Obtaining Mercy

Just a Reminder: My missionary friend Laura is leaving her home now for the 5-hour drive to Tokyo and 12-hour flight to the States - with three children in tow. Let's be sure to cover her with our prayers for a safe and peaceful trip. Thanks! :o)

 

I am getting so excited about meeting my sweet friend, Laura!!!

 

She will be here from Japan on Monday!!!

We are meeting at the World's Largest McDonald's PlayPlace!!!

(I know!  What were we thinking???)

We are just hoping that a Monday afternoon, before school lets out, AND before Christmas break, will not be too crazy, busy and loud for us all.  If it is, we'll just find a great big parking lot and park somewhere. 

If you think of it, please keep her in prayer.  She is flying out this weekend alone with three children.  I know they are 3 very well behaved children, but keep these things in mind:

• they are flying internationally
• one of the children (Josh) is special needs
• she will be bringing all of his meds with her
• she will be bringing his formula with her

Her trip through security could be a real nightmare!

I know she would be really appreciative of your prayers for a smooth, uneventful trip.  Also remember to pray for Josh:  he has been pretty sick with a cold this week.  You know how flights can hurt little one's ears, even on the best of days.

Also pray for Bekah and Kei - her beautiful, sweet daughters.  I am asking the Lord for a flight attendant that takes a special interest in them, and sees to it that they have an excellent flight together!

I am going to try to remember to take lots of pictures! 

I am also excited for Joshua and Isaac to meet! 

*They are the reason that Laura and I found each other and became cyber friends!* 

I am hoping they will both have a really excellent day and "see" and "acknowledge" each other.  And if they don't, it's no big deal either!  We will hopefully have the pictures to remember the day. :o)

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Btw, my jewelry is still on sale - 25% off; and I am still offering free shipping.  So if you need something as a last minute gift, be sure to stop in and have a look around.

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Our Christmas cantata and play will be this Sunday evening at 7 p.m., eastern time.  If you'd like to watch it online, this is our church's website:  Landmark Baptist Church.  Just click "media" and "live services."

You can look for me in the choir.  I will be on the left side, third row.  I am not very tall, though, so you will have to look very carefully!  lol!!! :o)

I pray you are enjoying this wonderful Christmas season, so far.  If not, put on the brakes, slow down your pace, and take some time to really soak up the sights and sounds of the Holiday.

Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Blessings,

Alesha

You know it's time to wash dishes when...
In a house full of big cups, little cups, sippy cups, coffee cups, tea cups, thermal cups...
You find yourself drinking out of the MASON JARS!!!
{insert embarrassed smile here!}

The Greatest Show on Earth

Just a few days ago...

...the plates were spinning in sync

...the flaming torches were swishing back and forth

...the bowling pins and chain saws were simultaneously up in the air

...while the man-eating tigers marched politely by;

And nothing horrible has happened...

And nothing has caught fire...

And no animals were harmed...

But I feel like the circus tent is beginning to droop, right above the center ring...

And some of the plates have started to crash...

The torches have sputtered out...

The bowling pins were cut to splinters by the chain saws...

And the tigers are eying the spectators hungrily.

Yikes!

Does anyone else ever feel that way?

You can't really put your finger on any one thing, but somehow, you know you have completely lost control???

That's sort of where I am today.  Actually yesterday was worse...today, I can see the humor in it, anyway! :o)

Of course, there are many things going on right now:  missions conference, holiday decorating, jewelry sales, doctors' appointments, therapy sessions, sick friends, sicker family members, big bills, bigger needs, continuing health issues, shifted work schedules, birthdays, more sick family members, big church musicals, bigger practice sessions, special clothes to buy, Christmas gifts to buy, bought gifts that haven't arrived, diets to be followed, flu bugs to be endured, more bugs to be avoided, politics to be monitored, economy to be experienced...

Yep, that center pole is beginning to bow, ever so slightly, and I hear the ominous creaking of timber!

So, what do I do?  Where can I turn?  To Whom shall I go?

John 6:66-69

From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

No One else can make it better.  No other Person can speak the Words to ease the pain.  No Friend can stick as close as He can.

Only Jesus can enter into my world of chaos, and ease my strife by giving me His peace.  Only Jesus can meet my every need.  Only Jesus can give me hope in the midst of my despair.

Is your Big Top folding in on itself today?  Have all your carefully scripted plans fallen apart?

