Kaylea Hutson's Blog, page 26

An evening prayer

I remind myself that I am in the presence of the Lord. I will take refuge in His loving heart. He is my strength in times of weakness. He is my comforter in times of sorrow.

Trying to retrain my brain to slow down and stop for a quiet time.

I loved this prayer on Sacred Spaces tonight, part of today's reading.

I guess the word for tonight is Presence.

Simply being in God's presence, soaking up love grace and more.

“Be still, and know that I am God!" - Psalm 46:10a NLT

Just call this a closing thought for the day.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A Prayer For Tonight

Have you discovered Sacred Spaces?
It's a great website organized by the Jesuits in Ireland.
http://www.sacredspace.ie/

I love this site because it helps direct your prayers.... they just re-designed the website - and it's even better!  I've put a sample of what you can find on the site here, from today's (Sunday, June 24th's) daily prayer.

I have a feeling I'll be visiting this website frequently. There's something peaceful about it.


Presence
I remind myself that, as I sit here now,
God is gazing on me with love and holding me in being.
I pause for a moment and think of this.


Freedom
I will ask God's help,
to be free from my own preoccupations,
to be open to God in this time of prayer,
to come to know, love and serve God more.

Consciousness
How do I find myself today?
Where am I with God? With others?
Do I have something to be grateful for?
Then I give thanks.
Is there something I am sorry for?
Then I ask forgiveness.

The word of God
Luke 1:57-66; 80

Conversation
Jesus, You always welcomed little children when you walked on this earth. Teach me to have a childlike trust in you. To live in the knowledge that You will never abandon me.

Conclusion
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,
world without end.

(You can follow them on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/sacredspace.ie)

Blog Tour: Mary Magdalene (Review)

Ever wonder what Mary Magdalene's life might have been like & what she experienced as a child, and as a young woman?

Diana Wallis Taylor dives into Mary's life with her newest Biblical novel - Mary Magdalene, a Novel.

Starting with Mary's life as a tween, Taylor moves explores a variety of reasons how she became known as "Mad Mary" in her village and how her faith in Jesus radically changed her life.

She also gives us a picture of why Mary was troubled by her "demons" - (spoiler alert) a childhood kidnapping and how her family helped her find healing with Jesus.

This is the second novel of this nature that Taylor has unpacked the life of a strong Biblical woman in a way that makes us re-examine their lives.

This story will definitely make you think more about Mary. It might even cause you to think about what you might do if you found yourself in a similar situation.

On the scale of one to five, this book is a solid three. If you like strong Biblical fiction, you'll enjoy this novel.

More About The Book
(From The Publisher)
One woman desperate for hope. One Savior with the power to heal.

A beautiful girl blossoming into womanhood, Mary has high hopes for a life filled with learning, family, and young love. In one dreadful night, all of that changes. The nightmares come first, then the waking visions of unspeakable terror, until Mary hardly remembers her dreams for the future.

Can the Most High deliver her from this torment? How long must she wait for healing?

This vivid portrait of the enigmatic Mary of Magdala comes to life in the hands of an imaginative master storyteller. Diana Wallis Taylor introduces you to a Mary who is both utterly original and respectful of the biblical account, opening your eyes to a redemption that knows no bounds.

More About The Author

Diana Wallis Taylor is the author of Journey to the Well and Martha, and has published many articles, and has contributed stories to several books.

Taylor lives in California. Find out more at http://dianawallistaylor.com/.

Online Resources
An online excerpt of Mary Magdalene
Buy it at Amazon
My review of Martha

About Revell, The Publisher
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books that bring the Christian faith to everyday life. They publish resources from a variety of well-known brands and authors, including their partnership with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and Hungry Planet. For more information, visit www.RevellBooks.com.

Note: As a freelance journalist, I was provided a copy of this book by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. This review was not influenced by a free book - just in case you (or the FTC) were worried about this detail.

Another Pinterest Experiment: Nutella Cookies

Confession time. I LOVE Nutella.

So when I found a recipe on Pinterest for Nutella cookies I knew I needed to try it.

The original recipe called for one cup of Nutella, one egg, one cup of flour and a half cup of sugar.

However the "pinner" suggested leaving out the sugar.

I tried it that way with a slight modification.


Gather the ingredients.
Flour. Nutella and Egg.
(and sugar).

1 cup Nutella
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1 whole Egg
(original recipe: ½ cup Sugar)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and then mix in the mixing bowl the following ingredients.
Blend all ingedients together well. (I needed to use two eggs to make it blend well.) Form into balls (I used a cookie scoop).

Place on a cookie sheet. Press down firmly with the bottom of a glass. (I dipped it in sugar like grandma used to do for dropped cookies).

Bake 7-8 minutes or until set then cool.


They turned out kinda like brownie cookies. They remind me of the cake mix cookies I make using a friend's recipe. Those are rolled in powdered sugar - which would probably be great with these ingredients!!

With my cookie scoop I made approx. 21 cookies.

Enjoy.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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The Dangers of Pinterest

Sometimes surfing Pinterest can be dangerous.

I found this idea this week and had to try it.

(You can see the original pin here: http://pinterest.com/pin/123426846008...)

You start with a regular bar of Ivory soap. (Fresh apparently works better.)


Put it on something. The original post used paper plates or waxed paper. I used a plate.


Then put it in the microwave on high for about two minutes.


Something about the heat and chemicals in the soap makes it "explode."


It kind of poofs like "moon sand."

It's messy, fun and really laughter inducing. Warning it's crumbly and "smush-able" so you can probably shape it into a mold (for a later bath time!)

