::'~Picture Therapy

as Katie would say...

~Daily reminders~

~Narnia Audio Books, Oscar Peterson~

~Mama's White Chili~

~Mama's DELICIOUS Eggnog~

~Roses for Mama~

~Getting home after shopping and finding that the things that you bought all go together wonderfully, unplanned of course. :D~

~Street lights~

~Main Street at Night

Birthday!

Happy Birthday Mama!!!

Favorite Song

Love Never Fails- Brandon Heath

Love is not proud
Love does not boast
Love after all
Matters the most

Love does not run
Love does not hide
Love does not keep
Locked inside

Love is the river that flows through
Love never fails you

Love will sustain
Love will provide
Love will not cease
At the end of time

Love will protect
Love always hopes
Love still believes
When you don’t

Love is the arms that are holding you
Love never fails you

When my heart won’t make a sound
When I can’t turn back around
When the sky is falling down
Nothing is greater than this
Greater than this

Love is right here
Love is alive
Love is the way
The truth the life

Love is the river than flows through
Love is the arms that are holding you
Love is the place you will fly to
Love never fails you

Blonde Toffee Brownies

Gasp! Yes... another post. :D I got this recipe from my cousin, I have no idea where she got it. Enjoy!! :D

Blonde Toffee Brownies

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c. English toffee bits or almond brickle chips.
1 tsp vanilla

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In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in Toffee bits.
Spread evenly into a greased 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Yields 1 1/2 dozen.

Note: These are CHEWY bars. Do not be afraid when you take them out of the oven and try cutting them if they are crispy. :D

Carrot Cake

Okey-doke, here is another recipe that I made for church. I did a little funky switches in the recipes...but I think it came out all right. :D

Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake


I used the ingredient list for the cake from the first recipe (Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake) and also the cream cheese frosting but I used the preparation and baking times from the second recipe (Carrot Cake). Hope it makes sense! Enjoy!

Plantation Gingerbread

Okay, okay, I know that I've been a leeeeeeettttttlllllllleeeee bit lax on the whole posting issue... okay maybe more than a little. But we're just not going to think about that. :D Anywhos... I am posting now. Here is a recipe that I made for church Superbowl Sunday. I thought it was pretty good. Enjoy!! :D

Plantation Gingerbread

Be Still, My Soul

My hearts prayer lately...


"Be Still, My Soul"
by Catharina von Schlegel, 1697-?

1. Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

4. Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Lately...

Wow! It has been a while since I posted some actually writing last. Hm... I guess that's what happens when you are busy. Things have been going very well here. My Senior year seems to be flying by at an incredible speed! Softball will be here in about a month. Can you believe that?! It's hard to grasp... I know! Piano is going well. We have a recital the Sunday after next and then at the end of March we have a contest and then in June I have my Sr. recital. So many things! :D But you know even with all the seemingly chaos around me the one and only thing that remains constant is God. I know it may sound like a "duh" statement, Of COURSE He remains constant!! But these last few months even down to the last few days I have really seen Him in my life. He is constantly giving me strength when I have absolutely NONE! He gives me patience when I'm impatient. It's absolutely amazing!!!

I'll share a couple things that have been eye openers lately that I am really thankful for.

When I practice piano I pray before I play the songs.. or at least I try to remember too... and I do it especially when I am at piano lessons playing them in front of my teacher because I want her to see how I have been practicing. Because I really HAVE been practicing... honest to goodness I have. So I want her to see it so she doesn't think that I have been slacking. So I pray but all most EVERY time that I pray I totally destroy the song! It drives me absolutely nuts!! I get so frustrated that I go home and sometimes I cry. I even cry sometimes when I am practicing at home because when I pray and ask the Lord to help me play the song, that He would help me play it perfectly when I want to. Well, I don't think that's His plan. So, one day I was so overwhelmed with it I went and talked to my mom about it.
I said "Mom, I just don't get it! I pray and ask Him to help me play it but whenever I do I can't play the song! I am sometimes tempted to just not pray because then I figured that I would be able to play it. Well, I tried that once and I played it even WORSE than before!!"
She answered me sweetly, " Well honey, He is showing you where you need to work on the song so that you can play it better later." My jaw dropped. DUH!
You see what I mean? He is constant! When I don't think that He could possibly be in the situation He is here! I thought that because I couldn't play the song that He wasn't helping me. He was! He was helping me in a much better way then I could have imagined. He knew that if He would have just helped me play it perfectly for my teacher and when I wanted to that I wouldn't get any better. That I needed to work harder at it! That just gives me goosebumps! :D

