The PaintersThankful Winter Wife

Come mid morning and I felt like the pressure cooker that was about to explode.

Taxes needed to be finished up and taken over to the accountant, a relentless phone this morning, a friend in need another in the hospital and a mom hurting from an adult child who has made a mess of not only his life, but now hers.

A long winter for a humble Painting contractor and his crew, thrown into a bad economy this winter. Two children in college, three mortgages to keep up and the cost of everything seems to be rising higher and higher. A sick dog and medical bills from a Vet to follow along with a knee that will not heal on a child, and a surgery that can not happen because insurance has maxed out.

An object that needed to be sold in order to keep everyone a float.

A sad day, a heart break of sorts ~ a sacrifice along with a heavy heart.

I have refined you, but not as silver is refined.

Rather, I have refined you in the furnace.

~Isaiah 48:10

Through it all I continue to praise Him a little more, a little deeper. I lean in and press in a little closer a little nearer and thank Him a little more and a little more.

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding... ~Proverbs. 3:5-6

Watch over your heart with all diligence... ~Proverbs 4:23

Continued trust in Him to know what is best for my walk for our walk. Continue to ask Him for only what we need. Not to much that I'd be swept away from a devotion to Him yet not to little where I would steal and dishonor Him...just enough...

So, With a heavy winters heart, I continue to thank Him again and again.

Walking the dog around the block with the daughter
Scrubbing the floor under the stove and refrigerator

laying on the bed Saturday morning and watching a show with the daughter
Notes from a son

Heaping bowls of Ham Hock Soup
Dinners that last hours
Dessert and happy conversation with grown up kids

Always prayer before meals

A sister in law named Cyndy and a brother named John who call me during the week to simply check in

A brother named Carl and a sister in law named Jackie who call me on a Saturday afternoons just to say hi and share an encouraging word, story a thought.

The smiles of fathers and sons

Back to the wind
Boots for the rain and the mud

Ping Pong around the kitchen table
The Painter's wink and smile
Finding Peace with His will

Sorting through books and the memories of their stories

Weekends unplugged
Cleaning closets
Finding a friends voice on the other end of the line
Prayers over the phone

Popcorn on a Saturday evening
The last page of a good book
A hand written note in the mail
A husband who loves to cook

A night around the fire
Shared stories
Funny stories with a lot of laughter

Preparing for Easter

Three beautiful children in Sunday School Class

Baked bread and soup shared with family and friends around the table

All of a sudden I feel better

calmer

reassured

loved

cherished

fine

Thankful for Thankful thoughts

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Resurrection Rolls

• bread dough, for bun. (I used 1 can of refrigerator biscuit dough)
• 1/4-1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 bag large marshmallows
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  

Directions:

1. Mix your cinnamon and sugar together in a bowl.
2. Take a small ball of raw bun dough (these are easily made if you have leftover bread dough as well), and wrap it around a marshmallow, sealing well.
3. Dip the ball into melted butter.
4. Dip the buttered ball into the cinnamon/sugar mix.
5. Place the ball onto a greased cookie pan, (use a pan with a lip, because the marshmallow will melt out to make a nice gooey sauce, and you wouldn't want it all over the bottom of your oven!) Leave enough space between balls to allow them to rise to double their size.
6. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for about 35 mins or until doubled in size.
7. Pre-heat oven to 375.
8. Bake the Resurrection Buns in the oven for 18-20 mins or until lightly browned.

Perspective can always adopt Thankfulness — and Thankfulness always brings fourth joy.

Grab the Strawberries from the freezer

Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins
(Adapted from: Cooking Light)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are the ingredients:

2/3 cup (5 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large egg whites

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, chopped




Mix together in mixer softened cream cheese, 1/3 cup softened butter, 1 1/4 cup sugar and
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix in your 2 large egg whites, 1 large egg,

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

If you do not have butter milk you can make your own with milk and vinegar. I add one tablespoon vinegar to one cup milk. Stir in and let it get thick for a few minutes.

Make sure Strawberries are frozen. Chop them and stir into the batter. {My Strawberries were thawed the first time that I made these, they tasted fine, but the texture was not right.} The next time that I made them I used frozen chopped berries and they were perfect.





Gently fold in the Strawberries.





Line your cupcake holders and then add your batter. I filled the liners almost to the top with batter.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.

Call up a couple friends and wash them down with this!

I found this recipe over at, "Whisk and a Prayer." She has some good recipes over there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

they ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing …

thanks to the LORD

~2 Chronicles 30:2

he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks

Matthew 15:36

~enjoy