I was talking to my Pastor today and he asked me a question:

“If time or money was not an obstacle, what is the one thing you would love to do? What is your dream?”

Without hesitation I told him of my dream to someday own a working ranch (cows, horses, garden … the whole 9 yards), where I would be able to take in pregnant teenage girls, and teach them how to be good moms. Give them a safe place where they could learn domestic/home arts, encourage them in their dreams, and help them realize that even though they may have made a mistake, that their lives still have more promise than they can even begin to imagine! I would like to guide them to a life lived with the love of Christ, and how to live as Godly women so they can find the purpose that the Lord has for each of them.

If their partners are still involved in their lives, I would have Christian men on staff who could teach the boys how to work the ranch, give them a skill, and teach them how to be Godly fathers and husbands. Men who will show them that living a life for Christ is not a weakness, but a blessing.

Oh, and in my spare time, I would like to write a book. :)

Then Pastor Frank asked me this:

“How many times have you prayed for that dream to become a reality?”

Hmmmm. Honestly, I don’t know if I have ever prayed specifically for the Lord to help me obtain that dream … and I told him so. I may have when I was younger, but if I did, I don’t remember it. For me, it seems so far-fetched. A ranch like that would cost so much money and to be quite blunt, I didn’t figure I would ever see that kind of money in my lifetime.

Pastor Frank told me that as Christians we often find ourselves discouraged; we don’t understand what we are supposed to be doing with this life that the Lord gave us, and so we end up spinning our wheels in a hundred different areas because we aren’t actually in the area that the Lord wants for us. Why aren’t we in the area the Lord wants for us? Because we don’t pray, sincerely pray, about our dreams. We don’t take that one thing that fires us up – the one thing that we are truly passionate about – and pray for it to come to fruition.

Our God wants to fulfill our dreams. He wants to give us the desires of our hearts. He wants us to use the talents and the gifts that he has given us. We need to have the faith that he put those passions in us, and ask Him to show us how we can use them for the good of His Kingdom.

He told me to continue to live life, to help where I can using the gifts God gave me, but sincerely pray that God would give me the desires of my heart and help me to obtain my ranch for pregnant teens. That is my commission right now. As of today, I am going to not only start praying for my ranch, but having *faith* that God will provide. Somehow, in some way, that my ranch will come to life.

After we prayed, I have to admit that I felt an excitement that I haven’t felt in a very long time. It’s time to stop simply existing, and start being proactive. I need to share my dreams with people, and I need to put the word out there that this is what I want to do. As Pastor Frank said,

“Who knows how this will come about, or who the Lord will use to help it come to pass. You need to share your dreams.”

So, I am encouraging you all to share your dreams. If money and time were no obstacle, what is the one thing you would love to do? Take that answer, and start praying for it. Leave a comment with your dream here, and I will pray with you as well. God has so much in store for each of us!

As I got in the car to leave, this song came on the radio. It is called “What Faith Can Do”, by Kutless. Take a listen to it. I believe it was sent to me today, and I want you to be encouraged by it as well. :) (Lyrics can be found here if you want to read them)

Praying for dreams fulfilled,

Since my last post about the weather not feeling very “wintery”, our temperatures have dropped … a lot … so I thought this would be a great time for an awesome hot cocoa recipe! :)

I saw this on the Food Network a while back, and have saved it on my DVR ever since. lol It looked absolutely yummy, so I thought it was time to get it written down. I figured that since I was going to write it down, it would be even more fun to share it with you all!

Paula Deen’s Hot Mocha Float

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
1 quart milk
2 cup hot strong black coffee (or 3 tablespoons instant in 2 cups hot water)
1/2 pint chocolate ice cream
whipped cream, for garnish
shaved chocolate, for garnish

Directions:

In a large saucepan with wire whisk or spoon, stir together cocoa and sugar.
Over medium heat, slowly add milk until well blended.
Add 2 cups of hot strong black coffee while mixing constantly.
Remove from heat.
Ladle into 6 (8-ounce) mugs.
Top each with spoonful of ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Doesn’t that sound delicious?? For a chocolate lover like me, it is contentment in a cup. ;)

Here is another cocoa recipe from Paula Deen, for those who might not want quite so much chocolate.

