When Words Fail...

...borrow someone else's...just ATTRIBUTE!

From www.powersofprayer.org

THE POWER OF PRAYER It has been said that, "Seven days without prayer, makes one weak." Sometimes you hear someone say, "We've done all we can. The only thing we can do now is pray." Prayer really should be our first resort rather than our last resort. Jesus gave us the Lord's Prayer, as a model prayer and Jesus himself often went off to pray, setting an example for us to do the same. In Matthew 14:23, it says, "And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone." (KJV) If Jesus needed to go off and pray, how much more do we need to? Praying should not be something we do out of duty and routine. Prayer is talking and listening to our loving, all knowing, heavenly Father. The book of James tells us to pray for wisdom when we don't know what to do (James 1:5). In Philippians 4:6,7, prayer is connected with receiving God's peace. In Ephesians 6:18, prayer is a very important part of battling the forces of evil. We are also told to pray for those in Authority over us (I Timothy 2:1,2). Prayer shows our dependence on God, His power and His wisdom. Prayer is powerful and so important. Studies have been done in the medical field showing the power of prayers. They used two groups of people to observe the difference between the group that was being prayed for and the group that wasn't. There was a marked difference in the recovery of those who were being prayed for, and they weren't even told that they were being prayed for. Most hospitals realize the importance of prayer in the healing process for their patients, and welcome pastors and chaplains to be a part of the  healing team. It has been said that, "If you are too busy for God, you are too busy." In the midst of our busyness let's remember how much we need God and need prayer and make a daily practice and our first resort instead of our last.

Sunday Splash Day

On Sunday, the boys reminded me that we hadn't been to Faulkner Park, to the spray pad and playground, ALL. SUMMER. LONG.

They were right! And Faulkner Park is usually a haunt of ours during the warm weather.

So we went.

And had a blast.

Adventures in Cooking: Sunday Morning French Toast

I love anything that you can make ahead and forget about it.

The easier, the better sometimes.

So last night I decided to make a baked French toast dish that sits overnight and  you just pop into the oven in the morning. Super simple.

Start with a loaf of really good multigrain bread, like this Oatmeal Bread from Brookshire's bakery.

Slice it into hearty hunks of doughy goodness.

Mix eggs (I had six left, so that's what I used) with 8 ounces of heavy cream. I added vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.

On the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan, spread a liberal amount of brown sugar. About 3/4 a cup. Drizzle maple syrup over the brown sugar.

Lay slices of bread in a baking pan. Pour egg/cream/spice mixture over the bread.

 Refrigerate overnight so that all that yummy bread soaks up all that yummy filling.

When you get up the next morning, most of it should be absorbed.

Pop it in the oven at 350.

I forgot to time how long it took, but it'll get all puffy and golden brown. Scrumptious.

And THEN, scoop it out and invert it onto a plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, per my boys' instructions.

Yum.

A DREAM Come True

Those of you who know me...or who follow my Facebook posts...know that Curt is obsessed very, very interested in helicopters.

It only makes sense. His very first fascination with an object was with fans. Ceiling fans, box fans, anything that spun, really. So his die hard interest in helicopters as of late is just a graduation from ceiling fans to rotors, really.

This summer Curt has been DETERMINED to fly a helicopter.

Today, thanks to a colleague and friend, David White, Curt was able to spend about an hour crawling all over the Trinity Mother Frances Flight for Life helicopter with Flight Nurse Trey Moses. We didn't get to fly in it, for insurance and safety issues, but Trey, a longtime flight nurse, let Curt (and Luke), examine every inch of the almost-brand-new helicopter.

Curt. Was. In Heaven.

The awe in his eyes when we arrived on the helipad  was astounding.

He immediately climbed into the pilot's seat and began the virtual take-off in his mind.

He knew all the instruments:

The Cyclic Helicopter Controls:

Fuses and instrumentation:

Anti-Torque pedals: 

The Collective:

See all the things you can learn on YouTube?

Since it was a medical helicopter, the rear of the machine was just as fascinating. The helicopter flies with a crew of four: a pilot, flight technician, and two nurses. The patient and the nurses ride here:

Luke had to get in on the action, of course:

Curt peppered Trey with a barrage of questions; Trey answered all most of them, and managed to make me belly laugh in the process. WINNING.

The boys went over EVERY. SINGLE. INCH.  of that helicopter. We learned that it can fly 140 mph. That they can transport one, or two, patients, plus a parent if the transport is a child, to hospitals all over the region. Children generally are flown to Dallas if they're on the west side of Tyler) or Shreveport (to the east). Burn patients are also transported to Metroplex hospitals.

Lately, they've been flying a higher volume of rescue flights. Lots of child drownings this summer. And now that school is in session: pedestrian vs. car. (GET OFF THE PHONE).

Curt went over ever inch inside the helicoptor:

And asked LOTS of questions.

Luke got in on game:

It was  SO. MUCH. FUN.

Trey took our picture.


Then we took his:

 

It was AWESOME.

And I am HAPPY!

My Day...In Cell Phone Pictures

Today was just an ordinary day. But I thought I'd document it in pictures.  Nothing too exciting.

Just an ordinary day. 

The first thing I see every morning: 

Uh oh. Time to clean up again:

It was still dark when I left for work:

And the sun was just creeping into the sky when I arrived:

My favorite way to start the day, no matter how many times I've tried to give it up:

My computer FINALLY boots up: (was there any doubt what site I'd be visiting?)

I walk through the insert room to get to the elevator:

When I leave work it's a bit brighter outside:

And so hot even the well-attended flowers are dying.

From work it's straight to the sunbaked school playground for pick-up:

It's cooler under the tree:

MUCH cooler:

Thank heavens for the crossing guards. We'd never get to our car otherwise!

Unpack your backpack, please!

Why do I even BOTHER having a basket for the shoes?

Oh fun! Chores!

Last peaches of the summer for school lunches tomorrow:

And a video game before dinner:

Leftovers for dinner, then it's bedtime for this very tired chica!