Jean Stockdale...

Six Words Saturday

Here is the summary of my life in 6 words.

I am looking forward to Thanksgiving!

Hope you have a wonderful time of thanksgiving with good friends, good food, and family that will acts good!

For more Six Words Saturday click here.

Aloha Friday

So are you having turkey or ham for your main course on Thanksgiving? Or do you fix something else. 

What is it? What is the main course of your Thanksgiving meal?

We are having a ham and several rotisserie chickens with dressing rather than cooking a turkey. It will simplify the meal a bit and my family does not really care for turkey. Happy Thanksgiving. have a wonderful holiday.

Look for my sausage and pecan stuffing recipe on Tuesday. It is wonderful.

For more Aloha Friday click here and don't forget to leave your answer in the comment section. 

Friday's Fave Five

Here is a list of 5 Favorite Things from this Week

1. A cat nap-this is a nap when a purring cat curled up on your lap. It is best than a Snuggli!

2. A run-in with a mouse that did not end well for the mouse.

3. A surprise visit from a grandbaby.

4. Welch's Fruit Snacks-fat free and only 80 calories.

5. Sitting in the floor with a baby and building blocks.

We, at the Stockdale household, have had a good week. Blessings. For more Friday Fave Fives click here.

Sky Watch

The sky over the Forbidden City in Beijing China 2009

For more Skywatch click here.

Photostory Friday

 

Declan (our Baby Grand) sitting by the pond. So cute!

For more Photostory Friday photos click here and enjoy.

A Random Dozen

1. If you could master one sport, what would it be? Running

2. When you make a major purchase, do you go with your gut instinct, or do you do research to make an informed decision? I never research. I leave that to Mr. Stockdale who takes great pleasure in reading and researching.

3. There is an old kids' game that says you can find out what your movie star name would be by using your middle name as your first name and the name of the street you grew up on as your last. What is your movie star name? Carol Melvin

4. Would you rather give up your favorite music or your favorite food? Favorite music. Food is very important to me. Sad but true.

5. There are two types of banana preferences. One is pristine yellow, almost to the point of being green; the other is spotty and more ripe. Which is your preference? I can only be slightly spotted.

6. Your favorite tree is? Dogwood

7. On a scale of 1-10, how tech savvy are you? About a 4

8. Has H1N1 touched your family? No and we are grateful.

9. Are you an analytical person, or do you just accept things the way they are without questioning or scrutinizing? I never overthing anything. I live life at a rapid speed. Move it. Move it.

10. Is your personality more like that of a dog, cat, or Koala? A cat-love to nap, choose my friends carefully, don't like anyone to ruffle my fur.

11. Do you keep in touch with friends you made years ago? Yes.

12. You are checking out at a grocery store. In the express lane, there are more people than the regular lanes, but of course, their load is less than those in the regular lanes. Which lane do you choose (assuming you qualify for the express lane) and why? I am a perpetual wrong line chooser. But I usually go with the shortest line, but something always goes wrong-they change shifts, the register tape breaks . . .

For more Random Twelve click here.

Living Outdoors

 

 

 

 

We traveled to Beijing China and these are pictures from one of their many public gardens.

For more Outdoor Living click here.

Word Filled Wednesday

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is 

the defense of my life; whom shall I dread? "

Psalm 27:1

For more Word Filled Wednesday click here. Blessings as you walk with the Lord.

Wordy Wednesday

 

Big boys. Little boys. We love 'em all!

Check out Wordless Wednesday and 5 Minutes for Moms and The Omni Couple and Extraordinary Mothers and Seven Clown Circus and enjoy.

Gratituesday

Here is what I found Works for Me.

My Baby Grand was over for a visit. He is 2 and loves to blow bubbles. When he spotted my economical gallon sized bottle of bubble juice - well, he was beside himself. I am grateful for the simple joy of blowing bubbles and watching the delight it evokes in a 2 year old.

I am also grateful for this contraption. It is battery operated and helps a grandmother keep up with the demand for bubbles-more and more bubbles!

For more Works for Me Wednesday click here. And for more Gratituesday click here.

Top Ten Tuesday

My Randon Top Ten Facts

1. I cannot fall asleep unless all of my covers are smooth and neat.

2. I sometimes eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without bread by getting a scoop of peanut butter on the spoon and dipping it in the jelly jar. A meal on a spoon and only one utensil to wash.

3. I cannot stand to drink milk except in my coffee

4. Mexican is my favorite food.

5. I love to eat out but I don't do it often.

6. I live out so far in the country they will not deliver pizza to my house.

7. I love to label stuff.

8. My husband gave me my own remote control.

9. I love dishes.

10. Browsing through an antique/junk shop is one of my favorite things to do.

So, what are 10 Random Things about you?'

For more Top Ten Tuesday click here.