Creamy Dreamy Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk (not evaporated milk)
6 1/2 cups hot water
Mini Marshmallows (optional)

Directions:
In a large saucepan, combine sweetened condensed milk, cocoa, vanilla and salt; mix well.
Over medium heat, slowly stir in water; heat through, stirring occasionally. DO NOT BOIL.
Top with marshmallows, if desired.

Tip: Chocolate can be store in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Mix well and reheat before serving.

Enjoy! If you decide to make one of these recipes, drop me a line and let me know what you think of them. :)

My friend Janice Thompson recently released book #2 in her Weddings by Bella series, “Swinging On A Star”. She so graciously sent me a copy, as she does with all of her wonderful books, and I have to tell you, her stories just tickle me pink!

Janice has a wonderful way of bringing family, humor, love, and a faith-filled message into her books with apparent ease. There isn’t one of her “cozy mysteries” (for example “The Bridal Mayhem” series) that I have read that I haven’t laughed my way through. Thankfully, in the Weddings by Bella series Janice brings that same fun, family-oriented coziness to her novels.

I have 2 full bookshelves full of Janice’s books, (thank you so much my friend!) and they are truly my favorites to go back and read again and again. Now, I even have my daughter hooked! Rachel is currently reading “Fools Rush In”, which is book #1 of this series. She has already worked her way through the Bridal Mayhem series. :)

The thing I love most about the Weddings by Bella series is that it is centered around a crazy but lovable Italian/American family. For those of us who have a love of everything Italian, “watching” this family dynamic is nothing short of hilarious! Reminds me a lot of Buddy (The Cake Boss) and his family. lol Did I mention this series is great if you are a fan of The Food Network too? (hehe, just a little teaser there!)

Here is a short synopsis of book #2, but make sure you check out Janice’s website so that you can purchase book #1 and book #2 together. Trust me … you don’t want to read one without the other!

Synopsis:
Bella Rossi’s life is nearing perfection. She’s got the perfect guy, she’s running a successful business, and she’s about to plan her most ambitious wedding yet; a Renaissance-themed fairy tale come true, complete with period costumes and foods, horse-drawn carriages, and even a castle.

There’s just one hitch; the best man just happens to be Brock Benson, Hollywood’s hottest and most eligible bachelor. Oh, and did we mention he’s staying at the Rossi house to avoid the paparazzi?

With all the pressure surrounding this wedding, Bella’s not sure she’s going to make it through. Add her starstruck sister, her feuding aunt and uncle, and a trio of large, sequined church ladies with even bigger personalities, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster–and a lot of laughs.

I am so looking forward to receiving and reading book #3 in this series, as well as Janice’s other new books. Shoot, I may even start posting reviews of her “older” books as I re-read them. They are really, that good. :)

Until next time,

The weather in Montana has been very odd this year. Hardly any snow at all (not even on Christmas!), and the temperatures have felt warmer than usual. We have had a few days of extreme cold, but not many. I am sure it is colder here than for a lot of the country, but for us, it has been a very mild winter.

Last night, we finally got a decent amount of snow. It’s still snowing as I write this. Here’s the funny thing though; the autumn leaves on the trees have not fallen off yet! Considering it is January already, it is such a strange sight to see. Is it Autumn or Winter? Hard to tell lately.

I decided to use some pictures I took this morning of the snowfall to show you what it looks like. Granted, they aren’t the best shots I have ever taken, but I had just crawled out of bed. :)

(Click photo for larger image)

What’s the weather like in your area this year? If you have a blog, put up some photos and leave me a comment. I would love to see what it looks like in other parts of the world today. :)