Dump Cake

Good Tuesday morning!

The Gallery Pic is of "the view from my window." Beagles are a strange breed. If Sparkle sits a certain way, Copper looks at her a few minutes and then assumes the exact position. If Copper runs out to the grass to roll around, Sparkle considers it and then follows him to do the same. I've stated before she does not run around willy-nilly like Copper. She has a little dignity. However, when it comes to stationary positions or activities that take little or no energy, they are definitely in sync.

I've also included a picture of my nephew, Zac, who will soon be 12 years-old. We are in the midst of celebrating The 12 Days of Zac. He gets some sort of surprise (gift or activity) each day for the 12 days leading up to his actual birthday. He's our last 12 year-old, so we're pulling out all the stops. My day with him is Monday, so he's spending the night Sunday, and we're going to the movies with Roxie and Josh on Monday. Shhh. It's a surprise. (And although I am still his ONLY aunt, it is one of my Top Ten Goals in life to be his FAVORITE aunt. So far, so good.)

CHUCK NORRIS - I really like Chuck Norris. For the remainder of this week, I will be sharing some Chuck Norris quotes with you. Austin, Josh and I think they are hilarious... which means they have a very sophisticated sense of humor, or I have the sense of humor of a teenage boy. You decide.

1. Chuck Norris can divide by zero. (Not being a math person, this one took me a little while to "get.")

2. Bigfoot takes pictures of Chuck Norris. (Seriously... I am laughing out loud.)

3. If at first you don't succeed, you're not Chuck Norris. (I... can't... breathe!)

More tomorrow!

TOPIC OF THE WEEK - Answered Prayers

I said yesterday I would finish Jeff and Sara's story today, but as you'll see in a just a few minutes, their story is really just beginning.

I talked to a friend of mine about planting, and told him I would not want to plant in Vancouver. He said, "Yeah. Too bad the Bible doesn't talk about being a light in dark places."

It all came crashing down on me late one night in October, 2008. I couldn't go to sleep. I couldn't get Vancouver out of my mind. I couldn't get the people out of my mind. That night, God broke me and told me He wanted to use me and my family to be His light in a spiritually dark city.

So after years of praying and searching, we surrendered our lives to the call of church planting in downtown Vancouver.

Jeff and Sara are moving in March with their two young children to Vancouver. As Jeff said in his story, this was not the answer he was seeking. This was not the direction he would have chosen for his ministry or his family. But God had a different answer to his prayers.

You can read more about Jeff's new ministry on www.journeytovancouver.com. Beginning March 1, I will have Sara's website listed under My Blog List so we can follow their family's move and journey through the eyes of a wife and mom with two young children in a very new and different environment from "the South."

Dump Cake

This is a wonderful cake to make for any occasion. (Because of the red cherries, it would be a nice Valentine's Day dessert, too.)

You will need:

1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple
1 20 ounce can cherry pie filling
1 yellow cake mix
3/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

1. Dump pineapple and pie filling in bottom of oblong pan. Smooth out.

2. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over this.

3. Pour melted butter. Sprinkle coconut and pecans on top.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve in pan.

I have made this cake 1,000,000 times (Code for 18 TIMES). If you like fruit desserts, it is the best. If you need to take a dessert to a large gathering, it is the best. If you need your house to smell GREAT before the real estate agent and potential buyers walk through, it is the best! Oh... and it tastes really good, too.

Have a fun Tuesday. Call someone who has been on your mind lately, and just say "hi." Make a date with one of your kiddos or your husband and write it in INK on your calendar. Come back Wednesday for a little Wednesday Wisdom, a new Seasonal Tradition AND a little more Chuck Norris. (You can never have too much Chuck Norris!)

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda