Five Minute Friday: Wonder

I’m linking up today at Gypsy Mama for Five-Minute Friday, writing for 5 minutes off-the-cuff about the assigned topic.

(Sounds like the sort of thing an English teacher would like, doesn’t it?)

Today’s prompt: Wonder

Go.

Wonder, wonderful. 

Wonderful is a word we throw around a lot: wonderful meal, wonderful day, wonderful life.

What it really means is wonder full, full of wonders.

So I can say, God, You are wonderful, full of wonders, and really mean it.

Full of wonders.  Full of miracles.  Full of strength.

Full of everything I am not, full of thoughts that are not mine.

In Him is fullness of joy.

His wonders never cease;

they spill over the rim of His presence, splashing me with awe,

with questions,

with satisfaction.

His complexity makes me wonder at Him,

wonder at myself

and my smallness,

makes me wonder why I would ever presume to know more than He does.

I wonder why I don’t instantly, confidently trust Him.

Lord, open my eyes to Your wonder.

Stop. Time’s up.

Be blessed today.

Ginger

Salsa—Take Two

Remember yesterday when I mentioned my first-ever batch of homemade salsa?

Umm.

Not so great.

Okay, but not great.

Note assessment given by Big Red, HOT pepper-and-salsa connoisseur.

On to Batch #2.

Vinegar amounts and cooking times adjusted.

Yum.

Much better!

Easy-Peasy Salsa

7-8 cups chopped ripe tomatoes

3 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup (adjust as desired) chopped jalapeños

1/4 cup vinegar

2-3 tablespoons lime juice

3 tsps. salt

Mix and bring to a boil.  Boil 5 minutes. 

Have your clean canning jars and lids simmering in hot water (not boiling) in a LARGE pot.  Wash and dry the bands, but don’t put them in water.

When the salsa is ready, remove the jars from water and fill to 1/2 of top with salsa.  Wipe the rims with a clean cloth before putting on the lid.  Don’t over-tighten the band.

Now place the jars back in the hot water, making sure they are covered by an inch or so of water.  Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil and process jars for 35 minutes.

Your canning jars may have slightly different directions, so check their website and the instructions that come with them.  The canning part wasn’t hard once I got myself organized.

What’s cooking at your house?

Be blessed.

Ginger

Lists

To-Do Today

1. Grocery

2. Laundry

3. First ever batch of homemade salsa

Beach Trip Menu

1. Low-Country Boil

2. Aunt Millie’s Pancakes

3. Bagels for a beach-side breakfast picnic

4. Shrimp salad

Tonight’s menu

1. Hot dogs

2. chips and salsa

3. Oreos

Beach reading list

1. On Folly Beach by Karen White

2. Chopping Spree by Dianne Motts Davidson

3. A Rose from the Dead by Kate Collins

Lessons this week in Beth Moore’s Breaking Free that messed with me

1. Day 1  Unbelief

2. Day 2 Pride

3. Day 3 Idolatry

4. Day 4 Prayerlessness

5. Haven’t gotten to day 5 yet; expecting same outcome

Spotted in the clouds while day-dreaming

1. walrus on a rock

2. rubber ducky

3. Abe Lincoln’s profile

Be blessed today!

Ginger

The View From Friday

Rambling run-down of our week:

1. Today is DD#2’s birthday.  Twelve years old.  Twelve.

No more babies at my house.

Sniff.

She had brownies triple-chocolate muffins for breakfast.

‘Cause it’s her birthday.

2. We are having a yard-sale tomorrow. 

After spending the night in our spider-infested, unfinished basement, 

we knew it was time to do something.

Getting rid of the Barbie dollhouse collecting dust in the corner (see #1)

is a good place to start.

3. Praying it doesn’t rain tomorrow.

4.  Monday: super-productive basement cleanout.

Tuesday: complete waste of a day

Wednesday: slightly more useful than Tuesday

Thursday: got lots done; wonderful time at Bible study

Today: lay on couch and read mystery. Roused to busyness by need for birthday cake.

5. Wondering if Pilates burns enough calories to make up for said birthday cake plus brownies muffins.

Be blessed this weekend!

Ginger

I’m so Blue

Summer is in full swing around our house;

Big Red and I are knee-deep in projects,

and the DDs are offering a barrage of new goodies for us to try.

So far, fruit salsas get a two-thumbs up.

First there was the mango-kiwi-onion-bell pepper-lime juice one.

Yum.

The next one featured blueberries, one of my favorite summer treats.

Skeptics became converts when I took

blueberry salsa to Thursday night Bible study.

Be brave.

Blueberry Salsa

(from Southern Living)

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh blueberries

1 cup whole fresh blueberries

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

2 seeded and minced jalapeno peppers ( I omitted these for the Thursday night crowd because I didn’t want to injure anyone; adjust amounts to suit your taste)

1/3 cup diced red bell pepper (or yellow or orange or green—if you leave out the green jalapeno)

1/2 kosher salt

Toss together and serve with tortilla or pita chips

Guilt-free, unique, and delicious!

Be blessed!

Ginger

Linking up here and here.

Those Who Seek You

This rocker

has rocked a million miles while I think

and pray.

I love the “never” in this verse.

It speaks of the steady, unbroken rhythm

of His heartbeat.

NEVER forsaken, NEVER.

There, I shouted it,

loud enough to join the song

of the rocks and the trees.

Be blessed,

Ginger

Linking up at Scripture and a Snapshot

On Repeat

Let Summer Begin!

Post-planning has ended,

temperatures have soared to sizzling,

Ladies’ Bible Study starts tonight,

and I’ve broken out the spray-paint for the first project.

Let summer begin.

On the docket over the next few weeks:

brown wicker transforms to creamy white;

blue bathroom becomes green with bead board wainscoting;

produce gets “put by”;

beach reads read…at the beach;

new delectable recipes sampled, like mango salsa awesomeness made by DD#1`;

stunning,  inspiring posts written.

Plus naps.

And lemonade.

What’s your summer plan?

Be blessed,

Ginger