Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Real Paper Cards

My card shop is finally up and running.  New designs are uploaded and approved daily, so please check back often!  If you'd like a card created specifically for you just let me know and I'll get to work on it and upload for you to purchase.  

http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/trasmithcardshop

Here are a few examples of the cards I have available. :)







Monday, August 29, 2011

Monday ;) is a very good day with God by my side!

Having a wonderful day so far...
laundry - done!
shower - taken!
2 loaves of bread - rising!
kitchen - cleaned!
Turbo - bathed!
blog - one new post!
cards - one new design uploaded!
Communicating with God - all day! :)

God the Father

If you do not ask, you do not receive. Anyone that is a parent knows that at some point you have to allow your children to make their own way and even if you see them messing up or going down the wrong path you have to allow them to learn and hope they will find their way. A parent can't force their grown child to do everything their way, and sometimes that means allowing young parents to make mistakes with their own children... until that young parent becomes smart enough to ask for their parents' input and help. God is not that different as our Father, we are all sinners and God watches and waits for us to turn to him and ask for forgiveness, help and guidance. It's pretty simple really. Because the world is sinful, bad things do happen to good people, but that's because of the choices we humans make. If we are not following the guidance of our Heavenly Father then we are not living our lives the way He wants. To find True fulfillment in this earthbound life, we must first accept Jesus as our Saviour and learn God's word and walk in the Light with Him, living our lives to help others and doing everything in the Glory of God.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Newest Creations

I've discovered Quilling and I love it!  
Here are the first two creations I designed and made today.  They will be available on my Etsy Shop.. or you can contact me on here of Facebook.  

Any letter, any name...  any colors.



If you want God's help....

If you want God's help, you need to ask for it.  Praying is simple and quite honestly the easiest thing you'll ever do in your life.  After you learn that prayer is just talking to God, you'll find yourself doing it constantly, which is a good thing~  We should all be a Prayer Warriors!   God is there for us every second, of every day, of every week, of every month, of every year... to infinity.  He may not always answer your prayer the way YOU think it should be answered, but you will get an answer, sometimes better than what you wanted, sometimes not, but God knows what's best for you.  We have to learn to walk down that path with him and listen and watch for what he wants for us.  Once you've accepted Jesus, you're life will be more fulfilling and you will no longer wonder what purpose your life has.  We all have a purpose, we just have to open our eyes and hearts and learn what it is.  God will let us know!

Working...

I spent part of the day yesterday working on a new style painting, which I really like.  I'll be posting pictures soon, as it progresses.  The other part of the day I spent creating and uploading cards to my card shop.   Some can be seen below.


Trasmith Card Shop 



        

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Proverbs 4:18

The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
shining brighter and brighter until midday. 

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Proverbs 18:22

A man who finds a wife
finds a good thing
and obtains favor
from the LORD.
Proverbs 18:22

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Proverbs 12:14

The work of a man's hands
will reward him. 
Proverbs 12:14

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Shoe Drive!

Mom and I are organizing a Shoe Drive. The Shoes will be sent to Soles for Souls and will be distributed to children in countries like Haiti. If you live locally please consider donating any shoes that you or your children do not wear. All sizes are welcome. We are also asking for $1.00 donations to help us ship them. 


.If you're local please contact me to make arrangements for dropping off your donation.   If you're not local but  would like to send a donation please consider using Paypal. It's fast and free. Contact me for my Paypal information.  

 http://www.soles4souls.org/about/ 


I will be posting pictures of all that we receive and when we ship. 


God's Blessings!  

Peanut Butter Drive

My Mom and I are organizing a Peanut Butter Drive! The peanut butter will be sent to Lifeline.org and will be distributed to children in Haiti. If you live locally please consider buying and donating a 16-18oz jar of peanut 
butter, any brand. We are also asking for $1.00 donations to help ship.  It costs $.25 to ship One lb to Haiti.


If you're local please contact me to make arrangements for dropping off your donation.   If you're not local but  would like to send a donation please consider using Paypal. It's fast and free. Contact me for my Paypal information.  


http://lifeline.org/projects/StatesideProjects_PB.htm




I will be posting pictures of all that we receive and when we ship. 


God's Blessings!  

