~ Ephesians 3:16:21 ~
Sometimes we find ourselves running on empty if we are giving out a lot. 
Whether it’s giving our time or talents,
we can feel quite drained if we don’t take time to stop and ‘fill up’. 
We need to daily come before God to be filled afresh with the Holy Spirit.

We can’t continue to give out when there is nothing left inside to give. 
It’s like trying to go the full distance in 
a car that has already reached ‘empty’ at the halfway point. 
Trying to do this only causes us grief and stress we don’t need. 
It may even cause ‘burn out’.

This is why it is vital to our well being ‘spiritually’ to daily come in for a ‘fill up’ of the Holy Spirit. 
Just to spend some quality time with God in peace and quiet. 
It is revitalizing and refreshing.

I know in our busy-ness of life it’s hard to find time each day to really get alone with God. 
But we really do need to try. 
This is something I feel the Lord has spoken to me about lately,
because I need a daily infilling, too. 
How about you?!!



 Lord today as I come to you
Fill me afresh I pray
Help me Lord to not run empty
But to be filled every day

~ John 8:1–2 ~



Even Jesus needed to retreat to a quiet place.  So do we.  

and take life at a slower pace.
Don’t you agree?!



 Find a quiet place with God and rest,
For there you will be eternally blest.

By M.S.Lowndes

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful weekend…I’m a little slow starting this week.  It’s very warm here, as it is in most places, so I’m hibernating!  We planted some beautiful herbs this past weekend, lavender included, and they are looking tired already … our tomato plants, well, I don’t even want to mention those!  I need to get some Miracle Gro!  I was going to upload some pictures, but it seems that Xanga is ”performing maintenance to our servers and this feature is temporarily disabled.”  I hope it doesn’t prevent me from posting this!  I heard from Ian, and he had a very good time at “Spirit West Coast 2007″ this past weekend.  God opened doors, and he prayed with 2 people for salvation, and shared in a re-dedication to the Lord!  He was blessed!!  So was mom! :0)  I hope you all have a great week, and try to slow down a bit … find that quiet time alone with Jesus, talk to the Shepherd … and get “filled up” to overflowing!   

 Hugs,
~ Deborah <><


I’m also to let you all know that ‘the eyes have it’ over at BetsaflyGallery!  The theme this week is ”Eyes”, so go check out all of the really great entries!  She did post one of mine…I call it “4 Eyes”… and if you’re wondering, I’m the one on the left, and my dear friend Marcia, is the one on the right!  Next week the theme is “Shadows”, so if anyone is interested in posting a photo, check out the link to her site above!  No one votes … it’s just a place to share your talent … and the great thing about it is, we don’t even have to have talent!  Kind of like when we used to hang our art work on the refridgerator when we were little…little, huh, I still do that!!  Join in!!  “Shadows” are easy!  I hope to see some of your entries over there, as well!  

   

YEP, ANOTHER ONE!! 
IT’S…….
NATIONAL





F-R-I-E-N-D-S-H-I-P

Faithful
Reliable 
 Interesting 
Everlasting
Nice
Different
Sharing
Helpful
Incredible
Polite


~ The History of National Friendship Day in the United States ~

Considering the valuable role friends play in our life it was deemed fit to have a day dedicated to
friends and friendship.  The United States Congress, in 1935, proclaimed first Sunday of August as the National Friendship Day.  Since then, Celebration of National Friendship Day became an annual event. 
The noble idea of honoring the beautiful relationship of friendship caught on with the people and soon Friendship Day became a hugly popular festival.

Following the popularity and success of Friendship Day in the US, several other countries adopted the tradition of dedicating a day to friends.  Today, Friendship Day is enthusiastically celebrated by several countries across the world including India. 

In 1997, the United Nations named Winnie-the Pooh as world’s Ambassador of Friendship!

GO POOH !!!

Friendship Day has been dedicated to those friends who make our lives merrier and give a meaningful direction to the path of our lives. On Friendship Day people try their best to thank all those special angels called friends in their lives from the bottom of their hearts. There are some people who believe that friendship is so strong a relationship that it needs no special day for celebration. But then also it is a tried and tested fact that every relationship, no matter how strong needs some recognition and the Friendship Day enables you to do just the same that is it allows you to give due recognition to the beautiful bond of friendship which you share with your friend. 

At times we get so busy with our lives that we just start taking our friends for granted and just start neglecting them. On such occasions this Friendship Day reminds us of the importance of the friends in our lives so that we can never ever ignore those special people sent to this earth by God just for us.

Friendship is not about leading or following, it is simply being with each other to share each and every single moment of our lives. These simple words contain in themselves the entire beauty of friendship. Thus take some extra time out of your busy day and try to spend some valuable time with your friends on this Friendship Day as you never know when the time will lapse and you wont even get the
slightest time to say a simple thanks to your friend.



Here are a few more thoughts on friendship I found that I’d like to share!

 
(This one’s ^ for my friend lindaintennessee)

Friends come in all shapes and sizes;
they can be near or far away;
we can talk to them daily or only occasionally;
but some friends we only get to know in cyber-space….

There’s a miracle called Friendship
That dwells in the heart
You don’t know how it happens
Or when it gets its start
But you know the special lift
It always brings
And you realize that Friendship
Is God’s most precious gift!



