Jean Stockdale...

Hitting the Wall-The Great Wall of China

While in Beijing, we had the choice privilege of climbing the Great Wall of China. At least a small part of it. What can I say? It's a big ole wall!! The scope of the thing is staggering. The fact that it was built during the Ming Dynasty is stunning. The Wall stretches about 4000 miles. According to Wikipedia, the Great Wall was guarded by more than one million men at its peak. It is estimated that 2 to 3 million Chinese died in the centuries-long project of building the wall. Getting a chance to see it in person, much less walk on it, was an unbelievable privilege. 

We rode in cable cars to get up to the point where we could climb up a huge set of stone stairs just to get onto the Wall. For those of you who know that I do not have a love affair with heights, you will know that this took some courage on my part to even get into this metal cage.

When the cable stopped briefly, I was forced to cast down some vain imaginations. I tell ya', vain imaginations. Casting them down and clinging to Jesus. I am not ashamed to admit it. When we got on the Wall, the hike was steep-like straight up.

A metal railing could be used and I found it necessary in some spots. 

Did I mention I am not a lover of heights?

The guard turrets are sealed now. So you can only walk up a section and the get off the wall, by-pass the turret and get back up on the Wall. Part of the walk is on stone steps. They are irregular in height and size, but the stunning thing is the age of the thing. Knowing you are standing on something that was built over 600 years ago (maybe older) make you go all "swimmy headed." Perhaps that was the height thing, but in any case, it is unbelievable.

As we began to start down, I took this picture.

It is stunning, isn't it? I also took this one of Mr. Stockdale.

Notice the dark clouds building in the background? We were in Beijing during the dry season. Our tour guide assured us that if it did start to rain, it would only last a few minutes. Optimistic as we are, we believed her and continued to climb. After we reached the turret and took some pictures, I was ready to return to the lookout and sit and sip coffee. I wanted to have time to try to take in the view. As we made the descent, a storm set in---the likes of which I have not seen in a while! We got drenched. Now it was very hot, so a little rain was nothing to complain about, until we saw spikes of lightening piercing the sky. From our vantage point we could see alot of lightening. Alot. Suddenly I realized that the people climbing up past me looked very very strange! Their hair was LITERALLY standing up on end. Who knows what that means?

Right.

According to eHow.com, "If your hair suddenly stands on end, it could mean that you are about to be struck by lightning. To protect yourself, drop to your knees with your hands on them and bend forward. Never lie flat on the ground." That's what I'm talking about! We were on the highest point anywhere around, clinging to a metal handrail, in a thunderstorm that went from rain to hail, and our hair was standing on end! Our only way back down to level ground was to ride a metal basket!!! I make travel so much fun!

I tell you, things happen to me that do not happen to other people!! We managed to make it off the Great Wall, soaked to the skin but safe. Jeff and Christi Brawner, along with their friend Laura, climbed up the Wall instead of riding the tram. Here is Jeff and his shirt.

It was quite a trip!! One I will never forget for many reasons - one of which is the honor of seeing the Great Wall of China.

Orange Sherbet Soda

Orange Sherbet Soda

Orange Sherbet

1 Orange Kool-Aid made with sugar according to package's directions

In a tall glass, put several large scoops of Orange Sherbet. Pour Orange Kool-Aid over the orange sherbet. Serve with a fancy cookie, a long spoon and a straw. Yummers!

This is one of my favorite desserts in the summer. It is a quick refreshing dessert.

For more great ideas, check out We Are That Family.

Words, That's What I Got. Words! Words, I say.

My publsiher just sent me an email to tell me that my latest Bible study workbook on Ephesians has 61,579 words in the manuscript. Words. I got a lot of 'em!

Happy Birthday, Baby Love

Grayson turned ONE yesterday. We set up a "water park", bought some pizza, made some dip, had lots of bubbles to blow, and the fun ensued. We rented this water slide:

Dawson and Grayson gave it a try. Baby Gray was less than impressed.

Declan checked out the baby pool.

Grayson liked it better too.

And then came the cake!

Cake is good!

Happy Birthday, Grayson. 