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

o Bake Protein Nutrition Bar Recipe

Prep Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons natural peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1/2 cup dry oats or whole grain hot cereal (uncooked)
1/2 cup oat flour * (double the oats if you do not have oat flour)
6 scoops low-carb chocolate whey protein (or about ~132 grams protein)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons flax seeds (optional)
1 cup non-fat dry milk
1/2 cup water (depending on what type of protein you use, you may need more)
Preparation:
Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Combine dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and mix well. Add peanut butter and mix - the mixture will be crumbly and dry. Add water & vanilla. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, everything until a dough forms. The dough will be sticky. Spread dough into pan using a clean wooden spoon or spatula that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Refrigerate a few hours (or freeze for an hour) and cut into 9 squares. Wrap bars individually (use sandwich bags or plastic wrap) or store in covered container between sheets of wax paper. Keep refrigerated. Modifications: Use vanilla protein and replace ~1/4 cup of the oatflour with a variety of nuts, seeds, or dried berries. Chopped almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts, flax seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, or dried cranberries would all work well. * Making Oatmeal/Oat Flour: To make your own oat flour, all you need to do is put a cup or two of oatmeal in a regular household blender and blend it on high...it will turn into a flour. Store in a covered bowl in the pantry. It takes 1 minute and is VERY easy and cheap alternative to buying in the store. Nutritional Information Per Serving: 197 calories, 21 g protein, 7.2 g fat (8% saturated), 13.7 g carbohydrate, 1.6 g fiber

peanut butter fudge protein bar

Ingredients
-4 scoops chocolate protein powder

-2/3 cup flax seed meal

-4 tbsp natural peanut butter

-1/4 cup water

-stevia or natural sweetener (optional)

-2 tbspn coca powder (optional)


Directions
-makes 4 servings

-mix all ingredients in a large bowl and stir. At first it may not seem like it is enough water, but keep stirring and it will eventually become a sticky blob of dough. Add 1 tbsp of water at a time if needed.


-divide mixture into 4 equal portions and place in separate pieces of plastic wrap placing them into bars. It's easier to shape them by lying plastic wrap on one side of a small casserole dish, pressing the dough into the natural shape of the dish.


-store the bars in fridge or freezer. Once solid, enjoy.


Banana Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole grain flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups uncooked quick oats


Directions
Mix ingredients together. Spray 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350' for 30-35 minutes. cool and cut into bars.

Number of Servings: 18

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user NJDESIGN.

Number of Servings: 18
As we work to show the light of God to others; we naturally light our own way.

Monday, August 15, 2011

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

~ Mother Teresa

If you walk in the Spirit, you won't do it.....

"If you walk in the Spirit, you won't do it."  This simple message can be found  in Galatians 5: 16-18
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.


I'm sitting here watching Creflo Dollar.  I've never heard of him before, but I'm so happy to have found him on TBN.  He's engaging and tells it like it is (much like my preacher, Tar Henderson). What I'm hearing him say makes so much sense it's unbelievable to me that people can't  understand.  If you continue to live your life away from God you will continue to do "it".  Okay so you're wondering what "it' is. It's different for everyone; for some it's drugs, for some it's cheating, for some it's stealing and for others it's all of these and more.    


People often say "well this is just how I am".. WRONG, you can be who you want to be,  it doesn't just happen to you.  God made us in his image, He is not a drug user, a rapist, a thief, a murderer, lazy, etc... therefore we are not suppose to be either. But as sinful humans we turn away from God and walk down the wrong paths. God never turns his back on us, we turn our back on him.  He is always there waiting on the Right Path, ready for us to come back and take His hand again.  


The problem I see with our society is walking with God is work, at least that's what people think.  It should be second nature, if done right. The work is learning all we can about God's Word. Doing His Will isn't work at all, it's fulfillment.   When we walk in the Spirit we find our lives to be so completely fulfilled, we realize it's not work at all, but a joy. 


All you have to do is ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins, come into your heart and life forever.  You can do this quietly where you sit. You don't have to make a grand gesture, it's between you and God. He hears you at all times. 
It's a free gift from God; to allow us to wipe the slate clean and start living and walking in the Light with Him.
You can't argue with free can you? I mean really, what do you have to lose?
Think of what you have to gain.





Sunday, August 14, 2011

Working...

I'm working on some new hand-drawn name and letter designs!  These are rough drafts, but I really like the way they are coming together.







