Use Other Door

Pancakes in a Can

2011-01-27T18:13:00.002-05:00

Several months ago I happened to notice this product - Batter Blaster - located near the eggs in my local Wal-Mart. The label read no mess, no cleanup. I have labeled myself as the worlds laziest cook, so this was perfect for me.

It works just like a can of Redi-Whip - Shake it, hold it upside down and press the nozzle to release or as the directions say, blast into a skillet or waffle maker. Although you won't find me using it for waffles, I'm too lazy to clean the waffle maker. I'll stick to the Waffle House or frozen waffles I can throw in the toaster.

The pancakes taste good and have a good texture, although I did find that I needed to use it up within 4-5 days because the quality does go down after that. I estimate that I am able to make 12-15 pancakes per can.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mobile Blogging

2010-03-26T12:15:00.001-04:00

For the whole month of March, off and on, I have been trying to figure out how to do mobile blogging from my iPhone.
I didn't have any success following the directions on Blogger and after looking for help online, it seems other people are having issues also. I found this app BlogPress that will work with my blog that is already set up. I will post this and hope to see it on the blog.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Advice

2009-07-22T17:35:00.002-04:00

People will say the wrong thing. You just have to remember that they meant to say the right thing. It allows you to be so much more gracious.

Elizabeth Edwards, Readers Digest, August 2009 pg. 84

Toil

2009-07-13T10:17:00.002-04:00

“For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” 1 Timothy 4:10 ESV

Even though I know that I only have to trust in Christ alone for salvation, progress in my walk with God is a struggle. It is hard work.

We have to work at denying ourselves and studying God’s word, praying, loving God and others. We have to put what God wants before what we want. We have to put what others need before what we want.

My motivation is, what the verse states above, I believe and because I believe, God is my Savior and I have my hope set on him.

What are you toiling and striving for? Is it the Kingdom of God or not?

Focus

2009-07-10T09:24:00.001-04:00

Matthew 13:54-58

In the passage above Jesus visited his hometown and taught in the synagogue and the people there had trouble seeing and believing. The people of Nazareth looked at the MAN, the person they had known and grown up with. In their eyes he was no different than them.

...he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get his wisdom and these mighty works?” v.54 ESV

They saw his wisdom and mighty works. They saw Jesus as God presented before them, but they chose instead to focus on man and not on God.

And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. v.58 ESV

What will you chose today? To focus on man and his limitations, or to focus on God and his wisdom and mighty works.

Doubt

2009-07-09T11:47:00.004-04:00

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Matthew 11: 2-3 ESV

This was John the Baptist who had been chosen, appointed by God even before conception. He knew his purpose. He knew his career path, yet here he was sitting in prison, sending others to ask Jesus if he was the one.

Why? He was in prison. His understanding of what he thought should be happening was not making sense. Jesus arrival was to bring blessing on those who repented and judgement on those who did not.

Sometimes we need to readjust our perceptions. We need to see through Gods eyes and not ours.

What did John do when in doubt? He asked Jesus and Jesus answered him.

“...the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.” Matthew 11:5 ESV

Are we looking through our eyes or God’s eyes? Pray and ask God to help you see as he sees.

Discouragement

2009-07-08T13:31:00.003-04:00

Are you unhappy or unsure about the situation you are in right now? The situation I am thinking about is the church you are attending, but this question fits with other life situations like your job or your marriage.

One of the first questions that pops up when we are in the midst of discouragement is - Is this God’s will for my life? A valid question, but one that we need to be very careful in answering.

Have you ever said “I am not happy with the way things are going so I don’t think this is God’s will for my life right now.

Here are four statements that could be true when we begin to question our current situation.

I made a rash decision based on how I was feeling at the time.

I don’t believe God made the right decision for me in this matter.

I am in rebellion against God.

I am under attack from the enemy.

We need to make sure we have carefully spent time in prayer and before the face of God, before we speak about God’s will for our life. Before YOU decide what God’s will is for your life.