JJ and Poppa love you. So do mom and dad.

Daws and Kathryn, you guys are doing a great job on "training up this little guy in the way he should go." God bless you all. And Happy Birthday, Baby Grayson. You are loved!

High Finance in Beijing

Shopping in the market of Beijing is a cultural experience, as well a an exercise in high finance. Craig and I were gathering some souvenirs from our trip to Beijing. Craig was able to download an application on his iPhone that converted yuan to American dollars. The Chinese vendors had calculators to show how much something cost in yuan. Even if they did not speak English, it was possible to make a purchase and negotiate a fair price. High finance in Beijing!

I bought my Chinese silk fans from this young woman and her little brother. Are they adorable, or what?

Below is a picture of Craig and one of the merchants haggling over a chess set. This was our 3rd visit to this vendor as we considered whether to buy it or not. The price was steadily going down as Craig's interest waned. Craig really was not sure if he wanted to buy the chess set and we did not want to carry it until we were ready to head back to the hotel. In the States we have a rule, "If you break it, you buy it." The Chinese have a rule also. "If you touch it, you must negotiate." 

These merchants are determined sellers. They could even be described as aggressive! As I was stopping to look at a leather purse, I looked around for Craig. I was shocked to see Mr. Stockdale wearing a leather coat. Two women had put Craig into a leather jacket, against his will, and were negotiating a price, even as he was trying to explain he was not interested and was only waiting for his wife! Aggressive, I say. Aggressive. Anyways, here is the picture of the chessman and his customer. Merchant with calculator. Craig with iPhone.

The merchant's job is to convince the buyer that the item is perfect for the you. He is (or it appears this way from my limited experience) willing to say just about anything to close the deal! Frankly, I am such a soft touch that I am willing to buy into it immediately. This is why I do not do the negotiating. Craig and I agreed on a code word before we ever started shopping. It would let Craig know what I really wanted and what I didn't. Once Craig "cracked my code" he became "The Negotiator." High finances in Beijing!!

This is the chess set in question.

It is beautiful. Look at the clasp. This is what sold me!

To make his point, the merchant began to raise his voice. At one point, when Craig was driving a particularly hard bargain, I think the seller may have called Craig a seriously bad word! But I assume this is all a part of the dance. The merchant convinced Craig that this was the chess set that would make his life complete. He even "talked him in to" taking two. The merchant wanted Craig to take note of the workmanship. The pieces were made of carved cow bone. Seriously, is that a selling point? I am not sure. But this was important for us to understand. It is what drove the price of the set. Handmade. Cow bone. Must have!!

Beautiful, isn't it? So this is what cow bone looks like up close.

Negotiations were struck. The merchant implied Craig was bankrupting him but congratulated him on driving a hard bargain! (Since we own a small business, we can understand and sympathize with these merchants!! We are considering employing some of their tactics. We are praying about it!)

When we arrived home, sadly one of the pieces was broken. Look closely. Does this look like cow bone to you?!!?! Or does it look suspiciously look like resin plastic?

High finance in Beijing!! Seriously. High finance.

I did not get taken advantage of in the market. Not me!r

For more fun stories, check out My Charming Kids. Blessings.

Within one week we have celebrated the birthdays of both Baby Grands. Declan, Jason and Patti's little guy, turned 2 on June 20. Grayson, who belongs to Dawson and Kathryn, is celebrating his first birthday today!! Happy Birthday to YOU

Our life has been greatly enriched by the addition of these twigs to our family tree. 

JJ and Poppa love you dearly!

Declan and Grayson, you are treasured! Happy Birthday to You both. May the Lord bless you and keep you as the apple of His eye!!

