"grand "days!

I am spending a few days in Tenn with the grandgirls while their dad

is on a business trip.

The 4 year old kept me busy

while her big sister was in school today.......

After we picked up the second grader, it was off to McD's to play in the "play place".....

And eat out Happy Meals...Gran got one, too! She posed, but the look says..."Give me a break, Gran...I'm trying to eat!" She doesn't understand how we bloggers like to document everything......even McNuggets! :-)

Then it was home to make cupcakes. First we mix.

This was a first for her and she did a fine job!

After baking, then we frost......

And then, we sprinkle..... and sprinkle,...... and sprinkle some more!!

Oh, I almost forgot about licking the spoon!!

We are having lots of fun! Big plans for tomorrow.......these are "grand" days! :-)

Update on baby (one in the hospital): She went home yesterday! Hallelujah! Still needs prayer for complete recovery. Thanks so much for your prayers and concern!

forgiven

Sunday’s message was about God’s forgiveness.
I John 2:12 says:

“ I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for His name’s sake.”

I learned that the Greek word for forgiven means “something that happened in the past but you continue to live under the effect of it in the present.”

In Colossians 2:13-14, it says that God took us who were dead in sin and made us alive by forgiving all our sins. It is not qualified...it says ALL our sins. It also says that He took the debt we owed and nailed it to the cross.

Sometimes we doubt God’s forgiveness...we wonder if He could really forgive that awful thing we did, that destructive decision we made, the hurt we caused someone else, the way we dishonored Him, the debt we owe.....and the list could go on and on. But He says He did......when He nailed them to the tree. When we question God’s ability to forgive, we are denying the glory of what Christ did on the cross. God saved us because He loved us, but primarily He did it to bring glory to Himself.

So we live under the effect of His grace and forgiveness. All we have to do is believe it, receive it and LIVE it!

“....forgetting those things which are behind,and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:13b-14

a celebration of life

Yesterday was our daughter's 24th birthday. We celebrated Saturday night with dinner and presents!!
She requested Taco Salad
and German Chocolate Cream Pie.
I like it when they ask for something easy! :-)

She loves flowers so I picked up a bunch. They didn't look Mexican (ha! ha!), but they were pretty and she liked them. That's what mattered most!

I used my mother's glasses. I don't use them often,
but I wanted her to feel special! :-)

We ate until we were full, waited an hour and then had our pie for dessert......
and ate until we were full again!! :-)

Here's our sweet girl just before we ate. It was a happy time
and I think she enjoyed her dinner and her presents.
She really wanted to open them first,
but we made her wait! :-)
The card we gave her said...
"You have been a gift from God since the day you were born!"
....and that is the truth!
We were also celebrating something else......in October, she and her husband are going to make us grandparents again!!
They are very happy and, of course, so are we!
We have known for a few weeks but she wanted to wait until
after her first doctor's appointment last week to tell others.
So, now I am free to tell all of you!!!
We are rejoicing in God's blessings on us!
Can't wait to hold my baby's baby! :-)

latest on the baby girl

Baby is much improved...sleeping better and enzymes are up! So your prayers are being answered....with a YES! They think she will move out of ICU soon. The family is very grateful for your prayers and concern... me too! I'll continue to keep you posted.... please keep lifting them up!! :-)

do you remember......

...how you felt when you started your blog? A few weeks ago when I celebrated my one year anniversary, I started thinking about the day I wrote my first post. I remember clicking on publish, looking at what I had written and thinking, "Will anyone ever read this?" At the time I had two friends that blogged ...that's it... two. No one in my family blogged either. So, how was anyone going to find me....the new blogger on the block?

I went to the two blogs I knew about and started visiting around leaving comments and in a few days.... I had my first comment!!! I can't tell you how excited I was. Rebecca will always have a special place in my heart for that wonderful surprise! Through the year I have met more of you and, as I have told you before, you are a delightful blessing in my life!

Anyway, I said all that to say this.....on my anniversary, I was thinking..."How could I go about finding new bloggers?" I would love to encourage them in their new endeavor......just as all of you have encouraged me. Well, I found one yesterday! She left a comment on another blog and I decided to visit her. She began blogging in January. Her name is Pam and she calls her place Hummingbirds and Lace. So, drop by and say hello..... I know your visit would be a blessing to her! She'll be so surprised!! :-)

P.S. Update on baby: improving slightly everyday....will probably be in hospital until next week. Pray that she will sleep and that her enzymes will multiply.... that is what she needs to improve more quickly. Thanks for your concern...her grandmother is very grateful for all of your prayers!

spring is springing!