Turn to Him with a heart of repentance and acceptance, and let Him make everything all right again.

May God fill your day with His peace,

Alesha

Happy Thanksgiving

I pray you and your loved ones have a very lovely, thankful day today!

Big Sale at Alesha Kay's Shop

Hi Bloggy Friends,

I just wanted to give you a "heads up" about my Etsy jewelry site.

Alesha Kay's Shop

Everything is on sale at 25% off, and I'm offering FREE worldwide shipping.

:)

Counting Blessings

I am so happy to tell you that my freezer is a frigid -2* and my refrigerator was at 32* when I checked it this morning!

I turned the thermostat up to a warmer setting, and it's now at 42*.  I am as pleased as I can be that it is working so well.  My dad replaced two tiny little parts for less than $35!  Imagine how many refrigerators are thrown out when there is no one who knows how to repair them.  Thank the Lord for the knowledge my dad has gained through the years!!!

We had a super nice weekend here.  My family was able to get together for a steak supper on Saturday, complete with red velvet birthday cake for ME! :)  It was all verrrrry yummy!

I received so many pretty and kind birthday cards this year.  They are all proudly displayed on my piano!

I also came home with this:

 

which I know does not look like much!  BUT it opens out to THIS:

 

It's a light box for photographing my jewelry!!!  Isn't it fabulous?!!

Here it is with the spotlights on:

I will have to do much experimenting, and probably a little research, in order to use it to it's fullest potential.  I'm looking forward to playing with my new toy! :)

Yesterday, I had a wonderful day out with my friend, Mrs. C.  She and I went to Orlando, and lunched at the Cheesecake Factory.  It was just wonderful, except for an unfortunate "hair in the food" incident!  The manager was extremely apologetic and of course, we did not pay for the entree! 

We did a little shopping in the Mall at Millenia, then headed back for dessert.  Mrs. C had the original cheesecake with strawberries which looked really yummy.  I wanted to try something different: the Dulce de Leche Caramel Cheesecake. 

It is caramel cheesecake topped with caramel mousse on a vanilla crust.  Yeah...it was just as fabulous as it sounds and looks.  (I snitched this pic from their website.  Neither Mrs. C nor I remembered to take ANY pics of our day out that was a whole year in the making!!!  We were just too busy enjoying it, I guess!) :)

Doug has gone back to the day shift.  It leaves me with Isaac for many hours a day.  We are doing our best to get him up out of the bed as much as we can.  Doug comes home several times a day to do feeds, changes, repositioning, etc., so that I don't have to move Isaac very much.  He's just getting to be such a BIG boy for me. :)  He seems to be adjusting to the new schedule better than I am!

Well, I can't think of anything else exciting to tell you, so I guess I'll finish up this post.  I hope you are having a good week so far.  It's been a nice one for us, and for that, I am grateful.  We never know what a day is going to bring about, so it's good to count our blessings as we go.  :)

What blessing are you counting today?

Blessings to you,

Alesha

Fireside Christmas

For those who asked, here is the Fireplace cd that Isaac and I were enjoying today.

Thought...Weather...Clothing...

Thought Patterns:

When you see this in someone's home:

You can assume one of a few things:

1. The frig needed to be cleaned out.  (It didn't.)
2. The residents are getting ready to move.  (We're not.)
3. The kitchen is being remodeled.  (HaHaHaHa!!! oh, sorry...I guess that is a legitimate option...)
4. Something is wrong with the frig.  (Ding, ding, ding!  We HAVE a winner!!!)

<deep sigh...>

Yeah, the inside temperature of our refrigerator is about the same as the outside temperature at our house:  the lower 70's.  That is not good.

So, my Dad will be coming over later to check it out.  We are hoping and praying that it can be revived and renewed and renovated and repaired and resuscitated.  You can see I have given this a great deal of thought!  :)

(Praise the Lord for daddies who can check on things like this...and for the baby brothers who have learned almost as much about these things as the daddies know.)

Weather Patterns:

Meanwhile, Isaac and I have been watching this:

We have the windows open and are pretending it is very cold and we are snuggled around the fire.  (I think I just saw Poppet the bird shiver!)  Cold day in Florida today - low 70s in the sunshine.  Of course, we have Christmas music playing too, but you already knew that, right? 

