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Easter with Frappuccino Fun with Amy

After a wonderful church service yesterday, we (and some other family friends) had lunch at Frappuccino Fun with Amy and her family. (Are you missing her posts? I am. Since I’m back to blogging, hopefully she’ll be joining us again soon!)

Because we knew that Easter Sunday would be a busy one for us, we gave our children their Easter gifts on Saturday night. As far as Easter gifts go, we have always given them gifts in their Easter baskets that have something to do with helping them grow in the Lord (Christian CDs, books, Bibles, Devotional books, etc.). This year, they both picked out new “teen” Bibles with devotionals, and tons of extra information in them.


I gave James a book he’s been wanting, and he gave me the new “Mandisa“ CD. (Have I ever told you that we’re friends in “real life”? And that we served together – her singing and me speaking – before she got on American Idol?) I love her so much – she’s the real deal! Her new CD is awesome, btw!

On to Frappuccino Fun’s house… She is the consummate hostess. She always has this delicious dip (above) out as an appetizer. I have to be careful not to make a meal off of it! (Sometimes, I’ll make it at home and actually eat it as a meal!)

Harry and David Dip

1 Jar of Harry and David’s Red Pepper and Onion Relish

2 8oz bars of Cream Cheese (softened)

Stir together and serve with tortilla chips. Easy and DELICIOUS!

Look at these cute “Peeps” place cards she made for the kids’ table:


And this is how she kept everything organized: A dry erase marker board hidden around a corner in her kitchen with the menu and what everyone is bringing. I made some delicious (but definitely not diet friendly) potatoes. I’ll post the recipe later this week!

Look at these darling cupcakes that Karen brought! She made them out of one large and one small cupcake each. Ears were made out of slices of giant marshmallows dipped in colored sugar.


We left with full stomachs and full hearts… grateful for God’s gifts to us through His freedom and through friends to celebrate it with.


Thanks to Jesus, and our family and friends, for a beautiful day… Have a great week everyone! I’ll be back soon with that recipe. 🙂
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Sweet Sunday Scripture: How much God loves us…

Giant Hand reaching out in Space
NASA/CXC/SAO/P.Slane, et al. Blue: Energy emanating from the nebula around the dying star PSR B1509-58. Red: A neighboring gas cloud called RCW 89. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,512767,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/space

Crown of Thorns in Space
An unusual large galaxy with a shape bordering between spiral and elliptical has been spotted by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. NASA, ESA and W. Harris (McMaster University, Ontario, Canada) A new Hubble image highlights striking swirling dust lanes and glittering globular clusters in oddball galaxy. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513038,00.html

This is how much God loved the world:
He gave his Son, his one and only Son.

And this is why:

so that no one need be destroyed;

by believing in him,
anyone can have a whole and lasting life.

God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son

merely to point an accusing finger,
telling the world how bad it was.

He came to help,

to put the world right again.

Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted;

anyone who refuses to trust him has
long since been under the death sentence
without knowing it.

And why?

Because of that person’s failure to believe
in the one-of-a-kind Son of God
when introduced to him.

John 3:16-18 (The Message)

He is Risen… He is Risen indeed! Happy Resurrection Day, friends!

With much love… Jennifer

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Easter Idea: The Jelly Bean Prayer – A fun gift to make with your children

Here is a fun “Easter” gift for young children to make and give to their friends at school, church, dance, etc.

Take a small ziploc snack baggie and fill it with one or more of each color of Jelly Bean mentioned below. Attach the following poem to the baggie. As you put this little gift together and talk about the wonderful truths represented by the different colors of Jelly Beans, your children will probably remember and think of these truths each time they enjoy Jelly Beans.

Red is for the blood He gave.
Green is for the grass He made.
Yellow is for the sun so bright.
Orange is for the edge of night.
Black is for the sins we made.
White is for the grace He gave.
Purple is for His hour of sorrow.
Pink is for our New Tomorrow.

A bag full of Jelly Beans – colorful and sweet,

is a prayer, is a promise, is a special treat.

May the joy of Christ’s resurrection fill your heart and bless your life.

For older children, here is an adaptation to each color of Jelly Bean

Red ~ the blood of Jesus that He shed.

Black ~ Our sin, His death, the final hour.
White ~ Pure and holy. The Blood’s cleansing power.
Green ~ New Life that His death brings.
Purple ~ The Royal color, A reminder that Jesus is King of Kings.
Orange ~ is for the Holy Spirit Fire that glows,
Pink ~ is for the Infilling of the Holy Spirit that your life shows.
Yellow ~ is for the Joy & Celebration that Easter Brings.
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Easter Idea: Resurrection Rolls and the Easter Story

This is a fun activity we do each Easter season to remind us of the incredible miracle of Jesus’ resurrection and the new life we have through Him. Even though our children are pre-teens, they are still looking forward to making these favorite Easter treats.

