Made to be loved!!

This is what I sent my friend the other day!

   This blog started over 12 yrs ago as I made a dishcloth for a friend I gave it to her and had been to her house time after time and it sat on the counter next to her sink unused.  This was hard for me to watch as I put time and effort into making it so she could use it daily and remember it was out of love that I made it for her.  I  finally asked her why she had not used it and she said it was too pretty and she didn't want to ruin it.  I laughed and said it's like a bible it was given to us because we are to use it and its out of love that it has been passed down generation after generation for over 2000 years.  Its to look warren and water stained from the tears we cry because we realize that we are overwhelmingly loved by it.    At the beginning of June, I was given a mug made by an artist friend. I refused to use it, not wanting to damage it.  Yesterday I posted a photo of it to my friend's Facebook timeline and said remember that dishcloth I gave you I understand how you felt now with this mug.
    Do we look at the things God puts in our life this way?  Whether it is the house we live in, the beat-up car in our driveway, the kids we have or the people we work with.  God created those people with his hands with you in mind to learn how to love on them and enjoy them even in the hard things do you take the time to know them and cry over the things that made the hard people hard to deal with. Maybe you were part of the reason they are harder to deal with have you searched out your downfalls to see if you need to be asking them for forgiveness.  I once had a friend that I was struggling with and finally years down the road I sent a handwritten note to them and got the message back that they never felt that I had done what I felt I had done to them that put a huge wall up in our friendship.   I often find that when I feel this way if I sit down with the person I feel I am struggling to free myself from, and asking forgiveness of them I find they never were offended by what I thought they may be but they saw me back away and didn't know why and felt that as more offense than the action that was shortly forgiven.

The mug is loved and if it gets dinged up it means it was
used for its purpose!

       Today as I was drinking my coffee out of a mug I got years ago and thought no I just need to use the mug I got in June because it was made with hands that cared and loved making it knowing that someone would get it and enjoy it.  It's ok if it gets a chip and cracked as we all have things that shape us into who we are today. We have all been chipped at and hurt. It is the things that brought us through that matter.
    Remember that the people around you and you were made by God to be loved and love others. It's not about waiting for the other person to change but making the first step yourself.  Step up in trusting God that when you love on others they will soften to love you back.  I have seen this in some really harsh areas of life prayer is the first step and praying for those around you whether they are a loved one or your enemy or at this moment it might even seem like both. May his spirit fill you to overflowing love and peace.

Paleo Homemade Ice-cream

     We have been processed sugar and diary free for 130 days as of today so it's time to start sharing som of our favrite recipes.  Our #1 is Ice Cream; as it was almost a nightly thing for my husband to sit and have a bowl of Icecream.  As the good wife I am I thought "I will order an Icecream maker for him to have Iceceam agine when we were about 3 months into this healthy eating lifestyle.  I was super excited to suprise him with a nice bowl of Icecream when it came.
The day before it showed up I needed a hammer so I walked out to his shop and there on the top of his tool box was the bag of Enjoy Life Choc Morsel Drk  Yes we have been using these as our chocolet chips. Yes! I have been mad at the kids for steeling them and sure enough I was so bummed to say the least to find them there.  The only thing that saved my husband from a real good lecture was the guy from the impliment was there visiting and looking over the Chopper with him. We did get the Hamilton Beach Ice-Cream Maker the next day when I was at the studio so the kids tried hiding it and telling him it was for science.
  Ok know that that is out of the way.
Here is our Favrite Recipe

With a Blender We add

2 13.5oz cans of Coconut Cream
2 LBS Strawberries or Raspberries
2 TBSP Maple Syrup

You will need an Icecream Machine, Ice and Ice Cream salt if your Ice Cream Machine calles for that. Follow the Ice Cream Machines directions on how to make the Icecream as each machine is a little diffrent.

 We pour our mixture from the blender into the metel canister. Next we put the paddle in and then place it in the big plastic bucket. With about 10# of Ice we add around the outside of the metel canisterand sprinkle the Icecream salt in as we fill the bucket with ice.  Our machine doesn't have an on and off switch it just turnes on once you plug it in so I make sure everything is ready and sicure before I plug it in. We let ours run for 45 minutes.  Then we enjoy our great summer treat!!

I hope you enjoy this yummy treat.