Moms Bloggers Club

We MOMS need to stick together. At Moms Blogger Club we have a group of MOM bloggers who are trying to increase their Technorati rating. My inclusion of every one of these sites is not a blanket endorsement of what is written. These blogs represent a wide range of opinions and backgrounds. Just because someone is on this blogroll does not mean I endorse everything he or she says. But having friends who think differently than I do teaches me something, and I'm the better for it. So read and enjoy, and if you have questions about what I believe, click here.  Check them out and decide for yourself. They have some great blogs; check them out: 

http://blog.weddingpaperdivas.com/ 

http://blog.tinyprints.com/ 

http://lipsticktocrayons.com/ 

http://momstart.com/ 

http://iamharriet.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.akblessingsabound .com/ 

http://www.momspective .com/ 

http://www.shortpumppreppy.com/ 

http://www.anuttymom.com/ 

http://mamamentor.blogspot.com/ 

http://moomettesmagnificents.com/blog/ http://moomettesmagnificents.com/reviews/ 

http://ifmomsaysok.wordpress.com/ 

http://dominiquegoh .com/ 

http://www.stickyfeet2 .com/ 

http://wondermommy.wordpress .com/ 

http://mamasmoneysavers .com/ 

http://www.feelslikehomeblog.com/ 

http://jeanstockdale.typepad.com/ 

http://a-nut-in-a-nutshell.blogspot.com/ 

http://lizzie-q-homemaker.blogspot .com/ 

http://mainfo.blogspot .com/ 

http://saveyourmoneymama.blogspot .com/ 

http://www.themomjen.com/ 

http://www.themomreviews.com/ 

http://fitness.momspective.com/ 

http://www.blessedwithgrace.blogspot .com/ 

http://www.bizziemommy.com/ 

http://blog.lalababyboutique.com/ 

http://www.thinkorganicbaby.com/ 

http://www.fracturedtoy.blogspot.com/ 

http://apple4meandyou.blogspot.com/ 

http://lovehomemaking.com/ 

http://www.justtherightspice.com/ 

http://www.thehomemakerhelpers.com/ 

http://melodythacker.com/ 

http://associatemelody.com/watkins-news-and-product-reviews/ http://heritageremedies.com/serendipity/ 

http://scarymommy.com/ 

http://scarymommycreations.blogspot.com/ 

http://joyntheir.com/ 

http://betheweightyouwant.com/ 

http://joyblogging.com/ 

http://bodybuildingmuscleshaping.com/ 

http://blasianbabynotes.blogspot.com/ 

http://littlemisshannah.com/ 

http://stacysrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/ 

http://drachmagirl.blogspot.com/ 

http://1momof5.blogspot.com/ 

http://isitmondayalready.blogspot .com/ 

http://saveyourmoneymama.blogspot .com/ 

http://www.manicmother.com/ 

http://practicingthrift.blogspot.com/ 

http://conversationswithmoms.com/ 

http://healthywealthymoms.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.3psinapod.com/ 

http://downtoearthblog.com/ 

http://lusciousdeals.blogspot.com/ 

http://dominiquegoh.com/ 

http://www.andrewsandfamily.blogspot.com/ 

http://lusciousdeals.blogspot.com/ 

http://confessionsofahousewife.com/ 

http://brainfoggles.com/ 

http://prettypinkmomma.blogspot.com/ 

http://ahappyhippymom.blogspot.com/ 

http://sweeps4bloggers.blogspot.com/ 

http://sweeps4california.blogspot.com/ 

http://thedivinemissmommy.com/ 

http://www.gliks.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.momsrevolution.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.mydivinechaos.com/ 

http://www.morethancents.info/ 

http://itsabeautyfilledlife.blogspot.com 

http://kidzarama.com/ 

http://momsrevolution.blogspot.com 

http://www.atticgirl.blogspot.com 

http://thesimmonswardfamily.blogspot.com/ http://www.professionalfamilymanager.com http://wwww.akblessingsabound.com/ 

http://www.itsabeautyfilledlife.com 

http://conniesview.com 

http://www.alpinekleinbunch.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.ahappyhippymom.com

If you are a member of Technorati, please make me a favorite of yours and I will return the favor. Also if you will post my button, I will be glad to post yours. Thanks in advance for the support.

Check out some of these bloggy spots. Blessings.

Five Things Friday

Five Things I Know for Sure:

As a young mom I wish I had known these five things. I think this knowledge would have enabled me to relax and enjoy the ride of motherhood just a bit more.

