M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

That's right...I got to make Mickey Mouse cookies last week for a 2 year old little girl's birthday party!!! This was really fun because it was so different than everything else I usually make. Her mom requested that the colors match the Mickey decor of blue, yellow, and red! I didn't get many pictures before my camera crashed, but here a few.

Downing Wedding

I have been reminded by a "little bird" that its been over a week since I have posted! I have been trying to get a post down the entire week, but I just can't find time. This past weekend I was in a wedding and my parents came in town to enjoy the long weekend. Then work this week has been just crazy!! So here I am, finally, and posting about the wonderful Downing wedding.

Tess and Jonathan got married this weekend in Kaufman, TX at The Victorian House. It was a beautiful outside ceremony and then the reception was inside the house. I have had the wonderful opportunity to be in many of my friends weddings, but this is the first outside wedding that I have been apart of. I really liked the change. The only bad part is that it was a cool 96 degrees and 100% humidity!!! The night of the rehearsal I thought I just might pass out, but luckily the wedding wasn't until 7:00 on Saturday evening and we were graced with some shade and clouds! All in all it was a beautiful ceremony!

Tess and I have been friends since my sophomore year at Tech. She was my lil' sis in Phi Lamb and we were both in the Financial Planning program. Since FP quickly became our life, we quickly became very close friends. Tess and I have so much in common and have such a great time together. We got to share a very special time when we traveled to London and Paris in '06, but many other great memories also! Tess is a very special person and I will really miss her when they move to Washington D.C. next month! (Why does it seem that all my friends that move from TX all go to D.C??)

So from lil' sis to bridesmaid, here are some pictures! (Wasn't she a gorgeous bride!)

You can also go to Shan Renee's (the photographers) blog (see link under my blog friends) to see Tess' bridal pictures and soon pictures from the wedding!

Cupcakes and Cookies!

We had a great weekend this past weekend. Our good friends, The Cherry's, came to visit, I made treats for Jennie Jackson's baby shower, went to a Ranger's game, and made Mickey Mouse cookies for a 2 year old's birthday party! (I am in baby mode right now...that is in the baking world...baby shower this past weekend, baby birthday this weekend, baby shower the next weekend...lots-o-babies!) The treats I made for the shower for mommy Jackson and baby Elliot this weekend turned out great. Baby lemon-sugar cookies, chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream, and mini flower sugar cookies! Although I made WAY too much, I think it all turned out great, and I had so much fun making it all! I took several pictures to post, but I think I really need a professional (hint, hint to anyone that wants to volunteer) or at least a better camera for this type of thing (all the pictures are dark, my colors don't pop, etc...HELP)! None the less, I think they still do the goodies justice!

CUPCAKES

COOKIES

A-Town

I think I mentioned in my last post that last weekend we played several hours of Rockband. I think we really started to feel like we were a true band and could really play the guitar and drums and sell out venues. I guess that is probably not going to happen anytime soon, but hey, we can dream! I took some pretty funny pictures while my band members played (I was doing my "manager" duties and trying to book us some gigs!). So introducing....A-TOWN!!!!

(screams and cheers)

Jenn Van Halen

DASH

SHAM

We're booked solid through 2008, but contact us and we'll travel anywhere you want us to go!!! We're working on some new stuff that I really think will rock your face off!!!! :) (Sorry, I was just having a little bit of fun!)


PRAYERS:
As I was typing this post, my very close friend Megan called me. (I hope I get all the terminology right) Her dad has a failed kidney and has been on dialysis for quite some time now. Every time a kidney has become available for a transplant it has not worked out for some reason for another for him. She called today to tell me that they have a kidney here in Dallas and that they are trying to get him on a flight here as soon as possible. They are bringing him (his name is Ralph) and another candidate down and who ever is the best match will have a kidney transplant tomorrow. Please, please, please be in prayer for Ralph as he travels here and as the decision is made tomorrow. This has been a long hard road for him and I know that he would really appreciate your prayers. Please also pray for the rest of the family b/c they will all need comfort and peace during this time.

"Healthy" Cookies

Sometime last week I randomly found a recipe for "healthy" oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I say "healthy" very loosely as not to confuse you. Yes, they are healthier than the regular recipe, but "healthy" is not a word I would call any cookie!!! I really wish I could trace back to the blog where I found this recipe, it was very random, and I was not BLOG stocking - I promise. I will try to trace it back because I really want to give props where its due.

