9 Least Effective Exercises Slideshow

9 Least Effective Exercises Slideshow

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4th OF JULY BROWNIE RECIPE ~ by Betty Crocker

BETTY CROCKER ~ STARS and STRIPE BROWNIES

Ingredients:

1 box (1 lb 6.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix (with chocolate syrup pouch)
(Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box)
1 container (12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped fluffy white frosting
1 tube (0.68 oz) Betty Crocker® red decorating gel
1 tube (0.68 oz) Betty Crocker® blue decorating gel
1 tube (0.68 oz) Betty Crocker® white decorator icing
Betty Crocker® Decorating Decors stars

********************************

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil so foil extends about 2 inches over sides of pan. Spray foil with cooking spray. Make and bake brownies as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan, using water, oil and eggs. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

2. Remove brownies from pan by lifting foil; peel foil from sides of brownies. Continue as desired with options below. Flag Brownies: Frost brownies. Using red decorating gel, pipe stripes onto frosted brownie. Add decors in upper left corner of brownie. 24 brownies Firecracker Brownies: Using 1-inch round cookie cutter, cut out brownie rounds. Stack 2 brownie rounds together, spreading frosting between rounds and on top. Garnish with decors. 48 brownies Star Brownies: Using 2 1/2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter, cut brownies. Place frosting in resealable food-storage bag; cut off one bottom corner of bag. Pipe frosting on star-shaped brownies. Sprinkle with decors.

Makes: 13 brownies

REALLY FREE SAMPLES!

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Happy Sampling!

Karina's Garden of Grace

FREE DUNKIN DONUTS COFFEE

CULVER'S FROZEN CUSTARD TREAT

CULVER'S CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY

JUNE 29, 2009

SCHERERVILLE, INDIANA

_______________________________________

There are not enough words to express how much we appreciate all of our loyal customers throughout Schererville, Indiana and the Tri-Town Area, so, we are going to have a celebration! We hope you will join us and celebrate our 4 year Anniversary on Monday, June 29th. There will be balloons and coloring pages for the kids and we will be offering Turtle and Caramel Cashew Sundaes all day (and night) for $2.00. $2.00 Turtle & Caramel Cashew Sundaes

So come on in and celebrate with us, and "Get Culverized". See you on the 29th!

SUPPORT 4-H DAIRY CLUB!

June is National Dairy Month, so join us at Culver's of Schererville on June 27th and 28th for two days of fun activities in celebrating our appreciation of cows. Culver's of Schererville will donate 5% of sales to the 4-H Dairy Club to show our appreciation for all the dairy farmers, 4-H members and their cows who work so hard to produce our dairy products. What better way to celebrate National Dairy Month then having some Culver's famous frozen custard and cheese curds.

Culver's Fresh Frozen Custard . . . A Creamy Frozen Dairy Treat
Culver's of Schererville will have a Make Your Own Sunday Contest from 2-4 p.m., Flavor of the Day Contest, Decorate a Cow, Dairy Trivia Contest. Come see and pet a live cow from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thanks to our diary farmers for helping make Culver's frozen custard SO DELICIOUS!

Happy Eating!
Karina's Garden of Grace

FREE SUMMER STUFF

A WELL-STOCKED PANTRY ~ CAN SAVE YOU MONEY!

THE BASIC STEPS FOR AN ORGANIZED ~ WELL-STOCKED PANTRY!

By: Karina Struven

Upon doing my Spring Cleaning, I wanted to share with you some Kitchen Basics.

It is my belief that every home needs a well organized pantry. If you don’t have the luxury of a walk in pantry (like the beautiful one photographed above) don't despair! You should to designate and organize an area in your home to serve as the pantry. Even if you sent up shelves in your basement.

The benefits of maintaining a well-stocked and neatly organized pantry are numerous. A bonus is, you won’t have to make as many trips to the store. If you follow these easy steps that I have outlined in this article for you -- by starting with keeping items inventoried and making a complete list of what you need to purchase -- it will not only save you much aggravation, but will allow you to use the coupons you have clipped and purchase items on-sale and even in bulk, saving you: gas, time and money! As well as, your sanity!