Close friends are truly life’s treasures. Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves.
With gentle honesty, they are there to guide and support us, to share our laughter and our tears.
Their presence reminds us that we are never really alone.” 
- Vincent van Gogh - 

To the world you may be one person,
but to one person you may be the world.
~Author Unknown

Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others
cannot keep it from themselves.
_{~Sir James Barrie}

A friend is always faithful to you, even during the bad times.

A friend is reliable..you can count on one to always be there.

A friend stays in touch, even though it may not be as often as you’d like!

A true friendship is enduring, lasting even when friends lose touch for a while.

A friend is always there for you when you need someone.

A friend is devoted to your friendship and will never do anything to destroy it.

A friend is YOU! 

DID YOU KNOW
THAT IT’S ……

~ National Watermelon Day ~

Watermelon: Why not?

Watermelon is packed with many of the same health benefits as tomatoes.

Sure, watermelon is packed with seeds, 500-1,000 depending on the melon. But at it also is packed with so much more, including lycopene and antioxidants that prevent the cell damage that can lead to heart attacks and cancer.

Following are some watermelon facts to get you thinking about your next picnic.

Store watermelon at room temperature: But whole melons shouldn’t be stored for more than 10 days at room temperature or else they will lose flavor.

Wash watermelon before eating it:  In fact, wash all produce before you eat it, whether it has rinds or not.

You may eat the seeds: They won’t hurt you, but a rule of thumb is to avoid eating anything you cannot chew.
It’s up to you.

You may eat the rind: It has plenty of nutrients, such as potassium and fiber, but you’ll probably want to pickle it first; that’s how folks traditionally eat it. (I’ve never had pickled watermelon rind, myself).

Pick a good one: It should be firm to touch, free of bruises and symmetrical. And it should be heavy because it is 92 percent water.

That creamy white spot one one side is a good thing; that’s where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.

Source: Watermelon Promotion Board and Barbara Levine, Ph.D., R.D.


How to Select & Store:
Choose a watermelon symmetrical in shape without dents, bruises and cuts. Thump, if you must (listen for dull hollow sound). Turn watermelon over. The underside should be creamy yellow with a healthy sheen to the rind. Store cut watermelons in refrigerator. Cover cut surface loosely with plastic wrap. Uncut watermelons keep at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Watermelon has NO fat or cholesterol and is an excellent source of vitamins A, B6, and C.
It also contains fiber and potassium.

See this amazing way of cutting up a watermelon here. We did this, and it really makes it easy!
http://www.hormel.com/templates/template.asp?catitemid=113&id=838

WATERMELON SEED SPITTING, ANYONE?!
You can also make predictions about the number
of seeds in a watermelon or slice of watermelon.
Have a prize for the winner!
More watermelon?!

~ Check out this amazing ‘Watermelon Art’ ~






~ WATERMELON RECIPES ~




~ Frozen Watermelon Mousse ~

2-1/2 cups seeded, diced watermelon
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Place watermelon in container of an electric blender, and process until smooth.
Reserve 2-1/4 cups puree, discarding any remaining puree.
Combine gelatin and 1/4 cup watermelon puree.
Bring remaining 2 cups puree to a boil in a small saucepan.
Remove from heat; add gelatin mixture, and stir until gelatin dissolves.
Stir in sugar and lemon juice, and chill mixture until consistency of unbeaten egg white. 
Fold whipped cream into chilled watermelon mixture.
Spoon into a lightly oiled 6-cup mold.
Cover and freeze 8 hours or until firm; unmold onto serving plate.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Combine first four ingredients in large bowl. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Process watermelon mixture in a blender until smooth and return to bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a saucepan. Let stand 1 minute. Cook over low heat, stirring until gelatin dissolves (about 2 minutes). Add to watermelon mixture, stirring well. Add whipping cream and beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Pour mixture into freezer container of ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

Yield: 4 cups.


Hope you all enjoy National Watermelon Day!  I’m sure, now, that August 3rd will forever be etched in your mind as National Watermelon Day! :0) My hubby brought home a wonderful looking watermelon, which we are going to cut up and eat in honor of this day!   Do yourself a favor….eat a cool slice, or two, of watermelon today! 

Hugs,
~ Deborah <><

   

 


Two little boys, ages 8 and 10, were excessively mischievous.
They were always getting into trouble and their parents knew all about it.

If any mischief occurred in their town,
the two boys were probably involved.

The boys’ mother heard that a preacher in town had been successful in disciplining children,
so she asked if he would speak with her boys.

The preacher agreed, but he asked to see them individually.
So the mother sent the 8 year old first, in the morning,
with the older boy to see the preacher in the afternoon.

The preacher, a huge man with a booming voice,
sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly,
“Do you know where God is, son?”

The boy’s mouth dropped open, but he made no response,
sitting there wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open.

So the preacher repeated the question in an even sterner tone,
“Where is God?”

Again, the boy made no attempt to answer.
The preacher raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy’s face and bellowed,
“Where is God?”

The boy screamed and bolted from the room,
ran directly home and dove into his closet,
slamming the door behind him.

When his older brother found him in the closet,
he asked, “What happened?”

The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied,
“We are in BIG trouble this time,”

“GOD is missing, and they think we did it!



Thought you might need a smile today!
And yes, I know that Spanky, and Porky
are probably a bit younger than 8 and 10 in those pictures,
but I’m sure you get the idea!
Hope you all had a wonderful Wednesday,
 and today, I pray you have a …..



“The ‘good life’ is found in the richness of God.”

Please remember to pray for all of those involved in
the accident in Minneapolis! 



Hugs,
~ Deborah <><

Consider the following: