Thoughts of Home

Today I miss "home", my family and friends. I would love to see all the leaves changing color and go to a fall festival somewhere with pumpkins and apple cider. This is my favorite time of year back home and it just isn't the same here. Some of the trees are changing color, but not the vast beauty back in the States and as for pumpkins...I haven't seen 1, I don't know if they even grow here or not.

I suppose these times will come and go. I think this is really the first dose of "home-sickness" I've had since coming to Ireland. Here though feels like home, it feel like this is where I'm suppose to be, and it is really, it's where the Lord wants us to be. Hopefully sometime soon we'll be able to enjoy visits from family and friends here. Sometimes I just wish they could see and experience what we have had the opportunity to.

I rest assured in the fact that we are at the moment in the center of God's will for our life and that makes going through these times of missing "home" easier.

Thought for the Day

Off to See Another Part of the World

I am so excited!!! Des and I are going to the Netherlands. Des has a friend who lives in Pijnacker, he is an Evangilist with OAC (Open Air Campaigners), and he has invited us to stay with him. We leave Oct 12 for 4 days. The flight only takes just over an hour and is super reasonable. Really to fly any where in Europe (from within Europe) is reasonably inexpensive. We are going to fly into Amsterdam and then take a train to Delft where he'll meet us. I absolutely love adventures and am looking forward to this one. When we get back I'll be posting photographs on our family website to check back to see! Where the star is on the map to the left is the area we'll be staying in. I'm not really sure what the weather will be like, but I'm assuming fairly similiar to the type of October weather the States has. There are a number of museums around so I'm sure they'll be at the top of our list along with some walks around the town just exploring and seeing all there is to see in just a few short days.

Apple Crumb Cake

Fall is here and it's my absolute favorite time of the year. One thing that comes with fall is apples and they are in abundance here at the moment. I found this delicious recipe and thought I'd share it...

Apple Crumb Cake

Crumb Topping

1. 3/4 cup flour
2. 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
3. 1/4 cup brown sugar
4. 1/3 stick of butter, softened

Cake

1. 1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup), softened
2. 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3. 2 tsp vanilla extract
4. 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
5. 1 tsp of each - baking powder and baking soda
6. 1/2 tsp salt
7. 3 large eggs
8. 2 1/4 cup flour
9. 1 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
10. 3 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled, halved, cored, and thinly sliced

Garnish: confectioner's sugar

1. Heat oven to 350, line a 13x9x2 in baking pan with nonstick foil, letting the foil extend 2 in above the ends of the pan
2. Topping: mix flour, cracker crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until large crumbs form.
3. Cake: In a large bowl with mixer on low speed, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 3 minutes or until creamy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time until blended. With mixer on low speed, add flour alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending wit flour and beating just until smooth.
4. Spoon 1/2 into prepared pan; spread evenly. Cover with 1/2 the apples, the remaining batter, then remaining apples. Crumble topping over apples.
5. Bake 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes. Holding foil ends lift cake from pan to rack to cool. Dust with confectioner's sugar. Cut in squares and serve warm or cool before cutting.

On My Cross

Free Blog Design

I got this website from my friend's blog, The Schmidts. They are running a contest...2 winners get a free blog makeover. To enter, send your name and blog address to bluebirdblogs@gmail.com Entries will be taken from September 14th through September 22 at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be announced at Bluebird Blogs on the 23rd. Here's the link to the website, Bluebird Blog

Scrapbooking Reminiscences

I’m sure everyone knows what scrapbooking is. I think it’s a brilliant idea and have given it a go and thoroughly get pleasure from it. Unfortunately, most of my scrapbooks are still unfinished as with other projects I have started and got too busy to finish.

I came across this verse, Ps 56:8 “You have taken account of my wanderings; put my ears in your bottle, are they not in your book” (NASB), and I thought about how God sees the scrapbook of our lives. He lives each moment with us. He knows and understands everything we go through. He knows what will fill up each and every page and He’s there every step along the way.

Our Great God sees every tear we shed, whether it is a joyous or sorrowful one. He sees our blissful moments, our abandoned moments, our pain, our anxieties, and our joy.

It delights me to know that our God cares about what fills the scrapbook of my life. It’s so encouraging to have a Heavenly Father that understands what we go through on a daily basis. He knows our “wanderings” and He knows each tear drop from our eyes.