Another thing, the other day my MP3 player went kapoot. Needless to say I was really quite bummed out. I guess I never realized how much I use and rely upon the thing. Well, I do now. I have relied upon it so much that I never really thought twice what I would do if it died. I haven't been saving up to buy another one and I just figured when it died I would just have enough money to go buy one again. No problemo. Well, it died and at the time I don't have the excess funds to go and buy one. The money is needed elsewhere. *sigh* Well ,then it hit me. (Thankfully not literally.) This may sound really funny and...even possibly stupid to the rest of you people...but it was truly an eye opener for me. I realized that just because you want something, and maybe you even have the money for it, that you don't always get it. There are other things that are more important and that need your money first. I have to prioritize! *gasp* Okay, I can't actually believe that I am sharing this with you people. I feel really stupid. Rereading this I am finally realizing how much of a spoiled child that I am. I have always been able to just go buy what I want. God has really been very generous with me. So, now when I have to prioritize and I can't have exactly what I want now, it really helps me to see how "cushy" my life has been. But don't get me wrong! I am VERY thankful for the death of Cornelius (my mp3 player) because, like I said, it has really opened my eyes. It made me thing that when, or if, I ever get married that sometimes there are going to be things that we may want but the money will need to be applied else where and so we'll have to save up for a "want" and use the money on the "needs."

This is going to be a long post... phew.. :D

Another thing that I have been learning is submission to authority. God has been teaching me some things at work about submission and respecting the authority above me even though I may not respect the person. (1 Peter 2:13) I won't go into details with this one, for fear of disrespecting the people involved. But, if you could just pray for me that'd be great. :D

Also, I have learned that if you try to go through the day without Christ, without prayer with the Word, you will fail. It's that simple. You WILL fail. I have tried. It doesn't work! But, I have also been trying really hard to remember to pray and to read the Word and to look to Christ on a daily, hourly, minutely, even secondly basis! Let me tell you, it goes a LOT better then trying to do it by yourself. I know that might sound funny as well. But, OH MY it's true! If you try to glorify God in everything that you do it's hard. You have to stop and think "If I do this will it bring glory to God?" , "If I respond this way to my siblings will it bring glory to God?" It may take extra time but it brings so much joy! The joy of knowing that you have done things to the glory of God! It's indescribable! I now understand a little bit more about Christ suffering for the "joy set before Him"

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

-Heb. 12:2-

So, I can endure through the day. I can endure false accusations, I can endure harsh words all for the joy set me for me. The joy of glorifying Christ in what I do! That is something worth suffering for. THAT is something worth taking an extra 10 second or whatever to answer a persons question or a persons comment. THAT is worth living for!

So, in summery I have learned that even though I don't get the answer that I want to my prayers that God's answer is always better. Even if it means that I have to work harder at something. :D I have learned that patience in savings is a wonderful thing and it requires a lot of work and also that God will supply my needs and wants in His perfect time. I am learning submission and respect for those above me. And last but not least, I am learning joy! :D Now these are just a few.... a VERY few... things that I have been learning lately but I wanted to share them with you all so that you would know what's going on and how God has been working in my life. It is said that spiritual maturity takes a long time. It's true! It does take a long time but it is worth it and the joy that comes a long with it is priceless..

How has Christ been working in your life lately? I'd love to know. :D

Who else but Rosie? :D

Here are some movies that I found from around Christmas time. The last one is from last Sunday at church and she was listening to Tumbling Tumbleweeds on my MP3 player. She LOVES that song! :D

He Recycles

I recently came across this shirt while I was searching their website for some other things. (click on the picture to be taken to the website. ChristianBook.com)I thought it was quite clever and very true. I must admit that I like this shirt very much. I don't know if I like it enough to actually buy it and wear it... but I like looking at it. :D Enjoy!

Little Pajama Girl

As I was looking through my pictures from vacation I stumbled upon these. She is just SO cute I had to share them with you all. Enjoy! :D

R. B. Grosbeak

"Put in the grosbeak," suggested Elnora. "Tell her you are so friendly with him you feed him potato bugs."

Philip lowered the pen to the sheet, bent forward, then hesitated.

