H-O-P-E

It seems that "Hope" is the new word. The new catch-phrase. The new political attitude that has come to shine in Washington. I have heard these statements quite commonly:

"Hope for a better tomorrow"
"Hope for new jobs"
"Hope for a better economy"
"I hope you feel better"
"I hope things work out for you"

You've probably heard and even said these things too! I have.

Hope is thrown around a lot, but I wonder if people realize what hope really is. According to the dictionary it is simply a "wish for better things". A wish. We know how powerful wishes are. They shine like a coin but are lost in the darkness as we drop them in the well of hope. We never seem to see them again.

Have any of your birthday-cake wishes come true???
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As I look at Scriptures, I find out what hope really is.

"HOPE thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him". Psalm 42:11

"Which is Christ in you, the HOPE of glory" Colossians 1:27

"Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who HOPE in the Lord" Psalm 31:24

"Happy is he that has the God of Jacob for his help, whose HOPE is in the LORD his God" Psalm 146:5

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See a pattern? True hope isn't hope for something......it's hope IN SOMEONE.

Hoping for a better tomorrow is like reaching for a star. You will never touch it even though you aimed for it.

Hope is like a rope. If you drop a rope into the water, that rope will simply float. Your boat will drift. With God as your hope, you have an anchor on the end of that rope. You see, a hope with no direct object is useless!

Yet we say "hope" over and over, thinking, yes, "HOPING" that something good will come if we say it often enough.

God encourages us to put hope in Him and in His promises. He always provides when our hope is connected TO Him.


I will think twice before I say, "I hope you do well". Instead of saying such a trivial thing, I will lead the person to the God of hope, rather than hope itself.

Our land needs hope desperately; yet they are looking for it in policies, presidents, laws, and dollars. The everlasting hope is found in the Creator of heaven and earth. All we need to do is receive it.

Great Recipe

Great Recipe for a peace-filled life in 2009

1.
Take a 10 to 30 minute walk every day. And
while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate
anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at
least 10 minutes each day. Talk to God
about what is going on in your life. Buy
a lock if you have to.

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following
statement,
'My purpose is to __________ today.
I am thankful for______________'

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat
less food that is manufactured in plants.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of
water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds &
walnuts.

6. Try to make at least three
people smile each day.

7. Don't waste your
precious energy on energy vampires,
issues of the past, negative thoughts or things
you cannot control.

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and
dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life isn't fair, but it's
still good.

10. Life is too short to waste
time hating anyone.

11. Don't take yourself
so seriously. No one else
does.

12. You are not so important
that you have to win every argument.
Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so
it won't spoil the present.

14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no
idea what their journey is all about.

15. No one is in charge of your
happiness except you.

16. Frame every
so-called disaster with these words: 'In five
years, will this matter?'

17. Forgive everyone for everything.

18. What other people think of you is none of your
business.

19. GOD heals everything - but you have to ask Him.

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

21. Your job won't take care of you when you are
sick. Your friends will stay in touch.

22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following
statements:
I am thankful for
__________. Today I accomplished
_________.

24. Remember that you are too
blessed to be stressed.

25. When you are feeling down, start listing your many
blessings. You'll be smiling before you know it.

Driving in the snow

Living in Virginia for 17 years now, I am convinced that people can't drive in the snow. Being from Michigan everyone knows that snow driving isn't rocket science. It's just a fact of life.

I realize that Virginia does not get much snow. But that's no excuse. I drove out of our neighborhood yesterday with about 3 inches of snow on the ground. The car in front of me fish-tailed at least 5 times, almost hit the ditch, and almost ran head-on to the oncoming car! All in our neighborhood. I drove to the gas station, bank, friend's house, restaurant,and back home and not one fish-tail.

WHY? I know how to drive in snow. Snow does not scare me. I slow down, "feel" the car more, and refuse to slam on the breaks every minute. Two cars, same road, same snow, but different results! One almost got in a wreck, the other (me) got to several places safely.

On the Christian journey, it seems that many Christians let the "snow" in life panic them. They experience some trouble and just slam on the breaks. They wake up not expecting 3 inches of snow on the road. They don't adjust. Or, in the process of dealing with the snow, they slam into someone else. Snow may change the road, but we can still move on. Slow down, walk in the Spirit, be sensitive, don't drive on auto-pilot.

I noticed yesterday that snow showed what drivers are REALLY like. Most were cautious, responsible, and safe. Some were panicky, rash, and unsafe. All were drivers, but the mature ones could be seen a mile away.

