Pasta!!!

This weekend, my husband and I decided to make homemade pasta. It was so much fun. Lately, I've been amazed about how just a few wet/dry ingredients can make such delicious food. Cooking can definitely be fun sometimes. Especially when you have someone you love to enjoy it with. :) Enjoy the pics!


To make pasta it takes: a little bit of water, eggs, flour, and salt. (and a kitchenaid drastically comes in handy!)


Our sauce consisted of stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, and some spices (thank you Mawmaw McClain!)


Here's the pasta being rolled out.


Our finished product! Sooo yummy!

A Talking Donkey?!?

Ok...so I really wanted to use that title to snatch your attention. I'm still in the book of Numbers, but I'm surprised with this book of the Bible - it's really not just about taking a census.

For instance, there's a talking donkey in chapter 22! I'll let you read it for that story. Sometimes when I read the Bible, I try to put myself in their shoes and try to think of what my reaction would be. Well, I think I wouldn't believe my eyes/ears if a donkey started to talk to me. Just goes to show you that God can use anything to talk to you! And well, if He needs to use a donkey to talk to me...I guess I REALLY need to hear whatever God is trying to tell me. Lord help me to listen to YOU at all times and discern what is your voice.

In Numbers 20, the Israelites are complaining, and Moses asks God what to do. God instructs Moses to take his staff, congregate the people, and TELL the rock to yield water. So Moses takes his staff, congregates the people, but HITS the rock twice with his staff, and God yields water from the rock. This is the event where God tells Moses (in so many words), since you did not fully obey me, you will not bring the people to the promise land.

Questions/Thoughts: First, I love the fact that every time the people have a problem and bring it to Moses or Aaron, that Moses and Aaron run to God with the burden. I couldn't imagine leading thousands of people, but I love the fact that time after time when Moses and Aaron don't know what to do, they turn to God immediately. Definitely something I need to work on. Secondly, I'm wondering why after this specific event God chose to not let Moses to lead the people to the promise land. It's sad after leading the people all this time, that he would not be able to see the promised land. Thirdly, I find it interesting that even though Moses didn't fully obey God, that God still yielded water from the rock. So it makes me wonder, were there times in my life where I haven't completely obeyed God, and didn't receive ALL of the things that God intended good for me? Lord help me to obey you fully and completely, for I want more than the water from the rock, I want the promised land!

What are your thoughts on this chapter?

Chapter 21 - so the Israelites are complaining, once again. By the way, God really doesn't like complaining. (I need to remember this!) So God sends down fiery snakes down on the people, and the people are bitten (some even die). The people run to Moses and realize they have sinned. Moses turns to God, and God instructs Moses to build a bronze serpent and anyone who is bitten is to look at the snake and live. Hmmmm...interesting...I don't have many thoughts on this chapter...what about you?

Thank you God for giving me a desire to keep reading Your word! (even when it's hard to understand and read sometimes)

-MM

Matthew 26

I haven't blogged in awhile because I caught this horrible virus that seems to be making its rounds. Being a school teacher, it's quite easy to catch every bug that seems to make its way. The funny thing is that since I had been feeling tired and nauseated from the virus, I had many people thinking that I was pregnant. I guess that's something you gotta deal with if you are a woman and married. Yes it does make sense, and I can see how people would assume that, but this is why I hate the word assume. You are rarely right when you use it. So, to answer your question, no, I'm not pregnant, but I plan to be one day though. :)

I must admit, that I am VERY behind on my readings for reading the Bible in a year. I need to do some serious catch up. Anyway, my pastor has been going through the book of Matthew for quite some time now, and this past weekends message was on part of Matthew 26. I learned a few nice little tid-bits that I'd like to share with you. I encourage you to read the chapter, for I will only talk about a couple of things.

This part of the chapter is starting to lead up to Jesus's death. It is actually the day before those events happen. At this time of the year, the Jew's are about to celebrate the passover. The Jew's celebrate the passover every year to represent God saving them specifically from the Egyptians from turning them into slaves. - check out the Old Testament for those details. God commanded that every family kill a lamb and smear the blood on the doorposts, and that God would passover these houses and spare the death of their firstborn. Also that night, the family was instructed to eat, for they would be freed late that night. The meal was to consist of the lamb that was slain and unleavened bread (for there was no time for the yeast to rise). So back to Matthew, Jesus is celebrating the passover with his disciples (actually the day before the actual passover date). verses 17-29: Jesus is having unleavened bread and wine with his disciples (notice, no lamb!). There were actually 4 cups of wine present to represent the 4 different promises that God has made, Jesus picks up the 3rd cup which represented God saving His people and says, "Drink of it, all of you. for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Wow. Jesus is already telling the disciples, look, my blood is going to save you! Also, remember that there was no lamb served at the meal? The next day (actual passover day), the ultimate lamb will be slain for all, Jesus!

Wow. I love these little connections. The book of Matthew has been awesome! One extra tid-bit, Judas is the one who betrayed Jesus v. 14. Why did he do it? Well, he might have known that Jesus was the Messiah, but it wasn't in his heart. Look at v. 25, Judas addresses Jesus as Rabbi, and not Lord. Also, Judas sold Jesus out for only a months worth of wadges, when a poor woman poured an entire bottle of the purest of oils worth a years wadges. (v. 6-16)

Looking forward in learning more! I'm developing a new "awe" in the way that Jesus lived. Amazing...