My Christmas Card

I remember getting this photo in my beloved Colorado.  It epitomizes my whole heart for evangelism with my photography.  When I am drawn to a divine appointment like this it makes my heart pound, my eyes shed tears of gratitude, and my knees bow.    Christmas, Emmanuel, God with Us!

Merry Christmas!

Sweet Season

This morning I got busy making candies to fill bags for neighbors, friends, and my husband's work gifts.  These are EASY,  FAST, and YUMMY!

Peanut Brittle
microwave version:
Mix in glass bowl: 1 c. sugar, 1/2 c. corn syrup, 1/8 tsp. salt, 1 1/2 c, raw peanuts
cook 3 minutes, stir with fork.  Cook 2 minutes more.
Stir in tsp. butter, tsp. vanilla, and cook 1 minute more.
Remove, add tsp baking soda, stir, spread onto greased pan.
(I put my batch out in the cold garage, and it was ready to bust apart in 10 minutes.

Peanut Clusters
Melt pkg. of chocolate bark.  Stir in jar of roasted peanuts.  Fill small muffin tins with mixture and let set.

Vanilla dipped chocolate fudge
Fudge made with your own recipe, rolled into balls, and dipped in melted vanilla bark.

Chocolate dipped peanut butter fudge
1/4 lb. Velveeta, 1 c. peanut butter, 1 stick butter, 1 lb. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla...
Melt first three in microwave 3 minutes.  Stir until smooth, add sugar and vanilla.  Press into ungreased pan, chill, cut and serve.

fyi, I made the chocolate fudge also with Velveeta.  Don't freak until you try it.  You will freak when you taste it because it is freaking good.  Tons of recipes for it on the internet.

Cranberry Crunch
Melt package vanilla almond bark in microwave.  Stir in 2 cups craisins and 1/2 box of Perky Rice or Perky flax cereal. You could probably use Grape Nuts if you are not wheat sensitive.  Make sure all is coated and put by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet or in small muffin tins to firm up.

All of these recipes are Gluten Free.


Enjoy!
Merry Christmas!
Connie

"Come, follow me"

I was able to get a couple of prints of one of my favorite photographs from Michigan matted and framed for the photo booth at Heritage Trace Clubhouse tomorrow night.  I will also have the same photo available in a greeting card.

I would like to share with you why this photograph was so strong even before I saw it developed.  The composition was not something I had to plan, but jumped out at me screaming the commitment and faith it takes to be a disciple of Christ.  The red vines on the grand tree by the water caught my eye at first.  Then I realized that the sweeping branch of the tree was framing a sailboat.  The scene spoke to me of the themes of evangelism and faith:  evangelism to be salt and light for the world, and faith that strengthens our Christian walk.   Jesus calls us on a path to and with Him through our storms, keeping our eyes on the only true prize.

~~~~~

At the calling of the first disciples Jesus saw Peter and Andrew, two brothers who were fisherman,  casting a net into a lake.  He said, "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men."Matt. 4:19


Jesus continued to add to his disciples and traveled through Galilee teaching, preaching, and healing.  He took a time apart with his chosen disciples to teach them the Beatitudes.  There would be spiritual joy, but  suffering for those who would be fishers of men for Christ.  Blessed they would be in the kingdom of heaven, though their worldly circumstances would certainly not be pathways full of wealth and ease.

However, the good news for all of us in discipleship is that we are to..."Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven..." Matt. 5:12
because THERE, after all, is where our true treasure resides.  It cannot be earned, but is freely given; a truly invaluable future hope.

Hey Photo Peeps!


Wanted to let you know that I will have a booth of photos and cards this Thursday night at the Holiday Festival at Heritage Clubhouse: 9536 Courtright Drive, off Heritage Trace Prkwy, Keller, TX.  So if you are local followers of my blog and photography, PLEASE come see us.  I will have 8 notecards with scriptures, and several sizes of matted and framed prints that you have not seen yet.  


There will be games, crafts, food and music.  Dec. 1st, 4-8, so the Christmas decorations will abound.
I would love to see you and tell you about the stories of the photographs!


Here are a few pix you have not seen that will be there in cards or frames:

Desert Light

We recently attended a wedding in Arizona.  Our friends' daughter was married outside on the grounds of a golf course with Superstition Mountain in the background.  The weather cooperated and the event was lovely.  The light was incredible for some of the photographs I took there.

~~~

I have had occasion to visit the area around Phoenix a few other times in the last years.  My uncle lived at Mesa before he passed a few years ago.  He took my mother and me out to Superstition Mountain to show us some of his favorite places.

Then another trip to Arizona to a wedding afforded visiting the area and traveling north to the Grand Canyon with my husband.  It was an amazing journey.

The desert blooms in its own special way.  It seems like parched land, but there is always something present that proves life.  It is a good thing to remember.  Rejoice Always, even when circumstances are telling you that death wins.  It is the great lie of the enemy.  We have, through Christ, eternal life.  We have the choice to be grateful, no matter what.  We have the ability to love because He first loved us.  There IS light in the desert, and abundant LIFE.  Praise Him!