The Delight of Dishes

One of my favorite things to do is poke around an antique store. The sense of memories attached to every item intrigues me, and comforts me in an odd way. Like comfort food that evokes strong memories, items that come complete with a history of their own, seem broken-in and friendly. Unlike their brand new counterparts-sparkly and clean in their cellophane wrappings-antiques are used, worn, flawed. I have a great affinity for such!

 

I found 4 of these darling dishes. I have no idea of their histroy but when they are paired with these plates-

 

and these saucers

 

well, cuteness moves in and sits on my table!

For more 2nd Time Around click here.

30 Days of Thanksgiving

There is so much to be grateful for. Writing it down has caused me to count my blessings and name them one by one!

Day 14-I am so thankful for the privilege and the power of prayer.

Day 15-I am so grateful for time to relax at the end of a busy day.

Day 16-I am especially thankful for a sweet husband. Mr. Stockdale- you are the BEST!

Blog Hop Tuesday

Lisa Harper is a favorite Bible teacher of mine. She has a great sense of humor, a very quick wit, and an unbelievable grasp of God's Word. She has written several books. You can find all of her books by clicking here. "A Perfect Mess" is her newest one. I have not read it yet but I know I will love it just by the title alone. Lisa is a great writer and Bible teacher with the ability to use her storytelling skills to apply God's Word.

Lisa is also a speaker in Women of Faith. So you know she is great. They don't invite just anybody to speak in those, don't you know!

I have gotten to meet Lisa through the ministry and she is one of my all-time favorite people. Ray-Ray and I drove to Nashville just to meet her for lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. We shared candidly about the intricacies of ministry. I hung on her every word and she quickly became a forever friend! Seriously sisters, do yourself a favor, and read Lisa Harper's stuff. You will be blessed beyond measure.

Friends, she is the REAL DEAL. And guess what?  Kim Hill is her best buddy. Click here to go to Kim's website. Order you up some great Christian music to listen to while you are reading Lisa's books!

And while I am wildly dropping names and claiming to be bffs (best friends forever) of these women because-after all-who is gonna challenge me, let me encourage you to read "When God's Woman Wants to Give Up". Like Lisa, Diane is the REAL DEAL. Ray-Ray and I have recently met Diane Nix, and like Lisa, we became fast friends. 

Diane is married to Preston Nix who teaches at the Southern Baptist seminary in New Orleans. Diane writes about the grace of God as it applies to the hard places of life using the Old Testament story of Job's wife. Diane has suffered the loss of a child, a painful church experience, the death of her dad, and the loss of everything in Hurricane Katrina (she and Preston moved to New Orleans 2 days before Katrina). This is one lady who has walked through the crisis of a broken life only to emerge as God's masterpiece! You will love her book and you will get a fresh glimpse of Jesus and His unmerited favor.

Happy reading! Now I have told you my favorite books. What are yours?

The Gift of Giving

I am very well aware of many wonderful ministries to invest in. And I do not mean to take away anything from any of those wonderful works for the kingdom of God. I am even a little hesitate to broach this, but I have 2 ministries that I can personally endorse and thought you might prayerfully want to consider investing in.

First, NATIVE Ministry, which was founded by Edgar Suthulri in Hyderabad, India. I became acquainted with NATIVE Ministries when I was invited to teach at the Grace Suthulri's Women's Conference in the summer of 2006. I was unfamiliar with Edgar or his ministry, but the conference was short a couple of Bible teachers and I gladly accepted the invitation.I traveled with another Bible teacher from Memphis and joined up with 10 other Bible teachers from all over the country. I cannot even begin to describe the eternal impact this event had on my life. Over 800 women came to study God's Word. I fell in love with the Indian people and with this ministry. I returned the next year and taught again. Click here and click here to read my post about it. Again I returned with the Indian people tucked in my heart.

NATIVE has planted over 130 churches and disciplined over 10,000 people. Edgar's New Testament method of making disciples for Christ has produced fruit 100-fold.

Now Edgar has enlarged his ministry to reach widows. In the villages of India, where Edgar does most of his work, the outlook for widows is very bleak. Superstitions and cultural practices deem widows as a bad omen. They may be ostracized, ridiculed, beaten, or even driven from their home. Edgar's ministry provides (at least temporary) shelter for them, shares Christ with these women, provides for their physical needs, trains them in literacy and a marketable skill like sewing or weaving, and trained in basic evangelism and discipleship. Currently NATIVE is providing monthly support for 89 widows but 320 more are in need of support.

For $15.00 a month, you can support a widow through NATIVE's Grace to Naomi ministry to widows. The widow receives 100% of your gift, although this can only provide a very modest existence. If you sense the Lord prompting you to participate in this ministry click here and find out more about NATIVE ministry. I noticed that the Grace to Naomi Ministry is not yet listed on Edgar's website.