"Flowers seem intended for the solace of humanity." John Ruskin

"The earth laughs in flowers." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Loveliest of trees...the cherry now....is hung with bloom along the bough."
A.E. Housman

"To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable kind of defeat."
Beverly Nichols

"Tis my faith that every flower enjoys the air it breathes! " William Wordsworth

"To see a hillside white with dogwood bloom is
to know a
particular ecstasy of beauty."
Hal Borland

"The day God created hope was probably the same day He created Spring. "
Bern Williams

a lesson from john

Our pastor is preaching through 1 John. Sunday's message was on verses 7-11 of chapter 2. There were a couple of things that were especially meaningful to me. In verse 7-8, Jesus says he is making the old command in Leviticus..."love your neighbor as yourself " new by saying "love one another as I have loved you." The pastor said the command is becoming new in quality. The love of Christ is so much more powerful and meaningful than any human love.
Verse 11 says if we have hatred in our hearts toward our brother, we are in the darkness, we are blind and can't see where we are going. That presents opportunities to stumble.
But verse 10 says we will walk in light if the love of Christ abides in our heart and there will be no cause for us to stumble. He talked about Satan setting traps for us when he tempts us to sin. All traps have a lever and stepping on the lever is what activates the trap. The Greek word for lever is the same as the word for stumble. (Isn't that interesting?) So, if we are filled with the love of Christ and are living in the light, we will see the traps and can avoid them. We won't step on the lever......we won't stumble! I like that thought!

P.S. Update on baby....she is slightly improved, off ventilator, breathing on own, but still in very serious condition and still in ICU. Thank you for your prayers...please continue to lift up this little one and her family to our Heavenly Father!

please pray

My step-sister's 18 mo old granddaughter ingested some poison this past Tuesday evening. She has been in ICU in a nearby Childrens' Hospital since then.We got the word on Friday. Progess is very slow and (as of this morning) she is still in serious condition. Please pray for her and her family.

getting the "royal" treatment

Well, if you didn't figure it out....we went on a cruise! We left Tampa, Florida on Thursday and headed to Cozumel, Mexico. Our ship was Radiance of the Seas, part of the Royal Caribbean fleet.


This was our welcome for lunch at the Windjammer Cafe on board. It is amazing what they can do with fruit, vegetables and ice. Sorry I didn't get a better picture of the ice sculpture. Truthfully, I was so captivated by the fruits, I didn't even notice the ice until I looked at the picture later. Just too much to take in!



This little guy was waiting for us when we went to our cabin at the end of the second day. Hubby and I watch a demo of how they do it and picked up an instruction pamphlet. I think it would be fun to make them for the grands when they come to visit. I just have to buy some inexpensive white towels and buy some starch...that's the trick...starched towels! Who knew?


Looking to the horizon at the front of the ship...the bow, I mean!


Since my girl works for the doc, too, she and her hubby were there with us. We spent one day in Cozumel. Here we are at the bazaar.


One of the colorful shops. We weren't interested in any serious shopping...t-shirts for the grands, vanilla, Christmas ornaments, etc.


While in port, Hubby and I went for a ride in a glass bottom boat. Some aboard snorkeled. There were several other boats close by. Look how blue the sky and water are.....it was a beautiful day!


Here we are on board.....

.....and here are some of the fish we saw. One of the men threw bread into the water and in seconds, there was a swarm making sure they got their share!


Sunday was a day at sea and we challenged the newlyweds to shuffleboard. We were playing to 50. At one point, we had them 41 to -3....they kept landing in the take off 10 section. But they rallied and beat us 50-46!


Mr Bat greeted us on the last evening.


This was the lobby. There was always live music here and guests services were here as well. It was a beautiful room.


The solarium was one of our favorite spots. There was a pool, and two hot tubs, and not as crowded as the main pool area. As you can see, it was like a Greek Spa. Lots of columns and fountains, greenery, and sounds of birds chirping. Hubby said, "You think they brought birds out to sea?" Of course, he was kidding....but they did sound like they were up in the trees!


Another favorite place....the dinner table! :-) The food was great and different (imagine that!) from our usual fare at home. We had a sweet and friendly waiter and it was the one time each day when our entire group was together. We enjoyed hearing what everyone had been up to each day.