Where are you today? Do you need to ask yourself how you got there? Are you there because of God’s will or are you there because of a poor decision or rebellion? Even if you are in a situation because of rebellion or poor decision making, God is using that in your life.

Not sure about God’s will right now? It is God’s will to live our lives for him and serve others in whatever situation we are in right now.

Excitement vs. Discouragement

2009-07-07T10:44:00.003-04:00

Right now I am excited, but for the last several months I have been on a roller coaster ride. Why? I have been participating in the plant of a new church.

I have had moments of discouragement, but how did I get from discouragement to excitement. How did I go from excitement to discouragement and then back to excitement again?

I became discouraged because I lost my focus. In my moments of discouragement I have been focusing on people and their limitations. When I am struggling and unhappy; when I want to quit and walk away it is because life is not going the way I want it.

Are you discouraged today?

Are you looking at God? If you are looking at God, at Jesus, then you are in God’s will regardless of what is happening around you. You are exactly where you are because God put you there.

I know I am in Gods will for my life right now because I believe that God is in control.

Who are you focusing on today? Is it God and what we can do for others? Or is it self and what others are not doing for us?

Lander CommUniversity iPod Winner

2008-12-18T11:24:00.003-05:00

Please visit www.ocgreenwood.com to view the video.

Lander CommUniversity Futon Winner

2008-12-17T11:12:00.006-05:00

Please visit www.ocgreenwood.com to view the video

Gift Giving Advice Reminder

2008-12-09T12:58:00.002-05:00

You may remember I posted before about appropriate gifts for your spouse. Here is a video reminder for those who haven't completed their Christmas shopping yet. It is also not to late to return that "perfect gift" and buy something else.

Also a disclaimer: My husband sent me this video and thought it was hilarious, mostly because he has fallen prey to this scenario. He did give me some insight into the male brain thought process of gift giving.

Men love tools. They love gadgets. They love anything that is going to make their job a little easier. They would love to get these types of things for gifts, so it naturally follows that their wives would feel the same way. Unfortunately for husbands in this aspect our brains work in a completely different way.

Enjoy!

Lander CommUniversity Fridge Winner

2008-11-11T22:53:00.007-05:00

Oasis Church participated in Lander CommUniversity in September, an event put on by Lander University for incoming freshman to get to know what is available to them in the community in and around Greenwood, SC where the school is located. We had a drawing to give away an ipod, a futon and a fridge.

We were able to video tape the winners. We had a blast and so did they.

Please visit www.ocgreenwood.com to view the videos.

Miami Beach

2008-11-10T21:36:00.008-05:00

Don and I spent the last full day of our recent trip in Miami Beach, also known as South Beach. We ate lunch on Ocean Drive, which is lined with several hotels which have been featured in movies. We had lunch at the Boulevard Hotel/Sea Cafe pictured below. Also featured is the Versace Mansion which was a few blocks over from our lunch spot. Later we went on a tour that took us around Miami Beach and I took a photo of a home that was used in several episodes of the tv show Miami Vice.

Believe it or not

2008-11-04T19:56:00.004-05:00

Below I have posted some photos from a 105 ft. New Zealand built World Cruising Motor Yacht, one of hundreds of mega yachts at the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show. Don't miss the piano, totally unbelievable. This yacht was brought over from New Zealand on a freighter. And before I forget, it is for sale in case you are interested, sorry I forgot to ask the price.

Back from Florida

2008-11-03T20:54:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I didn't blog during my vacation. I guess I was having to much fun. So much fun that I am too tired to blog tonight. I am posting a few photos from my first day in Florida and will probably post more photos this week.

Also I am watching the SNL Presidential Bash and the Redskins beating the Steelers on Monday night football.

An extra large truck we spotted while driving around Key Biscayne and my son Josh on the right making pizza for lunch.

Photos of a home that was built as an actual castle in a Miami neighborhood.

Short Posts

2008-10-28T20:26:00.004-04:00

I will be boarding a plane and taking off at 5:55am tomorrow morning to Ft. Lauderdale. I will be traveling with my husband for an anniversary trip and we will be attending the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show. We will also travel to Miami Beach to visit with our son Josh whose birthday is on Thursday.