Edgar was stricken with a stroke at the age of 42 and lost the use of his right hand and leg. He received medical treatment in the States and returns once a year for medical check-ups as well as fund-raising. Craig and I had dinner with him and got to hear about this ministry firsthand. 

Global Ministries Fellowship (located here in Memphis) helps distribute the funds for NATIVE. You can make your check payable to GMF, Box 1150, Cordova, TN. 38088. The phone number is 901.684.5556 Ext. 105 (Jimmy Ervin) or email: [email protected].

Because I love this ministry so much, I simply could not resist making this need known to you. 

And then there is Point of Impact Ministry that reaches the children and youth of Honduras for Christ. This ministry, founded by David and Ruth Hamilton (members of our church) has founded a school, a medical clinic, a food program, and other programing that shares Christ with children from impoverished areas. David is a business man in the Memphis area. He and Ruth went to Honduras about 10 years ago as chaperone's with a youth group from Bellevue Baptist Church. God so impacted them with the needs of children that David and Ruth founded the ministry. They  have poured their own funds into their ministry and spent countless hours in Honduras in order to reach these children for Christ, rescue young men from gangs, disciple them and help meet some of their physical needs.

The ministry offers discipleship, tutoring, medical assistance, nutrition, and sports training to reach these children for Christ. The ministry is providing backpacks for the new school year, beginning in February. Each backpack will have a new uniform, shoes, and school supplies. The cost of a backpack is $40.00. If you would like to invest in the life of a child in Honduras click here and read more about this awesome ministry. And prayerfully consider purchasing a backpack for a grateful child in Honduras. 

I can testify of the validity of both of these ministries. Should the Lord lead you to support either of these ministries, the funds will go for the furtherance of the Gospel in India and Honduras.

"To the extent that you did it to . . . the least of them, you did it to Me." 

Matthew 25:40

 

Norwegian Cookies

Norwegian Cookies

Melt 3 sticks butter

Add 2 1/2 cups sugar

Beat in 4 eggs

Add 2 1/2 cups unsifted flour and 2 tsp. vanilla. Beat until blended well.

Pour into greased 13x9 pan. Bake 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until golden brown. Can add chopped nuts or chocolate chips if desired. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into small bars.

These bar type cookies are so good. I make them every Christmas.

For more great recipes click on Blessed With Grace and All the Small Stuff and Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. And Foodie Friday has some great recipes.

Cheese Grits

Cheese Grits

1 ½ c quick cooking grits

6 c water

1 stick butter

1 lb. grated cheddar cheese

1 tsp. seasoning salt

2 tsp. salt

1 (scant) dash Tabasco sauce

3 eggs (slightly beaten with a fork)

Add grits to boiling water; cook til thick (according to directions). Add butter, cheese and seasoning. Stir in slightly beaten eggs and mix well. Pour in buttered casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

 

This is a family favorite I always fix for Christmas breakfast. It is also great for a brunch.

For more great recipes click here and visit with Amber.

Blue Monday

 

 

This child loved Thomas the Train!

Hope you have a Blue Monday-I mean that in the nicest way! Click here for more Blue Monday.

I Love Faces

The theme of this week's photo challenge is Autumn Faces.

 

Declan on the farm (Nov. 09)

For more Lovely Faces click here and enjoy.

 

Not Me Monday!

My dear friend, Ray-Ray, works with me in my ministry. We have offices in my home. In deference to the fact that neither of us are morning people, we start our work day about 9:30. Keep that in mind. I'm coming back to that.

Although I am seriously not a morning person, I get up at 6:00 a.m. on Thursdays. It is the day I teach the MOMS ministry at Bellevue Baptist Church. I have to be there by 10:15. If I get up early, I have a couple of more hours to study and go over my notes.

I set the alarm on my iPhone to wake me at 6:00 a. m. - that's in the morning, folks. Early in the morning. Early. Not a morning person. Early I say. Very early in the a.m.

This past Thursday I woke to the Marimba band on my iPhone at 6:00 a.m. Did I say, that is early in the morning. As I turned off the alarm while muttering under my breath about how I am not a morning person, I DID NOT accidentally dial my co-laborer in Christ, Ray-Ray. 

I  DID NOT wake up Ray-Ray at 6:00 in the morning. For no reason at all. Accidentally. Early.

And she DID NOT yell into the phone to get my attention, "Jean, Jean, answer the phone. Answer the phone" before falling back into bed!

I DID NOT wake up my friend. I DID NOT call her accidentally. I DID NOT disturb her sleep when sleep has become so precious to both of us "as women of a certain age." I DID NOT. I WOULD NOT do anything so careless. I DID NOT. 

I AM sorry, Ray-Ray.

For more Not Me Monday click here.