Mealy Tomatoes

Has anyone else ever had a problem with mealy tomatoes? They look wonderful on the outside, but when you cut into them they are dry as a bone and have a really weird texture. Any tips on how to correct this problem?

Help! Squash!

I'm already starting to have squash running out of my ears (yellow & zucchini)! I don't have near the freezer space that I had last year, so, does anyone have any recommendations on what to do with all of this squash? I've read that canning it makes it too mushy. Has anyone had any success canning their squash? Please send suggestions on how to preserve it and recipes for squash dishes would be good to have also. Thanks!

They're Off to India!

Yesterday, my daughter, son-in-law, and yes, even my grandson, left for a missions trip to India. They'll be gone for six weeks. I would surely appreciate it if you would mention them in your prayers (Kara, Adrian, and Nolan).

I'm On Vacation

My husband and I were given an opportunity to go on a trip out west with some friends and we jumped at the chance. We've been to Albuquerque, NM, Phoenix, AZ, Painted Desert/Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Nevada, Las Angeles, CA, San Jose, San Francisco so far. The scenery has been beautiful (for the most part). I love all of the foliage in California. Makes me want to go home and work on my yard, although Texas weather is a little less plant friendly(at least my yard seems to be). Once I get home I'll be able to post some pictures and tell more about the trip. We've met some wonderful people who have been very hospitable and ate lots of great food. I'm glad I didn't cancel our fitness center membership like I started to. We'll definitely have some pounds to get off when we get home. Vacation is great, but there's no place like home. By the time we get home I'll definitely be ready for a simple diet, daily routine, and all the mundane things of life that I often take for granted. But, right now I am thankful for lots of new and interesting experiences and the beauty of this side of the country that God has created. His creativity is amazing!

National Day of Prayer

Today is National Day of Prayer. Please remember to spend some time on your knees today for our country!

2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Wow, Faith is Really Important!

As I was reading in Ephesians today, the scriptures about putting on the whole armor of God, verse 16 stood out to me. It says "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." Above all? Wow, faith is really important! It is a shield to us! It is what we use to stop the attacks of Satan!
Hebrews 11:6 says that "without faith it is impossible to please God: for He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." We must believe that He is! He is all powerful and He is the answer to all that we need. If we really believe this we will consistently seek Him, because we know that He will reward us for our faith in Him.
If faith is so important, if it is the most important part of our armour against the enemy, if it is impossible to please God without it, then we better know what faith is. Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." When we need something, but we don't know where it's going to come from, faith in God is what we can hold onto. There may not be any evidence, in the physical realm, of anything substantial to make us believe that an answer will come, but faith is the substance we can place our hope in. Knowing who our God is, and trusting Him, is the key!

What Should I Read?

Yesterday, I was thinking that I would like to start reading a new book, and contemplating what I should read. I have a lot of books on my shelves that I've never read and there are also, of course, tons of books at the library of every type and subject. While I was thinking about this, the scripture came to me, "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise." Prov. 27:7. Of course, I know from reading Proverbs that wisdom is something that we are to desire and be seeking for. There are so many wise, godly people who have books written about them, and have written books, who I will never get the privilege of walking and talking with personally, but, in reading about them, can still influence my life and the way that I think and live. I've heard it said before that we should surround ourselves with people who we want to be like; successful, wise, godly, creative people, people of great faith. This can include not just the people we rub shoulders with personally, but the people we spend time with in a book, on TV, etc.