John 15:13 - For Family and Friends of Aurora's Tragedy

I live in a suburb southeast of Denver and about 15 minutes away from the Aurora Mall.  The tragedy at the movie theater early Friday morning is beyond my comprehension.  

I had planned another post for today, but I preferred instead to send out a simple message of sorrow and sympathy to the family and friends of all of the people affected by this tragedy.   There are no words that will make this senseless violence any easier to cope with.  All I can say is that there is an entire community mourning with you and praying for you.

I was originally going to post this on Monday morning.  If you have been reading my blog you know that my son Danny just got out of the marines, and on early Thursday morning a friend of his died in Afghanistan.  This is a verse that these young marines think about often.  Danny is on his way to Wyoming to attend the funeral of his friend, so my prayers are also with Ashley's family in their time of sorrow.

Even with all of tragedy surrounding us this morning I felt like these two verses from John are so beautiful.  It reminds me of the lengths that we will take to help in other, even as things seem to be falling apart around us.  Jesus instructed to love one another as he loves us, and to take care of each other.

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
John 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

There were so many brave people trying to help each other on Friday morning.  Just as my son's friend, was protecting us far from home.

Please say a prayer today for the families in Colorado, and also for Ashley's family in Wyoming.  The grief will seem unbearable at times, but with God we can survive anything.

My prayers go out to everyone today.
Debi
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Favorite Friday Blog Links 10

Well we have another week of Favorite Friday Blog Links.  I am also going to add a book review today.  I just finished a wonderful book called The Harbinger by Jonathon Cahn, and would like to share it with all of you.

On to my Favorite Friday Blog Links.  I am so happy that you are joining me this week.

I loved reading Tamara's Easy Summertime Purse at Etcetorize's post.  Isn't it beautiful?

Ann Dunagan of Harvest Ministry's Post Making a "Place" in your Life for Prayer was so beautiful, and truly spoke to me.  My prayer is that it speaks to all of you also.  She is a contributor at the Passionate Homemaker.

I have really enjoyed all of the fashion ideas from Mary at Happily Grey.  She always has the cutest clothes, and she always tells you where they came from and how much they cost.  Which is helpful when you are on a budget.

I love the whimsy that I find on all of the pages of Guerilla Crafter's Enliven Update.  She is so creative, that I love looking through her posts.

It would be great if you would post this link on your page.  I am featured on Friday Favorite Blog Links at Adorned From Above

Well I hope that you enjoy reading my Favorite Blog Links for this week.  Let me know who your favorite bloggers are.  I would love to hear from you.

Enjoy!!!

Debi

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Fried Pork Chops Low Carb

This is a really easy recipe and it takes care of the craving for something that is breaded and fried.  I especially love fried pork chops and fried chicken, they are normally dredged in flour, but I have found a new twist.  These are coated with crushed pork rinds.  They taste amazing.

Fried Pork Chops - The Low Carb Way

Ingredients

1 1/2 bag pork rinds crushed
2 eggs beaten
6 pork chops
1/2 cup bacon fat

Directions

Heat your oil in a frying pan.

Make sure your pork rinds are really well crushed.  You can do it in a food processor or with a meat mallet.  Either way works well.  Then put them in a bowl.

Put the pork chops the egg and then dredge in the crushed pork rinds, then set the pork chop in a cookie sheet until you have done this with all of the pork chops.

Once all of the pork chops are coated in the pork rinds.  Put them in the hot oil.  Fry 10 minutes on each side.

Take them out of the oil when done and set on a paper towel to soak up any extra oil.

Serve.  I like them with fried yam or sweet potato french fries.

Serves 4 to 6

I hope that you like this recipe.  I know it is not necessarily the healthiest recipe, but I believe it is okay every once in a while.  It is really simple and good.  Let me know what low carb alternatives you have come up with for fried food.

Enjoy!!!
Debi
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Surf Spray and Wednesdays Adorned From Above Blog Hop 9

Sorry this is up late today.  I did not get home until 10:00 PM last night, and since internet was not always available where we were I could not see the links until this morning.  Plus I am waiting for my coffee, an important part of waking up.

Welcome to my Wednesdays Adorned from Above Blog Hop 9. This blog hop will run for 2 weeks.  I have been in Mexico, which is why this last blog hop was for two weeks.  I hope that all of you have fun, and I can't wait to see all that you did over the last 2 weeks.  I was really organized though, and did get my posts done ahead of time, so check back everyday to see my new recipes and other fun things.

This week I am featuring the three top blog that had the most visits. Clicking on the like button will also help to pick which posts you like the most.  Right now I am picking the links with the most page views.
 
I am thrilled to feature the following posts this week.  So without further ado, I would like to present these beautiful and informative bloggers.  To those of you that I featured I would love for you to feature this link to the blog showing that you are featured blogger at the Wednesday Adorned from Above Blog Hop. Just copy and paste the link below somewhere on your page.

I am a featured blogger at Wednesday Adorned From Above Blog Hop

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent from A Blossoming Life

Having a Deja Vu Bag Pleated Bag from Happy in Red

Canning Water for Emergency Preparation from The Nerdy Farm Wife

I want to thank everyone who linked with my Wednesdays Adorned From Above Blog Hop.  All of your projects are wonderful and I would post all of them if I could, but I think that the blog would probably be a little too long.  I hope that all of you link more posts this week.  Let's Party!!!

