Sarah Palin- A Woman of Substance

I try to avoid discussing politics with my family. We have extremely different views on fundamental things and I don’t like to fight about it. But this blog is a place where I can let you know how I feel and if you want to disagree, you can do so politely in the comments.

I like Sarah Palin. I admire and respect her for a number of reasons. Being in the political spotlight has got to be tough. I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes, but I am thankful she has the courage to stand up in these perilous times and do what she thinks is right. I have read the harsh criticisms of her and know that comes with the territory in politics.

An AP article written by Martha Mendoza describes her as “the ethics-protecting, belt-tightening mom, who easily juggles family and her government job. She switches back and forth between mother and governor without a blink. But details of her life that have emerged under the glare of national attention show that she's a complicated politician. She's disarming and accessible for some, vindictive and hard toward others. She has many loyal friends, tremendous hometown support, and a few fierce enemies.”

Sounds like part of the job description to me. I am looking for leaders who will look to God and listen for His wisdom, rather than catering to popular opinion and special interest groups. I see Sarah Palin as the real deal. She is a woman of God who has made her share of mistakes and will probably make more. But she has my vote. And that’s what I have to say about that.

Word photos of a Wedding

Every element of this special occasion whispered, “I love you.” It brings to mind a love song we sing in church: There is none like you. No one else can touch my heart like you do. I could search for all eternity long and find, there is none like you.

Here are my pictures of the wondrous event as our son got married:

Beautiful Bridal party photos in the sunshine that miraculously appeared about 2 hours before the wedding. Hurricane bands ceased and we rejoiced in fair weather.

The joy of greeting friends and family in the foyer as a string quartet played gloriously in the church.

Music that soared to the heavens as gifted and annointed April Lupo offered her heart in song, inviting the presence of God.

The innocence & joy of the 4 little flower girls, ages 2-5, and the 3 year old ring bearer who scampered over white marble floors and sat happily on a bench at the front as the ceremony proceeded.

The deep love and emotion on the faces of all as we witnessed the glory of 2 becoming one in the sight of God and man. Covenant love is a wondrous thing.

The love of the bride’s parents expressed in every detail of a reception planned with intricate care.

The fragrance of hundreds of white roses & white orchids creating fountains of floral beauty on every table.

The elegance of chairs decorated in black with blue bows, coupled with black napkins in blue satin ribbons. Each place setting was graced by a silver ice cream scoop favor topped with a blue bow, lovingly tied by the bride’s mother, that read “Love is Delicious.”

A ceiling draped in white silk twinkling with white lights to create a fairytale scene with the bride sparkling like a princess.

A DVD that took untold hours to create that played in the first room of the reception area, showing hundreds of photos of the bride and groom since birth with their family and friends.

Food fit for a king. From the Beef Tenderloin cooked to perfection to the primo pasta to the succulent vegetables and potatoes, it was a banquet that the bride’s dad and brother had planned for months as they welcomed us to their restaurant, Galuppi’s.

Wedding cake, a chocolate fountain, pastries, crème puffs and a tuxedo groom's cake topped off the sweetness of the night.

Dancing and cavorting of guests from 2 to 82 as the celebration of a marriage kicked into high gear.

A happy goodbye through the front door bedecked with a heart made of roses as the bride & groom were whisked away by a limosine. They are now in Jamaica for some much needed relaxation.

To Love Extravagantly

Love is the most powerful force on the face of the earth. It can heal, forgive, restore, overcome, repair, compensate, fortify and fulfill. Today is our 30th wedding anniversary. I stand in awe at the wonders of it all.

In a toast at the wedding of her brother on Sunday, Uncommon Blonde said, “This weekend our parents celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary, and in doing so give to us a legacy of commitment. “

I am so grateful that the grace of God has covered all of my weakness and failure and filled me with all the fullness of God, so that I can give away what isn’t even mine. I am truly blessed as I say, “Look what the Lord has done.”

Pioneer Woman? She doesn’t live here.

Builderman has a new project. Instead of just continuing to mow the very large amount of grass on our property, he wants to bale it and sell the hay. Fine by me… whatever, honey.