"Blest if I do!" he cried. "She'd think a grosbeak was a depraved person with a large nose. She'd never dream that it was a black-robed lover, with a breast of snow and a crimson heart. She doesn't care for hungry babies and potato bugs. I shall write that to father. He will find it delightful."

Elnora deftly picked up a moth, pinned it and placed its wings. She straightened the antennae, drew each leg into position and set it in perfectly lifelike manner. As she lifted her work to see if she had it right, she glanced at Philip. He was still frowning and hesitating over the paper.

"I dare you to let me dictate a couple of paragraphs."

"Done!" cried Philip. "Go slowly enough that I can write it."

Elnora laughed gleefully.

"I am writing this," she began, "in an old grape arbour in the country, near a log cabin where I had my dinner. From where I sit I can see directly into the home of the next-door neighbour on the west. His name is R. B. Grosbeak. From all I have seen of him, he is a gentleman of the old school; the oldest school there is, no doubt. He always wears a black suit and cap and a white vest, decorated with one large red heart, which I think must be the emblem of some ancient order. I have been here a number of times, and I never have seen him wear anything else, or his wife appear in other than a brown dress with touches of white.

"It has appealed to me at times that she was a shade neglectful of her home duties, but he does not seem to feel that way. He cheerfully stays in the sitting-room, while she is away having a good time, and sings while he cares for the four small children. I must tell you about his music. I am sure he never saw inside a conservatory. I think he merely picked up what he knows by ear and without vocal training, but there is a tenderness in his tones, a depth of pure melody, that I never have heard surpassed. It may be that I think more of his music than that of some other good vocalists hereabout, because I see more of him and appreciate his devotion to his home life.

"I just had an encounter with him at the west fence, and induced him to carry a small gift to his children. When I see the perfect harmony in which he lives, and the depth of content he and the brown lady find in life, I am almost persuaded to-- Now this is going to be poetry," said Elnora. "Move your pen over here and begin with a quote and a cap."

Philip's face had been an interesting study while he wrote her sentences. Now he gravely set the pen where she indicated, and Elnora dictated--

          "Buy a nice little home in the country,
      And settle down there for life."

"That's the truth!" cried Philip. "It's as big a temptation as I ever had. Go on!"

"That's all," said Elnora. "You can finish. The moths are done. I am going hunting for whatever I can find for the grades."

"Wait a minute," begged Philip. "I am going, too."

"No. You stay with mother and finish your letter."

"It is done. I couldn't add anything to that."

-A Girl of The Limberlost, Gene Stratton Porter, Pg. 310-312

To read parts of the book and also see the whole chapter that this is from you can go here...

Here it comes!! :D

MY FATHER, SO OFTEN I get weighed down under the demands of my own life. Sometimes I see little purpose in the endless repetition of little duties. Jobs done today, that need doing again tomorrow...
What is it, in the daily work you have given me to do, that is of eternal value to you?
Lift my sights, Lord. Let me see today, and each duty in this day, as you see it.


I Come Quietly to Meet You by Amy Carmichael pg. 35

The Lord has blessed us with another year, and Lord willing another one to come. As you go about your New Years Day think about the year that you had...what did the Lord teach you? How have you grown? I know it takes a little time...but try. You might think that you haven't grown at all. But look deep...and I think that you will find that you have. Only by GOD'S grace though. Not of yourself. Which is really the amazing thing about it! If we were left to make ourselves grow in the Lord I think... no I KNOW... that we would all fail. I am so very thankful that I don't have to depend on myself for growth. He will grant it when the time is right. :) Look to Him.

So, as the New Year comes along I challenge you with this quote :

What is it, in the daily work you have given me to do, that is of eternal value to you?
Lift my sights, Lord. Let me see today, and each duty in this day, as you see it.

And I think that I would add to that... Let us see each day, each month, and each year what You see in it. When you look back on 2009, look at it through God's eyes. Don't focus on what you have accomplished but what God has accomplished in and through you...

Go Check It Out!

Burlap and Blue $30 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Christmas with family...

Merry Christmas from the Siefkes family. :D

Just me practicing... :D

Learning to Live "At Home"

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 32:7

I think distractions in prayer are often because we have let ourselves wander too far from the things that matter most. And so we slip into an easily interrupted, easily distracted frame of mind. We need to live more at home.
"In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28) This means, simply, God is our home.