Your posts can include:

• anything DIY
• Recipes
• Arts and Crafts
• Sewing
• Knitting and Crochet Ideas and Patterns
• DIY Cleaning Solutions
• Natural Beauty Product Recipes
• Decorating Ideas
• Thrifting
• Book Reviews, Movie Reviews, Christian Music
• Inspirational Articles, Poetry, Life Stories, or Short Stories
• Bible Studies 

1. Bloggers, use the linky tool on the bottom of this post to share your best post. Non-bloggers, feel free to add a comment here with any ideas or thoughts you have. 
2. I would love for you to add the blog hop link posted below to the post that you are linking also.  It will give us additional opportunities for more people to see our blogs. This is not a requirement just a request.
3. Please take a look at what other people have posted and vote on the ones that you like.
4. I would also love for you to post a comment in my comments section telling me a little about yourself and your post.  This also is not a requirement just a request.  I would love getting to know you and your blog.
5. Please link your posts back to my blog hop. Linking back here helps build our little community by sending your readers to all of the other posts shared.  Just copy and past the link below onto your page.
6. Wednesdays Adorned From Above Blog Hop Link
7. I would love to have you follow me in some way, either through RSS feeds, email, or Google. 

I made this great Surf Spray for my hair a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't wait to share the recipe with you.  It was really easy and it made my hair wavy and beachy feeling, and I love the coconut smell.

Surf Spray

Ingredients

Ingredients

8 oz water

1 tsp epsom salt

1/2 tsp himalayan salt

1/4 tsp Red Gold Sea Salt  ( for blond hair use substitute sea salt )

1/4 tsp White Silver Sea Salt

1/2 tsp macadamia nut oil  ( for blond hair use jojoba oil )

1/2 tsp aloe vera gel

8 drops coconut fragrance oil

Directions

Put all salt in a measuring cup and add 1/2 cup boiling water to dissolve salt.

Once salt is dissolved add the 1/2 cup cold water.

Then add oil, aloe vera gel, and coconut fragrance oil.  

Pour into a spray bottle and spray in damp hair.  To get waves scrunch hair in hands on top of head.  I turn my head upside down, and wad my hair in my hand up to the roots and use the blow dryer.  I will then put my head upright and do this with the rest of my head.  I just wad my hair in my hand and then blow dry the hair in my hand.

My hair is stick straight, so this really worked well.

My very straight hair

Hair with waves

Let me know how you like this recipe.  I would love to hear from you.

Enjoy!!!

Debi

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Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Lava Cake

 
This ended up being such a great recipe.  I am really excited to share it with you.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Lava Cake

Ingredients

1 box Duncan Hines Brownie mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
6 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 6 ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix brownie mix according to directions on the package.  Then fill ramekin 1/3 full with brownie mix.  Then put the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup on top of the brownie mix.  Next fill the ramekin to 2/3 full with brownie mix.   Do this with all of the ramekins.

You can see the peanut butter cup at the bottom.

Bake for 40 minutes.  Take out of oven and let cool for 5 minutes.  Then serve.

Serves 6

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Psalm 91 - The Warriors Prayer

The IED Detective Dog Handlers homecoming from Operation Moshtarak July 2010

This week I am sharing a Psalm 91.  I have told you that my son Danny was a marine.  He just got out, and this is the prayer the marines say.  It is truly fitting.

This is such a beautiful prayer, and I am so happy that Danny found it comforting during his two tours in Afghanistan.  I am grateful that he has faith.  Just faith.  Enough Faith to come home.

Psalm 91 - The Warriors Prayer

1  He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3  Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5  Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6  Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7  A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8  Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9  Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10  There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13  Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14  Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15  He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16  With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Wasn't this beautiful.  What a great way to start a Monday morning.  Isn't it wonderful to know that God is with you and will protect you.

As you go through this week, I would like you to think about our men and women in the military.  They are far from their families and from home.  I would love it if you would say a prayer for them.

God bless you!!!
Debi
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Otters - Photography Series 5

I love otters. They are so cute and playful.

The first time I ever saw an otter up close and personal was when I was a teenager at my Aunt Charlotte's house in Malibu.  An otter lived on the big rock in front of her house for a couple of years.  (It was a long time ago, so some of it is not clear, it may be more or less time)

This otter was very playful and friendly for an animal that was not tame.  If someone was in the water swimming or surfing the otter would hop and and swim around, play, and interact with people from a distance.  It would dive and float and just have fun hanging out in the water.  Almost like it wanted the company.

One day the otter was gone.  I'm not sure why it left, but it was kind of sad that it was not longer around.  It probably left for better fishing grounds.

Anyway,  I was at the aquarium in February with my middle son and my husband and came across the otters in their tank.  I am amazed that I was able to get some of these shots.  I hope you are going to like them.  This otter was really busy, and moving very fast.  Well, you'll see.

So cute.  I can't believe that I was able to get this one.

Beautiful isn't it.

Here's another one.  This guy was definitely on the move.

The glass was catching the reflection of my husbands pants and shoes.

One more time around.  He was going in circles, around, around, and around.

This is my favorite.  He was balancing this berry on his head while he was swimming.

I really enjoyed watching this little guy. He was definitely a little clown.

I hope that you enjoyed this series about otters.  I hope to hear from you.  Tell me what you think about the series.

Enjoy!!!
Debi
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