When another Christian is about to slam into you, (being rude, rash, etc...) it may not be you. They may have received 3 inches of snow on their road and they are having a hard time adjusting. Pray and help them from heading to the ditch.

To all the Ladies

Leave Yesterday Alone (its gone)
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Live Today (count your blessings)
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Don't Worry About Tomorrow (it may not come)
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Dear God, The lady reading this is beautiful, classy & strong and I love her. Help her live her life to the fullest. Please promote her and cause her to excel above expectations. Help her to shine in darkest places and love where it is impossible to love. Protect her at all times, lift her up when she needs you the most and let her know that when she walks with you; she will always be safe.

Ladies, we need to stick together! When we pray, love, and serve, there is nothing that can stop us in the kingdom of God.

3051

I actually will miss George and Laura Bush. I was sad to see them leave the White House. They have such dignity, grace, and class.

These folks, no matter if one disagrees with their party or politics, kept morality and dignity in the White House. They gave us 8 years of not having to worry about interns, cigars and other unspeakable atrosities on their watch.

No, I don't agree with everything Bush did. But the number 3051 keeps hitting me. That's the number of days Bush kept us safe from attack after 9-11.

3051 days.
That's EVERY DAY.
That's 100% track record.
No matter how you slice it.

Bush is 100% in protecting us. He kept his promise to keep us safe. He wasn't afraid to call "evil", "EVIL". He looked terrorist countries in the face and refused to have lunch with their leaders. He bravely ducked as a middle-eastern man threw shoes at him. He kept us safe in spite of the media and much of the country attacking his authority!

3051 days of pure safety. For that alone, Bush deserved a standing ovation from today's innaugural crowd. But he received a few claps and random boo's. 3051 days of saftey to shop, go to school, fly in a plane. You can't put a price on that. You can't ignore it or talk it away. 3051 days.

Thank you, George W. Bush. God bless you.

Inauguration Recipe

For those of you who like to bake, here's the recipe for the dessert at today's presidential inauguration luncheon. I've been in that room in the Capitol when I toured it about 4 years ago. What an impressive place.

My husband and son were at Bush's inaugural parade 4 years ago, watching the limos drive by out in the cold. We were in security lines about 2 hours but it was a fun day. I'm glad my son could say that he was in Washington DC for a presidential inauguration.

Today, the presidential luncheon tried to honor Abraham Lincoln's tastes; Lincoln loved apples! In honor of Lincoln's bicentenial birthday, here is the recipe:

Lincoln's Cinnamon Apple Sponge Cake



Number of Servings: 10 Prep Time: 1 hr 30 min Skill Level: Average


Apple Filling
4 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup water
1/₃ cup granulated sugar
1/₃ cup apple sauce
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
Grated zest from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bread Crust
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melt 10 of tablespoons
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
34 slices brioche bread (or white bread)

Equipment
10 Ceramic baking ramekins or metal molds (3” diameter)

Sauce
2 cups caramel sauce(store bought)
2 cups granny smith apples, peeled, cored, diced small
Pinch sugar
Pinch cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Ice Cream
1 quart vanilla ice cream


Instructions:
Filling
1. Melt butter in 6-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add apples and caramelize, add water, cook, stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are completely soft. Remove cover and add sugar, nutmeg and salt.

2. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring apples frequently, until liquid has completely evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest, apple sauce and vanilla. Set aside to cool while making crust. The filling can be made one day ahead.

Making crust and assembly
1. Position oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Grease 8 ceramic dishes with 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle sugar in dish and tilt to coat bottom and sides. Tap out excess sugar and set aside.

2. Using a bread knife, remove crusts from bread. Center the bottom of mold over one of the bread squares. Cut around mold to form circle to use as the top. Make a total of 20 of these round pieces. Ten will be for the bottom and 10 will be used for the top. Dip each one in melted butter and place at the bottom of mold.

3. Cut each of the 15 remaining slices of bread into four rectangular pieces. Dip one side of each strip in the melted butter and arrange strips, upright, around the inside of molds, buttered-sides against mold and overlapping by about 1/2” to completely line mold. Use 6 rectangles to line the mold.

4. Spoon the apple filling into bread-lined molds, mounding it slightly in center.

5. Take the remaining ten rounds of bread and dip pieces of bread into the melted butter and place on top of filling, buttered-sides up. Press down lightly.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, then cover top loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until top is deep golden brown and side slices are golden brown (slide a thin-bladed knife between bread and pan to check). Remove from oven, uncover, and let rest for 15 minutes on wire rack. Run thin-bladed knife around edges of molds to be able to flip the mold out onto serving plates.

