Author Archives: explorenewness

a NEW photo of my week and a short Sunday sermon

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berries2

Happy Sunday!  These blackberries were so lovely, I had to take a pic before I devoured them.  Yum!  My main camera seems to be busted! :o(   Sad! So, I’ll be taking phone pics and some from a camera I bought off my son until I get a new one (or my old one fixed).  Hopefully that will happen soon because we have a trip coming up that I really want it for!

Anyway… for today’s sermon:  Why Marriage, Why Family is the chosen (wonderful) talk I’m sharing…because yesterday was hubby’s and my anniversary.  We celebrated by spending some time together (kind of hard to find time for lately!)…nice dinner etc.  In the talk I learned about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian born in 1906 who was critical of the Nazi dictatorship and put in prison.  Some letters from prison have been published and here’s part of one he wrote to his niece:

“Marriage is more than your love for each other. … In your love you see only your two selves in the world, but in marriage you are a link in the chain of the generations, which God causes to come and to pass away to his glory, and calls into his kingdom. In your love you see only the heaven of your own happiness, but in marriage you are placed at a post of responsibility towards the world and mankind. Your love is your own private possession, but marriage is more than something personal—it is a status, an office. Just as it is the crown, and not merely the will to rule, that makes the king, so it is marriage, and not merely your love for each other, that joins you together in the sight of God and man. … So love comes from you, but marriage from above, from God.”

I think I’ll have to put that book on my reading list:  (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison, ed. Eberhard Bethge (1953), 42–43.)

Have a fabulous Sabbath!  Do or learn something NEW!

 

NEW last minute treats for V-Day

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vdayjar2

Happy Saturday!  OK, this year I haven’t given even a single thought to Valentines Day…so, this morning, I quickly made up some (very simple) V-Day treats.  Quick, Easy and festive-looking.  I made a NEW version of muddy buddies that I found at The Recipe Critic, except at this late date, I couldn’t find any V-Day M&M’s left in the stores, so I had to use cinnamon hearts.  I printed the label from SoHoSonnet.  Done! Yah!

I also made some sugar cookies.  Son #4 asked if I was actually going to frost them this time.  Hmmmm….I guess I’ve slacked off on my frosting duties way too many times!

Have a great day.  Do or learn something NEW! (And last minute is better than not at all, right?!?)

a NEW taste Tuesday

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stuffedfrtoast

Happy Tuesday!

Well, the stars aligned and last Saturday morning we didn’t have any morning commitments – we did have ingredients for this breakfast – and although one camera seems to be having issues, my backup camera’s battery was actually charged so I could take pics of our French Toast.  Nice!  This berry stuffing was a NEW version of our stuffed French Toast…we typically make orange.  But, here’s the berry recipe and some other versions:

Berry Stuffed French Toast

Orange Stuffed French Toast

Banana Stuffed French Toast

I haven’t made the banana one yet.  Maybe soon.  Have a great day!  Learn or do something NEW!

Miscellaneous Monday…NEW stuff i gotta share…

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snow

Happy Monday!

I was just about to use this photo for yesterday’s post….because with my NEW journal writing ambitions, it really is up to me to see the beauty of everyday things (see yesterday’s short Sunday sermon).  But, I decided to wait and use this photo for today’s post.  Why?…you’ll soon read why.

For today’s miscellaneous stuff, I wanted to share a post I read over a month ago. It was an awesome post that I saved in my “want to do” file. Connie at BASILDONKITCHENS listed 5 things that brought her joy. So here are mine:

  1. I find joy in wearing new socks for the first time!
  2. I find joy in sitting by my fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate!
  3. I find joy in sleeping in freshly laundered sheets!
  4. I find joy in having sisters to go on ‘Girl’s Weekend Getaways’ with!
  5. …and lastly, I find joy in having a husband, who takes the time to offer to go for a drive with me, just to be with me; and tells me to bring my camera, just because he knows me so well! I find joy in having a husband that keeps on the lookout for possible photo opportunities, like snow blowing off a roof…then waits patiently for me as I wait and wait and wait for the wind to gust so I can get a good shot of the snow blowing off the roof. (BTW, the gust never got as strong as when hubby originally got the idea for the shot…but hopefully you get the drift.  Pun intended! :o) I find absolute joy in having a husband that sees the beauty in everyday things!

Connie also said this: “I find that my photography helps me see joy in little things everywhere. It’s the little things that sprinkle joy & happiness throughout the mundane of everyday.”  …and I SO agree!

Have a great day! Do or learn something NEW…and I hope it brings you joy!

a NEW photo of my week and a short Sunday sermon

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berries

Happy Sunday!

Thank goodness for colorful berries to photography in the white/gray wintertime.  I needed some color in my life!…berries certainly are a small but wonderful pleasure.

Another small pleasure is going back and reading my journals.  Although I’m QUITE sporadic in writing, I appreciate it when I can look back and recognize a time of growth. I’ve started another journal…hopefully this time I’ll continue longer than I previously have!  This 1 1/2 minute video motivated me to start it…once again.  I hope to look for the hand of God in my life and recognize the abundant blessings He gives me daily. (Video Link HERE)

Have a great day! Learn of do something NEW!…or just start anew something you’ve tried before.