Menu Monday

Everyone has "that" meal that takes you back "home" - a special recipe or meal that you remember from childhood.  I have a few of those things and to this day they're some of my favorite foods.

One is a simple spaghetti sauce recipe that I thought I'd share with you...

1 lb hamburger
1 small onion (chopped)

1-2 cans tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
Water (fill can of each sauce/paste used)
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
Garlic Powder/Garlic Salt to taste
Salt to taste

Brown hamburger and onion, mix in rest of ingredients and simmer long enough for ingredients to mix together (the longer the better!)

Father to the Fatherless

“Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds — his name is the LORD— and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.”

- Psalm 68:4-5

In 1987 my world was rocked by divorce.  My dad didn't really stay involved - he went off and did his own thing, separate from my life.  We didn't go to church much, in fact his 'visitation' time was Sunday mornings at 10 a.m.  And when we did start going to church I really really struggled with God ... Father?  

Are you serious?  My picture was one of abandonment - how could "God the Father" really be loving and involved in my life when my only ideas of a father didn't quite go along with those traits.  Then, during the summer of 1999 I heard a woman give her testimony before she was baptized ... we'd been in church maybe a year and I was entering high school.  Her words were simple, but I could connect with them.  She said that she had decided God was HER FATHER since she really didn't have an earthly father who was involved in her life.  It was simple and something I knew, but I just needed to hear it from someone who had been there.  God crossed our paths that day to remind me that HE was my FATHER.

My dad died on Father's Day 2002 - it's been eight years ago now, but still seems like yesterday.  It was two weeks before I left for South Africa and two weeks after I turned 18.  Ready to enter my senior year of high school I faced the reality that my earthly father would never see graduations or grandkids - yet my Heavenly Father would lead me through all of lifes events.

Father's Day now is a little different - its a reminder of my dad - maybe one I would have overlooked had he not died on the actual day AND a reminder that there are people everywhere in my same situation and to them I want to say those simple words... GOD IS YOUR FATHER and He is loving caring and involved ... maybe not the picture you have of Him based on your earthly father.

Life

So, I thought you all might like an update on what's been going on lately ... maybe it will explain my absence lately :-)

First of all ...  this is Bayley - she's a 60lb lap dog.  Actually, she's an English Bulldog, but she sure does think she's a little dog!

Second of all, I had friends come to visit and play in a soccer tournament during Memorial Day Weekend!  We had a great time catching up and spending time together!

 Third, I flew to Dallas for a few days to learn more about our Database System ... FellowshipOne

Fourth, I MOVED - not out of town, just to a new place in town!  It's really nice and I'm enjoying getting settled in and meeting new neighbors!  Check back soon as I'll be posting a few pics of the new place, once we get furniture and my roommate gets settled in!

And finally, ADVENTURE WEEK is not that far away and I am busy busy busy getting ready for hundreds of kids (yes, like more than 800 or so!)  You can check out Adventure Week here!

So, there you have it!  A quick update!

CM Telesummit

Interested in hearing from some leading people in Children's Ministry???  Check out this FREE Telesummit...

www.cmtelesummit.com

It takes place from 9a-5p next Monday and Tuesday ... go to the link above to register!

Touchdown Jesus

So, 2 exits south of where I grew up there's a fairly large church that has caused a fairly large bit of controversy over the last several years with this fairly large statue.  Actually, let me restate that - it's a little bigger than fairly large ... it's 6 stories tall and sits on the side of Interstate 75 (one of the busiest roads in America). 

Affectionately named "Touchdown Jesus" or "Big Butter Jesus" by the locals - the statue has appeared in many photos over the years including the famous O-H-I-O photos for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Needless to say, the locals have had a lot of fun with this rendition of Jesus :-)  Well, this past week during some very bad storms Touchdown Jesus was struck by lightening and quickly burnt ... leaving just the steel frame after the Plexiglas and Styrofoam burned away.

Now as a lasting tribute the Bob and Tom Morning Radio Show in Dayton put together this video of Touchdown/Big Butter Jesus...

Wordless Wednesday

A Word

 ⁸ Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”

   I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

Isaiah 6:8

15 Days

So, it's been 15 days of silence on my blog.  I wish I could tell you its been a purposeful 15 days of nothing, but honestly it hasn't.  It's been pretty quiet as I've begun the moving process to a new place.  In fact, at the moment all my belongings are in boxes ... BUT ... only a few more days and the unpacking will begin!

So more to come very very soon, but for now enjoy the summer sunshine and the warm weather :-)