51, 2 and 9. you can't put a value on memories...

Three ladies and a baby...
around 51 muffins,
2 pans of caramel apple sticky rolls,
9 pans of cinnamon rolls...

These are the ingredients
for a well-spent Saturday!

Yesterday, which was Saturday,
I was blessed beyond my ability to express.
Bethany (our daughter) and Loren (our daughter-in-law)
and Hudson (our grandson...the CUTEST...the SWEETEST...
the CUDDLIEST...but, I digress) came to our house
for a day of baking.

Now...I love to cook...though I don't spend as much
time in the kitchen as I used to when the kids were all home.
But, kids coming home is the best reason
to dust off the mixer and fire up the ovens!
It's even better when it's two of our sweet daughters
coming to cook with me!!

All of us (our three daughters and me) are huge fans of
The Pioneer Woman's cinnamon roll recipe...

among other things...don't even get me started about
Tequila Lime Chicken! Oh. My. Goodness...
smack yo mama good!  ...digressing again;
if you are familiar with The Pioneer Woman, you understand...
of course, if you've ever heard me tell a story, you understand
tangents...I'm easily enticed...
though I never grasped them in geometry or algebra...
if Ms. Killough had only associated them with story-telling
I might have made an "A"!...okay, at least a "B"...

I'm back now.  ...can't guarantee for how long.

With the change of seasons and the crispness of the air,
what could be better than piping hot
Pioneer Woman cinnamon rolls and a glass of milk...
while watching "Anne of Green Gables"...
one must never forget Anne...with an "e"...

So...we were agreed upon our mission
and we were ready and armed to carry it out.

This was some of our weaponry.

We were a well-outfitted brigade!

    

This was our ammunition.

It was right on target!

     

Loren manned the mixer for this round...

Bethany was all about technique...

    

"See...it's all in the wrist!"

   

"Good posture while stirring is essential in the kitchen."

    

"Y'all come back now...ya hear!"

    

While muffins were baking and

cinnamon roll dough was rising 

we enjoyed some lunch together...

soup and croissant-wiches...

a wonderful combination!

Hudson enjoyed some delectable rice cereal

and gnawing on his momma's finger...

He's cut one bottom tooth and is working on its next-door neighbor.

Nothing feels quite as good as chomping

on Mommy's finger at times like this!

   

After lunch it was time to get back to cooking.

Here I am making the caramel for the 

caramel apple sticky rolls...

   

It was hard to get Loren away from the mixer...

    

...but, Bethany didn't put up too much of a fight.

She was happy to be in charge of quality control.

 Hudson was happy to help, too...

    

"Say what?!

Caramel apple sticky rolls? You got any in a Gerber brand?"

    

 No, Hudson.  Gerber doesn't come anywhere close to these!

But, you get a few more teeth and you'll be able to!!

    

Yeah, yeah, yeah...

you just have no idea how strong this tooth nub is!

How about some of those?

   

Nope.  I'm sorry, little man.

These muffins are being delivered to someone else.

But, when you get a little bit older

you can sink your teeth (plural) into some of these...

   

The Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls 101...

heaven in a pan!

    

"Psh...you just give me one now!  I'll show you what I can do!"

  

When all was said and done,

we accomplished our mission...

share a day and bake together.

It was the "together" part that I enjoyed most.

The baked goods will be long gone

before the sweet memories fade.

God willing, the memories will only grow sweeter...

"We love because He first loved us."  1 John 4:19

a taste of pumpkintown. pure delight...

In our sleepy little town
nestled in the TN Valley
things come alive when Fall arrives.

The first weekend of October
is set aside for what has become
the annual Pumpkintown Festival:
A Celebration of History, Harvest and Heritage.
Pumpkintown was a former name
of our fair city.
 
Something to make you stop and say, "Hmmm..."

These kinds of events are not
Sweet Husband's "cup of tea" but
he was kind and indulged me last Saturday.
We became part of the throng that was
2010 Pumpkintown...
strolled around the town square
looked at vendor booths of
jewelry, turned wood, hand woven baskets,
and, of course, lots and lots of FOOD!

You do not know what agony and angst
came over me as we approached and passed
each vendor selling funnel cakes...
sweaty palms, drool, glazed eyes,
incoherent mumbling...
not a pretty sight.
But, I'm allowed only one funnel cake
per year and I burned my one shot
during National MooFest last May...
another one of our annual fun festivals.

We live in a happenin' little town, I'm tellin' ya!!

I took some photos (with my phone) of some of the sites
we saw last Saturday at Pumpkintown.
Perhaps you'll be so enticed by what you see
you'll come to help us celebrate 2011 Pumpkintown!
It's quite irresistible...

There were all sorts of dogs walking around with their owners.