Function ~ First in the Pantry
It does not matter how large or small your pantry is, but FUNCTION needs to be your first consideration. Here are a few functional tips for organizing your pantry:

• Just like organizing any room in your home, a pantry should be planned to save time, energy, efficiency; and therefore, money!
• Your pantry should be well-lit so that you can see all areas.
• Make your pantry efficient for you. It should be located centrally in your home. Either in the kitchen or a hall closet that is relatively close to your work area. If needed, it is perfectly fine to create multiple pantry areas. If doing this, just remember to organize each space so that the items needed in the kitchen are in the kitchen ~~ cleaning supplies separate from food ~~ and bedding and bath linens are near your home’s bedrooms and bathrooms, and so on.
• Consider the humidity and temperature of your pantry; you don’t want to store dry food items in a damp place and a pantry that has a relatively cool, constant temperature is ideal.
• If space is limited, buy plastic storage containers that you can stack in a coat closet, on top of closet shelves, and/or even under your bed. In these containers, I would keep items that you access less often in these storage areas. If you buy in bulk to save money and keep the excess inventory in these less easily accessed areas, you can always restock a smaller supply in your most convenient pantry storage area.
• Keeping a "good inventory" of the items you use regularly, will allow you to be able to avoid tempting sale prices on items you don’t use and/or you don't need.

Getting Started ~ Cleaning Out The Pantry
Now that you have planned your pantry for function, it is now time to get started on reorganizing!

Once you have established your pantry area, you’ll want to start by removing everything ~ I know, I know ~ don't freak ~ by removing everything will be able to help you get started and in order.

• Empty your pantry completely ~ moving everything into boxes, tabletops and/or counter tops. Discard or recycle anything that you find is spoiled, expired, stale or otherwise unusable.
• Before setting about to put things in order ~ you are going to have fun by disassembling whatever food cupboards you currently use. Look at everything as you take it out and consider the following: How long has it been since you used that item? For example, Herbs ~ loose a great deal of flavor after 6 months even in a dark, cool space.
  While you’re at it check expiration date and throw away accordingly. Remember the rule: When in doubt, Throw it out!
• Clean any dust or dirt off of each item as you go.
• If something has lost it's label, but you know for certain what it is, make either a handmade (or digital created) label for easy recognition and mount it to your container.
• The best part about this process ~ even if it is time consuming, is that it only has to be done twice a year. Plan to do it in the Spring and Fall.
• Clean the shelving and walls thoroughly with a solution of warm water and mild soap, drying them with a towel and by letting the shelf surfaces dry thoroughly.

Preparation ~ Pantry Space
Once you have removed everything, cleaned and prepared your pantry space, you are ready to start re-organization. This is the fun part!

Here are my suggested steps for getting your pantry ready for increased efficiency, order and money saving~!

• As you begin to organize your "Well-Stocked Pantry"...look for any available space you can use to store items; the back of a pantry door can be used to store spices and other small items if you hang a rack over the door. You can purchase these racks at either: Bed Bath and Beyond, Home Depot, Lowes, Target and or any other similar retail store.
• If needed, now is the time to repaint your pantry walls and shelves. I believe that white or off-white is generally the best color for a pantry. It shows cleanliness!
• At this point, you can lay down some easily wipe-off surface paper on your shelves. This will protect your shelf surfaces from stains.
• Your next step is organizing your shelves according to the contents that you want to keep in your "Well-Stocked Pantry."
• I suggest getting some of Tupperware's Modular Mate containers. They are great for keeping dry goods such as flour, sugar, pasta, teabags, coffee beans, and cereal. I believe that using rectangular or square containers will take up less space and stack more neatly than round or oval shaped containers.

