I'm Thankful For...

*So... I actually started this before Thanksgiving... but, it obviously didn't get posted in time... So! Here is my Thanksgiving post... a few days late! ☺*



Well... It's Thanksgiving.

And of course, it's time to sit back and count all of our many blessings.

I have to say, I'm am completely amazed at how utterly and truly blessed I am. I have so much to be thankful for, and that is why I'm going to share with you all Seven things I'm thankful for this year. 

1. My Family...

 I think I can always say that I am truly thankful for my family. We do life together. I think that speaks for itself. So, to all of my amazing family reading this, I'm so thankful for you! Thank you for loving me and putting up with all of my craziness... 😜

2. Friends...

You know... the type if people who really make life flavorful. I'm so grateful for all of my amazing friends who are so supportive and loving. Most likely, if you're reading this, you're a friend of mine and I'm so thankful for you! 

3. The good old USA

Yes, I know there is a lot of controversy over the election and all sorts of crazy things going on right now... But I can truly say that I am extremely thankful for America! I'm also thankful that we have  a democracy and that we can vote our leaders into office. God Bless America!

4. Police...
These days, no one seems to be able to realize just how hard a Police's job is, and they seem to want to do everything they can to make it even harder. But, I hope I'll always be the first to say, "Thank You!" I'm so grateful for the safety and order Police bring to our society. Thank you to all of the Police who get up in the morning and get ready for work, knowing that it could be the last time you do so. I appreciate everything you do... Your good deeds do not go unnoticed. 😊

5. Teachers... (Yes... This includes you, mom.) 😉
I'm so grateful for all of the teachers in my life! Whether you teach me piano or how to properly do a water bottle flip... I consider you my teacher, and I appreciate what you do! I'm so thankful people are willing to teach me new things! So to all you teachers out there... Thank You!

6. My Church...
I am so thankful for my church and all of the amazing people who challenge me to grow spiritually! I'm also thankful to go to a church that takes God's Word seriously. As the years go by, I see more and more churches turning away from solid biblical truths, and it makes me even more grateful to go to a church where God's Word is God's Word and not something that should be taken lightly or tampered with.

7. Jesus Christ...
I am increasingly grateful for My Savior and what He's done for me and the rest of the world. I really can't explain in mere words what He means to me. All I can say is... Thank You, Jesus! Without you, there would be no blessings to count this Thanksgiving... or any year for that matter.

      Well! That concludes my list of things I'm thankful for. Of course, there are many more things I could've added... but, I just wanted to share a few specific things. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and don't forget to eat a lot of pie!

Cheers!
Makayla♥

Book Signing...!!!

 Hey Everyone!

So! As you can probably guess from the title of this post... I went to my first Book Signing! *Claps obnoxiously for ten seconds*

If you've visited some of the other pages on this wonderful site you've probably come across a list of my favorite books... Well! *Drumroll* Friday night I got meet the wonderful Shannon Messenger! (Author of the 'Keeper of the Lost Cities' series)

These books are some of my favorites! They've got plenty of adventure, action, and all kinds of crazy stuff that keeps you interested. Shannon Messenger just released her fifth book in the series and has been on tour as a result, so, I was super excited when she announced that she would be coming to Minnesota!!

Anyway! I was surprised at the way it turned out... As I said before, I've never been to a book signing before, so it was a new experience anyway... But I guess I always imagined a HUGE restless crowd waiting in line to get their book signed... Now don't get me wrong, there was a decent size crowd, but they had lots of chairs set up so people could sit while they waited, and they had everyone grab a ticket so you knew when it was your turn. Then they had a Q&A when Shannon got there so it seemed a little more like you were getting to know more about her and stuff about the books. Overall, it was a pretty cool experience!

Bailey and I were super excited to meet her!

  We were the last people to meet her... Which was worth it because we got to talk for like ten minutes and she gave us the last of her posters and stuff. So that was super cool!
So! Yeah! That's just a random thing that happened that I thought was worth blogging about!

