Weekly Thankfulness & Growth Report #59

#59 - Weekly Thankfulness & Growth Report

If you were following this blog in 2015 then you will be familiar with my "365 Days of Being Thankful" challenge.  I have missed reporting on my thankfulness since I finished my challenge last year, so I decided to at least give a weekly Thankfulness Report & include a Growth Report also.  Growth in our Christian walk, growth in the garden & growth on this blog.  Finally, I am also including a "Posts From the Past" feature - ENJOY!


This week I have been thankful for seeds, soil and warming temperatures.  As always I am most thankful that God will never leave me or forsake me. 


"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.  "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:  It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."  Isaiah 55:8-11
The month of March is usually filled with a mixture of both rain and snow - I thought that this post was perfect for this time of year. 
Read: Heavenly Rain and Snow


In two days we will begin our Spring yard cleanup which includes burning season!  It looks like the weather will be cooperating so we have many garden chores planned.

- Here are my Follower stats:

GFC (Google Friends Connect) - 2,270
Bloglovin - 4,310
Twitter - 6,642

Pinterest - 5,903
Google+ - 2,293
Facebook - 4,446
Linky Followers - 109
Networked Blog - 1,243
Activate - 574
That's a grand total of 27,790 followers in some form or another (which is up 34 from last week).

(click on the title to view the entire post)
I forgot about this salad recipe that I created 5 years ago - I will definitely have to make this again soon:
Grapes'n Grain Chicken Salad RECIPE






This week is EXTRA feature week - click HERE to LINK UP & you might just be featured next month!


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Linked to:
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Take Up The THANKFULNESS Challenge!

I challenge you to thank God for something everyday for one year!  Either write it down in a diary OR share with us on a blog.  If you have a blog & would like to share your THANKFULNESS posts with us, then please fill out this form: 365 Days of Being THANKFUL form - click HERE and you will be added to the THANKFULNESS page.

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$100 Amazon Gift Card GIVEAWAY

$100 Amazon Gift Card GIVEAWAY!
Enter for your chances to win!

Part of the Spring Fling Gift Guide
but first - read this great post:
Jello - "Rainbow Jiggle" Recipe




click HERE to view the entire post

(the following post was written by Laura from Michigan Saving and More )
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Welcome to the Dropprice $100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

Dropprice is an innovative startup that rewards moms for being social. Essentially, they empower moms to drop prices of kids & baby products with a click. The price continues dropping as more moms click “Drop the price”. Every week new promotions are launched and moms drop prices by sharing them on social media. See the chart below to understand the power moms have and how important it is to share with other moms.

In today’s promotion for the Pizza Making Set, it started out at $30.00 and for each mom that clicks, the price drops a bit. The price will continue to drop for each mom that participates. You can choose to share on social media to get more moms to click “Drop the price”, or you can “Buy Now” at the current price. Keep in mind that when the price gets low, they usually sell out and you will no longer have the chance to buy that item. As an added bonus every item on Dropprice ships for free! Do you want to give it a try? This is such a fun and exciting way for moms to save lots of money by collaborating with each other. If you would like to have a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card, you can experience dropping the price by following the instructions below.

Giveaway: Win a $100 Amazon Gift Card

All you have to do is help moms drop the price of the Pizza Making Set and you will be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card. Just click “Drop the price” on the entry form below for a chance to win. For even more entries, share it on your social media networks via the entry form — every time one of your friends also clicks to drop the price, you’ll automatically receive additional giveaway entries! This giveaway ends on 4/11/2017; you must be a US Resident and be 18 years or older to enter. Winners are randomly selected and contacted via email; the winners will be listed at the top of the entry form when the giveaway ends. Click here if you don’t see the entry form below.

Terms & Conditions | Powered by Dropprice

 

CLICK HERE TO ENTER TWO OTHER GIVEAWAYS: $100 TARGET GIFT CARD & $100 WALMART GIFT CARD

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Click the button below to enter the Great Giveaways going on now!!:

Time To Link Up! Tuesdays with a Twist #205

Welcome to Tuesdays with a Twist #205!
Checkout the many great giveaways going on right now!

Click the button below to enter each Giveaway!!:

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Good Morning and Welcome to another No Rules Party!

We're your hosts & co-hosts 

Mary @ Back to the Basics and Mary's Kitchen
Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Angie @ God's Growing Garden
Joyce @ Heavenly Bodies

Checkout my amazing "Featured" Pinterest Board

(click HERE to view & follow)

Features!

Each co-host will be sharing her own picks for Features. This gives everyone a better chance of being featured. Be sure to check all of our blogs to see if you were featured! 

My Features this Week are:

1. "What Does It Mean To Be a Titus 2 Woman, Verse 1" by Is It Monday, Yet?

2. "Paper Hydrangea" by SimpleJoys

3.  "12 Easter Crafts Using the Same Bunny Template"  by Just Measuring Up

If you've been featured we'd love for you to grab a button.