The Pantry Re-Organizing
Now that you have cleaned out your pantry, you can begin to get things organized by using the following steps:

1. Start by sorting pantry items into categories: Examples include: fruits, vegetables, soups, condiments, boxed lunches/dinners, canned meats, sauces, baking goods, and rice/pasta/dry beans. While you're doing this first round of categorizing, be sure to put the items in order by their expiration dates, by putting the soonest expiring being the last item to go back into the pantry (i.e. it will be in front, thereby reducing wastefulness).
2. The heaviest of items should go on the lower shelves. Especially if you have a lazy Susan installed. For example, you have a large can of Tomato Sauce, put it on the lowest shelf with the canisters for your baking goods. In the meantime, leave the upper shelves open for those items that you use frequently, and lighter weight items like beans, pasta and/or rice.
3. By using canisters you can keep dry goods and baking items such as: flour and sugar, fresh and bug free. You can keep smaller items, such as tea and coffee, dried fruits and bouillon in small baskets and/or plastic bins, which also helps keep them fresh.
4. Group items that are alike together: breakfast items, snack items, baking goods, cleaning supplies, dish linens, etc. It is important that if you take a bit of time to consider how things are arranged in the grocery store where you typically shop, you can group your pantry items similarly. Using subgroups will help to keep things more neatly stored and easily accessible. For example, all canned goods go on one shelf, organized into subgroups such as: fruits, vegetables, soups, crackers and cookies, etc.
5. Labeling shelves will help you keep your groups in order.

Pantry Inventory List and Restocking

Now that you have cleaned our your "Well~Stocked Pantry," have discarded outdated items, added shelving (if needed), you will want to take inventory. By doing this it will help you to determine what is missing and what needs to be regularly re-supplied.

For your convenience, I have created a starter list of common items you may want to keep in your pantry and add to your own pantry inventory list:

• Canned Items – Soup, Broths, Vegetables, Fruit, Beans, Tomatoes, etc.;
• Jar Foods – Tomato Paste and Sauce, Olives, Pickles, Peanut Butter, Jams and Jellies
• Baking Items – Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Flour, Sugar, Extracts and more!
• Spices – Salt, Pepper, Basil, Italian Season, Tarragon, Paprika, Crushed Red Pepper and more!
• Starches – Pasta, Potatoes, Rice
• Condiments – Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Ketchup, Mustard, Mayonnaise
• Sweeteners – Syrup, Honey, Artificial Sweetener
• Dry Goods – Cereals, Oatmeal, Pancake Mix, Raisins & Dried Fruit, Nuts & Seeds
• Oils - Olive Oil, Canola Oil, Peanut Oil, Vegetable Oil, etc.
  

Keeping The Pantry Well Organized
Now that you have your pantry cleaned and organized, you will want to follow these few easy tips to keep it that way:

1. Don’t buy things that won’t get used; this will save money!
2. Do buy only according your tastes, budget and needs.
3. Look for coupons (with our coupon bar) and sale items to keep in your pantry
4. Use your pantry regularly, checking your inventory to be sure that you are not overstocked.
5. If possible, items such as paper towels, paper plates, napkins, etc. that will not expire or become stale, purchase in larger quantities.

The Wrap-Up
If possible, try to buy reserve quantities of the staple items that you use the most. This will avoid "out-of-stock" items. Having an extra jar of mayo or some reserve cans of chicken and/or tuna salad can come in very handy with a surprise visit from a friend. Be sure to add these items to your shopping list when you break into your reserves.

With kids in the house, you might want to consider making a special area and/or basket where you can keep quick snacks and treats handy. This will help keep the kids out the pantry! Homemade trail mix is a great snack and easy to store!

I have found that it is best to try to reorganize your pantry when you are alone, or have a block of time available for you to concentrate and complete the project quickly!

Remember to store cleaning products and chemicals away from your food items!

Keep items that you use the most often in front and readily visible!

Stack cans, jars and other items so that the labels can be easily read.

Always be on the lookout for new organization aids such as: baskets, wire baskets, adjustable racks, stacking containers, and more that will improve your pantry organization.

Make a "guest" or "refreshment" shelf to keep crackers, dips, chips, drink mixes and other items handy so you are ready to have an impromptu party or your children's friends.

Keep paper/pencil and/or a small whiteboard in your pantry. You could also paint a chalkboard on the back of your pantry door. You will be surprised how this will encourage family members to add what they would like to the inventory or what they have noticed is out-of-stock.

