How to Make Pretzels. (or how not to make them, anyway...)

Hey, Peeps.


SOOOOOOO.......I just wanted to clarify a few things here real quick. About pretzels.

Spelt Flour

1.  When you decide to make pretzels with you little brothers, make sure that you have wheat flour. Spelt flour doesn't work. Just so we all know.




2. Be sure that you have other necessary ingredients  (Such as, sugar and butter. FYI- Butter is a necessity. I know that for a fact now. Officially.)

A detailed image of the correct "pretzel shape".
Side Note:  this is not my pretzel.
This one looks beautiful.
Mine does not. 

3. When forming the dough into the "pretzel shape",
it is often good to remember things like:
dough often rises and expands in the oven.

Also for the benefit of the reader,
 I have included a picture of a very burnt pretzel.
Another side note:
this pretzel isn't mine either..just so we all know..

4. When making pretzels, it is often helpful (and beneficial to the eater) to remember that you put them in the oven. Evidently almost burnt pretzels are not delightful. Who knew?


On that note, I believe I shall return to my Astronomy and Jason Castro music.... ☺

SNOW!

I had SO much fun on Monday! ☺ 

I woke up with a bunch of new snow on the ground. (which, at the time, I was not exactly thrilled about... lol) 

Around 12 (ish) I was on Facebook and one of my friends messaged me and was like, "I want to make a snowman. You guys should come over and we can build one and have a big snowball fight!" 

So, Si and I finished up our British Final Exam {Oh! I almost forgot!!! I am done with Brit. Lit!! Praise the Lord!} and my siblings and I packed up all of our snow stuff and headed out to his house. 

We actually ended getting stuck in their driveway and had to wait until their neighbor plowed out their driveway to get up there, haha!!...that was actually really funny! ☺

We split up into teams (Silas, Levi, and Matt on one and Me, Rosie, Luke & Jesse on the other) and built forts so we could have a snowball fight. My team totally won, the boys just won't admit it. (HA!) 

After we all all froze, we headed inside and their mom made the best hot chocolate...ever! And enchiladas. Which were also awesome. And we watched the Hobbit and hung out until we had to go home.

It was great! Thanks Matt & Luke! ☺  

Yay, snow!

Awesome Weekend!

SOOO, yeah. I totally had the greatest weekend...ever.

On Friday, we headed to the Sauder Village Heritage Inn

Sauder Village

(I think it is in or near Archbold, OH) for out Bible Quizzing Invitational Tournament. It was awesome! I think we were in the running for 9th place (out of 72 teams), too!

Plus, we found out that next year we're quizzing over Exodus. I'm not sure if I will do Quizzing next year or not, but Exodus does sound pretty tempting... ☺

So, late Sunday afternoon, I get home from quizzing. Like 25 minutes later, I start heading to my [amazing!] friend's (Kristen) house & got ready to head out to Grove City, OH to an awesome, AWESOME concert!

It was just awesome. That's all I'm gonna say...

Forest Fire

So, I was brushing up on my Josh Wilson music ['cuz, you know.. I'm going to his concert and all!! whoop!] and I came across one of his awesome songs. I hardly ever hear it.. but the words to the song are so good!

It's called Forest Fire

Here is a part of the song:

Our tongues are like matches

Our ears are like trees

Our words are like sparks

On dry summer leaves

It doesn't take much

For the flames to rise

And turn a soul

Into a forest fire

Be careful

Be careful what you say

Thought-provoking-song-about-my-words #2! Thank you, Lord! ♥

Words

There is this new song [that I LOVE!] by Hawk Nelson called Words.


Here, you can listen to it first ☺:

This song has really made me stop and think about the things I say and how they can impact others and who my words bring glory to.

God has given us such a powerful gift! The fact that we can say anything is crazy. But this beautiful gift is also a dangerous weapon.

"When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water." -James 3:3-12 

Soooo.... here is what I've been thinking:

What do my words say about me?

When I say any word, does it point others to Christ? Or to myself?

Do my words build people up...or tear peopl down?

 Are the things say pleasing to the Lord?

Do my words brag about me and how great I am? Or about my amazing God and how great he is?


One of mom Mom's best friends taught my Sunday School Class when I was in Jr. High. She used to always point us back to Ephesians 4:29

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear"

I think we [me, especially!] usually don't even give a second thought before we say the first thing that pops into our heads--I believe that this gift that God has given us should be treated with the utmost care! Why do we treat this precious gift like garbage?

Rambles...

I can honestly say that it was totally exciting when I woke up this morning and realized that I didn't have to take another OGT! I liked going to school and seeing all of my old friends--but I was SO ready to be done taking that test. ☺ Praise the Lord!!


I am getting really excited for the Spring Dance coming up in three weeks!! [for any of you who don't know,  Rosie, Silas & I are helping to plan the dance..]

Our theme is "Light the Night" -but the part that I love is that we decided to use a bible verse for the theme, too.. We chose to do Matthew 5:14: "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden." And, we have some really great ideas that are are starting to come together..it is SO cool!

We have play practice today! --I still need to memorize my lines for this week....oops. *nervous laugh* ☺

Yesterday was the last day of Local Quizzing--we had our Local Tournament! I was very exciting..we didn't win, but it was still TONS of fun! Our team rocks! Then on Friday we are heading out to Invitationals! Yay!!

A Week of OGT Testing...and a bunch of other stuff, too. So that's exciting... ☺

Hola, Peeps! 

It has been quite a week! 

I went to Riverside High School and took the OGT test...and now... I'm done!! 

Hallelujah!!

I will find out my results around the end of May... 

I can hardly believe how fast time is flying! It is crazy! We have the local Bible Quizzing Tournament on Sunday and then...INVITATIONALS!!! It is going to be great!!

The day we get back from invitationals (Sunday, the 24th), I am going with one of my besties, Kristen, to a Third Day, Colton Dixon & Josh Wilson concert!! (The Miracle Tour) 

 AHHHH!! I seriously cannot wait for that!!! ☺

Ok, well... I was going to write some more--but my laptop is about to die and I am 2 lazy to go downstairs and get it.. Soooooo...I believe that is all. hahaha!

Goodnight, everyone!

Valerie ♥