Tin Roof Sundae

How Do You Know For Sure?

by Carley Cooper

This is the final post in what’s turned out to be an Easter series. I didn't plan on doing this series, but sometimes God has other plans.

On Good Friday our church presented a multi-media concert event entitled “How Could You Say No?” It very clearly showed, without a doubt, the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, and why.

On Easter Sunday, to complete the story, we saw:

the Easter story performed by the BFMC Solidground Youth in a shadow performance; not a word was spoken yet the message was shouted out loud and clear.
monologs performed by people who played characters that were living at the time of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. Each person gave an incredible message, some even chose to dress in costume. They talked about their feelings and experiences, how they doubted in the beginning, and how they came to believe that this profit they’ve interacted with was indeed the Son of God. We heard from:

one of the soldiers

Mary Magdalen

Peter, the disciple

Cleopas (Road to Emmaus)

and finally, Thomas (AKA: doubting Thomas).

an incredible performance by our very own Lynn Dyck who sang “He’s Alive”, which reinforced the simple message of the Bible “He’s alive and I’m forgiven. Heaven’s gates are open wide”.

“Thomas” explained that he wanted to believe; that Jesus had actually risen from the dead after it was discovered His tomb was empty and the body was gone. But, the truth was that he didn’t believe. Like many people, even today, rising from the dead after 3 days seems like a crazy idea. It’s not possible, right? However, Thomas was curious enough to want to know more. He said he wouldn’t believe it until he saw Jesus, Himself, standing before him showing the holes in His hands, and the wound in His side. Thomas refused to believe until he saw it with his own eyes. So, Jesus did exactly that. That’s when Thomas became a believer.

So many of us are like Thomas. The difference is that Thomas had the opportunity, much more so than we do today, to talk with the risen Lord. He was able to see the truth for himself. Jesus said that Thomas was blessed because he believed because he saw. Jesus also said that those of us who believe even though we haven’t seen are even more blessed.

This led to a video that had been prepared to show people within out church family and around town giving a short testimony as to how they know, 2000 years later, that Jesus is real, alive, and that He is who He says He is. Below is that video. I think you will find it to be a blessing, as was the youth shadow performance, and the song “He’s Alive”.

Overall, as Christians, it’s always wonderful and awesome to see and hear the Easter message. After all, it’s what life is all about for us. It’s a story we never tire of hearing and gets more exciting every time. It was also a message that could help newcomers see and hear the truth about the great love God has for us. He loves me. He loves you. He knows you, even if you don’t know Him. He loves you enough to have sacrificed His son to save your eternal soul, to make sure you will spend eternity with Him in paradise. He loves you so much, that even if you were the only one who needed saving, He would have given the same sacrifice, suffered the same fate on the cross.

He’s waiting for you. Talk to Him today. It will be the most life changing conversation of your life. The most important decision you will ever make is to ask Jesus into your heart to be the Lord and Saviour of your life.

Heaven’s Gates are Open Wide!

by Carley Cooper

Every once in a while a song, a performance comes along that in and of itself is a message. This is the case with this video. This is a performance by Lynn Dyck in our church on Easter Sunday. The message is clear “He’s alive and I’m forgiven. Heaven’s gates are open wide”. What else is there to say? What else really matters?

I hope this blesses you as much as it did our church family when we watched it live.

Easter is in the Shadows!

by Carley Cooper

On Good Friday, our church presented a multimedia concert event. It showed us that Jesus died for us, and left us with the question “How Could You Say No to this Man?” Seeing the sacrifice that He gave for us leaves us without a doubt that He loves us, and our hearts should accept Him as our Lord and Saviour. No one has ever, or will ever, make such a sacrifice, or has ever loved so greatly.

Easter Sunday, again Barrie Free Methodist Church, presented the Easter story in non-traditional methods. This is a great way to help those who are non-believers or those who are “sitting on the fence” to experience church in a way that may not be so “scary” or “in your face” as a standard sermon. It’s a great way of showing the hope that the Easter story has brought to us.