If you can’t get everything into the pantry neatly, you might store non-essential items in a more “remote” storage location such as the garage or basement.

Basic Pantry Staples:
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Corn Starch
Flour
Sugar (Powdered, Granulated and Brown)
Yeast
Stock (Chicken, Beef, Vegetable)
Maple Syrup
Cooking Wine
Milk
Butter
Eggs
Mustard
Lemons (or Lemon Juice)
Mayonnaise
Garlic
Hot Sauce
Onions
Parmesan cheese

Other Handy Pantry Items:
Dried Beans
Pastas
Spaghetti Sauce
Canned Soup (Cream of Chicken or Mushroom)
Various Cheeses
Sour Cream
Cream Cheese
Canned or Frozen Vegetables (usually frozen taste better)
Potatoes
Celery
Carrots

Happy Pantrying!

Karina's Garden of Grace

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Karina's Garden of Grace

MAMA'S BLACKBERRY DESSERT

MAMA'S BLACKBERRY DESSERT

Ingredients
2 cups blackberries
1 tbsp water
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted

2 cups dried bread crumbs
vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for topping

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8 x 8-in baking dish, or a 10-in pie pan. Rinse the blackberries in cold water, removing any impurities. Combine the blackberries and water in a saucepan, and cook gently over low heat about 6 minutes, until light purple and juicy.Remove 1/2 cup of the berry juice, and combine it with the nutmeg and cornstarch in another small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked berries and any remaining juice, and stir together.In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and butter together until blended. Add the bread crumbs and toss to moisten them.Pour the blackberry mixture into the prepared baking pan, and spoon the breadcrumb mixture over the top. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.Serve warm, with whipped cream or ice cream.

Yield
Serves 6

Cook Time
Prep Time: 20 mins. Cook Time: 30 mins.

HOMEMADE BREAD CRUMBS

Ingredients

6 tbsp olive oil or melted butter

1 tsp dried ground thyme
1 1/2 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
A few twists of freshly ground black pepper
A Pinch salt
4 cups cubed bread

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Stir the herbs and seasonings into the olive oil or melted butter. In a large bowl, drizzle the oil or butter mixture over the cubed bread, tossing to mix well. Spread the cubes in a single layer on a paper-lined baking pan. Depending on the dryness of the bread, bake for 10 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Stir the croutons every 10 minutes so they can brown evenly. Cool the croutons before sprinkling on salads.Croutons freeze well stored in plastic bags for many months. Stored at room temperature, croutons will keep for a couple of weeks.

Yield
4 cups

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Many Blessings ~

Karina's Garden of Grace

FREE TRAVEL GUIDES!

With Summer upon us ~ this is a great site to check out for FREE travel information:

Just Click the photo and create your dream get-a-way!

Happy Travelling!

Karina's Garden of Grace

HOMEMADE OXI CLEAN

A good friend of mine just shared this recipe with me. I tried it today, and it works!! A lot cheaper than OXI CLEAN too!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup water
1/2 cup peroxide
1/2 cup baking soda

Directions: Mix together and soak laundry in it for 20 minutes to overnight ~ than wash as usual.

Shortcut: You can just skip the water and pour the peroxide and baking soda directly into the wash water with your laundry soap and wash as usual.

Thanks dear friend,

Happy Washing ~
Karina's Garden of Grace

MAKE YOUR OWN LAUNDRY SOAP

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS:
borrowed from Mummydeals.org

In an effort to really protect our children and ourselves from harmful toxics, my friend Lynda and I decided to make our own laundry detergent. Of course the other advantage is the cost factor. We paid a total of $7 for 3 of the ingredients but 2 of those ingredients still have tons left for us to do it again. I estimate we will get an ENTIRE year's worth of laundry detergent for $7. Of course based on your family size this will vary but what I know is; it's way cheaper than a store brand and way better for you and the environment.
Before I show you how I have to tell you I felt a little funny making it, like even I had gone too far in the frugality thing but it only took us 30 minutes and was a ton of fun.
I would recommend doing it with a friend, you make a HOWGE batch!!
Here's the step by step guide:
You need:Borax (around $2.50)Washing soda. Found in the laundry aisle. ($3.50)
Bar of soap. Use a pure natural one to make this even better for your family. ($.99)
Grater
Pan and spoon
5 gallon bucket