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The party starts every Tuesday at 7am EST and will continue until Saturday at 11:59pm.  Feel free to stop back any time and "like" your favorites.  Please visit other blogs if you have a moment. 

Share older posts as well as new ones.  No limit on links!

*Pictures should be your own* 

By linking up you give us permission to use these photos

 (with proper link backs) in our features.   And now for the party!

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Your monthly ad could be here!

Click the button to see how

You're the STAR - Week#5 EXTRA (March 2017)

I can't believe that we are already talking about the month of April!  This week is an extra week in the March STAR hop.

Thank you again for joining us!
There are many ways to follow me:

Angie @ God's Growing Garden

blog  |  facebook  |  pinterest  |  twitter  |  bloglovin  |  google+  |  etsy

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WELCOME to the March "You're the Star" Blog Hop!
Before we continue onto the Linky party I wanted to share from my blog:

Planting Potatoes in a Compost Pile


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WELCOME to EXTRA feature week of the March "You're the STAR" blog hop!
(Sometimes we will have 5 Mondays in a month - these 5th special Mondays are called "EXTRA feature" days)
Meet all of your STAR Hosts 

Swing by the STAR Hosts blogs:
Angie @ God's Growing Garden
Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Anna @ Cuddlebug Cuties
Colleen @ Butterfly in the Attic
Darlene @ Let It Shine
Angel @ Sew Crafty Angel
Miranda @ The Myrabev Life
Linda @ Country Loving Mom
Bev @ Eclectic Red Barn

This is a month long Linky party featuring YOU!

There will be 4 different features each week and 4 different feature categories (except for this special EXTRA day - we will be featuring 2 extra).  Just to be clear - this is NOT a themed party - you may link up ANY family-friendly blog posts any day of each month. 
The "theme" occurs in our weekly features:
WEEK#1 GARDEN - gardening, homesteading, recycling &/or preserving (this can include any type of green living,  while remaining family friendly),
WEEK#2 CREATIVE - arts & crafts, music, writing &/or dramatic arts (this can include sewing, dance, art history, handmade jewelry, computer art, fashion etc - anything creative while remaining family friendly)
WEEK#3 FAMILY - parenting, fitness, finances & inspirational (this can include anything about children like: education ideas for children, also self help, beauty etc -  anything family friendly)
WEEK#4 HOME - recipes, home décor, antique/DIY &/or travel (this can include anything about your home - even history posts - all while remaining family friendly)




(All features were chosen from the February "You're the Star" blog hop)

Blackberry Lemon Bars by 3 Winks Design
 

Vitamin D - Your Health Depends On It! by This Autoimmune Life

If you've been featured then please grab a STAR button below:


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We are in need of more Cohosts (click HERE to view a list of our current hosts/cohosts).  For HOME feature week we  need 3 more Cohosts.
If you are interested in joining us as a Cohost then please click HERE & fill out the form.


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All Hosts/CoHosts will post this blog hop on every Monday of each week.
Please link up your family friendly blog posts below!
It wouldn't be a linky party with YOU!
(IMPORTANT NOTE: by linking up you understand that you might be featured next month and if so, we will use some of your photos from your post - rest assured - we will always link back to your lovely blog.  We might also share your fantastic posts on social media.  Also, you may link up as many family-friendly posts as you like & YES - other blog hops &/or giveaways are welcome {giveaways and blog hops will NOT be featured though}  Thank You & ENJOY! )

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Click the button below to enter the Great Giveaways going on now!!:

FORGIVENESS - Basic Questions and Answers

FORGIVENESS - Basic Questions & Answers

 Today we are going to talk about "Forgiveness."  Our example and goal of forgiveness is the type of total forgiveness that we receive from our Heavenly Father through the blood of Jesus Christ.  God sent His one and only Son to died on the cross so that we all might have everlasting life.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16


This post is in a "Q & A" (Question and Answer) format.

 Q: How can my sins be forgiven?

"........forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14 & 15

A:  The first step is to believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins - it's just that easy.  Pray to God thanking Him for the gift of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.

The next step is to follow God's example of forgiveness and forgive everyone around you - forgive whatever wrong that has been done against you and then you will also be forgiven in that same way.  "Treat others as you would want to be treated" and "Forgive others as you would want to be forgiven."
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Q: Are there some sins that can never be forgiven?

"When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us ALL our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13 & 14

A:  There's nothing more simple than "all".  That means every huge and horrid sin and every tiny seemingly insignificant sin.....ALL....."The whole lot"........"The whole kit and caboodle"........"The whole shebang"...........Every single little, moderate, big and everything in between sin......Everything is forgiven through Jesus' sacrifice.

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Q: Are there certain people who are exempt from receiving forgiveness?

"Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him EVERYONE who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses." Acts 3:38 & 39

A:  Again, another simple answer - Everyone.  That includes people of every kind of race, every religion, people from any country;  it includes family, friends, neighbors, strangers & enemies;  that also includes the young, old and everything in between and men and women alike - EVERYONE!