1. I wish I had known that one day my grown son would sit down and ask me, "So, tell me about your day."

2. I wish I had known that one day I will be able to go to sleep without wondering if a child would wake me up.

3. I wish I had known that one day my house would be so quiet that I would long for the noises that accompany a house full of kids.

4. I wish I had known that one day my grandchildren would love making noise and I would secretly smile at the full-circle moment. Two little boys in a tiny cottage home make lots and lots of noise. I did not like noise. They did. This was sweet payback, if you ask me. Payback. That's what I call it. Payback!

5. I wish I had known that my two boys would become great friends. At times, sibling rivalry was so strong-along with a natural competitive bent boys are created with-that I assumed our boys would not even be speaking to each other. Turns out they are great friends. What a blessing.

When I was a mom with little guys, I was convinced I was in the process of scarring my boys beyond repair. I expected to spend their college tuition on professional counseling to repair the emotional damage I had done to their psyche. I felt overwhelmed, overtired, overwrought, and under-qualified. 

The Lord Jesus was well-pleased with the widow's mite, saying she did would she could. Others did more. Others gave more. Others had more to give. But she gave what SHE COULD. As I mothered, I did what I COULD. Other moms did more, gave more, and had more to give. But God multiplied the work of my hands as I surrendered to Him. 

As a young mom I never felt adequate, but I continually cast myself on His grace as I raised my children. It was not always pretty. It was not always tidy. I was not always consistent in my efforts, but God knew my heart and He helped my boys to know my heart as well. He helped my sons overlook my momentary failures of the flesh and see my heart's desire, which was to pursue with passion the Lord Jesus Christ. He crowned my mothering efforts with His glory and produced 2 young men who are seeking after Him. I wish I had known that when my guys were little. Now you do! Perhaps this will help. Blessings.

Baby Gray

Saturday we will celebrate Grayson's first birthday. We cannot believe our Baby Grand is going to be a year old. To say that time flies is quite cliche, but true none-the-less. Here is one of my favorite series of pictures.

Following in Dad's Footsteps:

Life Father, Like Son:

Big Shoes to Fill:

Bummer!

Happy Birthday, Baby Gray. You have brought a great deal of joy to my heart. Despite your sad face, I think you feel the same!!

Shopping in Beijing

I am not one who just loves to go shopping. Spending the day strolling through th mall to shop makes me want to poke my own eye out with a rusty fork. I am not a good bargain shopper. I almost never find a good deal. I have "buyer's remorse" whether I buy the item or not. I am not great about putting items together. I tend to buy off the mannequin so I can see who the outfit is supposed to go tohghetr. 

Frankly, one of my least favorite stores to shop at is Wal-Mart. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not giving a bad report about this retail giant. I am just saying that I am not  a big fan of Wal-Mart. The parking lot is huge, the aisles are narrow, the lay-out does not seem logical to me, and the mass of humanity tryng to press through the store slows down the whole process. 

During our stay in Beijing, we stayed at a Days' Inn Hotel. One night we walked 2 blocks from our hotel in Beijing. This is how shopping is done in China.

Prices are negotiated. Tempers flare. Voices raise. Unseeming pronouncements are vehemently made on your family's fine name as the fair market value is established.

The pace is maddening. The noise level is deafening. People are moving fast between the booths in the market.

Shopping in Beijing is not easy. So the next time  you pull up to Wal-mart in its air-conditioned building, with ice-cold water, and shopping carts, coupons, and ATMs . . . think about the Beijing mom who is shopping for her family on the other side of the world!

Uganda? Seriously? Yes, Uganda!

Craig and I attend Steve and Ellie Marcum's Bible Study Fellowship class at Bellevue. In February our class connected with a family sponsored by Samaritan's Purse, Franklin Graham's mission organization. The mom, Faridah Nakazibwe, and 18-month old little Fataha were in Memphis so the baby could have heart surgery at LeBonheur Hospital. He was born with a hole in his heart and would not have survived much longer without surgery. The mom was accompanied by a young Christian mom named Rian Bogere. She is employed by Samaritan's Purse as an interpreter. Rian travels with families to the States for life-saving treatments. She leaves her own family (a husband and 2 little guys) for 6-8 weeks at a time to interpret for the hospitalized families. This trip landed her in Memphis and in our Sunday School class. You can read the whole story at this site for the Commercial Appeal.