I also had 2 empty laundry detergents
TOTAL COST: $7 but we have lots of borax and soda left!
1) First, grate the soap.
2) Put about four cups of water into a pan and heat it up. Keep the heat below a boil and add the soap to it gradually. Stir the hot water until the soap is dissolved and you have soapy water.
3) Put three gallons of hot water into the five gallon bucket. Then mix in the hot soapy water stir it for a while, then add a cup of the washing soda. Keep stirring it for another minute or two, then add a half cup of borax if you are using borax. Stir for another couple of minutes, then let the stuff sit overnight to cool.
When you wake up in the morning, your soap will be that’s a paler shade of the soap that you used. One measuring cup full of this will be roughly what you need to do a load of laundry and the ingredients are basically the same as laundry detergent. Out of three gallons, you’ll get about 48 loads of laundry.
Tip: You know all those little bars of soap you get that you can't use anymore as they're the "end bit"? You can save those and use them for this.
Many of you have asked if it worked well. I honestly love the way it works but I am going to stain and wash two shirts in the next couple of days and show you the results so stick around!

Let me know what you think of this one? Thanks.

Happy Soaping,

Karina's Garden of Grace

FREE CRAFTING AT FAVECRAFTS!

Attention Crafters! This is a wonderful, awesome website for those of us how like to Craft!

Click the link and check it out for yourself.


http://www.favecrafts.com/

Happy Crafting,

Karina's Garden of Grace

FREE GARDEN CRAFTS EBOOK

As summer approaches, you might want to spruce up your garden with some decorative flower pots or painted watering cans. What better way to get the latest crafting ideas than by using our FREE Garden Craft eBook? Not only are these ideas decorative and fun, but they are a great way to help the environment.

Personal gardens reduce the reliance on industrial farms, which use chemical fertilizers and more oil for transportation, contribute to plastic waste through packaging, and contribute to greater carbon emissions. Organic vegetables from the back garden simply taste better and help encourage people to eat better.

In the spirit of this wonderful movement, we have put together this exclusive collection of our favorite garden crafts. We hope these ideas inspire you to start your own garden. Use recycled materials for some of these crafts and you’ll be an eco-goddess. Here are just a few of the ideas to make your garden a beautiful place. We have in our free eBook:

Get the Garden Craft eBook for free now! [PDF]

Section 1: Flower Pots
Learn how to decorate your very own clay flower pots for spring!

Section 2: Plant Stakes
These decorative plant stakes will brin your garden to life.

Section 3: Watering Cans
Turn an ordinary watering can into a sentimental keepsake you will want to save forever.

Section 4: Garden Decorations
Decorate your garden with everything from some cute clay turtles to floral vegetable storage crates.

Happy Crafting!

Karina's Garden of Grace

SAVING SITES

Hi ya all!

Just wanted to let you in on some great sites I found while surfing this a.m. Yes, it Friday and grocery day...coupon day!

I have found that the coupons on these sites ~ actually work!

COUPON SITES
http://www.couponcrib.com
http://www.seriouslyfreestuff.com
http://www.savingsheaven.com
http://www.retailmenot.com
http://www.couponchief.com
http://www.couponmountain.com

Enjoy and Happy Savings!

Karina's Garden of Grace

HOME DEPOT - HOME IMPROVER CLUB!

This is a great time to sign up for the Home Improver Club too!
When you do -- you will get: 1) Access to exclusive savings Workshop schedules and registration; 2) Project know-how and inspiration; 3) Special alerts on newly lower priced products; and 4) Sneak peeks at new products! Plus, FREE workshops in your area!