This was a bullmastiff that Sweet Husband and I fell in love with.

He was HUGE!! ...and as friendly as he was large.

Part of the entertainment for the day was

"The Mutt Strut"...

there were dogs dressed up in all sorts of costumes.

My favorite was the group of pit bulls...

dressed up like Dorothy, the scarecrow and the lion

from the Wizard of Oz.

Their owner was dressed like the tin man.

I tried to get a photo, but they were bookin' it 

down the yellow-brick-road faster than I could shoot.

   

 There was a petting zoo for the little ones.

This precious little guy was in the zoo trying to escape

all the little hands that were grabbing for him.

In the "zoo" were also a monkey, a goose, a puppy,

some guinea pigs, a calf, a cat, and

I don't remember what else.

I do know that I've never seen that many animals

and little kids in what was probably an 10' x 10' pen.

I'm betting the animals were exhausted at the end of that day!

    

 Here's "Velcro Boy".

It was so hot that day...I poured sweat just watching

this kid in that thick black suit.

He seemed to be having a blast throwing himself

onto the wall and sticking.

...like I said...irresistible.

     

 We walked to the large grassy area off the town square

and found some wonderful Indian exhibits.

There was a real tee-pee set up and

these Indians were demonstrating native dances.

They got some people from the crowd to join in.

I have a pic of the Indian playing a drum

and chanting for the dancers to dance...

but, it didn't want to post the correct way.

My computer illiteracy shines at times like this...

     

So...after the Indian dances, these half-dressed guys

came running out onto the field

and they were carrying sticks with nets at one end...

kind of like a really short lacrosse stick.

    

There was a little ball and they started trying

to get it in their nets.

    

They didn't want this guy to have it.

I think he was upset...

or he stepped on a sticker.

This is not a game for the tender of foot...

     

...no, this is a very rough game.

Kind of like rugby, football, and lacrosse all in one...

except you play half-naked, barefooted and

with little short sticks.

One of the Indian ladies I talked to in a jewelry booth

told me the name of this game...stick ball.

She said it is a rough game only for the boys...

the ladies are too smart to play.

I heard that!

    

We also encountered some Civil War soldiers.

There were re-enactments that took place...

we missed them...

but aren't these fine looking soldiers?!

...it bears repeating...irresistible!

   

 After Sweet Husband and I had saluted the soldiers,

danced with the Indians, strutted with the mutts,

eyeballed all the wares, pet the pig and his friends...

we were famished.

So we enjoyed some BBQ courtesy of 

Trinity United Methodist Church...

they were celebrating their 100th Anniversary!

I think it's quite evident that the celebration was a success!

So...have you already gotten your 

calendar out and marked the first weekend in October 2011?

Now that you've seen what you're missing...

how could you think of being anywhere else?!?

he did it. there's film to prove it...

Little Man crossed a milestone
this past Wednesday night.

He rolled over for the first time.

His daddy and mommy
were growing a little concerned.

When it was "tummy time"
Hudson would lay on his tummy,
lift himself up slightly,
look around a little,
get frustrated,
express his displeasure,
lay his head back down
and go to sleep.

It made for a funny story...
but we all wondered when
Hudson would finally roll
from his tummy to his back.

Wednesday night...IT HAPPENED!
...and I got it on video!

Enjoy the little man's roll-over debut...

BAM!!  Hudson, we're so proud of you!!!

no better reason. no other way...

Continuing in the vein of our call as believers to love others...
here is a quote by Martin Luther
that was on the Desiring God blog today
as a follow up to Francis Chan's message
delivered at the National Conference.

I posted that message on my blog several days ago.
I'll say again...it would be an hour of your time
extremely well spent.

Now read this...and love.

"Although the Christian is thus free from all works, he ought in this liberty to empty himself, take upon himself the form of a servant, be made in the likeness of men, be found in human form, and to serve, help, and in every way deal with his neighbor as he sees that God through Christ has dealt and still deals with him. This he should do freely, having regard for nothing but divine approval.He ought to think: Although I am an unworthy and condemned man, my God has given me in Christ all the riches of righteousness and salvation without any merit on my part, out of pure, free mercy, so that from now on I need nothing except faith which believes that this is true. Why should I not therefore freely, joyfully, with all my heart, and with an eager will do all things which I know are pleasing and acceptable to such a Father who has overwhelmed me with his inestimable riches? I will therefore give myself as a Christ to my neighbor, just as Christ offered himself to me; I will do nothing in this life except what I see is necessary, profitable, and salutary to my neighbor, since through faith I have an abundance of all good things in Christ."

heart surgery. good for the soul...

I've been working my way through
Broken Down House by Paul David Tripp.