Among other things, that I will present in the next couple of blogs in this Easter series, this video shows the youth of our church presenting the Easter story. I’ve said before that we are blessed with an over-abundance of incredible talent in our church family. This includes our youth. Among them, we have great musicians, actors, and creative talent. Watch this video of their performance to the song “Hope’s Song” by Rebecca St. James. It’s a sermon in and of itself… with no words spoken.

BFMC Good-Friday Concert: How Could You Say No to this Man?

by Carley Cooper

My church has a history of producing wonderful concerts that draw our church family, and others, closer to God. We have been blessed with an abundance of incredible talent amongst our family. There’s everyone from the stage crew to the performers, and everyone in between. And, God has used each and every one of us individually, and as a group, to show His love for all of us.

Anyone who goes to our church will tell you that it’s a different place, we are a different people than other churches. Neither, do we always do things according to the traditional methods. This Easter weekend, a concert was presented on Good-Friday instead of the standard type church service. The message behind it was loud and clear; Jesus willingly suffered and gave His life for us. For me. For you. Even if you were the only one, He would have given the same sacrifice. He loves you that much!

Here’s the video of our concert. I recorded it myself from the audience, which I hadn’t planned on doing when I went. There’s a little movement of the camera now and then, and heads in front of the camera, but neither hinder you from seeing the concert or accepting the message.

Happy Easter. May this be the year you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. It is the most important decision you will ever make.

Pumpkin Doggie Treats

Here’s my next doggie treat recipe in the dog treat series. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Doggie Treats

1 cup wheat flour
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350°. Put all of the ingredients into a bowl, and mix well. The dough is going to be really stiff, but work those ingredients together! Then, add water to moisten to a soft doughy consistency – not runny, but not stiff, rather like bread dough before it rises.

Next, sprinkle your work area with a healthy dose of flour. Turn the dough onto the floured surface, and knead for about 10 minutes to get the gluten in the flour to really hold it together. It should be soft and stretchy when you’re done, like elastic – so don’t add too much flour, just enough to ensure that it doesn’t stick.

Pat or roll your dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Then use a cup or cookie cutter to make pretty shapes, put them on a cookie sheet, and bake for 30-40 minutes. Cool them off before you let Fido have a taste!

I haven’t created any dog recipes of my own as of the date of this posting. I’ve collected them from different sources. If you recognize this recipe as one that you’ve created, and you want credit, please let me know and I will add your name and link to your website.

Tax Freedom Day? Maybe Not.

For years we’ve been lead to believe in “Tax Freedom Day”; the day of the year when we stop paying our percentage of taxes owed to the government, and are able to “keep” the rest for ourselves. Well, in this video Candice Malcolm from the Frasier Institute, gives everyone the ugly truth! Watch this:

My Favorite Apps: aCalendar

by Carley Cooper

I’m starting a series about my favorite Android Apps because I’ve found so many that have become so helpful and useful to me that I want tell everyone about them.

First, is one called aCalendar. Here’s a list of my favorite features:

it has an agenda view and a widget, so it’s available at my finger tips all the time
it has views for monthly, weekly, daily, and yearly
it syncs with Google Calendar. My calendar on all my phone and my computer are in sync and kept up to date all the time.
I can set it to sync with more than one Google Calendar. For example, some of mine are: my personal calendar, anniversaries & birthdays, holidays, doctor’s appointments, Facebook events, church events, writing schedules, business appointments, etc.
You can just tap the event title on your calendar to see the event details, including maps if you are travelling to your event
it has reminder options, something I’ve found is not always available with convenient options in other calendar apps
it has great options for planning reoccurring events, another feature I’ve found hard to find in other calendar apps
it has 48 colours per calendar. It has a couple of different options for app theme colors, and you can set events to have their own colours. For example, doctors appointments are yellow, church commitments are purple, holidays are green, anniversaries & birthdays are blue, etc.
it has flexible reoccurrence options
it has options to connect with your contacts and have their birthdays show up on your calendar
it has a moon phases option
it has options for QR & NFC barcode sharing of events
it’s available in 30 languages
advertising is just an occasional occurrence, not an all the time thing

These features are all wonderful, and that’s just the free version. The paid version has a few extra features but I found that for the average user they’re of no need, or there’s a way to get around them.

