trick or treat???

did anyone else grow up celebrating “fall” as opposed to halloween?? my mom is so against “satan’s holiday” as she calls it that we spent most oct 31st’s at a fall party at church or our school. i can’t remember many costumes except that i think i was most of the women of the bible one year or another. we only went trick or treating a couple of years and that was much to her chagrin! i will have to agree with her that this holiday is dark and represents everything that as a child of the father of lights that i can and should stand against. the scary stuff to the down right evil stuff absolutely turns my stomach. i usually find other things to do so that i’m not home. tonight i will spend time celebrating a friend’s birthday with her which gives me an opportunity to rejoice in another year of life given by our father.

what is our response to the halloween craze??? what will you do tonight?

how to clean your home in 19 minutes

Check out this article from RealSimple.com…

With these room-by-room checklists, you can maintain a sparkling house in just 19 minutes a day, giving you more time for family, friends and you.
Kitchen, 4 ½ minutes daily
Always start with the sink. “Keep it empty and shining,” says Marla Cilley, author of Sink Reflections (Bantam, $15) and creator of www.FlyLady.net, a housekeeping Web site. A sparkling sink becomes your kitchen’s benchmark for hygiene and tidiness, inspiring you to load the dishwasher immediately and keep counters, refrigerator doors, and the stovetop spick-and-span, too.
• Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds).
• Wipe down the stove top (one minute).
• Wipe down the counters (one minute).
• Sweep, Swiffer, or vacuum the floor (two minutes).

wanted: new recipes

now that the weather is finally turning cool, i’m getting in the mood for soup. there is nothing better than a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter day. problem is that i don’t have any recipes. i can make a mean chili and some wicked good taco soup. after a couple of times i’m sick of those.

do you have any other soup recipes you could share????

home time

i absolutely love to be home. i’ve always been a hombody and still just love to be in my own environment. this weekend has been great because i’ve had plenty of time at home. being in my own space keeps me grounded and allows me time to think. when i’m running too much and life is hectic the best thing for me to do is hunker down at home to regain some perspective. weekends are ussally busy but i’m thanking the lord for time at home and chances to just be still with him.

do you like being home? what’s your favorite part of home?

arm in arm

i’m reading in proverbs and i stumbled on this verse this morning…

“One who isolates himself pursues [selfish] desires; he rebels against all sound judgment.” Prov 18:1 (HCSB)

this verse has sent me into a pretty significant sense of reflection. first of all i’m reminded of times in my life when i lived in isolation and my life was literally a picture of this verse. for many years i kept my heart and life isolated and it was very easy for me to do exactly what i wanted. praise the lord that is no longer true! i’ve purposely put myself in relationships with a couple of women who hold me accountable. it is hard for me to be open but the lord is teaching me that i can trust others and have to let people in my business to keep me from following my selfish desires. the lord has provided incredible friends for me walk arm in arm with through life. they are in my face and willing to tell me the truth even when i don’t want to hear it.

can you testify to the importance of accountability in your own life?