Heart Hope by Olga

1-8 oz can of refrigerated crescent dinner rolls 2 T sugar ½ t cinnamon 2 T butter Powdered sugar Milk ½ t vanilla extract Preheat oven to 375 degrees.   Spray bottom of 8 or 9 inch round cake pan. Separate dough into 4 rectangles; firmly press perforations to seal. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Spread a thin layer of melted butter over rectangles. Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over rectangles. Starting at shorter side, roll up each rectangle; pinch edges to seal. Cut each roll into 8 slices. Place cut side down. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-27 minutes or until golden brown.  Mix powdered sugar, vanilla extract and a small amount of milk together to make an icing to drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls. You can fill these with lots of different ingredients. I have used blueberry jam, apricot preserves and even spiced tea mix for an orange flavor. It you want a savory taste, you can fill with chopped ham and cheese and leave off the icing. I usually double or ...

If you miss some things, you can never go back and recover them again. You have probably experienced this in one way or another in your life.  Having become a novice photographer I realize that if I see a picture that is worth taking, I had better snap it at that moment because the opportunity may never arise again... The beautiful flowers may be wilted or picked… The expression or emotion may not be expressed another time… The age or stage may be outgrown... The sunset will never be exactly the same. Therefore I have learned to carry my camera with me and stop and capture the moment.  Our walk with God can be similar; God puts people and opportunities in our paths. Sometimes they are to change our lives if we choose to listen to them and repent, or forgive or change our ways. While other times God desires to use us as the catalyst for making a difference in the life of someone else, but we must be ready and willing to act at just the right moment. We cannot go back and r...

Today a thoughtful co-worker called me to let me know that she had been gifted a very nice size 14 pair of slacks. She said that they did not fit her and she wondered if I would like to have them. I politely declined saying that they would not fit. She announced that she was too big for them too!  Well, my first thought was to retort back with, “No…they would not be too small, but several (and I do mean several) sizes too big!” But I refrained and then had to take a deep breath and realize that my co-worker was not trying to ruin my day by sizing me up, but was being considerate in her offer even if I did feel a bit stunned at first.  After additional deliberation regarding the conversation, I realized that my friend had really paid me a compliment. She could associate so easily with me that she thought we were a lot alike in our needs, our taste and our size. I began to feel better after I had reframed my thoughts. Often times we see ourselves in one way, but our view ...

1 box Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake 1 box 4 oz instant chocolate pudding ¾ c oil ¾ c water 4 eggs 2 t vanilla 1 small carton sour cream (8 oz) 1 - 6 oz bag chocolate chips Mix cake and pudding mix. Mix oil with water. Add eggs and mix. Add vanilla and mix. Stir in sour cream and chocolate chips. Pour into greased bundt pan or 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes (check at 35 minutes because ovens vary—when knife comes out clean, it’s ready). http://www.hearthope.org/

I have always laughingly said, “You better behave where ever you go because you never know who you will run into.” This was truth demonstrated a couple of weeks ago when I was on a trip. The weather was “iffy” because they were predicting a winter storm for the early morning hours, so my husband and I decided to drive down the night before and stay in a hotel in order to avoid any early morning predicaments.    It was around 11:00PM when we arrived at the hotel. I was beat from a long day of work, rushing home to pack and the 2+ hour drive in the rain snow slush. Standing in the lobby waiting to check-in I looked up to see a young couple from our church that had the same idea that we had. They were flying to California in just a few hours for some rest, relaxation and warm weather and wanted to make sure they make their flight.  The next morning after a good night’s sleep we were settled on the plane when I looked up and saw that a co-worker was boarding the plane. W...

This morning a young man stopped by my desk and asked me if I was ready for the rapture tomorrow. Interested in finding out more about him and his beliefs, I asked him what he was talking about. He then began telling about the group of people who believe that on Saturday, May 21 st around dinner time (I’m not sure which time zone!), Jesus will return in the clouds to take all who believe in Him to heaven. My co-worker then began mocking the theory by saying that he was going to put on his aluminum foil outfit and put his dog on a leash, so he would not be taken up to heaven.  Now don’t get me wrong. I do believe that one day the rapture will happen and Jesus will return for me and everyone else who has accepted His blood as payment for their sin, but I do not believe that we can pinpoint a specific day for the return of Christ, since Jesus states in Matthew 24:36: “No one know s about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son , but only the Father.” As t...