Only a Vapor

Don't be ignorant about what Scripture teaches

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:20:26 -0400

“… in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” 1 John 3:16-18

Took my first stab at croissants from scratch. It was a three...

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 21:18:58 -0400

Took my first stab at croissants from scratch. It was a three day process. Lot’s of rolling and resting involved. Pretty tasty, flaky, and buttery. Next time I want them to proof better. But for my first try I’m pretty happy with them.

I went on a hot air balloon ride and it was magical.

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 19:40:02 -0500

I went on a hot air balloon ride and it was magical.

Happy Valentine's Day

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 23:49:46 -0500

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family on heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:14-19

For rest and shelter of the night, For each new morning with its light, For health and food, For...

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 19:10:21 -0500

For rest and shelter of the night,

For each new morning with its light,

For health and food,

For love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sometimes i look at Mario and think, “This is the man that loves me completely.” Then i...

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 00:08:00 -0400

Sometimes i look at Mario and think, “This is the man that loves me completely.” Then i smile and take a deep breath, because knowing this is overwhelmingly comforting.

I'm with Him

Sat, 06 Oct 2012 02:35:11 -0400

When the Christian dies and stands before God, he/she won’t say

…I was baptized

…I went to church on sundays

…I prayed “the prayer”

…I prayed to you when my life got hard

…I believed you existed

…I was a good person

…my parents were really important in our church

…I went on a missions trip

but simply,

“I’m with Him (referring to Jesus). He paid what i could never pay for me.”

I’m so glad that I can both humbly and confidently say that I’m with Him.

it's a battle worth waging

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 18:32:45 -0400

This excerpt is helpful to me:

We all experience them: anger, resentment, envy, jealousy, defensiveness, lust, and others. These are a part of the temptations spoken of by Paul (1 Corinthians 10:13). The important thing is what we do with these feelings. A follower of Christ is not to be controlled by his feelings.This is what is referred in Proverbs 25:28 as self-control. Well then, how do we handle these feelings? This triad should help answer that:

-Our Emotions React. We all have feelings that are set off by a variety of stimuli. It is important that we admit these feelings. It is destructive to try to deny or suppress them. But, as followers of Christ, we are not to be controlled by these initial reactions.

-Our Intellect/Minds Evaluate: We are responsible to “set our minds” (Colossians 3:2) and think through our emotional responses and their possible results. It is at this point that the Bible is so important. The more we know of what the Bible says, the more truth we have by which to evaluate our reactions. This will also help us to know what to do with the feelings we are experiencing.

-Our Wills Choose: Having had the initial reaction and having evaluated, we now must choose our course of action. Here is the crucial step! Our evaluation may have told us that our feelings/reactions are not biblical; they are neither constructive nor loving. In spite of this we may choose to act on the basis of our feelings. This would be an immature response and behavior. It is also disobedience and sin (James 4:17). However, the mature choice, the one that we have been discussing in order to change our thought patterns, is to heed the evaluation and act responsibly as a result of the evaluation even though our feelings might not seem to match what we are called to.

~Borrowed from ‘Changing Your Thought Patterns’ by George Sanchez NavPress, 1983

Yummy Peanut Butter Pretzel bites!

Sun, 20 May 2012 00:39:45 -0400

Yummy Peanut Butter Pretzel bites!

At each moment, with every choice

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:51:54 -0400

C.S.Lewis, ‘Mere Christianity’ excerpt

People often think of Christian morality as a kind of bargain in which God says, ‘If you keep a lot of rules I’ll reward you, and if you don’t I’ll do the other thing.’ I do not think that is the best way of looking at it. I would much rather say that every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to one state or the other.

Hosea 6:3

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:24:31 -0500

“Let us know,

Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord,

His going forth is established as the morning;

He will come to us like the rain,

Like the latter and former rain to the earth.”

ffffffound: Pìcame – Lasciati Pìzzicare!