I am so grateful for such a kind and generous boss. When my hubby saw Doc at breakfast on Monday morning, he thanked him for his generosity. His reply was...."Thank you for coming along!" He really is a nice guy!
Thanks to you for "coming along" on this little look at our "cruising adventure"! :-)

and the winner is.......

Drum roll, please!!! I put all your names in and pull one name out.....Kim at My Field of Dreams! So, congrats my dear friend Kim. I will be in touch.
Thank you all for your sweet and encouraging comments. I look forward to getting to know you all even better in the days to come!
The trip was enjoyable and relaxing. But you know how it is.....you need another vacation to rest up from this one!! :-) We were all a little tired today at work and the phones...my goodness, they rang off the hook! Everyone who tried to call since Thursday called today. It was crazy!
Tomorrow, I will tell you about our trip and have more pictures to share, but I will post one today as a hint....can you guess what kind of adventure it was?

a one year anniversary give away!

Today, March 10, marks the first anniversary of Life in the Sandwich Years! To celebrate and to thank all of you for supporting me in this adventure, I'm having a give away! I've decided to let the winner choose their own prize. So, the main part of the gift is an ...........
gift card. As I am sure you already know you can buy anything there, I mean anything . There will be a couple of other little surprises, too. To enter, just leave a comment on this post.

The kind doctor is taking all of us and our spouses on a trip. We leave today and return on Monday. I won't be posting while we are away, but when we get home, I'll tell you all about it !! :-) I'll announce the winner on Tuesday, March 15. One of the surprises might be from our trip!

Thanks again for being faithful friends this past year! I so enjoy reading your blogs and finding your comments here. You might be surprised at how often I share things that I've learned from you with my family, friends, and co-workers. Sometimes, they will ask..."Is she the one who lives in California?" ....or "Is she the one who is doing the cookbook?"....or "Is she the one who has all the great craft ideas?", etc. They are getting to know you, too!! :-) You bless me everyday and have made blogging more important to me than I would ever have imagined!
So, I rejoice for the opportunity to celebrate with you...I can't wait to see who wins!

lips of a different color

This is a little silly, but something happened to bless me this week. It was a little thing, but something that was important to me. About 1o years ago (maybe even longer), I found a lipstick made my Maybelline that I loved. The color was Velvet Crush and it was the perfect color for me. It complimented my skin tone and it looked great with any color I wore...pink, purple, black, red, yellow, blue.... you name it, it went well with it. So, it became my lipstick....the only color I wore and it was less than $6. Last July, as we were preparing for my daughter's wedding, I realized I only had about 1/3 of a tube left. So, the next time I was in Wal Mart, I went to the cosmetic aisle to get it......there wasn't a single tube. I looked at our other WMart, Target, every drugstore, grocery store, dollar store, Big Lots......anywhere that sold cosmetics..... not one tube. Evidently they had discontinued it. I couldn't believe it! So, I saved what I had and used it only when I dressed up...... church and anything to do with the wedding.
Then I started trying to find a new color. I'm not going to tell you how many tubes I bought or how much money I spent.....but I will tell you this....just because the color is pretty in the tube doesn't mean it is pretty on my lips!! I'll tell you something else....it was frustrating and I was sad. I just wanted my Velvet Crush back! :-(
When I got to work Monday morning, there was a little package on my desk. I opened it to find two tubes of MY LIPSTICK! You can't even imagine how surprised and happy I was. I knew it had to be from my daughter, so I scurried down the hall. She came out of an exam room, saw me, and smiled sweetly. I gave her a BIG hug and asked where she got them. She had looked on line and found them at a cosmetic site that sells discontinued items. I can order more...and I intend to.....for $3.99! I may order a gross and be set for life!!! When I put it on this morning and looked in the mirror, I was so happy to see me again!
I am so very thankful to have a Heavenly Father who cares about the little things that my heart desires and for a daughter who is open and responsive to divine inspiration. I felt really loved......and THAT is a good feeling!

gleaning generosity

In Luke 12:16-21, we find the parable of the rich man who had such a bountiful harvest, that his barns were not big enough to store it. So, instead of giving it away of even selling it for a reasonable price to those who needed it, he planned to build bigger barns to hoard it. Then he could live in luxury. God called him a fool because he did not know what was important in life. That night he would die and everything he had would go to someone else. This story is a picture of a greedy heart which resulted in a selfish life.
Lev. 23:22 says, "When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and the sojourner. I am the Lord your God." This command of God made it possible for those in need to have enough to eat. In Deut. 24:19-22, God instructs those gathering olives and grapes to only pick once so there will be leftovers for the widow, the fatherless, and the sojourner.