Overall, I give this app 5 stars. Click here to go to the Google Play Store and download it yourself.

How Do You Know if Your Dog Loves You?

Here’s a great article I found that I thought all the doggie parents out there would love to see.

6 Signs Your Dog Loves You

Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

Do you find yourself spending a lot of money on treats for your dog? Are you concerned how healthy store-bought treats are? I do.

I’ve read so much lately about how bad some of the top brand name treats are for dogs, that I decided to start making homemade treats for my little Maggie. I’ve collected** quite a recipes now, and I’ve decided to start sharing them.

Here’s the first one:

Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons dry milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 cups brown rice flour *
1 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

In large bowl, whisk together eggs and pumpkin to smooth. Stir in dry milk, sea salt, and dried parsley (if using, optional). Add brown rice flour gradually, combining with spatula or hands to form a stiff, dry dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface (can use the brown rice flour) and if dough is still rough, briefly knead and press to combine.

Roll dough between 1/4 – 1/2″ – depending on your dog’s chew preferences, – and use biscuit or other shape cutter to punch shapes, gathering and re-rolling scraps as you go. Place shapes on cookie sheet, no greasing or paper necessary. If desired, press fork pattern on biscuits before baking, a quick up-and-down movement with fork, lightly pressing down halfway through dough. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully turn biscuits over, then bake additional 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on rack before feeding to dog.

Makes up to 75 small (1″) biscuits or 50 medium biscuits

* Brown rice flour gives the biscuits crunch and promotes better dog digestion. Many dogs have touchy stomachs or allergies, and do not, like many people I know, tolerate wheat.

** I haven’t created any dog recipes of my own as of the date of this posting. I’ve collected them from different sources. If you recognize this recipe as one that you’ve created, and you want credit, please let me know and I will add your name and link to your website.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Carley Cooper, Author!

This is a very exciting announcement or me! I am now a published author. My first book was released last month. It is a work that I co-wrote with author, Daphne Tarango, and 8 other inspirational writers. I am very excited about this project because it will help inspire so many who are suffering with mental illnesses.

Let me tell you all about it:

Title: Groove: Stories to Refresh How We Think and Feel About Our Mental Illnesses

Authors:

Designer: Suzanne D Williams

Published: December 1, 2014 in Paperback

UPDATES:

January 12, 2015 - Groove is in the top 100 in two Amazon categories (Mood Disorders and Depression), and is on the "Hot New Releases" list
December 18, 2014 - Groove is now available in Kindle on Amazon
December 14, 2014 - Groove is now available in Kindle, and other formats (Nook, Kobo, Sony Reader, Older Sony Readers, Tablets, Kindle, PDF, BeBook, Older Palm Devices, TXT, HTML) on Smashwords

Buy Groove at these fine online retailers:

About Groove:

You're one of the millions of people who struggle with mental illness. You struggle in silence, hoping to avoid stares, whispers, and prejudice. But society’s judgment has also become your inner voice. Guilt, shame, and low self-worth have entrenched themselves in your mind and heart like old grooves of sun-hardened soil. These false beliefs need loosening, turning, tilling, and ploughing until the old grooves give way to new grooves of God’s Truth.

In Groove: Stories to Refresh the Way We Think and Feel about Our Mental Illnesses, mental health advocate Daphne Tarango and nine inspirational writers tell how they've overturned the old grooves and false beliefs about their own mental illnesses. Groove offers encouragement and firsthand experiences from men and women who know what it’s like to have mental illness. You'll relate to their inspirational stories about relationships, coping skills, managing symptoms, career and home, life stages and milestones, even stories about their pets, the holidays, and much more.

Groove includes 52 thought-provoking stories, one for each week of the year. Each entry ends with a series of questions so you can reflect and dig deeper grooves on the topic for that week. As you read Groove, you'll learn how to build new grooves using God’s word and how those new grooves can change your life, the way you feel about yourself, and the way you carry yourself. You can even read and work through the questions with a small group.

Whether you're recently diagnosed with a mental illness or have struggled with mental illness for years, Groove can help you refresh the way you think and feel about your mental illness, all by believing and applying the Truth in God's word.