Home of my heart, lest I forget
My redemption's cost to Thee,
Let my earliest thought be set
Upon Thy Calvary

Do you see what I mean? These words, which center my attention on what matters most, speak of something that I cannot drop out of my day without great loss to me.

I know without question that an earnest "look" at Calvary does more to help our life of prayer than we imagine:

So shall the sayings of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be pleasing continually before Thee, O Lord my helper and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

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MY FATHER, SOMETHING inward tells me I have been living scattered. Sometimes anxious. Restless. Distracted. Wandering inside. I fix my eyes upon the cross now- upon the post and crossbeam which became my one bridge back to your side. And I lift my eyes beyond the cross, to the One who sits beside you- to Jesus, the Risen One! My Lord, my brother, with arms outstretched in welcome. Calling me:

"Come home."

I come, Father, to hide myself in you.



-I Come Quietly to Meet You- Amy Carmichael pg. 13-14

I recently sold this picture to one of the companies in town, so I am now a Professional Photographer!! :) God has just been AMAZING in this process! He gave me the ability to take it, He made up the mind of the company, and He sold it for me. All praise to God! :D

Who's in Charge?

Because God is in control, we face each day with His power and love. If you receive some hard knocks today, turn them over to God. If you've been cheated, give the problem to God. If employees do not fulfill their responsibilities admit your loss and trust God fully. Christians must never seek revenge, no matter how bad the circumstances. The impulse for revenge comes from people who think that systems or bosses or powerful people are in control. Christians believe that God has ultimate power.

~Putting on a Gentle and Quite Spirit, Elizabeth George pg. 74

"It's A Wonderful Life" :D

The Gang. :D

George and Me




Seniors! :D


One of my daughters. :D

Set designer lady. She's AMAZING!




My dressing buddies. :D









Pictures the elementary drew after watching it. :D






Uncle Billy and Me


Aunt Tilly and Me

things that make me happy

old family plates...

Yummy food...

colors that go perfect together...

I will be posting pictures from vacation and the play soon. :D

On the Radio! :P

Clarence (Chris), Mary (Me), Aunt Tilly (Paige), George(George)

Us after being on the radio. We went to Hardee's afterward. :)

Me and the part of the radio sign. :)

Matinee Today

Here are some pictures so that you get somewhat of an idea of what my hair will look like. This is premakeup precostume look. I will hopefully be able to get some after we are ready for the play. :) Pray for me precious people!! The matinee is at 12:30, so I've got to be there at 11:45. Hopefully Ethan will be taping it for you all to see later!! :) Well I'd better be off to warm up my voice.. la la la la la la laaa.......

My wedding ring!! :) haha

A Sneak Peak

Hello there wonderful people! :)
This is it, the final week of the play. Yesterday we had our last play practice. *sigh* Now our first performance will be tomorrow... oh my, I can't believe it is TOMORROW.... we will be performing for the elementary at 12:30. Our official public performances starts Friday evening. Friday morning George, Clarence and I have a radio interview at 8:30am. I am so excited!! Friday we also have pictures taken with a professional photographer. Saturday is another performance at 7:30. The cast party is on Sunday. Monday is our LAST performance at 7:30. *sigh*. Then we will be ALL done. It's ALMOST OVER! :( I can't believe it was in May that we had auditions and we are finally performing NOW!!

We were in one of the local papers on Sunday and will be in another paper tomorrow. :)

So to start of the performance weekend I will show you guys one movie that I have from the play so far. It is just a blooper where George.... well you'll just have to watch it. :)

Here are the pictures from one of the papers, and here is the article. :)

Here is the news article from our town from a couple weeks ago.

Here is one of my favorite pictures.

What is it that you want Mary?

George: Do you want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey, that's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon Mary.

Mary: I'll take it... then what?

George: Well, then you could swallow it see, and then the moon beams would shoot out of your fingers and your toes and the ends of your hair... am I talking too much?

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Can you believe that the play is only 13 days away!! Yes, I am nervous!! Things are going well... but I'm still nervous. Pray for me please!!

Also, it was about 62 degrees out today. It was ABSOLUTELY gorgeous!!!

And lastly, I finally got a new camera lens, thus the moon picture. It is a 55-250mm telephoto lens. I am SOO EXCITED!!!

Well, that's my update for now. How about you? What's going on in your life? Leave me a comment and let me know! I love hearing from you. :P