Looking Ahead............

Good Morning Dear Friends!

Hoping you all had a lovely Christmas .

We did. Lots of love, joy and peaceful moments.

Family, Friends and Fellowship.

The kids are home for vacation this week and have

planned my entire week for me lol.



Looking ahead to the New Year.........a whole new decade,

there are several things that I would like to try to do...
God Willing

1) To read through the bible again in 2010. I use an email program that works for me - http://www.bibleinayear.org/ This will be my 15th year reading through. If I fall behind, I just try to catch up and using this program helps me to do that . To continue to grow in Christ.

2) More date nights with my hubby and more quality time with my family

3) To continue to be faithful to help my husband with our Friday night Bible Study

4) Help my DD teach my grand-daughters to sew.

5) Take more aggressive steps in doing all I can to be more healthy

6) Another year for Intercessory Prayer for the saints, getting more of the family of God involved so that we have "ready intercessors" available for prayer 24/7

7) Continuing to teach/share Bible prophecy and incorporate this into my blog.


So I am going to choose a day a week to incorporate my love of bible prophecy into
this blog. I am very excited about sharing with you all of the fascinating things that
are manifested and fulfilled in these incredible days we are living in !



Hugs & Prayers, GG

Merry Christmas..................

Wishing all my online friends and family , all the Joy and Abundant Love of Christ this Christmas.

May His love fill your heart and homes today and always.......See you next week!

Love & Prayers, GG

Views from the window............

So Very Pretty outside!!!!
It started just a little past midnight in out area. Very Windy.
We have about 8-10 inches....

Just enough to make it pretty .

My dear friend Helen in Providence, RI which is just about 45 miles south of me reported she has 18 inches of snow!!!!
Well......If it stays as cold as it has been. It will be a White Christmas!

Stay warm and safe my dear East Coast friends.

Hugs & Prayers, GG

I'm Dreaming ............................

I LOVE this movie......It is on the schedule for the coming week.
Hugs & Prayers, GG

Christmas Cards........

Is it "Old Fashioned" to send Christmas Cards anymore?

It was a question brought up this morning on a forum I am a member of .

I am a big Christmas Card fan, I love to send Christmas cards .

Has it gone out of vogue? In the age of E-Cards , and digital everything?

Maybe I am from another era. Maybe it is the economy and it is a place were people can cut back .

Is it an unnecessary expense?

What do you think?

Hugs & Prayers, GG

photo compliments of

http://www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/

The Starkness of Winter

New England has such a distinctive mark in each season.

I was driving yesterday through a town I am familiar with , and noticed that all the trees were stark and stripped of their leaves. It was windy , cold , and raining rather heavily .

“Oh I wish it would snow and cover -up all this ugliness”!

I did not like the feeling of the rawness and starkness of the day, cover it up, hide it from my face, paint it pretty with snow…..

As I continued traveling along a stretch of road I had been down several times before, I noticed a large lake . I had never seen it before. It was beautiful. I would not ever had seen it , had it been another season. But, in the starkness of winter, the lake was revealed.

The approaching winter had removed the leaves from the trees.

The Spirit of the Lord began to speak to my heart that within every season there is beauty .

Within each of us that is pressing toward the mark of the Most High calling in Christ Jesus , there is the beauty of God waiting to be manifested in us.

Often times, it takes the cold, stark purging of our flesh to see the Beauty of the Holiness demonstrated in our life.

The cleansing of our flesh and spirit from the filthiness of this world.
Sometimes beauty is not “manifested” until things are stripped and made bare and it is exposed to the elements.

When we go through experiences of difficulty, and tribulation, often times, the Holy Spirit is purging and refining us , just as the winter winds strip the leaves from the trees revealing the beauty of the season.

In every experiences of adversity , affliction, trial, tribulation. Because in them I have learned to trust Him and He plucks another leaf off .
　
　
2Co:7:1: Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Heb:12:1: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

Hugs & Prayers, GG

Scented Cinnamon Ornaments.....

These are great 'Favors" for your
Christmas Party or for your "Kitchen"
tree. The house smells wonderful when
your making them.

Scented Cinnamon Ornaments

1 Cup of Cinnamon

1/2 Cup of Applesauce

1 tbsp of ground cloves

1 tbsp of nutmeg

2 tbsps White school glue

Combine ingredients , working the mixture 2-3 minutes until the dough is smooth. Roll out on floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness . Using floured cookie cutter make your ornies. Use a straw or toothpick to make a small hole at the top place on wire racks and allow to dry 3-5 days.turning them over every day, thread with ribbon when they are completely dried. Tie in a loop

Blessings, Ella

A Few of my Favorites...........

Our Nativity Set.... I love it, it was my Mom's.

Some of my very favorite ornaments.

Some are old , some were made with love for me.

My husbands boutonniere from our wedding, preserved for me to place each year on our tree.

White Roses........from a surprise bouquet.

I love them all. These are just a few of my favorites.

Hugs & Prayers, Ella

A Great Give-Away

My Dear Friend Karyn aka Ma Teakettle is having an awesome give-away.

Check it out http://theteakettlecorner.blogspot.com/2009/12/woo-to-hoo.html

Hugs & Prayers, GG

This Year's Christmas Tree........................

It has been a bit hectic at my home the past week,

but God is Faithful.