20 Ways You Can Pass on Random Acts of Kindness

Help out a little old lady in the grocery store when she can’t reach something on a higher shelf
Snow blow your neighbour's driveway
Give someone a ride somewhere so they don’t have to take a bus or a taxi; even if it’s out of your way
Besides leaving a good tip, tell a waiter / waitress how well they did their job
When you are shopping in the grocery store, and have extra coupons you don’t need, give them to other people who you see picking up those products
Make a homemade pot of soup and give someone at your church who you think needs it or would appreciate it right now
Give a needy family some groceries / toys / money / gift cards; anonymously
If you take the bus, pay for someone else’s bus fare
Cut a neighbour's grass this week so they don’t have to do it
Give someone a tank of gas (leave a gas gift card in their mail box)
Pay for coffee for the person in line behind you in the drive through
Pay for someone else’s purchases when you’re in the express line at the store
When you’re in a restaurant pay for the meal of another couple at another table
Walk your neighbour's dog
Donate some money to a church or charity in someone else’s name, so they will get the tax receipt
Babysit your friend’s kids, for free
Pay for someone else’s hair do when you’re at the stylist
Pay for someone’s over-due fees at the library
Babysit a friend / family member’s dog for free while they’re on vacation
Give a teenager an iTunes gift card when you’re at the music store

New Website Launch

Photo Credit: Paul Duarte Photography

I've just launched a new website called
Breaking the Window - It's about helping to break stigma against mental illness and abuse; one window at a time. Stigma hurts! Every Time!

The mission statement is:

It is the mission of Breaking the Window to reach out to people in all areas of life to help, empower, inspire, and educate them in an effort to help break the stigma in the world surrounding Domestic Violence and Mental Health issues; and to help those suffering to build healthier, happier lives.

I am welcoming guest authors to publish posts on this site that fall within the topics of our mission statement. Check out the Guest Post Guidelines, and submit a post. I'd love to hear from you!

The story behind the name 'Breaking the Window' is on the About Us page. The website also has lots of resources listed for both Abuse and Mental Health issues.

Come and check it out! Thank you.

The website address is:

www.BreakingTheWindow.com

5 Interesting but Useless Tidbits

Did you know a "jiffy" is an actual unit of time? It denotes 1/100th of a second!
There really is a day called “Tibbs Eve”... the day before Christmas Eve.
Did you know the first hair dryer was a vacuum cleaner? The prototype subsequently evolved into the hairdryer we know today.
The province of Quebec, in Canada, produces 80% of the world’s supply of maple syrup. In August 2012 a supply worth millions was stolen. Police found it in October in New Brunswick. Pancake lovers worldwide breathed a sigh of relief.
Did you know that paper shredders can chew mouse cords too?! Yessiree, ‘Tis a fact.

My Top 10 Favorite Blogs

by Carley Cooper

My Top 10 Favorite Blogs are:

Thoughts? Questions? Want to share your story? Ask for prayer? Please share in the comments section. (If you’re on the homepage, click on the post headline, & scroll down to find the comments section.)

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I Am Your Addiction

Author Unknown

Microsoft Office Copyright Free Images

I hate meetings. I hate your higher powers. I hate anyone who has a "program." To all who come into contact with me, I wish you suffering and I wish you death.

Allow me to introduce myself. I am the disease of addiction. I am cunning, baffling, and powerful. I h ave killed millions and I am pleased.

I love to catch you with the element of surprise. I love pretending I am your friend and lover.. I have given you comfort, have I not? Wasn't I there when you were lonely? When you wanted to die, wasn't I there when you called me?

I love to make you hurt. I love to make you cry. Better yet, I love to make you so numb you can neither hurt nor cry. Isn't it true glory when you can't hurt at all?

I will give you instant gratification, and all that I ask from you is long-term suffering. I have always been there for you. When things were going right in your life, you invited me. You said you didn't deserve these things, and I was the only one who agreed with you. Together we were able to destroy all the good things in your life.

People don't take me seriously. Take the strokes, heart attacks, and diabetes seriously. Fools,, little they know that without my help, some of these things would not take place.

I am such a hated disease, yet I do not come uninvited. You choose to have me. So many people have chosen me over reality and peace of mind.

