CHANGES

"Jesus Christ, the same... yesterday... today ... and forever."  

     Hebrews 13:5  KJV        

        Autumn brings us another time of reflection.

          I know for me it's refreshing  because the hot and dry summer is past (not yet)  and the upcoming fall is becoming evident in the cooler mornings and less humid evenings. My ideal weather conditions for heaven are 70 degrees, sunny, and a breeze. But, of course, I know that whatever the weather conditions in heaven are----I KNOW it will be perfect, right?

          Then we veer into the future with the beautiful fall season in all its splendor. The leaves turn vibrant colors, the air becomes crisp and cool in the day and chilly in the night.  And, there's that certain smell about autumn-- the falling  leaves--the garden flowers and vegetables withering and dying on the plants--the cornstalks drying.   The beautiful colors of pumpkins, gourds and squash gracing our tables and landscapes.

          The end of one season preparing to go into another.  There’s  changes... changes... changes. Nothing ever stays the same.

 

          But praise God!  There's Someone who NEVER changes. Our Lord and Savior-- our God and Father-- and the  Holy Spirit. 

           "For I am the Lord, I change not: therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." Malachi 3:6  KJV.

          In this world of technology and constant changes, it's a comfort for us to know that  Jesus is always the same. He hasn’t changed just because it's the 21st century.   He’s always the same.

  So,  in the seasons of our lives--- remember that Jesus Christ is our Constant.     He's always there.  He never changes.   

                                                                                   

PRAYER:  Dear Lord, what a wonderful comfort to know that even though the seasons change and we change----You are a changeless God.   Praise Your name.     Amen.

NEVER FORGET!!! September 11, 2001!

Remembering the survivors, lost and fallen..at the World Trade Center as well as our Pentagon and in the hills of Pennsylvania!!

9-11-2001.. 19  years since that fateful day.  We still must 'NEVER FORGET' the horror and the fight that our country has initiated against terror.  For all our troops throughout the world and in Afghanistan and Iraq who have put their lives on the line for our freedom.  May we 'NEVER FORGET' them as well.  For all those who have died.. for their families... and loved ones.. Please dear Lord.. bring all our men and women home safe.  Where were you when you saw and heard about the planes crashing into the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Pennsylvania

  The Lord is so good to our country, the United States of America.  When this disaster hit, hearts were changed into truly patriotic ones.. ones that would die for their homeland and their kinsman... the congress and government agencies were united and "God Bless America" was sung by Senators and Congressmen alike..   

Have you become complacent too and forgotten why we went to war against the Terrorism that so fills this world? 

As our country continues to be at war against these terrorists.. we pray God's continued protection and wisdom be given to our president and all our men and women in the military who are in harm's way.

Annie's "Links To Christian Sites of Comfort & Tribute" Page  

This statue still stands in New York harbor welcoming the oppressed ones of the world..America is STILL a loving and forgiving nation

These pictures tell it all. don't they?

O beautiful for spacious skies....for amber waves of grain.. For purple mountain majesties.. Above the fruited plain.. America! America! God shed His grace on thee.. And crown thy good with brotherhood.. From sea to shining sea!!

Here is the cross of iron beams that was found among the debris at the WTC, which now is a permanent fixture at the Memorial at Ground Zero

And remember when the firemen put up the flag they had found... Another Iwo Jima!!

Fireman raising American flag at the World Trade Center after September 11th attack. 2001 The Record (Bergen County, N.J.). Photo Credit: Thomas E. Franklin, Staff Photographer. Photo taken September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center and published in The Record on September 12, 2001

Here is a series of pictures from the attack at the Pentagon as well as the crater that was left in the hills of Pennsylvania with Flight 93.

The Pentagon was attacked

Pennsylvania outside of Somerset, Pa..and rescuers at the crater where the wreckage of Flight 93  was found.

IF I KNEW 

If I knew it would be the last time 

That I'd see you fall asleep,

I would tuck you in more tightly

and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time 

that I see you walk out the door, 

I would give you a hug and kiss

and call you back for one more. 

If I knew it would be the last time 

I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,

I would video tape each action and word, 

so I could play them back day after day. 

If I knew it would be the last time, 

I could spare an extra minute 

to stop and say "I love you," 

instead of assuming you would KNOW I do. 

If I knew it would be the last time 

I would be there to share your day,

Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,

so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow 

to make up for an oversight, 

and we always get a second chance

to make everything just right. 

There will always be another day

to say "I love you," 

And certainly there's another chance

to say our "Anything I can do?"  

But just in case I might be wrong,

and today is all I get, 

I'd like to say how much I love you

and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, 

young or old alike, 

And today may be the last chance 

you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow, 

why not do it today? 

For if tomorrow never comes, 

you'll surely regret the day, 

That you didn't take that extra time 

for a smile, a hug, or a kiss 

and you were too busy to grant someone, 

what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,

and whisper in their ear, 

Tell them how much you love them

and that you'll always hold them dear

Take time to say "I'm sorry," 

"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."

And if tomorrow never comes, 

you'll have no regrets about today.

-----Author Unknown 

 LINKS

Meet Me In The Stairwell

A lovely touching memorial in poems and remembrances..

Speak To My Heart

The Day America Cried

Tragedy Of A Lifetime

A Christian Response.. with Peggie.

Remembering 911

Annie's Thoughts about Remembering September 11th

Will we ever forget those famous last words by  Todd  Beamer, Flight 93,  as he and other passengers lead the fight against the terrorists on that plane.  Many believe it was heading for the White House

GEORGIA’S HOMEMADE PIZZA

(Here's the finished product)

Here is a picture from family night some years back..   made a lot of varieties of pizza.. 

Ingredients for dough:
2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 pkg. dry yeast
5 - 6 cups all purpose flour

Ingredients for toppings:
2 - 15 oz. jars or cans of pizza sauce
Garlic salt
Parmesan cheese
4 - 8 oz. shredded mozzarella
1/2 pound pepperoni
1 - 4 oz. can drained mushrooms
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
Any other topping you like, including sausage, bacon, ham, olives, chopped tomatoes, pepper rings or jalapenos  (use your imagination)

Place the lukewarm water in a very large bowl (preferably one that is microwavable). Add sugar, salt, and oil and stir to mix...sprinkle dry yeast on top and let sit for about 5 minutes. Stir yeast until completely dissolved and allow mixture to stand in a warm place for another 5 minutes.

Add the first 3 cups to the water/yeast mixture and stir until all the flour disappears. Let sit until bubbles appear on top of the mixture, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, add the rest of the flour until the dough becomes a little more like a big lump of dough.. On a lightly floured bowl, dump out all the dough and with clean, floured hands begin to knead the dough until it becomes a shiny, smooth consistency and a little more elastic. Add a little more flour, if needed, and be sure the dough is not sticking to your fingers. Add oil to the bowl and place the dough into the bowl, turning it once so that the dough is coated in the oil.

To activate the rising process, place the covered bowl (with kitchen towel) into the microwave. Set it for 5 minutes and if your levels are from 1 to 10 for cooking, set it for No. 1 (which is even below the defrost level). This will start the dough to rise without beginning to bake it. Let it sit in microwave until double in size (which usually takes an hour). Punch the dough down and knead a couple of times back into a ball, and replace it into the greased bowl, cover and let sit in a warm place until double again.

In the meantime, prepare  four pans by oiling them lightly and setting aside. This would be a good time to chop your vegetables, if that is what you're putting on your pizza,  and get the cheeses, sauce, and everything else  ready to go.

After it has doubled for the second time, now separate into four  balls, and keep them covered with plastic wrap so they don’t dry out.  Put the first ball onto the floured table and flatten out with the palm of your hand and stretch it and turn it and stretch it again until it starts taking shape. You may also use a rolling pin, if you feel you need to in order to get it to the thickness you want. Quickly place the dough onto the greased pan and with your fingertips, continue to stretch and push the dough to the edges of the pan, making a rim so the sauce will not go over.

With a medium-sized spoon, spread the pizza sauce evenly until it covers out to the edges. At this time, I sprinkle parmesan cheese and a little garlic salt all around the crust area. This adds a nice flavor to the crust when it is baked. Sprinkle mozarella/Italian shredded cheese evenly and then build your pizza as mentioned above.

The oven should be preheated to 450 degrees. When it is ready, and your pizzas are all complete, put them in and check after about 10 minutes...you may want to alternate the one on the top rack to the bottom and vice versa. I usually bake 2 pizzas at a time and watch very carefully so the bottoms do not burn. Total baking time for each pizza should be around 20 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the crust and the amount of toppings it has. The ones with all the vegetables sometimes takes a little longer. The main thing is, you should keep an eye on them and stay close to your oven. The crust should be golden brown and the cheese all melted and bubbly before removing.

(Before baking)

BACK-TO-SCHOOL IDEAS AND RECIPES

   One thing about planning lunches and snacks for your child to take to school is that you need to make it nutritious, appealing, and yummy all at the same time.   Believe me, that’s really not that hard to do.  It’s all in your attitude.    When the children are little, (that’s between Kindergarten and Middle School), you can basically talk them into anything.    Now, it  gets a little harder when they move up to the High School years, and by then, they may very well be buying their lunches at school.   So, until then, here’s some tips and ideas.

      Nutritious----- This includes a well-balanced lunch with  all the major food groups   (protein, fruit, vegetable and grains).
            Here are some ideas for protein:  peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,  crackers and peanut butter, crackers and cheese slices, snack packs of  creamy cheese with crackers and even a little spreader,  beef sticks,  and string cheese.
    The fruits:  apples, pears, bananas as well as grapes, sliced oranges and melons in sealable plastic bags,  boxed raisins,  and gelatins with fruit/or without.  Don’t forget the ‘chewy’ fruit snacks.  A lot of them are filled with sugar, but there are some that are 100% fruit.
    Vegetables: carrots, sliced cucumbers, sugar peas, sliced red and green peppers along with the little disposable dip containers.
    Potato chips, pretzels, cheese puffs, and so many other salty snacks are readily available to take in the lunch bag or box  too.
    There are varieties of sweet  nutritional snacks that can be purchased in take-along bags such as:  cookies, graham crackers, grain bars with fruit and granola bars.
    And the drinks seem to be limitless:  pouches, boxes and even the yogurt drinks come in a variety of flavors and sizes.
    Boy, my kids would have thought they died and went to heaven with these lunches.  Believe me, I had to use much more imagination back then since I was making up to five lunches a day.
    I hope this gives you a little insight into planning these special meals for your children.  They’re out of your sight for a good portion of the day, and you still want to be able to have some input into their eating habits.  (And yes, I do know about trading lunches… but you just have to trust that  you’ll make them so great that they won’t even want to trade).
    How about the meals that greet them after school?    Here are a few ideas with recipes that are good “meals to come home to.”

HOMEMADE HAMBURGER HELPER
1 pound of your choice of pasta
1 pound ground beef
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
Milk
1 medium onion (chopped)
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Garlic salt
Black pepper
In a large pot, boil water to cook the pasta. When it is done, drain, rinse and set aside.
In a medium frying pan, brown the ground beef and chopped onions until lighty browned and drain the fat. Add enough water to cover the meat and let simmer for at least 20 minutes on low to tenderize.
Add the meat/onion mixture to the pasta along with the 2 cans of soup, 1 can of milk, 1 teaspoon garlic salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Mix carefully until blended. Pour into a greased rectangular baking dish. Cover with shredded cheese and a little parmesan cheese.
Bake in 350 degree oven uncovered for 15 minutes, then cover with foil tightly, turn down to 250 degrees and bake for an additional 25 minutes until bubbly. Turn off oven and keep warm until you serve.

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS  (Georgia Style)
3# Ground beef (preferably chuck)
1# pasta - your choice (spaghetti, rigatoni,  shells)
Large (29 oz.) can tomato puree
Large (29 oz.) can tomato sauce
12 oz. can tomato paste
2 T. garlic salt
1 tsp. coarse black pepper
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
Or a combination Italian seasoning may be used
8 oz. can parmesan cheese

Cook pasta during this process, drain  and set aside until needed. In a large (6 - 8 quart) stockpot, empty all tomato sauces and pastes. Rinse out the cans of puree and sauce with water (about half way)...with the tomato paste can...rinse out with 3 cans of water  getting all the paste still inside.  Mix all sauces until smooth.  Add 2 tablespoons garlic salt, the black pepper, and the oregano and basil. (When adding the oregano and basil, put into the palm of your hand and rub between palms This releases the flavors.) Also add about 1/2 of the parmesan cheese into the sauce and stir...Cook on medium heat about 2 hours, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking. 

While the sauce is slightly bubbling and boiling, roll ground beef into meatballs (whatever size you like) and drop them  "RAW" into the sauce. DO NOT STIR AT ALL YET! This will cause the meatballs to crumble. Wait for at least 30 minutes and stir very, very carefully. Turn your heat to low and cover with lid and allow to simmer at least 2 more hours (stirring occasionally). Remove lid and cook 1 to 2 more hours and allow to thicken. (This will help you decide as you look at the sauce, if you want it thicker). At this point, you may want to taste the sauce to see if you want or need any more garlic salt or even more parmesan (this is one of the secrets of its unique flavor). 

Pour sauce over the already cooked and cooled  pasta and place the meatballs on top and lightly toss, mixing the sauce throughout. Keep this on warm on your stove top with lid on (or in warm oven)  and let sit at least another 30 minutes  because the sauce needs to soak into the pasta. Sprinkle  with parmesan cheese and serve with warm garlic, parmesan bread.


ENGLISH MUFFIN PIZZAS

1 package English muffins (split to make 12) or however many you need.
Jar of  Italian sauce
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, peppers

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Split the English muffins and place inside up on a cookie sheet. Put into oven for 5 minutes. Remove and then spread sauce evenly on top and make them with whatever toppings you like. Cheeses first,  then toppings. Browning them a bit first before you top them helps them keep the sauce from soaking into the muffin.
Bake in oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until nicely browned and crunchy and cheese melted and bubbly.
For a switch, make mini pizzas out of pita bread. Much lower in carbohydrates and in fat and you have a nice mini pizza to enjoy.

Well, good luck and have fun and enjoy these years, believe me, they go by much faster than you could ever imagine.

SPICY CHICKEN WINGS (Oven Baked)

Whenever I make wings, I bake them in the oven instead of frying.   My family loves them and I hope you will too.

Ingredients:

4# or 5# bag disjointed chicken wings (small better)
Garlic Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, parsley, seasoned salt, seasoned pepper (anything you like)
Hot sauce
Cooking Spray (Pam)

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a VERY large cookie sheet, using a spray, lightly cover the pan  and then place all the
chicken wings leaving little space between each. Lightly spray the wings with the spray so seasonings will stick and
wings will crunch better.

According to your taste, sprinkle desired seasonings on top of the wings. I prefer seasoned pepper, garlic salt,  crushed
 parsley leaves, a touch of cayenne pepper and anything else I have in the cupboard.  Do your own thing--experiment!

 

Bake in the oven for at least 30 minutes. Check them periodically to be sure they are beginning to brown. 

Bake an additional 30 minutes, at which time, you remove the pan and using a metal spatula loosen the wings and turn them over.

 

Return the pan to the oven for another 30 minutes. This is where the eye is better to discern than the clock. The wings should
begin to look crunchy and brown on top as well as bottom. IF NEEDED, turn them over again and return to the oven when
 you know they are just about ready and put the broiler on (WATCHING CAREFULLY) and brown the tops of the wings.

You may need to use the metal spatula again to remove them. Place them on another cookie sheet and cover with paper
 towels to absorb the grease. Although these are still high in fat, you do NOT have the additional fat that they are normally
 fried in.

 

(Place in a microwave-save bowl and toss
them to get the flavor you desire.)

 

If you desire to have a sauce to dip them in, mix about 6 – 10 ounces of a Louisiana  hot sauce along with 1 stick of melted  margarine. Heat together in the microwave and stir... You may pour this on top of your wings or use the sauce to dip them  into. Either way... or just plain... you will have the best tasting "low fat" wings ever. 

HAM AND POTATO CASSEROLE

I always made scalloped potatoes and added leftover ham before I found this recipe.  It is really very tasty and not so hard to make.  I hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients:

    1 1/2 to 2 pounds potatoes, thinly sliced, about 4 to 5 cups
    2 cups diced ham
    4 tablespoons butter
     1/2 cup chopped onion
     1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
     1/4 cup finely chopped red or green bell pepper
     3 tablespoons flour
    2 cups milk
      1/8 teaspoon pepper
    2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
     salt, to taste (if ham is salty, cut back on salt)
    1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preparation:
Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish (or 2 9x9 inch dishes) Heat oven to 325°.

(Dice ham before hand)

In a large saucepan, melt butter; add onion and celery and sauté until tender. Add bell pepper and sauté for 1 minute longer. 

Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Add seasonings and salt, to taste.  Continue cooking, stirring, until thickened. 

Add sliced potatoes and diced ham and stir to combine. 

 
Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish. 

(Cheese is added after it's baked and potatoes are tender.)

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about 10 minutes longer, or until potatoes are tender. 

Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top of the casserole and bake
 for a few minutes longer, or until cheese is melted.
(Finished product on top).


Great flavor...  I make one 9x9 pan and share the other with a friend.