Margaret Govan Christie Stephen

May 30, 1925 – February 12, 2010

In Memory of my Granny:

STEPHEN Peacefully, at Woodend Hospital, Aberdeen, on Friday, February 12, 2010, Margaret, aged 85 years, of Hillside, Kingswells, beloved wife of the late William (Bill) Henderson Stephen, much loved mum, granny and great-granny. Sadly missed.

 

This handy little guy has made my winter SO much easier.  This is a 58″ Extendable Long-Reach Snow Brush/Ice Scraper with SqueeGee.  For people who are short (like me), this scraper makes clearing off my car really easy.  I can’t stretch all the way across my car to get the snow cleared, but so far I haven’t had a problem.  This is a quick recommendation, but I give this gadget two BIG thumbs up (plus saying/typing the word squeegee is really fun).

You can find this item in the following places:

http://www.carparts.com/Snow-Brushes/GP_2007588_N_111+10718+600027987_10618.car

http://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-Subzero-16619-Extendable-Snowbrush/dp/B000WPAFLW

http://www.jcwhitney.com/jcwhitney/product.jcw?nval=1101027985&statenval=1101027985&productId=2007588&shopid=100001&pageid=12&TID=101DF&redir=k232270

 

1 9-inch Oreo pie crust

8oz cream cheese

14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream

4 oz container Reese Peanut Butter Dessert Topping Sprinkles

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy.  Beat in the condensed milk, peanut butter, and vanilla.  In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form.  Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture.  Pour the filling into the crust, and sprinkle dessert topping sprinkles over the pie.  Use as many or as little sprinkles as desired.*  Place pie in freezer for 1-2 hours until firmly set.  Slice and serve when ready.  Leftovers can be refrozen.

*For extra goodness, drizzle chocolate or caramel syrup over the sprinkles!

So I was trying to think of something creative and beautifully written to post on a Monday morning.  Alas, life caught up with me and I have nothing.  No focus, no creativity, no beautiful writing.  I do, however, have music.

Music is amazing.  Music can make us laugh, cry, scream, dance, and do things we probably wouldn’t do without a soundtrack.  Instead of trying to pour myself out today, I am going to post a few of my favourite songs.

Casting Crowns, Glorious Day (I think this an excellent, and easy to remember, presentation of the Gospel.)

John Waller, While I”m Waiting (A reminder to remain faithful even if God is silent.)

Bill Cosby, Noah (Nobody tells a Bible story like Bill Cosby.)

These guys had WAY too much time on their hands!  Happy weekend! 

At some point, I want to share my opinions of books, music, and movies that I enjoy (and probably some I don’t).  Today I want to encourage you to buy a book that will not be released until April.  No, I didn’t get a sneak peek, and I can’t share any details (because I don’t really have any).

What I can tell you is that I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of Jon Acuff’s “Stuff Christians Like” community for the last year and a half.  Jon is a hilarious blogger, who also takes the time to get at the heart of Christian life.  Yes, we side-hug life fiends (you know you do it), and we all know worship leaders that wear unnecessary scarves and skinny jeans.  Jon’s observations about our faith and culture are uncanny.

Mondays through Saturdays are full of fun, and Wednesdays are reserved for issues of the heart.  Self-doubt, fear, pride, and many, many other topics are covered on Serious Wednesdays.  Jon tackles all areas of Christian life, from singleness to parenthood, VBS to Sunday School, youth ministry, worship, preaching, you name it, you’ll probably find it at Stuff Christians Like.

Over the Christmas season, Jon and his faithful followers raised $60,000 in less than two months ($30,000 was raised in less than 24 hours) to build elementary schools in Vietnam.  In the midst of the holidays and a recession, a community of strangers with a common bond banded together to help other strangers half way around the world.  Now, that same community is banding together to help their fearless leader.

The Mission:  Pre-order a copy of the Stuff Christians Like book from Amazon.com

The goal:  Get the Stuff Christians Like book into the top 10 of Amazon’s 100 Bestseller’s list by the end of Friday (1/29).

We’re a community.  If people are gathering in one place, even if that place is a blog, we are a community.  Let’s come together and help a fellow community member reach his goal.

P.S.  Visit Jon at www.stuffchristianslike.net

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I’m found
Was blind but now I see so clearly

Chorus:
Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me
Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

Chorus

When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We’ve no less days to sing Your praise
Than when we first begun

Chorus x 2

 

Lots of things are good for the soul.  Things you probabaly never even realized, like cookies, or holding a baby at the end of the day.  Something else that’s good for the soul: soup.  I heard today that we are supposed to get some serious winter weather in my neck of the woods this weekend, so I decided to dig out a good, hearty soup recipie in preparation.  I give to you now my recipie for Minestrone Meraviglie:

2T vegetable oil                       1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes

1 med. onion, chopped              8-12 c. veggie broth

2 lg. stalks celery, chopped        1 bay leaf

1 lg. yellow or red pepper          2 tsp. garlic powder

2 med. carrots, chopped           1T garlic powder

3 lg. potatoes, peel & cube        1T Italian seasoning

2 med. zucchini, chopped           2 tsp. dried basil

1/2lb thin green beans                salt to taste

1 (14oz) can kidney beans         1 1/2 c penne pasta

1 (14oz) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a heavy stock pot.  Saute onions, celery, peppers, and carrots until soft, being careful not to burn.  Add kidney beans, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, and 8 cups of broth; bring to boil.  Add spices, cover and reduce heat to simmer for about 10 minutes.  Add zucchini, recover and continue simmering until potatoes are tender.  Add pasta (you may need to add more broth to mixture) and return soup to boiling.  Boil until al dente, stirring occasionally.

Word of warning – this soup recipie fills a large stock pot.  You may have lots of leftovers, which will be perfect for freezing until the next snowstorm blows through!