What you will need:
1 pkg. crescent rolls (Or canned biscuits)
1 large marshmallow for each crescent roll
½ cup butter, melted
Cinnamon /Sugar mixture

Depending upon the age of your children, read or teach through Matthew 26-27. Then start this activity.

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Hand everyone a crescent roll triangle or biscuit. (The dough represents the tomb.)
3. Give everyone a marshmallow. (Representing Jesus.)
4. Dip the marshmallows in melted butter. (Representing the embalming oils.)
5. Dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon sugar. (Representing the spices used to anoint Jesus’ body.)
6. Wrap the marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll. Seal it well. (just as Jesus was tightly sealed in the tomb.)
7. Place the rolls in the oven for 10-12 minutes. (Representing the time Jesus was burried in the tomb.)
While the rolls are cooking and cooling, read/teach through Matthew 28:1-10.
8. Let the rolls cool completely. When the rolls have cooled, slice your roll open. The marshmellow is no longer there – just as Jesus is no longer in the tomb – HE IS RISEN!!

His story continues: After that Jesus appeared in person to Peter, then to the 12 disciples and after that, to more than 500 people. Jesus’ appearance to eyewitnesses, those who saw Him with their own eyes, would give support and prove that Jesus rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).

By rising from the dead, Jesus proved once and for all that He IS the Messiah, the Savior of the World, the Chosen One, and the Lamb of God. By dying on the cross and rising from the dead, Jesus did what no other had ever done before. As both God and man, He overcame sin, death, and hell.

And now because of what Jesus has done, these things no longer have any power over those who believe in Jesus and allow His Spirit to lead and direct them. Rather than being slaves to sin and death, Christians ( those who love and believe in Jesus) are free to obey God and do good ( Romans 6:17-18). The Bible says in John 8:36, “If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”

With a grateful heart for what Jesus did for me/us, and Praising Jesus for Life and Freedom through Him… and praying that you’ll experience His grace in an abundant way this Easter season… and always with love,
Jennifer
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Good Monday morning, friends~

I just had to hop on and send a BIG CONGRATS to our dear friends Lee Thomas & Jana Miller this morning. Lee wrote Jamey Johnson’s song, “In Color”, and it won SONG OF THE YEAR last night at the Academy of Country Music Awards!

To hear/see the song, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBk07l2aKrE

We are so proud of him! He and Jana love and live for the Lord, and God is using Lee as a “light” in his industry.

His song, “You’re Gonna Miss This” also won Trace Adkins the title of Single of the Year! (See below for an earlier post on “You’re Gonna Miss This” – I’m still convicted and challenged every time I think of this phrase!)

Lee and Jana, we love you guys and are giving praise to the Lord for His lifting up of you at this time!

Re-posted from 11/19/08

Wednesday’s Word of the Day…. Actually, it’s a song, which was written by a good friend of our family’s. “You’re Gonna Miss This” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXn0kAtNpso was written by Lee Thomas Miller and recorded by Trace Adkins earlier this year. You may remember it from “The Apprentice” finale. It was one of 5 or 6 songs nominated for this year’s CMA Song of the Year, and Single of the Year .

But the reason “You’re Gonna Miss This” is the WOTD is because of the message in the lyrics. The first time I heard the song, I bawled like a baby! Both children were already asleep, and I went into their rooms and laid down in the bed with them and hugged /squeezed them as tightly as I could. I called Lee the next day to try to tell him what the song meant to me, and could hardly talk for crying and then for laughing at myself for being so emotional. He laughed, too. So did my husband. 🙂

Even though it’s not Scripture, it well reminds me of the challenge of living Ephesians 5:16-17, “Making the very most of the time, buying up each opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is.”

I share this not to make us feel guilty for being busy, nor to make us sad, but to encourage us to stop the business of busy-ness every once in a while and to “soak in” where we are in our lives.

I find myself singing this song every day – especially when responsibilities of “life” start to crowd my joy of living, and of raising my precious children. When I start to wish things were somehow “different”, this song pops into my head, and the Lord reminds me that wherever we are in this particular time of our lives, God is working, and He will use ALL of it for His glory (Rom. 8:28).

And, I’m reminded that one day, I’ll look back on this particular time of life, and I’ll miss it. So, here it is – Wednesday’s Word of the Day: “You’re Gonna Miss This”.

PS: You might want to grab a tissue, if the song is new to you. 🙂

“You’re gonna miss this
You’re gonna want this back
You’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you’re gonna miss this”

Love to you all… Let’s make an effort NOT to Miss it!

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