The Road Less Traveled

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, 

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;        

 

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same.      

 

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.        

 

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

 

--Robert Frost

Frosty's Relations

 First a notification: YES I got my previous cake idea from this recipe. :)

My Frosty Cohorts: 

 Grace

 and Abbie

 As you'll note, they require their own Mugs of Something to get them through the arduous work.

 As always...my very own...

 And Christmas music!!!

 So it begins.

Sugar cookie.

Royal frosting.

Melty marshmallows.

 Prepare yourself to meet Frosty's extended family!

 First up is Mel:

as he'll be quick to tell you, with a tearful sniff, it stands for both

MELancholy and MELting.

Though he isn't sure which one causes the other.

Regardless, his sadness today was caused mainly by the absence of Cookie Cohort Bekea, who wasn't able to make it to our annual Cookie Day because of sickness in the ranks.

We missed you, Bekea!!

 But then there's Harold, who's holding up pretty well. 

At least in spirits.

 Rave. N. Us would speak to you, but his mouth is full.

 Then there's Bug O. Phobe

 B.S. Nuss

Geeky O. Mittens

 Unicorn.

I think he just read that he doesn't exist.

 I forget this fella's real name, but his nickname is 

"Red-Cheeked Cuddler with Bears"

Nobody remembers why.

 P.J.

"Dreamer of Chocolate"

 Frosty's sister, Janet

 Ummm...this is the black sheep of the family.

"Flame"

Really a great guy when you get to know him...the trick is to catch him when he's not listening to his i-pod.

 Frosty's cousin, Frostily Ann. 

Behind her is her father, Frosty's father's brother-in-law, Bill.

 Then there are a couple that I don't think are actually related to Frosty, but wanted to join the party:

Louise (left) and Edmund (right)

 and then there's Penelope (there on the left) and...

well, we don't know what the other visitor's name is!

 We're not even sure HE knows!

OH my! I almost forgot there were TWO black sheep in the family.

Below, Frosty is ashamed to say, you catch his second cousin, Ban Dit, being caught red-handed with Frosty's mother's pearl necklace! Thank goodness for undercover-policeman like Officer Redman White! (Not related, btw, just invited to this event for activities such as this!)

 Because you never know when a random snowfight will erupt!

 And sweetest for last:

This is Frosty's mother,

Queen Frostine. 

Maybe not as slim as you last saw her on the Candyland board...but I'd say that, overall, the years have been good to her, wouldn't you?

 Such a happy family!

If only we'd remembered to make Frosty!

Oops.

Full Bloom of Obedience

Full Bloom of Obedience

                                                          ~John 15:8-11

My heart did struggle to comply

     to my Lord's command.

Dear sins, self-love--all things to which

     the Lord held out His hands.

But seeing these hands were pierced for me,

     my heart released its hold,

And found that in so doing I

     abided in His love. 

With great surprise my heart did note

     the rush of sap and life.

I saw the fruit, not of myself,

     replace the sin and strife.

When next the Lord of Life walked by,

     with pruning-shears in hand,

His face did shine with glory-light

     at growth and fruit sustained.

And then did heart full understand--

     the end of obedience see--

When Lord, through life, be glorified,

     more full our joy shall be.

Our King

"Our King has come. He is not like other kings.

 

Other kings are conceived and born, having a specific 

           point at which they come into existence.

Our King had no beginning; He has always existed.

 

Other kings are born into splendor and riches, or obtain 

          them when they usurp a throne.

Our King left all the splendor and riches to be born into poverty.

 

Other kings act to consolidate their power and to hold onto it 

          at all cost.

Our King limited the exercise of His power for a time.

 

Other kings surrender their kingdoms through defeat or death.

Our King established His kingdom through death, and, as a result, His kingdom will know no end.

 

Indeed, our King has come, and He will reign forever and ever."

 

-Tom Strode

http://communityofthecross.blogspot.com

Praying Mood

“We should pray when we are in a praying mood, for it would be sinful to neglect so fair an opportunity. We should pray when we are not in the proper mood, for it would be dangerous to remain in so unhealthy a condition.”  --Charles Spurgeon

The Cake of Hope (vdH)

 Now...Hope's birthday is the 4th. But tomorrow we drive down for a brief sojourn in South Carolina, and will be GONE on said important date.

