Welcome!

Welcome! :-) Whatever brought you here today wasn't an accident, and I'm so glad you stopped by. I'm always glad to have folks drop in my kitchen for a visit and hope you'll feel right at home. We always have an ample supply of fresh lemonade, sweet tea, and a pot of coffee brewing along with a sideboard full of baked treats for you to enJOY while you're here. Relax and take your time as we visit and catch up on the latest news. Don't forget to email and let me know what's going on in your world, as well. And, come back soon!


Thursday, January 6, 2011

Celebrating 2011

The beginning of a new year always brings so many possibilities. With twelve months before us, we have an opportunity to get in line with God's will for us, and we can watch Him unfold our lives like a beautiful flower, one petal at a time. We can do this by surrendering ourselves--spirit, soul, and body--to Him. We do this by seeking Him and His will for our lives every day through prayer, devotion, and the study of His Word. This doesn't mean that we'll never have difficulties, pain, or problems, but if we've given Him our all, we can know that He will be our Guide, our Protector, and Helper through any struggles we may face. We can walk in the awesome plans and purposes that God has mapped out for us in 2011, and we can have all the JOY, peace, and fulfillment that are ours in Christ. We may experience times when He says, "Wait. It's not the right time yet." Or, "I have something better for you." In either case, we can't lose, because we've put our trust in a God who loves us with a perfect love, and who has our best interests at heart! In any case, each day we have a reason to CELEBRATE!

As we cook, we can share our spirit of CELEBRATION and LOVE. God always opens doors for us to share our passion. It's up to us whether we share it. As we cook, we can pray for God's love and blessing to be on what we prepare. No one has to know that your "secret ingredient" is God's love, but they will know that something is "different" when they sit at your table; they will feel it, taste it, experience all the love you have put into the dishes you serve. If they ask you, then you can tell them! ("But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15)

Today, I am CELEBRATING the arrival of my second printing of cookbooks! YAAA! My first shipment arrived just after Labor Day, 2010, and with your help and God's blessing they sold quickly. I pray that many people were blessed by the recipes or something that was written within their pages. It is my hope and prayer that this second shipment will be a blessing to those who receive them and give them as gifts. Thank you to all of you who purchased from the first shipment! You had a huge part in making a longtime dream of mine come true.

The new cookbook is now complete with corrections (page 100 does not have my written-in edits!) and I would love to see someone WIN the first copy here on the blog. How about a January CELEBRATION Contest? You leave a comment on the blog; I'll collect your names (from the JANUARY COMMENTS) and put them in a drawing, and we'll see who WINS! Simple as that.

Next post will be coming soon with something YUMMMMY! Keep checking back and leaving your new comments. All January comments will be included in the drawing.

Love and blessings
Patricia

18 comments:

  1. I love your Cook Book Ms. Pat. I can't wait to try some now recipes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jamie, Thanks for your comment... I wasn't able to access your blogger page, so I don't have access to your email addy. Send me an email so I'll be able to include you in the drawing and notify you, if you win! Thanks, Pat :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love your blog site. I saw your cookbook at Mom's. It looked like it was fully of yummy stuff.

    Carol Dawson

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks, Carol! Glad to see you here. Your name is in the drawing! :-)))

    ReplyDelete
  5. "God always opens doors for us to share our passion." Wow, Pat, it seemed like God Himself just spoke to me! I have committed this new year to 'seek Him first' and wait for Him to open the doors He purposes me to walk through. May I be obedient when He does! I love your recipes, but even more, I love the words of encouragement you share. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Molly, OBEDIENCE... that's my biggest struggle, and one I've committed to Him to help me with this year. I see the open doors (and windows), but putting my feet through them is yet another thing. When God brings you to mind, I'll pray for you; please do the same for me. If I could just be obedient to what I know, it would solve so many issues! Thanks for your comment! Love you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I was just telling my mom about you putting together a cookbook. I didn't know you had a blog for it also!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Pat, You're such a great cook (and hostess) - I'm sure everything in your cookbook is wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Pat, I just wanted to tell you that I have LOVED your cookbook (as I knew I would) and I have used many of the recipes and they have all been wonderful! Thank you for being such a wonderful Christian example for me growing up and for being such a wonderful friend to me and my family. Love you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. @Stephanie, Gayla, and Penny... Y'all are so sweet to leave such gracious comments! I wish I could give each and every one of you a cookbook because you're all WINNERS in my opinion. Thanks for taking time to stop and "chat." Love you dearly!

    ReplyDelete
  11. After multiple tries, hope I've figure out how to make this post! I had so much fun handing out your cookbook to all the women of my family, almost all of whom you met at our vows renewal. Hugs to you!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Have tried this multiple times, hope this works!
    Loved handing out your cookbooks to all my family, nearly all of whom you met at the vows renewal. Thanks for making our Christmas exchange such fun! Love you guys!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Aunt T. ~~ You know I think you are the greatest cook in the world...plus the sweetest aunt ever! Your cookbook is a favorite of mine!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks, LaNette and Kae! Glad the cookbook is bringing blessings into your lives... that's what I prayed for when each one left here! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I dearly love my cookbook and it is really awesome to have the helpline directly to Ms Pat's kitchen! I will let you know how the Snicker's pie turned out.

    ReplyDelete
  16. POSTING COMMENT FOR DEBBIE HOLLIS:
    Debbie Rea Hollis:
    I think I left a comment on your blog but wasnt sure I got it right. It would have been about 2 minutes ago.
    3 hours ago ·
    Patricia Rains-- ‎@Debbie... nope... haven't seen anything from the blog site... Better try again (let me know if it doesn't work, and I'll see what I can do...)
    2 hours ago
    Debbie Rea Hollis -- Tried again, Don't know what I am doing wrong. Looked like others had some trouble too
    2 hours ago
    Patricia Rains-- @Debbie, You tried!! That's all you can do... I'll count you in the drawing, and see what I can figure out when I have time tomorrow. :-) Thanks for letting me know...

    ReplyDelete
  17. If you post 2 times do you get your name in 2 times?? Just wondering :) Luv Ya!

    ReplyDelete
  18. If you post a second comment, do you get your name in 2 times? HeeHee Just wondering!! Luv Ya!

    ReplyDelete