I think gleaning illustrates three things:

1) everything we have belongs to God, it really isn't ours
2) God is a giver; if we are being transformed into His image, we should be givers, too
3) it is not about having more, it is about having enough

Evidently the lottery winners (in my previous post) lived by that principle and knew when they had enough. So, when they came into possession of more..... they didn't build a bigger barn........ they gave it away!

Gleaning can also relate to more than possessions. It can be about our time or our talents.....being generous with those as well. And sometimes, we may be the gleaners when we need help, encouragement, prayer.
In the closing prayer at the end of the lesson, the author, Margaret Feinberg says:

"Father, help me to walk in the humility
necessary to glean when I am in need
and in generosity when I have the opportunity
to provide for others who are in need."

That is my prayer today.

a couple of givers

I was reading a magazine at the salon Saturday when this article caught my eye. It was about an older couple from Nova Scotia who won the lottery last year. They were awarded $11.2 million dollars. The interesting thing about it was..........they gave it away......every cent of it! They helped many of their family members and gave the rest to Canadian charities. The husband was quoted as saying that he bought two tickets every week and it was always their intention, if they ever won, to donate it to those in need. He said he would continue to do the same. They live on their retirement in the home they have lived in for many years and they drive a 1987 model vehicle.
I don't buy lottery tickets and I'm not suggesting anyone else buy them, but I was blessed by the generosity of these two people. They certainly care about others and we will never know how many people benefited from their gifts.
The lesson in my bible study this week was about the farm. We read verses about sowing, reaping, plowing, and seasons. But what was most interesting to me was the part of the study about gleaning. The only thing I knew about gleaning was that Ruth did it! Well, I know more now and the story about the lottery winners is an illustration of what I learned. Tune in tomorrow to get the rest of the story ! :-)

it was just a joke......

It started out as a prank... a silly little joke she played on her husband. But the prank made him late for a very important meeting, which was embarrassing. That made him angry. Because he was angry, he made a bad decision, which led to another, which led to a misunderstanding, which led to........well, you get the picture. A marriage was almost destroyed.
It just reminded me how important it is for me to make good, thoughtful, wise, Christ-like decisions. I've been foolish in the past and it has caused hurt and disappointment. I hope and pray to be stronger and wiser from now on.
All of this brought to mind the words to a song I sang a long time ago. It expresses what it means to have The Mind of Christ (the name of the song) as I make choices and decisions every day. I hope it speaks to your heart as it has to mine.


"To receive when others reject, to treat each one with true respect,
To shield when others throw stones, to be with one who's all alone,
To think and choose to see the very best,
To live like this is nothing less than to possess...

Chorus
The mind of Christ, my highest goal
The Lord's delight, the desire of my soul
The Father's heart will always guide my life
If I will have in me the mind of Christ.

To build up when others tear down, to seek the lost until they're found,
To give grace where it's needed most, rejecting pride when others boast,
To sacrifice my all without regret,
To live like this is nothing less than to possess....

Chorus
The mind of Christ, my highest goal
The Lord's delight, the desire of my soul
The Father's heart will always guide my life
If I will have in me the mind of Christ."

a movie worth seeing

The Hubby and I went to see this movie Monday night. It is a Christian film produced by GraceWorks Pictures. The theme is grace and forgiveness....giving them as freely as we receive them. Granted it is scripted, but it is still an accurate depiction of how God works. One reviewer said....."The Grace Card refreshed my soul. The subject was real and relevant to all people. And the quality of the movie was excellent. If you are struggling with something or just want to be rejuvenated, The Grace Card is what you need to see."
We all know that in the entertainment industry, the bottom line is profit. I read that it cost $200,000 to make this film......that is nothing compared to the millions Hollywood spends making a movie. But it will still take a lot of $7-$10 tickets to re-pay the people who are brave enough to take on a project like this. So, I would encourage you to do some research and, if it is playing in your area, go see it. It would be a great date night! Not only will it bless the producers, but if it does well, maybe Hollywood will get the hint that there is an adult audience for clean, wholesome movies. One more thing...it is rated PG-13 only because the two main characters are police officers and there are two scenes where guns are used. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now...... open it and do some laundry! :-)