Clothing Patterns:

And Isaac is dressed like this:

 

[Of course, the pattern on the shirt doesn't really count.  You can't see it, right?  It's camouflage!!! :)]

Now, don't judge my hubby's handiwork too harshly. ;)  Here in Florida, we don't require too many sets of pajamas with long sleeves and long pants; so it's hard to find one of each, much less a pair that matches!  Then factor in the fact that he has already had 3 diaper/pant changes today, but his shirt was dry, and why change things that don't need changing, and  ...well, you get the idea!

Rest assured, we would not take him out in public like this.  We would at least put on the shiny, electric blue pants, because that would be so much better!!!

Do you have big plans for the weekend?  We are planning to have dinner and dessert with family tomorrow, and I have a special day out tentatively planned for next week with my sweet friend, Mrs. C.  Lord willing, we'll be dining at the Cheesecake Factory.  I have never been, can you believe it???  I am really looking forward to it, and hope that nothing hinders us.  We've been planning this since last November!!!  Sad, but true! ;)

The ladies trio that I sing in is scheduled to sing Sunday morning in the 11:00 service.  If you are not able to get to your church, feel free to dial up our service.  You will find it here on our church's website.  Just click the "Media" tab, and the "Live Service" option.

May God richly bless you this weekend,

Alesha

The Best Hummus Recipe Ever!

One of the dishes that Doug and I have really learned to enjoy on our Hallelujah Diet is hummus.  We have tried the store bought varieties and made a few batches with canned chick peas. 

However, when I found this recipe and tried it, we decided to never eat those other dishes again.  We are hooked on this stuff.  It is so good, and so good for us.

I took a dish of it to a potluck dinner the other night, and folks seemed to enjoy it.  They asked for my recipe, so here it is.  It is not original with me.  I found it while scouring the internet.  But I have changed it into my own words.  I didn't want to plagiarize someone's recipe. 

Hummus Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas (the smallest you can find, NOT from Mexico)
1/2 cup tahini
juice from 1 squeezed lemon
1-2 garlic cloves (I actually use 3-4)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon + 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
salt (I use less than a teaspoon)

Directions

1. Sort the chickpeas and look for damaged grains, small stones, or any other thing you need to discard.

2. Wash the chickpeas several times, until the water runs clear. Soak them in clean water over night with 1 tablespoon of baking soda, at least 12-24 hours.

3. Wash the chickpeas well and put them in a large pot. Cover with water, add the rest of the baking soda.  Do not add salt at this time. Cook until the chickpeas are very easily smashed when pressed between two fingers. I cook them for 45 minutes, then drain, rinse and cover with clean water, then cook an additional 45 minutes, or until done. 

4.You can remove any of the skins that come off the chickpeas and the foam which floats over the cooking water. (You do not have to remove all the skin from all the chickpeas.)  When done, drain the chickpeas and this is VERY IMPORTANT - keep the cooking water.

5. Put the chickpeas into a food processor and grind well.

6. Add the tahini, lemon, garlic, cumin and salt to the chickpea mixture and process with the food processor until you get the desired texture. If the Humus is too thick, add some of the cooking water. It should be thinner than the actual desired texture.

Then if you want to really kick your hummus experience into high gear, server your hummus with a side of homemade Tahini Sauce.  I've included the recipe I use.  It only takes about 5 minutes to make.

Tahini Sauce Ingredients
1/3 cup raw tahini (tahini is sesame seed paste.  you should be able to find it in your local grocery store, although our Wally World does not carry it.)
1/3 cup cool water
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 small garlic clove
3-5 stalks of fresh parsley
salt (about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon)

Preparation
1. Put the tahini in a small bowl and pour in a little of the water.
2. Stir slowly until the texture starts to become thicker, then add more water and stir. Repeat a few times, stirring until smooth each time.
3. Add the lemon juice. Chop the garlic and the parsley well, and add them while stirring. If the tahini is too thick, add a little more water. Add the salt.
4. Serve with some chopped parsley on top.

Traditionally, hummus is eaten on a pita.  We don't particularly care for the taste of the pita, nor do we enjoy the calories they hold.  We eat our hummus with the new Nut-Thins crackers by Blue Diamond.  The pecan ones are especially yummy.  You can also serve fresh veggies with your hummus dip:  peppers, onions, radishes, cucumbers...just use your imagination.

Be sure to let me know if you try this recipe!  I'd love to hear what you think of it! :)

Blessings,

Alesha