Horseback riding

We were at my brother's for a couple of days. He has horses... my 9-year-old is obsessed with horses... needless to say, she loves going there!

Saturday morning just before we were ready to leave, he took her down to the barn to see the horses. She is seriously convinced that she helps him train his horses every time we go. (Our visits may be 6 weeks to 3 months apart!) So she was "needing" to give Candy (the mare) a workout. My brother was just going to set Becky up on Candy's back and let her walk around the corral a few times. No, that won't do. Candy has to be saddled! But, really, Becky would rather ride Annie (Candy's foal who is about a year or so old). My brother explained to her that Annie hasn't been trained yet for people to ride her, she doesn't know how to carry a person on her back. Okay, well, in that case, Candy will do. So around and around the corral they go, and down the driveway a bit and back. In a little while, Becky says, "I think Annie's been watching us. I bet she knows how to carry a rider now!"

Silence?

I was just making phone calls and got a recording, one of those call screening things, "You will hear silence until you are connected." Excuse me? Hear silence? How do you hear silence?

So silly!

Monster Cookies

Holiday baking today. We will be seeing my brothers this weekend so I wanted to make some goodies to take them. I made the Holiday Pretzel Treats and the 7-Layer Cookies and Monster Cookies...

Monster Cookies

6 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 tablespoon corn syrup
4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 pound butter
3 cups peanut butter
8 cups quick oats
8 ounces chocolate chips
8 ounces M&Ms

Mix together. (No, this recipe does not have flour!) Bake at 350 degrees approximately 12 minutes.

Sleepy Eyes

Saturday the youth group got together to work on stage sets for the Christmas program. My 9yo dd took along a doll. It was lying on a table and I noticed that several of the teen boys were standing the doll up and laying it back down again, over and over. They were all gathered around and so fascinated. I asked them what in the world they were doing. They said, "The doll's eyes close when she lays down! And they open again when she stands up!" Three families of boys with no sisters... they didn't know about sleepy eyes on baby dolls! Too funny!!!

Calling from God

Finished Isaiah this morning... started Jeremiah tonight.

"Jeremiah, I am your Creator, and before you were born, I chose you to speak for me to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5, CEV)

Isn't that awesome to think that God decided what Jeremiah's calling would be while he was still in the womb? God literally created Jeremiah for a specific purpose! I love thinking about how God is interested in each individual person, and creates each one of us to fulfill His plan!

Jeremiah goes on to "argue" with God that's he's not a good speaker and he's too young. God tells him that he's not too young, He will give him the words to say, and that He will be with him and keep him safe... all Jeremiah had to do was to be willing to be used.

I read a quote one time from Mother Theresa: "God does not call us to be successful. He calls us to be faithful."

I like that!