Searching Etsy...

While searching Etsy, I found these sweet items!

Two Ingredient Muffins, yep only two!

This has to be one of the easiest recipes ever!  For several years now, these muffins have become an annual fall favorite for our household. They are so easy to make, which I LOVE, and are very moist and yummy!

Ingredients needed, only two things, 1 can of pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) and 1 cake mix box of your choice.  Simple huh!

First, mix can of pumpkin and cake mix together till you can no longer see powder from cake mix.

Then add extra ingredients like chocolate chips or nuts or raisins if you desire.

Place mix into cupcake liners and fill to the top. 

Lastly bake for 15-20 minutes at 350F.

I also made a batch with Devils Food cake mix and walnuts.  They are delish! 

If you don't feel like muffins right now, you could use same idea and make a cake!

Mix ingredients together like above, place in greased 9x13" cake pan, bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes or until done when tested.  Let it cool and top with cream cheese frosting!

Enjoy!

My September Birthday Babies!

September is a very busy month for us each year.  Hubby and I got married in September because it was originally an empty month, but has turned into one of our busiest months now.  We are always excited to see it come, but I am also very happy to see it go.  

Both our daughters birthday is in this month!  It works out really nice in someways but can be very exhausting in other ways.  It also tends to be a pricey month for us celebrating two birthdays and our anniversary.  We definitely have limits on each event so we don't go in debt. :)

The annual birthday daddy date night happened for each girl.  This is always so much fun for them and me.  We get to spend the afternoon primping, anticipating date night with daddy and having his undivided attention. 

Rachel's birthday celebration is first part of the month and Ashley's is the second part of the month.

I sort of figured Rachel had some natural curl to her hair since it is a lot like mine.  Also when she sweats, which is very often, she gets the cutest little ringlets around her face.  So she let me play and see if we could make her natural curl come out and boy did it!  It turned out super cute on her!  I also let both girls wear some dark lip gloss since it is a special night for them, but that's the limit!

Rachel picked Alpine Bakery, which is a local Italian restaurant with an AMAZING bakery!  Daddy and her shared a meal along with a treat before heading to the movies.

Rachel has been dying to see the Percy Jackson movie, but I thought it might be too much for the younger kids so this was her opportunity to check it out. She loved it!

 

I can hardly believe how old you are now Rachel.  You are growing into a beautiful young lady! Saddens my heart to think we only have 7 more years of living each day with you! Love you sweet girl!

Ashley on the other hand LOVES this part of the date night process! She picks out her hair style, clothes, and "makeup" with very little suggestions on my part.

Its crazy to think they both picked out the same color lip gloss, but Rachel just put some on lightly, while Ashley couldn't put enough on her lips. LOL!

 

Ashley has NO, absolutely none, curl in her hair so we used some heat on hers.  That worked good enough for her.  She also choose Alpine Bakery for her dinner date and then they went to miniature golf to top their evening off.  She tied with her daddy.  Watch out Tiger Woods. :)

You make me laugh so much Ashley.  Your personality is truly one of a kind, so kind hearted and loving, down right silly sometimes.  I can't believe you are at the half way mark of growing up. Love you my baby girl!

What a privilege God has allowed me to be your mother.  Love you both so much! 

Chew on this...

Pray the word “Testimony”. We all have one, but do we use it to Glorify God and bring others to know Christ? 2 Timothy 1:8 “So do not be ashamed to tell people about our Lord Jesus,” We shout for football teams and wear shirts in support of our favorite team. Why don’t we shout for Jesus? He is our all time winner!!! Shout out and share the testimony God has given each one of us; “God is good and He can change your life! He changed mine!” Pray for your changed life to shout out a living testimony to all! ~ Frances

Searching etsy...

While searching Etsy, I found these sweet items!

Fall is in the air!

I am so happy with the way this pumpkin turned out! It started out as a blank wood "canvas" for me.  

I began transforming this with blending acrylic paint to get the perfect orange and the shading I wanted. 

It seemed a little blah so I add a whimsical side to it with the polka dots.  Next I added our family name.  

 

It would cute with a fall saying also like "Happy Fall Y'all" or drop the y'all and just say "Happy Fall," maybe even "Give Thanks" or "Happy Thanksgiving."  Whatever floats your boat!

Lastly added the burlap ribbon for extra texture.  Looks great huh?!

 

I have ours handing inside on the ladder, but it looks good hanging from the front door as well!

I have another one all painted just waiting for a name or saying to be added.  If you are interested, just email me about it for price, coleen@coleenverner.com. 

The Entitled Good Girl

Jealousy has been rearing its ugly head in my life lately. It's crazy how when you let that sit in your heart, it festers and grows so fast. It is like a horrible disease consuming your body from the inside out.