The little boy was not walking yet and only weighed about 18 pounds. He had open heart surgery on a Monday and by Wednesday was making remarkable progress. Within about 11 days he was out of the hospital, starting to walk, and eating heartily. He, mom, and Rian were guests of 2 couples in our class. We all helped with meals, etc. 

Anyways, during their time here in Memphis one of the host families told Rian about my ministry to MOMS. She got excited and wanted to take the ministry to Uganda. Several days before she left, I visited with her and took her the Bible studies and the DVDs. This is a picture of my sweet sister in the Lord, Rian Bogere.

Her plan was to teach the material to an English speaking group. Then train them to take the teaching to areas who do not speak English, and teach it in their native language!!!

Think with me for a moment . . . Think how far GOD had to go to connect the dots to arrange for MOMS to go to Uganda. God used a very sick child, Samaritan's Purse Children's Heart Project, LeBonheur Hospital, Bellevue Baptist, the Rotary Gift of Life, the Marcum's Bible fellowship class, and a Ugandan Christian mom, two American host families with acute spiritual sensitivity to take a MOMS Bible study to the other side of the world. Uganda? Seriously? Yes, Uganda.To God be the glory. Great things He has done!

MOMS comes to Uganda

I don't have the time to write all the details, but we have gotten word that we have a group doing our Bible studies for MOMS in Uganda!! You want to talk about a GOD thing! Sisters, this is a GOD thing. Our GOD is BIG! Details forthcoming.

Craig and I, and Roy and Ray are at the Southern Baptist Convention. We got to hear David Platt preach tonight. May I just say, God came down and met with His people. The hair is still standing up on the back of my neck!! 

Tomorrow we will be exhibiting my ministry to MOMS to the pastors' wives. They Pastors' Wives luncheon has sold 1700 tickets and have an additional 100 seats added. At the back of the room about 50 ministries to WOMEN are being showcased. We are not selling anything. We are networking and handing out brochures (thanks Ray, Craig, Darlin' Darlene, and Stef for folding, cutting, sticking, and stuffing them for me!!) about the ministry, Bible studies, DVDs, CDs, and speaking. My greatest fear to is promote SELF. Sisters, for 30 years I have trying to keep self crucified. Please pray that we will not promote SELF but we will exalt Christ and His KINGDOM! Please pray Ephesians 1:18-22 AND 3:20-21 for us. We will be meeting with the pastors' wives at 11:00 Eastern Time (SPOILER ALERT-Time change, Jean. Yes, I have my watch set on Louisville time). Then a luncheon follows. Please pray for the favor of God to be upon this ministry, for self to be crucified and for Jesus to be glorified. I will keep you posted. Blessings.

Happy Birthday, Declan Lee Stockdale

It is grand being TWO!

 

And mom makes your cake!

 

And Thomas (he's the cheeky one) the Train-is your idol.

 

And you can eat with your fingers!

And you get presents!

 

And your great grandmother comes to join in the celebration (Dawson, Ann Waters (Jean's mom), and Dad (Jason)

 

And you are the JOY of our hearts. "Behold, children are the heritage of the Lord." You, darling Declan, you have received a living legacy of faith-handed down through both sets of grandparents, borne out in the lives of your parents to be passed down to the third and fourth generation. May God bless you richly, my sweet prince!

The Great Wall

Breathtaking. Staggering. Craig and I climbed on the Great Wall of China. Seriously! We climbed on the Wall. I have all kinds of spiritual insight to share but the night is spent and the morrow awakens soonly. This fair maiden must get thee to bed but had to share these pictures of the wonders of China.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus died to break down the dividing wall between Jew and Greek, slave and freeman, male and female. In CHrist we are on equal standing at the foot of the CROSS. He conquered death, hell, and the grave and granted depraved humanity a way to be reconciled with a holy God. Repentence and faith. THe wall of sin, self, and Satan is broken down in Christ. Hallelujah. What a Savior!