My plan is to try mobile blogging this week, so the posts will probably be short and the photos blurry if I take them with my cell phone. I am not taking my laptop, but Don is, so I might be able to sneak some time on his laptop to blog. Of Course I will be doing status updates on FaceBook.

Adrenaline Rush

2008-10-27T21:00:00.002-04:00

Thursday night I went with a group from Oasis Church to help out the YMCA with their annual community carnival. Our group ran the giant inflatable obstacle course. We had a blast. Before the event started we had a chance to test it out first. Kara Grace and I raced each other first. I was ahead, but then I was swallowed alive about halfway through and got stuck, but managed to get out and finish last. There were a few others that were brave enough to try.

Here is a blurry picture of Sherry A. coming down the slide.

There was one little boy in a Spiderman costume that kept wanting to do it repeatedly. I had to go with him the first three times until he got the hang of it. Curt was singing the Spiderman song every time we came by except the only words he knew were “Spiderman, Spiderman, some other words that I don’t know.” So he told me I had to put them in my next blog. So here they are Curt.

Spiderman, Spiderman, Does whatever a spider can Spins a web, any size, Catches thieves just like flies Look Out! Here comes the Spiderman. Is he strong? Listen bud, He's got radioactive blood. Can he swing from a thread Take a look overhead Hey, there There goes the Spiderman. In the chill of night At the scene of a crime Like a streak of light He arrives just in time. Spiderman, Spiderman Friendly neighborhood Spiderman Wealth and fame He's ignored Action is his reward. To him, life is a great big bang up Whenever there's a hang up You'll find the Spider man.

Dream Home 5 of 5

2008-10-24T16:47:00.001-04:00

Continued from yesterday

The day for the announcement of the winner arrived. The live show began. I still had some hope even though by now I was sure I was not the winner. I had not seen any signs of any one lurking and none of my friends or neighbors had been acting strange. Halfway through the show the craziness of this obsession finally sunk in. I was exhausted from the adrenaline. I never wanted to enter a contest like this again.

With five minutes left the announcer entered the home and surprised the winner. I felt some disappointment but mostly relief. I could now get back to my real life. Before I shut off the TV I saw a commercial for another home giveaway to start the following week. Maybe just a quick look wouldn’t hurt.

The End

Dream Home 4 of 5

2008-10-23T22:57:00.001-04:00

Continued from yesterday

Even after the sobering realization of the humungous tax bill, I was still excited about the possibility of winning the dream home. If the dream home was sold, the winner could still walk away with close to one million dollars free and clear. I submitted another five or six entries and then the time for entering the contest came to an end. It would be a little over three weeks before they surprised the winner on live TV.

I spent those three weeks on the dream home website watching videos of the interior rooms, looking at photos and reading the blog and reading the message board, gleaning as much information as I could to feed my obsession. I was torn between embracing the dream home and fearful of the financial implications of winning.

My obsession consumed a few hours of each day. I was on the look out for anyone following me or staking out my home. If they were going to surprise the winner, they would have to know where to go to surprise me.

Tune in tomorrow to find out how it ended.

Dream Home 3 of 5

2008-10-22T18:20:00.001-04:00

Continued from yesterday

What I was most curious about was how much would winning this year’s dream home cost me? I can’t help it. I wanted to be prepared just in case. I looked at the current Federal Tax Rate Schedule and determined that I would be in the highest tax bracket at thirty-five percent.
The prize package approximate retail value (ARV) was as follows:
$2,000,000 for the Dream Home
$150,000 for the furnishings (remember the four truck loads of furniture?)
$55,000 for the new SUV Hybrid vehicle
$1,500 for the dog house

The total ARV was $2,206,500

In the 35% tax bracket filing jointly the total came to $833,765.65. The state that I live in would collect 7% of the ARV which would be $154, 455. Adding the two together gave me a total of $988,220.65.
But wait! There was good news. This tax bill wouldn’t be due until April 15th of the following year.