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Q: What if someone doesn't know that they are sinning? - Do we still have to forgive if they haven't repented?

"When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals - one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.' And they divided up his clothes by casting lots."
Luke 23:33 & 34

A:  This is one of the most difficult things to do - forgive someone even if they don't know that they are sinning.  Tears come to my eyes every time I think about this verse & what Jesus endured for our sins - for our salvation.  Not only did Jesus forgive the 2 criminals that were being crucified with Him but He also forgave the people who were nailing Him to the cross & He also forgave the people who were gambling His clothes away!!!  He cried out "Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing."  So, the answer is YES - we need to forgive everyone and every sin even when that person doesn't realize that they are sinning. 

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Q: OK - so we have to forgive but do we have to forget also?

"For I forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Hebrews 8:12 

A:  I'll answer this question with a question - Is it really forgiving if you are not forgetting?  Now, I know that we are human and of course we will remember what was done to us in the past -  but if we do not forget that means that we are constantly bringing up that sin in present and future arguments or conflicts.  When you have been hurt by someone it is so easy to bring up all of the other "hurts" from the past - but that's NOT forgiveness - that's holding onto that offense.  We MUST forget because that is part of forgiveness.

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Q:  How many times do we have to forgive someone? 

"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?  Up to seven times?'  Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.' 
Matthew 18: 21 & 22

A:  The "RSV (Revised Standard Version)" of the Bible actually uses "seventy times seven" - either way I believe that Jesus is stating that forgiveness is unlimited.  Can you imagine how crazy it would have been if Jesus was being literal? - We would then have had to keep a "forgiveness log" on everyone keeping track of how many times that each person had been forgiven - craziness!  The truth is that God's forgiveness is unlimited and so should our forgiveness be unlimited. 

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Linked to:
Pretty Pintastic Party
Friday Feature Linky Party
Homemade & Handcrafted
Happiness is Homemade

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Take Up The THANKFULNESS Challenge!

I challenge you to thank God for something everyday for one year!  Either write it down in a diary OR share with us on a blog.  If you have a blog & would like to share your THANKFULNESS posts with us, then please fill out this form: 365 Days of Being THANKFUL form - click HERE and you will be added to the THANKFULNESS page.

Coconut Truffle Lava Cake

Coconut Truffle Lava Cake

Lindt (Lindor chocolate company) just came out with a new coconut truffle!  The outer shell is delicious dark chocolate and the inside is a creamy coconut white chocolate (see pictures below).  This unique truffle makes the perfect center for my newest lava cake recipe - and the lava is snowy white!

Printable Recipe

3 eggs
4 coconut Lindt Truffles (wrapping removed)

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)

1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup shredded coconut flakes

(4 ramekins - sprayed or buttered & dusted with flour)

Begin by melting the butter and coconut oil and then once melted, remove from heat - set aside to cool to lukewarm.  In a large bowl - mix together the milk, eggs & sugar (you may use a whisk but do NOT whip until frothy).  Now the butter mixture should be cooled - add that into the egg/sugar mixture & stir until combined.  Now, add in the flour, coconut flour & cocoa powder and stir with a wooden spoon until fully blended.  Spread the shredded coconut in the bottom of each ramekin (divide the 1/4 cup by sight into 4 equal parts).  Pour the batter on top of the shredded coconut (equal amounts of the dough) into the Ramekins (which should already have been sprayed).  (see pictures below) 

Now place 1 truffle in the middle of each batter filled ramekin.  Press the truffle down until the batter covers the top of the truffle (see pictures below).
(IMPORTANT NOTE:  The success of this dessert depends on the size of the ramekin - if you are using a wider more shallow ramekin then the truffle will not be covered with cake batter & therefore will not work) 



Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 9 to 14 minutes (NOTE:  Every oven is different - if you are making this for the first time I would bake 1 Ramekin first & then test to make sure the "lava" is flowing inside.  The perfect time for my oven is 10.5 minutes).  Remove the Ramekins from the oven & place on a cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes.  While they are cooling - take a knife and gently run around the edges.

After about 10 to 15 minutes - invert each Lava Cake on a plate. 

Serve immediately & Enjoy A DIVINE DESSERT!
(NOTE - If you allow the cake to cool completely - it will still be delicious but the inner part will harden back to the creamy truffle middle instead of the flowing lava decadence)



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Linked to:
Happiness is Homemade
Turn It Up Tuesdays
LouLou Girls
Homemade & Handcrafted #65
Friday Features Linky Party
Pretty Pintastic Party
You're the STAR


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Learn More About ESSENTIAL OILS!

We learned about the difference between Single vs Blends detailing unique benefits for each type (whether single or a blended oil.)

<a href="http://www.godsgrowinggarden.com/p/essential-oil-saturdays.html" rel="”nofollow”" target="_blank"><img alt="Essential Oil Saturdays" src="http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o501/AngieOuelletteTower/My%20Blog%20Stuff/EOSbutton_zps63oq92te.jpg" /></a>

Click HERE to learn more!