1 Corinthians 10:13

13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Life Lessons from James... Recognizing Temptation

James 1:13-18
3When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers.17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,who does not change like shifting shadows.18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Temptation is not the sin, the wrong response to the temptation is the sin.  
I. The Reality of Temptation  A. Temptation is universal....           EVERYONE deals with temptation, EVERYONE is tempted!  B. Temptation is inevitable....           Temptation is ALWAYS around us, good or bad. 

It's how we respond to temptation that matters, not that we are tempted. 
II. The Root of Temptation
A. God is not responsible for temptation. God is not the creator of evil, but he does allow it because we are a sinful society.

B. Realize the nature of temptation:
   1. The source is individual
    2. The source is internal 
C. Realize the process of temptation.
4-D's
 Desire
 Deception
 Disobedience
 Death
III. The Reminder about Temptation
A. Remember God's guidance
B. Remember God's gifts

Friday, August 12, 2011

No Bakes always a hit in August!

The hubs needed something for his lunches and I didn't really want to fire up the oven..even though we've had quite a bit of rain this week it's made it humid here (only time during the year that we have humidity! ;p)  So I decided to make no-bake cookies!

This is the recipe I used.. I tweaked it a bit because of what I had on hand to use but they taste a-m-a-z-i-n-g

1/2 cup butter (I used 1/4 cup and 1 tsp Wilton butter flavoring)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk (didn't have any so I used 1/4 cup water and 1 Tblsp Mayo)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla (didn't have any so I used 1 1/2 tsp maple extract)
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups quick oats

Add everything (except oats) to pan, stir and bring to boil..
Boil 1 minute take off heat then stir in oats

Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper.

Let set and enjoy!!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The more you have, the more you are occupied, the less you give.
But the less you have the more free you are. Poverty for us is a freedom.
It is not a mortification, a penance. It is joyful freedom.
There is no television here, no this, no that.
But we are perfectly happy.

~ Mother Teresa 

work, work, work

Have spent the week, so far, working on jewelry designs, finished up my data entry for the Relay for Life, added a lot of my designs to my Etsy Art Shop (trasmith7) still lots to add...  and almost finished with my book Babylon Rising...

Finally had a huge rain storm this evening.. the yard is a nice little pond now. ;)

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Dinner Tonight.... Ham Chowder..

Since I'm allergic to shellfish, I decided to make a Ham Chowder instead of Clam Chowder. ;)

It was so simple and delicious!

In the crock-pot I added (in any order)
Everything is diced in large pieces

2 cups ham; rough diced
1 pint of heavy cream
2 carrots; sliced rounds not too thin
3 stalks of celery; diced
1 medium onion; diced
salt
pepper
about a cup of water or more depending on your taste
thicken with flour; to taste

Cook on High for about 6-8 hours
Serve with crackers!





Monday, August 8, 2011

I've learned that people will forget what you said, 
people will forget what you did, 
but people will never forget how you made them feel. 

~ Maya Angelou

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.
Be the living expression of God's kindness:
kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.

~ Mother Teresa 

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Amish Oatmeal Whoopie Pies.... for church dinner.

The hubs and I made these Amish Oatmeal Whoopie Pies for Church dinner tomorrow!


cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • cups flour
  • cups quick-cooking oatmeal, not instant
  • teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • teaspoons baking soda
  • teaspoon baking powder
  • tablespoons boiling water

FILLING

  • egg white
  • tablespoon vanilla
  • tablespoons milk
  • cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening


They were moist and chewy... and simply scrumptious..with or without the filling!





Friday, August 5, 2011

Do not wait for leaders;
do it alone, person to person.

~ Mother Teresa 

My Original Art... "Roses from Joe"

This is one of my Original Art pieces available on my ImageKind Gallery.  Prints are inexpensive and can be purchased with or without a frame.





Thursday, August 4, 2011

Newest Earring and Necklace Set on Etsy

http://www.etsy.com/listing/79018330/red-wire-loveah-marie-necklace-earring

If we pray, we will believe;
If we believe, we will love.
If we love, we will serve.

~ Mother Teresa ~

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

If we really want to love, 
we must learn how to forgive.

~ Mother Teresa 

Monday, August 1, 2011

Before you speak, it is necessary for you to listen,
for God speaks in the silence of the heart.

~ Mother Teresa ~

Just added to my Etsy Shop

Style Name "SUE"

Pink Ribbon Bracelet