Some days it is only little things, I will dismiss them and "move on" by trying not to think about it or I will keep myself busy and distracted. Other days, it is all consuming in my heart and mind. I repeat and repeat and repeat the verse in Bible about taking my thoughts captive.

2 Corinthians 10:5 "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Jealousy is NOT a way to be obedient to Christ. There are times when it feels too late because I've let it multiply into a beast of a heart problem. This is what I get for not going to God with even what seems to be a small issue in my heart; for taking matters into my own hands, thinking I can handle this issue myself. It's small enough and I'm strong enough on my own. Now it is a full blown disease consuming my insides. The beautiful side to this is that God can still cure me!  This is also why there is a need to lay "it" (whatever "it" is for you) at His feet daily, no matter how big or small. A concept I know in my head, but have trouble walking the walk of my talk or however that saying goes. :)

On this particular morning, my mind was being swallowed up with jealousy, things of this world, feeling like I do everything right, follow all the rules, follow God, etc. I lead a good Christian life. I do all these things, that you ask of me God, but feel like you are blessing others and ignoring me, especially the others who aren't even followers of you or don't even believe in you.

Yes, I know we don't focus on the world and what it has to offer. We keep our eye on the prize of eternal life. We are in a covenant with Jesus that says if we love Jesus we can't love the world. But that darn flesh has super hero power and strength over me at times.

The family and I were watching a show the other night about these extreme pools people were building. Boy were these extreme, from a cost of 1.3 million up to 5 million dollars, these people were spending to transform their backyard into a pool (more like a water park) oasis.  My jaw was dropped almost the whole show. Each pool topped the previous pool. These people had millions of dollars to spend on a pool, a pool to play in part time, not like they are living in this space, like a house or something.  Any who, just blew my mind and definitely stirred up my jealous heart.  I am seeing these stirrings in my heart now as God trying to show me something and I need to heed to that pricking of my heart.

Sunday, the pastor ended his message with the prodigal son story and how the younger son wasted all his inheritance, but no matter what we do we can't get too far away from God that He doesn't open His arms to accept us back.  Throughout the story, my mind would wander back to the older son.  That was who I could relate to the most, because I follow all the rules, mostly anyways :), do what I am suppose to do, but I feel sometimes the party is thrown for the one who does all the wrong and basically has thrown you under the bus God for nothing.  The rule breaker (younger son) comes home and is given a new robe and ring, a massive celebration party in his honor of returning home.  I have been slaving away, working hard, doing what is right and get what seems like nothing.  Nothing for all this good I've been doing.  Of course I'm jealous God! The squeaky wheel gets all the oil, feel there is nothing left for me.  

Just doesn't seem right, I understand the point to Jesus story but what about the older son, few mention him when they preach this message, other then he was wrong and his heart was just as wicked as the younger son, but why?  He is the one I identify with. What am I to do to break this thought process of jealousy?  How do I handle it cause dismissing it doesn't work, I lay it at His feet, but seem to pick it up later.  I'm a very visual learner so I keep thinking what does this actually look like, on a daily basis for me, on a walking the talk process.  I need an example God!

Well hello Coleen... I have the greatest example right within my reach, Jesus Christ!  He came to earth in flesh, in the appearance of a man like us.  He was God, people!!!! In the highest position possible, but put that righteous robe on the hanger then put on my robe of sinful man and allowed me to put on his robe of righteousness.  What a God!!!

Philippians 2:5-8 "5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!"

Verse 6 was my answer to my entitled good girl attitude!  The Holman Christian Standard version says "who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage."  He is God, He is perfect, He does everything right, He is sinless but NEVER used that to His advantage or expected something for how good He is while here on earth.  

Do you see where I'm going with this? No matter how much I follow the rules and do good I can't use that to my advantage or expect a reward for my gain.  Christ didn't and He was God, Lord of ALL heaven and earth.  He had every right to use that privilege but He didn't.  What makes me think I deserve that when my King didn't think that even for himself, who is worthy of it!

My mom said to me that same morning, "Jealousy is my weakness into a bad habit."

Wow again! This bad habit of jealous thinking can be broken, but only with Christ.  I don't have to accept this ugliness about myself as just who I am, because Christ came to earth, humbled himself to the point of dying on a cross for me so that I can be righteous with Him.  I can live in victory with Him.  I can have eternal life in heaven with Him.  This is also for you if you will accept His invitation and allow Him to switch-a-roo robes with you.  He is worthy and He can handle it WAY better then we can.  So humble yourself, put it all aside and put yourself in Christ hands.