I ended up using the soap to make another batch of laundry soap.

Another look: before and after!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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Blog Tour: Chosing Joy (Review)

In the last two weeks, I've been trying to dive into Kay Warren's newest book - Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn't Enough.

Warren's writing style is warm and inviting.

But I soon learned that it's not a book that I can "speed read."

Instead, like a treat you want to savor and digest slowly, this book takes time to unpack.

Lots of time.

I'm still not finished reading it.

I love how the each chapter has questions that make you think - so you can really apply the topic to your life.

Is it easy to read. No.

Is it worth the struggle? Yes.

Am I glad that I'm reading it. Absolutely.

I'm not sure if I'm struggling with the book. Maybe God is trying to tell me something through Warren's words. (Ok. This is probably an understatement of the year.)

I know one thing.Warren has inspired me by her passion for life. I've admired her for many years for some of the actions she's taken in founding Saddleback's HIV/AIDS initiative. Her authenticity is admirable.

I keep on reading it. It may take me a while longer than normal. But that's ok. I think it will be worth it in the end.

More About The Book
(From The Publisher)
Everyone knows how to be joyful in the peaks of life.

I've graduated!
I'm engaged!
I've been hired!
I'm having a baby!
I'm cancer-free!

When all your fondest hopes and wildest dreams come true, and your heart nearly explodes with happiness, it's easy to feel joyful.

But what about the valleys? When nothing seems to go your way? When everything is falling apart? When God is silent, and you feel all alone?

Where does joy fit into those moments?

In Choose Joy, acclaimed author and Christian leader Kay Warren shares the path to experiencing soul-satisfying joy no matter what you're going through. Joy is deeper than happiness, lasts longer than excitement, and is more satisfying than pleasure and thrills. Joy is richer. Fuller. And it's far more accessible than you've thought.

Joy comes from God . . . and it can be yours! Today.

About The Author
Kay Warren cofounded Saddleback Church with her husband Rick Warren in Lake Forest, California. She is a passionate Bible teacher and respected advocate for those infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS, as well as orphaned and vulnerable children.

She founded Saddleback's HIV/AIDS Initiative. Kay is the author of Say Yes to God and coauthor of Foundations, the popular systematic theology course used by churches worldwide. She has three children and five grandchildren.

Learn more at www.kaywarren.com and follow her on Facebook (Kay Warren) and Twitter (@KayWarren1).

Online Resources
Read an excerpt here. 
Download the study guide here.

About Revell, The Publisher
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books that bring the Christian faith to everyday life. They publish resources from a variety of well-known brands and authors, including their partnership with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and Hungry Planet. For more information, visit www.RevellBooks.com.

Note: As a freelance journalist, I was provided a copy of this book by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. This review was not influenced by a free book - just in case you (or the FTC) were worried about this detail.

Closing Thoughts

Weave in faith and God will find the thread. ~Author Unknown
One of my favorite part of camp is worship.
I love spending time with God in the midst of the outdoors.
It really doesn't hurt that the outdoor chapel at Tanakolooks out over this view.

God is good.All The time.All the time.God is good.Amen.  

Bubbles....

One of the coolest things that happened at camp,
involved a bubble machine.
What a cool thing.It was like watching & playing in a waterfall of bubbles.

I started out taking pictures from "outside" of the crowd.Before long, I was in the midst of the bubbles with the kidstaking pictures, splashing and well, just having fun.

We can learn a lot from watching kids play.They play with gusto, abandon.They don't sit back and assess the situation.
They simply dive into the mess.(or in this case the bubbles)
My childhood may be over, but that doesn't mean playtime is. ~Ron Olson

Spending time with the girls

Childhood is the most beautiful of all life's seasons. 
~Author Unknown
Life is cool when you get to hang out with an amazing group of kids - including those who were in my cabin (both sides) and the girls who came as part of the St. James crew.
Some how, hanging with these gals just made the day brighter.
PS...I did remember to take 12 photos today (12 on the 12th)
-- I've forgotten the past two months -
I'll post those pics later.
The best thing about today
- one of the girls in my cabin turned 10 - I told her it's not every day you turn double digits.So we celebrated in random ways.
In childhood, we press our nose to the pane, looking out.  In memories of childhood, we press our nose to the pane, looking in.  ~Robert Brault,   
I hope we made some memories worth looking back at camp.

Hanging out at camp

From the upper left, clockwise:
The sign that greets people as they arrive at camp;
My "home" for the camp, 3B.
My bunk - I know, it was a bit messy in this picture.
The notecards I made to write to the girls on the first day.
I spent the first day of camp getting ready for the influx of campers - those rising third and fourth graders (also known as the ones that just finished second and third grade - but don't dare call them "those" grades!)

It was my first experience at Camp Tanako. It truly made me homesick for Camp Galilee, the camp I went to as a student, then returned as a counselor, for many years. 

Camp played such a HUGE role in my faith development - that I really want it to become part of the lives of the students in my children's ministry.

I know that God can truly "reach" you when you step out of the "norm" and step into a camping experience.
I spent part of the morning writing notes to the kids coming from St. James and for the girls in my cabin.  I remember how much I loved getting notes from my counselors. I guess it just made me realize how much they cared for me.

It's crazy, I still have at least two notes, one from a spiritual director, written to me in junior high, the other, from someone who truly became a "forever friend" back in 1988. I carry both of these notes in my Bible - along with a variety of other things that have great meaning.





I'm glad I got to experience it with my students. Things have changed - but the basics of camp remain the same. I love camp. the main thing I have to remember is that God is ultimately in control.