Sign up here:

http://www.homeimproverclub.com/workshops.aspx?Type=3

THE HOME DEPOT - GARDEN CLUB

Sign up for the Home Depot Gardening Club CLICK HERE (it's FREE!) and you will get expert gardening tips; valuable coupons (worth $500 throughout the year); as well as, timely regional tips. All delivered right to your mailbox! Who couldn't use that?
Also, Find workshops in your area. Get tips and advice from the experts at The Home Depot. Click here to find workshops in your area.

Enjoy and Happy Gardening!

Karina's Garden of Grace

GET OUT OF DEBT - an Funny, But True Video by Saturday Night Live

BEING A KEEPER OF THE HOME!

I love being a Keeper of My Home!

Here is the scripture that I remind myself of when I feel overwhelmed and worn out!

PROVERBS 31

10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.
16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
29 "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Many Blessings,
Karina's Garden of Grace

EARN MONEY ONLINE WITH YOU DATA

Dear Friend,

I found something that I think you will like. The company's name is YouData (youdata.com). They are trying to convince consumers like us that we should be the ones controlling our own data and selling our own attention, not third parties like broadcasters, newspapers, and spammers. By creating a MeFile at YouData.com, I now control what ads I see and when I see them. Best part - I am selling my attention directly to interested advertisers, for real money. That's right, I get paid for giving them my attention. I can use the funds to buy music and video online, donate to charities, give to my favorite blogs and websites, or keep the change myself and do whatever I want with it.

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Click this link to sign up. My MeFile ID, garden, in the "Referral Code" will tell them I sent you.
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Many Blessings from Karina's Garden of Grace

RECIPES FOR BEAUTIFUL CONTAINER GARDENS

Recipes for Beautiful Container Gardens

YOUR ONE-DAY FINANCIAL MAKEOVER

Follow the link:
Your One-Day Financial Makeover

WHEN LIFE THROWS A CURVE BALL!

I always though life's road would be smooth after accepting Christ as my Personal Savior late in life, being married for 15 years to my soul mate, and having 3 wonderful children. But, I must admit after this last year, I know now that life sure does "throw us curve balls," when we are least expecting it. But, I also know, the Christ (the God of this Universe) is sovereign! And I rejoice in that and praise Him for that!
A dear friend of mine shared with me her "old recycled magazines." And I am glad she did! For this afternoon while reading the MOPS Connections magazine, I was truly blessed by the following:
Curves Ahead
By: Shelly Radic (Director of Ministry Life)
In a world without curves, there would be ...
No mountains or hillsWinding rivers or arching waves.
No broad valleys or deep canyons
Puffy clouds or crescent moon.
A sameness in the shapes and forms of creation.

In a world without curves, there would be ....
No game spinners or chance cards
Nothing to bounce or kick or toss
No Slinky, no Twister, no Hula hoop,
No yo-yo, physical or emotional.
Precious little playtime to relievelife's stress and strain.

In a world without curves there would be ...
infrequent need to inquire for directions,
And rare opportunities to trustin the midst of the unknown.
Little anticipation before the
climax of a great story,
And no dynamic crescendo or
decrescendo in a song.
Fewer surprises, good and bad.

In a world without curves, there would be ...
Straight lines,
Sameness and safety.
Extreme predictability.
More freedom from choice.
Little adventure or opportunityto try something new.

In a world without curves, there would be ...
No rosy cheeks, arching eyebrows or bowed lips,
No shapely hip or rounded breast,
No burgeoning bump. No woman.
Nothing to shelter, support and shape a child.

In a world without curves, there would be ...
No rotation around an axis,
Therefore, no season,
No revolution around the sun,
Therefore, no patter of day or night.
No rainfall, no sunshine, no rest.

In a world without curves, there would be ...No life!
___________________________
Therefore, today, I thank God for the "Curve Balls" he allows us to go through!

