Walk For Life

This year is the 2nd annual Walk For Life.  It is happening on October 17, 2009 at 9:00a.m.  There are 2 locations that are hosting it- The Hank Aaron Stadium, and The University Of Mobile.  The walk will be about 2 miles.  If for some reason you can't make it you can walk, skate, swim, ride, run.... or pretty much anything you want to do for 2 miles to support the cause.  If you are interested in donating just go to the site listed for contact information.
www.savalifemobile.org

Cake Pops

What you need

1 batch Dark Chocolate Cake
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioner's sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon milk (or more, as necessary)
Bake the cake and let it cool completely on a rack. This is a very moist cake, which is ideal for this recipe. It's best to let it cool overnight at least. When it is completely cool, break the cake into a large bowl. Crumble it with forks or your fingers until it is in fine crumbs.
In a separate bowl, whip the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and milk together until smooth. Pour into the cake crumbs and mix with a spoon. Then continue mixing with your fingers, kneading and mixing until fully incorporated into the cake. Check to see if it will roll into a ball. It should: this makes a very malleable, easy-to-handle cake mixture. But if it needs a little extra moisture, add milk a spoonful at a time.
When the mix is completely done, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. You can leave the mix refrigerated for several days at this point. I left mine in the fridge for about three days before making the balls. You could probably also freeze this.

Making Cake Pops

What you need
Lollipop sticks
12 ounces chocolate chips
12 ounces white chocolate bark
Edible wax, optional
Colored sugars, candies, and other decorative sprinkles

How to make the balls
Prepare two large baking sheets by covering with wax paper or parchment. Take a bit of the cake mixture and roll it into a smooth ball. If you want to use the lollipop sticks, stick one into the end of each ball, pointing upward, as you put the ball back down on the sheet. [Note: I cut the long lollipop sticks in half; they seemed a little long for the size of the balls.] Repeat until you've used up all the mixture. As each sheet fills up, put it in the freezer so that the balls harden.

How to decorate the cake pops
Melt chocolate or white chocolate in a double boiler on the stove. If you want to make the coating a little more resistant to melting, add a small square of wax to the pot and let it melt too. Stir well. Dip each ball into the chocolate until covered.
Dip in sugar, coconut, sprinkles, or anything else you'd like to decorate with. Put it back on the sheet to harden.
Don't refrigerate these; it will cause the coating to weep or melt. They can be frozen, however.

Rom 8:1 Therefore, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.

Something that I have come to realize is that God truely has purposes for our lives that are greater than we could ever imagine.  If we just walk in his will and not our own we can allow God to guide us down the right paths.  Then we'll easily be able to fulfill his purpose for our lives.  However, I know that all of us mess up every once in a while.  (Well OK, maybe more than every once in a while.)  But thankfully God knows our hearts and his grace can cover our mess ups.  He can use all things for good even though their are times that we can't begin to conceive how.  When our would is crashing down on us and we don't know what to do.  God is our answer- he can give us peace if we trust in him.  If you turn to him and pray, it really helps.  Prayer is our open door directly to God.  We can tell him everything that is on our mind (because he already knows).  He can be the one to confide in and our shoulder to cry on.  If you don't have that intimate- personal relationship with God and that inner peace sounds good to you.  All that you have to do is believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and was raised from the dead to pay for your sins.  If you truely believe that, then you can ask him into your heart through prayer.  

Tell him that you know your a sinner and that you know that has separated you from him.  Tell him that you want a close and personal relationship with him so that he can be the Lord of your life to guide you down the right paths.  Ask him to forgive you of your sins (because we're all sinners, no matter how good of a person we are) and to come into your heart.  Amen. 

If you said that prayer to God and truely meant it then congratulations!  Now hang on and get ready for the only real ride of your life.  Start by telling others that you got saved.  Then find a good church with sound Biblical doctrine to attend.   Do your homework, and read your Bible, that is how you grow your knowledge of Christ.  And Congrats again, you now have everlasting life! 

Your sister in Christ, 
Shelly