Anyways, I made these cookies, along with some homemade mint chocolate-chip ice cream for a day spent with Richard and Jennifer (it was a day filled with Rockband and the Wii...so much fun!!!). I think everyone enjoyed the cookies, but I think the thought of them being semi-healthy might have been a bad thing because I ate WAY too many!!!

Because you use apple sauce instead of all the bad stuff, the cookies are a lot more moist and fluffier than your regular cookie, but I really liked that about them. They also don't turn out to be your prettiest cookie due to the fact that you use whole wheat flour, but hey, isn't it really the taste that matters???

I hope everyone tries this recipe, because they were SUPER easy and quite the treat!

Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/4 cup applesauce

2 Tbsp. butter

1/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 cup quick cooking oats

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips or crushed dark chocolate bar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together applesauce, butter and both sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir flour mixture into first mixture and mix well. Then stir in oats, followed by the chocolate. Place rounded tsp-full 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Mother's

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30

Tomorrow is a very speical day - Mother's Day. I know we shouldn't just celebrate our mother's one day of the year because they deserve so much more, but its one day out of the year where it is their DAY. Their day to relax and to allow everyone to shower them with kindness and love, like they do for us each and every day. We will not get to be with our mother's on their very special day, so we thought we would take some time to tell them how much we love them!

Judith Carol Thomas

My mother is one of a kind. She is not only my mom, but my best friend. I could never ask for more from her. She is one of the most selfless individuals I have ever met. She gives, and gives, and gives herself until she thinks she can't give any more, and then she give some more! Her heart is filled with so much love for her family. I know it just tares her apart not being here, in Dallas, where we all are, but it's just so nice to get to talk to her every day. She has taught me how to be a great wife and one day, a mother. Mom, I pray that although we can't be there with you today, that you would know how much we love you and appreciate ALL that you do for us. I could never express my thoughts and feelings well enough to truly tell you how special of a mother that you really are, but just know that you are AMAZING!!!! We both love you very much!




April Sessler

Mother Dearest,

First off, I want to finally forgive you for not letting me play baseball until I was 11. I mean after all, I could have gotten a concussion, or three, could have gotten scars on my knees, gotten hit in the head with a ground ball, or even a line drive to the cup while pitching. So thank you for delaying my injuries. :) But seriously, now I am mr. softball, and those 6 years of softball has enabled me to have an edge on all of the old men out on the softball field. :P

Seriously though, I am impressed how you and Dad seemed to have made the right decisions for us, and with God's help, molded us into successful individuals while giving us a wonderful childhood filled with wonderful memories. You did good. :)

You and Pops are responsible for who I am today. I hope that is a good thing. :) Now that we have grown older, we look back and finally start to notice all of the little things you and Dad did for us, and where you made sacrifices to enable us to succeed. I just know your influence has enabled me to pick the perfect wife, and hopefully will push me to be a great parent, just like you were - to all 3 of us. One day of honor cannot satisfy all that you mean to us, and we can't put it into words. Just know that we love you so much, we are always thinking about you, and we cannot begin to thank you for the way you love us. We love you both.

Sammy Boy

We would also like to lift up one more amazing mom, our sister-in-law, Jennifer. This is going to be a very trying Mother's Day. This was to be her first, and now she is going to have to struggle to get through the day. We ask that you would please lift her up on this day, she will need a lot of comfort and peace that only the Lord can give on this day. Jennifer you are an amazing mother and we love you!

Human-beings not human-doings

"It ought to be the business of every day to prepare for our last day"

Author Matthew Henry

Living with an eternal perspective has always been a challenge for me. It's what my heart truly desires, but my earthly flesh is constantly pulling me the other way. I start my day out praying to the Lord to use me, to live in me, and to guide me to do His works that day. Then the second something goes crazy at work I am back to living in my flesh. We are seriously at war here.

This has always been something heavy on my heart, but I was woken up even more the day my niece, Lilly, passed away. I was reminded AGAIN that this is not our home - we are only buy aliens and strangers - we are not promised anything or any day here on earth. I was reminded that our time here on earth is just merly preparation for the greatness that lies ahead. Our time here will determine our judgement one day and will determine our eternal lives; this knowledge in it self should determine the character of our present lives every single day. Our time here is SO short and is only our "testing period". That's HUGE!!! So why aren't we living that way every single day??? I continually ask myself that. It reminds me of tv shows when there is an angel and a devil on each shoulder; which way will we follow???