Until he announced yesterday that the neighbors are coming to help tomorrow and he sure could use my help. My response was, “you’re kidding, right?” I would think we have enough stories of the crazy things that happen when he recruits me as a manual laborer.

Not to mention that Thursday I work full (over)time to make up for being out Friday. We are leaving early Friday and that should say it all. His pants have to be picked up from the seamstress (he just tried them on Sunday after having them since June and they needed altering), etc. etc. Experience tells me there are times to say “No” and I am certain this is one of those times. I have to laugh. What was he thinkin’?? I will definitely not be telling him about the Pioneer Woman.

Faith in Action

I have something I’d like for you to pray with me about. I'm glad I am still basking in the wonder of what God did on Sunday, so I have very recent reminders that He is Powerful and Awesome and cares about the details of our lives.

I’ll give you some of the story without going into too much detail, and then I’ll make my request. I’ve been having some issues with my hormones changing that have been causing problems. One issue was becoming of increasing concern.

Sunday, the presence of God was very strong in our service. The message was based on John 5, where the lame man was by the pool at Bethesda waiting for his healing. The first one in the pool after the angel stirred the waters was healed. The speaker reminded us that we don’t have to wait for angels, we have Jesus. In addition, we are not in some spiritual lottery where it’s a chance on who God wants to heal. He suggested we all join hands and jump in the pool together. I loved that. It’s a good thing Jesus said, “Come as a child.” That totally works for me.

I just knew that God taken care of my need in that service. I knew I wasn’t going to have to go to the doctor and that I would be restored before all the festivities coming up this weekend. And indeed, that very night, all symptoms disappeared. SING, SHOUT, DANCE! I am so thankful.

Now here’s the request. I am asking God to send Hurricane Gustav to uninhabited places. We are still, at this very moment, experiencing severe weather from Tropical Storm Fay. (I am using my cell phone for internet access as my regular high speed is out from the weather.) We do not need a visit from Gustav in Florida. Nobody else needs him either!! He is definitely not invited to our son’s wedding. God knows about the need for safety for all the people we love who are travelling from all over to South Florida for the festivities. Please pray. If one can put a thousand to flight, two can send the legions fleeing, and cause Gustav to be rendered harmless. Amen.

Endless Summer

An article in our local paper today features a Beach House give-away that a Birmingham, AL company is sponsoring. This promotion is called the “Idea House” and the home is located near Port St. Joe here in the Florida Panhandle. The design team referred to the house as having the personality of a “Manhattan socialite who inherited her great aunt’s beach cottage.” It has a fair market value of $941,000. Nice beach house.

I would so love to have a beach house to continue the tradition of family, love and laughter at “the shore” as my grandmother calls it. My dad was born in nearby Carrabelle, so this part of Florida holds many special memories and I want to create many more!

You can register once every day between now and Sept. 30th, and this is something I will do with glee and anticipation. If you win, be sure to reserve a week or 2 for me every year as small thanks for telling you about this marvelous give-away.

On the Grill (Saturday Stirrings)

Despite all the rules about low-fat, I still really enjoy a good steak. When builderman cooks on the grill, it's my "night out". Out of the kitchen that is. Kind of. This marinade recipe was cooked up by a marine and makes the BEST steaks.

Rib-Eye Steaks with Mediterranean ‘Marine-ade’

Marinade: ½ cup dry red wine
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Steak:
4 rib-eye steaks
1 teaspoon garlic salt

In a large plastic resealable bag set inside a large bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. Add the steaks to the bag. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag several times to distribute the marinade, place the bag back in the bowl, and marinate for 30 – 60 minutes. Remove the steaks from the bag and let the excess liquid drip off. Discard the marinade. Let the steaks stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before grilling. Just before grilling, season both sides of the steak with garlic salt.

Roasted Potatoes
The perfect accompaniment to steak.

Cut new potatoes in quarters
Place on baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Add sea salt and crushed rosemary.
Bake 50 min. at 350 degrees.

Note: I do prefer New York Strip steaks to Ribeye and wish I had them on hand for dinner tonight. Minor detail - tropical storm Fay is drenching us with rain so it's not really a good day to run to the grocery store. Grilling would be a problem as well. You can enjoy it for both of us!