For the Love of Strange Medicine

One of my favorite singers, and quite possibly one of the best ever, in my opinion, is Steve Perry. Most people know him from his time spent as the lead singer for Journey. If you know me, you know I love this man's voice. plus just look at him... 

 p.s. nice hat Steve ;)

 ...sigh....*cough* anyway...

He also did a couple solo albums, Street Talk, and For the Love of Strange Medicine. On the latter, he wrote a song sharing the name of the album title. The message of this song is one in which every human being can relate too, whether through admitting it or not...

We all have something in our lives that we love to do, a hobby, a pastime, an enjoyment. But when does that enjoyment become something more then it should be? It begins to take up all of our time, and money. All our focus has become consumed in this one treasure we refuse to give up. We hide it from the rest of the world, "Far inside the dark room, behind all the walls, underneath the concrete, Heaven starts to fall". At what point does a simple game of cards turn into a gambling addiction? "Rollin' dice remember"  At what point does simple pleasure become obsession? "What promises regret?"

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Christ has a few things to say about this subject familiar to all of us... Idolatry. First of all what is idolatry? Dictionary defines it as follows: 1. the religious worship of idols. 2. excessive or blind adoration. 

What does He say about it...

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Do not have any other gods before me.You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God." Ex. 20: 2-5

Though we have a God who is always faithful and fulfilling to our every need, we still seek out fixes to our temporary desires. These desires, though ever tempting and somewhat fulfilling, they will always fail us. Why? 

1. They are not real, and have no life or saving grace to offer: 

"Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it". Habakkuk 2:19

2.  When put up against the Holiness and Righteousness of God they will perish:

"They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish." Jeremiah 10:15

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"Some are believers, some don't know, they're lost and alone. Some are deceivers, their souls been sold, for the love of strange medicine"

Have we been sold to the promise of a false idol, strange medicine that only poisons? "Little children, keep yourselves from idols" 2 John 5:21. And also, "Don't Stop Believin'"... in the one who is Holy above all else.

Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

These cookies are uber easy and really yummy! 

 

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter

2 (3 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened.

2 cups of sugar

2 cups of flour 

3/4 cup of chopped raspberries

1 cup of white chocolate chips 

Cream together cream cheese and butter, mix in flour and sugar. Then add in chopped raspberries and chocolate chips. Place on baking sheet, and put in oven, bake at 350 for 15 min. let cool and enjoy!

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An easy dessert with these...

Ok to made these even more awesome, all you have to do is add a little vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, raspberry sauce, and fresh raspberries. The only reason there are no raspberries in this picture is because someone ate them all before I could use them ... -_-

Oh well, it was still very good! :)

 

As the name suggests..

Well, as the name suggests, I am a chick who wears a fedora. I have several hats in general, 17 last I counted, and 5 of them the classy fedora. I wanted to do a little research on my favorite lid, and this is what I found..

The origin of the name "Fedora" is from the Russian word "Fedor" and the Greek word "Theodoros" which means "gift of God".

The hat itself got it's name from a French play that made its debut in 1882 called haha, "Fedora". The play's character Princess Fedora Romazova wore one atop her head, and soon after which started a fashion among middle to upper class women, and men.

In the Prohibition Era, the 1920's to 1930's, was when the Fedora truly made it's mark, becoming very popular thanks to Gangsters such as Al Capone. Where it has gotten the nickname "the gangster hat". Other famous men such as Frank Sinatra, and Humphrey Bogart gave the Fedora it's "big break" and the hat made it's way from starting out on the stage, to the big screen of Hollywood. During this era the Fedora was primarily worn by men, and remained a popular part of male attire until the 1960's. 

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By the early 1970's the younger population began to forget the fashion of their father's and grandfather's to sport a newer hat... the baseball cap. So it took a back burner with the "youngins", while still remaining among the older generation, who where use to the hat.

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Certain performers did keep the fashion going during this lull, Indiana Jones...

 

and Michael Jackson..

..Just to name a couple.

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It finally did made a comeback in the 2000's, becoming fashionably "cool" again, especially among the younger generations, sporting them with skinny neon jeans that already come with holes and tears. Artists, such as Justin Timberlake, Brittany Spears, and Bruno Mars wear them when singing concerts and performing in front of crowds of millions. 

I am quite happy that they did make their way back to cover the heads of  us chicks (or roosters for you gentlemen). And hey, who knows what else will find it's way returning to our closets, I hear rumor of leg warmers, big hair and neon... ;)



The Hope of Dogs and Humans

Did you ever wonder what a dog thinks? What goes through their mind from day to day? I, like many other humans have frequently pondered this.
We all have looked at our pets expressions and voiced what we think their thoughts are... A simple "hello", or "And where have you been all day?", or "can I have a bite?" It makes us laugh and feel comfort to place human emotion upon our adopted family members, but I believe they do have them.
They feel joy, when their favorite people come home from an outing; when they find their favorite toy. Frustration when they must stay inside when the dog next door is clearly getting too close to the fence line; And when the man in the big truck with the swan on it comes to the door unannounced. But the most common emotion they feel, hope.
They hope for a pet or a "good girl" when they look at their masters with admiration. Hope, when they begin to smell the meal being prepared in the best room of the house. Hope, for a piece of that meal to make it's way off your plate to the floor with out you noticing. ;)
The hope in the eyes of a dog is clearly seen when taken a moment to pause and look into those awaiting faces. Another question comes to mind; do we also live with this same hope?
Not the hope of a treat or a pat on the head, but the hope we have in our Master? The hope of hearing the words "Well done, my good and faithful servant". The hope of seeing Him in His glory? Do people see the hope in our eyes, just as well as the hope in a dogs?
When you think about it hope of a canine and a human has similarities, we wish for praise, affection, love, and maybe a bite of that cake, but there is one difference that needs to be noted.
Disappointment, the dog may get passed up for a pet, the bowl left empty once or twice. BUT, we will never have to face this disappointment in our Master! He will not forget about us, our hearts will not be left empty, or wanting. He is a faithful and loving God, who will never forget His children.
"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace, gave us eternal encouragement and good hope" 2 Thessalonians 2:16
So the next time you look at your dog with those puppy eyes full of hope 'saying' "can I have a "bite?", remember that though similar, our hope is of a different kind, hope with the encouragement of a never - failing, faithful, loving God.


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