More than you hate me, I hate all of you who have a 12-step program. Your programs, your higher powers and your monthly meetings weaken me, and I can't function in the manner I am used to.

Now I must lie here quietly. You don't see me, but I am growing LARGER than ever. When you only exist, I may live. When you live, I may only exist. But I am here... waiting and growing, ready to strike the moment you pick up... and until we meet again, I wish you suffering and death whether it be physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. It's all death no matter what you cal me. I am your worst enemy! I am your addiction.

Thoughts? Questions? Want to share your story? Ask for prayer? Please share in the comments section.

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What’s On My Bookshelf?

by Carley Cooper

The books on a person’s shelf can say a lot about who they are and about their life.

Here’s a list of books, randomly chosen, from my bookshelf.

Wherever Grace is Needed by Elizabeth Bass
The Maker’s Diet by Jordan S. Rubin
The Weight Loss Cure by Kevin Trudeau
Good Owners, Great Dogs by Brian Kilcommons with Sarah Wilson
Sitting by My Laughing Fire by Ruth Graham Bell
The Stenciled House by Lyn Le Grice
Emotions You Can Trust by Dr. James Dobson
The Total Money Makeover Workbook by Dave Ramsey
Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado
The Kitchen Idea Book by Joanne Kellar Bouknight

What message do you get from this list? What’s on your bookshelf? Share with me in the comment section below.

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Success Story: 'I Was Made for More!'

By: Melinda Hershey : 12/11/2012

Meet Carley Cooper (username SPARKYCARLEY), a SparkPeople member who pledged to heal her body so she could heal her mind. Read on to learn about her inspirational journey!

Click here to read the whole story....

My Favorite Positive Affirmations

by Carley Cooper

Positive thinking has helped me greatly in the past. I learned early on that thinking positive isn’t something that comes natural to everyone. For some, we have to change our brain. I started with positive affirmations written on index cards. It didn’t take long and it started to work. Here are some of my fave’s.

Today is a very happy day. I choose to rejoice
I am confident
I know I can depend on God to save me
I am beautiful inside and outside
I am worthy of love
God loves me just as I am
I have overcome all my trials in life, and will continue to do so with God’s help
I am a positive thinker
I am happy
I am free of anger and resentment
I forgive (person’s name who you want to forgive) for (the offense that they did / said to you)
For singles: I am fulfilled as a single woman / man
I am at peace with my past
I am sexy
I love working out
I am strong
I will keep my faith in God for all my needs and desires
I am independent
I was made for more
It’s OK to say ‘No’ to others requests when I feel they are crossing my personal boundaries

Thoughts? Questions? Want to share your story? Ask for prayer? Please share in the comments section.

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NEW Website Launches

My NEW website. Please sign up to follow by email or RSS feed. Carley Cooper... everything in one site! Connect to the latest book news, blogs, and more!

www.CarleyCooper.com

Worship Melodies and Tin Roof Sundae sites will remain the same. All book reviews have been moved to the new site, and will continue to be posted there in the future.

Also, coming soon is the launch of another new website called Breaking the Window, which is about fighting stigma against Mental Health and Abuse issues. If you are a professional in these fields and would like to write a Guest Author Post, or if you simply have a story to share, I encourage you to contact me. I'd love to post your help or your story. Sign up to follow by email or by RSS feed. Thank you.

www.BreakingTheWindow.com

Plus, if you haven't signed up to follow Worship Melodies blogs yet, please feel free to do so. It's devotional messages based on my journey to God. He longs to have an intimate relationship with us. It's music to His ears when we worship him by 'singing His praises' even through our trials. I pray my Worship Melodies bring you blessings.

~~~~~ You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance; you have taken away my sorrow and surrounded me with joy. So I will not be silent; I will single praise to you. Lord, you are my God; I will give you thanks forever. ~Ps 30:11-12 (GNT)

www.WorshipMelodies.com

Finally, I've just recently started writing as a blogger for the International Bipolar Foundation. I am one of more than a dozen bloggers internationally. I will post a blog, on average, about once per month. Please follow at:

www.InternationalBipolarFoundation.org/Blog