SO!

Rather than try Hope's patience by celebrating late...we are celebrating today!!

What to do about the cake?

Chocolate chips and white chocolate is a good start!

 Now snowflakes we all GET, Hannah...

what's with the chocolate blobs?

 Patience, my friends, patience.

 Fluffy white frosting.

Buttercream with a couple spoonfuls of sour cream.

WOW.

 Better HURRY, though...it's melting!

 What do you think, Sam?

No guesses yet?

 My constant companion.

Do I need to tell you what it is?

 Okay, back from the tea break...

time to wake this cake up!

 I'm not sure how this is going to go over...it's a funfetti cake, not a CARROT cake! But 'tis necessary. Trust me.

 Cherry red trail...

 Perfectly placed.

Not as pretty as the Lord's...but they'll do.

 Are you ready for this?

?

?

?

?

?

?

 "The snowman stiffened with fear, even as his strength melted away. 

There!

Six...NO! SEVEN candles!

Stuck into his perfect white flesh.

He had heard tales horrific enough to freeze the blood in your veins.

Of fire.

And snow."

For being a Cake of Hope...

I don't think he can retain any for himself.

Hope, that is.

:-P

Eyes ever open

"Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!

Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!"

Psalm 144:15

I have had opportunity to travel quite a bit this year:

To the South Carolina beach in the winter.

To beautiful Northern Ohio in spring

To the NC/TN Smokey Mountains in the late summer.

To eastern Virginia surrounded by history! :)

Something that occasionally strikes me is how alert my senses are when visiting a new place:

the white fences against the emerald grass of Virginia plantations,

the salty, sandy scents of Hilton Head,

the roaring of heavy rain in the mountains.

And then I come home.

Back to the daily routines and daily work.

My eyes fix on my feet, and off the magnificent creation around me that shouts out the Creator's beautiful name, and calls me to worship my infinitely creative Father.

What's even worse is that I often treat the tremendous treasure of Jesus Christ--

His life, 

His love, 

His sacrifice, 

His salvation

as ordinary things that I've looked at so long that they've lost their wonder.

I don't THANK Him for bearing my sins and giving me life.

I don't TREASURE His Word of Truth.

I don't TAKE His promises by faith and live by them.

I don't TRUST with my life, the One who gave His life for me.

Or if I do, not NEARLY to the extent that He deserves!

Oh to see myself for who I am.

And God for who HE is.

Oh to have a LOVE that matches His WORTH!

To marvel at the very LEAST of the blessings He gives me, because, as a sinner, I am utterly undeserving of the SMALLEST demonstration of His love!!

(I know, lots of capitals! Bear with me!)
:)

I say with Jacob:

"I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant...'" Genesis 32:10 

And with David:

"'Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?" 1 Chronicles 17:16

It's astonishing to contrast these mens' lives with the blessing the Lord poured out on them.

Jacob was a liar and cheater--

yet the Lord gave him increase and prosperity and blessing without measure.

David committed adultery and murder--

yet the Lord set him directly into the line of Christ.

And I belong to this same God who has "searched me and known me!" (Psalm 139:1)

He knows the depths to which my sinful nature goes. Even deeper than I myself could ever know. After all, He bore that sin for me--and suffered its consequences.

"Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."

Isaiah 64:5-6

"For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 

BUT

when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 

he saved us, 

not because of works done by us in righteousness, 

but according to his own mercy, 

by the washing of regeneration 

and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 

whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Titus 3:3-7

This is blessing heaped upon blessing to one SO VERY unworthy of it!! Even my good deeds done in righteousness are worthless and filthy when compared to the holiness and holy expectations of God.

Oh to see this mercy and blessing in every breath I take, 

every sunset my eyes see, 

every hug I get from baby sister.

Oh to see it in every illness, 

every heartache, 

every need.

"Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?" 
Job 26:14

Lord, may I never become accustomed to Your wonderful ways of dealing with me. Or become so proud as to think I know how you ought to bless me. Keep my eyes ever open to Your great mercies! And my mouth full of thanks and praise!

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!"

1 Chronicles 16:34

May we all live lives of Happy Thanks-Giving!!
:)