Hope you enjoyed!
Makayla♥

Verse Of the Day...

Hey everyone!

I'm back with a quick verse to hopefully encourage you as you go about your day.

   "Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over
        the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?
     He does not retain his anger forever, because He delights in mercy.
     He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities.
       You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea."
                                                     
                                                          ~Micah 7:18-19

And here I am, yet again reminded of God's great love for us. Who can understand why God would choose to love us? Why would he choose to set us free from our bondage of sin? Why would He allow us to cast all our guilt and shame upon Himself? Why would He care enough to allow us to thrust His precious Son into death so that we could be thrust into life?
I can say with absolute certainty that it's not because we deserve it. There is absolutely no reason we should inherit such a wonderful Salvation.

So what is it? What changed God's mind? Or rather... Who?

                                                             Jesus did! 

Yes, my friends! As simple as it sounds, it's true! Jesus died for us all! Because of Him we can enter into heaven with the blood of Christ sprinkled upon us, securing us a place in heavenly paradise for all of eternity. All we have to do is Believe. Believe that Jesus paid the ultimate price for us. Believe that He rose from death and raised us into life with Him. And by accepting Him into our hearts, we are allowing Him to take control of our lives and shape us into who He wants us to become.

Just remember, no matter what you've done...  God's mercy is greater! 


Here's an amazing song I heard recently. Please listen! ☺

Cheers!

Makayla ♥

How to make Kettle Corn (Super Easy)

Hey ya'll!

So, I don't know about you... but Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks. I love that crunchy, buttery, salty yumminess that nothing but popcorn can satisfy. 
Of course, Popcorn that is salty and sweet is even better!  So, I decided to share a recipe I found recently for Kettle Corn. It's super fun (and easy) to make, and it's even more enjoyable to eat.

Makes 6 to 8 servings (About 10 cups)

What You Need

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons oil (Coconut Oil, Canola Oil, or another vegetable oil... I used Coconut Oil.)

1/2 cup corn kernels

1/4 to 1/2 cup white granulated sugar, to taste

1 teaspoon salt

Equipment:

4-quart sauce pot with lid

Long-handled spoon for stirring

Instructions

1. Warm the oil: Pour the oil into the pot and drop three kernels of corn into the pan. These three kernels will be your indicator for when the oil is hot. Cover with the lid and set over medium-high heat.
   
   
2. Add the corn kernels, sugar, and salt: Use 1/4 cup of sugar if you like slightly sweet kettle corn and more if you like sweeter. Quickly stir everything together to coat all the kernels and replace the lid.
   
   
3.  Shake the pan occasionally as the popcorn starts to pop, and then more frequently and vigorously as the popping increases. Rest the pot on the burner every few seconds to maintain the heat.
   
   
4.  Some wisps of steam toward the end of popping are normal — don't confuse this with smoke! However, if you smell smoke, stop popping and proceed with the next steps.
   
   
5. Remove from heat when popping slows: When you hear the popping begin to slow, 1 to 2 seconds between pops, remove the pan from heat. Don't wait for every kernel to pop or you'll end up burning the popcorn; as soon as you think it might be starting to slow down, take it off the heat. Total popping time is about 2 to 3 minutes on my electric stove.
   
   
6. Cool the Popcorn: Let the kettle corn cool for at least five minutes — the popcorn will crisp as it cools. Eat immediately or store in an airtight container for several days.

Recipe Notes:

• Kettle corn with other sugars: Kettle corn is usually made with plain old white granulated sugar, but this shouldn't stop you from experimenting! Try any other granulated sugar, or experiment with liquid sweeteners, like honey and maple syrup. I used Coconut Sugar and I loved the taste! ☺

Does anyone else like Popcorn as much as I do? Let me know!

I hope you're having a wonderful week!

Also, don't forget to get outside and enjoy the last of the fall colors before everything is covered in snow... !

Cheers!
Makayla♥