Last night's storm damage..

Wow!
I can't remember the last time I witnessed a lightning storm quite like that! We didn't get any wind or hail damage, but we lost 2 of our 3 televisions...Hopefully, insurance will kick in this time. (Not like last time we needed our insurance to pay for itself, but that's a WHOLE 'NUTHER story!)

My dad's metal detector that Jim borrowed was going off like crazy. That was strange...like some kind of electrical waves or something were going right through the house. Weird.

I am SO THANKFUL that is all the damage we received. My girlfriend had a huge maple tree blow over and do some MAJOR damage to her beautiful gardens. Luckily, it didn't fall on her house! Watching that storm last night just served as a reminder that a person can lose it all in just a matter of moments...

(Maybe we can take our broken TVs and put them with Pastor Kris' broken IPod and come up with some new invention. NNNAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWW)

Springtime is a joy to behold...

Without a doubt, Spring is my favorite season. This spring has been an especially beautiful one! My friend Tonya brought me a beautiful bouquet of rhododendron blooms from her "tree" at her home. Tree is not an exaggeration. She sent me a picture of it on my phone which shows it higher than her roof. Since I can't transfer that picture here, I have found a similiar one. And when you add the beauty of the Smoky Mts, well, all I can do is thank God for giving us such an awesome world in which to live!

The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them. Psalms 89:11 (KJV)

Asparagus, anyone?

While trying to figure out what to blog today...(you know this is harder than I thought. I have lots of things to say, but I'm not ready to go all "politically incorrect", yet.), I found a recipe site which reminded me I could share one of my favorite recipes, especially now that spring has sprung.

ASPARAGUS PIE

(not really a pie; more like a quiche)

1 bunch fresh asparagus (or 1 can asparagus spears)
2 eggs
1 Cup cottage cheese
1/4 Cup melted butter
1/4 Cup flour
1/2 Tsp. baking powder
1/4 Tsp. salt
1 Cup sour cream
1 tomato, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

Steam fresh asparagus till tender and arrange in spoke design in bottom of well greased 9 inch pie pan. (Allow tips to extend up sides of pan.) Beat eggs till frothy in medium size bowl. Add cottage cheese and melted butter and beat till almost smooth. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in sour cream. Pour filling over asparagus spears. Arrange tomato slices on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

This is really good if you like asparagus and fresh tomatoes. And who doesn't???? Plus, it is really easy. Enjoy!

GoldInferno Live

I swear, it never fails. Old adages are true. You learn something new everyday. While watching SYTYCD for the first time tonight, I discovered Jump Style Dancing, as first introduced by the "Gold Inferno". At first I thought this guy was just a slight bit off, but by means of the internet, I realized there really is a market for this sort of thing. (Sorry, I can't explain the mask). This was last year's audition. Enjoy!

Then, check this one out... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUbh_FCo8QU

Memorial Day

My father will be 86 on July 26th. He is a World War II veteran. Not a whole lot of them left. I wish I could take him to see this memorial in Washington DC. He (along with a lot of others) is pretty disgusted with our country right now...I don't think this is what he and the others who fought for our country back then was envisioning. Not by a long shot.

Today at church...

Today, Pastor Kris finished up the GUNSLINGER series. As he stated, this series was our church's mission statement of "Grace, Grow and Go" on steroids. I personally got A LOT from this series. Some nuggets gathered were, "It is better to lose your life than to waste it", Risk is right for Christians", "More guts for His glory", Love is not the absence of pain. It is the promise of pain", "The showdown is not against people rather Eph. 6:12" and our weapons in this showdown are "the gospel, prayer and self sacrificing service. The greatest cause in this life is to lead others to Christ".

Last week in growth group I learned that none of us are perfect and that it is a "daily dying to self" (or in my case, hourly or even minute by minute) dying to "the sins which so easily beset us" such as anger, wrath, pride, etc, etc, etc which we have to be mindful of.

Also, I was very glad that Pastor Pink put into words what I needed to hear about the election! Goes along with my life verse which is I Peter 5:7 "Casting ALL your care upon Him; for He careth for you." Even though I claim that as my life verse, I have to remind myself of it quite often. (More often than I should have to)

Fernando Ortega - Light Of Heaven (Live on Studio B)

Anybody else love this song?