Some books I go through pretty quickly.
Others I seem to plod through...
Not because they're slow or uninviting
but usually because I'm savoring and
wanting to absorb and apply
what I'm reading!

This has been a book that has
consistently had me underlining and highlighting.
Oh, how I wish I had one of those
steel-trap minds that has no leakage!

The chapter I've been reading
for the past couple of weeks...
yes...you read that correctly...weeks...
is called "Determine to Love".
It will most definitely be a chapter
I revisit frequently,
as this is one of my greatest sin struggles...
selfishness...self-absorption...self-focus.

I read this part of the chapter this morning.
It was so good I had to share.

Actually, I'm hoping as I type
these challenging truths will become
more deeply rooted into my brain...
but, mostly my heart.

"We have been called to 'cruciform love.'  What does this mean?  This means the love we give to others must shape itself, mold itself, to resemble in some essential way what took place at the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ...

It is willing self-sacrifice for the redemptive good of another.  We look for opportunities to be part of what God is doing in the lives of others and we will not stop looking until all of God's work is completed in all of his children.  This call to love is second only to our call to worship God above anything else.

Let me suggest in very functional, practical terms what it means to be committed to being an instrument of cross-shaped love:

It means not keeping yourself so busy with you and yours that you have no practical time to love others.

It means being committed to knowing people, because you can minister only in very limited ways to those whom you do not know.

It means being willing to have your life complicated by the needs and struggles of others.

It means being willing to share your physical resources with others.

It means being willing to live with an open home.

It means being perseverant and patient even when the love you give is not returned.

It means actively looking for places where you can function as one of God's tools of love.

It means resisting the temptation to be judgmental, self-righteous, and critical.

It means overlooking minor offenses and fighting the temptation to become bitter or cynical.

It means making life decisions out of a recognition of this inescapable call to love.

It means being lovingly and humbly honest in moments of misunderstanding; more committed to reconciliation than to being right.

It means admitting that you are still learning to love as you have been loved.

It means being willing to own up to your sin and admit your faults.

It means not judging the success of your life by the size of your house or bank account, or by the quality of your car, but by the quality of your love for God and others.

It means regularly examining the motivations, desires, and thoughts of your heart in the mirror of God's Word.

It means moving beyond simply surrounding yourself with people whom you find comfortable and likeable.

It means being a student of God's Word, a joyful participant in the means of grace, and a committed participant in the fellowship of the body of Christ, so that the love you offer others may be increasingly pure and mature.

It means being willing to be misunderstood, mistreated, and misrepresented for the sake of incarnating Christ's love.

It means overcoming evil with good.

It means not letting race, social class, gender, age, or ethnicity get in the way of a biblical call to Christlike love.

It means being willing to have your schedule and plans interrupted or altered.

It means being willing to grant and seek forgiveness.

It means paying attention to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the people God puts in your path, and looking for ways to help them bear these burdens.

It means believing that God will not call you to a task without giving you what you need to accomplish it.

It means being willing to get up earlier and stay up later.

It means learning the details about someone's struggle so that you can love wisely, while at the same time guarding the reputation of the person you are loving.

It means weeping with the one who weeps and rejoicing with the one who rejoices.

It means being willing to endure tense and uncomfortable situations lovingly.

It means not allowing yourself plausible excuses that seemingly free you from love's call.

It means making a commitment to being a faithful friend.

It means being willing to take on big things, even as you humbly admit your limits.

It means keeping your promises and being faithful to your word.

It means being open to correction, loving criticism, and godly rebuke.

It means believing in the body of Christ and recognizing that you are but one of the tools in God's big toolbox of redemption.

It means being open to counsel and receptive to advice.

It means being willing to go to bed tired and to awake to another day of calling.

It means hiding God's Word in your heart and keeping his Kingdom always before you eyes.

It means refusing to become anyone's substitute messiah, but instead to point people to the presence and grace of Jesus.

It really does mean looking out not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others.

It means building relationships, not just for the purpose of being relationally comfortable, but so that those relationships would be a workroom for redemption.

It means loving people in such a way that they never feel like they are in debt to you.

It means remembering that you are more like than unlike the people you are called to love.

It means understanding that the call to love is a call to both word and deed.

It means daily remembering Jesus, being in awe of the gift of his love, and living thankfully.

(from Broken Down House by P. D. Tripp, pp.172-174)

***********************

You Are Not Like Me
by Paul David Tripp

I am good at it,
a skill
I don't think I ever
had to learn.
It resides in my
heart.
It is an anti-social
instinct,
but it shapes my
relationships.
I am able to look at
people
and not see
people.
My craving
heart
reduces them to
vehicles that deliver or
obstacles in the way
of what I want.
My only
hope
for me is that
You are not like me.
You are
Love
and You are
delivering
me from me.