Another Grocery Store Moment

Tonight after my ladies bible study, I stopped at Dillons to get the ice cream and toppings for Wednesday night's Free Car Wash and Ice Cream project at church.  Wow!  You can imagine the looks you get when you pile 8 BUCKETS of ice cream into your cart!  I would have bought 10 - except there were only 8 in the case :)  I did not go immediately to the check out, instead I went to get an item I had forgotten (and there was a line).  When a couple young ladies walked by me it was obvious - they were questioning the amount of ice cream in my cart.  I went to the check out and they ended up behind me.  So I had a great opportunity to tell them what the ice cream was for and invite them to join us.  They seemed pretty positive about it and noted they were new to town.  After I loaded my van, I was returning my cart as they were walking to their car.  I noticed they had Missouri license plates, so my curiosity peaked and I asked where in Missouri they moved from.  I was totally expecting a "Joplin" answer in light of the recent devastation, but no - they just moved to Augusta from SEDALIA!  Imagine my surprise.  I explained to them that my family moved from Sedalia just last summer.  The story doesn't end there.  We introduced ourselves.  Their names - the blonde is Faith (the name of my youngest blonde beauty) and the brunette's name is Haley (the name of my oldest brown-haired beauty).  I told them I thought I could remember their names pretty well (and why)...it was one of those moments...a God moment...a God in the grocery store moment...wow, how He never ceases to amaze me with the stories I can come home to tell about :)


I didn't get their last names...maybe that is a connection that God is saving for another day.

The Chocolate Diaries - Book Review

I am excited to have the opportunity to review the new book by Karen Scalf Linamen, The Chocolate Diaries.  This is the first of her books that I have read.  I figured anything with chocolate in the title had to be sweet.  This book offered a healthy serving of fifteen chapters of the author's anecdotes on life seasoned with a variety of true and relevant stories from friends and acquaintances.  While this 201 page book could be digested quickly, I chose to spread it out over several courses to savor the flavors presented.


Each chapter offers "Sweet Secrets" from the author's readers with different answers to the question, "What's your secret to a sweeter journey on the rocky road of life?" Each chapter concludes with a handful of questions the author titles, "Food for Thought" and also a section "Because Real Women don't need a Cookbook" that offers various types of chocolate indulgences.  


I personally enjoyed chapter four with seven "pick-me-ups" to brighten each day.  I found them to be practical and possible.  I also tried the recipe offered at the end of chapter eleven for Three-Minute Cake in a Mug with my girls and it was a huge hit.  This book offers some real-life, practical advice on managing the ups and downs of life.  This book's wit, recipes and questions would make for some fabulous fun for a women's group that meets on a regular basis.  If you are searching for your next bible study, please keep in mind that although there are references to Christian living within this book there are not regular passages of scripture in each chapter for study.


I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.