I pray that I am receptive enough to allow God to use me so that my life’s scrapbook turns out the way He wants it to. He holds the scissors, the glue, and the photographs in His hands.

Let Him adorn our lives so that our scrapbook turns out as He intends.

Family ScrapBlog

Click on the below link to view the Family Scrapblog that I'm working on (it's a work in progress)

Sharpe Scrapblog

Thought for the Day 18 Sept 2006

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." - Author Unknown

9/11 Tribute

Remembering 9/11
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Click on the image to view the tribute
You'll be directed to another site.
Found this while doing a search on the web.

Friendship...The Meaning Of

A very good friend of mine is celebrating her birthday today and it got me thinking last night about friendship and what it means...

You know you have a friend for life when they answer the phone in the middle of the night and will bale you out of a predicatment you have gotten yourself into. Or when you can call them at anytime because you have a lot on your mind, and they don't mind talking about nothing to get your mind off everything. They spare some time to spend with you. When you know that if something bad happened to you they'd be there for you, no questions asked. When you can look at them when some thing is wrong and they know it just by the look in their eyes and all they have to do is offer a hug and you feel a thousand times better. When you know that they'd never lie to you, and would never hurt you and if they did it would only be for your betterment. And even if you're a thousand miles apart, it doesn't matter because what you share with this friend is so much deeper then what lies on top that distance plays no role in your friendship.

Friendship is when they push when you need it, but never too hard; and stand back when the time is right but never to far. And the true test of friendship is if you're willing to do it all back in a heartbeat. When you're life is so much better because you know them, and they bring out the best that lies within.

Change...Our Constant Companion

I've been thinking a lot lately about the subject of change mainly because my husband and I have had the joy of experiencing it quite a lot lately in our brief life so far as a married couple.

The only constant in life is change. From the time we enter this world till the time we depart change is our constant companion, so why not grow with it? Many resist change even though we know it's good for us. Most are comfortable with what we know and very uncomfortable with what we don't. I personally see change as being benefical and face it straight on as a challenge. Not only as a challenge and opportunity to strengthen my walk with the Lord, but a chance to rely on Him and see Him work. It's also a time to strengthen personal relationships with friends and family. Having that support ultimately reduces the negative effects of stress that change inevitably brings with it. I've also realized that having a "sunny-side" up look at change is key. Keeping a positive attitude helps me to feel good and goes along way when dealing with all the changes that come along.

It's a challenge, but if we allow ourselves to grow with it will find that we are a much better person on the otherside of the circumstances. God only allows what we can bear.

The Emerald Isle

Well, in February 2006 my husband and I decided to move to Ireland (where he is from). It has been an adjustment for me to say the least. Ireland is a beautiful country, rich in histroy and not too mention the lush scenery. The list of pluses surely out ways the negative. Although the people here a supper friendly they are at the same time very skeptical of forgeiners. It does make things easier once I've mentioned that I'm married to an Irishman.

The weather is significally different then the State of Maryland...cool summers compared to HOT and HUMID in MD...mild winters compared to SNOW, ICE, and FREEZING RAIN. Oh, and I must not forget rain...it rains alot here, but in fairness we've gotten off pretty easy so far. They say it's been a drier than normal year as of now. This summer the tempatures averaged in the 70's to low 80's, and when it did reach the 80's it was like a heat wave here.

I miss the taste of American food. The food here just doesn't taste the same, much much blander! The benefit is, I don't want to eat it so I'm loosing weight!!!!! I use to love going out to eat back home, but here going out to eat is purely for convenience rather than enjoyment.

The work enviroment here I do have to say is superb!! 4 weeks vacation is standard, where would you get that in the States!! Plus all the bank holidays, feels like there is always a Monday to be off. Maternity leave here is wonderful too, hope to experience that in the near furture...Lord willing!

A Little Knowledge:
Ireland is the third largest island in Europe and lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. It is divided into two countries, the Republic of Ireland (simply known as Ireland) and Northern Ireland which is apart of the United Kingdom. There are about 4.2 million people who call Ireland there home. Only about 31 mammels are native to Ireland and it is true that NO snakes call Ireland home. Gaelic football and hurling are the most popular sports here. If interested you can find out more about Ireland at Wikipedia.

More to come another time about life here in Ireland...

Favorite Sites

The Frugal Homemaker

My First Entry

My husband and I have a family website, Sharpe Chronicles, but I thought I'd like a place of my own where I can write out my thoughts and ideas.