Thanks for listening,
In His Garden of Grace,
Karina Struven

"WHERE SIN ABOUNDS, GRACE ABOUNDS MORE" Romans 5:20

Today, during my morning prayer with my husband, he so encouraged me when he said "Father thank you for Romans 5:20 "...where sin abounds, grace abounds more." It was a simple "thank you" from my husband to his Heavenly Father, but so profound.
Let's just think about this for a moment....in Romans 6:1 it says "what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound more?" Does that mean that God has stuck us in this sinful life on earth just so that Grace will abound more? I don't think so..... We know as believers in Jesus Christ that we are redeemed once and for all upon salvation. But, as humans still on earth, we are exposed to sin everyday of our lives. I believe Romans 5:20 guarantees to us, that yes while we are still part of this earthly body, sin will abound and even get worse as the days linger. But, we have hope with this verse that while we are still living in "sin" GRACE ABOUNDS MORE! It is the GRACE that Jesus Christ shed with his own blood on the Cross of Calvary! I know that I for one ~ am grateful for Grace! For I was a sinner and now am set free.
So what about the everyday screw ups that we all make? Well, there is good news for us as the Children of the Father! It says in Romans 5:20, that where our sin abounds, His GRACE abounds even more! That's right! You cannot sin out of the grace of God. There is nothing that we can do that He cannot fix! His grace and love is greater than all and abounds everywhere it is needed. This is the reason why we truly need Him in everything we do. Even in the little things in life, for God is concerned with every little detail of our lives and His love knows no end. It is the love of a Father to a Son/Daughter! So anytime we mess up our lives, we have an advocate with God the Father (1 John 2:1) and we can always come to Him with open and repenting arms and know that He is "faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." For He is the True Life, and His Grace abounds more than you or I could ever know.
I Praise and Thank Him for that today and for this gentle reminder of GRACE!
In His Garden of Grace,
Karina

GREENHOUSE WALK WITH MY SON!

"Hi all!

What a great day I had today with my oldest son. He had a field trip that he was not at all excited about going on, so I decided we needed a 'mom and me day!' (at the age of 13).

I found out the most important thing today: they are NEVER too old to have a 'mom and me day!' It used to be 'mommy and me,' but with his ever changing physic, emotional and mental capacity now at 13, MOM and ME worked great!

It was great to be a growing teenager with him and sleep until 10:30 a.m.! I am always up before the crack of dawn (which I was, but went back to sleep after the other children left for school). How refreshing -- REST!

We grabbed a hot dog at the local hot dog stand 'Corky's' and headed out to Bultema Farms in NW Indiana. As we walked around the green house, he was so excited to help pick out flowers. With his extensive knowlege of horticulture -- something I had no idea he had or enjoyed so much-- I was blessed by having him with me and loving God's beautiful flowers! I am a flower addict. If I had hundreds to spend, I would have.

The best part about the Greenhouse Walk was when Ken turned and said to me 'Mom, I love life and living things.' What 13 year old boy who is so analytical can be so caring and loving? That is my Kenny! It touched my inner being to know that he is so still in touch with his emotions and heart and that he will accept these wonderful feelings; and even share them with me.

What a blessed day we had. As we came home he was so excited to help me unload the Truck with all our beautiful flowers (and let me add --- did we get a deal $5 a flat!). We headed to the back yard and planted them right away! Of course, the dirt and water were the highlight for him! But for me -- it was spending time on our Greenhouse Walk.

Many Blessings

To God Be the Glory!"

Karina's Garden of Grace

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GRACE

"Grace is a free will gift, not something that is coerced (Matt 10:8).

Grace always remains within the parameters of God’s law.

God’s grace always expresses love (John 3:16, Heb 2:9).

God’s Grace demonstrates His truth (John 1:17).

God’s grace encourages and empowers a true Christian to do righteous works of grace (2Cor 9:8).

God’s grace promotes abundant living (John 10:10).

Thanks and praise, whether given to God or man, is a form of grace (Heb 13:15).

Sometimes the blessings of grace are obvious, at other times they are extremely hard to comprehend.

Sometimes the blessings of grace are received immediately; at other times they are a long time in coming.

God’s grace establishes His righteous character in true Christians.

Gods and Christ’s grace provide for all aspects of salvation (Eph 2:8–10).'"

MAKE SOME $$ ONLINE

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Thank you and Blessings,

Karina's Garden of Grace