Tune in tomorrow

Dream Home 2 of 5

2008-10-21T17:43:00.003-04:00

Continued from yesterday...

I woke up the next morning with a startling thought. I would have to pay taxes if I won this prize. How would I do that? How much would the taxes be? When winning a lottery you receive money and the taxes are taken out and paid, but this was a home that was valued at $2,000,000. Reality was setting in and my obsession with winning the dream home was beginning.

I went to my computer to search the Internet for answers. The website for entering the contest also would provide most of the answers I would be looking for. There was a blog about the dream home giveaway and also a message board. I found that the message board had several people with the same questions and found the answers there. This would be the 12th home to be given away annually since 1997. Most of the winners had sold their dream homes. One winner kept their dream home for several years as a vacation home. The only other winner to keep their home did so for about two years and then sold because of the financial burden. Do not start feeling bad for them; they all still walked away with several hundred thousand dollars free and clear after selling the homes.

Tune in tomorrow

Dream Home 1 of 5

2008-10-20T18:40:00.003-04:00

This week I am posting a five part continuing story. Hope you enjoy it.

Dream Home

The upscale furniture truck caught my eye. Wow, a whole truck of furniture from my favorite store. My husband and I watched as it was unloaded and moved into the home. Then I heard someone say that this was truck number one of four. I could not believe there were four trucks of furniture! I told my husband that had to be over $100,000 of furniture. Only in my dreams would I be able to spend that kind of money. Little did I realize that wouldn’t be the last I would see of that furniture.

A few weeks later I was clicking the remote searching for something to watch and I heard the announcer, “It’s like a vacation that never ends…” That caught my eye, “your chance to win this vacation dream home in the Florida Keys...” I was hooked. I also realized that this was the same home I had seen a few weeks earlier getting the furniture delivered. The furniture I loved could be mine. I listened in to find out if I could enter online. I entered my information, pressed the enter key and settled back to dream about lounging in the Florida keys while gazing over clear blue water, palm trees and relaxing in tropical paradise.

Tune in tomorrow

Love

2008-10-17T23:26:00.001-04:00

The most important thing I have learned in 28 years of marriage is what love really is.

Love is a feeling, but we don’t always feel love. Love is a choice, but we don’t always choose to love. Love is an action, but we don’t always act in love.

The two greatest commandments given by God both have to do with love. After being asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus answered

“ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind….You shall love your neighbor as yourself” Matthew 22:37-39

I am commanded to love first God and then my neighbor. My closest neighbor is my spouse. I am commanded to love. That is an action that I must choose regardless of the way I feel.

Love grows and changes and becomes stronger when we decide to love during all the good times and bad times of marriage.

My advice is to remember the promise, and make the decision to love your spouse for better, for worse, till death do us part.

Recommended Reading: Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

What Men Need

2008-10-16T21:32:00.003-04:00

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
What about unconditional respect? Now that is a foreign term to most of us. Sure we have heard of unconditional love, but unconditional respect?

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Ephesians 5:33

In today’s world the thinking is, that respect must be earned, but what if we were to treat respect differently with our husbands. Have you ever considered giving your husband unconditional respect? Don’t we expect to receive unconditional love from him?

Try the “Respect Test”*. Spend some time thinking of things you respect about your husband. When he is not busy or distracted say: “ I was thinking about you today and several things about you that I respect, and I want you to know I respect you.” Then mention something you need to do and quietly start to leave the room and wait to see what will happen. If your husband asks what those things are, be prepared to tell him. No matter how he responds the idea is to show him respect unconditionally.

What are some things we can tell our husbands we respect about them?
His work and achievements and how he provides. Think about what your husband does that is important to him. What is he doing for you? What does your husband do well?

Let me know how this goes. I hope something exciting happens.

*Love & Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

Forgiveness

2008-10-15T21:42:00.004-04:00

Today I am cheating a little, so you'll have to forgive me. Below is the Chapter 6 intro of the book "When Sinners Say I do", which is on forgiveness in marriage.