7. For the apple cinnamon caramel sauce, sauté 1 cup of peeled and diced Granny Smith apples in butter, add a pinch of sugar and cinnamon. Allow to cook until apples are lightly browned and all sugars have dissolved. Remove from heat and add 2 cups caramel sauce to the apples and stir to coat apples.

To Assemble
Pour caramel apple sauce over warmed apple cakes and serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

It's the little things....

I woke up Saturday morning to NO WATER. It was pretty cold the prior night, zero degrees. After the water trickled a little, it sputtered and then just died. No toilets either. I realized after talking to the neighbor that calling the water company would do no good. I had to call the plumber. I got one on the phone around 10:00 a.m. during Jimmy's taekwondo class. He said that he had 4 people in front of me so it would be a while. I could wait. Or could I??? NO toilets!

Finally I took matters in my own hands. Down to the crawl space I went, inspecting pipes and trying not to trip on the Christmas boxes around me. No leaks there. I still blow-dried everthing to make sure. The cats all rallied around me as they love going into the crawl space to sniff around.

Finally I checked our water purifier which is in the garage. I shook the plastic pipes and felt a slushy "crunch"....BINGO! I blow-dried them (or is it "blew-dried"???) and after an hour the plumber called me (by now it's nightime). As I spoke to him, I heard the familiar sound of water! I could proudly tell him that his services were no longer needed. I think he was relieved as he had 8 people after me!

Not having water for a day helped me realize that we are so fortunate. Many people around the world still have to go to a pump or to a well to get their water. And that water is filthy. People in India use water that is used as a giant bathtub for people and animals. So I really thanked the Lord for His goodness to us as I got under the warm covers that night after a long hot shower.

Inauguration Week

In this week of the Presidential Inauguration, I am thinking about Abraham Lincoln. We Felsburgs agree that he was our greatest president. I bought Darren the book, "Abraham Lincoln: A Man of Faith and Courage" by Joe Wheeler for Christmas.


In today's day of glamour and TV angles, Lincoln never would have made it with his strange looks and rough voice. Lincoln said of himself, "Nobody has ever expected me to be president. In my poor, lean lank face nobody has ever seen that any cabbages were sprouting."

But leadership doesn't always have Hollywood quality. Lincoln did what was right and most importantly, walked humbly with his God. He did not strive for popularity, but what was best for his people.

In the Bible, Israel chose Saul to be their king because he was good-looking and at least a "head above the other men". Physical stature does not guarantee success in God's economics. We know what happened to Saul! He lost the throne and his own sons died in battle with him.

President Obama claims to know Jesus Christ on a personal level. I will trust his statement on this and will pray for him as my President and leader of the greatest nation on earth. I am glad that he is using Abraham Lincoln's Bible in the swearing-in ceremony. I hope he embraces the humility and reliance on God that Lincoln had as well, for that is how he will be the best leader that he can be. No Bible can be a good-luck charm. My 8th grade Bible teacher once said, "Reading the Bible won't change your life....applying will!"

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!


Here are some quotes of Abraham Lincoln.


1.Truth is generally the best vindication against slander.

2. The Almighty has His own purposes.

3.Beware of rashness, but with energy and sleepless vigilance go forward and give us victories.

4. Men are not flattered by being shown that there has been a difference of purpose between the Almighty and them.

5. In giving freedom to the slave we assure freedom to the free - honorable alike in what we give and what we preserve.

6. Let us have faith that right makes might; and in that faith let us to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.

7. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors, and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views.

8. Why should there not be a patient confidence in the ultimate justice of the people? Is there any better or equal hope in the world?

9. You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.

10. That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Football Recipes

I have friends who are Pittsburgh Steelers (or Pittsburgh Stillers if you live up there) and Philly Eagles fans.......so I'm having them over on Sunday to watch the games. Here is a recipe I'm using for the big day.



Bacon Wrapped Smokies

1 package smokies sausages
1 pound bacon
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 TB. vinegar

Directions
Cut bacon slices in half.
Wrap one piece of bacon around each smokie and place them seam side down in glass baking dish.
Top with brown sugar and drizzle with vinegar.
Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator and bake in a 350° oven for one hour.
Remove from baking dish and transfer to a small slow cooker to keep them warm while serving

Iraqi Hubby

My hubby is in Iraq. The magic of technology and modern wizardry is in one small amazing gadget: the WEBCAM. We bought them for Christmas just for his trip. How amazing to be able to talk to someone and see them...............even though he is half way across the world. And it's FREE!

Sure beats writing letters that have to go by banana boat.