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended.

Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set.

(I doubled the recipe. It only makes one pie.)

Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours to overnight.  Cover with whipped topping before serving.

The Random Thoughts of a Tired But Wide Awake 24 year old

It's 12:40 and I am wide awake, and I have no idea why.  I had a cup of coffee at 5:00, so that's not the problem..... I have a headache so I went to bed early and just read for a while.   Finished my book (first book I've actually finished in months! YAY!!!!)  and proceeded to lay there for long enough that I finally just got out of bed.  And here I am, posting in my blog.... that's all...  I have a concert at 7:30 tomorrow, I guess it's today now... so I really should be getting some sleep... oh well....

I'm missing my friends.  My local friends.   The ones I never see and rarely talk too.... I miss them the most, because I know they are here and close and I  could see them more, but I don't.  I hate the concept of time and conflicting schedules.

Still haven't figured out exactly what I should do tomorrow.  I have to work from 9 - 2.  Pick up flowers at 3:30.  Teach from 3:45 - 4:45.  Rehearsal from 5 - 6:15.  Call time is 7.  Concert at 7:30.  So I have 45 minutes to eat, change, do my hair and makeup.   I keep trying to figure out what I can do between 2 and 3:30 that will help me later.  Maybe do my makeup, then I will only have to freshen it up later... *sigh*  the trials of looking nice.....  I want a new concert dress.  I tried one on a few years ago that looked awesome on me.  Except, it was $100, sleeveless, and the bodice was too low.   And it was probably a little too slinky for me.  But it I could fix those things I would have bought it.  It made me feel good.  Sleeveless isn't a big deal to me.  I wouldn't have a problem wearing it, if it wasn't a performance dress.  Sleeveless and performing don't make for a good professional appearance..... I like the dress I have now, it's just that sometimes I wonder if it makes me look a little blah...

What do you think?


I guess I'll go back to bed, hopefully I can sleep this time...

Chocolate Storm Dessert

Chocolate Storm Dessert 

(recipe courtesy of Krista )

42 Oreos (16oz.)
1 cup melted Butter
2 packages Instant Chocolate Pudding (3.9 oz. pckgs)
8 oz. package softened Cream Cheese
3 cups Milk
1 - 16 oz. package Cool Whip

Finely crush cookies.  Reserve 1 cup for topping.  Mix remaining cookies with butter and press on bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9x13 inch pan.

Mix cream cheese and half of the whipped topping.

Spread onto the cookie layer and chill 30 minutes.  Mix chocolate pudding with milk for 2 minutes.

  Chill for 30 minutes.  Spread pudding over cream cheese later.  Chill for 1 hour.  Spread remaining whipped topping on top.  Spring with reserved cookie crumbs and chill over night for best results.

The Mountain and the Valley

We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain, when we have seen things from God's perspective and have wanted to stay there.  But God will never allow us to stay there.  The true test of our spiritual life is in exhibiting the power to descend from the mountain.


The height of the mountaintop is measured by the dismal drudgery of the valley, but it is in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God.  It is in the place of humiliation that we find our true worth to God - that is where our faithfulness is revealed.

~Oswald Chambers

I miss sewing!!!!!