This is 2009's Christmas Tree at our house. It is

really very nice, the picture is not so great.

The house is looking very nice, it is very peaceful.

God's peace and presence in the house is very comforting.

Tonight is a date night for my sweetheart and me

I am making a favorite meal.

And we are going to watch one of my Christmas

favorites. "It's a Wonderful Life "

Wishing you a blessed day , with those you love!

Hugs & Prayers, GG

Thank you Lord Jesus ............

And thank you Dear Friends~~

God is Faithful. We have gone through several of the test that are markers for a cardiac event and heart disease/damage.

To this point Jonathan has been fine. I am especially grateful once again to God and to all the many prayer warriors and saints that were gracious and prayed for my husband and out family.

They are now doing testing for gastric issues which were the secondary possibility of the cause of this pain. Back to the hospital again in the morning for a test , then we should be good for a couple of weeks. Until the endoscopic tests.

Psalms:73:26: My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.


There has been much rejoicing in my home. God is ever so Faithful to us.

Love & Prayers, Ella

Seeking your prayers....................

Dear Friends that visit my blog.........

Asking for prayer for my husband

Jonathan .

Jonathan he was rushed to the hospital Saturday from the job site via ambulance to the hospital with chest pains and shortness of breath. He has been admitted.

Right now what I know is there are no blood clots, his first series of blood work has come back negative, EKG was negative and they are doing 2 more cardiac enzymes. They will be doing a nuclear stress test today and if negative I think we will be alright in ruling out his heart. Although the also said the may have to do the cardiac cath if chest pain returns on exertion.

They are also checking his digestive functions as he has been having terrible problems with that , along with various pulmonary test too.

Thank you so much dear friends for your prayers, they mean so much to us.

Hugs & Prayers, Ella

My Favorite Italian Cookie Recipes.......

These are the cream of the crop!

Enjoy!

CORAL ISLANDS

2/3 cup margarine
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg, separated
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted, approximately
Strawberry or raspberry preserves, about 1 cup
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream margarine and sugar with an electric mixer. Add egg yolk and extract and beat well. Add flour gradually and blend well. After you’ve used 1 1/3 cups flour, test to see if dough is pliable but not too sticky. Add more flour if needed.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Beat egg white so that it is still slightly runny. Put walnuts in a bowl nearby. Dip half of each ball into the egg white. Then dip into the nuts. Place on a cookie sheet, nut side up, and make a depression with your thumb just deep enough to hold a little less than 1/2 teaspoon of preserves. Fill depression with preserves. Bake 15-20 minutes.
Makes 3 dozen cookies.

　
BUTTERBALLS

1 cup margarine
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch salt
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
Confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream margarine with an electric mixer. Add granulated sugar and salt and beat well. Add nuts and flour and work dough until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Roll dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 1/2 hours or until dough is firm. (Dough can be made several days ahead.)
Allow dough to come to room temperature. Form into balls slightly smaller than walnuts. If dough is too dry or stiff, squeeze it with your hand before forming the balls. Put balls on a baking sheet and bake 18 minutes. Gently remove to a rack to cool. When cool, roll in confectioners’ sugar.
Makes 40-50 cookies.
　
　
Italian Christmas Cookies
　
INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

FROSTING:
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
Colored sprinkles

DIRECTIONS
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a
time, beating well after each addition. Beat in ricotta and vanilla.
Combine flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed
mixture.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking
sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove to wire racks to cool.
In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add enough
milk until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cooled
cookies and immediately decorate with sprinkles. Store in the
refrigerator. Yield: 8-1/2 dozen.

Italian Anisette Cookies

"Old Italian recipe."
Original recipe yield:3 dozen
INGREDIENTS
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
6 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon anise extract
1 teaspoon anise extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons hot water
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In large bowl, mix flour, baking powder and white sugar. Make a well in the center and add oil, milk, 1 tablespoon anise extract, and eggs. Mix together until dough is sticky.
Oil fingers and pinch off dough in 1 inch pieces. Roll into a ball and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet, 1 inch apart, flatten top slightly. Bake for 8 minutes. Dip cookies in Icing while warm.
To Make Icing: Blend in 1 teaspoon anise extract and enough hot water to 1 cup confectioner's sugar to form a smooth icing
This is my Italian grandmother's recipe, to a T (except for the baking power typo, of course - 3 teaspoons works perfectly :) We call them "Sciamellis" in my family. The key with these cookies is that YOU SHOULD NOT BROWN THEM. If they turn golden on top, they're overdone. When you just start to see a teeny bit of golden color at the base of the cookies, get them out of the oven! Almond, anise, vanilla, lemon...all varieties taste great.

Hugs & Prayers, GG

Another Season.............

It is bone chilling cold this morning 28 degrees.

All of the puddles outside from yesterdays heavy rain, have changed into mini skate rinks.

One of the things that I look forward to in this season, is the time I spend with family and friends.

People's hearts seem to be a little more tender, and I look forward to planting seeds of God's word that I pray will lead to the salvation of loved ones and people that God brings across my path.

Praying this is a fruitful season. Asking God to keep me tender-hearted and free in my spirit and heart to share my faith in Christ fluently

Joh:15:4: Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.


Hugs & Prayers, GG