 

For Women of a Certain Age

Having crossed some imaginary line separating those who are still young enough to produce their own estrogen and those who must seek it through other sources, I am beginning a new support group called "Women of a Certain Age." Membership is limited to the female gender (is that politically correct) who are experiencing hot flashes and not afraid to admit it. I am considering a men's group called "For Those who Love Women who Flash." I think there is a real market niche here. I am be on to something.

I am not willing to call what I am experience "hot flashes." I am certainly not going to assign clever terminology to this plague like "re-charging" or "glowing" or "power surges." Sisters, if that is what you want to call your stuff, that is fine by me. But what I am living with can only be described as furnace-fed internally-charged thermo-nuclear blasts. It is the stuff of legends. I have given the term a "meltdown" a whole new meaning. So imagine my delight when I came across this in Asia. I shall combat my flashing in style!

Oh yeah, baby. That's what I'm talking about! A fan. A pretty fan. A silk screened fan all the way from Asia. For those of you who attend church with me, you will be seeing this in my hand OFTEN. For those of you in the MOMS ministry, I believe I may have found the answer!!! I will be teaching with this in my hand OFTEN. For those of you suffering from the same malady, sit near me in church and I will share my fanned air flow.

I also bought several tiny ones for smaller heat surges.

Cool and stylish. On yeah! I will soon be matching my fans to my outfits! If this whole ministry thing doesn't pan out, I may have a career in helping "Women of a Certain Age" manage the irritating symptoms of the menopause. There may be a whole new business coming out of this. I am working on our logo. Soon tee shirts will be available. Stay tuned, people. Stay tuned. Blessings.

"High Stepping in Heavenly Places"

During our recent trip to Asia, we arrived at our hotel bone weary and totally confused about the time change. My iPhone (that's right-I have a ton of technology that is being totally wasted on me!) has an app called World Clock. We could keep up with the time at home and abroad. I found it was best not to look at it. Anyways, we were in the hotel lobby visiting with the Hardees who were traveling with us. 

The lobby had WiFi and we were able to get a call off to home. The four of us were curled up on the couches visiting. Craig slipped off his flip-flops because his feet were swelling abit from all the air travel. 

When he took the call he stepped away from our group so he would not disturb our conversation with his cell call. He was sitting just down from us, with his bare feet and all.

Now it was about 1:30 am because we don't have good sense. We got to sharing about the sweet things God had done in our lives and we kept talking, even though it was WAY past time to be in bed. This may have something to do with why I am so tired, but I digress! Anyways, one of the bell-men came over with a pair of hotel slippers in his hand. He quickly opened them and slipped them on Craig's feet!

Now we are still not sure if he was trying to make Craig comfortable or if it is inappropriate to be sitting in the hotel lobby without shoes. Whatever it was, we all got way to tickled over it because it was WAY TOO LATE to be sitting up talking.

Here is my spiritual application. It does not matter what is on your feet, as long as you are High Stepping in Heavenly Places. Ephesians 2:6 says God has raised us up and seated us in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus! So, I invite you to walk with me in heavenly places, where we are seated in Christ. Blessings.

Thanks for the Memories!

Here are a sampling of the pictures we took on our recent excursion. Our hotel was a mere 2 blocks from this. It was the most beautiful place I have seen. The architecture is stunning, the people are so precious, and the sheer number of people is staggering.

These were street vendors just a few blocks from our hotel room. It was so exciting to experience a bit of the cultural differences. And NO we did not eat any of the things we saw, although some of it looked good. We ate some fruit that I have never even seen before and it was great. Oh the memories! More posts will follow. Blessings and thanks for stopping by!

I Have Missed You

Months have slipped by without nary a peep from me. I apologize. I have missed you. It was not an intentional slight, I can assure you. Deadlines have been breathing down my neck and all my brain cells had to be quarantined and restricted to writing a Bible study and not musings for a blog.