This week in our Crown Financial class (ask me about it if you want more info, it is something that I am VERY passionate about, but you probably don't want me to pull out my "soap box"!) and it was our last class, and how appropriate - it was on living for eternity. Yes, the focus might have been on money, but living for eternity is about our whole lives, our whole beings. There were a lot of great quotes that I wish I could have come up with myself, but that is just not the way my mind works. They are such easy sentences to read, yet so hard to live. I just felt a tug on my heart though that no matter how simple they are that I need to continually be reminded of what they truly mean and that I needed to share them also. So here are just a few....

"Once our life on earth is over, we will never have another chance to move the hand of God through prayer, to share Christ with one who does not know the Savior, to give money to further God's kingdom, or to share with the needy."

"We must never become too much at home in this world or we will become ineffective in serving the cause of the kingdom we are here to represent." - "Live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear" 1 Peter 1:17

"When our eyes are too focused on the visible, they will be drawn away from the invisible." - "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18

Then just 3 days later my mom called me as she was leaving her class at church and was telling me about a great article that they focused on that evening on Rick Warren (author of the book A Purpose Driven Life). She ended up sending it to me and I just had time to sit down and read it today. As I was reading, I knew the Lord again was speaking directly to me about my life here on earth - what is my focus/perspective?? I am dying to share the whole article, but I'll just share some and then give you the link to go read more (its not too long): (link: http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/17175.htm)

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond:

In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity.

We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body--

but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions

of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.
God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one,

or you're getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.
God is more interested in making your life holy than

He is in making your life happy.
We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

So again like I said, this is all just preparation. Am I allowing God to use my circumstances to prepare me? Am I praising Him when the good times come AND when the bad times come? Am I allowing Him to change and move me through all my circumstances? Rick goes on to say some more great things about the good times and the bad.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.
No matter how good things are in your life, there is always

something bad that needs to be worked on.
And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is

always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.
If you focus on your problems, you're going into

self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain."
But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to

get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

Honestly this is something that I have really not had to face before. Of course I have had tough times...a hard test, working things out with a friend, relationships, finding a job, my dad getting prostate cancer, deaths in the family. Sam brought this to my attention when I was struggling recently - Yes, I saw the Lord's hands in each of these times, but had I really been tested in my faith in Him? The answer was no, until 2 months ago. Now that time has passed, I look back and think, did I turn to the Lord and allow Him to teach me and mold me during that hard time, did I show Him that although this is the worst thing I had faced on earth that I still relied on Him, did I open my eyes to Him when I had nothing else to give me answers, did I have an eternal perspective?

I can now take a step back and say, even in the worst of situations - Lord, I know you better - Lord, you have opened my eyes and I can now see clearer - Lord, I see you in Richard and Jennifer's lives and the amazing way you are guiding them - Lord, you are truly building us all into new people - Lord, YOU and only you brought good.

So that's where I am at. That is my struggle. To ALWAYS see the Lord and His will. To ALWAYS love him first as he commands and then others (what else really matters?). To ALWAYS have an eternal perspective. It is hard, and sometimes frightening to think about, but the Lord comforts us with His scriptures:

"Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished." - 1 Chronicles 28:2

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." - John 14:2

"Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." - Revelation 2:1

My personal favorite: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41:10

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better ...God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list.

He's more interested in what I am than what I do.

That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

PRAYERS NEEDED:

I would also like to take the time to mention that we got news from my bother and sister-in-law yesterday that their friends from their adult class at church, The Marlowe's, lost their 2 month old baby - Jacob - on Sunday morning in his sleep. I was honestly shocked to hear that this had happened again and to someone in their lives. Please keep this family in your prays to get through this time and to trust in the Lord. Due to the fact that baby Jacob was born pre-mature, they also have a lot of medical bills that they have recently been faced with, so please also pray for that. You can go to Richard and Jennifer's blog to read more: http://richandjenn.blogspot.com/ and also to the Marlowe Family blog to send them an encouraging message: http://marloweclan.blogspot.com/.

I would also like to ask that you would keep Richard and Jennifer in your prayers as I am sure this has opened back up many of the feelings they had to experience. I also ask for prayers that the Lord would use them to help the Marlowe's through this time b/c they are one of the only people who can truly say they know what they are going through. This is such a horrible thing and again something that we will never understand, but we do know that through prayer and through the Lord that this family too to get through this.