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:21:45 -0500

ffffffound:

Pìcame – Lasciati Pìzzicare!

“Most would rather be ruined by praise, then saved by criticism.” Friends, if you see...

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:56:06 -0500

“Most would rather be ruined by praise,

then saved by criticism.”

Friends, if you see me headed in the wrong direction, I hope you will let me know. That doesn’t mean I will like it, but in time I will love you for it.

It's interesting how

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:12:31 -0500

when I looked at my Dad thoroughly enjoying my husbands company and respecting his dreams and goals, I found myself looking more admirably at my husband too. I love my Dad and I love my husband. My Mom is pretty cute, too.
Having my parents over for dinner was a success. Made these suckers for dessert

S’more Cookies!

Don't Follow Your Heart

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:19:53 -0500

One very popular saying that I disagree with is “Follow your heart.”

I think this saying has caused people many problems. It sounds nice. People like to hear this saying. The movies are really good at tagging this line onto the end of an emotionally powerful film. Another saying quite similar is “Whatever floats your boat.” The idea that following your heart, or doing whatever makes you happy, is a positive way to live life alongside other humans is incredibly false and destructive. For happiness to be a person’s main goal is very selfish and foolish. It leads to a never-ending striving. Some people strive for money and sex, material items and sex, a fairy-tale love story of which they are the protagonist and sex, attention and sex, or a certain status and sex to fulfill the happiness they desire so badly. Sayings like “Follow your heart” make them believe these things should be expected and that they are deserving of them. I can go on about my opinion and how much this saying frustrates me or give examples of people who have followed their heart only to find themselves in a terribly empty place, but I think I will just share a few verses that got me thinking more about this.

Proverbs 28:26 “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.”

Proverbs 4:23-27 “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

Genesis 6:5 “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Matthew 15:19 Jesus speaking, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”

Psalm 26:2 “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and heart.”

Proverbs 4:23

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:23:02 -0500

“Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”

I’m such a sucker for a good duet.

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:57:17 -0500

I’m such a sucker for a good duet.

Prayer of Desiderius Erasmus

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:26:54 -0500

“O Lord Jesus Christ, You have said that You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Suffer us not to stray from You, who are the Way, not to distrust You, who are the Truth, nor rest in anything other than You, who are the Life.”

Amen.

“Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love, and His gospel is peace.”

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:17:15 -0500

“Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love, and His gospel is peace.”

My Own Kitchen

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:02:40 -0500

Having my own kitchen and the cold weather has meant more baking. Recently I’ve made four Pumpkin Rolls which were new for me and the fourth one definitely came out the best as far as aesthetics. I have a Pumpkin Loaf that just came out of the oven. I have only eaten one piece, and will be trying not to eat the rest of the loaf all night. I have Apple-Pear Butter in the crock-pot. I thought I was super good and fast at peeling apples till I peeled a piece of my finger off. I made Mario a Chocolate cake with Peanut Butter Cool Whip Frosting for his birthday. Tat, Sarah, and I made Very Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies a bit ago. I have tons of other recipe’s I can’t wait to try. Of course, since I am married now I have done more cooking than ever. Some reflections thus far: I love all of my appliances, except for that my sifter broke after one use. Pinterest.com is a great place to find delicious recipe’s. I have a love/hate relationship with Martha Stewart. I love baking, and I like cooking but am scared of it. Cooking meat freaks me out, but I’m getting more comfortable with it. Crock-Pot’s are fantastic. I mentally congratulate myself for hours after making a meal. I look at recipe’s on the internet so much now. Making a dinner menu for the week and shopping according to it takes planning time, but it is a really good idea. I am proud of myself for not defaulting on prepared foods. Two people eat more and also less than I imagine. The Malt Shop Oldies station is wonderful as background music in the kitchen. I am very thankful to have close people in my life that I can ask random cooking questions to. Thank the Lord Mario is not picky!