I recently finished a Bible Study specifically for MOMS. I love me some moms. Someone's gotta help the poor things or they will spontaneously combust. I sensed the Lord leading me to write a study on the book of Ephesians. Frankly, it is my favorite book in the Bible. It is the first book God ever spoke directly to my spirit in my own personal Bible study time. I have been hooked on it ever since. When I read "I was accepted in the Beloved" (KJV Eph. 1:6), well-what can I say. My life was changed. Changed, I say. Not in things just might be a little bit different from now on, but in the OH MY SOUL, I CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT I JUST READ ABOUT MYSELF! kind of way.

My study is entitled, "High Stepping in Heavenly Places". It is about "Heavenly Living in an Earthbound World" and how to raise kiddos that know it! It should be out around the end of August and we will do a give away for those of you who might like to know how to live in this earthen vessel without springing a leak (in a bad way) while keeping your funnel filled up with heavenly thoughts and notions.

I have spent many hours, many days, and many many many weeks sequestered with the Lord. I have been writing 6-7 days a week from around 8 am until my brain fell out of my head and I was forced to go to bed. The next day was a repeat and so on and so on until the book was done on Hallelujah Day which is known to most of you as May 27th. So you can see why I have been away from my beloved blog writing to darling people like you. For those of you who have patiently waited or kindly returned, may I say a big a "thanks" and for those of you who fell away, may I say "I do not blame you a bit."

I have also just recently returned from a round the world trip to Asia. Do you remember your mom telling you if you keep digging that hole, you would end up in China? Turns out she was right! Stories and pictures are forthcoming.

But I am back. And I have missed you. And I have a little window of time before I crank up teaching MOMS again and a tiny bit of time before I start writing another study (if the Lord so leads) so I intend to regularly write to you cuz I HAVE MISSED YOU Did I already say that? I HAVE MISSED YOU. Really I have. So, let's get reacquainted. Leave me a comment and I will comment you back. That is known in the bloggy world as giving some blog love and I am willing to share it. I HAVE MISSED YOU. I'm back. Welcome back to me!!

Divine Carrot Cake

Divine Carrot Cake Recipe 

Ingredients: 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

2 cups granulated sugar 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

3 eggs 

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil 

2 cups finely grated carrots (about 3 to 4 medium carrots) 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1 can (8 ounces) well drained crushed pineapple 

1 cup shredded coconut 

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, divided 

Preparation: In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients; stir to blend. Add eggs, oil, shredded carrots, and vanilla; beat until well blended. Stir in pineapple, coconut, and 1/2 cup of the walnuts. Pour into a greased and floured 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Place cake in pan on a rack to cool. Frost the cooled cake with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with remaining chopped nuts, pressing into the frosting very lightly.

Frosting: 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 

1/2 cup butter, softened 

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

DIRECTIONS: In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

Thanks to Blessed with Grace for hosting this even. Check out more recipes at her site.Please click over Balancing Beauty and Bedlam for more great recipes and cooking tips.

Looking for A Few Good woMen, AGAIN

I am looking for a few ladies interested in hosting an in-home discipleship-styled Bible study for MOMS. Several of you responded. However, I immediately went into writing MODE to make the deadline on the last book, which went on May 27th. Craig and I left almost immediately for a 10-day trip to the other side of the world in Asia. We returned home on Sunday night and are ready to get back to it.

So....let me ask again. Is anyone interested in hosting a group of at least 10 women to do a summer Bible study on becoming a godly woman. The studies are primarily done by MOMS but we have groups of single women, newlyweds, and grandmothers doing the study and benefiting from it.

The original blog was on March 16th. You can read about the plan on there, but the dates have obviously changed due to my writing schedule. 

If you commit to study with us, your will send your book for free and we will sell the book for $15.00 plus shipping and handling to the members of your group through our website at www.jeanstockdale.com. This is a discounted price.

We would like to do a Saturday morning on-line chat among those doing the study on Philippians called "Joy in the Journey." The 45-minute video lectures are available on-line for free. Each participate would watch the video on-line, do their homework, and met with the group 1x a week. Th you will led the group to discuss their insights. We currently have our studies in about 24 churches and would like to see how it will work in small group settings. Thanks for your interest. Please let me know if you think you would like to join us. 

We will follow through this time and get the dates set up and all the details in place. Thanks so much for praying about being a part. Many blessings. jean